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
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
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
increase their insolentnesse To resist them were ouerhardinesse And worse it were to leaue my enterprize Well how so ere resolue to venture it Fortune doth fauour euery bold assay And t' were a trick of an vnsetled wit Because the bees haue stings with them alway To fare our mouthes in honie to embay Then resolution for me leades the dance And thus resolu'd I meane to trie my chance Exeunt all Enter Baiazet Mustaffa Calibassa Halibassa and the Ianizaries Baia. What prince so ere trusts to his mightie pow'r Ruling the reines of many nations And feareth not least fickle fortune loure Ar thinkes his kingdome free from alterations If he were in the place of Baiazet He would but litle by his scepter set For what hath rule that makes it acceptable Rather what hath it not worthie of hate First of all is our state still mutable And our continuance at the peoples rate So that it is a slender thred whereon Depends the honour of a princes throne Then do we feare more then the child new borne Our friends our Lords our subiects our sonnes Thus is our minde in sundry pieces torne By care by feare suspition and distrust In wine in meate we feare pernicious poyson At home abroad we feare seditious treason Too true that tyrant Dionysius Did picture out the image of a King When Daniocles was placed in his throne And ore his head a threatning sword did hang Fastned vp onely by a horses haire Our chiefest trust is secretly distrust For whom haue we whom we may safely trust If our owne sonnes neglecting awfull dutie Rise vp in Armes against their louing fathers Their heart is all of hardest marble wrought That can laie wayt to take away their breath From whom they first sucked this vitall ayre My heart is heauie and I needs must sleepe Bassaes withdraw your selues from me awhile That I may rest my ouerburdned soule They stand aside while the curtins are drawne Eunuchs plaie me some musicke while I sleepe Musicke within Must. Good Baiazet who would not pitie thee Whom thine owne sonne so vildly persecutes More mildly do th' vnreasonable beasts Deale with their dammes then Selimus with thee Halibas Mustaffa we are princes of the land And loue our Emperour as well as thou Yet will we not for pitying his estate Suffer our foes our wealth to ruinate If Selim haue playd false with Baiazet And ouerslipt the dutie of a sonne Why he was mou'd by iust occasion Did he not humbly send his messenger To craue accesse vnto his maiestie And yet he could not get permission To kisse his hands and speake his mind to him Perhaps he thought his aged fathers loue Was cleane estrang'd from him and Acomat Should reape the fruite that he had laboured for T is lawfull for the father to take Armes I and by death chastize his rebell sonne Why should it be vnlawfull for the sonne To leauie Armes gainst his iniurious sire Must. You reason Hali like a sophister As if t' were lawfull for a subiect prince To rise in Armes gainst his soueraigne Because he will not let him haue his will Much lesse i st lawfull for a mans owne sonne If Baiazet had iniur'd Selimus Or sought his death or done him some abuse Then Selimus cause had bene more tollerable But Baiazet did neuer iniure him Nor sought his death nor once abused him Vnlesse because he giues him not the crowne Being the yoongest of his highnesse sonnes Gaue he not him an Empire for his part The mightie Empire of great Trebisond So that if all things rightly be obseru'd Selim had more then euer he deseru'd I speake not this because I hate the prince For by the heauens I loue yoong Selimus Better then either of his brethren But for I owe alleagiance to my king And loue him much that fauours me so much Mustaffa while old Baiazet doth liue Will be as true to him as to himselfe Cali. Why braue Mustaffa Hali and my selfe Were neuer false vnto his maiestie Our father Hali died in the field Against the Sophi in his highnesse warres And we will neuer be degenerate Nor do we take part with prince Selimus Because we would depose old Baiazet But for because we would not Acomat That leads his life still in lasciuious pompe Nor Corcut though he be a man of woorth Should be commander of our Empire For he that neuer saw his foe mans face But alwaies slept vpon a Ladies lap Will scant endure to lead a souldiers life And he that neuer handled but his penne Will be vnskilfull at the warlike lance Indeed his wisedome well may guide the crowne And keepe that safe his predecessors got But being giuen to peace as Corcut is He neuer will enlarge the Empire So that the rule and power ouer vs Is onely fit for valiant Selimus Must. Princes you know how mightie Baiazet Hath honoured Mustaffa with his loue He gaue his daughter beautious Solima To be the soueraigne mistresse of my thoughts He made me captaine of the Ianissaries And too vnnaturall should Mustaffa be To rise against him in his dying age Yet know you warlike peere Mustaffa is A loyall friend vnto prince Selimus And ere his other brethren get the crowne For his sake I my selfe will pull them downe I loue I loue them dearly but the loue Which I do beare vnto my countries good Makes me a friend to noble Selimus Onely let Baiazet while he doth liue Enioy in peace the Turkish Diademe When he is dead and layd in quiet graue Then none but Selimus our helpe shall haue Sound within A Messenger enters Baiazet awaketh Baia. How now Mustaffa what newes haue we there Is Selim vp in Armes gainst me againe Or is the Sophi entred our confines Hath the Aegyptian snatch'd his crowne againe Or haue the vncontrolled Christians Vnsheath'd their swords to make more war on vs Such newes or none will come to Baiazet Must. My gratious Lord here 's an Embassador Come from your sonne the Soldan Acomat Baia. From Acomat oh let him enter in Enter Regian Embassadour how fares our louing sonne Reg. Mightie commander of the warlike Turks Acomat Souldane of Amasia Greeteth your grace by me his messenger He giues him a Letter And gratulates your highnesse good successe Wishing good fortune may befall you still Baia. Mustaffa reade He giues the letter to Mustaffa and speakes the rest to himself Acomat craues thy promise Baiazet To giue the Empire vp into his hands And make it sure to him in thy life time And thou shalt haue it louely Acomat For I haue bene encombred long inough And vexed with the cares of kingly rule Now let the trouble of the Empirie Be buried in the bosome of thy sonne Ah Acomat if thou haue such a raigne So full of sorrow as thy fathers was Thou wilt accurse the time the day and houre In which thou was establish'd Emperour Sound A Messenger from Corcut Yet more newes Mess. Long liue the mightie Emperor Baiazet