Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1

SCENE I.

          Enter MYCETES, COSROE, MEANDER, THERIDAMAS, ORTYGIUS,
          CENEUS, MENAPHON, with others.

     MYCETES. Brother Cosroe, I find myself agriev'd;
     Yet insufficient to express the same,
     For it requires a great and thundering speech:
     Good brother, tell the cause unto my lords;
     I know you have a better wit than I.

     COSROE. Unhappy Persia,—that in former age
     Hast been the seat of mighty conquerors,
     That, in their prowess and their policies,
     Have triumph'd over Afric,  and the bounds
     Of Europe where the sun dares scarce appear
     For freezing meteors and congealed cold,—
     Now to be rul'd and govern'd by a man
     At whose birth-day Cynthia with Saturn join'd,
     And Jove, the Sun, and Mercury denied
     To shed their  influence in his fickle brain!
     Now Turks and Tartars shake their swords at thee,
     Meaning to mangle all thy provinces.

     MYCETES. Brother, I see your meaning well enough,
     And through  your planets I perceive you think
     I am not wise enough to be a king:
     But I refer me to my noblemen,
     That know my wit, and can be witnesses.
     I might command you to be slain for this,—
     Meander, might I not?

     MEANDER. Not for so small a fault, my sovereign lord.

     MYCETES. I mean it not, but yet I know I might.—
     Yet live; yea, live; Mycetes wills it so.—
     Meander, thou, my faithful counsellor,
     Declare the cause of my conceived grief,
     Which is, God knows, about that Tamburlaine,
     That, like a fox in midst of harvest-time,
     Doth prey upon my flocks of passengers;
     And, as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes:
     Therefore 'tis good and meet for to be wise.

     MEANDER. Oft have I heard your majesty complain
     Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief,
     That robs your merchants of Persepolis
     Trading by land unto the Western Isles,
     And in your confines with his lawless train
     Daily commits incivil  outrages,
     Hoping (misled by dreaming prophecies)
     To reign in Asia, and with barbarous arms
     To make himself the monarch of the East:
     But, ere he march in Asia, or display
     His vagrant ensign in the Persian fields,
     Your grace hath taken order by Theridamas,
     Charg'd with a thousand horse, to apprehend
     And bring him captive to your highness' throne.

     MYCETES. Full true thou speak'st, and like thyself, my lord,
     Whom I may term a Damon for thy love:
     Therefore 'tis best, if so it like you all,
     To send my thousand horse incontinent 
     To apprehend that paltry Scythian.
     How like you this, my honourable lords?
     Is it not a kingly resolution?

     COSROE. It cannot choose, because it comes from you.

     MYCETES. Then hear thy charge, valiant Theridamas,
     The chiefest  captain of Mycetes' host,
     The hope of Persia, and the very legs
     Whereon our state doth lean as on a staff,
     That holds us up and foils our neighbour foes:
     Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse,
     Whose foaming gall with rage and high disdain
     Have sworn the death of wicked Tamburlaine.
     Go frowning forth; but come thou smiling home,
     As did Sir Paris with the Grecian dame:
     Return with speed; time passeth swift away;
     Our life is frail, and we may die to-day.

     THERIDAMAS. Before the moon renew her borrow'd light,
     Doubt not, my lord and gracious sovereign,
     But Tamburlaine and that Tartarian rout 
     Shall either perish by our warlike hands,
     Or plead for mercy at your highness' feet.

     MYCETES. Go, stout Theridamas; thy words are swords,
     And with thy looks thou conquerest all thy foes.
     I long to see thee back return from thence,
     That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine
     All loaden with the heads of killed men,
     And, from their knees even to their hoofs below,
     Besmear'd with blood that makes a dainty show.

     THERIDAMAS. Then now, my lord, I humbly take my leave.

     MYCETES. Theridamas, farewell ten thousand times.

          [Exit THERIDAMAS.]

     Ah, Menaphon, why stay'st thou thus behind,
     When other men press  forward for renown?
     Go, Menaphon, go into Scythia,
     And foot by foot follow Theridamas.

     COSROE. Nay, pray you,  let him stay; a greater [task]
     Fits Menaphon than warring with a thief:
     Create him pro-rex of all  Africa,
     That he may win the Babylonians' hearts,
     Which will revolt from Persian government,
     Unless they have a wiser king than you.

     MYCETES. Unless they have a wiser king than you!
     These are his words; Meander, set them down.

     COSROE. And add this to them,—that all Asia
     Lament to see the folly of their king.

     MYCETES. Well, here I swear by this my royal seat—

     COSROE. You may do well to kiss it, then.

     MYCETES. Emboss'd with silk as best beseems my state,
     To be reveng'd for these contemptuous words!
     O, where is duty and allegiance now?
     Fled to the Caspian or the Ocean main?
     What shall I call thee? brother? no, a foe;
     Monster of nature, shame unto thy stock,
     That dar'st presume thy sovereign for to mock!—
     Meander, come:  I am abus'd, Meander.

          [Exeunt all except COSROE and MENAPHON.]

     MENAPHON. How now, my lord! what, mated  and amaz'd
     To hear the king thus threaten like himself!

     COSROE. Ah, Menaphon, I pass not  for his threats!
     The plot is laid by Persian noblemen
     And captains of the Median garrisons
     To crown me emperor of Asia:
     But this it is that doth excruciate
     The very substance of my vexed soul,
     To see our neighbours, that were wont to quake
     And tremble at the Persian monarch's name,
     Now sit and laugh our regiment  to scorn;
     And that which might resolve  me into tears,
     Men from the farthest equinoctial line
     Have swarm'd in troops into the Eastern India,
     Lading their ships  with gold and precious stones,
     And made their spoils from all our provinces.

     MENAPHON. This should entreat your highness to rejoice,
     Since Fortune gives you opportunity
     To gain the title of a conqueror
     By curing of this maimed empery.
     Afric and Europe bordering on your land,
     And continent to your dominions,
     How easily may you, with a mighty host,
     Pass  into Graecia, as did Cyrus once,
     And cause them to withdraw their forces home,
     Lest you  subdue the pride of Christendom!

          [Trumpet within.]

     COSROE. But, Menaphon, what means this trumpet's sound?

     MENAPHON. Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest
     Bringing the crown to make you emperor!

          Re-enter ORTYGIUS and CENEUS,  with others, bearing a
          crown.

     ORTYGIUS. Magnificent and mighty prince Cosroe,
     We, in the name of other Persian states 
     And commons of this mighty monarchy,
     Present thee with th' imperial diadem.

     CENEUS. The warlike soldiers and the gentlemen,
     That heretofore have fill'd Persepolis
     With Afric captains taken in the field,
     Whose ransom made them march in coats of gold,
     With costly jewels hanging at their ears,
     And shining stones upon their lofty crests,
     Now living idle in the walled towns,
     Wanting both pay and martial discipline,
     Begin in troops to threaten civil war,
     And openly exclaim against their  king:
     Therefore, to stay all sudden mutinies,
     We will invest your highness emperor;
     Whereat the soldiers will conceive more joy
     Than did the Macedonians at the spoil
     Of great Darius and his wealthy host.

     COSROE. Well, since I see the state of Persia droop
     And languish in my brother's government,
     I willingly receive th' imperial crown,
     And vow to wear it for my country's good,
     In spite of them shall malice my estate.

     ORTYGIUS. And, in assurance of desir'd success,
     We here do crown thee monarch of the East [;]
     Emperor of Asia and Persia; 
     Great lord of Media and Armenia;
     Duke of Africa and Albania,
     Mesopotamia and of Parthia,
     East India and the late-discover'd isles;
     Chief lord of all the wide vast Euxine Sea,
     And of the ever-raging  Caspian Lake.

     ALL.  Long live Cosroe, mighty emperor!

     COSROE. And Jove may  never let me longer live
     Than I may seek to gratify your love,
     And cause the soldiers that thus honour me
     To triumph over many provinces!
     By whose desires of discipline in arms
     I doubt not shortly but to reign sole king,
     And with the army of Theridamas
     (Whither we presently will fly, my lords,)
     To rest secure against my brother's force.

     ORTYGIUS. We knew,  my lord, before we brought the crown,
     Intending your investion so near
     The residence of your despised brother,
     The lords  would not be too exasperate
     To injury  or suppress your worthy title;
     Or, if they would, there are in readiness
     Ten thousand horse to carry you from hence,
     In spite of all suspected enemies.

     COSROE. I know it well, my lord, and thank you all.

     ORTYGIUS. Sound up the trumpets, then.

          [Trumpets sounded.]

     ALL.  God save the king!

          [Exeunt.]