Damascus' lofty towers, Like to the shadows of Pyramides That with their beauties grace 209 the Memphian fields. The golden stature 210 of their feather'd bird, 211 That spreads her wings upon the city-walls, Shall not defend it from our battering shot: The townsmen mask in silk and cloth of gold, And every house is as a treasury; The men, the treasure, and the town are 212 ours. THERIDAMAS. Your tents of white now pitch'd before the gates, And gentle flags of amity display'd, I doubt not but the governor will yield, Offering Damascus to your majesty. TAMBURLAINE. So shall he have his life, and all the rest: But, if he stay until the bloody flag Be once advanc'd on my vermilion tent, He dies, and those that kept us out so long; And, when they see me march in black array, With mournful streamers hanging down their heads, Were in that city all the world contain'd, Not one should scape, but perish by our swords. ZENOCRATE. Yet would you have some pity for my sake, Because it is my country 213 and my father's. TAMBURLAINE. Not for the world, Zenocrate, if I have sworn.— Come; bring in the Turk. [Exeunt.]
SCENE III.
Enter SOLDAN, KING OF ARABIA, 214 CAPOLIN, and SOLDIERS, with streaming colours. SOLDAN. Methinks we march as Meleager did, Environed with brave Argolian knights, To chase the savage Calydonian 215 boar, Or Cephalus, with lusty 216 Theban youths, Against the wolf that angry Themis sent To waste and spoil the sweet Aonian fields. A monster of five hundred thousand heads, Compact of rapine, piracy, and spoil, The scum of men, the hate and scourge of God, Raves in Aegyptia, and annoyeth us: My lord, it is the bloody Tamburlaine, A sturdy felon, and 217 a base-bred thief, By murder raised to the Persian crown, That dare control us in our territories. To tame the pride of this presumptuous beast, Join your Arabians with the Soldan's power; Let us unite our royal bands in one, And hasten to remove Damascus' siege. It is a blemish to the majesty And high estate of mighty emperors, That such a base usurping vagabond Should brave a king, or wear a princely crown. KING OF ARABIA. Renowmed 218 Soldan, have you lately heard The overthrow of mighty Bajazeth About the confines of Bithynia? The slavery wherewith he persecutes The noble Turk and his great emperess? SOLDAN. I have, and sorrow for his bad success; But, noble lord
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