And these that seem but silly country swains
May have the leading of so great an host,
As with their weight shall make the mountains quake,
Even as when windy exhalations
Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.
Těch. As princely lions, when they rouse them-

-selves,
Stretching their paws, and threatning herds of beasts,
So in his armour looketh Tamburlaine.
Methinks I see kings kneeling at his feet,
And he with frowning brows and fiery looks,
Spurning their crowns from off their captive heads.

Usum. And making thee and me, Techelles, kings, That even to death will follow Tamburlaine.

Tamb. Nobly resolvd, sweet friends and followers! These Lords, perhaps do scorn our estimates, And think we prattle with distempered spirits ; But since they measure our deserts so mean, That in conceit bear empires on our spears, Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds, They shall be kept our forced followers, Till with their eyes they view us emperors.

Zeno. The Gods, defenders of the innocent, Will never prosper your

intended drifts, That thus oppress poor

friendless

passengers.
Therefore at least admit us liberty,
Even as thou hop'st to be eterniz'd,
By living Asia's mighty emperor.

AGYD. I hope our ladies' treasures and our own, May serve for ransom to our liberties :

you?

Return our mules and empty camels back,
That we may travel into Syria,
Where her betrothed lord Alcidamas,
Expects th' arrival of her highness' person.
Mag. And wheresoever we

pose ourselves, We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

TAMB. Disdains Zenocrate to live with me? Or you, my lords, to be

my

followers Think you I weigh this treasure more

than Not all the gold in India's wealthy arms Shall buy the meanest soldier in my

train. Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove, Brighter than is the silver Rhodope, Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills, Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine, Than the possession of the Persian crown, Which gracious stars have promis'd at my birth. A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee, Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus; Thy garments shall be made of Median silk, Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own, More rich and valourous than Zenocrate's. With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled, Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools, And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops, Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd. My martial prizes with five hundred men, Won on the fifty-headed Wolga's waves, Shall we offer to Zenocrate, And then myself to fair Zenocrate.

TECH. (Aside to Tamb.) What now!-in love? TAMB. (Aside.) Techelles, women must be flatter'd:

But this is she with whom I am in love.

Enter a SOLDIER.

SOLD. News!-News!

TAMB. How now?-What's the matter?

SOLD. A thousand Persian horsemen are at hand, Sent from the king to overcome us all.

TAMB. How now, my lords of Egypt, and Zeno

crate!

How!--must your jewels be restor❜d again,
And I that triumph'd so be overcome?

How say you, Lordings,-is not this your hope? AGYD. We hope yourself will willingly restore them.

TAMB. Such hope, such fortune, have the thousand horse.

Soft ye, my lords, and sweet Zenocrate!

You must be forced from me ere you go.

A thousand horsemen !-We five hundred foot!—
An odds too great for us to stand against.
But are they rich?-and is their armour good?
SOLD. Their plumed helms are wrought with
beaten gold,

Their swords enamell'd, and about their necks

Hang massy chains of gold, down to the waist,

In ev'ry part exceeding brave and rich.

TAMB. Then shall we fight courageously with them. Or look you I should play the orator

TECH. NO: cowards and faint-hearted runaways Look for orations when the foe is near:

Our swords shall play the orator for us.

USUM. Come! let us meet them at the mountain foot!

And with a sudden and a hot alarum,
Drive all their horses headlong down the hill.
TECH. Come! Let us march!
TAMB. Stay! ask a parley first.
The SOLDIERS enter.

Open the ways, yet guard the treasure sure!
Lay out our golden wedges to the view,
That their reflexions may amaze the Persians;
And look we friendly on them when they come;
But if they offer word or violence,

We'll fight five hundred men at arms to one,
Before we part with our possession.

And 'gainst the general we will lift our swords,
And either lance his greedy thirsting throat,
Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve
For manacles, till he be ransom'd home.

TECH. I hear them come; shall we encounter
them?

TAMB Keep all your standings and not stir a foot,

Myself will bide the danger of the brunt.

Enter THERIDAMAS and others.

THER. Where is this Scythian Tamburlaine? TAMB. Who seek'st thou, Persian?—I am Tamburlaine.

THER. Tamburlaine!-A Scythian shepherd so

embellish'd

With nature's pride and richest furniture!

His looks do menace Heaven and dare the God's:
His fiery eyes are fix'd upon the earth,

As if he now devis'd some stratagem,
Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vauts
To pull the triple-headed dog from hell.

TAMB. Noble and mild this Persian seems to be, If outward habit judge the inward man.

TECH. His deep affections make him passionate.
TAMB. With what a majesty he rears his looks!
In thee, thou valiant man of Persia,
I see the folly of thy emperor.

Art thou but captain of a thousand horse,
That by characters graven in thy brows,
And by thy martial face and stout aspect,
Deserv'st to have the leading of an host?
Forsake thy king, and do but join with me,
And we will triumph over all the world;
I hold the fates bound fast in iron chains,
And with my hand turns fortune's wheel about :
And sooner shall the sun fall from his sphere,
Than Tamburlaine be slain or overcome.
Draw forth thy sword, thou mighty man at arms,
Intending but to raze my charmed skin,

And Jove himself will stretch his hand from Heaven
To ward the blow and shield me safe from harm.
See how he rains down heaps of gold in showers,
As if he meant to give my soldiers pay!