As if as many kinges as could encompasse thee,
With greatest pompe had crown'd thee Emperour.
Cosr. So do I thrice renowmed man at armes,
And none shall keepe the crowne but Tamburlaine:
Thee doo I make my Regent of Persea,
And Generall Lieftenant of my Armies.
Meander, you that were our brothers Guide,
And chiefest Counsailor in all his acts,
Since he is yeelded to the stroke of War,
On your submission we with thanks excuse,
And giue you equall place in our affaires.

710

715

Mean. Most happy Emperour in humblest tearms 720

I vow my seruice to your Maiestie,

With vtmost vertue of my faith and dutie.

Cosr. Thanks good Meander, then Cosroe raign

And gouerne Persea in her former pomp:
Now send Ambassage to thy neighbor Kings,
And let them know the Persean King is chang'd:
From one that knew not what a King should do,
To one that can commaund what longs thereto :
And now we will to faire Persepolis,
With twenty thousand expert souldiers.

The Lords and Captaines of my brothers campe,
With litle slaughter take Meanders course,
And gladly yeeld them to my gracious rule:
Ortigius and Menaphon, my trustie friendes,
Now will I gratify your former good,
And grace your calling with a greater sway.
Ort. And as we euer aimd at your behoofe,
And sought your state all honor it deseru'd,
So will we with our powers and our liues,
Indeuor to preserue and prosper it.

Cos. I will not thank thee (sweet Ortigius)

725

730

735

740

Better replies shall prooue my purposes.

And now Lord Tamburlaine, my brothers Campe

I leaue to thee, and to Theridamas,

To follow me to faire Persepolis.

745

Then will we march to all those Indian Mines,

My witlesse brother to the Christians lost :
And ransome them with fame and vsurie.
And till thou ouertake me Tamburlaine,

716 chiefest] chiefe 1592
aimd 1605 etc. and 1590, 1592
746 we] I 1605

liues 1592

720 happy] happiest 1605
738 it] is 1592

737

739 our liues]

(Staying to order all the scattered troopes) Farewell Lord Regent, and his happie friends,

I long to sit vpon my brothers throne.

Mena. Your Maiestie shall shortly haue your wish, And ride in triumph through Persepolis.

Manent Tamb. Tech. Ther. Vsum.

750

Exeunt.

Tamb. And ride in triumph through Persepolis ? 755 Is it not braue to be a King, Techelles?

Vsumcasane and Theridamas,

Is it not passing braue to be a King,

And ride in triumph through Persepolis ?

Tech. O my Lord, tis sweet and full of pompe. 760 Vsum. To be a King, is halfe to be a God. Ther. A God is not so glorious as a King: I thinke the pleasure they enioy in heauen Can not compare with kingly ioyes in earth.

To weare a Crowne enchac'd with pearle and golde, 765
Whose vertues carie with it life and death,

To aske, and haue: commaund, and be obeied:
When looks breed loue, with lookes to gaine the prize.
Such power attractiue shines in princes eies.

Tam. Why say Theridamas, wilt thou be a king? 770
Ther. Nay, though I praise it, I can liue without it.
Tam. What saies my other friends, wil you be kings?
Tec. I, if I could with all my heart my Lord.
Tam. Why, that's wel said Techelles, so would I,
And so would you my maisters, would you not?

Vsum. What then my Lord?

775

Tam. Why then Casane shall we wish for ought

The world affoords in greatest noueltie,

And rest attemplesse faint and destitute?

Me thinks we should not, I am strongly moou'd,

780

That if I should desire the Persean Crowne,
I could attaine it with a woondrous ease,
And would not all our souldiers soone consent,
If we should aime at such a dignitie?

Ther. I know they would with our perswasions.
Tam. Why then Theridamas, Ile first assay,

785

To get the Persean Kingdome to my selfe :

Then thou for Parthia, they for Scythia and Medea.
And if I prosper, all shall be as sure,

753 Prefix Mean. 1592, Dyce to Bull.

As if the Turke, the Pope, Afrike and Greece,
Came creeping to vs with their crownes apeece.

Tech. Then shall we send to this triumphing King, And bid him battell for his nouell Crowne?

790

Vsum. Nay quickly then, before his roome be hot. Tam. Twil prooue a pretie iest (in faith) my friends. The. A iest to chardge on twenty thousand men? 796 I iudge the purchase more important far.

Tam. Iudge by thy selfe Theridamas, not me,
For presently Techelles here shal haste,
To bid him battaile ere he passe too farre,
And lose more labor than the gaine will quight.
Then shalt thou see the Scythian Tamburlaine,
Make but a iest to win the Persean crowne.
Techelles, take a thousand horse with thee,
And bid him turne his back to war with vs,
That onely made him King to make vs sport.
We will not steale vpon him cowardly,
But giue him warning and more warriours.
Haste the Techelles, we will follow thee.
What saith Theridamas?

Ther. Goe on for me.

800

805

810

Exeunt.

Actus 2. Scena 6.

Cosroe, Meander, Ortygius, Menaphon, with

other Souldiers.

Cos. What means this diuelish shepheard to aspire With such a Giantly presumption,

To cast vp hils against the face of heauen:
And dare the force of angrie Iupiter.

815

But as he thrust them vnderneath the hils,

And prest out fire from their burning iawes:

So will I send this monstrous slaue to hell,
Where flames shall euer feed vpon his soule.

Mean. Some powers diuine, or els infernall, mixt 820 Their angry seeds at his conception :

For he was neuer sprong of humaine race,
Since with the spirit of his fearefull pride,

791 apeece 1605, Dyce to Bull. apace 1590, 1592 this 1592, Dyce to Wag. 805 his] him Rob. etc. 1605 809+S.D. Exit Techelles add. Dyce, Wag.

802 the] 808 and] with

He dares so doubtlesly resolue of rule,

And by profession be ambitious.

825

Or Monster turned to a manly shape,

Ort. What God or Feend, or spirit of the earth,

Or of what mould or mettel he be made,

What star or state soeuer gouerne him,

830

Let vs put on our meet incountring mindes,
And in detesting such a diuelish Thiefe,
In loue of honor & defence of right,
Be arm'd against the hate of such a foe,

Whether from earth, or hell, or heauen he grow.
Cos. Nobly resolu'd, my good Ortygius.

835

And since we all haue suckt one wholsome aire

And with the same proportion of Elements,
Resolue, I hope we are resembled,

Vowing our loues to equall death and life,

Let's cheere our souldiers to incounter him,

840

That grieuous image of ingratitude :

That fiery thirster after Soueraingtie:

And burne him in the fury of that flame,

That none can quence but blood and Emperie.
Resolue my Lords and louing souldiers now,
To saue your King and country from decay:
Then strike vp Drum, and all the Starres that make
The loathsome Circle of my dated life,

Direct my weapon to his barbarous heart,

That thus opposeth him against the Gods,

And scornes the Powers that gouerne Persea.

845

850

(Exeunt.)

Enter to the Battell, & after the battell, enter Cosroe wounded, Theridamas, Tamburlaine, Techelles, Vsumcasane, with others.

Cos. Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine,
Thus to depriue me of my crowne and life.
Treacherous and false Theridamas,
Euen at the morning of my happy state,
Scarce being seated in my royall throne,
To worke my downfall and vntimely end.
An vncouth paine torments my grieued soule,
And death arrests the organe of my voice.

829 state] fate Dyce

824 dare 1605 Coll. 851 After this line Scene VII. add. Dyce O barbarous conj. Dyce

855

848 my] his conj.

852 Barbarous

Who entring at the breach thy sword hath made,
Sackes euery vaine and artier of my heart,
Bloody and insatiate Tamburlain.

860

865

Tam. The thirst of raigne and sweetnes of a crown,
That causde the eldest sonne of heauenly Ops,
To thrust his doting father from his chaire,
And place himselfe in the Emperiall heauen,
Moou'd me to manage armes against thy state.
What better president than mightie Ioue?
Nature that fram'd vs of foure Elements,
Warring within our breasts for regiment,
Doth teach vs all to haue aspyring minds:
Our soules, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous Architecture of the world:
And measure euery wandring plannets course,
Still climing after knowledge infinite,

And alwaies moouing as the restles Spheares,
Wils vs to weare our selues and neuer rest,
Vntill we reach the ripest fruit of all,

870

875

That perfect blisse and sole felicitie,

The sweet fruition of an earthly crowne.

880

Ther. And that made me to ioine with Tamburlain,

For he is grosse and like the massie earth,

That mooues not vpwards, nor by princely deeds

Doth meane to soare aboue the highest sort.

Tec. And that made vs the friends of Tamburlaine, 885

To lift our swords against the Persean King.

Vsum. For as when Ioue did thrust old Saturn down, Neptune and Dis gain'd each of them a Crowne : So do we hope to raign in Asia,

If Tamburlain be plac'd in Persea.

890

Cos. The strangest men that euer nature made,

I know not how to take their tyrannies.

My bloodlesse body waxeth chill and colde,

And with my blood my life slides through my wound.
My soule begins to take her flight to hell,
And sommons all my sences to depart :

895

The heat and moisture which did feed each other,
For want of nourishment to feed them both,

Is drie and cold, and now dooth gastly death
With greedy tallents gripe my bleeding hart,
And like a Harpye tires on my life.

861 Sackes] Sucks conj. Coll. 877 weare] weary conj. Coll.
fruites 1592
901 Harpye 1592: Harpyr 1590: Harper 1605

900

878