The Complete Plays (17 page)

MYCETES

Come, my Meander, let us to this gear.

I tell you true, my heart is swoll'n with wrath

On this
same thievish villain Tamburlaine,

And of that false Cosroe, my traitorous brother.

Would it not grieve a king to be so abused

And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away?

And, which is worst, to have his diadem

Sought for by such scald knaves as love him not?

I think it would. Well then, by heavens I swear,

10             
Aurora shall
not peep out of her doors

But I will have Cosroë by the head

And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword.

Tell you the rest, Meander, I have said.

MEANDER

Then, having passed Armenian deserts now,

And pitched our tents under the Georgian hills,

Whose tops are covered with Tartarian thieves

That lie in ambush waiting for a prey,

What should we do but bid them battle straight

And rid the world of those detested troops,

Lest, if we let them linger here a while,

20   They gather strength by power of fresh supplies?

This country swarms with vile outrageous men

That live by rapine and by lawless spoil,

Fit soldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.

And he that could with gifts and promises

Inveigle him that led a thousand horse

And make him
false his
faith unto his king

Will quickly win such as are like himself.

Therefore cheer up your minds, prepare to fight.

He that can take or slaughter Tamburlaine

30   Shall rule the province of
Albania.

Who brings that traitor's head, Theridamas',

Shall have a government in Media,

Beside the spoil of him and all his train.

But if Cosroë (as our spials say,

And as we know) remains with Tamburlaine,

His highness' pleasure is that he should live

And be reclaimed with princely lenity.

[
Enter a
SPY
.]

SPY

An hundred horsemen of my company,

Scouting abroad upon these
champian plains
,

40   Have viewed the army of the Scythians,

Which make
reports it far exceeds the king's.

MEANDER

Suppose they be in number infinite,

Yet being void of martial discipline,

All running headlong after greedy spoils

And more regarding gain than victory,

Like to the
cruel brothers of
the earth

Sprung of the teeth of dragons venomous,

Their careless swords shall lance their fellows' throats

50                  And make us triumph in their overthrow.

MYCETES

Was there such brethren, sweet Meander, say,

That sprung of teeth of dragons venomous?

MEANDER

So poets say, my lord.

MYCETES

And 'tis a pretty toy to be a poet.

Well, well, Meander, thou art deeply read,

And having thee I have a jewel sure.

Go on, my lord, and give your charge, I say,

Thy wit will make us conquerors today.

MEANDER

Then, noble soldiers,
to entrap these
thieves

60   That live confounded in disordered troops,

If wealth or riches may prevail with them,

We have our camels laden all with gold

Which you that be but common soldiers

Shall fling in every corner of the field,

And while the base-born Tartars take it up,

You, fighting more for honour than for gold,

Shall massacre those greedy-minded slaves;

And when their scattered army is subdued

And you march on their slaughtered carcasses,

70   Share equally the gold that bought their lives

And live like gentlemen in Persia.

Strike up the drum, and march courageously!

Fortune herself doth sit upon our crests.

MYCETES

He tells you true, my masters, so he does.

Drums, why sound ye not when Meander speaks?

[
Strike drums
.]                     
Exeunt
.

[
Enter
]
COSROE
,
TAMBURLAINE
,
THERIDAMAS
,
TECHELLES
,
USUMCASANE
,
ORTYGIUS
,
with Others
.

COSROE

Now, worthy Tamburlaine, have I reposed

In thy
approvèd fortunes
all my hope.

What think'st thou, man, shall come of our attempts?

For even as from assurèd oracle,

I take thy
doom for satisfaction.

TAMBURLAINE

And so mistake you not a whit, my lord,

For fates and
oracles of heaven have
sworn

To royalize the deeds of Tamburlaine,

And make them blest that share in his attempts.

And doubt you not but, if you favour me

10   And let my fortunes and my valour
sway

To some direction in your martial deeds,

The world will strive with hosts of men-at-arms

To swarm unto the ensign I support.

The host of Xerxes, which
by fame is said

To drink the mighty Parthian Araris,

Was but a handful to that we will have.

Our quivering lances shaking in the air

And bullets like Jove's dreadful thunderbolts,

Enrolled in flames and fiery smouldering mists,

20   Shall threat the gods more than
Cyclopian wars;

And with our sun-bright armour as we march

We'll chase the stars from heaven and dim their eyes

That stand and muse at our admirèd arms.

THERIDAMAS
[
to
COSROE
]

You see, my lord, what
working words
he hath.

But when you see his actions
top his
speech,

Your speech will stay, or so extol his worth

As I shall be commended
and excused

For turning my poor charge to his direction.

30                 And these his two renownèd friends, my lord,

Would make one thrust and strive to be retained

In such a great degree of amity.

TECHELLES

With duty and with amity we yield

Our utmost service to the fair Cosroe.

COSROE

Which I esteem as portion of my crown.

Usumcasane and Techelles both,

When
she that
rules in Rhamnus' golden gates

And makes a passage for all prosperous arms

Shall make me solely emperor of Asia,

40   Then shall your meeds and valours be advanced

To rooms of honour and nobility.

TAMBURLAINE

Then haste, Cosroë, to be king alone,

That I with these my friends and all my men

May triumph in our long-expected fate.

The king your brother is now hard at hand.

Meet with the fool, and rid your royal shoulders

Of such a burden as outweighs the sands

And all the craggy rocks of Caspia.

[
Enter a
MESSENGER
.]

MESSENGER

My lord, we have discovered the enemy

50   Ready to charge you with a mighty army.

COSROE

Come, Tamburlaine, now whet thy wingèd sword

And lift thy lofty arm into the clouds,

That it may reach the king of Persia's crown

And set it safe on my victorious head.

TAMBURLAINE
[
brandishing his sword
]

See where it is, the keenest curtle-axe

That e'er made passage thorough Persian arms.

These are the
wings shall
make it fly as swift

As doth the lightning or the breath of heaven,

And kill as
sure as
it swiftly flies.

COSROE

Thy words assure me of kind success.

60   Go, valiant soldier, go before, and charge

The fainting army of that foolish king.

TAMBURLAINE

Usumcasane and Techelles, come.

We are enough to scare the enemy,

And more than needs to make an emperor.

[
Exeunt
.]

[
Enter the armies
]
to the battle
[
and exeunt
],
and
MYCETES
comes out alone with his crown in his hand,
offering to
hide it.

MYCETES

Accurst be he that first invented war!

They knew not, ah, they knew not, simple men,

How
those were hit
by pelting cannon shot

Stand staggering like a quivering aspen leaf

Fearing the force of Boreas' boist'rous blasts!

In what a lamentable case were I

If nature had not given me wisdom's lore!

For kings are clouts that every man shoots at,

Our crown
the pin that
thousands seek to cleave.

Therefore in policy I think it good

10   To hide it
close –
a goodly stratagem,

And
far from any
man that is a fool.

So shall not I be known, or if I be,

They cannot take away my crown from me.

Here will I hide it in this simple hole.

Enter
TAMBURLAINE
.

TAMBURLAINE

What, fearful coward, straggling from the camp,

When kings themselves are present in the field?

MYCETES

Thou liest.

TAMBURLAINE
Base villain, dar'st thou
give the lie?

MYCETES

Away, I am the king. Go, touch me not.

20   Thou break'st the law of arms unless thou kneel

And cry me, ‘Mercy, noble king!'

TAMBURLAINE

Are you the
witty king
of Persia?

MYCETES

Ay, marry, am I. Have you any suit to me?

TAMBURLAINE

I would entreat you to speak but three wise words.

MYCETES

So I can,
when I see my time.

TAMBURLAINE
[
seizing the crown
] Is this your crown?

MYCETES
Ay, didst thou ever see a fairer?

TAMBURLAINE
You will not sell it, will ye?

MYCETES
Such another word, and I will have thee executed.

30   Come, give it me.

TAMBURLAINE
No, I took it prisoner.

MYCETES
You lie, I gave it you.

TAMBURLAINE
Then 'tis mine.

MYCETES
No, I mean I let you keep it.

TAMBURLAINE
Well, I mean you shall have it again.

[
Giving the crown
]

Here, take it for a while. I lend it thee

Till I may see thee hemmed with armèd men.

Then shalt thou see me pull it from thy head.

Thou art no match for mighty Tamburlaine.

[
Exit
TAMBURLAINE
.]

MYCETES

40   O gods, is this Tamburlaine the thief?

I marvel much he stole it not away.

Sound trumpets
to the battle, and he runs in.

[
Enter
]
COSROE
[
crowned
],
TAMBURLAINE
,
THERIDAMAS
,
MENAPHON
,
MEANDER
,
ORTYGIUS
,
TECHELLES
,
USUMCASANE
,
with Others.

TAMBURLAINE
[
presenting
COSROE
with
MYCETES'S
crown
]

Hold thee, Cosroe, wear two imperial crowns.

Think thee invested now as royally,

Even by the mighty hand of Tamburlaine,

As if as many kings as could encompass thee

With greatest pomp had crowned thee emperor.

COSROE

So do I, thrice-renownèd man-at-arms,

And none shall keep the crown but Tamburlaine.

Thee do I make my regent of Persia

And general lieutenant of my armies.

Meander, you that were our brother's guide

10   And chiefest counsellor in all his acts,

Since he is yielded to the stroke of war,

On your submission we with thanks excuse

And give you equal place in our affairs.

MEANDER
[
kneeling
]

Most happy emperor, in humblest terms

I vow my service to your majesty,

With utmost virtue of my faith and duty.

COSROE

Thanks, good Meander, [
MEANDER
rises
.]

Then, Cosroë, reign,

And govern Persia in her former pomp.

Now send
embassage to
thy neighbour kings

20   And let them know the Persian king is changed

From one that knew not what a king should do

To one that can command what 'longs thereto.

And now we will to fair Persepolis

With twenty thousand expert soldiers.

The lords and captains of my brother's camp

With little slaughter
take Meander's course

And gladly yield them to my gracious rule.

Ortygius and Menaphon, my trusty friends,

30   Now will I
gratify your
former good