Tamburlaine the Great, part 2 | Page 8

women, I
vouchsaf'd a league, And with my power did march to Zanzibar, The
western part of Afric, where I view'd The Ethiopian sea, rivers and
lakes, But neither man nor child in all the land: Therefore I took my
course to Manico, Where,<57> unresisted, I remov'd my camp; And,
by the coast of Byather,<58> at last I came to Cubar, where the negroes
dwell, And, conquering that, made haste to Nubia. There, having sack'd
Borno, the kingly seat, I took the king and led him bound in chains
Unto Damascus,<59> where I stay'd before.
TAMBURLAINE. Well done, Techelles!--What saith Theridamas?
THERIDAMAS. I left the confines and the bounds of Afric, And
made<60> a voyage into Europe, Where, by the river Tyras, I subdu'd
Stoka, Podolia, and Codemia; Then cross'd the sea and came to Oblia,
And Nigra Silva, where the devils dance, Which, in despite of them, I
set on fire. >From thence I cross'd the gulf call'd by the name Mare
Majore of the inhabitants. Yet shall my soldiers make no period Until
Natolia kneel before your feet.
TAMBURLAINE. Then will we triumph, banquet and carouse; Cooks
shall have pensions to provide us cates, And glut us with the dainties of
the world; Lachryma Christi and Calabrian wines Shall common
soldiers drink in quaffing bowls, Ay, liquid gold, when we have
conquer'd him,<61> Mingled with coral and with orient<62> pearl.
Come, let us banquet and carouse the whiles. [Exeunt.]

ACT II.

SCENE I.
Enter SIGISMUND, FREDERICK, and BALDWIN, with their train.
SIGISMUND. Now say, my lords of Buda and Bohemia, What motion
is it that inflames your thoughts, And stirs your valours to such sudden
arms?
FREDERICK. Your majesty remembers, I am sure, What cruel
slaughter of our Christian bloods These heathenish Turks and pagans
lately made Betwixt the city Zula and Danubius; How through the
midst of Varna and Bulgaria, And almost to the very walls of Rome,
They have, not long since, massacred our camp. It resteth now, then,
that your majesty Take all advantages of time and power, And work
revenge upon these infidels. Your highness knows, for Tamburlaine's
repair, That strikes a terror to all Turkish hearts, Natolia hath dismiss'd
the greatest part Of all his army, pitch'd against our power Betwixt
Cutheia and Orminius' mount, And sent them marching up to Belgasar,
Acantha, Antioch, and Caesarea, To aid the kings of Soria<63> and
Jerusalem. Now, then, my lord, advantage take thereof,<64> And issue
suddenly upon the rest; That, in the fortune of their overthrow, We may
discourage all the pagan troop That dare attempt to war with Christians.
SIGISMUND. But calls not, then, your grace to memory The league we
lately made with King Orcanes, Confirm'd by oath and articles of peace,
And calling Christ for record of our truths? This should be treachery
and violence Against the grace of our profession.
BALDWIN. No whit, my lord; for with such infidels, In whom no faith
nor true religion rests, We are not bound to those accomplishments The
holy laws of Christendom enjoin; But, as the faith which they profanely
plight Is not by necessary policy To be esteem'd assurance for
ourselves, So that we vow<65> to them should not infringe Our liberty
of arms and victory.
SIGISMUND. Though I confess the oaths they undertake Breed little
strength to our security, Yet those infirmities that thus defame Their
faiths,<66> their honours, and religion,<67> Should not give us

presumption to the like. Our faiths are sound, and must be
consummate,<68> Religious, righteous, and inviolate.
FREDERICK. Assure your grace, 'tis superstition To stand so strictly
on dispensive faith; And, should we lose the opportunity That God hath
given to venge our Christians' death, And scourge their foul
blasphemous paganism, As fell to Saul, to Balaam, and the rest, That
would not kill and curse at God's command, So surely will the
vengeance of the Highest, And jealous anger of his fearful arm, Be
pour'd with rigour on our sinful heads, If we neglect this<69> offer'd
victory.
SIGISMUND. Then arm, my lords, and issue suddenly, Giving
commandment to our general host, With expedition to assail the pagan,
And take the victory our God hath given. [Exeunt.]
SCENE II.
Enter ORCANES, GAZELLUS, and URIBASSA, with their train.
ORCANES. Gazellus, Uribassa, and the rest, Now will we march from
proud Orminius' mount To fair Natolia, where our neighbour kings
Expect our power and our royal presence, T' encounter with the cruel
Tamburlaine, That nigh Larissa sways a mighty host, And with the
thunder of his martial<70> tools Makes earthquakes in the hearts of
men and heaven.
GAZELLUS. And now come we to make his sinews shake With
greater power than erst his pride hath felt. An hundred kings, by scores,
will bid him arms, And hundred thousands subjects to each