The Online Library of Liberty

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• 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.

Enter the Kings of Trebizond and Syria, one bearing a sword, and the other a sceptre; next the Kings of Natolia and Jerusalem, with the imperial crown; after, Callapine, and after him other Lords andAlmeda.Orcanesand the King of Jerusalem crown him, and the others give him the sceptre.

Orc.

• Callapinus Cyricelibes, otherwise Cybelius, son
• and successive heir to the late mighty emperor, Bajazeth,
• by the aid of God and his friend Mahomet, emperor of
• Natolia, Jerusalem, Trebizond, Soria, Amasia, Thracia,
• Illyria, Carmania, and all the hundred and thirty kingdoms
• late contributory to his mighty father. Long live
• Callapinus, Emperor of Turkey!

Call.

• Thrice worthy kings of Natolia, and the rest,
• I will requite your royal gratitudes
• With all the benefits my empire yields;

  10

• And were the sinews of the imperial seat
• So knit and strengthened as when Bajazeth
• My royal lord and father filled the throne,
• Whose cursèd fate hath so dismembered it,
• Then should you see this chief of Scythia,
• This proud, usurping king of Persia,
• Do us such honour and supremacy,
• Bearing the vengeance of our father's wrongs,
• As all the world should blot his1 dignities
• Out of the book of base-born infamies.

  20

• And now I doubt not but your royal cares
• Have so provided for this cursèd foe,
• That, since the heir of mighty Bajazeth,
• (An emperor so honoured for his virtues,)
• Revives the spirits of all true Turkish hearts,
• In grievous memory of his father's shame,
• We shall not need to nourish any doubt,
• But that proud fortune, who hath followed long
• The martial sword of mighty Tamburlaine,
• Will now retain her old inconstancy,

  30

• And raise our honours to as high a pitch,
• In this our strong and fortunate encounter;
• For so hath heaven provided my escape,
• From all the cruelty my soul sustained,
• By this my friendly keeper's happy means,
• That Jove, surcharged with pity of our wrongs,
• Will pour it down in showers on our heads,
• Scourging the pride of cursèd Tamburlaine.

Orc.

• I have a hundred thousand men in arms;
• Some, that in conquest2 of the perjured Christian,

  40

  Being a handful to a mighty host,
• Think them in number yet sufficient
• To drink the river Nile or Euphrates,
• And for their power enow to win the world.

Jer.

• And I as many from Jerusalem,
• Judæa, Gaza, and Sclavonia's1 bounds,
• That on Mount Sinai with their ensigns spread,
• Look like the parti-coloured clouds of heaven
• That show fair weather to the neighbour morn.

Treb.

• And I as many bring from Trebizond,

  50

• Chio, Famastro, and Amasia,
• All bordering on the Mare Major sea,
• Riso, Sancina, and the bordering towns
• That touch the end of famous Euphrates,
• Whose courages are kindled with the flames,
• The cursèd Scythian sets on all their towns,
• And vow to burn the villain's cruel heart

Syr.

• From Syria2 with seventy thousand strong
• Ta'en from Aleppo, Soldino, Tripoli,
• And so on to my city of Damasco,
• I march to meet and aid my neighbour kings;
• All which will join against this Tamburlaine,
• And bring him captive to your highness' feet.

Orc.

• Our battle then in martial manner pitched,
• According to our ancient use, shall bear
• The figure of the semicircled moon,
• Whose horns shall sprinkle through the tainted air
• The poisoned brains of this proud Scythian.

Call.

• Well then, my noble lords, for this my friend
• That freed me from the bondage of my foe,

  70

• I think it requisite and honourable,
• To keep my promise and to make him king,
• That is a gentleman, I know, at least.

Aim.

• That's no matter, sir, for being a king; [f]or
• Tamburlaine came up of nothing.

Jer.

• Your majesty may choose some 'pointed time,
• Performing all your promise to the full;
• 'Tis nought for your majesty to give a kingdom.

Call.

• Then will I shortly keep my promise, Almeda.

Aim.

• Why, I thank your majesty.
• [Exeunt.

  80

[1]Old copies “our.”

[2]So 4to.—8vo. “in the conquest.”

[1]8vo. “Scalonians.”4to. “Sclavonians.”

[2]So 8vo.—Elsewhere 8vo. gives the form “Soria” (which is found in Ben Jonson, &c.)