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
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
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