CALLAPINE. Tell me, viceroys, the number of your men, And what our army royal is esteem'd.
KING OF JERUSALEM. From Palestina and Jerusalem, Of Hebrews three score thousand fighting men Are come, since last we shew'd your<164> majesty.
ORCANES. So from Arabia Desert, and the bounds Of that sweet land whose brave metropolis Re-edified the fair Semiramis, Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse, Since last we number'd to your majesty.
KING OF TREBIZON. From Trebizon in Asia the Less, Naturaliz'd Turks and stout Bithynians Came to my bands, full fifty thousand more, (That, fighting, know not what retreat doth mean, Nor e'er return but with the victory,) Since last we number'd to your majesty.
KING OF SORIA. Of Sorians<165> from Halla is repair'd,<166> And neighbour cities of your highness' land,<167> Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot, Since last we number'd to your majesty; So that the army royal is esteem'd Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.
CALLAPINE. Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy death!-- Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field (The Persians' sepulchre), and sacrifice Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet, Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament To see the slaughter of our enemies.
Enter TAMBURLAINE with his three SONS, CALYPHAS, AMYRAS, and CELEBINUS; USUMCASANE, and others.
TAMBURLAINE. How now, Casane! see, a knot of kings, Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles!
USUMCASANE. My lord, your presence makes them pale and wan: Poor souls, they look as if their deaths were near.
TAMBURLAINE. Why, so he<168> is, Casane; I am here: But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.-- Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come, As Hector did into the Grecian camp, To overdare the pride of Graecia, And set his warlike person to the view Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame: I do you honour in the simile; For, if I should, as Hector did Achilles, (The worthiest knight that ever brandish'd sword,) Challenge in combat any of you all, I see how fearfully ye would refuse, And fly my glove as from a scorpion.
ORCANES. Now, thou art fearful of thy army's strength, Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight: But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine, Think of thy end; this sword shall lance thy throat.
TAMBURLAINE. Villain, the shepherd's issue (at whose birth Heaven did afford a gracious aspect, And join'd those stars that shall be opposite Even till the dissolution of the world, And never meant to make a conqueror So famous as is<169> mighty Tamburlaine) Shall so torment thee, and that Callapine, That, like a roguish runaway, suborn'd That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog, To false his service to his sovereign, As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine.
CALLAPINE. Rail not, proud Scythian: I shall now revenge My father's vile abuses and mine own.
KING OF JERUSALEM. By Mahomet, he shall be tied in chains, Rowing with Christians in a brigandine About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil, And turn him to his ancient trade again: Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief.
CALLAPINE. Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet, And sit in council to invent some pain That most may vex his body and his soul.
TAMBURLAINE. Sirrah Callapine, I'll hang a clog about your neck for running away again: you shall not trouble me thus to come and fetch you.-- But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits, And, harness'd<170> like my horses, draw my coach; And, when ye stay, be lash'd with whips of wire: I'll have you learn to feed on<171> provender, And in a stable lie upon the planks.
ORCANES. But, Tamburlaine, first thou shalt<172> kneel to us, And humbly crave a pardon for thy life.
KING OF TREBIZON. The common soldiers of our mighty host Shall bring thee bound unto the<173> general's tent<.>
KING OF SORIA. And all have jointly sworn thy cruel death, Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath.
TAMBURLAINE. Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I shall have occasion shortly to journey you.