第 6 节
作者:丁格      更新:2021-02-27 01:21      字数:9187
  I judge the purchase more important far。
  TAMBURLAINE。 Judge by thyself; Theridamas; not me;
  For presently Techelles here shall haste
  To bid him battle ere he pass too far;
  And lose more labour than the gain will quite:
  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 and more warriors:
  Haste thee; Techelles; we will follow thee。
  'Exit TECHELLES。'
  What saith Theridamas?
  THERIDAMAS。 Go on; for me。
  'Exeunt。'
  SCENE VI。
  Enter COSROE; MEANDER; ORTYGIUS; and MENAPHON; with
  SOLDIERS。
  COSROE。 What means this devilish 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。
  MEANDER。 Some powers divine; or else infernal; mix'd
  Their angry seeds at his conception;
  For he was never sprung of human race;
  Since with the spirit of his fearful pride;
  He dares so doubtlessly resolve of rule;
  And by profession be ambitious。
  ORTYGIUS。 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 fate soever govern him;
  Let us put on our meet encountering minds;
  And; in detesting such a devilish thief;
  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。
  COSROE。 Nobly resolv'd; 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 barbarous heart;
  That thus opposeth him against the gods;
  And scorns the powers that govern Persia!
  'Exeunt; drums sounding。'
  SCENE VII。
  Alarms of battle within。  Then enter COSROE wounded;
  TAMBURLAINE; THERIDAMAS; TECHELLES; USUMCASANE; with others。
  COSROE。 Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine;
  Thus to deprive me of my crown and life!
  Treacherous and false Theridamas;
  Even at the morning of my happy state;
  Scarce being seated in my royal throne;
  To work my downfall and untimely end!
  An uncouth pain torments my grieved soul;
  And death arrests the organ of my voice;
  Who; entering at the breach thy sword hath made;
  Sacks every vein and artier of my heart。
  Bloody and insatiate Tamburlaine!
  TAMBURLAINE。 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 empyreal heaven;
  Mov'd me to manage arms against thy state。
  What better precedent than mighty Jove?
  Nature; that fram'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 wondrous architecture of the world;
  And measure every wandering 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;
  That perfect bliss and sole felicity;
  The sweet fruition of an earthly crown。
  THERIDAMAS。 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。
  TECHELLES。 And that made us; the friends of Tamburlaine;
  To lift our swords against the Persian king。
  USUMCASANE。 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。
  COSROE。 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 summons 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 talents gripe my bleeding heart;
  And like a harpy tires on my life。
  Theridamas and Tamburlaine; I die:
  And fearful vengeance light upon you both!
  'Dies。TAMBURLAINE takes COSROE'S crown; and puts it on
  his own head。'
  TAMBURLAINE。 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!
  TAMBURLAINE。 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!
  TAMBURLAINE。 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 III。
  SCENE I。
  Enter BAJAZETH; the KINGS OF FEZ; MOROCCO; and ARGIER; with
  others; in great pomp。
  BAJAZETH。 Great kings of Barbary; and my portly bassoes;
  We hear the Tartars and the eastern thieves;
  Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine;
  Presume a bickering with your emperor;
  And think to rouse us from our dreadful siege
  Of the famous Grecian Constantinople。
  You know our army is invincible;
  As many circumcised Turks we have;
  And warlike bands of Christians renied;
  As hath the ocean or the Terrene sea
  Small drops of water when the moon begins
  To join in one her semicircled horns:
  Yet would we not be brav'd with foreign power;
  Nor raise our siege before the Grecians yield;
  Or breathless lie before the city…walls。
  KING OF FEZ。 Renowmed emperor and mighty general;
  What; if you sent the bassoes of your guard
  To charge him to remain in Asia;
  Or else to threaten death and deadly arms
  As from the mouth of mighty Bajazeth?
  BAJAZETH。 Hie thee; my basso; fast to Persia;
  Tell him thy lord; the Turkish emperor;
  Dread lord of Afric; Europe; and Asia;
  Great king and conqueror of Graecia;
  The ocean; Terrene; and the Coal…black sea;
  The high and highest monarch of the world;
  Wills and commands; (for say not I entreat;)
  Not once to set his foot in Africa;
  Or spread his colours in Graecia;
  Lest he incur the fury of my wrath:
  Tell him I am content to take a truce;
  Because I hear he bears a valiant mind:
  But if; presuming on his silly power;
  He be so mad to manage arms with me;
  Then stay thou with him;say; I bid thee so;
  And if; before the sun have measur'd heaven
  With triple circuit; thou regreet us not;
  We mean to take his morning's next arise
  For messenger he will not be reclaim'd;
  And mean to fetch thee in despite of him。
  BASSO。 Most great and puissant monarch of the earth;
  Your basso will accomplish your behest;
  And shew your pleasure to the Persian;
  As fits the legate of the stately Turk。
  'Exit。'
  KING OF ARGIER。 They say he is the king of Persia;
  But; if he dare attempt to stir your siege;
  'Twere requisite he should be ten times more;
  For all flesh quakes at your magnificence。
  BAJAZETH。 True; Argier; and tremble's' at my looks。
  KING OF MOROCCO。 The spring is hinder'd by your smothering host;
  For neither rain can fall upon the earth;
  Nor sun reflex his virtuous beams thereon;
  The ground is mantled with such multitudes。
  BAJAZETH。 All this is true as holy Mahomet;
  And all the trees are blasted with our breaths。
  KING OF FEZ。 What thinks your greatness best to be achiev'd
  In pursuit of the city's overthrow?
  BAJAZETH。 I will the captive pioners of Argier
  Cut off the water that by leaden pipes
  Runs to the city from the mountain Carnon;
  Two thousand horse shall forage up and down;
  That no relief or succour come by land;
  And all the sea my galleys countermand:
  Then shall our footmen lie within the trench;
  And wit