Affecting thoughts coequall with the cloudes,
They shall be kept our forced followers,
Till with their eies they view vs Emperours.

Zen. The Gods, defenders of the innocent,
Will neuer prosper your intended driftes,
That thus oppresse poore friendles passengers.
Therefore at least admit vs libertie,
Euen as thou hop'st to be eternized,

By liuing Asias mightie Emperour.

265

Agidas). I hope our Ladies treasure and our owne, May serue for ransome to our liberties:

271

Returne our Mules and emptie Camels backe,

That we may traueile into Siria,

Where her betrothed Lord Alcidamus,

Expects th' arriuall of her highnesse person.

275

Mag. And wheresoeuer we repose our selues,

We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

Tamb. Disdaines Zenocràte to liue with me?
Or you my Lordes to be my followers?
Thinke you I way this treasure more than you?
Not all the Gold in Indias welthy armes,
Shall buy the meanest souldier in my traine.
Zenocrate, louelier than the Loue of Ioue,
Brighter than is the siluer Rhodope,
Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hils,
Thy person is more woorth to Tamburlaine,
Than the possession of the Persean Crowne,
Which gratious starres haue promist at my birth.
A hundreth Tartars shall attend on thee,
Mounted on Steeds, swifter than Pegasus.
Thy Garments shall be made of Medean silke,
Enchast with precious iuelles of mine owne:
More rich and valurous than Zenocrates.
With milke-white Hartes vpon an Iuorie sled,
Thou shalt be drawen amidst the frosen Pooles,
And scale the ysie mountaines lofty tops:
Which with thy beautie will be soone resolu'd.
My martiall prises with fiue hundred men,
Wun on the fiftie headed Vuolgas waues,
Shall all we offer to Zenocrate,
And then my selfe to faire Zenocrate.

275 th'] the 1592 283 Ioue] loue 1592
etc.: Rhodolfe 1590-1605 297 desolu'd 1605
1590: Shall we 1592: We all shall 1605: Shall we

280

285

290

295

300

284 Rhodope Dyce

300 Shall all we all Dyce to Bull.

Tech. What now? In loue?

Tam. Techelles, women must be flatered. But this is she with whom I am in loue.

Enter a Souldier.

Sould. Newes, newes.

Tamb. How now, what's the matter?

Sould. A thousand Persean horsmen are at hand,

Sent from the King to ouercome vs all.

305

Tam. How now my Lords of Egypt & Zenocrate ? Now must your iewels be restor'd againe :

How say you Lordings, Is not this your hope?

And I that triumpht so be ouercome.

310

Agid. We hope your selfe wil willingly restore them. Tamb. Such hope, such fortune haue the thousand horse.

Soft ye my Lords and sweet Zenocrate.

You must be forced from me ere you goe:

315

A thousand horsmen? We fiue hundred foote?

An ods too great, for vs to stand against:

But are they rich? And is their armour good?

Sould. Their plumed helmes are wrought with beaten.

golde..

320

Their swords enameld, and about their neckes
Hangs massie chaines of golde downe to the waste,
In euery part exceeding braue and rich.

Tam. Then shall we fight couragiously with them,

Or looke you, I should play the Orator?

325

Tech. No: cowards and fainthearted runawaies,

Looke for orations when the foe is neere.

Our swordes shall play the Orators for vs.

Vsum. Come let vs meet them at the mountain foot,

And with a sodaine and an hot alarme

330

Driue all their horses headlong down the hill.

Tech. Come let vs martch.

Tam. Stay Techelles, aske a parlee first,

The Souldiers enter.

Open the Males, yet guard the treasure sure,
Lay out our golden wedges to the view,
That their reflexions may amaze the Perseans.
And looke we friendly on them when they come:

311 tryumph 1605 329 foot] top 1605, Dyce to Bull.

335

But if they offer word or violence,

Weele fight fiue hundred men at armes to one,
Before we part with our possession.

And gainst the Generall we will lift our swords,
And either lanch his greedy thirsting throat,
Or take him prisoner, and his chaine shall serue
For Manackles, till he be ransom'd home.

340

Tech. I heare them come, shal we encounter them? Tam. Keep all your standings, and not stir a foote, 346 My selfe will bide the danger of the brunt.

Enter Theridamas with others.

Ther. Where is this Scythian Tamberlaine ?

Tam. Whom seekst thou Persean? I am Tamburlain. Ther. Tamburlaine? A Scythian Shepheard, so im

bellished

With Natures pride, and richest furniture,

350

His looks do menace heauen and dare the Gods,

His fierie eies are fixt vpon the earth,

As if he now deuis'd some Stratageme:

Or meant to pierce Auernas darksome vaults,

355

To pull the triple headed dog from hell.

Tamb. Noble and milde this Persean seemes to be,

If outward habit iudge the inward man.

Tech. His deep affections make him passionate.

Tamb. With what a maiesty he rears his looks:

350

In thee (thou valiant man of Persea)
I see the folly of thy Emperour :

Art thou but Captaine of a thousand horse,
That by Characters grauen in thy browes,
And by thy martiall face and stout aspect,
Deseru'st to haue the leading of an hoste ?
Forsake thy king and do but ioine with me
And we will triumph ouer all the world.
I hold the Fates bound fast in yron chaines,
And with my hand turne Fortunes wheel about,
And sooner shall the Sun fall from his Spheare,
Than Tamburlaine be slaine or ouercome.

Draw foorth thy sword, thou mighty man at Armes,
Intending but to rase my charmed skin :

365

370

And Ioue himselfe will stretch his hand from heauen, 375

348 this] the 1605

362 thy] the 1605

Scythian] Scythian Shepherd conj. Dyce

To ward the blow, and shield me safe from harme.
See how he raines down heaps of gold in showers,
As if he meant to giue my Souldiers pay,
And as a sure and grounded argument,
That I shall be the Monark of the East,

And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct,
Besides thy share of this Egyptian prise,

He sends this Souldans daughter rich and braue,
To be my Queen and portly Emperesse.
If thou wilt stay with me, renowmed man,

380

Those thousand horse shall sweat with martiall spoile
Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities sackt.
Both we wil walke vpon the lofty clifts,

385

And Christian Merchants that with Russian stems
Plow vp huge furrowes in the Caspian sea,
Shall vaile to vs, as Lords of all the Lake.
Both we will raigne as Consuls of the earth,
And mightie kings shall be our Senators.
Ioue sometime masked in a Shepheards weed,

390

And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heauens, 395
May we become immortall like the Gods.
Ioine with me now in this my meane estate,
(I cal it meane, because being yet obscure,
The Nations far remoou'd admyre me not)
And when my name and honor shall be spread,
As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings,
Or faire Bootes sends his cheerefull light,
Then shalt thou be Competitor with me,
And sit with Tamburlaine in all his maiestie.
Ther. Not Hermes Prolocutor to the Gods,

400

405

Could vse perswasions more patheticall.

Tam. Nor are Apollos Oracles more true, Then thou shalt find my vaunts substantiall.

Tec. We are his friends, and if the Persean king

Should offer present Dukedomes to our state,

410

We thinke it losse to make exchange for that,

We are assured of by our friends successe.

Vsum. And kingdomes at the least we all expect, Besides the honor in assured conquestes :

Where kings shall crouch vnto our conquering swords, 4'5 And hostes of souldiers stand amaz'd at vs,

When with their fearfull tongues they shall confesse

Theise are the men that all the world admires.

388 cliffes 1592

402 Botees 1590, 1592: Boetes 1605

Ther. What stronge enchantments tice my yeelding

soule ?

Ah, these resolued noble Scythians!

But shall I prooue a Traitor to my King?

420

Tam. No, but the trustie friend of Tamburlaine.

Ther. Won with thy words, & conquered with thy looks, I yeeld my selfe, my men & horse to thee :

To be partaker of thy good or ill,

425

As long as life maintaines Theridamas.

Tam. Theridamas my friend, take here my hand.

Which is as much as if I swore by heauen,
And call'd the Gods to witnesse of my vow,

Thus shall my heart be still combinde with thine,
Vntill our bodies turne to Elements :
And both our soules aspire celestiall thrones.
Techelles, and Casane, welcome him.

430

Tech. Welcome renowmed Persean to vs all.

(Vsum Cas. Long may Theridamas remaine with vs. 435 Tam. These are my friends in whom I more reioiee, Than dooth the King of Persea in his Crowne : And by the loue of Pyllades and Orestes, Whose statues we adore in Scythia,

Thy selfe and them shall neuer part from me,
Before I crowne you kings in Asia.

440

Make much of them gentle Theridamas,

And they will neuer leaue thee till the death.

Ther. Nor thee, nor them, thrice noble Tamburlain

Shal want my heart to be with gladnes pierc'd
To do you honor and securitie.

445

Tam. A thousand thankes worthy Theridamas :

And now faire Madam, and my noble Lords,

If you will willingly remaine with me,

450

Or els you shall be forc'd with slauerie.

You shall haue honors, as your merits be:

Agid. We yeeld vnto thee happie Tamburlaine.
Tamb. For you then Maddam, I am out of doubt.
Zeno. I must be pleasde perforce, wretched Zenocrate.
Exeunt.

these] there conj. Cook 439

419 tice] to conj. Cook 420 Ah Brereton: Are 1590-1605, Dyce1: To Rob, Dyce, Cunn.: Qy., As? statues 1605: statutes 1590, 1592 them] Nor they nor theirs Rob.

441 King 1605 449 will om. 1605

444 Nor..