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