Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1

SCENE I.

          Enter the SOLDAN OF EGYPT, CAPOLIN, LORDS, and a MESSENGER.

     SOLDAN. Awake, ye men of Memphis!  hear the clang
     Of Scythian trumpets; hear the basilisks, 
     That, roaring, shake Damascus' turrets down!
     The rogue of Volga holds Zenocrate,
     The Soldan's daughter, for his concubine,
     And, with a troop of thieves and vagabonds,
     Hath spread his colours to our high disgrace,
     While you, faint-hearted base Egyptians,
     Lie slumbering on the flowery banks of Nile,
     As crocodiles that unaffrighted rest
     While thundering cannons rattle on their skins.

     MESSENGER. Nay, mighty Soldan, did your greatness see
     The frowning looks of fiery Tamburlaine,
     That with his terror and imperious eyes
     Commands the hearts of his associates,
     It might amaze your royal majesty.

     SOLDAN. Villain, I tell thee, were that Tamburlaine
     As monstrous  as Gorgon prince of hell,
     The Soldan would not start a foot from him.
     But speak, what power hath he?

     MESSENGER. Mighty lord,
     Three hundred thousand men in armour clad,
     Upon their prancing steeds, disdainfully
     With wanton paces trampling on the ground;
     Five hundred thousand footmen threatening shot,
     Shaking their swords, their spears, and iron bills,
     Environing their standard round, that stood
     As bristle-pointed as a thorny wood;
     Their warlike engines and munition
     Exceed the forces of their martial men.

     SOLDAN. Nay, could their numbers countervail the stars,
     Or ever-drizzling  drops of April showers,
     Or wither'd leaves that autumn shaketh down,
     Yet would the Soldan by his conquering power
     So scatter and consume them in his rage,
     That not a man should  live to rue their fall.

     CAPOLIN. So might your highness, had you time to sort
     Your fighting men, and raise your royal host;
     But Tamburlaine by expedition
     Advantage takes of your unreadiness.

     SOLDAN. Let him take all th' advantages he can:
     Were all the world conspir'd to fight for him,
     Nay, were he devil,  as he is no man,
     Yet in revenge of fair Zenocrate,
     Whom he detaineth in despite of us,
     This arm should send him down to Erebus,
     To shroud his shame in darkness of the night.

     MESSENGER. Pleaseth your mightiness to understand,
     His resolution far exceedeth all.
     The first day when he pitcheth down his tents,
     White is their hue, and on his silver crest
     A snowy feather spangled-white he bears,
     To signify the mildness of his mind,
     That, satiate with spoil, refuseth blood:
     But, when Aurora mounts the second time,
     As red as scarlet is his furniture;
     Then must his kindled wrath be quench'd with blood,
     Not sparing any that can manage arms:
     But, if these threats move not submission,
     Black are his colours, black pavilion;
     His spear, his shield, his horse, his armour, plumes,
     And jetty feathers, menace death and hell;
     Without respect of sex, degree, or age,
     He razeth all his foes with fire and sword.

     SOLDAN. Merciless villain, peasant, ignorant
     Of lawful arms or martial discipline!
     Pillage and murder are his usual trades:
     The slave usurps the glorious name of war.
     See, Capolin, the fair Arabian king, 
     That hath been disappointed by this slave
     Of my fair daughter and his princely love,
     May have fresh warning to go war with us,
     And be reveng'd for her disparagement.

          [Exeunt.]