第 9 节
作者:
丁格 更新:2021-02-27 01:21 字数:9202
Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones;
For; though the glory of this day be lost;
Afric and Greece have garrisons enough
To make me sovereign of the earth again。
TAMBURLAINE。 Those walled garrisons will I subdue;
And write myself great lord of Africa:
So from the East unto the furthest West
Shall Tamburlaine extend his puissant arm。
The galleys and those pilling brigandines;
That yearly sail to the Venetian gulf;
And hover in the Straits for Christians' wreck;
Shall lie at anchor in the Isle Asant;
Until the Persian fleet and men…of…war;
Sailing along the oriental sea;
Have fetch'd about the Indian continent;
Even from Persepolis to Mexico;
And thence unto the Straits of Jubalter;
Where they shall meet and join their force in one。
Keeping in awe the Bay of Portingale;
And all the ocean by the British shore;
And by this means I'll win the world at last。
BAJAZETH。 Yet set a ransom on me; Tamburlaine。
TAMBURLAINE。 What; think'st thou Tamburlaine esteems thy gold?
I'll make the kings of India; ere I die;
Offer their mines; to sue for peace; to me;
And dig for treasure to appease my wrath。
Come; bind them both; and one lead in the Turk;
The Turkess let my love's maid lead away;
'They bind them。'
BAJAZETH。 Ah; villains; dare you touch my sacred arms?
O Mahomet! O sleepy Mahomet!
ZABINA。 O cursed Mahomet; that mak'st us thus
The slaves to Scythians rude and barbarous!
TAMBURLAINE。 Come; bring them in; and for this happy conquest
Triumph; and solemnize a martial feast。
'Exeunt。'
ACT IV。
SCENE I。
Enter the SOLDAN OF EGYPT; CAPOLIN; LORDS; and a MESSENGER。
SOLDAN。 Awake; ye men of Memphis! hear the clang
Of Scythian trumpets; hear the basilisks;
That; roaring; shake Damascus' turrets down!
The rogue of Volga holds Zenocrate;
The Soldan's daughter; for his concubine;
And; with a troop of thieves and vagabonds;
Hath spread his colours to our high disgrace;
While you; faint…hearted base Egyptians;
Lie slumbering on the flowery banks of Nile;
As crocodiles that unaffrighted rest
While thundering cannons rattle on their skins。
MESSENGER。 Nay; mighty Soldan; did your greatness see
The frowning looks of fiery Tamburlaine;
That with his terror and imperious eyes
Commands the hearts of his associates;
It might amaze your royal majesty。
SOLDAN。 Villain; I tell thee; were that Tamburlaine
As monstrous as Gorgon prince of hell;
The Soldan would not start a foot from him。
But speak; what power hath he?
MESSENGER。 Mighty lord;
Three hundred thousand men in armour clad;
Upon their prancing steeds; disdainfully
With wanton paces trampling on the ground;
Five hundred thousand footmen threatening shot;
Shaking their swords; their spears; and iron bills;
Environing their standard round; that stood
As bristle…pointed as a thorny wood;
Their warlike engines and munition
Exceed the forces of their martial men。
SOLDAN。 Nay; could their numbers countervail the stars;
Or ever…drizzling drops of April showers;
Or wither'd leaves that autumn shaketh down;
Yet would the Soldan by his conquering power
So scatter and consume them in his rage;
That not a man should live to rue their fall。
CAPOLIN。 So might your highness; had you time to sort
Your fighting men; and raise your royal host;
But Tamburlaine by expedition
Advantage takes of your unreadiness。
SOLDAN。 Let him take all th' advantages he can:
Were all the world conspir'd to fight for him;
Nay; were he devil; as he is no man;
Yet in revenge of fair Zenocrate;
Whom he detaineth in despite of us;
This arm should send him down to Erebus;
To shroud his shame in darkness of the night。
MESSENGER。 Pleaseth your mightiness to understand;
His resolution far exceedeth all。
The first day when he pitcheth down his tents;
White is their hue; and on his silver crest
A snowy feather spangled…white he bears;
To signify the mildness of his mind;
That; satiate with spoil; refuseth blood:
But; when Aurora mounts the second time;
As red as scarlet is his furniture;
Then must his kindled wrath be quench'd with blood;
Not sparing any that can manage arms:
But; if these threats move not submission;
Black are his colours; black pavilion;
His spear; his shield; his horse; his armour; plumes;
And jetty feathers; menace death and hell;
Without respect of sex; degree; or age;
He razeth all his foes with fire and sword。
SOLDAN。 Merciless villain; peasant; ignorant
Of lawful arms or martial discipline!
Pillage and murder are his usual trades:
The slave usurps the glorious name of war。
See; Capolin; the fair Arabian king;
That hath been disappointed by this slave
Of my fair daughter and his princely love;
May have fresh warning to go war with us;
And be reveng'd for her disparagement。
'Exeunt。'
SCENE II。
Enter TAMBURLAINE; TECHELLES; THERIDAMAS; USUMCASANE;
ZENOCRATE; ANIPPE; two MOORS drawing BAJAZETH in a cage;
and ZABINA following him。
TAMBURLAINE。 Bring out my footstool。
'They take BAJAZETH out of the cage。'
BAJAZETH。 Ye holy priests of heavenly Mahomet;
That; sacrificing; slice and cut your flesh;
Staining his altars with your purple blood;
Make heaven to frown; and every fixed star
To suck up poison from the moorish fens;
And pour it in this glorious tyrant's throat!
TAMBURLAINE。 The chiefest god; first mover of that sphere
Enchas'd with thousands ever…shining lamps;
Will sooner burn the glorious frame of heaven
Than it should so conspire my overthrow。
But; villain; thou that wishest this to me;
Fall prostrate on the low disdainful earth;
And be the footstool of great Tamburlaine;
That I may rise into my royal throne。
BAJAZETH。 First shalt thou rip my bowels with thy sword;
And sacrifice my heart to death and hell;
Before I yield to such a slavery。
TAMBURLAINE。 Base villain; vassal; slave to Tamburlaine;
Unworthy to embrace or touch the ground
That bears the honour of my royal weight;
Stoop; villain; stoop! stoop; for so he bids
That may command thee piecemeal to be torn;
Or scatter'd like the lofty cedar…trees
Struck with the voice of thundering Jupiter。
BAJAZETH。 Then; as I look down to the damned fiends;
Fiends; look on me! and thou; dread god of hell;
With ebon sceptre strike this hateful earth;
And make it swallow both of us at once!
'TAMBURLAINE gets up on him into his chair。'
TAMBURLAINE。 Now clear the triple region of the air;
And let the Majesty of Heaven behold
Their scourge and terror tread on emperors。
Smile; stars that reign'd at my nativity;
And dim the brightness of your neighbour lamps;
Disdain to borrow light of Cynthia!
For I; the chiefest lamp of all the earth;
First rising in the east with mild aspect;
But fixed now in the meridian line;
Will send up fire to your turning spheres;
And cause the sun to borrow light of you。
My sword struck fire from his coat of steel;
Even in Bithynia; when I took this Turk;
As when a fiery exhalation;
Wrapt in the bowels of a freezing cloud;
Fighting for passage; make's' the welkin crack;
And casts a flash of lightning to the earth:
But; ere I march to wealthy Persia;
Or leave Damascus and th' Egyptian fields;
As was the fame of Clymene's brain…sick son
That almost brent the axle…tree of heaven;
So shall our swords; our lances; and our shot
Fill all the air with fiery meteors;
Then; when the sky shall wax as red as blood;
It shall be said I made it red myself;
To make me think of naught but blood and war。
ZABINA。 Unworthy king; that by thy cruelty
Unlawfully usurp'st the Persian seat;
Dar'st thou; that never saw an emperor
Before thou met my husband in the field;
Being thy captive; thus abuse his state;
Keeping his kingly body in a cage;
That roofs of gold and sun…bright palaces
Should have prepar'd to entertain his grace?
And treading him beneath thy loathsome feet;
Whose feet the kings of Africa have kiss'd?
TECHELLES。 You must devise some torment worse; my lord;
To make these captives rein their lavish tongues。
TAMBURLAINE。 Zenocrate; look better to your slave。
ZENOCRATE。 She is my handmaid's slave; and she shall look
That these abuses flow not from her tongue。
Chide her; Anippe。
ANIPPE。 Let these be warnings; then; for you; my slave;
How you abuse the person of the king;
Or else I swear to have you whipt stark nak'd。
BAJAZETH。 Great Tamburlaine; great in my overthrow;
Ambitious pride shall make thee fall as low;
For treading on the back of Bajazeth;
That should be horsed on four mighty kings。
TAMBURLAINE。 Thy names; and titles; and thy dignities
Are fled from B