Tamb. 'Twas I, my lord, that gat the victory; And therefore grieve not at your overthrow, Since I shall render all into your hands, And add more strength to your dominions Than ever yet confirmed th' Egyptian crown. The god of war resigns his room to me, Meaning to make me general of the world : Jove, viewing me in arms, looks pale and wan, Fearing my power should[1] pull him from his throne: Where'er I come the Fatal Sisters sweat[2] And grisly Death, by running to and fro, To do their ceaseless homage to my sword : And here in Afric, where it seldom rains, Since I arriv'd with my triumphant host, Have swelling clouds, drawn from wide-gaping[3] wounds, Been oft resolv'd[4] in bloody purple showers, A meteor that might terrify the earth, And make it quake at every drop it drinks : Millions[5] of souls sit on the banks of Styx, Waiting the back-return of Charon's boat; Hell and Elysium[6] swarm with ghosts of men That I have sent from sundry foughten fields To spread my fame through hell and up to heaven: And see, my lord, a sight of strange import, Emperors and kings lie breathless at my feet; The Turk and his great empress, as it seems, Left to themselves while we were at the fight, Have desperately despatch'd their slavish lives: With them Arabia, too, hath left his life: All sights of power to grace my victory; And such are objects fit for Tamburlaine, Wherein, as in a mirror, may be seen His honour, that consists in shedding blood When men presume to manage arms with him.
Sold. Mighty hath God and Mahomet made thy hand, Renowmèd[7] Tamburlaine, to whom all kings Of'force must yield their crowns and emperies; And I am pleas'd with this my overthrow, If, as beseems a person of thy state, Thou hast with honour us'd Zeiiocrate. Tamb. Her state and person want no pomp, you see; And for all blot of foul inchastity, I record[8] heaven, her heavenly self is clear: Then let me find no further time[9] to grace Her princely temples with the Persian crown; But here these kings that on. my fortunes wait, And have been crown'd for proved worthiness Even by this hand that shall establish them, Shall now, adjoining all their hands with mine, Invest her here the[10] Queen of Persia. What saith the noble Soldan, and Zenocrate?
Sold. I yield with thanks and protestations Of endless honour to thee for her love.
Tamb. Then doubt I not[11] but fair Zenocrate Will soon consent to satisfy us both.
Zeno. Else[12] should I much forget myself, my lord.
Ther. Then let us set the crown upon her head, That long hath linger'd for so high a seat
Tech. My hand is ready to perform the deed; For now her marriage-time shall work us rest.
Usum. And here's the crown, my lord; help set it on[13]
Tamb. Then sit thou down, divine Zenocrate; And here we crown thee Queen of Persia, And all the kingdoms and dominions That late the power of Tamburlaine subdu'd. As Juno, when the giants were suppress'd, That darted mountains at her brother Jove, So looks my love, shadowing in her brows Triumphs and trophies for my victories; Or as Latona's daughter, bent to arms, Adding more courage to my conquering mind. To gratify the[e], sweet Zenocrate, Egyptians, Moors, and men of Asia, From Barbary unto the Western India, Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy sire; And from the bounds of Afric to the banks Of Ganges shall his mighty arm extend. And now, my lords and loving followers, That purchas'd kingdoms by your martial deeds, Cast off your armour, put on scarlet robes,
- ↑ should] So the 8vo. The 4to "shall."
- ↑ sweat] So the 8vo. The 4to "sweare."
- ↑ wide-gaping] Old eds. "wide gasping."
- ↑ resolv'd] i.e. dissolved.
- ↑ Millions] So the 8vo. The 4to "Million."
- ↑ Elysium] Old eds. "Ellisian."
- ↑ Renowmèd] See note, p. 11. So the 8vo.—The 4to "renowned."
- ↑ record] i. e. take to witness.
- ↑ no further time] i. e. no more distant time.
- ↑ the] So the 8vo. The 4to "my."
- ↑ not] So the 8vo. The 4to "not I."
- ↑ Else] So the 4to. The 8vo "Then."
- ↑ on] So the 4to. Omitted in the 8vo.
