To bid him battle ere he pass too far,

And lose more labour than the gain will quit.
Then shalt thou see this Scythian, Tamburlaine,
Make but a jest to win the Persian crown.
Techelles, take a thousand horse with thee,
And bid him turn him back to war with us,
That only made him king to make us sport.
We will not steal upon him cowardly,
But give him warning with more warriors.
Haste, thee, Techelles, we will follow thee.
What saith Theridamas?

THER. Go on for me.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

Enter COSROE, MEANDER, ORTYGIUS, MENAPHON, with other Soldiers,

Cos. What means this dev'lish shepherd to aspire With such a giantly presumption

To cast up hills against the face of heaven,
And dare the force of angry Jupiter?
But as he thrust them underneath the hills,
And press'd out fire from their burning jaws,
So will I send this monstrous slave to hell,
Where flames shall ever feed upon his soul,
MEAND. Some pow'rs divine, or else infernal,
mix'd

Their angry seeds at his conception;

For he was never sprung from human race,
Since with the spirit of his fearful pride,

He dares so doubtlessly resolve of rule,

And by profession be ambitious.

ORTY. What God, or fiend, or spirit of the earth, Or monster turned to a manly shape,

Or of what mould or mettle he be made,
What star or state soever govern him,
Let us put on our meet encount'ring minds;
And in detesting such a devilish chief,
In love of honour and defence of right,
Be arm'd against the hate of such a foe,
Whether from earth, or hell, or heaven he grow.
Cos. Nobly resolved, my good Ortygius;
And since we all have suck'd one wholesome air,
And with the same proportion of elements
Resolve, I hope we are resembled

Vowing our loves to equal death and life.

Let's cheer our soldiers to encounter him,
That grievous image of ingratitude,
That fiery thirster after sovereignty,
And burn him in the fury of that flame,
That none can quench but blood and empery.
Resolve, my lords and loving soldiers now
To save your king and country from decay.
Then strike up, drum; and all the stars that make
The loathsome circle of my dated life,

Direct my weapon to his barb'rous heart,
That thus opposeth him against the gods,

And scorns the powers that govern Persia !

Alarums. A battle; enter COSROE, wounded, THERIDAMAS, TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, with others.

Cos. Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine, Thus to deprive me of my crown and life! Treacherous and false Theridamas, Ev'n at the morning of my happy state, Scarce being seated in my royal throne, To work my downfal and untimely end! An uncouth pain torments my grieved soul, And death arrests the organ of my voice, Who, ent'ring at the breach thy sword hath made, Sacks every vein and artier of my heart.Bloody and insatiate Tamburlaine !

TAMB. The thirst of reign and sweetness of a crown That caus'd the eldest son of heavenly Ops, To thrust his doting father from his chair, And place himself in the imperial heaven, Mov'd me to manage arms against thy state. What better precedent than mighty Jove? Nature that form'd us of four elements, Warring within our breasts for regiment, Doth teach us all to have aspiring minds; Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend The wond'rous architecture of the world, And measure ev'ry wand'ring planet's course, Still climbing after knowledge infinite, And always moving as the restless spheres, Will us to wear ourselves, and never rest, Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,

VOL. I

3

That perfect bliss and sole felicity,

The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.

THER. And that made me to join with Tamburlaine:

For he is gross and like the massy earth,

That moves not upwards, nor by princely deeds

Doth mean to soar above the highest sort.

TECH. And that made us the friends of Tambur

laine,

To lift our swords against the Persian king.

USUM. For as when Jove did thrust old Saturn

down,

Neptune and Dis gain'd each of them a crown,
So do we hope to reign in Asia,

If Tamburlaine be plac'd in Persia.

Cos. The strangest men that ever nature made! I know not how to take their tyrannies.

My bloodless body waxeth chill and cold,

And with my blood my life slides through my wound; My soul begins to take her flight to hell,

And summon all my senses to depart.—

The heat and moisture, which did feed each other,
For want of nourishment to feed them both,
Are dry and cold; and now doth ghastly death,
With greedy talons gripe my bleeding heart,
And like a harpy tires on my life.
Theridamas and Tamburlaine, I die :

And fearful vengeance light upon you both!

[Cosroe dies.-Tamburlaine takes the crown and puts it on.

TAMB. Not all the curses, which the furies

breathe,

Shall make me leave so rich a prize as this.

Theridamas, Techelles, and the rest,

Who think you now is king of Persia?

ALL. Tamburlaine !-Tamburlaine !

TAMB. Though Mars himself, the angry god of

arms,

And all the earthly potentates conspire

To dispossess me of this diadem,

Yet will I wear it in despite of them,
As great commander of this eastern world,
If you but say that Tamburlaine shall reign.

ALL. Long live Tamburlaine and reign in Asia! TAMB. So now it is more surer on my head, Than if the Gods had held a Parliament,

And all pronounc'd me king of Persia.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

BAJAZET, the Kings of FEZ, MOROCCO, and
ARGIER, with others in great Pomp.

BAJ. Great kings of Barbary and my portly

bassas,

We hear the Tartars and the eastern thieves,

Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine,

Presume a bick'ring with your emperor,