Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

SIGISMUND.  Though I confess the oaths they undertake
Breed little strength to our security,
Yet those infirmities that thus defame
Their faiths, 66 (#x6_x_6_i126) their honours, and religion, 67 (#x6_x_6_i129)
Should not give us presumption to the like.
Our faiths are sound, and must be consummate, 68 (#x6_x_6_i132)
Religious, righteous, and inviolate.

FREDERICK.  Assure your grace, 'tis superstition
To stand so strictly on dispensive faith;
And, should we lose the opportunity
That God hath given to venge our Christians' death,
And scourge their foul blasphemous paganism,
As fell to Saul, to Balaam, and the rest,
That would not kill and curse at God's command,
So surely will the vengeance of the Highest,
And jealous anger of his fearful arm,
Be pour'd with rigour on our sinful heads,
If we neglect this 69 (#x6_x_6_i135) offer'd victory.

SIGISMUND.  Then arm, my lords, and issue suddenly,
Giving commandment to our general host,
With expedition to assail the pagan,
And take the victory our God hath given.

[Exeunt.]

SCENE II

Enter ORCANES, GAZELLUS, and URIBASSA, with their train.

ORCANES.  Gazellus, Uribassa, and the rest,
Now will we march from proud Orminius' mount
To fair Natolia, where our neighbour kings
Expect our power and our royal presence,
T' encounter with the cruel Tamburlaine,
That nigh Larissa sways a mighty host,
And with the thunder of his martial 70 (#x6_x_6_i138) tools
Makes earthquakes in the hearts of men and heaven.

GAZELLUS.  And now come we to make his sinews shake
With greater power than erst his pride hath felt.
An hundred kings, by scores, will bid him arms,
And hundred thousands subjects to each score:
Which, if a shower of wounding thunderbolts
Should break out of the bowels of the clouds,
And fall as thick as hail upon our heads,
In partial aid of that proud Scythian,
Yet should our courages and steeled crests,
And numbers, more than infinite, of men,
Be able to withstand and conquer him.

URIBASSA.  Methinks I see how glad the Christian king
Is made for joy of our 71 (#x6_x_6_i141) admitted truce,
That could not but before be terrified
With 72 (#x6_x_6_i144) unacquainted power of our host.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER.  Arm, dread sovereign, and my noble lords!
The treacherous army of the Christians,
Taking advantage of your slender power,
Comes marching on us, and determines straight
To bid us battle for our dearest lives.

ORCANES.  Traitors, villains, damned Christians!
Have I not here the articles of peace
And solemn covenants we have both confirm'd,
He by his Christ, and I by Mahomet?

GAZELLUS.  Hell and confusion light upon their heads,
That with such treason seek our overthrow,
And care so little for their prophet Christ!

ORCANES.  Can there be such deceit in Christians,
Or treason in the fleshly heart of man,
Whose shape is figure of the highest God?
Then, if there be a Christ, as Christians say,
But in their deeds deny him for their Christ,
If he be son to everliving Jove,
And hath the power of his outstretched arm,
If he be jealous of his name and honour
As is our holy prophet Mahomet,
Take here these papers as our sacrifice
And witness of thy servant's 73 (#x6_x_6_i147) perjury!

[He tears to pieces the articles of peace.]

Open, thou shining veil of Cynthia,
And make a passage from th' empyreal heaven,
That he that sits on high and never sleeps,
Nor in one place is circumscriptible,
But every where fills every continent
With strange infusion of his sacred vigour,
May, in his endless power and purity,
Behold and venge this traitor's perjury!
Thou, Christ, that art esteem'd omnipotent,
If thou wilt prove thyself a perfect God,
Worthy the worship of all faithful hearts,
Be now reveng'd upon this traitor's soul,