thou wilt stay with me, renowmed [52] man,
And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct,
Besides thy share of this Egyptian prize,
Those thousand horse shall sweat with martial spoil
Of conquer'd kingdoms and of cities sack'd:
Both we will walk upon the lofty cliffs; [53]
And Christian merchants, [54] that with Russian stems [55]
Plough up huge furrows in the Caspian Sea,
Shall vail [56] to us as lords of all the lake;
Both we will reign as consuls of the earth,
And mighty kings shall be our senators.
Jove sometime masked in a shepherd's weed;
And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heavens
May we become immortal like the gods.
Join with me now in this my mean estate,
(I call it mean, because, being yet obscure,
The nations far-remov'd admire me not,)
And when my name and honour shall be spread
As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings,
Or fair Bootes [57] sends his cheerful light,
Then shalt thou be competitor [58] with me,
And sit with Tamburlaine in all his majesty.

THERIDAMAS. Not Hermes, prolocutor to the gods,
Could use persuasions more pathetical.

TAMBURLAINE. Nor are Apollo's oracles more true
Than thou shalt find my vaunts substantial.

TECHELLES. We are his friends; and, if the Persian king
Should offer present dukedoms to our state,
We think it loss to make exchange for that
We are assur'd of by our friend's success.

USUMCASANE. And kingdoms at the least we all expect,
Besides the honour in assured conquests,
Where kings shall crouch unto our conquering swords,
And hosts of soldiers stand amaz'd at us,
When with their fearful tongues they shall confess,
These are the men that all the world admires.

THERIDAMAS. What strong enchantments tice my yielding soul
To these [59] resolved, noble Scythians!
But shall I prove a traitor to my king?

TAMBURLAINE. No; but the trusty friend of Tamburlaine.

THERIDAMAS. Won with thy words, and conquer'd with thy looks,
I yield myself, my men, and horse to thee,
To be partaker of thy good or ill,
As long as life maintains Theridamas.

TAMBURLAINE. Theridamas, my friend, take here my hand,
Which is as much as if I swore by heaven,
And call'd the gods to witness of my vow.
Thus shall my heart be still combin'd with thine