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Act Two, Scene One

[Enter]Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, with their traine.

Sigismond
Now say my Lords of Buda and Bohemia,
What motion is it that inflames your thoughts,
And stirs your velures to such soddaine armes?

Fredericke
Your Majesty remembers I am sure
What quell slaughter of our Christian bloods,
These heathnish Turks and Pagans lately made,
Betwixt the citie Zula and Danubius,
How through the midst of Verna and Bulgaria
And almost to the very walles of Rome,
They have not long since massacred our Camp.
It resteth now then that your Majesty
Take all advantages of time and power,
And worke revenge upon these Infidels:
Your Highnesse knowes for Tamburlaines repaire,
That strikes a terrour to all Turkish hearts,
Natolia hath dismiss the greatest part
Of all his armie, pitcht against our power
Betwixt Cutheia and Orminius mount:
And sent them marching up to Belgasar,
Acantha, Antioch, and Caesaria,
To aid the kings of Soria and Jerusalem.
Now then my Lord, advantage take hereof,
And issue sodainly upon the rest:
That in the fortune of their overthrow,
We may discourage all the pagan troope,
That dare attempt to war with Christians.

Sigismond
But cals not then your Grace to memorie
The league we lately made with king Orcanes,
Confirm'd by oth and Articles of peace,
And calling Christ for record of our trueths?
This should be treacherie and violence,
Against the grace of our profession.

Baldwine
No whit my Lord: for with such Infidels,
In whom no faith nor true religion rests,
We are not bound to those accomplishments,
The holy lawes of christendome injoine:
But as the faith which they prophanely plight
Is not by necessary pollycy,
To be esteem'd assurance for our selves,
So what we vow to them should not infringe
Our liberty of armes and victory.

Sigismond
Though I confesse the othes they undertake,
Breed litle strength to our securitie,
Yet those infirmities that thus defame
Their faiths, their honors, and their religion,
Should not give us presumption to the like.
Our faiths are sound, and must be consumate,
Religious, righteous, and inviolate.

Fredericke
Assure your Grace tis superstition
To stand so strictly on dispensive faith:
And should we lose the opportunity
That God hath given to venge our Christians death
And scourge their foule blasphemous Paganisme?
As fell to Saule, to Balaam and the rest,
That would not kill and curse at Gods command,
So surely will the vengeance of the highest
And jealous anger of his fearefull arme
Be pour'd with rigour on our sinfull heads,
If we neglect this offered victory.

Sigismond
Then arme my Lords, and issue sodainly,
Giving commandement to our generall hoste,
With expedition to assaile the Pagan,
And take the victorie our God hath given.
Exeunt.

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