Brother Cosroe , I find myself agriev 'd ; Yet insufficient to express the same , For it requires a great and thundering speech : Good brother , tell the cause unto my lords ; I know you have a better wit than I . Brother , I see your meaning well enough , And through your planets I perceive you think I am not wise enough to be a king : But I refer me to my noblemen , That know my wit , and can be witnesses . I might command you to be slain for this ,— Meander , might I not ? I mean it not , but yet I know I might .— Yet live ; yea , live ; Mycetes wills it so .— Meander , thou , my faithful counsellor , Declare the cause of my conceived grief , Which is , God knows , about that Tamburlaine , That , like a fox in midst of harvest-time , Doth prey upon my flocks of passengers ; And , as I hear , doth mean to pull my plumes : Therefore ‘ tis good and meet for to be wise . Full true thou speak'st , and like thyself , my lord , Whom I may term a Damon for thy love : Therefore ‘ tis best , if so it like you all , To send my thousand horse incontinent To apprehend that paltry Scythian . How like you this , my honourable lords ? Is it not a kingly resolution ? Then hear thy charge , valiant Theridamas , The chiefest captain of Mycetes ’ host , The hope of Persia , and the very legs Whereon our state doth lean as on a staff , That holds us up and foils our neighbour foes : Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse , Whose foaming gall with rage and high disdain Have sworn the death of wicked Tamburlaine . Go frowning forth ; but come thou smiling home , As did Sir Paris with the Grecian dame : Return with speed ; time passeth swift away ; Our life is frail , and we may die to-day . Go , stout Theridamas ; thy words are swords , And with thy looks thou conquerest all thy foes . I long to see thee back return from thence , That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine All loaden with the heads of killed men , And , from their knees even to their hoofs below , Besmear 'd with blood that makes a dainty show . Theridamas , farewell ten thousand times . Ah , Menaphon , why stay'st thou thus behind , When other men press forward for renown ? Go , Menaphon , go into Scythia , And foot by foot follow Theridamas . Unless they have a wiser king than you ! These are his words ; Meander , set them down . Well , here I swear by this my royal seat — Emboss 'd with silk as best beseems my state , To be reveng 'd for these contemptuous words ! O , where is duty and allegiance now ? Fled to the Caspian or the Ocean main ? What shall I call thee ? brother ? no , a foe ; Monster of nature , shame unto thy stock , That dar'st presume thy sovereign for to mock !— Meander , come : I am abus 'd , Meander . Come , my Meander , let us to this gear . I tell you true , my heart is swoln with wrath On this same thievish villain Tamburlaine , And of that false Cosroe , my traitorous brother . Would it not grieve a king to be so abus 'd , And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away ? And , which is worse , to have his diadem Sought for by such scald knaves as love him not ? I think it would : well , then , by heavens I swear , Aurora shall not peep out of her doors , But I will have Cosroe by the head , And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword . Tell you the rest , Meander : I have said . Was there such brethren , sweet Meander , say , That sprung of teeth of dragons venomous ? And ‘ tis a pretty toy to be a poet . Well , well , Meander , thou art deeply read ; And having thee , I have a jewel sure . Go on , my lord , and give your charge , I say ; Thy wit will make us conquerors to-day . He tells you true , my masters ; so he does .— Drums , why sound ye not when Meander speaks ? Accurs 'd be he that first invented war ! They knew not , ah , they knew not , simple men , How those were hit by pelting cannon-shot Stand staggering like a quivering aspen-leaf Fearing the force of Boreas ’ boisterous blasts ! In what a lamentable case were I , If nature had not given me wisdom 's lore ! For kings are clouts that every man shoots at , Our crown the pin that thousands seek to cleave : Therefore in policy I think it good To hide it close ; a goodly stratagem , And far from any man that is a fool : So shall not I be known ; or if I be , They cannot take away my crown from me . Here will I hide it in this simple hole . Thou liest . Away ! I am the king ; go ; touch me not . Thou break'st the law of arms , unless thou kneel , And cry me “ mercy , noble king ! ” Ay , marry ,am I : have you any suit to me ? So I can when I see my time . Ay : didst thou ever see a fairer ? Such another word , and I will have thee executed . Come , give it me . You lie ; I gave it you . No ; I mean I let you keep it . O gods , is this Tamburlaine the thief ? I marvel much he stole it not away .