Zab. Eat, Bajazeth: and let us live

In spite of them,-looking some happy power

Will pity and enlarge us.

Tamb. Here, Turk; wilt thou have a clean trencher? Baj. I, tyrant, and more meat.

Tamb. Soft, sir; you must be dieted; too much eating will make you surfeit.

Ther. So it would, my lord, 'specially having so small a walk and so little exercise.

[A second course is brought in of crowns. Tamb. Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane, here are [110 the cates you desire to finger, are they not?

Ther. I, my lord: but none save kings must feed with these.

Tech. 'Tis enough for us to see them, and for Tamburlaine only to enjoy them.

Tamb. Well; here is now to the Soldan of Egypt, the King of Arabia, and the Governor of Damascus. Now1 take these three crowns, and pledge me, my contributory kings. I crown you here, Theridamas, King of Argier ; Techelles, King of Fez; and Usumcasane, King of [120 Moroccus. How say you to this, Turk? These are not your contributory kings.

1 I am not sure that I am right in printing the whole of this speech as prose. With slight alteration a part of it goes easily into verse :"Now take these three crowns,

And pledge me, my contributory kings.

-I crown you here, Theridamas, King of Argier;

Techelles, King of Fez; Usumcasane,

King of Moroccus. How say you to this, Turk?
These are not your contributory kings."

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 plage1 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.

Your births shall be no blemish to your fame,

For virtue is the fount whence honour springs,

And they are worthy she investeth kings.

130

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.

140

[Exeunt.

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

i. I, 1. 68.

2 Old copies "value."

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 ?"

10

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.

1 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,

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,

20

330

40

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. 66

cares.

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 patrons1 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.

50

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."