world to punish wicked men Black Demogorgon grandfather of night Send out thy furies from thy firie hall The pitilesse Erynnies arm'd with whippes And all the damned monsters of black hell To powre their plagues on cursed Acomat How shall I mourne or which way shall I turne To powre my teares vpon my dearest friends Couldst thou endue false-hearted Acomat To kill thy nephew and thy sister thus And wound to death so valiant a Lord And will you not you al beholding heauens Dart down on him your piercing lightning brand Enrold in sulphur and consuming flames Ah do not Ioue Acomat is my sonne And may perhaps by counsell be reclaim'd And brought to filiall obedience Aga thou art a man of peirsant wit Go thou and talke with my sonne Acomat And see if he will any way relent Speake him faire Aga least he kill thee too And we my Lords will in and mourne a while Ouer these princes lamentable tombs Exeunt all Enter Acomat Visir Regan and their souldiers Aco. As Tityus in the countrie of the dead With restlesse cries doth call vpon high Iove The while the vulture tireth on his heart So Acomat revenge still gnawes thy soule In sheading blood and murthring innocents I thinke my wrath hath bene too patient Since ciuill blood quencheth not out the flames Which Baiazet hath kindled in my heart Visir. My gratious Lord here is a messenger Sent from your father the Emperour Enter Aga and one with him Aco. Let him come in Aga what newes with you Aga. Great Prince thy father mightie Baiazet Wonders your grace whom he did loue so much And thought to leaue possessour of the crowne Would thus requite his loue with mortall hate To kill thy nephewes with reuenging sword And massacre his subiects in such sort Aco. Aga my father traitrous Baiazet Detaines the crowne iniuriously from me Which I will haue if all the world say nay I am not like the vnmanured land Which answeres not his honours greedie mind I sow not seeds vpon the barren sand A thousand wayes can Acomat soone finde To gaine my will which if I cannot gaine Then purple blood my angry hands shall staine Aga. Acomat yet learne by Selimus That hastie purposes haue hated endes Aco. Tush Aga Selim was not wise inough To set vpon the head at the first brunt He should haue done as I do meane to do Fill all the confines with fire sword and blood Burne vp the fields and ouerthrow whole townes And when he had endammaged that way Thē teare the old man peecemeale with my teeth And colour my strong hands with his gore-blood Aga. O see my Lord how fell ambition Deceiues your sences and bewitches you Could you vnkind performe so foule a deed As kill the man that first gaue life to you Do you not feare the peoples aduerse fame Aco. It is the greatest glorie of a king When though his subiects hate his wicked deeds Yet are they forst to beare them all with praise Aga. Whom feare constraines to praise their princes deeds That feare eternall hatred in them feeds Aco. He knowes not how to sway the kingly mace That loues to be great in his peoples grace The surest ground for kings to build vpon Is to be fear'd and curst of euery one What though the world of nations me hate Hate is peculiar to a princes state Aga. Where ther 's no shame no care of holy law No faith no iustice no integritie That state is full of mutabilitie Aco. Bare faith pure vertue poore integritie Are ornaments fit for a priuate man Beseemes a prince for to do all he can Aga. Yet know it is a sacrilegious will To slaie thy father were he nere so ill Aco. T is lawfull gray-beard for to do to him What ought not to be done vnto a father Hath he not wip't me from the Turkish crowne Preferr'd he not the stubborne Ianizaries And heard the Bassaes stout petitions Before he would giue eare to my request As sure as day mine eyes shall nere tast sleepe Before my sword haue riuen his periur'd brest Aga. Ah let me neuer liue to see that day Aco. Yes thou shalt liue but neuer see that day Wanting the tapers that should giue thee light Puls out his eyes Thou shalt not see so great felicitie When I shall rend out Baiazets dimme eyes And by his death install my selfe a king Aga. Ah cruell tyrant and vnmercifull More bloodie then the Anthropomphagi That fill their hungry stomachs with mans flesh Thou shouldst haue slaine me barbarous Acomat Not leaue me in so comfortlesse a life To liue on earth and neuer see the sunne Aco. Nay let him die that liueth at his ease Death would a wretched caitiue greatly please Aga. And thinkst thou then to scape vnpunished No Acomat though both mine eyes be gone Yet are my hands left on to murther thee Aco. T' was wel remembred Regan cut them off They cur of his hands and giue them Acomat Now in that sort go tell thy Emperour That if himselfe had but bene in thy place I would haue vs'd him crueller then thee Here take thy hands I know thou lou'st them wel Opens his bosome and puts them in Which hand is this right or left canst thou tell Aga. I know not which it is but t is my hand But oh thou supreme architect of all First mouer of those tenfold christall orbes Where all those mouing and vnmouing eyes Behold thy goodnesse euerlastingly See vnto thee I lift these bloudie armes For hands I haue not for to lift to thee And in thy iustice dart thy smouldring flame Vpon the head of cursed Acomat Oh cruell heauens and iniurious fates Euen the last refuge of a wretched man Is tooke from me for how can Aga weepe Or ruine a brinish shew'r of pearled teares Wanting the watry cesternes of his eyes Come lead me backe againe to Baiazet The wofullest and sadd'st Embassadour That euer was dispatch'd to any King Aco. Why so this musicke pleases Acomat And would I had my doating father here I would rip vp his breast and rend his heart Into his bowels thrust my angry hands As willingly and with as good a mind As I could be the Turkish Emperour And by the cleare declining vault of heauen Whither the soules of dying men do flee Either I meane to dye the death my selfe Or make that old false faitour bleed his last For death no sorrow could vnto me bring So Acomat might die the Turkish king Exeunt All Enter Baiazet Mustaffa Cali Hali and Aga led by a souldier who keeling before Baiazet and holding his legs shall say Aga. Is this the bodie of my soueraigne Are these the sacred pillars that support The image of true magnanimitie Ah Baiazet thy sonne false Acomat Is full resolued to take thy life from thee T is true t is true witnesse these handlesse armes VVitnesse these emptie lodges of mine eyes VVitnesse the gods that from the highest heauen Beheld the tyrant
lawes and holy rites To maintaine peace and gouerne bloodie fights Then some sage man aboue the vulgar wise Knowing that lawes could not in quiet dwell Vnlesse they were obserued did first deuise The names of Gods religion heauen and hell And gan of paines and faind rewards to tell Paines for those men which did neglect the law Rewards for those that liu'd in quiet awe Whereas indeed they were meer fictions And if they were not Selim thinkes they were And these religions obseruations Onely bug-beares to keepe the world in feare And make men quietly a yoake to beare So that religion of it selfe a bable Was onely found to make vs peaceable Hence in especiall come the foolish names Of father mother brother and such like For who so well his cogitation frames Shall finde they serue but onely for to strike Into our minds a certaine kind of loue For these names too are but a policie To keepe the quiet of societie Indeed I must confesse they are not bad Because they keepe the baser sort in feare But we whose minde in heauenly thoughts is clad Whose bodie doth a glorious spirit beare That hath no bounds but flieth euery where Why should we seeke to make that soule a slaue To which dame Nature so large freedome gaue Amongst vs men there is some difference Of actions tearmed by vs good or ill As he that doth his father recompence Differs from him that doth his father kill And yet I thinke thinke other what they will That Parricides when death hath giuen them rest Shall haue as good a part as the rest And that 's iust nothing for as I suppose In deaths voyd kingdome raignes eternall night Secure of euill and secure of foes Where nothing doth the wicked man affright No more then him that dies in doing right Then since in death nothing shall to vs fall Here while I liue I le haue a snatch at all And that can neuer neuer be attaind Vnlesse old Baiazet do die the death For long inough the gray-beard now hath raign'd And liu'd at ease while others liu'd vneath And now its time he should resigne his breath T' were good for him if he were pressed out T' would bring him rest and rid him of his gout Resolu'd to do it cast to compasse it Without delay or long procrastination It argueth an vnmanured wit When all is readie for so strong inuasion To draw out time an vnlookt for mutation May soone preuent vs if we do delay Quick speed is good vvhere vvisedome leades the vvay Occhi. My Lord Sel. Lo flie boy to my father Baiazet And tell him Selim his obedient sonne Desires to speake with him and kisse his hands Tell him I long to see his gratious face And that I come with all my chiualrie To chase the Christians from his Signiorie In any wise say I must speake with him Exit Occhiali Now Sinam if I speed Sinam What then my Lord Sel What then why Sinam thou art nothing woorth I will endeuour to persuade him man To giue the Empire ouer vnto me Perhaps I shall attaine it at his hands If I cannot this right hand is resolu'd To end the period with a fatall stabbe Sin My gratious Lord giue Sinam leaue to speake If you resolue to worke your fathers death You venture life thinke you the Ianissaries Will suffer you to kill him in their sight And let you passe free without punishment Sel. If I resolue as sure as heauen is heauen I meane to see him dead or my selfe King As for the Bassaes they are all my friends And I am sure would pawne their dearest blood That Selim might be Emperour of Turkes Sim. Yet Acomat and Corcut both suruiue To be reuenged for their fathers death Sel. Sinam if they or twentie such as they Had twentie seuerall Armies in the field If Selimus were once your Emperour I de dart abroad the thunderbolts of warre And mow their hartlesse squadrons to the ground Sin Oh yet my Lord after your highnesse death There is a hell and a reuenging God Seli. Tush Sinam these are schoole conditions To feare the diuell or his cursed damme thinkst thou I care for apparitions Of Sisiphus and of his backward stone And poore Ixions lamentable mone Now I thinke the caue of damned ghoasts Is but a tale to terrifie yoong babes Like diuels faces scor'd on painted poasts Or fained circles in our astrolabes Why their 's no difference when we are dead And death once come then all alike are sped Or if there were as I can scarce beleeue A heauen of ioy and hell of endlesse paine Yet by my soule it neuer should me greeue So I might on the Turkish Empire raigne To enter hell and leane on faire heauens gaine An Empire Sinam is so sweete a thing As I could be a diuell to be a King But go we Lords and solace in our campe Till the returne of yoong Occhiali And if his answere be to thy desire Selim thy minde in kingly thoughts attire Exeunt All Enter Baiazet Mustaffa Cherseoli Occhiali and the Ianissaries Baia. Euen as the great Aegyptian Crocodile Wanting his praye with artificiall teares And fained plaints his subtill tongue doth file T' entrap the silly wandring traueller And moue him to aduance his footing neare That when he is in danger of his clawes He may deuour him with his famished iawes So plaieth craftie Selimus with me His haughtie thoughts still wait on Diadems And not a step but treads to maiestie The Phoenix gazeth on the Suns bright beames The Echinaeis swimmes against the streames Nought but the Turkish scepter can him please And there I know lieth his chiefe disease He sends his messenger to craue accesse And saies he longs to kisse my aged hands But howsoeuer he in shew professe His meaning with his words but weakly stands And sooner will the Syrteis boyling sands Become a quiet roade for fleeting shippes Then Selimus heart agree with Selims lippes Too well I know the Crocodiles fained teares Are but nettes wherein to catch his pray Which who so mou'd with foolish pitie heares Will be the authour of his owne decay Then hie thee Baiazet from hence away A fawning monster is false Selimus Whose fairest words are most pernicious Yoong man would Selim come and speak with vs What is his message to vs canst thou tell Occhi. He craues my Lord another seigniorie Nearer to you and to the Christians That he may make them know that Selimus Is borne to be a scourge vnto them all Baia Hee 's born to be a scourge to me mine He neuer would haue come with such an hoast Vnlesse he meant my state to vndermine What though in word he brauely seeme to boast The forraging of all the Christian coast Yet we haue cause to feare when burning brands Are vainly giuen into a mad mans hands Well I must seeme to winke at his desire Although I see it plainer then the light My lenitie addes fuell to his
Corcut the Soldan of Magnesia Hearing of Selims worthie ouerthrow And of the comming of yoong Acomat Doth certifie your maiestie by me How ioyfull he is of your victorie And there withall he humbly doth require Your grace would do him iustice in his cause His brethren both vnworthie such a father Do seeke the Empire while your grace doth liue And that by vndirect sinister meanes But Corcuts mind free from ambitious thoughts And trusting to the goodnesse of his cause Ioyned vnto yours highnesse tender loue Onely desires your grace should not inuest Selim nor Acomat in the Diademe Which appertaineth vnto him by right But keepe it to your selfe the while you liue And when it shall the great creator please Who hath the spirits of all men in his hands Shall call your highnesse to your latest home Then will he also sue to haue his right Baia. Like to a ship sayling without starres Whom waues do tosse one way and winds another Both without ceasing euen so my poore heart Endures a combat betwixt loue and right The loue I beare to my deare Acomat Commands me giue my suffrage vnto him But Corcuts title being my eldest sonne Bids me recall my hand and giue it him Acomat he would haue it in my life But gentle Corcut like a louing sonne Desires me liue and die an Emperour And at my death bequeath my crowne to him Ah Corcut thou I see lou'st me indeed Selimus sought to thrust me downe by force And Acomat seekes the kingdome in my life And both of them are grieu'd thou liu'st so long But Corcut numbreth not my dayes as they O how much dearer loues he me then they Bassaes how counsell you your Emperour Must. My gratious Lord my self wil speak for al For all I know are minded as I am Your highnesse knowes the Ianissaries loue How firme they meane to cleaue to your behest As well you might perceiue in that sad fight When Selim set vpon you in your flight Then we do all desire you on our knees To keepe the crowne and scepter to your selfe How grieuous will it be vnto your thoughts If you should giue the crowne to Acomat To see the brethren disinherited To flesh their anger one vpon another And rend the bowels of this mightie raigne Suppose that Corcut would be well content Yet thinkes your grace if Acomat were king That Selim ere long would ioine league with him Nay he would breake from forth his Trebisond And waste the Empire all with fire and sword Ah then too weake would be poore Acomat To stand against his brothers puissance Or saue himselfe from his enhanced hand While Ismael and the cruell Persians And the great Soldane of th' Egyptians Would smile to see our force dismembred so I and perchance the neighbour Christians Would take occasion to thrust out their heads All this may be preuented by your grace If you will yeeld to Corcuts iust request And keepe the kingdome to you while you liue Meane time we that your graces subiects are May make vs strong to fortify the man Whō at your death your grace shal chuse as king Baia. O how thou speakest euer like thy selfe Loyall Mustaffa well were Baiazet If all his sonnes did beare such loue to him Though loth I am longer to weare the crowne Yet for I see it is my subiects will Once more will Baiazet be Emperour But we must send to pacific our sonne Or he will storme as earst did Selimus Come let vs go vnto our councell Lord And there consider what is to be done Exeunt All Enter Acomat Regan Visir and his souldiers Acomat must read a letter and then renting it say Aco. Thus will I rend the crowne from off thy head False hearted and iniurious Baiazet To mocke thy sonne that loued thee so deare What for because the head-strong Ianissaries Would not consent to honour Acomat And their base Bassaes vow'd to Selimus Thought me vnworthie of the Turkish crowne Should he be rul'd and ouerrul'd by them Vnder pretence of keeping it himselfe To wipe me cleane for euer being king Doth he esteeme so much the Bassaes words And prize their fauour at so high a rate That for to gratifie their stubborne mindes He casts away all care and all respects Of dutie promise and religious oathes Now by the holy Prophet Mahomet Chiefe president and patron of the Turkes I meane to chalenge now my right by Armes And winne by sword that glorious dignitie Which he iniuriously detaines from me Haply he thinkes because that Selimus Rebutted by his warlike Ianissaries Was faine to flie in hast from whence he came That Acomat by his example mou'd Will feare to manage Armes against his sire Or that my life forepassed in pleasures court Promises weake resistance in the fight But he shall know that I can vse my swoord And like a lyon seaze vpon my praie If euer Selim mou'd him heretofore Acomat meanes to mooue him ten times more Visir. T' were good your grace would to Amasia And there increase your camp with fresh supply Aco. Visir I am impatient of delaie And since my father hath incenst me thus I le quēch those kindled flames with his hart blood Not like a sonne but a most cruell foe Will Acomat henceforth be vnto him March to Natolia there we will begin And make a preface to our massacres My nephew Mahomet sonne to Alemshae Departed lately from Iconium Is lodged there and he shall be the first Whom I will sacrifice vnto my wrath Exeunt All Enter the yoong Prince Mahomet the Belierbey of Natolia and one or two souldiers Maho. Lord Gouernour what thinke you best to doo If we receiue the Souldaine Acomat Who knoweth not but his blood-thirstie swoord Shall be embowell'd in our country-men You know he is displeasde with Baiazet And will rebell as Selim did to fore And would to God with Selims ouerthrow You know his angrie heart hath vow'd reuenge On all the subiects of his fathers land Bel. Yoong prince thy vncle seekes to haue thy life Because by right the Turkish crowne is thine Saue thou thy selfe by flight or otherwise And we will make resistance as we can Like an Armenian tygre that hath lost Her loued whelpes so raueth Acomat And we must be subiect to his rage But you may liue to venge your citizens Then flie good prince before your vncle come Maho. Nay good my Lord neuer shall it be said That Mahomet the sonne of Alemshae Fled from his citizens for feare of death But I will staie and helpe to fight for you And if you needs must die I le die with you And I among the rest with forward hand Will helpe to kill a common enemie Exeunt All Enter Acomat Visir Regan and the souldiers Aco. Now faire Natolia shall thy stately walles Be ouerthrowne and beaten to the ground My heart within me for reuenge still calles Why Baiazet thought'st thou that Acomat Would put vp such a monstrous iniurie Then had
I brought my chiualrie in vaine And to no purpose drawne my conquering blade VVhich now vnsheath'd shal not be sheath'd againe Till it a world of bleeding soules hath made Poore Mahomet thou thought'st thy selfe too sure In thy strong citie of Iconium To plant thy Forces in Natolia VVeakned so much before by Selims swoord Summon a parley to the citizens That they may heare the dreadfull words I speak And die in thought before they come to blowes All A parley Mahomet Belierbey and souldiers on the walles Maho. What craues our vncle Acomat of vs Aco. That thou all the citie yeeld themselues Or by the holie rites of Mahomet His wondrous tomb and sacred Alcoran You all shall die and not a common death But euen as monstrous as I can deuise Maho. Vncle if I may call you by that name Which cruelly hunt for your nephewes blood You do vs wrong thus to besiege our towne That nere deseru'd such hatred at your hands Being your friends and kinsmen as we are Aco. In that thou wrongst me that thou art my kinsman Maho. Why for I am thy nephew doest thou frowne Aco. I that thou art so neare vnto the crowne Maho. Why vncle I resigne my right to thee And all my title were it nere so good Aco. Wilt thou then know assuredly from me I le seale the resignation with thy blood Though Alemshae thy father lou'd me well Yet Mahomet thy sonne shall downe to hell Mah. Why vncle doth my life put you in feare Aco. It shall not nephew since I haue you here Maho. VVhen I am dead mote hindrers shalt thou finde Acom. VVhen ones cut off the fewer are behinde Maho. Yet thinke the gods do beare an equall eye Aco. Faith if they all were squint-ey'd what care I Maho. Then Mahomet know we will rather die Then yeeld vs vp into a tyrants hand Aco. Beshrew me but you be the wiser Mahomet For if I do but catch you boy aliue T were better for you runne through Phlegiton Sirs scale the walles and pull the caitiues downe I giue to you the spoyle of all the towne Alarum Scale the walles Enter Acomat Visir and Regan with Mahomet Acom. Now yoongster you that brau'dst vs on the walles And shooke your plumed crest against our shield VVhat wouldst thou giue or what wouldst thou not giue That thou wert far inough from Acomat How like the villaine is to Baiazet VVel nephew for thy father lou'd me well I will not deale extreemly with his sonne Then heare a briefe compendium of thy death Regan go cause a groue of steelehead speares Be pitched thicke vnder the castle wall And on them let this youthfull captaine fall Ma. Thou shalt not fear me Acomat with death Nor will I beg my pardon at thy hands But as thou giu'st me such a monstrous death So do I freely leaue to thee my curse Exit Regan with Mahomet Aco. O that wil serue to fil my fathers purse Alarum Enter a souldier with Zonara sister to Mahomet Zon. Ah pardon me deare vncle pardon me Aco. No minion you are too neare a kin to me Zon. If euer pitie entered thy brest Or euer thou wast touch'd with womans loue Sweete vncle spare wretched Zonaras life Thou once wast noted for a quiet prince Soft-hearted mild and gentle as a lambe Ah do not prooue a lyon vnto me Aco. VVhy would'st thou liue when Mahomet is dead Ron. Ah who slew Mahomet Vncle did you Aco. He that 's prepar'd to do as much for you Zon. Doest thou not pitie Alemshae in me Aco. Yes that he wants so long thy companie Zon. Thou art not false groome son to Baiazet He would relent to heare a woman weepe But thou wast borne in desart Cavcasus And the Hircanian tygres gaue thee sucke Knowing thou wert a monster like themselues Aco. Let you her thus to rate vs Strangle her They strangle her Now scoure the streets and leaue not one aliue To carrie these sad newes to Baiazet That all the citizens may dearly say This day was fatall to Natolia Exeunt All Enter Baiazet Mustaffa and the Ianissaries Ba. Mustaffa if my minde deceiue me not Some strange misfortune is not farre from me I was not wont to tremble in this sort Me thinkes I feele a cold run through my bones As if it hastned to surprize my heart Me thinkes some voice still whispereth in my eares And bids me to take heed of Acomat Must. T is but your highnesse ouercharged mind VVhich feareth most the things it least desires Enter two souldiers with the Belierbey of Natolia in a chaire and the bodie of Mahomet and Zonara in two coffins Ba. Ah sweet Mustaffa thou art much deceiu'd My minde presages me some future harme And loe what dolefull exequie is here Our chiefe commander of Natolia VVhat caitiue hand is it hath wounded thee And who are these couered in tomblack hearse Bel. These are thy nephewes mightie Baiazet The sonne and daughter of good Alemshae VVhom cruell Acomat hath murdred thus These eyes beheld when from an ayrie toure They hurld the bodie of yoong Mahomet VVhereas a band of armed souldiers Receiued him falling on their speares sharp points His sister poore Zonara Entreating life and not obtaining it VVas strangled by his barbarous souldiers Baiazet fals in a sownd and being recouered say Baia. Oh you dispencers of our haplesse breath Why do you glut your eyes and take delight To see sad pageants of mens miseries Wherefore haue you prolong'd my wretched life To see my sonne my dearest Acomat To lift his hands against his fathers life Ah Selimus now do I pardon thee For thou did'st set vpon me manfully And mou'd by an occasion though vniust But Acomat iniurious Acomat Is tentimes more vnnaturall to me Haplesse Zonara haplesse Mahomet The poore remainder of my Alemshae Which of you both shall Baiazet most waile Ah both of you are worthie to be wailde Happily dealt the froward fates with thee Good Alemshae for thou didst die in field And so preuentedst this sad spectacle Pitifull spectacle of sad dreeriment Pitifull spectacle of dismall death But I haue liu'd to see thee Alemshae By Tartar Pirates all in peeces torne To see yoong Selims disobedience To see the death of Alemshaes poore seed And last of all to see my Acomat Prooue a rebellious enemie to me Beli. Ah cease your teares vnhappie Emperour And shead not all for your poore nephews death Six thousand of true-hearted citizens In faire Natolia Acomat hath slaine The channels run like riuerets of blood And I escap'd with this poore compande Bemangled and dismembred as you see To be the messenger of these sad newes And now mine eyes fast swimming in pale death Bids me resigne my breath vnto the heauens Death stands before readie for to strike Farewell deare Emperour and reuenge our losse As euer thou doest hope for happinesse He dies Baia. Auernus iawes and loathsome Taenarus From whence the damned ghoasts do often creep Back to the
first brought me vp And on the cradle wherein I was rockt Curse on the day when first I was created The chiefe commander of all Asia Curse on my sonnes that drive me to this griefe Curse on my selfe that can finde no reliefe And curse on him an euerlasting curse That quench'd those lampes of euerburning light And tooke away my Agas warlike hands And curse on all things vnder the wide skie Ah Aga I haue curst my stomacke drie Abra. I haue a drinke my Lords of noble worth Which soone will calme your stormie passions And glad your hearts if so you please to taste it Baia. for who art thou that thus doest pitie vs Abra. Your highnesse humble seruant AbrahaÌ„ Baia. Abraham sit downe and drink to Baiazet Abra. Faith I am old as well as Baiazet And haue not many months to liue on earth I care not much to end my life with him Heer 's to you Lordings with a full carouse He drinkes Baia. Here Aga wofull Baiazet drinkes to thee Abraham hold the cup to him while he drinkes Abra. Now know old Lords that you haue drunk your last This was a potion which I did prepare To poyson you by Selimus instigation And now it is dispersed through my bones And glad I am that such companions Shall go with me downe to Proserpina He dies Baia. Ah wicked Iew ah cursed Selimus How haue the destins dealt with Baiazet That none shuld cause my death but mine own son Had Ismael and his warlike Persians Pierced my bodie with their iron speares Or had the strong vnconquer'd Tonumbey With his Aegyptians tooke me prisoner And sent me with his valiant Mammalukes To be praie vnto the Crocodilus It neuer would haue grieu'd me halfe so much But welcome death into whose calmie port My sorrow-beaten soule ioyes to arriue And now farewell my disobedient sonnes Vnnaturall sonnes vnworthie of that name Farewell sweete life and Aga now farewell Till we shall meete in the Elysian fields He dies Aga. What greater griefe had mournful Priamus Then that he liu'd to see his Hector die His citie burnt downe by reuenging flames And poore Polites slaine before his face Aga thy griefe is matchable to his For I haue liu'd to see my soueraignes death Yet glad that I must breath my last with him And now farewell sweet light which my poore eyes These twice six moneths neuer did behold Aga will follow noble Baiazet And beg a boone of louely Proserpine That he and I may in the mournfull fields Still weepe and waile our strange calamities He dies Enter Bullithrumble the shepheard running in hast and laughing to himselfe Bulli. Ha ha ha married quoth you Marry and Bullithrumble were to begin the world againe I would set a tap abroach and not liue in daily feare of the breach of my wiues ten-commandemens I le tell you what I thought my selfe as proper a fellow at wasters as any in all our village and yet when my wife begins to plaie clubbes trumpe with me I am faine to sing What hap had I to marry a shrew For she hath giuen me many a blow And how to please her alas I do not know From morne to euen her toong ne'r lies Sometime she laughs sometime she cries And I can scarce keep her taleÌ„ts fro my eies When from abroad I do come in Sir knaue she cries where haue you bin Thus please or displease she laies it on my skin Then do I crouch then do I kneele And wish my cap were furr'd with steele To beare the blows that my poore head doth feele But our sir Iohn beshrew thy hart For thou hast ioynd vs we cannot part And I poore foole must euer beare the smart I le tell you what this morning while I was making me readie she came with a holly wand and so blest my shoulders that I was faine to runne through a whole Alphabet of faces now at the last seeing she was so cramuk with me I began to sweare all the crisse crosse row ouer beginning at great A litle a til I cam to w x y. And snatching vp my sheephooke my bottle and my bag like a desperate fellow ranne away and here now I le sit downe and eate my meate While he is eating Enter Corcut and his Page disguised like mourners Cor. O hatefull hellish snake of Tartary That feedest on the soule of noblest men Damned ambition cause of all miserie Why doest thou creep from out thy loathsome fen And with thy poyson animatest friends And gape and long one for the others ends Selimus could'st thou not content thy mind With the possession of the sacred throne Which thou didst get by fathers death vnkind Whose poison'd ghost before high God doth grone But thou must seeke poore Corcuts ouerthrow That neuer iniured thee so nor so Old Halies sonnes with two great companie Of barded horse were sent from Selimus To take me prisoner in Magnesia And death I am sure should haue befell to me If they had once but set their eyes on me So thus disguised my poore Page and I Fled fast to Smirna where in a darke caue We meant t' await th' arriuall of some ship That might transâ—â—eit vs safely vnto Rhodes But see how fortune crost my enterprise Bostangi Bassa Selims sonne in law Kept all the sea coasts with his Brigandines That if we had but ventured on the sea I presently had bene his prisoner These two dayes haue we kept vs in the caue Eating such hearbes as the ground did affoord And now through hunger are we both constrain'd Like fearefull snakes to creep out step by step And see if we may get vs any food And in good time see yonder sits a man Spreading a hungry dinner on the grasse Bullithrumble spies them and puts vp his meate Bull. These are some felonians that seeke to rob me well I le make my selfe a good deale valianter then I am indeed and if they will needes creep into kindred with me I le betake me to my old occupation and runne away Corcut. Haile groome Bull. Good Lord sir you are deceiued my names master Bullithrumble this is some cousoning conicatching crosbiter that would faine perswade me he knowes me and so vnder a tence of familiaritie and acquaintance vncle me of victuals Corcut. Then Bullithrumble if that be thy name Bull. My name sir ô Lord yes and if you wil not beleeue me I wil bring my godfathers and godmothers and they shal swear it vpon the font-stone and vpon the church booke too where it is written Bull. Masse I thinke he be some Iustice of peace ad quorum and omnium populorum how he famines me a christian yes marrie am I sir yes verely and do beleeue and it please you I le goe forward in my catechisme Corcut. Then Bullithrumble by that blessed Christ And by the tombe where he was buried By soueraigne hope which thou conceiu'st in him Whom dead as euerliuing thou adorest Bull. O Lord helpe me I
a Messenger Messen. Health and good hap to Baiazet The great commander of all Asia Selmi the Soldane of great Trebisond Sends me vnto your grace to signifie His alliance with the King of Tartary Baia. Said I not Lords as much to you before That mine own sonnes would seek my ouerthrow And see here comes a lucklesse messenger To prooue that true which my mind did foretell Does Selim make so small account of vs That he dare marry without our consent And to that diell too of Tartarie And could he then vnkind so soone forget The iniuries that Ramir did to me Thus to consort himselfe with him gainst me Cher e Your maiestie misconsters Selimus It cannot be that he in whose high thoughts A map of many valures is enshrin'd Should seeke his fathers ruine and decay Selimus is a Prince of forward hope Whose onely name affrights your enemies It cannot be he should prooue false to you Baia. Can it not be Oh yes Cherseoli For Selimus hands do itch to haue the Crowne And he will haue it or else pull me downe Is he a Prince ah no he is a sea Into which runne nought but ambitious reaches Seditious complots murther fraud and hate Could he not let his father know his mind But match himselfe when I least thought on it Must. Perhaps my Lord Selimus lou'd the dame And feard to certifie you of his loue Because her father was your enemie Baia. In loue Mustaffa Selimus in loue If he be Lording t is not Ladies loue But loue of rule and kingly soueraigntie for wherefore should he feare t' ask my consent Trully Mustaffa if he had feard me He neuer would haue lou'd mine enemie But this his marriage with the Tartars daughter Is but the prologue to his crueltie And quickly shall we haue the Tragedie Which though he act with meditated brauerie The world will neuer giue him plauditie What yet more newes Sound within Enters another Messenger Mess. Dread Emperour Selimus is at hand Two hundreth thousand strong Tartarians Armed at all points dooes he lead with him Besides his followers from Trebisond Baia. I thought so much of wicked Selimus Oh forlorne hopes and haplesse Baiazet Is dutie then exiled from his brest Which nature hath inscrib'd with golden pen Deepe in the hearts of honourable men Ah Selim Selim wert thou not my sonne But some strange vnacquainted forreiner Whom I should honour as I honour'd thee Yet would it greeue me euen vnto the death If he should deale as thou hast dealt with me And thou my sonne to whom I freely gaue The mightie Empire of great Trebisond Art too vnnatural to requite me thus Good Alemshae hadst thou liu'd till this day Thou wouldst haue blushed at thy brothers minde Come sweete Mustaffa come Cherseoli And with some good aduice recomfort me Exeunt All Enter Selimus Sinam Bassa Otrante Cochialie and the souldiers Seli. Now Selimus consider who thou art Long hast thou marched in disguis'd attire But now vnmaske thy selfe and play thy part And manifest the heate of thy desire Nourish the coales of thine ambitious fire And thinke that then thy Empire is most sure When men for feare thy tyrannie endure Thinke that to thee there is no vvorse reproach Then filiall dutie in so high a place Thou oughtst to set barrels of blood abroach And seeke with swoord whole kingdomes to displace Let Mahounds lawes be lockt vp in their case And meaner men and of a baser spirit In vertuous actions seeke for glorious merit I count it sacriledge for to be holy Or reuerence this thred-bare name of good Leaue to old men and babes that kind of follie Count it of equall value with the mud Make thou a passage for thy gushing floud By slaughter treason or what else thou can And scorne religion it disgraces man My father Baiazet is weake and old And hath not much aboue two yeares to liue The Turkish Crowne of Pearle and Ophir gold He meanes to his deare Acomat to giue But ere his ship can to her hauen driue I le send abroad my tempests in such sort That she shall sinke before she get the port Alasse alasse his highnesse aged head Is not sufficient to support a Crowne Then Selimus take thou it in his leed And if at this thy boldnesse he dare frowne Or but resist thy will then pull him downe For since he hath so short a time t' enioy it I le make it shorter or I will destroy him Nor passe I what our holy votaries Shall here obiect against my forward minde I wreake not of their foolish ceremonies But meane to take my fortune as I finde Wisedome commands to follow tide and winde And catch the front of swift occasion Before she be too quickly ouergone Some man will say I am too impious Thus to laie siege against my fathers life And that I ought to follow vertuous And godly sonnes that vertue is a glasse Wherein I may my errant life behold And frame my selfe by it in auncient mould Good sir your wisedomes ouerflowing wit Digs deepe with learnings wonder-working spade Perhaps you thinke that now forsooth you sit With some graue wisard in a pratling shade Auant such glasses let them view in me The perfect picture of right tyrannie I like a Lions looke not worth a leeke When euery dog depriues him of his pray These honest termes are farre inough to seeke When angry Fortune menaceth decay My resolution treads a nearer way Giue me the heart conspiring with the hand In such a cause my father to withstand Is he my father why I am his sonne I owe no more to him then he to me If he proceed as he hath now begunne And passe from me the Turkish Seigniorie To Acomat then Selimus is free And if he iniure me that am his sonne Faith all the loue twixt him and me is done But for I see the schoolemen are prepard To plant gainst me their bookish ordinance I meane to stand on a sentencious gard And without any far fetcht circumstance Quickly vnfold mine owne opinion To arme my heart with irreligion When first this circled round this building faire Some God tooke out of the confused masse What God I do not know nor greatly care Then euery man of his owne dition was And euery one his life in peace did passe Warre was not then and riches were not knowne And no man said thisâ— or this is mine owne The plough-man with a furrow did not marke How farre his great possessions did reach The earth knew not the share nor seas the barke The souldiers entred not the battred breach Nor Trumpets the tantara loud did teach There needed them no iudge nor yet no law Nor any King of whom to stand in awe But after Ninus warlike Belus sonne The earth with vnknowne armour did warray Then first the sacred name of King begunne And things that were as common as the day Did then to set possessours first obey Then they establisht
fire Which now begins to breake in flashing bright Then Baiazet chastise his stubborne spright Least these small sparkles grow to such a flame As shall consume thee and thy houses name A lasse I spare when all my store is gone And thrust my sickle where the corne is reapt In vaine I send for the phisition When on the patient is his graue dust heapt In vaine now all his veines in venome sleept Breake out in blisters that will poyson vs VVe seeke to giue him an Antidotus He that will stop the brooke must then begin VVhen sommers heate hath dried vp his spring And when his pittering streames are low thin For let the winter aide vnto him bring He growes to be of watry flouds the King And though you dam him vp with loftie rankes Yet will he quickly ouerflow his bankes Messenger go and tell yoong Selimus We giue to him all great Samandria Bordring on Bulgrade of Hungaria Where he may plague those Christian runnages And salue the wounds that they haue giuen our states Cherseo. Go and prouide a gift A royall present for my Selimus And tell him messenger another time He shall haue talke inough with Baiazet Exeunt Cherseoli and Occhiali And now what counsell giues Mustaffa to vs I feare this hastie reckoning will vndo vs Must. Make haste my Lord from Andrinople walles And let vs flie to faire Bizantium Least if your sonne before you take the towne He may with little labour winne the crowne Baia Then do so good Mustaffa call our gard And gather all our warlike Ianissaries Our chiefest ayd is swift celeritie Then let our winged coursers tread the winde And leaue rebellious Selimus behinde Exeunt All Enter Selimus Sinam Occhiali Ottrante and their souldiers Selim. And is his answere so Occhiali Is Selim such a corsiue to his heart That he cannot endure the sight of him Forsooth he giues thee all Samandria From whence our mightie Emperour Mahomet Was driuen to his country backe with shame No doubt thy father loues thee Selimus To make thee Regent of so great a land Which is not yet his owne or if it were What dangers wayt on him that should it stere Here the Polonian he comes hurtling in Vnder the conduct of some forraine prince To fight in honour of his crucifix Here the Hungarian with his bloodie crosse Deales blowes about to win Belgrade againe And after all forsooth Basilius The mightie Emperour of Russia Sends in his troupes of slaue-borne Muscouites And he will share with vs or else take all In giuing such a land so full of strife His meaning is to rid me of my life Now by the dreaded name of Termagant And by the blackest brooke in loathsome hell Since he is so vnnaturall to me I will prooue as vnnaturall as he Thinks he to stop my mouth with gold or pearle Or rustie iades â—et from Barbaria No let his minion his philosopher Corcut and Acomat be enrich'd with them I will not take my rest till this right hand Hath puld the Crowne from off his cowards head And on the ground his bastards gore-blood shead Nor shall his flight to old Bizantium Dismay my thoughts which neuer learnd to stoup March Sinam march in order after him Were his light steeds as swift as Pegasus And trode the ayrie pauement with their heeles Yet Selimus would ouertake them soone And though the heauens do nere so crosly frowne In spight of heauen shall Selim weare the crowne Exeunt Alarum within Enter Baiazet Mustaffa Cherseoli and the Ianissaries at one doore Selimus Sinam Ottrante Occhiali and their souldiers at another Baia. Is this thy dutie sonne vnto thy father So impiously to leuell at his life Can thy soule wallowing in ambitious mire Seeke for to reaue that brest with bloudie knife From whence thou hadst thy being Selimus Was this the end for which thou ioyndst thy selfe With that mischieuous traytor Ramirchan Was this thy drift to speake with Baiazet Well hoped I but hope I see is vaine Thou wouldst haue bene a comfort to mine age A scourge and terrour to mine enemies That this thy comming with so great an hoast Was for no other purpose and intent Then for to chastise those base Christians Which spoile my subiects welth with fire sword Well hoped I the rule of Trebisond Would haue increasde the valour of thy minde To turne thy strength vpon thy Persians But thou like to a craftie Polipus Doest turne thy hungry iawes vpon thy selfe For what am I Selimus but thy selfe VVhen courage first crept in thy manly brest And thou beganst to rule the martiall sword How oft said thou the sun shuld change his course VVater should turn to earth earth to heauen Ere thou wouldst prooue disloyall to thy father O Titan turne thy breathlesse coursers backe And enterprise thy iourny from the East Blush Selim that the world should say of thee That by my death thou gaindst the Emperie Seli. Now let my cause be pleaded Baiazet For father I disdaine to call thee now I tooke not Armes to seaze vpon thy crowne For that if once thou hadst bene layd in graue Should sit vpon the head of Selimus In spight of Corcut and Acomat I tooke not Armes to take away thy life The remnant of thy dayes is but a span And foolish had I bene to enterprize That which the gout and death would do for me I tooke not armes to shed my brothers blood Because they stop my passage to the crowne For while thou liu'st Selimus is content That they shuld liue but when thou once art dead VVhich of them both dares Selimus withstand I soone should hew their bodies in peecemeale As easie as a man would kill a gnat But I tooke armes vnkind to honour thee And winne againe the fame that thou hast lost And thou thoughtst scorne Selim should speake with thee But had it bene your darling Acomat You would haue met him half the way your selfe I am a Prince and though your yoonger sonne Yet are my merits better then both theirs But you do seeke to disinherit me And meane t' inuest Acomat with your crowne So he shall haue a princes due reward That cannot shew a scarre receiu'd in field VVe that haue fought with mighty Prester Iohn And stript th' Aegyptian soldan of his camp Venturing life and liuing to honour thee For that same cause shall now dishonour'd be Art thou a father Nay â—alâ—e Baiazet Disclaime the title which thou doest not merit A father would not thus flee from his sonne As thou doest flie from loyall Selimus A father would not iniure thus his sonne As thou doest iniure loyall Selimus Then Baiazet prepare thee to the fight Selimus once thy sonne but now thy foe VVill make his fortunes by the sword And since thou fear'st as long as I do liue I le also feare as long as thou doest liue Exeunt Selim and his company Ba. My heart is ouerwhelm'd with fear grief VVhat dismall Comet
blazed at my birth Whose influence makes my strong vnbrideled sonnes In steed of loue to render hate to me Ah Bassaies if that euer heretofore Your Emperour ought his safetie vnto you Defend me now gainst my vnnaturall sonne Non timeo mortem mortis mihi displicet author Exit Baiazet and his company Alarum Mustaffa beate Selimus in then Ottrante and Cherseoli enter at diuerse doores Cherse. Yeeld thee Tartarian or thou shalt die Vpon my swords sharpe point standeth pale death Readie to riue in two thy caitiue brest Ott. Art thou that knight that like a lion fierce Tiring his stomacke on a flocke of lambes Hast broke our rankes put them cleane to flight Cherse. I and vnlesse thou looke vnto thy selfe This swoord nere drunke in the Tartarian blood Shall make thy carkasse as the outcast dung Ottran. Nay I haue matcht a brauer knight then you Strong Alemshae thy maisters eldest sonne Leauing his bodie naked on the plaines And Turke the selfesame end for thee remaines They fight He killeth Cherseoli and flieth Alarum enter Selimus Selim. Shall Selims hope be buried in the dust And Baiazet triumph ouer his fall Then oh thou blindfull mistresse of mishap Chiefe pratronesse of Rhamus golden gates I will aduance my strong reuenging hand And plucke thee from thy euerturning wheele Mars or Minerua Mahound Termagaunt Or who so ere you are that fight gainst me Come and but shew your selues before my face And I will rend you all like trembling reedes Well Baiazet though Fortune smile on thee And decke thy campe with glorious victorie Though Selimus now conquered by thee Is faine to put his safetie in swift flight Yet so he flies that like an angry ramme Hee le turne more fiercely then before he came Exit Selimus Enter Baiazet Mustaffa the souldier witth the bodie of Cherseoli and Ottrante prisoner Baia. Thus haue we gaind a bloodie victorie And though we are the maisters of the field Yet haue we lost more then our enemies Ah lucklesse fault of my Cherseoli As deare and dearer wert thou vnto me Then any of my sonnes then mine owne selfe When I was glad thy heart was full of ioy And brauely hast thou died for Baiazet And though thy bloudlesse bodie here do lie Yet thy sweet soule in heauen for euer blest Among the starres enioyes eternall rest What art thou warlike man of Tartarie Whose hap it is to be our prisoner Ottran. I am a prince Ottrante is my name Chiefe captaine of the Tartars mightie hoast Ba. Ottrante Wast not thou that slue my son Ottran. I and if fortune had but fauour'd me Had sent the â—ire to keepe him company Baia. Off with his head and spoyle him of his Armes And leaue his bodie for the ayrie birds Exit one with Ottrante The vnreuenged ghoast of Alemshae Shall now no more wander on Stygian bankes But rest in quiet in th' Elysian fields Mustaffa and you worthie men at Armes That left not Baiazet in greatest need When we arriue at Constantines great Tour You shal be honour'd of your Emperour Exeunt All Enter Acomat Visir Regan and a band of souldiers Aco. Perhaps you wonder why prince Acomat Delighting heretofore in foolish loue Hath chang'd his quiet to a souldiers state And turnd the dulcet tunes of Himens song Into Bellonas horrible outcries You thinke it strange that whereas I haue liu'd Almost a votarie to wantonnesse To see me low laie off effeminate robes And arme my bodie in an iron wall I haue enioyed quiet long enough And surfeted with pleasures suquidrie A field of dainties I haue passed through And bene a champion to faire Cytheree Now since this idle peace hath weeried me I le follow Mars and warre another while And die my shield in dolorous vermeil My brother Selim through his manly deeds Hath lifted vp his fame vnto the skies While we like earth wormes lurking in the weeds Do liue inglorious in all mens eyes What lets me then from this vaine slumber rise And by strong hand atchieue eternall glorie That may be talkt of in all memorie And see how fortune fauours mine intent Heard you not Lordings how prince Selimus Against our royall father armed went And how the Ianissaries made him flee To Ramir Emperour of Tartarie This his rebellion greatly profits me For I shall sooner winne my fathers minde To yeeld me vp the Turkish Empire Which if I haue I am sure I shall finde Strong enemies to pull me downe againe That faine would haue prince Selimus to raigne Then ciuill discord and contentious warre Will follow Acomats coronation Selim no doubt will broach seditious iarre And Corcut too will seeke for alteration Now to preuent all suddaine perturbation We thought it good to muster vp our power That danger may not take it vnprouided Visir. I like your highnesse resolution well For these should be the chiefe arts of a king To punish those that furiously rebell And honour those that sacred counsell bring To make good lawes ill customes to expell To nourish peace from whence your riches spring And when good quarrels call you to the field T' excell your men in handling speare shield Thus shall the glory of your matchlesse name Be registred vp in immortall lines Whereas that prince that followes lustfull game And to fond toyes his captiue minde enclines Shall neuer passe the temple of true fame Whose worth is greater then the Indian mines But is your grace assured certainly That Baiazet doth fauour your request Perhaps you may make him your enemie You know how much your father doth detest Stout obedience and obstinacie I speake not this as if I thought it best Your highnesse should your right in it neglect But that you might be close and circumspect Aco. We thanke thee Visir for thy louing care As for my father Baiazets affection Vnlesse his holy vowes forgotten are I shall be sure of it by his election By after Acomats erection We must forecast what things be necessary Least that our kingdome be too momentary Reg. First let my Lord be seated in his throne Enstalled by great Baiazets consent As yet your haruest is not fully growne But in the greene and vnripe blade is pent But when you once haue got the regiment Then may your Lords more easily prouide Against all accidents that may betide Acomat. Then set we forward to Bizantium That we may know what Baiazet intends Aduise thee Acomat what 's best to do The Ianissaries fauour Selimus And they are strong vndanted enemies Which will in Armes gainst thy election rise Then will them to thy wil with precious gifts And store of gold timely largition The stedfast persons from their purpose lifts But then beware least Baiazets affection Change into hatred by such premunition For then he thinke that I am factious And imitate my brother Selimus Besides a prince his honour doth debase That begs the common souldiers suffrages And if the Bassaes knew I sought their grace It would the more
with remorcelesse heart Puld out mine eyes and cut off my weake hands VVitnesse that sun whose golden coloured beames Your eyes do see but mine can nere behold VVitnesse the earth that sucked vp my blood Streaming in riuers from my tronked armes VVitnesse the present that he sends to thee Open my bosome there you shall it see Mustaffa opens his bosome and takes out his hands Those are the hands which Aga once did vse To tosse the speare and in a warlike gyre To hurtle my sharpe sword about my head Those sends he to the wofull Emperour With purpose so cut thy hands from thee Why is my soueraigne silent all this while Ba. Ah Aga Baiazet faine would speak to thee But sodaine sorrow eateth vp my words Baiazet Aga faine would weepe for thee But cruell sorrow drieth vp my teares Baiazet Aga faine would die for thee But griefe hath weakned my poore aged hands How can he speak whose tongue sorrow hath tide How can he mourne that cannot shead a teare How shall he liue that full of miserie Calleth for death which will not let him die Must. Let women weep let children powre â—ooâ—â— And cowards spend the time in bootlesse mone Wee 'l load the earth with such a mightie hoast Of Ianizaries sterne-borne sonnes of Mars That Phaeb shall flie and hide him in the cloudes For feare our iauelins thrust him from his waine Old Aga was a Prince among your Lords His Councels alwaies were true oracles And shall he thus vnmanly be misus'd And he vnpunished that did the deed Shall Mahomet and poore Zonaras ghoasts And the good gouernour of Natalia Wander in Stygian meadowes vneueng'd Good Emperour stir vp thy manly hearte And send forth all thy warlike Ianizaries To chastise that rebellious Acomat Thou knowst we cannot fight without a guide And he must be one of the royall bloode Sprung from the loines of mightie Ottoman And who remaines now but yoong Selimus So please your grace to pardon his offence And 〈…〉 Baia. I good Mustaffa send for Selimus So I may be reueng'd I care not how The worst that can befall me is but death That would end my wofull miserie Selimus he must worke me this good turne I cannot kill my selfe hee 'l do 't for me Come Aga thou and I will weepe the while Thou for thy eyes and losse of both thy hands I for th' vnkindnesse of my Acomat Exeunt All Enter Selimus and a messenger with a letter from Baiazet Selim. Will fortune fauour me yet once againe And will she thrust the cards into my hands VVell if I chance but once to get the decke To deale about and shufle as I would Let Selim neuer see the day-light spring Vnlesse I shuffle out my selfe a king Friend let me see thy letter once againe That I may read these reconciling lines Reades the letter Thou hast a pardon Selim granted thee Mustaffa and the forward Ianizaries Haue sued to thy father Baiazet That thou maist be their captaine generall Against th' attempts of Souldane Acomat VVhy that 's the thing that I requested most That I might once th' imperiall armie leade And since it s offred me so willingly Beshrew me but I le take their curtesie Soft let me see is there no policie T' entrap poore Selimus in this deuice It may be that my father feares me yet Least I should once againe rise vp in armes And like Antaeus queld by Hercules Gather new forces by my ouerthrow And therefore sends for me vnder pretence Of this and that but when he hath me there Hee 'll make me sure for putting him in feare Distrust is good when theirs cause or distrust Read it againe perchance thou doest mistake Reade O heer 's Mustaffas signet â—et thereto Then Selim cast all foolish feare aside For hee 's a Prince that fauours thy estate And hateth treason worse then death it selfe And hardly can I thinke he could be brought If there were treason to subscribe his name Come friend the cause requires we shuld be gone Now once againe haue at the Turkish throne Exeunt Both Enter Baiazet leading Aga Mustaffa Hali Cali Selimus the Ianizaries Baia. Come mournfull Aga come and sit by me Thou hast bene sorely grieu'd for Baiazet Good reason then that he should grieue for thee Giue me thy arm though thou hast lost thy hands And liu'st as a poore exile in this light Yet hast thou wonne the heart of Baiazet Aga. Your graces words are verie comfortable And well can Aga beare his grieuous losse Since it was for so good a Princes sake Seli. Father if I may call thee by that name Whose life I aim'd at with rebellious sword In all humilitie thy reformed sonne Offers himselfe into your graces hands And at your feete laieth his bloodie sword Which he aduanc'd against your maiestie If my offence do seeme so odious That I deserue not longer time to liue Behold I open vnto you my brest Readie prepar'd to die at your command But if repentance in vnfained heart And sorrow for my grieuous crime forepast May merit pardon at your princely hands Behold where poore inglorious Selimus Vpon his knees begs pardon of your grace Baia. Stand vp my son I ioy to heare thee speak But more to heare thou art so well reclaim'd Thy crime was nere so odious vnto me But thy reformed life and humble thoughts Are thrice as pleasing to my aged spirit Selim we here pronounce thee by our will Chiefe generall of the warlike Ianizaries Go lead them out against false Acomat Which hath so grieuously rebell'd gainst me Spare him not Selim though he be my sonne Yet do I now cleane disinherit him As common enemy to me and mine Seli. May Selim liue to shew how dutifull And louing he will be to Baiazet So now doth fortune smile on me againe And in regard of former iniuries Offer me millions of Diadems I smile to see how that the good old man Thinks Selims thoughts are broght to such an ebbe As he hath cast off all ambitious hope But soone shall that opinion be remou'd For if I once get mongst the Ianizaries Then on my head the golden crowne shall sit Well Baiazet I feare me thou wilt greeue That ere thou didst thy faining sonne beleeue Exit Selim with all the rest saue Baiazet and Aga Ba. Now Aga all the thoghts that troubled me Do rest within the center of my heart And thou shalt shortly ioy as much with me Then Acomat by Selims consuming sword Shall leese that ghoast which made thee loose thy sight Aga. Ah Baiazet Aga lookes not for reuenge But will powre out his praiers to the heauens That Acomat may learne by Selimus To yeeld himselfe vp to his fathers grace Sound within long liue Selimus Emperour of Turkes Baia. How now what sodaine triumph haue we here Must. Ah gratious Lord the captaines of the hoste With one assent haue crown'd Prince Selimus And here he comes with all the Ianizaries To craue
dealt with aged Baiazet Seli. By heauens Corcut thou shalt surely die For slandring Selim with my fathers death Cor. Thē let me freely speak my mind this once For thou shalt neuer heare me speake againe Sel. Nay we can giue such loosers leaue to speak Cor. Then Selim heare thy brothers dying words And marke them well for ere thou die thy selfe Thou shalt perceiue all things will come to passe That Corcut doth diuine before his death Since my vaine flight from faire Magnesia Selim I haue conuerst with Christians And learn'd of them the way to saue my soule And please the anger of the highest God T is he that made this pure Christalline vault Which hangeth ouer our vnhappie heads From thence he doth behold each sinners fault And though our sinnes vnder our feete he treads And for a while seeme for to winke at vs But is to recall vs from our wayes But if we do like head-strong sonnes neglect To hearken to our louing fathers voyce Then in his anger will he vs reiect And giue vs ouer to our wicked choyce Selim before his dreadfull maiestie There lies a booke written with bloudie lines Where our offences all are registred Which if we do not hastily repent We are reseru'd to lasting punishment Thou wretched Selimus hast greatest need To ponder these things in thy secret thoughts If thou consider what strange massacres And cruell murthers thou hast caus'd be done Thinke on the death of wofull Baiazet Doth not his ghoast stil haunt thee for reuenge Selim in Chiurlu didst thou set vpon Our aged father in his sodaine flight In Chiurlu shalt thou die a greeuous death And if thou wilt not change thy greedie mind Thy soule shall be tormented in darke hell Where woe and woe and neuer ceasing woe Shall sound about thy euer-damned soule Now Selim I haue spoken let me die I neuer will intreate thee for my life Selim farewell thou God of Christians Receiue my dying soule into thy hands Strangles him Seli. What is he dead then Selimus is safe And hath no more corriuals in the crowne For as for Acomat he soone shall see His Persian aide cannot saue him from me Now Sinam march to faire Amasia walles Where Acomats stout Queene immures her selfe And girt the citie with a warlike siege For since her husband is my enemy I see no cause why she shou'd be my friend They say yoong Amurath and Aladin Her bastard brood are come to succour her But I le preuent this their officiousnesse And send their soule downe to their grandfather Mustaffa you shall keepe Bizantium While I and Sinam girt Amasia Exit Selimus Sinam Ianizaries all saue one Must. It grieue my soule that Baiazets faire line Should be eclipsed thus by Selimus Whose cruell soule will neuer be at rest Till none remaine of Ottomans faire race But he himselfe yet for old Baiazet Loued Mustaffa deare vnto his death I will shew mercy to his familie Go sirra poast to Acomats yoong sonnes And bid them as they meane to saue their liues To flie in haste from faire Amasia Least cruell Selim put them to the sword Exit one to Amurath and Aladin And now Mustaffa prepare thou thy necke For thou art next to die by Selims hands Stearne Sinam Bassa grudgeth still at thee And crabbed Hali stormeth at thy life Al repine that thou art honour'd so To be the brother of their Emperour Enter Solyma But wherefore comes my louely Solyma Soly. Mustaffa I am come to seeke thee out If euer thy distressed Solyma Found grace and fauour in thy manly heart Flie hence with me vnto some desert land For if we tarry here we are but dead This night when faire Lucinaes shining waine Was past the chaire of bright Cassiopey A fearefull vision appear'd to me Me thought Mustaffa I beheld thy necke So often folded in my louing armes In foule disgrace of Bassaes faire degree With a vile haltar basely compassed And while I powr'd my teares on thy dead corpes A greedie lyon with wide gaping throate Seaz'd on my trembling bodie with his feete And in a moment rent me all to nought Flie sweet Mustaffa or we be but dead Must. Why should we flie beauteous Solyma Mou'd by a vaine and a fantastique dreame Or if we did flie whither should we flie If to the farthest part of Asia Know'st thou not Solyma kings haue long hands Come come my ioy returne againe with me And banish hence these melancholy thoughts Exeunt Enter Aladin Murath the messenger Aladin Messenger is it true that Selimus Is not far hence encamped with his hoste And meanes he to disioyne the haplesse sonnes From helping our distressed mothers towne Mess. T is true my Lord and if you loue your liues Flie from the bounds of his dominions For he you know is most vnmercifull Amu. Here messenger take this for thy reward Exit mess But we sweet Aladin let vs depart Now in the quiet silence of the night That ere the windowes of the morne be ope We may be far inough from Selimus I le to Aegyptus Alinda I to Persia Exeunt Enter Selimus Sinam Hali Cali Ianizaries Seli. But is it certaine Hali they are gone And that Mustaffa moued them to flie Hali. Certaine my Lord I met the messenger As he returned from yoong Alinda And learned of them Mustaffa was the man That certified the Princes of your will Seli. It is inough Mustaffa shall abie At a deare price his pitifull intent Hali go fetch Mustaffa and his wife Exit Hali. For though she be sister to Selimus Yet loues she him better then Selimus So that if he do die at our command And she should liue soone wold she worke a mean To worke reuenge for her Mustaffas death Enter Hali Mustaffa and Solima False of thy faith and traitor to thy king Did we so highly alway honour thee And doest thou thus requite our loue with treason For why should'st thou send to yoong Alinda And Amurath the sonnes of Acomat To giue them notice of our secrecies Knowing they were my vowed enemies Must. I do not seeke to lesson my offence Great Selimus but truly do protest I did it not for hatred of your grace So helpe me God and holy Mahomet But for I grieu'd to see the famous stocke Of worthie Baiazet fall to decay Therefore I sent the Princes both away Your highnesse knowes Mustaffa was the man That sau'd you in the battell of Churlu When I and all the warlike Ianizaries Had hedg'd your person in a dangerous ring Yet I tooke pitie on your daunger there And made a way for you to scape by flight But those your Bassaes haue incensed you Repining at Mustaffas dignitie Stearne Sinam grindes his angry teeth at me Old Halies sonnes do bend their browes at me And are agrieued that Mustaffa hath Shewed himselfe a better man then they And yet the Ianizars mourne for me They know Mustaffa neuer proued false I I haue bene as true to
Selimus As euer subiect to his soueraigne So helpe me God and holy Mahomet Seli. You did it not because you hated vs But for you lou'd the sonnes of Acomat Sinam I charge thee quickly strangle him He loues not me that loues mine enemies As for your holy protestation It cannot enter into Selims eares For why Mustaffa euery marchant man Will praise his own ware be it ne'r so bad Solima For Solimas sake mightie Selimus Spare my Mustaffas life and let me die Or if thou wilt not be so gratious Yet let me die before I see his death Seli. Nay Selima your selfe shall also die Because you may be in the selfesame fault Why stai'st thou Sinam strangle him I say Sinam strangles him Soli. Ah Selimus he made thee Emperour And wilt thou thus requite his benefits Thou art a cruell tygre and no man That coul'st endure to see before thy face So braue a man as my Mustaffa was Cruelly strangled for so small a fault Seli. Thou shalt not after liue him Solima T were pitie thou shouldst want the company Of thy deare husband Sinam strangle her And now to faire Amasia let vs march Acomats wife and her vnmanly hoast Will not be able to endure our sight Much lesse make strong resistance in hard fight Exeunt Enter Acomat Tonombeius Visir Regan and their souldiers Aco. Welcome my Lords into my natiue soyle The crowne whereof by right is due to me Though Selim by the Ianizaries choyce Through vsurpation keep the same from me You know contrary to my fathers mind He was enthronized by the Bassaes will And after his enstalling wickedly By poyson made good Baiazet to die And strangled Corcut and exiled me These iniuries we come for to reuenge And raise his siege from faire Amasia walles Tonom. Prince of Amasia and the rightful heire Vnto the mightie Turkish Diadem With willing heart great Tonombey hath left Aegyptian Nilus and my fathers court To aide thee in thy vndertaken warre And by the great Vsancassanos ghoast Companion vnto mightie Tamberlaine From whom my father lineally descends Fortune shall shew her selfe too crosse to me But we will thrust Selimus from his throne And reuest Acomat in the Empirie Aco. Thanks to the vncontrolled Tonombey But let vs haste vs to Amasia To succour my besieged citizens None but my Queene is ouerseer there And too too weake is all her pollicie Against so great a foe as Selimus Exeunt All Enter Selimus Sinam Hali Cali and the Ianizaries Seli. Summon a parley sirs that we may know Whether these Mushroms here will yeeld or no A parley Queene of Amasia and her souldiers on the walles Queen What crauest thou bloud-thirstie parricide I st not inough that thou hast foulely slaine Thy louing father noble Baiazet And strangled Corcut thine vnhappie brother Slaine braue Mustaffa and faire Selima Because they fauoured my vnhappie sonnes But thou must yet seeke for more massacres Go wash thy guiltie hands in luke-warme blood Enrich thy souldiers with robberies Yet do the heauens still beare an equall eye And vengeance followes thee euen at the heeles Seli. Queene of Amasia wilt thou yeeld thy selfe Queen First shall the ouer-flowing Euripus Of swift Euboea stop his restlesse course And Phoebs bright globe bring the day frō the west And quench his hot flames in the Esterne sea Thy bloudie sword vngratious Selimus Sheath'd in the bowels of thy dearest friends Thy wicked gard which still attends on thee Fleshing themselues in murther lust and rape What hope of fauour what securitie Rather what death do they not promise me Then thinke not Selimus that we will yeeld But looke for strong resistance at our hands Seli, Why then you neuer danted lanizaries Aduance your shields and vncontrolled speares Your conquering hands in foe-mens blood embay For Selimus himselfe will lead the way Allarum beats them off the walles Allarum Enter Selimus Sinam Hali Cali Ianizaries with Acomats Queene prisoner Se. Now sturdie dame where are your men of war To gard your person from my angry sword What though brau'd vs on your citie walles Like to that Amanonian Menalip Leauing the bankes of swift-stream'd Thermodon To challenge combat with great Hercules Yet Selimus hath pluckt your haughtie plumes Nor can your spouse rebellious Acomat Nor Alinda or Amurath your sonnes Deliuer you from our victorious hands Queen Selim I scorne thy threatnings as thy selfe And though ill hap hath giuen me to thy hands Yet will I neuer beg my life of thee Fortune may chance to frowne as much on thee And Acomat whom thou doest scorne so much May take thy base Tartarian concubine As well as thou hast tooke his loyall Queene Thou hast not fortune tied in a chaine Nor doest thou like a warie pilot sit And wisely stir this all conteining barge Thou art a man as those whom thou hast slaine And some of them were better far then thou Seli. Strangle her Hali let her scold no more Now let vs march to meet with Acomat He brings with him that great Aegyptian bug Strong Tonombey Vsan-Cassanos sonne But we shall soone with our fine tempered swords Engraue our prowesse on their buganets Were they as mightie and as fell of force As those old earth-bred brethren which once Heape hill on hill to scale the starrie skie When Briareus arm'd with a hundreth hands Flung foorth a hundreth mountaines at great Ioue And when the monstrous giant Monichus Hurld mount Olimpus at great Mars his targe And darted cedars at Mineruas shield Exeunt All Allarum Enter Selimus Sinam Cali Hali and the Ianizaries at one doore and Acomat Tonombey Regan Vissr and their souldiers at another Seli. What are the vrchins crept out of their dens Vnder the conduct of this porcupine Doest thou not tremble Acomat at vs To see how courage masketh in our lookes And white-wing'd victorie sits on our swordes Captaine of Aegypt thou that vant'st thy selfe Sprung from great Tamberlaine the Scythia theefe Who bad the enterprise this bold attempt To set thy feete within the Turkish confines Or lift thy hands against our maiestie Aco. Brother of Trebisond your squared words And broad-mouth'd tearmes can neuer conquer vs We come resolu'd to pull the Turkish crowne Which thou doest wrongfully detaine from me By conquering sword from of thy coward crest Seli. Acomat sith the quarrell toucheth none But thee and me I dare and challenge thee Tonum. Should he accept the combat of a boy Whose vnripe yeares and farre vnriper wit Like to the bold foole-hardie Phaetun That sought to rule the chariot of the sunne Hath mou'd thee t' vndertake an Empirie Seli. Thou that resoluest in peremptorie tearmes To call him boy that scornes to cope with thee But thou canst better vse thy bragging blade Then thou canst rule thy ouerflowing tongue Soone shalt thou know that Selims mightie arme Is able to ouerthrow poore Tonombey Allarum Tonombey beates Hali and Cali in Selim beats Tonombey in Allarum Exit Tonombey Tonom. The field is lost