er'd with a liquid purple veil,
And sprinkled with the brains of slaughter'd men,
My royal chair of state shall be advanc'd;
And he that means to place himself therein,
Must armed wade up to the chin in blood.

ZENOCRATE. My lord, such speeches to our princely sons
Dismay their minds before they come to prove
The wounding troubles angry war affords.

CELEBINUS. No, madam, these are speeches fit for us;
For, if his chair were in a sea of blood,
I would prepare a ship and sail to it,
Ere I would lose the title of a king.

AMYRAS. And I would strive to swim through [43] pools of blood,
Or make a bridge of murder'd carcasses, [44]
Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks,
Ere I would lose the title of a king.

TAMBURLAINE. Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both,
Stretching your conquering arms from east to west:--
And, sirrah, if you mean to wear a crown,
When we [45] shall meet the Turkish deputy
And all his viceroys, snatch it from his head,
And cleave his pericranion with thy sword.

CALYPHAS. If any man will hold him, I will strike,
And cleave him to the channel [46] with my sword.

TAMBURLAINE. Hold him, and cleave him too, or I'll cleave thee;
For we will march against them presently.
Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane
Promis'd to meet me on Larissa-plains,
With hosts a-piece against this Turkish crew;
For I have sworn by sacred Mahomet
To make it parcel of my empery.
The trumpets sound; Zenocrate, they come.
Enter THERIDAMAS, and his train, with drums and trumpets.
Welcome, Theridamas, king of Argier.

THERIDAMAS. My lord, the great and mighty Tamburlaine,
Arch-monarch of the world, I offer here
My crown, myself, and all the power I have,
In all affection at thy kingly feet.

TAMBURLAINE. Thanks, good Theridamas.

THERIDAMAS. Under my colours march ten thousand Greeks,
And of Argier and Afric's frontier towns
Twice twenty thousand valiant men-at-arms;
All which have sworn to sack Natolia.
Five hundred brigandines are under sail,
Meet for your service on the sea, my lord,
That, launching from Argier to Tripoly,
Will quickly ride before Natolia,
And batter down the castles on the shore.

TAMBURLAINE. Well said, Argier! receive thy cro