CALLAPINE

Ah were I now but half so eloquent To paint in words, what I'll perform in deeds, I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me. Yet hear me speak my gentle Almeda. By Cario runs. A little further, gentle Almeda. By Cario runs to Alexandria Bay, Darotes streams, wherein at anchor lies A Turkish Galley of my royal fleet, Waiting my coming to the river side, Hoping by some means I shall be released, Which when I come aboard will hoist up sail, And soon put forth into the Terrene sea: Where twirt the Ifles of Cyprus and of Crete, We quickly may in Turkish seas arrive. Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more Upon their knees, all bid me welcome home. Amongst so mady crowns of burnished gold, Choose which thou wilt, all are at thy command, A thousand Galleys manned with Christian slaves I freely give thee, which shall cut the straights, And bring Armados from the coasts of Spain, Fraughted with gold of rich America: The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee, Skilful in music and in amorous lays: As fair as was Pygmalions Ivory girl, Or lovely Io metamorphosed. With naked; Negroes shall thy coach be drawn, And as thou ridest in triumph through the streets, The pavement underneath thy chariot wheels With Turkey Carpets shall be covered: And cloth of Arras hung about the walls, Fit objects for thy princely eye to pierce. A hundred Bassoes clothed in crimson silk Shall ride before the on Barbarian Steeds: And when thou goest, a golden Canapie Enchased with precious stones, which shine as bright As that fair vail that covers all the world: When Phœbus leaning from his Hemisphere, Descendeth downward to antipodes. And more than this, for all I cannot tell. Sweet Almeda, scarce half a league from hence. Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill And crooked bending of a craggy rock, The sails wrapped up, the mast and tacklings down, She lies so close that none can find her out, As I am Callapine the Emperor, And by the hand of Mahomet I swear, Thou shalt be crowned a king and be my mate, Thanks gentle Almeda, then let us haste, Least time be passed, and lingering let us both. Even straight: and farewell cursed Tambur lain. Now go I to revenge my father's death. But while my brother's follow arms my lord Let me accompany my gracious mother, They are enough to conquer all the world And you have wone enough for me to keep. If any man will hold him, I will strike, And cleave him to the channel with my sword, Thrice worthy kings of Natoliam, and the rest, I will requite your royal gratitudes With all the benefits my Empire yields: And were the sinews of imperial seat So knit and strengthened, as when Baiazeth My royal Lord and father filled the throne, Whose cursed fate hath so dismembered it, Then should you see this Thief of Scythia, This proud usurping king of Persea, Do us such honour and supremacy, Bearing the vengeance of our father's wrongs, As all the world should blot our dignities Out of the book of base born infamies. And now I doubt not but your royal cares Hath so provided for this cursed foe, That since the heir of mighty Baiazeth (And Emperor so honoured for his virtues) Revives the spirits of true Turkish hearts, In grievous memory of his father's shame, We shall not needs to nourish any doubt, But that proud Fortune, who hath followed long The martial sword of mighty Tamburlaine, Will now retain her old inconstancy, And raise our honours to as high a pitch In this our strong and fortunate encounter, For so hath heaven provided my escape, From all the cruelty my soul sustained, By this my friendly keepers happy means, That Jove sur char dg'd with pity of our wrongs, Will pour it down in showers on our heads: Scourging the pride of cursed tamburlain. Well then my noble Lords, for this my friend, That freed me from the bondage of my foe: I think it requisite and honourable, To keep my promise, and to make him king, That is a Gentleman (I know) at least. Then will I shortly keep my promise Almeda This Pillar placed in memory of her, Where in Arabian, Hebrew, Greek, is writ This town being burned by Tamburlaine the great, Forbids the world to built it up again. If I had wept a sea of tears for her, It would not ease the sorrow I sustain. My Lord, but this is dangerous to be done, We may be slain or wounded ere we learn. I know not what I should think of it, Me thinks 'tis a pitiful sighed. My royal army is as great as his, That from the bounds of Phrigia to the sea Which washes Cyprus with his brinish waves, Covers the hills, the valleys and the plains. Viceroys and Peers of Turkey play the men, Whet all your swords to mangle Tamburlain His sons, his Captains and his followers, By Mahomet not one of them shall live. The field wherein this battle shall be fought, For ever, term, the Perseans sepulchre, In memory of this our victory. Tell me Viceroys the number of your men, And what our Army royal is esteemed. Rail not proud Scythian, I shall now revenge My father's vile abuses and mine own. Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet, And fit in council to invent some pain, That most may vex his body and his soul: Well, in despite of thee he shall be king: Come Almeda, receive this crown of me, I here invest thee king of Ariadan, Bordering on Mare Roso near to Meca. Dost thou ask him leave: He ̄ re, take it. Away you fools, my father needs not me, Nor you in faith, but that you will be thought More childish valorous than manly wise: If half our camp should fit and sleep with me, My father beware enough to scar the foe: You do dishonour to his majesty, To think our helps will do him any good. I know sir, what it is to kill a man, It works remorse of conscience in me, I take no pleasure to be murderous, Nor care for blood when wine will quench my thirst. Go, go tall stripling, fight you for us both, And take my other towards brother here, For person Like to prove a second Mars, 'Twill please my mind as well to hear both you Have wone a heap of honour in the field, And left your slender carcases behind, As if I lay with you for company. Take you the honour, I will take my ease, My wisdom shall excuse my cowardice: I go into the field before I needs: The bullets fly at random where they list. And should I go and kill a thousand men, I were as soon rewarded with a shot, And sooner far than he that never fights. And should I go and do nor harm nor good, I might have harm, which all the good I have Joined with my father's crown would never cure. I'll to cards: Perdicas. Come, thou and I will go to cards to driven away the time. Who shall kiss the fairest of the Turks Con cubines first, when my father hath conquered them. They say I am a coward, (Perdicas) and I fear as little their tara, tantaras, their swords or their cannons, as I do a naked Lady in a net of gold, and for fear I should be afraid, would put it off and come to bed with me. I would my father would let me be put in the front of such a battle once, to try my valour. What a coil they keep, I believe there will be some hurt done anon amongst them. When I record my Parents slavish life, Their cruel death, mine own captivity, My Viceroys bondage under tamburlaine, Me thinks I could sustain a thousand death's, To be revenged of all his Villainy. Ah sacred Mahomet, thou that hast seen, Millions of Turks perish by Tamburlaine, Kingdoms made waste, brave cities sacked & burned, And but one host is left to honour thee. And thy obedient servant Callapine, And make him after all these overthrows, To triumph over cursed Tamburlaine. Captain the force of Tamburlaine is great, His fortune greater, and the victories Wherewith he hath so soar dismayed the world, Are greatest to discourage all our drifts, Yet when the pride of Cynthia is at full, She wains again, and so shall his I hope, For we have here the chief selected men Of twenty several kingdoms at the least: Nor plowman, Priest, nor Merchant stays at home. All Turkey is in arms with Callapine. And never will we sunder camps and arms, Before himself or his be conquered. This is the time that must eternise me, For conquering the Tyrant of the world. Come Soldiers, let us lie in wait for him And if we find him absent from his camp, Or that it be rejoined again at full, Assail it and be sure of victory. SWeet Almeda, pity the ruthful plighted Of Callapine, the son of Baiazeth, Born to be Monarch of the Western world: Yet here detained by cruel Tamburlaine. KIng of Amasia, now our mighty host, Marches in Asia Mayor where the streams, Of Euphrates and Tigris swiftly runs, And here may we behald great Babylon, Circled about with Limnasphaltis Lake, Where tamburlaine with all his army lies, Which being faint and weary with the siege, We may lie ready to encounter him. Before his host be full from Babylon, And so revenge our latest grievous lose, If God or Mahomet send any aid. Then welcome Tamburlaine unto thy death. Come puissant Viceroys, let us to the field, (The Perseans Sepulchre) and sacrifice Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet. Who now with Jove opens the firmament, To see the slaughter of our enemies. You say true.