CELEBINUS. See, father, how Almeda the jailor looks upon us!
TAMBURLAINE. Villain, traitor, damned fugitive, I'll make thee wish the earth had swallow'd thee! See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks? Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock, Or rip thy bowels, and rent<174> out thy heart, T' appease my wrath; or else I'll torture thee, Searing thy hateful flesh with burning irons And drops of scalding lead, while all thy joints Be rack'd and beat asunder with the wheel; For, if thou liv'st, not any element Shall shroud thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine.
CALLAPINE. Well, in despite of thee, he shall be king.-- Come, Almeda; receive this crown of me: I here invest thee king of Ariadan, Bordering on Mare Roso, near to Mecca.
ORCANES. What! take it, man.
ALMEDA. [to Tamb.] Good my lord, let me take it.
CALLAPINE. Dost thou ask him leave? here; take it.
TAMBURLAINE. Go to, sirrah!<175> take your crown, and make up the half dozen. So, sirrah, now you are a king, you must give arms.<176>
ORCANES. So he shall, and wear thy head in his scutcheon.
TAMBURLAINE. No;<177> let him hang a bunch of keys on his standard, to put him in remembrance he was a jailor, that, when I take him, I may knock out his brains with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come sweating from my chariot.
KING OF TREBIZON. Away! let us to the field, that the villain may be slain.
TAMBURLAINE. Sirrah, prepare whips, and bring my chariot to my tent; for, as soon as the battle is done, I'll ride in triumph through the camp. Enter THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, and their train. How now, ye petty kings? lo, here are bugs<178> Will make the hair stand upright on your heads, And cast your crowns in slavery at their feet!-- Welcome, Theridamas and Techelles, both: See ye this rout,<179> and know ye this same king?
THERIDAMAS. Ay, my lord; he was Callapine's keeper.
TAMBURLAINE. Well, now ye see he is a king. Look to him, Theridamas, when we are fighting, lest he hide his crown as the foolish king of Persia did.<180>
KING OF SORIA. No, Tamburlaine; he shall not be put to that exigent, I warrant thee.
TAMBURLAINE. You know not, sir.-- But now, my followers and my loving friends, Fight as you ever did, like conquerors, The glory of this happy day is yours. My stern aspect<181> shall make fair Victory, Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me, Loaden with laurel-wreaths to crown us all.
TECHELLES. I smile to think how, when this field is fought And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat With carrying pearl and treasure on their backs.
TAMBURLAINE. You shall be princes all, immediately.-- Come, fight, ye Turks, or yield us victory.
ORCANES. No; we will meet thee, slavish Tamburlaine. [Exeunt severally.]
ACT IV.
SCENE I.
Alarms within. AMYRAS and CELEBINUS issue from the tent where CALYPHAS sits asleep.<182>
AMYRAS. Now in their glories shine the golden crowns Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns That half dismay the majesty of heaven. Now, brother, follow we our father's sword, That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts, And cuts down armies with his conquering wings.
CELEBINUS. Call forth our lazy brother from the tent, For, if my father miss him in the field, Wrath, kindled in the furnace of his breast, Will send a deadly lightning to his heart.
AMYRAS. Brother, ho! what, given so much to sleep, You cannot<183> leave it, when our enemies' drums And rattling cannons thunder in our ears Our proper ruin and our father's foil?
CALYPHAS. Away, ye fools! my father needs not me, Nor you, in faith, but that you will be thought More childish-valourous than manly-wise. If half our camp should sit and sleep with me, My father were enough to scare<184> the foe: You do dishonour to his majesty, To think our helps will do him any good.
AMYRAS. What, dar'st thou, then, be absent from the fight, Knowing my father hates thy cowardice, And oft hath warn'd thee to be still in field, When he himself amidst the thickest troops Beats down our foes, to flesh our taintless swords?
CALYPHAS.