Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

SCENE V

Enter CALLAPINE, ORCANES, the KINGS OF JERUSALEM, TREBIZON, and SORIA, with their train, ALMEDA, and a MESSENGER.

MESSENGER.  Renowmed 155 emperor, mighty 156 Callapine, God's great lieutenant over all the world, Here at Aleppo, with an host of men, Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persia, (In number more than are the 157 quivering leaves Of Ida's forest, where your highness' hounds With open cry pursue the wounded stag,) Who means to girt Natolia's walls with siege, Fire the town, and over-run the land. CALLAPINE.  My royal army is as great as his, That, from the bounds of Phrygia to the sea Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves, Covers the hills, the valleys, and the plains. Viceroys and peers of Turkey, play the men; Whet all your 158 swords to mangle Tamburlaine, His sons, his captains, and his followers: By Mahomet, not one of them shall live! The field wherein this battle shall be fought For ever term'd 159 the Persians' sepulchre, In memory of this our victory. ORCANES.  Now he that calls himself the 160 scourge of Jove, The emperor of the world, and earthly god, Shall end the warlike progress he intends, And travel headlong to the lake of hell, Where legions of devils (knowing he must die Here in Natolia by your 161 highness' hands), All brandishing their 162 brands of quenchless fire, Stretching their monstrous paws, grin with 163 their teeth, And guard the gates to entertain his soul. CALLAPINE.  Tell me, viceroys, the number of your men, And what our army royal is esteem'd. KING OF JERUSALEM.  From Palestina and Jerusalem, Of Hebrews three score thousand fighting men Are come, since last we shew'd your 164 majesty. ORCANES.  So from Arabia Desert, and the bounds Of that sweet land whose brave metropolis Re-edified the fair Semiramis, Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse, Since last we number'd to your majesty. KING OF TREBIZON.  From Trebizon in Asia the Less, Naturaliz'd Turks and stout Bithynians Came to my bands, full fifty thousand more, (That, fighting, know not what retreat doth mean, Nor e'er return but with the victory,) Since last we number'd to your majesty. KING OF SORIA.  Of Sorians 165 from Halla is repair'd, 166     And neighbour cities of your highness' land, 167     Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot, Since last we number'd to your majesty; So that the army royal is esteem'd Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men. CALLAPINE.  Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy death!— Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field (The Persians' sepulchre), and sacrifice Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet, Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament To see the slaughter of our enemies.

Enter TAMBURLAINE with his three SONS, CALYPHAS, AMYRAS,

and CELEBINUS; USUMCASANE, and others.

TAMBURLAINE.  How now, Casane! see, a knot of kings, Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles! USUMCASANE.  My lord, your presence makes them pale and wan: Poor souls, they look as if their deaths were near. TAMBURLAINE.  Why, so he 168 is, Casane; I am here: But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.— Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come, As Hector did into the Grecian camp, To overdare the pride of Graecia, And set his warlike person to the view Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame: I do you honour in the simile; For, if I should, as Hector did Achilles, (The worthiest knight that ever brandish'd sword,) Challenge in combat any of you all, I see how fearfully ye would refuse, And fly my glove as from a scorpion. ORCANES.  Now, thou art fearful of thy army's strength, Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight: But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine, Think of thy end; this sword shall lance thy throat. TAMBURLAINE.  Villain, the shepherd's issue (at whose birth Heaven did afford a gracious aspect, And join'd those stars that shall be opposite Even till the dissolution of the world, And never meant to make a conqueror So famous as is 169 mighty Tamburlaine) Shall so torment thee, and that Callapine, That, like a roguish runaway, suborn'd That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog, To false his service to his sovereign, As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine. CALLAPINE.  Rail not, proud Scythian:  I shall now revenge My father's vile abuses and mine own. KING OF JERUSALEM.  By Mahomet, he shall be tied in chains, Rowing with Christians in a brigandine About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil, And turn him to his ancient trade again: Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief. CALLAPINE.  Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet, And sit in council to invent some pain That most may vex his body and his soul. TAMBURLAINE.  Sirrah Callapine, I'll hang a clog about your neck for running away again:  you shall not trouble me thus to come and fetch you.— But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits, And, harness'd 170 like my horses, draw my coach; And, when ye stay, be lash'd with whips of wire: I'll have you learn to feed on 171 provender, And in a stable lie upon the planks. ORCANES.  But, Tamburlaine, first thou shalt 172 kneel to us, And humbly crave a pardon for thy life. KING OF TREBIZON.  The common soldiers of our mighty host Shall bring thee bound unto the 173 general's tent [.] KING OF SORIA.  And all have jointly sworn thy cruel death, Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath. TAMBURLAINE.  Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I shall have occasion shortly to journey you. CELEBINUS.  See, father, how Almeda the jailor looks upon us! TAMBURLAINE.  Villain, traitor, damned fugitive, I'll make thee wish the earth had swallow'd thee! See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks? Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock, Or rip thy bowels, and rent 174 out thy heart, T' appease my wrath; or else I'll torture thee, Searing thy hateful flesh with burning irons And drops of scalding lead, while all thy joints Be rack'd and beat asunder with the wheel; For, if thou liv'st, not any element Shall shroud thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine. CALLAPINE.  Well, in despite of thee, he shall be king.— Come, Almeda; receive this crown of me: I here invest thee king of Ariadan, Bordering on Mare Roso, near to Mecca. ORCANES.  What! take it, man. ALMEDA.  [to Tamb.] Good my lord, let me take it. CALLAPINE.  Dost thou ask him leave? here; take it.

TAMBURLAINE.  Go to, sirrah! 175 take your crown, and make up the half dozen.

So, sirrah, now you are a king, you must give arms. 176

ORCANES.  So he shall, and wear thy head in his scutcheon.

TAMBURLAINE.  No; 177 let him hang a bunch of keys on his standard, to put him in remembrance he was a jailor, that, when I take him, I may knock out his brains with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come sweating from my chariot.

KING OF TREBIZON.  Away! let us to the field, that the villain may be slain.

TAMBURLAINE.  Sirrah, prepare whips, and bring my chariot to my tent; for, as soon as the battle is done, I'll ride in triumph through the camp.

Enter THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, and their train.

How now, ye petty kings? lo, here are bugs 178     Will make the hair stand upright on your heads, And cast your crowns in slavery at their feet!— Welcome, Theridamas and Techelles, both: See ye this rout, 179 and know ye this same king? THERIDAMAS.  Ay, my lord; he was Callapine's keeper.

TAMBURLAINE.  Well, now ye see he is a king.  Look to him, Theridamas, when we are fighting, lest he hide his crown as the foolish king of Persia did. 180

KING OF SORIA.  No, Tamburlaine; he shall not be put to that exigent, I warrant thee.

TAMBURLAINE.  You know not, sir.— But now, my followers and my loving friends, Fight as you ever did, like conquerors, The glory of this happy day is yours. My stern aspect 181 shall make fair Victory, Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me, Loaden with laurel-wreaths to crown us all. TECHELLES.  I smile to think how, when this field is fought And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat With carrying pearl and treasure on their backs. TAMBURLAINE.  You shall be princes all, immediately.— Come, fight, ye Turks, or yield us victory. ORCANES.  No; we will meet thee, slavish Tamburlaine. [Exeunt severally.]

ACT IV

SCENE I

Alarms within.  AMYRAS and CELEBINUS issue from the tent

where CALYPHAS sits asleep. 182

AMYRAS.  Now in their glories shine the golden crowns Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns That half dismay the majesty of heaven. Now, brother, follow we our father's sword, That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts, And cuts down armies with his conquering wings. CELEBINUS.  Call forth our lazy brother from the tent, For, if my father miss him in the field, Wrath, kindled in the furnace of his breast, Will send a deadly lightning to his heart. AMYRAS.  Brother, ho! what, given so much to sleep, You cannot 183 leave it, when our enemies' drums And rattling cannons thunder in our ears Our proper ruin and our father's foil? CALYPHAS.  Away, ye fools! my father needs not me, Nor you, in faith, but that you will be thought More childish-valourous than manly-wise. If half our camp should sit and sleep with me, My father were enough to scare 184 the foe: You do dishonour to his majesty, To think our helps will do him any good. AMYRAS.  What, dar'st thou, then, be absent from the fight, Knowing my father hates thy cowardice, And oft hath warn'd thee to be still in field, When he himself amidst the thickest troops Beats down our foes, to flesh our taintless swords? CALYPHAS.  I know, sir, what it is to kill a man; It works remorse of conscience in me. I take no pleasure to be murderous, Nor care for blood when wine will quench my thirst. CELEBINUS.  O cowardly boy! fie, for shame, come forth! Thou dost dishonour manhood and thy house. CALYPHAS.  Go, go, tall 185 stripling, fight you for us both, And take my other toward brother here, For person like to prove a second Mars. 'Twill please my mind as well to hear, both you 186     Have won a heap of honour in the field, And left your slender carcasses behind, As if I lay with you for company. AMYRAS.  You will not go, then? CALYPHAS.  You say true. AMYRAS.  Were all the lofty mounts of Zona Mundi That fill the midst of farthest Tartary Turn'd into pearl and proffer'd for my stay, I would not bide the fury of my father, When, made a victor in these haughty arms, He comes and finds his sons have had no shares In all the honours he propos'd for us. CALYPHAS.  Take you the honour, I will take my ease; My wisdom shall excuse my cowardice: I go into the field before I need!

[Alarms within.  AMYRAS and CELEBINUS run out.]

The bullets fly at random where they list; And, should I 187 go, and kill a thousand men, I were as soon rewarded with a shot, And sooner far than he that never fights; And, should I go, and do no harm nor good, I might have harm, which all the good I have, Join'd with my father's crown, would never cure. I'll to cards.—Perdicas!

Enter PERDICAS.

PERDICAS.  Here, my lord. CALYPHAS. Come, thou and I will go to cards to drive away the time. PERDICAS.  Content, my lord:  but what shall we play for?

CALYPHAS.  Who shall kiss the fairest of the Turks' concubines first, when my father hath conquered them.

PERDICAS.  Agreed, i'faith.

[They play.]

CALYPHAS.  They say I am a coward, Perdicas, and I fear as little their taratantaras, their swords, or their cannons as I do a naked lady in a net of gold, and, for fear I should be afraid, would put it off and come to bed with me.

PERDICAS.  Such a fear, my lord, would never make ye retire.

CALYPHAS.  I would my father would let me be put in the front of such a battle once, to try my valour!  [Alarms within.] What a coil they keep!  I believe there will be some hurt done anon amongst them.

Enter TAMBURLAINE, THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE;

AMYRAS and CELEBINUS leading in ORCANES, and the KINGS OF JERUSALEM, TREBIZON, and SORIA; and SOLDIERS.

TAMBURLAINE. See now, ye 188 slaves, my children stoop your pride, 189     And lead your bodies 190 sheep-like to the sword!— Bring them, my boys, and tell me if the wars Be not a life that may illustrate gods, And tickle not your spirits with desire Still to be train'd in arms and chivalry? AMYRAS.  Shall we let go these kings again, my lord, To gather greater numbers 'gainst our power, That they may say, it is not chance doth this, But matchless strength and magnanimity? TAMBURLAINE.  No, no, Amyras; tempt not Fortune so: Cherish thy valour still with fresh supplies, And glut it not with stale and daunted foes. But where's this coward villain, not my son, But traitor to my name and majesty?

[He goes in and brings CALYPHAS out.]

Image of sloth, and picture of a slave, The obloquy and scorn of my renown! How may my heart, thus fired with mine 191 eyes, Wounded with shame and kill'd with discontent, Shroud any thought may 192 hold my striving hands ]From martial justice on thy wretched soul? THERIDAMAS.  Yet pardon him, I pray your majesty. TECHELLES and USUMCASANE. Let all of us entreat your highness' pardon. TAMBURLAINE.  Stand up, 193 ye base, unworthy soldiers! Know ye not yet the argument of arms? AMYRAS.  Good my lord, let him be forgiven for once, 194     And we will force him to the field hereafter. TAMBURLAINE.  Stand up, my boys, and I will teach ye arms, And what the jealousy of wars must do.— O Samarcanda, where I breathed first, And joy'd the fire of this martial 195 flesh, Blush, blush, fair city, at thine 196 honour's foil, And shame of nature, which 197 Jaertis' 198 stream, Embracing thee with deepest of his love, Can never wash from thy distained brows!— Here, Jove, receive his fainting soul again; A form not meet to give that subject essence Whose matter is the flesh of Tamburlaine, Wherein an incorporeal 199 spirit moves, Made of the mould whereof thyself consists, Which makes me valiant, proud, ambitious, Ready to levy power against thy throne, That I might move the turning spheres of heaven; For earth and all this airy region Cannot contain the state of Tamburlaine.

[Stabs CALYPHAS.]

By Mahomet, thy mighty friend, I swear, In sending to my issue such a soul, Created of the massy dregs of earth, The scum and tartar of the elements, Wherein was neither courage, strength, or wit, But folly, sloth, and damned idleness, Thou hast procur'd a greater enemy Than he that darted mountains at thy head, Shaking the burden mighty Atlas bears, Whereat thou trembling hidd'st thee in the air, Cloth'd with a pitchy cloud for being seen.— 200     And now, ye canker'd curs of Asia, That will not see the strength of Tamburlaine, Although it shine as brightly as the sun, Now you shall 201 feel the strength of Tamburlaine, And, by the state of his supremacy, Approve 202 the difference 'twixt himself and you. ORCANES.  Thou shew'st the difference 'twixt ourselves and thee, In this thy barbarous damned tyranny. KING OF JERUSALEM.  Thy victories are grown so violent, That shortly heaven, fill'd with the meteors Of blood and fire thy tyrannies have made, Will pour down blood and fire on thy head, Whose scalding drops will pierce thy seething brains, And, with our bloods, revenge our bloods 203 on thee. TAMBURLAINE.  Villains, these terrors, and these tyrannies (If tyrannies war's justice ye repute), I execute, enjoin'd me from above, To scourge the pride of such as Heaven abhors; Nor am I made arch-monarch of the world, Crown'd and invested by the hand of Jove, For deeds of bounty or nobility; But, since I exercise a greater name, The scourge of God and terror of the world, I must apply myself to fit those terms, In war, in blood, in death, in cruelty, And plague such peasants 204 as resist in 205 me The power of Heaven's eternal majesty.— Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane, 206     Ransack the tents and the pavilions Of these proud Turks, and take their concubines, Making them bury this effeminate brat; For not a common soldier shall defile His manly fingers with so faint a boy: Then bring those Turkish harlots to my tent, And I'll dispose them as it likes me best.— Meanwhile, take him in. SOLDIERS.  We will, my lord.

[Exeunt with the body of CALYPHAS.]

KING OF JERUSALEM.  O damned monster! nay, a fiend of hell, Whose cruelties are not so harsh as thine, Nor yet impos'd with such a bitter hate! ORCANES.  Revenge it, 207 Rhadamanth and Aeacus, And let your hates, extended in his pains, Excel 208 the hate wherewith he pains our souls! KING OF TREBIZON.  May never day give virtue to his eyes, Whose sight, compos'd of fury and of fire, Doth send such stern affections to his heart! KING OF SORIA.  May never spirit, vein, or artier, 209 feed The cursed substance of that cruel heart; But, wanting moisture and remorseful 210 blood, Dry up with anger, and consume with heat! TAMBURLAINE.  Well, bark, ye dogs:  I'll bridle all your tongues, And bind them close with bits of burnish'd steel, Down to the channels of your hateful throats; And, with the pains my rigour shall inflict, I'll make ye roar, that earth may echo forth The far-resounding torments ye sustain; As when an herd of lusty Cimbrian bulls Run mourning round about the females' miss, 211     And, stung with fury of their following, Fill all the air with troublous bellowing. I will, with engines never exercis'd, Conquer, sack, and utterly consume Your cities and your golden palaces, And, with the flames that beat against the clouds, Incense the heavens, and make the stars to melt, As if they were the tears of Mahomet For hot consumption of his country's pride; And, till by vision or by speech I hear Immortal Jove say "Cease, my Tamburlaine," I will persist a terror to the world, Making the meteors (that, like armed men, Are seen to march upon the towers of heaven) Run tilting round about the firmament, And break their burning lances in the air, For honour of my wondrous victories.— Come, bring them in to our pavilion. [Exeunt.]