ZENOCRATE

I am (my Lord,) for so you do import. The Gods, defenders of the innocent, Will never prosper your intended drifts, That thus oppress poor friendless passengers. Therefore at least admit us liberty, Even as thou hopest to be eternized, By living Asia's mighty Emperor. Although it be digested long ago As his exceeding favours have deserved, And might content the Queen of heaven as well: As it hath changed my first conceived disdain. Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts, With ceasclesse and discorsolate conceits. Which die my looks so liveless as they are. And might, if my extremes had fuil events, Make me the ghastly counterfeit of death. leave to wound me with these words. And speak of tamburlaine as he deserves: The entertainment we have had of him, Is far from villainy or servitude. And might in noble minds be counted princely. 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 matched with mighty tamburlaine, Thence rise the tears that so distain my checks, Fearing his love through my unworthiness. Thou wilt repent these lavish words of thine, When thy great Bassoe, master and thy self. Must plead for mercy at his kingly feet, And sue to me to be your Advocates. hearst thou Anippe, how thy drudge does talk, And how my slave, her mistress menaceth. Both for their sausinesse shall be employed, To dress the common soldiers meat and drink. For we will scorn they should come never our selves. You Gods and powers that govern Persea. And made my lordly Love her worthy King: Now strengthen him against the Turkish Baiazeth, And let his foes Like flocks of fearful Roes, Pursued by hunter's, fly his angry looks, That I may see him issue Conqueror. By this the Turks lie weltering in their blood found, And tamburlaine is Lord of Africa: If Mahomet should come from heaven and swear, My royal Lord is slain or conquered. Yet should he not persuade me otherwise. But that he lives and will be Conqueror. Now let me offer to my gracious Lord. His royal Crown again, so highly wone: Yes. my Lord. My lord, to see my father's town besieged, The country wasted where my self was born, How can it but afflict my very soul? If any love remain in you my Lord, Or if my love unto your majesty May merit favour at your highness hands, Then raise your siege from fair Damascus walls, And with my father take a friendly truce. Honour still weight on happy tamburlaine: Yet give me leave to plead for him my Lord. Earth cast up fountains from thy entrails, And wet thy cheeks for their untimely death's: Shake with their weight in sign of fear & grief: Blush heaven, that gave them honour at their birth, And let them die a death so barbarous. Those that are proud of fickle Empery, And place their chiefest good in earthly pomp: Behold the Turk and his great Empress. Ah tamburlaine, my love, sweet tamburlaine, That fights for Sceptres and for slippery crowns, Behold the Turk and his great Empress, Thou that in conduct of thy happy stars, Sleepest every night with conquest on thy brows, And yet wouldst shun the wavering turns of war, In fear and feeling of the Like distress, Behold the Turk and his great Empress. Ah mighty Jove and holy Mahomet, Pardon my Love, o pardon his contempt, Of earthly fortune, and respect of pity, And let not conquest ruthlesly pursewde Be equally against his life incensed, In this great Turk and hapless Empress. And pardon me that was not moved with ruth, To see them live so long in misery: Ah what may chance to thee zenocrate? What other heavy news now brings Philemus? Now shame and duty, love and fear presents A thousand sorrows to my martyred soul: Whom should I wish the fatal victory, When my poor pleasures are divided thus, And racked by duty from my cursed heart: My father and my first betrothed love, Must fight against my life and present love: Wherein the change I use condemns my faith, And makes my deeds infamous through the world. But as the Gods to end the Trojans toil, Prevented Turnus of Lavinia. And fatally enriched Aeneas love. So for a final Issue to my griefs, To pacify my country and my love, Must Tamburlaine by their resistless powers, With virtue of a gentle victory, Conclude a league of honour to my hope, Then as the powers divine have preordainde, With happy safety of my father's life, Send Like defence of fair Arabia. Else should I much forget my self, my Lord, 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 tamburlain. And may my Love, the king of Persea Return with victory, and free from wound. Disdainful Turkesse and unreverend Boss, Callest thou me Concubine that am betrothed Unto the great and mighty tamburlaine ? She is my Handmaids slave, and she shall look That these abuses flow not from her tongue: Chide her Anippe. Yet would you have some pity for my sake, Because it is my countries, and my Father's. My Lord, how can you suffer these outrageous curses By these slaves of yours? Too deer a witness for such love my Lord, Behold Zenocrate, the cursed object Whose Fortune's never mastered her griefs: Behold her wounded in conceit for thee, As much as thy fair body is for me. Ah Shepherd, pity my distressed plighted, (If as thou seemest, thou art so mean a man) And seek not to enrich thy followers, By lawless rapine from a silly maid. Who traveling with these Medean Lords To Memphis, from my uncle's country of Medea, Where all my youth I have vene governed, Have passed the army of the mighty Turk: Bearing his privy signet and his hand: To safe conduct us thorough Africa: I must be pleased perforce, wretched Zenocrate. Oh sighed thrice welcome to my joiful soul. To see the king my Father issue safe, From dangerous battle of my conguering Love.