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Now living idle in the walled towns,
Wanting both pay and martial discipline,
Begin in troops to threaten civil war,
And openly exclaim against their king:
Therefore, to stop all sudden mutinies,
We will invest your highness emperor,
Whereat the soldiers will conceive more joy,
Than did the Macedonians at the spoil
Of great Darius and his wealthy host.

Cos. Well, since I see the state of Persia droop
And languish in my brother's government,
I willingly receive the imperial crown,
And vow to wear it for my country's good,
In spite of them shall malice 1 my estate.

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Orty. And in assurance of desired success,

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We here do crown thee monarch of the East,
Emperor of Asia and Persia ;

Great Lord of Media and Armenia;

Duke of Africa and Albania,

Mesopotamia and of Parthia,

East India and the late-discovered isles ;
Chief lord of all the wide, vast Euxine Sea,
And of the ever-raging Caspian Lake.

All Long live Cosroe, mighty emperor !
Cos. And Jove may never let me longer live

Than I may seek to gratify your love,

And cause the soldiers that thus honour me

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1 Nares quotes several passages (from Spenser, Jonson, &c.) where "malice" is used as a verb.

2 So 4to.-8vo. gives the line to Ortygius,

To triumph over many provinces !

By whose desire of discipline in arms

I doubt not shortly but to reign sole king,
And with the army of Theridamas,

(Whither we presently will fly, my lords) ·

To rest secure against my brother's force.

Orty. We knew, my lord, before we brought the crown, Intending your investion 1 so near

1

The residence of your despised brother,
The lords would not be too exasperate
To injury 2 or suppress your worthy title;
Or, if they would, there are in readiness
Ten thousand horse to carry you from hence,
In spite of all suspected enemies.

180

Cos. I know it well, my lord, and thank you all.
Orty. Sound up the trumpets then. [Trumpets sound.
All God save the king!

SCENE II.

[Exeunt omnes.

Enter TAMBURLAINE leading ZENOCRATE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, AGYDAS, MAGNETES, Lords, and Soldiers, loaden with treasure.

Tamb. Come, lady, let not this appal your thoughts; The jewels and the treasure we have ta'en

1 Marlowe's use of this word supports Farmer's correction, "infestion" for "infection," in Richard II., ii. 1.

2 The verb "injury" is not uncommon. To the instances given by Dyce add Dr. Dodypol, v. 2:—" Ashamed that you should injury your estate." So 4to.-8vo, gives the words to Ortygius,

Shall be reserved, and you in better state,
Than if you were arrived in Syria,
Even in the circle of your father's arms,

The mighty soldan of Ægyptia.

Zeno. Ah, shepherd! pity my distressed plight, (If, as thou seem'st, thou art so mean a man,) And seek not to enrich thy followers

By lawless rapine from a silly maid,

Who travelling with these Median lords

To Memphis, from my uncle's country of Media,1
Where all my youth I have been governed,

Have past the army of the mighty Turk,
Bearing his privy signet and his hand
To safe conduct us thorough Africa.

Mag. And since we have arrived in Scythia,
Besides rich presents from the puissant Cham,

We have his highness' letters to command

Aid and assistance, if we stand in need.

Tamb. But now you see these letters and commands Are countermanded by a greater man ;

And through my provinces you must expect
Letters of conduct from my mightiness,

If you intend to keep your treasure safe.

But, since I love to live at liberty,

As easily may you get the soldan's crown

As any prizes out of my precinct;

For they are friends that help to wean my state

1 For the sake of the metre Cunningham reads:uncle's lords To Memphis from his country of Media,"

VOL. I.

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20

"With these my

B

'Till men and kingdoms help to strengthen it,
And must maintain my life exempt from servitude.—
But, tell me, madam, is your grace betrothed?

Zeno. I am-my lord-for so you do import.
Tamb. I am a lord, for so my deeds shall prove :
And yet a shepherd by my parentage.

But, lady, this fair face and heavenly hue
Must grace his bed that conquers Asia,

And means to be a terror to the world,
Measuring the limits of his empery

By east and west, as Phoebus doth his course.
Lie here ye weeds that I disdain to wear!
This complete armour and this curtle axe
Are adjuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine.
And, madam, whatsoever you esteem
Of this success and loss unvaluèd,1

Both may invest you empress of the East;
And these that seem but silly country swains
May have the leading of so great an host,

As with their weight shall make the mountains quake,
Even as when windy exhalations

Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.

Tech. As princely lions, when they rouse themselves, Stretching their paws, and threatening herds of beasts, So in his armour looketh Tamburlaine.

Methinks I see kings kneeling at his feet,

And he with frowning brows and fiery looks,

Spurning their crowns from off their captive heads.

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1 Not to be valued; as in Richard III., i. 4:—"Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels."

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Usum. And making thee and me, Techelles,

kings,

That even to death will follow Tamburlaine.

Tamb. Nobly resolved, sweet friends and fol

lowers!

These Lords, perhaps do scorn our estimates,
And think we prattle with distempered spirits;
But since they measure our deserts so mean,
That in conceit bear empires on our spears,
Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds,
They shall be kept our forced followers,
Till with their eyes they view us emperors.
Zeno. The Gods, defenders of the innocent,
Will never prosper your intended drifts,
That thus oppress poor friendless passengers.
Therefore at least admit us liberty,

Even as thou hopest to be eternised,

By living Asia's mighty emperor.

Agyd. I hope our ladies' treasure and our

own,

May serve for ransom to our liberties:

Return our mules and empty camels back,
That we may travel into Syria,

Where her betrothèd lord Alcidamas,

Expects th' arrival of her highness' person.

Mag. And wheresoever we repose ourselves,

We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

Tamb. Disdains Zenocrate to live with me?

Or you, my lords, to be my followers?

Think you I weigh this treasure more than you?

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