TECH. I pray you, give them leave, madam; this speech is a goodly refreshing for them*.

THER. But, if his highness would let them be fed, it would do them more good.

TAMB. Sirrah, why fall you not to? are you so daintily brought up, you cannot eat your own flesh? BAJ. First, legions of devils shall tear thee in pieces.

USUM. Villain, knowest thou to whom thou speakest ?

TAMB. Oh, let him alone.-Here+; eat, sir; take it from my sword's point, or I'll thrust it to thy heart. [Bajazeth takes the food, and stamps upon it. THER. He stamps it under his feet, my lord.

TAMB. Take it up, villain, and eat it; or I will make thee slice § the brawns of thy arms into carbonadoes and eat them.

USUM. Nay, 'twere better he killed his wife, and then she shall be sure not to be starved, and he be provided for a month's victual beforehand.

TAMB. Here is my dagger: despatch her while she is fat; for, if she live but a while longer, she will fall || into a consumption with fretting, and then she will not be worth the eating.

a goodly refreshing for them] So the 8vo.—The 4to "a good refreshing to them.”

+ Here] So the 8vo.-The 4to "there."

t it from] So the 8vo.-The 4to "it vp from."

slice] So the 8vo.-The 4to " fleece."

will fall] So the 8vo.-The 4to " will not fall."

THER. Dost thou think that Mahomet will suffer this?

TECH. 'Tis like he will, when he cannot let* it.

TAMB. Go to; fall to your meat. What, not a bit!-Belike he hath not been watered to-day: give him some drink.

[They give him water to drink, and he flings it on the ground.

Fast, and welcome, sir, while + hunger make you eat.-How now, Zenocrate? doth not the Turk and his wife make a goodly show at a banquet?

ZENO. Yes, my lord.

THER. Methinks 'tis a great deal better than a consort of music.

up

Ze

TAMB. Yet music would do well to cheer nocrate. Pray thee, tell, why art thou so sad? if thou wilt have a song, the Turk shall strain his voice: but why is it?

ZENO. My lord, to see my father's town besieg'd,
The country wasted where myself was born,
How can it but afflict my very soul?

If any love remain in you, my lord,
Or if my love unto your majesty

May merit favour at your highness' hands,
Then raise your siege from fair Damascus' walls,
And with my father take a friendly truce.

TAMB. Zenocrate, were Egypt Jove's own land, let] i. e. hinder.

+ while] i. e. until.

consort] i. e. band.

Yet would I with my sword make Jove to stoop.
I will confute those blind geographers
That make a triple region in the world,
Excluding regions which I mean to trace,
And with this pen* reduce them to a map,
Calling the provinces, cities, and towns,
After my name and thine, Zenocrate :
Here at Damascus will I make the point
That shall begin the perpendicular:

And wouldst thou have me buy thy father's love
With such a loss? tell me, Zenocrate.

ZENO. Honour still wait on happy Tamburlaine ! Yet give me leave to plead for him, my lord.

TAMB. Content thyself: his person shall be safe, And all the friends of fair Zenocrate,

If with their lives they will be pleas'd to yield, be forc'd to make me emperor;

Or

may

For Egypt and Arabia must be mine.

Feed, you slave; thou mayest think thyself happy to be fed from my trencher.

BAJ. My empty stomach, full of idle heat,
Draws bloody humours from my feeble parts,
Preserving life by hastening + cruel death.
My veins are pale; my sinews hard and dry;
My joints benumb'd; unless I eat, I die.

ZAB. Eat, Bajazeth; let us live in spite of them, looking some happy power will pity and enlarge us.

* pen] i. e. his sword.

thastening] So the 4to.-The 8vo "hasting."

TAMB. Here, Turk; wilt thou have a clean trencher?

BAJ. Ay, tyrant, and more meat.

TAMB. Soft, sir; you must be dieted; too much eating will make you surfeit.

*

THER. So it would, my lord, 'specially having so small a walk and so little exercise.

[A second course is brought in of crowns. TAMB. Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane, here are the cates you desire to finger, are they not?

THER. Ay, my lord: but none save kings must feed with these.

TECH. 'Tis enough for us to see them, and for Tamburlaine only to enjoy them.

TAMB. Well; here is now to the Soldan of Egypt, the King of Arabia, and the Governor of Damascus. Now, take these three crowns, and pledge me, my contributory kings. I crown you here, Theridamas, king of Argier; Techelles, king of Fez; and Usumcasane, king of Morocco+.-How say you to this, Turk? these are not your contributory kings.

BAJ. Nor shall they long be thine, I warrant them. TAMB. Kings of Argier, Morocco, and of Fez, You that have march'd with happy Tamburlaine As far as from the frozen place of heaven Unto the watery Morning's ruddy bower, And thence by land unto the torrid zone,

* 'specially] So the 8vo.-The 4to "especially."

+ Morocco] Here and in the next speech the old eds. have "Morocus" and "Moroccus :" but see note, p. 63.

Deserve these titles I endow you with
By valour and by magnanimity.

Your births shall be no blemish to your fame;
For virtue is the fount whence honour springs,
And they are worthy she investeth kings.

THER. And, since your highness hath so well
vouchsaf'd,

If we deserve them not with higher meeds
Than erst our states and actions have retain'd,
Take them away again†, and make us slaves.
TAMB. Well said, Theridamas: when holy Fates
Shall stablish me in strong Ægyptia,

We mean to travel to th' antarctic pole,
Conquering the people underneath our feet,
And be renowm'd ‡ as never emperors were.-
Zenocrate, I will not crown thee yet,
Until with greater honours I be grac'd.

valour] Old eds. "value."

+ again] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to. renowm'd] See note, p. 27.

nown'd."

[Exeunt.

So the 8vo.-The 4to "re