Thomas Lodge - Broadview Press Publisher's Blog

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haught 1 heart, disdaining to be outfaced by the
bravest warrior in the world, having long since determined
never to marry his daughter out of Christendom,
returned Behenzar this magnifical answer: 2
“It is not our custom in Europe, proud Babylonian,
to persuade with peremptory threats but to
woo with gentle entreaties, and as our natures are
mollified by mildness so are they indurate by
menaces. If the Soldan salute me as his equal, he
erreth, for the Emperor of Christendom deigns no
so base companion as a soldan; if as his superior, I
thus answer him: the distance of his country, the
difference of his custom, the abjectness 3 of his
riches, the barbarism of his religion, these disable
him to be an emperor’s son. As for my daughter,
she must be ruled by her father, and her father will
not admit thy master, who, if he attempt me with
injuries, I will temper him for his injustice. As for
his presents, I bestow them on thee, for gold (Barbarian)
amongst us is of small accompt 4 in respect
of virtue. Go, let thy vassals take it up, and carry
thou that home as a gift meeter 5 for a messenger of
the Soldan’s than a master of the Soldan. For his
invasions, I fear them not, since my Christ is my
protector, under whose safe conduct both these
and I little fear him, and so be thou answered.”
Behenzar, mad with rage seeing the Emperor’s
small regard, stamped with his foot and swore
thus: “By Mahound, 6 Christian, thy carpenter’s
1 haught high-minded, noble; also, in a more negative sense, haughty,
proud.
2 magnifical answer i.e., an answer befitting his imperial position.
Interestingly, Lodge also employs both “magnifical” and “haughty”
to describe the Soldan and his army generally, where “magnifical”
comes to mean “proud, arrogantly ambitious.”
3 abjectness degraded nature; the description is derived from one of
the dominant Western stereotypes of Muslim nations: that they were
fabulously wealthy but were typically enriched through voracious
plundering of neighbour (and especially Christian) states (D.J. Vitkus,
Introduction, Three Turk Plays, pp. 10-11).
4 accompt account; value.
5 meeter fitter, more appropriate.
6 Mahound Muhammad, the prophet and founder of the Islamic
faith. According to Vitkus, Western Renaissance texts and observers
typically misrepresented the relationship between Muhammad and
the Islamic adherent as that of false god and worshipper (Introduction,
Three Turk Plays, p. 9).
T HOMAS L ODGE
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son, that Christ, your God, shall not save thy
hands nor thy heads from the sword of the
meanest prince about the Soldan, but this city shall
be razed 7 in despite of thy protector and thy
power.”
Behenzar had so said and in his fury was flinging
out of the palace, when Robin the Devil,
having all this while solemnly attended at the foot
of the Emperor, all on the sudden arose, and, not
enduring to hear the name of his Saviour blasphemed,
he flung the pagan to the ground and
stamped him under his feet, which done he made
show of a foolish triumph, and, bumming 8 the
proud Babylonian with his bauble, 9 he had well
nigh killed him had not the princes drawn him off,
who safely conducted blaspheming Behenzar to
his ships and smilingly laughed at the insolence of
the idiot.
The fair Emine seeing the forwardness of her
champion was marvellously delighting, showing
unto her father by signs that he was no fool but
some man of high spirit. Every day dressed she 10
means to recover his wits, using prescripts of
physic and the counsel of the learned, who
secretly informed her that he was a man of rare
expectation. These suppositions marvellously
inflamed her, and love began to show himself in
act in all her outward parts, inflaming her eyes,
changing her colour, which lest it should be perceived
she with humble reverence forsook the
assembly, leaving her father with the other princes
in great consultation, who, resolving to prevent all
inconveniences, departed each one to his country,
swearing by solemn oath each one to gather his
greatest power and to come and assist the
Emperor the next year in the suspected, or rather
certainly pretended, 11 wars of the Soldan. In
which minds I leave them intentive on their forces,
7 razed utterly or completely destroyed; levelled.
8 bumming striking, beating, thumping.
9 bauble a baton or stick, surmounted by a fantastically carved head
with asses’ ears, carried by a court fool or jester as a mock symbol of
office.
10 dressed she i.e., she applied herself or turned her attention to.
11 pretended intended.