his confirmation at thy hands Enter Cali Bassa Selimus Hali Bassa Sinam and the Ianizaries Sinam Baiazet we the captaines of thy hoast Knowing thy weake and too vnwildie age Vnable is longer to gouerne vs Haue chosen Selimus thy yoonger sonne That he may be our leader and our guide Against the Sophi and his Persians Gainst the victorious Soldane Tonumbey Their wants but thy consent which we wil haue Or hew thy bodie peece-meale with our swords Baia. Needs must I giue what is alreadie gone He takes of his crowne Here Selimus thy father Baiazet Weeried with cares that wait vpon a king Resignes the crowne as willingly to thee As ere my father gaue it vnto me Sets it on his head All Long liue Selimus Emperour of Turkes Baia. Liue thou a long and a victorious raigne And be triumpher of thine enemies Aga and I will to Dimoticum And liue in peace the remnant of our dayes Exit Baiazet and Aga Seli. Now sit I like the arme strong son of loue When after he had all his monsters quell'd He was recein'd in heauen mongst the gods And had faire Hebe for his louely bride As many labours Selimus hath had And now at length attained to the crowne This is my Hebe and this is my heaven Baiazet goeth to Dimeticum And there he purposes to liue at ease But Selimus as long as he is on earth Thou shalt not sleep in rest without some broyle For Baiazet is vnconstant as the winde To make that sure I haue a platforme laid Baiazet hath with him a cunning Iew Professing phisicke and so skill'd therein As if he had pow'r ouer life and death Withall a man so stout and resolute That he will venture any thing for gold This Iew with some intoxicated drinke Shall poyson Baiazet and that blind Lord Then one of Hydraes heads is cleane cut off Go some and fetch Abraham the Iewe Exit one for Abraham Corcut thy pageant next is to be plaid For though he be a graue Philosopher Giuen to read Mahomets dread Iewes And Razins toyes and Auicennaes drugges Yet he may haue a longing for the crowne Besides he may by diuellish Negromancie Procure my death or worke my ouerthrow The diuell still is readie to do harme Hali you and your brother presently Shall with an armie to Magnesia There you shall find the scholler at his booke And hear'st thou Hali strangle him Exeunt Hali and Cali Corcut once dead then Acomat remaines Whose death wil make me certaine of the crowne These heads of Hydra are the principall When these are off some other will arise As Amurath and Aladin sonnes to Acomat My sister Solyma Mustaffaes wife All these shall suffer shipwrack on a shelfe Rather then Selim will be drown'd himselfe Enter Abraham the Iew Iew thou art welcome vnto Selimus I haue a piece of seruice for you sir But on your life be secret in the deed Get a strong poyson whose enuenom'd taste May take away the life of Baiazet Before he passe forth of Bizantium Abra. I warrant you my gratious soueraigne He shall be quickly sent vnto his graue For I haue potions of so strong a force That whosoeuer touches them shall die Speakes aside And wold your grace would once but tast of them I could as willingly affoord them you As your aged father Baiazet My Lord I am resolu'd to do the deed Exit Abraham Seli. So this is well for I am none of those That make a conscience for to kill a man For nothing is more hurtfull to a Prince Then to be scrupulous and religious I like Lysanders counsell passing well If that I cannot speed with lyons force To cloath my complots in a foxes skin For th' onely things that wrought our Empirie Were open wrongs and hidden trecherie Oh th' are two wings wherewith I vse to flie And soare aboue the common fort If any seeke our wrongs to remedie With these I take his meditation short And one of these shall stil maintaine my cause Or foxes skin or lions rending pawes Exeunt All Enter Baiazet Aga in mourning clokes Abraham the Iew with a cup Baia. Come Aga let sit us and mourne a while For fortune neuer shew'd her selfe so crosse To any Prince as to poore Baiazet That wofull Emperour first of my name Whom the Tartarians locked in cage To be a spectacle to all the world Was ten times happier then I am For Tamberlaine the scourge of nations Was he that puld him from his kingdome so But mine owne sonnes expell me from the throne Ah where shall I begin to make my mone Or what shall I first recken in my plaint From my youth vp I haue bene drown'd in woe And to my latest houre I shall be so You swelling seas of neuer ceasing care Whose waues my weather-beaten ship do tosse Your boystrous billowes too vnruly are And threaten still my ruine and my losse Like hugie mountaines do your waters reare Their loftie toppes and my weake vessell crosse Alas at length allaie your stormie strife And cruell wrath within me rages rise Or else my feeble barke cannot endure Your slashing buffets and outragious blowes But while thy foamie floud doth it immure Shall soone be wrackt vpon the sandie shallowes Griefe my leaud boat-swaine stirreth nothing sure But without stars gainst tide and wind he rowes And cares not though vpon some rock we split A restlesse pilot for the charge vnfit But out alasse the god that vales the sea And can alone this raging tempest slent Will neuer blow a gentle gale of case But suffer my poore vessell to be rent Then ô thou blind procurer of mischance That staist thy selfe vpon turning wheele Thy cruel hand even when thou wilt enhance And pierce my poore hart with thy chrillant steele Aga. Cease Baiazet now it is Agas turne Rest thou a while and gather vp more teares The while poore Aga tell his Tragedie When first my mother brought me to the world Some blazing Comet ruled in the skie Portending miserable chance to me My parents were but men of poore estate And happie yet had wretched Aga bene If Baiazet had not exalted him Poore Aga had it not bene much more faire T' haue died among the cruell Persians Then thus at home by barbarous tyrannie To liue and neuer see the cheerfull day And to want hands wherewith to feele the way Ba. Leaue weeping Aga we haue wept inough Now Baiazet will ban another while And vtter curses to the concaue skie Which may infect the regions of the ayre And bring a generall plague on all the world Night thou most antient grand-mother of all First made by Ioue for rest and quiet sleepe When cheerful day is gon from th' earths wide hall Henceforth thy mantle in blak Lethe sleepe And cloath the world in darknesse infernall Suffer not once the ioyfull dailight peepe But let thy pitchie steeds aye draw thy waine And coaleblack silence in the world still raigne Curse on my parents that
THE TRAGEDY OF SELIMVS Emperour of the Turkes Written T. G. LONDON Printed for Iohn Crooke and Richard Serger and are to be sold at their shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the GreyHound 1638 THE FIRST PART OF THE most tyrannicall Tragedie and raigne of Selimus Emperour of the Turkes and grandfather to him that now raigneth Enter Baiazet Emperour of Turkie Mustaffa Cherseoly and the Iannisaries Baiazet LEaue me my Lords vntill I call you foor For I am heauie and disconsolate Exeunt all but Baiazet So Baiazet now thou remainst alone Vnrip the thoughts that harbour in thy brest And eate thee vp for arbiter here 's none That may discrie the cause of thy vnrest Vnlesse these walles thy secret thoughts declare And Princes walles they say vnfaithfull Why that 's the profit of great regiment That all of vs are subiect vnto feares And this vaine shew and glorious intent Priuie suspition on each scruple reares I though on all the world we make extent From the South-pole vnto the Northren beares And stretch our raign from East to Western shore Yet doubt and care are with vs euermore Looke how the earth clad in her sommers pride Embroydereth her mantle gorgiously With fragrant hearbes and flowers gaily dide Spreading abroad her spangled Tapistrie Yet vnder all a loathsome snake doth hide Such is our life vnder Crownes cares do lie And feare the scepter still attends vpon Oh who can take delight in kingly throne Publike disorders ioyn'd with priuate carke Care of our friends and of our children deare Do tosse our liues as waues a silly barke Though we be fearelesse t is not without feare For hidden mischiefe lurketh in the darke And stormes may fall be the day nere so cleare He knowes not what it is to be a King That thinks a scepter is a pleasant thing Twice fifteene times hath faire Latonaes sonne Walked about the world with his great light Since I began would I had nere begunne To sway this scepter Many a carefull night When Cynthia in hast to bed did runne Haue I with watching vext my aged spright Since when what dangers I haue ouerpast Would make a heart of adamant agast The Persian Sophi mightie Ismaell Tooke the Levante cleane away from mee And Caraguis Bassa sent his force to quell Was kild himselfe the while his men did flee Poore Hali Bassa hauing once sped well And gaind of him a bloodie victorie Was at the last slaine fighting in the field Charactering honor in his batt'red shield Ramirchan the Tartarian Emperour Gathering to him a number numberlesse Of bigbond Tartars in a haplesse houre Encountred me and there my chiefest blesse Good Alemshae ah this remembrance soure Was slaine the more t' augment my sad distresse In leesing Alemshae poore I lost more Then euer I had gained theretofore Well may thy soule rest in her latest graue Sweete Alemshae the comfort of my dayes That thou might'st liue how often did I craue How often did I bootlesse praiers raise To that high power that life first to thee gaue Trustie wast thou to me at all assaies And deerest child thy father oft hath cride That thou hadst liu'd so he himselfe had dide The Christian Armies oftentimes defeated By my victorious fathers valiance Haue all my Captaines famously confronted And crackt in two our vncontrolled lance My strongest garrisons they haue supplanted And ouerwhelmed me in sad mischance And my decrease so long wrought their increase Till I was forc'd conclude a friendly peace Now all these are but forraine dammages Taken in warre whose die vncertaine is But I shall haue more home-borne outrages Vnlesse my diuination aimes amisse I haue three sonnes all of vnequall ages And all in diuerse studies set their blisse Corcut my eldest a Philosopher Acomat pompous Selmi a warriour Corcut in faire Magnesia leades his life In learning Arts and Mahounds dreaded lawes Acomat loues to court it with his wife And in a pleasant quiet ioyes to pause But Selmi followes warres in dismall strife And snatcheth at my Crowne with greedy clawes But he shall misse of that he aimeth at For I reserue it for my Acomat For Acomat Alasse it cannot be Stearne Selimus hath wonne my peoples hart The Ianissaries loue him more then me And for his cause will suffer any smart They see he is a friend to chiualrie And sooner will they from my faith depart And by strong hand Baiazet pull thee downe Then let their Selmi hop without the Crowne Ah if the souldiers ouerrule thy state And nothing must be done without their will If euery base and vpstart runnagate Shall crosse a Prince and ouerthwart him still If Corcut Selimus and Acomat With crowns and kingdoms shal their hungers fill Poore Baiazet what then remaines to thee But the bare title of thy dignitie I and vnlesse thou do dissemble all And winke at Selimus aspiring thought The Bassaes cruelly shall worke thy fall And then thy Empire is but deerly bought Ah that our sonnes thus to ambition thrall Should set the law of Nature all at nought But what must be cannot chuse but be done Come Bassaes enter Baiazet hath done Enters againe Cherseoli. Dread Emperour long may you happie liue Lou'd of your subiects and feard of your foes We wonder much what doth your highnesse grieue That you will not vnto your Lords disclose Perhaps you feare least we your loyall Peeres Would prooue disloyall to your Maiestie And be rebellious in your dying yeeres But mightie Prince the heauens can testifie How dearly we esteeme your safetie Mustaf. Perhaps you thinke Mustaffa wil reuok And leaue your grace and cleaue to Selimus But sooner shall th' almighties thunderbolt Strike me downe to the caue tenebrious The lowest land and damned spirits hoâ—t Then true Mustaffa prooue so treacherous Your Maiestie then needs not much to feare Since you are lou'd of subiect Prince and Peere First shall the Sunne rise from the occident And loose his steeds benighted in the East First shall the sea become the continent Ere we forsake our soueraignes beheast We fought not for you gainst Persians Tent Breaking our Launces on his sturdie creast We fought not for you gainst the Christian hoast To become traytors after all our cost Baia. Heare me Mustaffa and Cherseoli I am a father of a headstrong brood Which if I looke not closely to my selfe Will seeke to ruinate their fathers state Euen as the vipers in great Neroes fenne Eate vp the belly that first nourish'd them You see the haruest of my life is past And aged winter hath besprent my head With a hoare frost of siluer coloured haires The harbingers of honourable eld These branchlike vaines which once did guide my armes To tosse the speare in battellous array Now withered haue lost their former strength My sonnes whom now ambition ginnes to pricke May take occasion of my weakned age And rise in rebell armes against my state But staie here comes a Messenger to vs Sound within Enters
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