Baj. Nor shall they long be thine, I warrant them.
Tamb. Kings of Argier, Moroccus, and of Fez,
You that have marched with happy Tamburlaine
As far as from the frozen plage 1 of heaven,
Unto the watery morning's ruddy bower,
And thence by land unto the torrid zone,
Deserve these titles I endow you with,

By valour 2 and by magnanimity.

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Your births shall be no blemish to your fame,

For virtue is the fount whence honour springs,

And they are worthy she investeth kings.

Ther. And since your highness hath so well vouchsafed;

If we deserve them not with higher meeds

Than erst our states and actions have retained

Take them away again and make us slaves.

Tamb. Well said, Theridamas; when holy fates
Shall 'stablish me in strong Ægyptia,

We mean to travel to the antarctick pole,
Conquering the people underneath our feet,
And be renowmed as never emperors were.
Zenocrate, I will not crown thee yet,
Until with greater honours I be graced.

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[Exeunt.

1 Dyce's correction for "place" of the old copies. Cf. Second Part,

ACT THE FIFTH.

SCENE I.

Enter the GOVERNOR of DAMASCO,1 with three or four Citizens, and four Virgins, with branches of laurel in their hands.

Gov. Still doth this man, or rather god of war,
Batter our walls and beat our turrets down;
And to resist with longer stubbornness,
Or hope of rescue from the Soldan's power,
Were but to bring our wilful overthrow,
And make us desperate of our threatened lives.
We see his tents have now been altered
With terrors to the last and cruellest hue.
His coal-black colours everywhere advanced,
Threaten our city with a general spoil;

And if we should with common rites of arms
Offer our safeties to his clemency,

I fear the custom, proper to his sword,
Which he observes as parcel of his fame,

1 So Greene (in Friar Bacon) :—

"Edward, art thou the famous Prince of Wales
Who at Damasco beat the Saracens ?"

ΙΟ

Intending so to terrify the world,

By any innovation or remorse

Will never be dispensed with 'till our deaths;
Therefore, for these our harmless virgins' sakes,
Whose honours and whose lives rely on him,
Let us have hope that their unspotted prayers,
Their blubbered 1 cheeks, and hearty, humble moans,
Will melt his fury into some remorse,

And use us like a loving conqueror.

I Virg. If humble suits or imprecations,2
(Uttered with tears of wretchedness and blood
Shed from the heads and hearts of all our sex,
Some made your wives and some your children)
Might have entreated your obdurate breasts
To entertain some care 3 of our securities
While only danger beat upon our walls,

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30

These more than dangerous warrants of our death
Had never been erected as they be,

Nor you depend on such weak helps as we.

Gov. Well, lovely virgins, think our country's care,
Our love of honour, loath to be inthralled

To foreign powers and rough imperious yokes,
Would not with too much cowardice or fear,
(Before all hope of rescue were denied)
Submit yourselves and us to servitude.
Therefore in that your safeties and our own,
Your honours, liberties, and lives were weighed
In equal care and balance with our own,

1 Cf. Dido, v. 5:-"And woeful Dido by these blubbered cheeks." 2 Entreaties.

3 So 4to.-8vo.

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cares."

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Endure as we the malice of our stars,

The wrath of Tamburlaine and power of wars;
Or be the means the overweighing heavens
Have kept to qualify these hot extremes,
And bring us pardon in your cheerful looks.

2 Virg. Then here before the Majesty of Heaven And holy patrons 1 of Ægyptia,

With knees and hearts submissive we entreat

Grace to our words and pity to our looks
That this device may prove propitious,

And through the eyes and ears of Tamburlaine
Convey events of mercy to his heart;
Grant that these signs of victory we yield

May bind the temples of his conquering head,
To hide the folded furrows of his brows,
And shadow his displeasèd countenance
With happy looks of ruth and lenity.

Leave us, my lord, and loving countrymen ;
What simple virgins may persuade, we will.

Gov. Farewell, sweet virgins, on whose safe return
Depends our city, liberty, and lives.

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60

[Exeunt Governor and Citizens; manent Virgins. Enter TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE, with others: Tamburlaine all in black and very melancholy.

Tamb. What, are the turtles frayed out of their nests? Alas, poor fools! must you be first shall feel

1 The 8vo. reads "Patrones," which is perhaps meant for "Patroness," i.e. "Isis."

The sworn destruction of Damascus walls? 1

They knew my custom; could they not as well
Have sent ye out, when first my milk-white flags,2
Through which sweet mercy threw her gentle beams,
Reflexing them on your disdainful eyes,
As now, when fury and incensèd hate

Flings slaughtering terror from my coal-black tents,
And tells for truth submissions comes too late?

I Virg. Most happy king and emperor of the earth, Image of honour and nobility,

For whom the powers divine have made the world,
And on whose throne the holy graces sit;

In whose sweet person is comprised the sum
Of nature's skill and heavenly majesty ;
Pity our plights! O pity poor Damascus !
Pity old age, within whose silver hairs
Honour and reverence evermore have reigned!
Pity the marriage bed, where many a lord,

In prime and glory of his loving joy,

Embraceth now with tears of ruth and blood

The jealous body of his fearful wife,

Whose cheeks and hearts so punished with con

ceit,

To think thy puissant, never-stayed arm,

Will part their bodies, and prevent their souls

From heavens of comfort yet their age might bear,

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80

90

1 I have added the word "walls," as it is required to complete the line. The expression "Damascus walls occurs repeatedly.

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2 An anacoluthon. Some such word as "appeared" may be understood. [In the next line but one Dyce and Cunningham read reflexed" for the old copies' "reflexing."]