To shed their 1 influence in his fickle brain!

Now Turks and Tartars shake their swords at thee,
Meaning to mangle all thy provinces.

Myc. Brother, I see your meaning well enough,
And through your planets I perceive you think
I am not wise enough to be a king;

But I refer me to my noblemen

That know my wit, and can be witnesses.

I might command you to be slain for this:
Meander, might I not?

Meand. Not for so small a fault, my sovereign lord. Myc. I mean it not, but yet I know I might ;

Yet live; yea live, Mycetes wills it so.

Meander, thou, my faithful counsellor,
Declare the cause of my conceivèd grief,

Which is, God knows, about that Tamburlaine,

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That, like a fox in midst of harvest time,
Doth prey upon my flocks of passengers;

And, as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes:
Therefore 'tis good and meet for to be wise.
Meand. Oft have I heard your Majesty complain
Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief,
That robs your merchants of Persepolis
Trading by land unto the Western Isles,
And in your confines with his lawless train
Daily commits incivil outrages,
Hoping (misled by dreaming prophecies)
To reign in Asia, and with barbarous arms
To make himself the monarch of the East;

1 Old copies "his."

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But ere he march in Asia, or display

His vagrant ensign in the Persian fields,

Your Grace hath taken order by Theridamas,
Charged with a thousand horse, to apprehend

And bring him captive to your Highness' throne.
Myc. Full true thou speak'st, and like thyself, my
Lord,

Whom I may term a Damon for thy love:

Therefore 'tis best, if so it like you all,

To send my thousand horse incontinent1
To apprehend that paltry Scythian.
How like you this, my honourable Lords?
Is't not a kingly resolution?

Cos. It cannot choose, because it comes from you. Myc. Then hear thy charge, valiant Theridamas, -The chiefest captain of Mycetes' host,

The hope of Persia, and the very legs
Whereon our State doth lean as on a staff,
That holds us up, and foils our neighbour foes:
Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse,
Whose foaming gall with rage and high disdain
Have sworn the death of wicked Tamburlaine.
Go frowning forth; but come thou smiling home,
As did sir Paris with the Grecian dame;
Return with speed-time passeth swift away;
Our life is frail, and we may die to-day.

Ther. Before the moon renew her borrowed light,

Doubt not, my Lord and gracious Sovereign,
But Tamburlaine and that Tartarian rout,

1 Immediately.

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60

70

2

Shall either perish by our warlike hands,

Or plead for mercy at your Highness' feet.

Myc. Go, stout Theridamas, thy words are swords,
And with thy looks thou conquerest all thy foes;

I long to see thee back return from thence,
That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine
All loaden with the heads of killed men,

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And from their knees e'en to their hoofs. below
Besmeared with blood that makes a dainty show..
Ther. Then now, my Lord, I humbly take my leave.
Myc. Theridamas, farewell! ten thousand times.
[Exit THERIDAMAS.

Ah, Menaphon, why stay'st thou thus behind,
When other men press forward for renown?
Go, Menaphon, go into Scythia;

And foot by foot follow Theridamas.

Cos. Nay, pray you let him stay; a greater [task]1 Fits Menaphon than warring with a thief:

Create him Prorex 2 of all Africa,

That he may win the Babylonians' hearts
Which will revolt from Persian government,

Unless they have a wiser king than you.

Myc. "Unless they have a wiser king than you."
These are his words; Meander, set them down.

Cos. And add this to them-that all Asia、

Laments to see the folly of their king.

Myc. Well, here I swear by this my royal seat,

1 The modern editors insert the word "task."

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2 Viceroy. In Day's Parliament of Bees the master-bee is styled

"Prorex."

Cos. You may do well to kiss it then.

Myc. Embossed with silk as best beseems my state,
To be revenged for these contemptuous words.
Oh, where is duty and allegiance now?

Fled to the Caspian or the Ocean main?
What shall I call thee? brother ?-no, a foe;
Monster of nature !-Shame unto thy stock
That dar'st presume thy sovereign for to mock!
Meander, come: I am abused, Meander.

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[All go out but COSROE and MENAPHON. Men. How now, my Lord? What, mated1 and amazed

To hear the king thus threaten like himself!

Cos. Ah, Menaphon, I pass not 2 for his threats;

The plot is laid by Persian noblemen

And captains of the Median garrisons
To crown me emperor of Asia :

But this it is that doth excruciate

The very substance of my vexèd soul—

To see our neighbours that were wont to quake
And tremble at the Persian monarch's name,
Now sit and laugh our regiment 3 to scorn;
And that which might resolve me into tears,
Men from the farthest equinoctial linę

1 Confounded.

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2 Care not. Cf. 2 Henry VI., iv. 2:—" As for these silken-coated

"But what are kings when regiment is gone
But perfect shadows in a sunshine day."
"Resolve" and "dissolve" are used indifferently.

Have swarmed in troops into the Eastern India,
Lading their ships 1 with gold and precious stones,
And made their spoils from all our provinces.
Men. This should entreat your highness to rejoice,
Since Fortune gives you opportunity

To gain the title of a conqueror

By curing of this maimèd empery.

Afric and Europe bordering on your land,

And continent to your dominions,

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How easily may you, with a mighty host,

Pass into Græcia, as did Cyrus once,

130

And cause them to withdraw their forces home,

Lest you subdue the pride of Christendom.

Cos. But, Menaphon, what means this trumpet's sound? Men. Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest

Bringing the crown to make you emperor !

Enter ORTYGIUS and CENEUS, 2 with others, bearing a Crown.

Orty. Magnificent and mighty Prince Cosroe,

We, in the name of other Persian states $ 3

And Commons of the mighty monarchy,

Present thee with the imperial diadem.

That heretofore have filled Persepolis

Cen. The warlike soldiers and the gentlemen,

140

With Afric captains taken in the field,

Whose ransom made them march in coats of gold,
With costly jewels hanging at their ears,

And shining stones upon their lofty crests,

1 8vo. "shippe."-4to. "ships."