第38章

Enter THERIDAMAS, and his train, with drums and trumpets.

Welcome, Theridamas, king of Argier.

THERIDAMAS.My lord, the great and mighty Tamburlaine, Arch-monarch of the world, I offer here My crown, myself, and all the power I have, In all affection at thy kingly feet.

TAMBURLAINE.Thanks, good Theridamas.

THERIDAMAS.Under my colours march ten thousand Greeks, And of Argier and Afric's frontier towns Twice twenty thousand valiant men-at-arms;

All which have sworn to sack Natolia.

Five hundred brigandines are under sail, Meet for your service on the sea, my lord, That, launching from Argier to Tripoly, Will quickly ride before Natolia, And batter down the castles on the shore.

TAMBURLAINE.Well said, Argier! receive thy crown again.

Enter USUMCASANE and TECHELLES.

Kings of MoroccoFrom Azamor to Tunis near the sea Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake, And all the men in armour under me, Which with my crown I gladly offer thee.

TAMBURLAINE.Thanks, king of Morocco: take your crown again.

TECHELLES.And, mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly god, Whose looks make this inferior world to quake, I here present thee with the crown of Fez, And with an host of Moors train'd to the war,

Whose coal-black faces make their foes retire, And quake for fear, as if infernal Jove, Meaning to aid thee in these Turkish arms, Should pierce the black circumference of hell, With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags, And millions of his strongFrom strong Tesella unto Biledull All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake.

TAMBURLAINE.Thanks, king of Fez: take here thy crown again.

Your presence, loving friends and fellow-kings, Makes me to surfeit in conceiving joy:

If all the crystal gates of Jove's high court Were open'd wide, and I might enter in To see the state and majesty of heaven, It could not more delight me than your sight.

Now will we banquet on these plains a while, And after march to Turkey with our camp, In number more than are the drops that fall When Boreas rents a thousand swelling clouds;

And proud Orcanes of Natolia With all his viceroys shall be so afraid, That, though the stones, as at Deucalion's flood, Were turn'd to men, he should be overcome.

Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood, That Jove shall send his winged messenger To bid me sheathe my sword and leave the field;

The sun, unable to sustain the sight, Shall hide his head in Thetis' watery lap, And leave his steeds to fair Bootes' charge;

For half the world shall perish in this fight.

But now, my friends, let me examine ye;

How have ye spent your absent time from me?

USUMCASANE.My lord, our men of Barbary have march'd Four hundred miles with armour on their backs, And lain in leaguer fifteen months and more;

For, since we left you at the Soldan's court, We have subdu'd the southern Guallatia, And all the land unto the coast of Spain;

We kept the narrow Strait of Jubalter,

And made Canaria call us kings and lords:

Yet never did they recreate themselves, Or cease one day from war and hot alarms;

And therefore let them rest a while, my lord.

TAMBURLAINE.They shall, Casane, and 'tis time, i'faith.

TECHELLES.And I have march'd along the river Nile To Machda, where the mighty Christian priest, Call'd John the Great,From thence unto Cazates did I march, Where Amazonians met me in the field, With whom, being 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, unresisted, I remov'd my camp;

And, by the coast of Byather, 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, where I stay'd before.

TAMBURLAINE.Well done, Techelles!--What saith Theridamas?

THERIDAMAS.I left the confines and the bounds of Afric, And madeFrom 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,

Mingled with coral and with orient pearl.

Come, let us banquet and carouse the whiles.

[Exeunt.]