第 7 节
作者:丁格      更新:2021-02-27 01:21      字数:9211
  And all the sea my galleys countermand:
  Then shall our footmen lie within the trench;
  And with their cannons; mouth'd like Orcus' gulf;
  Batter the walls; and we will enter in;
  And thus the Grecians shall be conquered。
  'Exeunt。'
  SCENE II。
  Enter ZENOCRATE; AGYDAS; ANIPPE; with others。
  AGYDAS。 Madam Zenocrate; may I presume
  To know the cause of these unquiet fits
  That work such trouble to your wonted rest?
  'Tis more than pity such a heavenly face
  Should by heart's sorrow wax so wan and pale;
  When your offensive rape by Tamburlaine
  (Which of your whole displeasures should be most)
  Hath seem'd to be digested long ago。
  ZENOCRATE。 Although it be digested long ago;
  As his exceeding favours have deserv'd;
  And might content the Queen of Heaven; as well
  As it hath chang'd my first…conceiv'd disdain;
  Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts
  With ceaseless and disconsolate conceits;
  Which dye my looks so lifeless as they are;
  And might; if my extremes had full events;
  Make me the ghastly counterfeit of death。
  AGYDAS。 Eternal heaven sooner be dissolv'd;
  And all that pierceth Phoebus' silver eye;
  Before such hap fall to Zenocrate!
  ZENOCRATE。 Ah; life and soul; still hover in his breast;
  And leave my body senseless as the earth;
  Or else unite you to his life and soul;
  That I may live and die with Tamburlaine!
  Enter; behind; TAMBURLAINE; with TECHELLES; and others。
  AGYDAS。 With Tamburlaine!  Ah; fair Zenocrate;
  Let not a man so vile and barbarous;
  That holds you from your father in despite;
  And keeps you from the honours of a queen;
  (Being suppos'd his worthless concubine;)
  Be honour'd with your love but for necessity!
  So; now the mighty Soldan hears of you;
  Your highness needs not doubt but in short time
  He will; with Tamburlaine's destruction;
  Redeem you from this deadly servitude。
  ZENOCRATE。 Leave to wound me with these words;
  And speak of Tamburlaine as he deserves:
  The entertainment we have had of him
  Is far from villany or servitude;
  And might in noble minds be counted princely。
  AGYDAS。 How can you fancy one that looks so fierce;
  Only dispos'd to martial stratagems?
  Who; when he shall embrace you in his arms;
  Will tell how many thousand men he slew;
  And; when you look for amorous discourse;
  Will rattle forth his facts of war and blood;
  Too harsh a subject for your dainty ears。
  ZENOCRATE。 As looks the sun through Nilus' flowing stream;
  Or when the Morning holds him in her arms;
  So looks my lordly love; fair Tamburlaine;
  His talk much sweeter than the Muses' song
  They sung for honour 'gainst Pierides;
  Or when Minerva did with Neptune strive:
  And higher would I rear my estimate
  Than Juno; sister to the highest god;
  If I were match'd with mighty Tamburlaine。
  AGYDAS。 Yet be not so inconstant in your love;
  But let the young Arabian live in hope;
  After your rescue to enjoy his choice。
  You see; though first the king of Persia;
  Being a shepherd; seem'd to love you much;
  Now; in his majesty; he leaves those looks;
  Those words of favour; and those comfortings;
  And gives no more than common courtesies。
  ZENOCRATE。 Thence rise the tears that so distain my cheeks;
  Fearing his love through my unworthiness。
  'TAMBURLAINE goes to her; and takes her away lovingly by
  the hand; looking wrathfully on AGYDAS; and says nothing。
  Exeunt all except AGYDAS。'
  AGYDAS。 Betray'd by fortune and suspicious love;
  Threaten'd with frowning wrath and jealousy;
  Surpris'd with fear of hideous revenge;
  I stand aghast; but most astonied
  To see his choler shut in secret thoughts;
  And wrapt in silence of his angry soul:
  Upon his brows was pourtray'd ugly death;
  And in his eyes the fury of his heart;
  That shone as comets; menacing revenge;
  And cast a pale complexion on his cheeks。
  As when the seaman sees the Hyades
  Gather an army of Cimmerian clouds;
  (Auster and Aquilon with winged steeds;
  All sweating; tilt about the watery heavens;
  With shivering spears enforcing thunder…claps;
  And from their shields strike flames of lightning;)
  All…fearful folds his sails; and sounds the main;
  Lifting his prayers to the heavens for aid
  Against the terror of the winds and waves;
  So fares Agydas for the late…felt frowns;
  That send a tempest to my daunted thoughts;
  And make my soul divine her overthrow。
  Re…enter TECHELLES with a naked dagger; and USUMCASANE。
  TECHELLES。 See you; Agydas; how the king salutes you!
  He bids you prophesy what it imports。
  AGYDAS。 I prophesied before; and now I prove
  The killing frowns of jealousy and love。
  He needed not with words confirm my fear;
  For words are vain where working tools present
  The naked action of my threaten'd end:
  It says; Agydas; thou shalt surely die;
  And of extremities elect the least;
  More honour and less pain it may procure;
  To die by this resolved hand of thine
  Than stay the torments he and heaven have sworn。
  Then haste; Agydas; and prevent the plagues
  Which thy prolonged fates may draw on thee:
  Go wander free from fear of tyrant's rage;
  Removed from the torments and the hell
  Wherewith he may excruciate thy soul;
  And let Agydas by Agydas die;
  And with this stab slumber eternally。
  'Stabs himself。'
  TECHELLES。 Usumcasane; see; how right the man
  Hath hit the meaning of my lord the king!
  USUMCASANE。 Faith; and; Techelles; it was manly done;
  And; since he was so wise and honourable;
  Let us afford him now the bearing hence;
  And crave his triple…worthy burial。
  TECHELLES。 Agreed; Casane; we will honour him。
  'Exeunt; bearing out the body。'
  SCENE III。
  Enter TAMBURLAINE; TECHELLES; USUMCASANE; THERIDAMAS;
  a BASSO; ZENOCRATE; ANIPPE; with others。
  TAMBURLAINE。 Basso; by this thy lord and master knows
  I mean to meet him in Bithynia:
  See; how he comes! tush; Turks are full of brags;
  And menace more than they can well perform。
  He meet me in the field; and fetch thee hence!
  Alas; poor Turk! his fortune is too weak
  T' encounter with the strength of Tamburlaine:
  View well my camp; and speak indifferently;
  Do not my captains and my soldiers look
  As if they meant to conquer Africa?
  BASSO。 Your men are valiant; but their number few;
  And cannot terrify his mighty host:
  My lord; the great commander of the world;
  Besides fifteen contributory kings;
  Hath now in arms ten thousand janizaries;
  Mounted on lusty Mauritanian steeds;
  Brought to the war by men of Tripoly;
  Two hundred thousand footmen that have serv'd
  In two set battles fought in Graecia;
  And for the expedition of this war;
  If he think good; can from his garrisons
  Withdraw as many more to follow him。
  TECHELLES。 The more he brings; the greater is the spoil;
  For; when they perish by our warlike hands;
  We mean to set our footmen on their steeds;
  And rifle all those stately janizars。
  TAMBURLAINE。 But will those kings accompany your lord?
  BASSO。 Such as his highness please; but some must stay
  To rule the provinces he late subdu'd。
  TAMBURLAINE。 'To his OFFICERS'
  Then fight courageously:  their crowns are yours;
  This hand shall set them on your conquering heads;
  That made me emperor of Asia。
  USUMCASANE。 Let him bring millions infinite of men;
  Unpeopling Western Africa and Greece;
  Yet we assure us of the victory。
  THERIDAMAS。 Even he; that in a trice vanquish'd two kings
  More mighty than the Turkish emperor;
  Shall rouse him out of Europe; and pursue
  His scatter'd army till they yield or die。
  TAMBURLAINE。 Well said; Theridamas! speak in that mood;
  For WILL and SHALL best fitteth Tamburlaine;
  Whose smiling stars give him assured hope
  Of martial triumph ere he meet his foes。
  I that am term'd the scourge and wrath of God;
  The only fear and terror of the world;
  Will first subdue the Turk; and then enlarge
  Those Christian captives which you keep as slaves;
  Burdening their bodies with your heavy chains;
  And feeding them with thin and slender fare;
  That naked row about the Terrene sea;
  And; when they chance to rest or breathe a space;
  Are punish'd with bastones so grievously
  That they lie panting on the galleys' side;
  And strive for life at every stroke they give。
  These are the cruel pirates of Argier;
  That damned train; the scum of Africa;
  Inhabited with straggling runagates;
  That make quick havoc of the Christian blood:
  But; as I live; that town shall curse the time
  That Tamburlaine set foot in Africa。
  Enter BAJAZETH; BASSOES; the KINGS OF FEZ; MOROCCO;
  and ARGIER; ZABINA and EBEA。
  BAJAZETH。 Bassoes and janizaries of my guard;
  Attend upon the person of your lord;
  The greatest potentate of Africa。
  TAMBURLAINE。 Techelles and