Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2. Christopher Marlowe

a peace

      With Sigismund, the king of Hungary,

      And save our 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

      As doth the desert of Arabia

      To those that stand on Bagdet's 19 lofty tower,

      Or as the ocean to the traveller

      That rests upon the snowy Appenines;

      And tell me whether I should stoop so low,

      Or treat of peace with the Natolian king.

      GAZELLUS.  Kings of Natolia and of Hungary,

      We came from Turkey to confirm a league,

      And not to dare each other to the field.

      A friendly parle 20 might become you both.

      FREDERICK.  And we from Europe, to the same intent; 21    

      Which if your general refuse or scorn,

      Our tents are pitch'd, our men stand 22 in array,

      Ready to charge you ere you stir your feet.

      ORCANES.  So prest 23 are we:  but yet, if Sigismund

      Speak as a friend, and stand not upon terms,

      Here is his sword; let peace be ratified

      On these conditions specified before,

      Drawn with advice of our ambassadors.

      SIGISMUND.  Then here I sheathe it, and give thee my hand,

      Never to draw it out, or 24 manage arms

      Against thyself or thy confederates,

      But, whilst I live, will be at truce with thee.

      ORCANES.  But, Sigismund, confirm it with an oath,

      And swear in sight of heaven and by thy Christ.

      SIGISMUND.  By Him that made the world and sav'd my soul,

      The Son of God and issue of a maid,

      Sweet