Tamburlaine the Great Volume I Part 13

[Exit.]

BAJAZETH. Now, Bajazeth, abridge thy baneful days, And beat the [285] brains out of thy conquer'd head, Since other means are all forbidden me, That may be ministers of my decay.

O highest lamp of ever-living [286] Jove, Accursed day, infected with my griefs, Hide now thy stained face in endless night, And shut the windows of the lightsome heavens!

Let ugly Darkness with her rusty coach, Engirt with tempests, wrapt in pitchy clouds, Smother the earth with never-fading mists, And let her horses from their nostrils breathe Rebellious winds and dreadful thunder-claps, That in this terror Tamburlaine may live, And my pin'd soul, resolv'd in liquid air, May still excruciate his tormented thoughts!

Then let the stony dart of senseless cold Pierce through the centre of my wither'd heart, And make a pa.s.sage for my loathed life!

[He brains himself against the cage.]

Re-enter ZABINA.

ZABINA. What do mine eyes behold? my husband dead!

His skull all riven in twain! his brains dash'd out, The brains of Bajazeth, my lord and sovereign!

O Bajazeth, my husband and my lord!

O Bajazeth! O Turk! O emperor!

Give him his liquor? not I. Bring milk and fire, and my blood I bring him again.--Tear me in pieces--give [287] me the sword with a ball of wild-fire upon it.--Down with him! down with him!--Go to my child; away, away, away! ah, save that infant!

save him, save him!--I, even I, speak to her. [288]--The sun was down--streamers white, red, black--Here, here, here!--Fling the meat in his face--Tamburlaine, Tamburlaine!--Let the soldiers be buried.--h.e.l.l, death, Tamburlaine, [289] h.e.l.l!--Make ready my coach, [290] my chair, my jewels.--I come, I come, I come! [291]

[She runs against the cage, and brains herself.]

Enter ZENOCRATE with ANIPPE.

ZENOCRATE. Wretched Zenocrate! that liv'st to see Damascus' walls dy'd with Egyptians' [292] blood, Thy father's subjects and thy countrymen; The [293] streets strow'd with dissever'd joints of men, And wounded bodies gasping yet for life; But most accurs'd, to see the sun-bright troop Of heavenly virgins and unspotted maids (Whose looks might make the angry G.o.d of arms To break his sword and mildly treat of love) On hors.e.m.e.n's lances to be hoisted up, And guiltlessly endure a cruel death; For every fell and stout Tartarian steed, That stamp'd on others with their thundering hoofs, When all their riders charg'd their quivering spears, Began to check the ground and rein themselves, Gazing upon the beauty of their looks.

Ah, Tamburlaine, wert thou the cause of this, That term'st Zenocrate thy dearest love?

Whose lives were dearer to Zenocrate Than her own life, or aught save thine own love.

But see, another b.l.o.o.d.y spectacle!

Ah, wretched eyes, the enemies of my heart, How are ye glutted with these grievous objects, And tell my soul more tales of bleeding ruth!-- See, see, Anippe, if they breathe or no.

ANIPPE. No breath, nor sense, nor motion, in them both: Ah, madam, this their slavery hath enforc'd, And ruthless cruelty of Tamburlaine!

ZENOCRATE. Earth, cast up fountains from thy [294] entrails, And wet thy cheeks for their untimely deaths; Shake with their weight in sign of fear and grief!

Blush, heaven, that gave them honour at their birth, And let them die a death so barbarous!

Those that are proud of fickle empery And place their chiefest good in earthly pomp, Behold the Turk and his great emperess!

Ah, Tamburlaine my love, sweet Tamburlaine, That fight'st for sceptres and for slippery crowns, Behold the Turk and his great emperess!

Thou that, in conduct of thy happy stars, Sleep'st every night with conquest on thy brows, And yet wouldst shun the wavering turns of war, [295]

In fear and feeling of the like distress Behold the Turk and his great emperess!

Ah, mighty Jove and holy Mahomet, Pardon my love! O, pardon his contempt Of earthly fortune and respect of pity; And let not conquest, ruthlessly pursu'd, Be equally against his life incens'd In this great Turk and hapless emperess!

And pardon me that was not mov'd with ruth To see them live so long in misery!-- Ah, what may chance to thee, Zenocrate?

ANIPPE. Madam, content yourself, and be resolv'd Your love hath Fortune so at his command, That she shall stay, and turn her wheel no more, As long as life maintains his mighty arm That fights for honour to adorn your head.

Enter PHILEMUS.

ZENOCRATE. What other heavy news now brings Philemus?

PHILEMUS. Madam, your father, and the Arabian king, The first affecter of your excellence, Come [296] now, as Turnus 'gainst Aeneas did, Armed [297] with lance into the Aegyptian fields, Ready for battle 'gainst my lord the king.

ZENOCRATE. Now shame and duty, love and fear present A thousand sorrows to my martyr'd soul.

Whom should I wish the fatal victory, When my poor pleasures are divided thus, And rack'd by duty from my cursed heart?

My father and my first-betrothed love Must fight against my life and present love; Wherein the change I use condemns my faith, And makes my deeds infamous through the world: But, as the G.o.ds, to end the Trojans' toil, Prevented Turnus of Lavinia, And fatally enrich'd Aeneas' love, So, for a final [298] issue to my griefs, To pacify my country and my love, Must Tamburlaine by their resistless powers, With virtue of a gentle victory, Conclude a league of honour to my hope; Then, as the powers divine have pre-ordain'd, With happy safety of my father's life Send like defence of fair Arabia

[They sound to the battle within; and TAMBURLAINE enjoys the victory: after which, the KING OF ARABIA [299] enters wounded.]

KING OF ARABIA. What cursed power guides the murdering hands Of this infamous tyrant's soldiers, That no escape may save their enemies, Nor fortune keep themselves from victory?

Lie down, Arabia, wounded to the death, And let Zenocrate's fair eyes behold, That, as for her thou bear'st these wretched arms, Even so for her thou diest in these arms, Leaving thy [300] blood for witness of thy love.

ZENOCRATE. Too dear a witness for such love, my lord!

Behold Zenocrate, the cursed object Whose fortunes never mastered her griefs; Behold her wounded in conceit [301] for thee, As much as thy fair body is for me!

KING OF ARABIA. Then shall I die with full contented heart, Having beheld divine Zenocrate, Whose sight with joy would take away my life As now it bringeth sweetness to my wound, If I had not been wounded as I am.

Ah, that the deadly pangs I suffer now Would lend an hour's licence to my tongue, To make discourse of some sweet accidents Have chanc'd thy merits in this worthless bondage, And that I might be privy to the state Of thy deserv'd contentment and thy love!

But, making now a virtue of thy sight, To drive all sorrow from my fainting soul, Since death denies me further cause of joy, Depriv'd of care, my heart with comfort dies, Since thy desired hand shall close mine eyes.

[Dies.]

Re-enter TAMBURLAINE, leading the SOLDAN; TECh.e.l.lES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE, with others.

TAMBURLAINE. Come, happy father of Zenocrate, A t.i.tle higher than thy Soldan's name.

Though my right hand have [302] thus enthralled thee, Thy princely daughter here shall set thee free; She that hath calm'd the fury of my sword, Which had ere this been bath'd in streams of blood As vast and deep as Euphrates [303] or Nile.

ZENOCRATE. O sight thrice-welcome to my joyful soul, To see the king, my father, issue safe From dangerous battle of my conquering love!

SOLDAN. Well met, my only dear Zenocrate, Though with the loss of Egypt and my crown!

TAMBURLAINE. 'Twas I, my lord, that gat the victory; And therefore grieve not at your overthrow, Since I shall render all into your hands, And add more strength to your dominions Than ever yet confirm'd th' Egyptian crown.

The G.o.d of war resigns his room to me, Meaning to make me general of the world: Jove, viewing me in arms, looks pale and wan, Fearing my power should [304] pull him from his throne: Where'er I come the Fatal Sisters sweat, [305]

And grisly Death, by running to and fro, To do their ceaseless homage to my sword: And here in Afric, where it seldom rains, Since I arriv'd with my triumphant host, Have swelling clouds, drawn from wide-gaping [306] wounds, Been oft resolv'd [307] in b.l.o.o.d.y purple showers, A meteor that might terrify the earth, And make it quake at every drop it drinks: Millions [308] of souls sit on the banks of Styx, Waiting the back-return of Charon's boat; h.e.l.l and Elysium [309] swarm with ghosts of men That I have sent from sundry foughten fields To spread my fame through h.e.l.l and up to heaven: And see, my lord, a sight of strange import,-- Emperors and kings lie breathless at my feet; The Turk and his great empress, as it seems, Left to themselves while we were at the fight, Have desperately despatch'd their slavish lives: With them Arabia, too, hath left his life: All sights of power to grace my victory; And such are objects fit for Tamburlaine, Wherein, as in a mirror, may be seen His honour, that consists in shedding blood When men presume to manage arms with him.

SOLDAN. Mighty hath G.o.d and Mahomet made thy hand, Renowmed [310] Tamburlaine, to whom all kings Of force must yield their crowns and emperies; And I am pleas'd with this my overthrow, If, as beseems a person of thy state, Thou hast with honour us'd Zenocrate.

TAMBURLAINE. Her state and person want no pomp, you see; And for all blot of foul inchast.i.ty, I record [311] heaven, her heavenly self is clear: Then let me find no further time [312] to grace Her princely temples with the Persian crown; But here these kings that on my fortunes wait, And have been crown'd for proved worthiness Even by this hand that shall establish them, Shall now, adjoining all their hands with mine, Invest her here the [313] Queen of Persia What saith the n.o.ble Soldan, and Zenocrate?

SOLDAN. I yield with thanks and protestations Of endless honour to thee for her love.

TAMBURLAINE. Then doubt I not [314] but fair Zenocrate Will soon consent to satisfy us both.

ZENOCRATE. Else [315] should I much forget myself, my lord.

THERIDAMAS. Then let us set the crown upon her head, That long hath linger'd for so high a seat.

TECh.e.l.lES. My hand is ready to perform the deed; For now her marriage-time shall work us rest.

USUMCASANE. And here's the crown, my lord; help set it on. [316]

TAMBURLAINE. Then sit thou down, divine Zenocrate; And here we crown thee Queen of Persia, And all the kingdoms and dominions That late the power of Tamburlaine subdu'd.

As Juno, when the giants were suppress'd, That darted mountains at her brother Jove, So looks my love, shadowing in her brows Triumphs and trophies for my victories; Or as Latona's daughter, bent to arms, Adding more courage to my conquering mind.

To gratify the[e], sweet Zenocrate, Egyptians, Moors, and men of Asia, From Barbary unto the Western India, Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy sire; And from the bounds of Afric to the banks Of Ganges shall his mighty arm extend.-- And now, my lords and loving followers, That purchas'd kingdoms by your martial deeds, Cast off your armour, put on scarlet robes, Mount up your royal places of estate, Environed with troops of n.o.blemen, And there make laws to rule your provinces: Hang up your weapons on Alcides' post[s]; For Tamburlaine takes truce with all the world.-- Thy first-betrothed love, Arabia, Shall we with honour, as beseems, [317] entomb With this great Turk and his fair emperess.

Then, after all these solemn exequies, We will our rites [318] of marriage solemnize.

[Exeunt.]