The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface
• Publisher's Notice
• Introduction
• Tamburlaine the Great. In Two Parts.
• Tamburlaine the Great, Part Tbe First.
• The Prologue.
• Persons Represented. 1
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the First.: Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Scene VII.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the Second
• Prologue.
• Persons Represented.
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the Second: Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.
• Persons Represented.
• The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI. 1
• Scene VII.
• Scene VIII.
• Scene IX.
• Scene X.
• Scene XI.
• Scene XII.
• Scene XIII.
• Scene XIV.
• Scene XV.
• Scene XVI.
• Appendix to Dr. Faustus.
• Ballad of Faustus.

SCENE I.

EnterBajazeth, the Kings ofFez, Morocco, andArgier, with others in great pomp.

Baj.

• Great kings of Barbary and my portly bassoes,1
• We hear the Tartars and the eastern thieves,
• Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine,
• Presume a bickering with your emperor,
• And think to rouse us from our dreadful siege
• Of the famous Grecian Constantinople.
• You know our army is invincible;
• As many circumcised Turks we have,
• And warlike bands of Christians renied,2
• As hath the ocean or the Terrene sea

  10

• Small drops of water when the moon begins
• To join in one her semicircled horns.
• Yet would we not be braved with foreign power,
• Nor raise our siege before the Grecians yield,
• Or breathless lie before the city walls.

K. of Fez.

• Renowméd emperor, and mighty general,
• What, if you sent the bassoes of your guard
• To charge him to remain in Asia,
• Or else to threaten death and deadly arms
• As from the mouth of mighty Bajazeth.

  20

Baj.

• Hie thee, my basso, fast to Persia,
• Tell him thy lord, the Turkish emperor,
• Dread lord of Afric, Europe, and Asia,
• Great king and conqueror of GrÆcia,
• The ocean, Terrene, and the Coal-black sea.
• The high and highest monarch of the world
• Wills and commands (for say not I entreat),
• Not once to set his foot on Africa,
• Or spread his colours [once] in GrÆcia,
• Lest he incur the fury of my wrath.

  30

• Tell him I am content to take a truce,
• Because I hear he bears a valiant mind:
• But if, presuming on his silly power,
• He be so mad to manage arms with me,
• Then stay thou with him; say, I bid thee so:
• And if, before the sun have measured heaven
• With triple circuit, thou regreet us not,
• We mean to take his morning's next arise
• For messenger he will not be reclaimed,
• And mean to fetch thee in despite of him.

  40

Bas.

• Most great and puissant monarch of the earth,
• Your basso will accomplish your behest,
• And show your pleasure to the Persian,
• As fits the legate of the stately Turk.
• [Exit BAS.

Arg.

• They say he is the king of Persia;
• But, if he dare attempt to stir your siege,
• 'Twere requisite he should be ten times more,
• For all flesh quakes at your magnificence.

Baj.

• True, Argier; and tremble[s] at my looks.

K. of Mor.

• The spring is hindered by your smothering host,

  50

• For neither rain can fall upon the earth,
• Nor sun reflex1 his virtuous beams thereon,
• The ground is mantled with such multitudes.

Baj.

• All this is true as holy Mahomet;
• And all the trees are blasted with our breaths.

K. of Fez.

• What thinks your greatness best to be achieved
• In pursuit of the city's overthrow?

Baj.

• I will the captive pioners2 of Argier
• Cut off the water that by leaden pipes
• Runs to the city from the mountain Camon.

  60

• Two thousand horse shall forage up and down,
• That no relief or succour come by land:
• And all the sea my gallies countermand.
• Then shall our footmen lie within the trench,
• And with their cannons mouthed like Orcus' gulf,
• Batter the walls, and we will enter in;
• And thus the Grecians shall be conqueréd.
• [Exeunt.

[1]The old form of Pashas.

[2]I.e. Christians who have abjured their faith. Dyce compares a passage of Sir John Maundevile (p. 209, ed. 1725).—“And that Ydole is the God of false Chnsten that ban reneyed hire feythe.”

[1]Cf. iv. 4, 1. 2, “Reflating hues of blood upon their heads.”

[2]The old form (found in Shakespeare, Milton, &c.) of “pioneers.”