forces for the hot assaults Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia. ORCANES. Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said. My realm, the centre of our empery, Once lost, all Turkey would be overthrown; And for that cause the Christians shall have peace. Sclavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffs, and Danes, Fear 12 not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine; Nor he, but Fortune that hath made him great. We have revolted Grecians, Albanese, Sicilians, Jews, Arabians, Turks, and Moors, Natolians, Sorians, 13 black 14 Egyptians, Illyrians, Thracians, and Bithynians, 15 Enough to swallow forceless Sigismund, Yet scarce enough t' encounter Tamburlaine. He brings a world of people to the field,      ]From Scythia to the oriental plage 16 Of India, where raging Lantchidol Beats on the regions with his boisterous blows, That never seaman yet discovered. All Asia is in arms with Tamburlaine, Even from the midst of fiery Cancer's tropic To Amazonia under Capricorn; And thence, as far as Archipelago, All Afric is in arms with Tamburlaine:      Therefore, viceroy, 17 the Christians must have peace. Enter SIGISMUND, FREDERICK, BALDWIN, and their train, with drums and trumpets. SIGISMUND. Orcanes, (as our legates promis'd thee,)      We, with our peers, have cross'd Danubius' stream, To treat of friendly peace or deadly war. Take which thou wilt; for, as the Romans us'd, I here present thee with a naked sword:      Wilt thou have war, then shake this blade at me; If peace, restore it to my hands again, And I will sheathe it, to confirm the same. ORCANES. Stay, Sigismund:  forgett'st thou I am he That with the cannon shook Vienna-walls, And made it dance upon the continent, As when the massy substance of the earth Quiver[s] about the axle-tree of heaven? Forgett'st thou that I sent a shower of darts, Mingled with powder'd shot and feather'd steel, So thick upon the blink-ey'd burghers' heads, That thou thyself, then County Palatine, The King of Boheme, 18 and the Austric Duke, Sent heralds out, which basely on their knees, In all your names, desir'd a truce of me? Forgett'st thou that, to have me raise my siege, Waggons of gold were set before my tent, Stampt with the princely fowl that in her wings Carries the fearful thunderbolts of Jove? How canst thou think of this, and offer war? SIGISMUND. Vienna was besieg'd, and I was there, Then County Palatine, but now a king, And what we did was in extremity But now, Orcanes, view my royal host, That hides these plains, and seems as vast and wide    

 Prev. P 7/89 next