Enter TAMBURLAINE, ZENOCRATE, and their three sons, CALYPHAS, AMYRAS, and CELEBINUS, with drums and trumpets.
TAMBURLAINE.Now, bright Zenocrate, the world's fair eye, Whose beams illuminate the lamps of heaven, Whose cheerful looks do clear the cloudy air, And clothe it in a crystal livery, Now rest thee here on fair Larissa-plains, Where Egypt and the Turkish empire part Between thy sons, that shall be emperors, And every one commander of a world.
ZENOCRATE.Sweet Tamburlaine, when wilt thou leave these arms, And save thy sacred person free from scathe, And dangerous chances of the wrathful war?
TAMBURLAINE.When heaven shall cease to move on both the poles, And when the ground, whereon my soldiers march, Shall rise aloft and touch the horned moon;
And not before, my sweet Zenocrate.
Sit up, and rest thee like a lovely queen.
So; now she sits in pomp and majesty, When these, my sons, more precious in mine eyes Than all the wealthy kingdoms I subdu'd, Plac'd by her side, look on their mother's face.
But yet methinks their looks are amorous, Not martial as the sons of Tamburlaine:
Water and air, being symboliz'd in one, Argue their want of courage and of wit;
Their hair as white as milk, and soft as down, (Which should be like the quills of porcupines, As black as jet, and hard as iron or steel,)
Bewrays they are too dainty for the wars;
Their fingers made to quaver on a lute, Their arms to hang about a lady's neck, Their legs to dance and caper in the air, Would make me think them bastards, not my sons, But that I know they issu'd from thy womb, That never look'd on man but Tamburlaine.
ZENOCRATE.My gracious lord, they have their mother's looks, But, when they list, their conquering father's heart.
This lovely boy, the youngest of the three, Not long ago bestrid a Scythian steed, Trotting the ring, and tilting at a glove, Which when he tainted with his slender rod, He rein'd him straight, and made him so curvet As I cried out for fear he should have faln.
TAMBURLAINE.
Well done, my boy! thou shalt have shield and lance, Armour of proof, horse, helm, and curtle-axe, And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe, And harmless run among the deadly pikes.
If thou wilt love the wars and follow me, Thou shalt be made a king and reign with me, Keeping in iron cages emperors.
If thou exceed thy elder brothers' worth, And shine in complete virtue more than they, Thou shalt be king before them, and thy seed Shall issue crowned from their mother's womb.
CELEBINUS.Yes, father; you shall see me, if I live, Have under me as many kings as you, And march with such a multitude of men As all the world shall tremble at their view.
TAMBURLAINE.These words assure me, boy, thou art my son.
When I am old and cannot manage arms, Be thou the scourge and terror of the world.
AMYRAS.Why may not I, my lord, as well as he, Be term'd the scourge and terror of the world?
TAMBURLAINE.Be all a scourge and terror to the world, Or else you are not sons of Tamburlaine.
CALYPHAS.But, while my brothers follow arms, my lord, Let me accompany my gracious mother:
They are enough to conquer all the world, And you have won enough for me to keep.
TAMBURLAINE.Bastardly boy, sprung from some coward's loins, And not the issue of great Tamburlaine!
Of all the provinces I have subdu'd Thou shalt not have a foot, unless thou bear A mind courageous and invincible;
For he shall wear the crown of Persia Whose head hath deepest scars, whose breast most wounds, Which, being wroth, sends lightning from his eyes, And in the furrows of his frowning brows Harbours revenge, war, death, and cruelty;
For in a field, whose superficies
Is cover'd with a liquid purple veil, And sprinkled with the brains of slaughter'd men, My royal chair of state shall be advanc'd;
And he that means to place himself therein, Must armed wade up to the chin in blood.
ZENOCRATE.My lord, such speeches to our princely sons Dismay their minds before they come to prove The wounding troubles angry war affords.
CELEBINUS.No, madam, these are speeches fit for us;
For, if his chair were in a sea of blood, I would prepare a ship and sail to it, Ere I would lose the title of a king.
AMYRAS.And I would strive to swim through pools of blood, Or make a bridge of murder'd carcasses,
Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks, Ere I would lose the title of a king.
TAMBURLAINE.Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both, Stretching your conquering arms from east to west:--
And, sirrah, if you mean to wear a crown, When we shall meet the Turkish deputy And all his viceroys, snatch it from his head, And cleave his pericranion with thy sword.
CALYPHAS.If any man will hold him, I will strike, And cleave him to the channel with my sword.
TAMBURLAINE.Hold him, and cleave him too, or I'll cleave thee;
For we will march against them presently.
Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane Promis'd to meet me on Larissa-plains, With hosts a-piece against this Turkish crew;
For I have sworn by sacred Mahomet To make it parcel of my empery.
The trumpets sound; Zenocrate, they come.
