Enter CALLAPINE, ORCANES, the KINGS OF JERUSALEM, TREBIZON,
and SORIA, with their train, ALMEDA, and a MESSENGER.

MESSENGER. Renowmed 155 emperor, mighty 156 Callapine,
God's great lieutenant over all the world,
Here at Aleppo, with an host of men,
Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persia,
(In number more than are the 157 quivering leaves
Of Ida's forest, where your highness' hounds
With open cry pursue the wounded stag,)
Who means to girt Natolia's walls with siege,
Fire the town, and over-run the land.

CALLAPINE. My royal army is as great as his,
That, from the bounds of Phrygia to the sea
Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves,
Covers the hills, the valleys, and the plains.
Viceroys and peers of Turkey, play the men;
Whet all your 158 swords to mangle Tamburlaine,
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'd 159 the Persians' sepulchre,
In memory of this our victory.

ORCANES. Now he that calls himself the 160 scourge of Jove,
The emperor of the world, and earthly god,
Shall end the warlike progress he intends,
And travel headlong to the lake of hell,
Where legions of devils (knowing he must die
Here in Natolia by your 161 highness' hands),
All brandishing their 162 brands of quenchless fire,
Stretching their monstrous paws, grin with 163 their teeth,
And guard the gates to entertain his soul.

CALLAPINE. Tell me, viceroys, the number of your men,
And what our army royal is esteem'd.

KING OF JERUSALEM. From Palestina and Jerusalem,
Of Hebrews three score thousand fighting men
Are come, since last we shew'd your 164 majesty.

ORCANES. So from Arabia Desert, and the bounds
Of that sweet land whose brave metropolis
Re-edified the fair Semiramis,
Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse,
Since last we number'd to your majesty.

KING OF TREBIZON. From Trebizon in Asia the Less,
Naturaliz'd Turks and stout Bithynians
Came to my bands, full fifty thousand more,
(That, fighting, know not what retreat doth mean,
Nor e'er return but with the victory,)
Since last we number'd to your majesty.

KING OF SORIA. Of Sorians 165 from Halla is repair'd, 166 And neighbour cities of your highness' land, 167 Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot,
Since last we number'd to your majesty;
So that the army royal is esteem'd
Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.

CALLAPINE. Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy death!—
Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field
(The Persians' sepulchre), and sacrifice
Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet,
Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament
To see the slaughter of our enemies.

Enter TAMBURLAINE with his three SONS, CALYPHAS, AMYRAS,
and CELEBINUS; USUMCASANE, and others.

TAMBURLAINE. How now, Casane! see, a knot of kings,
Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles!

USUMCASANE. My lord, your presence makes them pale and wan:
Poor souls, they look as if their deaths were near.

TAMBURLAINE. Why, so he 168 is, Casane; I am here:
But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.—
Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come,
As Hector did into the Grecian camp,
To overdare the pride of Graecia,
And set his warlike person to the view
Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame:
I do you honour in the simile;
For, if I should, as Hector did Achilles,
(The worthiest knight that ever brandish'd sword,)
Challenge in combat any of you all,
I see how fearfully ye would refuse,
And fly my glove as from a scorpion.

ORCANES. Now, thou art fearful of thy army's strength,
Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight:
But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine,
Think of thy end; this sword shall lance thy throat.

TAMBURLAINE. Villain, the shepherd's issue (at whose birth
Heaven did afford a gracious aspect,
And join'd those stars that shall be opposite
Even till the dissolution of the world,
And never meant to make a conqueror
So famous as is 169 mighty Tamburlaine)
Shall so torment thee, and that Callapine,
That, like a roguish runaway, suborn'd
That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog,
To false his service to his sovereign,
As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine.

CALLAPINE. Rail not, proud Scythian: I shall now revenge
My father's vile abuses and mine own.

KING OF JERUSALEM. By Mahomet, he shall be tied in chains,
Rowing with Christians in a brigandine
About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil,
And turn him to his ancient trade again:
Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief.

CALLAPINE. Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet,
And sit in council to invent some pain
That most may vex his body and his soul.

TAMBURLAINE. Sirrah Callapine, I'll hang a clog about
your neck for running away again: you shall not
trouble me thus to come and fetch you.—
But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits,
And, harness'd 170 like my horses, draw my coach;
And, when ye stay, be lash'd with whips of wire:
I'll have you learn to feed on 171 provender,
And in a stable lie upon the planks.

ORCANES. But, Tamburlaine, first thou shalt 172 kneel to us,
And humbly crave a pardon for thy life.

KING OF TREBIZON. The common soldiers of our mighty host
Shall bring thee bound unto the 173 general's tent [.]

KING OF SORIA. And all have jointly sworn thy cruel death,
Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath.

TAMBURLAINE. Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I
shall have occasion shortly to journey you.

CELEBINUS. See, father, how Almeda the jailor looks upon us!

TAMBURLAINE. Villain, traitor, damned fugitive,
I'll make thee wish the earth had swallow'd thee!
See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks?
Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock,
Or rip thy bowels, and rent 174 out thy heart,
T' appease my wrath; or e