Tamb. Techelles, and the rest, prepare your swords; I mean to encounter with that Bajazeth. Baj. Kings of Fez, Moroccus,1 and Argier, I tell thee, villain; those that lead my horse, 70 And dar'st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth? Tamb. And know, thou Turk, that those which lead my horse, Shall lead thee captive thorough Africa; And dar'st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine? Baj. By Mahomet my kinsman's sepulchre, And by the holy Alcoran I swear, He shall be made a chaste and lustless eunuch, And in my sarell 2 tend my concubines; Tamb. By this my sword, that conquered Persia, But every common soldier of my camp 80 K. of Fez. What means the mighty Turkish emperor, To talk with one so base as Tamburlaine ? 1 Cf. Peele's Battle of Alczar, i. 2:— "Those plots of ground That to Morrocus lead the lower way." 2 Seraglio (Fr. serail). K. of Mor. Ye Moors and valiant men of Barbary, How can ye suffer these indignities? 90 K. of Arg. Leave words, and let them feel your lances' points Which glided through the bowels of the Greeks. Baj. Well said, my stout contributory kings: Your threefold army and my hugy1 host Shall swallow up these base-born Persians. Tech. Puissant, renowmed, and mighty Tamburlaine, Why stay we thus prolonging of their lives? Ther. I long to see those crowns won by our swords, That we may rule as kings of Africa. Usum. What coward would not fight for such a prize? 100 Tamb. Fight all courageously, and be you kings; I speak it, and my words are oracles. Baj. Zabina, mother of three braver boys Than Hercules, that in his infancy Did pash 2 the jaws of serpents venomous; 1 Old form of "huge." 2 Strike violently, dash. So Greene (in Orlando Furioso) :"But as the son of Saturn in his wrath Pash'd all the mountains at Typhæus' head." IIO Until I bring this sturdy Tamburlaine, Whose eyes are brighter than the lamps of heaven, Zeno. And may my love the king of Persia, Return with victory and free from wound! I 20 130 Baj. Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish arms, I have of Turks, Arabians, Moors, and Jews, Let thousands die; their slaughtered carcasses 140 So many blows as I have heads for thee.1 Thou know'st not, foolish, hardy 2 Tamburlaine, That leave no ground for thee to march upon. Tamb. Our conquering swords shall marshal us the way We use to march upon the slaughtered foe, Direct our bullets and our weapons' points, And make your strokes to wound the senseless light,* 150 160 3 Fleet-float, swim. In his sonnet on the Return of Spring, Surrey writes: "The fishes flete with new repairèd scale." 4 The old copies give our for your and lure for light. Ed. 1826 corrected lure into light, a reading which I adopt doubtfully, and Dyce made the other correction. Peele imitates this line in David and Bethseba: "And make their weapons wound the senseless winds." 62 The First Part of [ACT III. Baj. Come, kings and bassoes, let us glut our swords, That thirst to drink the feeble Persian's blood. [Exit with his followers. Zab. Base concubine, must thou be placed by me, Zeno. Disdainful Turkess and unreverend boss ! 1 Zab. To Tamburlaine, the great Tartarian thief! Zab. And sue to thee!—I tell thee, shameless girl, And make her dainty fingers fall to work. 170 180 Zeno. Hear'st thou, Anippe, how thy drudge doth talk ? To dress the common soldiers' meat and drink, [They sound to the battle within. 1 Dyce quotes from Cotgrave :—“A fat bosse. Femme bien grasse et grosse; une coche." 2 So 4to.-8vo. "advocates." |