ACT THE THIRD. SCENE I. Enter BAJAZETH, the Kings of FEZ, MOROCCO, and Baj. Great kings of Barbary and my portly bassoes,1 And think to rouse us from our dreadful siege You know our army is invincible; As many circumcisèd Turks we have, As hath the ocean or the Terrene sea Yet would we not be braved with foreign power, ΙΟ 1 The old form of Pashas. 2 I.e. Christians who have abjured their faith. Dyce compares a passage of Sir John Maundevile (p. 209, ed. 1725) :-"And that Ydole is the God of false Christen that han reneyed hire feythe." K. of Fez. Renowmèd emperor, and mighty general, Baj. Hie thee, my basso, fast to Persia, And mean to fetch thee in despite of him. Bas. Most great and puissant monarch of the earth, Your basso will accomplish your behest, And show your pleasure to the Persian, VOL. I. 20 30 40 [Exit BAS. D Arg. They say he is the king of Persia ; Baj. True, Argier; and tremble[s] at my looks. K. of Mor. The spring is hindered by your smother ing host, For neither rain can fall upon the earth, Nor sun reflex1 his virtuous beams thereon, And all the trees are blasted with our breaths. 50 K. of Fez. What thinks your greatness best to be achieved In pursuit of the city's overthrow? Baj. I will the captive pioners 2 of Argier 60 Two thousand horse shall forage up and down, And all the sea my gallies countermand. Then shall our footmen lie within the trench, And thus the Grecians shall be conquerèd. [Exeunt. 1 Cf. iv. 4, l. 2, "Reflexing hues of blood upon their heads." 2 The old form (found in Shakespeare, Milton, &c.) of "pioneers." SCENE II. Enter ZENOCRATE, AGYDAS, ANIPPE, with others. Agyd. Madam Zenocrate, may I presume Zeno. Although it be digested long ago, Agyd. Eternal heaven sooner be dissolved, Zeno. Ah, life and soul, still hover in his breast And leave my body senseless as the earth. Or else unite you to his life and soul, That I may live and die with Tamburlaine ! 1 Image, picture. Enter behind TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, and others. Agyd. With Tamburlaine! Ah, fair Zenocrate, That holds you from your father in despite, Redeem you from this deadly servitude. Zeno. [Agydas] leave to wound me with these words, And speak of Tamburlaine as he deserves. The entertainment we have had of him Is far from villany1 or servitude, And might in noble minds be counted princely. 30 Agyd. How can you fancy one that looks so fierce, 40 Only disposed to martial stratagems? Who, when he shall embrace you in his arms, Will tell you how many thousand men he slew ; And when you look for amorous discourse, Will rattle forth his facts of war and blood, Too harsh a subject for your dainty ears. Zeno. As looks the Sun through Nilus' flowing stream, Or when the Morning holds him in her arms, So looks my lordly love, fair Tamburlaine; His talk more sweeter than the Muses' song 1 Subjection, slavery. 50 |