My lord, the great commander of the world,
Besides fifteen contributory kings,
Hath now in arms ten thousand janizaries,
Mounted on lusty Mauritanian steeds,
Brought to the war by men of Tripoly;
Two hundred thousand footmen that have serv'd
In two set battles fought in Græcia ;
And for the expedition of this war,
If he think good, can from his garrisons
Withdraw as many more to follow him.

TECH. The more he brings, the greater is the spoil;
For, when they perish by our warlike hands,
We mean to set* our footmen on their steeds,
And rifle all those stately janizars.

TAMB. But will those kings accompany your lord? BAS. Such as his highness please; but some must stay

To rule the provinces he late subdu’d.

TAMB. [To his Officers] Then fight courageously:

their crowns are yours;

This hand shall set them on your conquering heads, of Asia.

That made me emperor

USUм. Let him bring millions infinite of men, Unpeopling Western Africa and Greece,

Yet we assure us of the victory.

THER. Even he, that in a trice vanquish'd two kings

More mighty than the Turkish emperor,

Shall rouse him out of Europe, and pursue

set] So the 8vo.-The 4to "seate."

His scatter'd army till they yield or die.

TAMB. Well said, Theridamas! speak in that mood;

For will and shall best fitteth Tamburlaine,
Whose smiling stars give him assured hope
Of martial triumph ere he meet his foes.

I that am term'd the scourge and wrath of God,
The only fear and terror of the world,

Will first subdue the Turk, and then enlarge
Those Christian captives which you keep as slaves,
Burdening their bodies with your heavy chains,
And feeding them with thin and slender fare;
That naked row about the Terrenet sea,

And, when they chance to rest or‡ breathe a space,
Are punish'd with bastones§ so grievously

That they lie panting on the galleys' side,
And strive for life at every stroke they give.
These are the cruel pirates of Argier,

That damned train, the scum of Africa,
Inhabited with straggling runagates,

That make quick havoc of the Christian blood:
But, as I live, that town shall curse the time
That Tamburlaine set foot in Africa.

give] So the 8vo.-The 4to " giues."

+ Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean.

or] So the 8vo.-The 4to" and."

$ bastones] i. e. bastinadoes.

they] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to.

Enter BAJAZETH, Bassoes, the Kings of Fez, Morocco, and Argier; ZABINA and Ebea.

BAJ. Bassoes and janizaries of my guard,

lord,

TAMB. Techelles and the rest, prepare your swords; I mean t' encounter with that Bajazeth.

BAJ. Kings of Fez, Morocco, and Argier, q-. He calls me Bajazeth, whom you call lord! Note the presumption of this Scythian slave!I tell thee, villain, those that lead my horse Have to their names titles + of dignity;

And dar'st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth?

TAMB. And know, thou Turk, that those which lead my horse

Shall lead thee captive thorough Africa;

And dar'st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine ?
BAJ. By Mahomet my kinsman's sepulchre,
And by the holy Alcoran I swear,

He shall be made a chaste and lustless eunuch,
And in my sarellt tend my concubines;
And all his captains, that thus stoutly stand,
Shall draw the chariot of my emperess,
Whom I have brought to see their overthrow!

* Morocco] Here the old eds. "Moroccus," -a barbarism which I have not retained, because previously, in the stage-direction at p. 52, they agree in reading "Morocco."

+ titles] So the 8vo.-The 4to " title."

sarell] i. e. seraglio.

TAMB. By this my sword that conquer'd Persia, Thy fall shall make me famous through the world! I will not tell thee how I'll handle thee,

But every common soldier of my camp
Shall smile to see thy miserable state.

K. OF FEZ. What means the+ mighty Turkish em

peror,

To talk with one so base as Tamburlaine?

K. OF MOR. Ye Moors and valiant men of Barbary, How can ye suffer these indignities?

K. OF ARG. Leave words, and let them feel your
lances' points,

Which glided through the bowels of the Greeks.
BAJ. Well said, my stout contributory kings!
Your threefold army and my hugy‡ host

Shall swallow up these base-born Persians.

TECH. Puissant, renowm'd§, and mighty Tamburlaine,

Why stay we thus prolonging of || their lives?

THER. I long to see those crowns won by our swords,

That we may rule¶ as kings of Africa.

USUM. What coward would not fight for such a prize?

*I'll] So the 8vo.-The 4to " I will."

the] So the 8vo.-The 4to " this."

hugy] i. e. huge.

§ renowm'd] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo.-The 4to "re

TAMB. Fight all courageously, and be you kings:

I speak it, and my words are oracles.

BAJ. Zabina, mother of three braver* boys
Than Hercules, that in his infancy

Did pash+ the jaws of serpents venomous;
Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike lance,
Their shoulders broad for complete armour fit,
Their limbs more large, and of a bigger size,
Than all the brats y-sprungt from Typhon's loins;
Who, when they come unto their father's age,
Will batter turrets with their manly fists ;-
Sit here upon this royal chair of state,
And on thy head wear my imperial crown,
Until I bring this sturdy Tamburlaine
And all his captains bound in captive chains.

ZAB. Such good success happen to Bajazeth!
TAMB. Zenocrate, the loveliest maid alive,
Fairer than rocks of pearl and precious stone,
The only paragon of Tamburlaine;

Whose eyes are brighter than the lamps of heaven,
And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony;
That with thy looks canst clear the darken'd sky,
And calm the rage of thundering Jupiter;
Sit down by her, adorned with my crown,
As if thou wert the empress of the world.
Stir not, Zenocrate, until thou see
Me march victoriously with all my men,

* braver] So the 8vo.-The 4to "brave."

+ pash] i. e. crush to pieces by a stroke.

‡ y-sprung ] Here the old eds. “ysprong." See note, p. 36.