Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.

CALLAPINE.  Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy death!—
Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field
(The Persians' sepulchre), and sacrifice
Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet,
Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament
To see the slaughter of our enemies.

Enter TAMBURLAINE with his three SONS, CALYPHAS, AMYRAS,

and CELEBINUS; USUMCASANE, and others.

TAMBURLAINE.  How now, Casane! see, a knot of kings,
Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles!

USUMCASANE.  My lord, your presence makes them pale and wan:
Poor souls, they look as if their deaths were near.

TAMBURLAINE.  Why, so he 168 (#x6_x_6_i470) is, Casane; I am here:
But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.—
Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come,
As Hector did into the Grecian camp,
To overdare the pride of Graecia,
And set his warlike person to the view
Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame:
I do you honour in the simile;
For, if I should, as Hector did Achilles,
(The worthiest knight that ever brandish'd sword,)
Challenge in combat any of you all,
I see how fearfully ye would refuse,
And fly my glove as from a scorpion.

ORCANES.  Now, thou art fearful of thy army's strength,
Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight:
But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine,
Think of thy end; this sword shall lance thy throat.

TAMBURLAINE.  Villain, the shepherd's issue (at whose birth
Heaven did afford a gracious aspect,
And join'd those stars that shall be opposite
Even till the dissolution of the world,
And never meant to make a conqueror
So famous as is 169 (#x6_x_6_i473) mighty Tamburlaine)
Shall so torment thee, and that Callapine,
That, like a roguish runaway, suborn'd
That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog,
To false his service to his sovereign,
As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine.

CALLAPINE.  Rail not, proud Scythian:  I shall now revenge
My father's vile abuses and mine own.

KING OF JERUSALEM.  By Mahomet, he shall be tied in chains,
Rowing with Christians in a brigandine
About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil,
And turn him to his ancient trade again:
Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief.

CALLAPINE.  Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet,
And sit in council to invent some pain
That most may vex his body and his soul.
TAMBURLAINE.  Sirrah Callapine, I'll hang a clog about
your neck for running away again:  you shall not
trouble me thus to come and fetch you.—
But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits,
And, harness'd 170 (#x6_x_6_i476) like my horses, draw my coach;
And, when ye stay, be lash'd with whips of wire:
I'll have you learn to feed on 171 (#x6_x_6_i479) provender,
And in a stable lie upon the planks.

ORCANES.  But, Tamburlaine, first thou shalt 172 (#x6_x_6_i482) kneel to us,
And humbly crave a pardon for thy life.

KING OF TREBIZON.  The common soldiers of our mighty host
Shall bring thee bound unto the 173 (#x6_x_6_i485) general's tent [.]

KING OF SORIA.  And all have jointly sworn thy cruel death,
Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath.

TAMBURLAINE.  Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I
shall have occasion shortly to journey you.

CELEBINUS.  See, father, how Almeda the jailor looks upon us!

TAMBURLAINE.  Villain, traitor, damned fugitive,
I'll make thee wish the earth had swallow'd thee!
See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks?
Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock,
Or rip thy bowels, and rent 174 (#x6_x_6_i488) out thy heart,
T' appease my wrath; or else I'll torture thee,
Searing thy hateful flesh with burning irons
And drops of scalding lead, while all thy joints
Be rack'd and beat asunder with the wheel;
For, if thou liv'st, not any element
Shall shroud thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine.

CALLAPINE.  Well, in despite of thee, he shall be king.—
Come, Almeda; receive this crown of me:
I here invest thee king of Ariadan,