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 V.

Enter Callapine, Orcanes, Almeda, and the Kings of Jerusalem, Trebizond, and Soria, -with their trains.— To them enter a Messenger.

Mes.

• Renowmid emperor, mighty Callapine,
• God's great lieutenant over all the world!
• Here at Aleppo, with a host of men,
• Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persia,
• (In numbers more than are the1 quivering leaves
• Of Ida's forest, where your highness' hounds,
• With open cry, pursue the wounded stag,)
• Who means to girt Natolia's walls with siege,
• Fire the town, and overrun the land.

Call.

• My royal army is as great as his,

  10

• That, from the bounds of Phrygia to the sea
• Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves,
• Covers the hills, the valleys, and the plains.
• Viceroys and peers of Turkey, play the men!2
• Whet all your swords, to mangle Tamburlaine,
• His sons, his captains, and his followers;
• By Mahomet! not one of them shall live;
• The field wherein this battle shall be fought
• For ever term the Persian's sepulchre,
• In memory of this our victory!

  20

Orc.

• Now, he that calls himself the1 scourge of Jove,
• The emgeror of the world, and earthly god,
• Shall end the warlike progress he intends,
• And travel headlong to the lake of hell,
• Where legions of devils, (knowing he must die
• Here, in Natolia, by your highness' hands,)
• All brandishing their brands2 of quenchless fire,
• Stretching their monstrous paws, grin with3 their teeth,
• And guard the gates to entertain his soul.

Call.

• Tell me, viceroys, the number of your men,

  30

• And what our army royal is esteemed.

Jer.

• From Palestina and Jerusalem,
• Of Hebrews threescore thousand fighting men
• Are come since last we showed your majesty.

Orc.

• So from Arabia Desert, and the bounds
• Of that sweet land, whose brave metropolis
• Re-edified the fair Semiramis,
• Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse,
• Since last we numbered to your majesty.

Trtb.

• From Trebizond, in Asia the Less,

  40

• Naturalised Turks and stout Bithynians
• Came to my bands, full fifty thousand more
• (That, fighting, know not what retreat doth mean,
• Nor e'er return but with the victory,)
• Since last we numbered to your majesty.

Sor.

• Of Sorians from Halla is repaired,
• And neighbour cities of your highness' land,
• Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot,
• Since last we numbered to your majesty;
• So that the royal army is esteemed

  50

• Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.

Call.

• Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy death.
• Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field,
• (The Persians' sepulchre,) and sacrifice
• Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet,
• Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament
• To see the slaughter of our enemies.
• Enter Tamburlaine and his three Sons, Usumcasane, &c.

Tamb.

• How now, Casane? See a knot of kings,
• Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles.

Usum.

• My lord, your presence makes them pale and wan:

  60

• Poor souls! they look as if their deaths were near.

Tamb.

• And so he is, Casane; I am here;
• But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.
• Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come,
• As Hector did into the Grecian camp,
• To overdare the pride of Græcia,
• And set his warlike person to the view
• Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame:
• I do you honour in the simile;
• For if I should, as Hector did Achilles,

  70

• (The worthiest knight that ever brandished sword),
• Challenge in combat any of you all,
• I see how fearfully ye would refuse,
• And fly my glove as from a scorpion.

Orc.

• Now thou art fearful of thy army's strength,
• Thou would'st with overmatch of person fight;
• But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine,
• Think of thy end! this sword shall lance thy throat.

Tamb.

• Villain! the shepherd's issue (at whose birth
• Heaven did afford a gracious aspèct,

  80

• And joined those stars that shall be opposite
• Even till the dissolution of the world,
• And never meant to make a conqueror
• So famous as is mighty Tamburlaine,)
• Shall so torment thee and that Callapine,
• That, like a roguish runaway, suborned
• That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog,
• To false his service to his sovereign,
• As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine.

Call.

• Rail not, proud Scythian! I shall now revenge

  90

• My father's vile abuses, and mine own.

Jer.

• By Mahomet! he shall be tied in chains,
• Rowing with Christians in a brigandme
• About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil,
• And turn him to his ancient trade again:
• Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief.

Call.

• Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet,
• And sit in council to invent some pain
• That most may vex his body and his soul.

Tamb.

• Sirrah, Callapine! I'll hang a clog about your neck for running away1 again; you shall not trouble me thus to come and fetch you;

  102

• But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits,
• And, harnessed like my horses, draw my coach;
• And when ye stay, be lashed with whips of wire.
• I'll have you learn to feed on2 provender
• And in a stable lie upon the planks.

Orc.

• But, Tamburlaine, first thou shalt kneel to us,
• And humbly crave a pardon for thy life.

Treb.

• The common soldiers of our mighty host no Shall bring thee bound unto the general's tent.

  110

Sor.

• And all have jointly sworn thy cruel death,
• Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath.

Tamb.

• Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I shall have occasion shortly to journey you.

Cel.

• See, father,
• How Almeda the jailor looks upon us.

Tamb.

• Villain! traitor! damned fugitive.!
• I'll make thee wish the earth had swallowed thee,
• See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks?

  120

• Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock,
• Or rip thy bowels, and rent out thy heart
• To appease my wrath! or else I'll torture thee,
• Searing thy hateful flesh with burning irons
• And drops of scalding lead, while all thy joints
• Be racked and beat asunder with the wheel;
• For, if thou liv'st, not any element
• Shall shroud thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine.

Call.

• Well, in despite of thee he shall be king.
• Come, Almeda; receive this crown of me,

  130

• I here invest thee king of Ariadan
• Bordering on Mare Roso, near to Mecca.

Orc.

• What! Take it, man.

Alm.

• Good my lord, let me take it.
• [To Tamb.

Call.

• Dost thou ask him leave? Here; take it.

Tamb.

• Go to, sirrah, take your crown, and make up the half dozen. So, sirrah, now you are a king, you must give arms.1

Orc.

• So he shall, and wear thy head in his scutcheon.

Tamb.

• No;2 let him hang a bunch of keys on his standard to put him in remembrance he was a jailor, that when I take him, I may knock out his brains with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come sweating from my chariot.

  144

Treb.

• Away; let us to the field, that the villain may be slain.

Tamb.

• Sirrah, prepare whips and bring my chariot to my tent, for as soon as the battle is done, I'll ride in triumph through the camp.
• EnterTheridamas, Techelles, and their train.
• How now, ye petty kings? Lo, here are bugs3

  150

• Will make the hair stand upright on your heads,
• And cast your crowns in slavery at their feet.
• Welcome, Theridamas and Techelles, both!
• See ye this rout, and know ye this same king?

Ther. Ay.

• my lord; he was Callapine's keeper.

Tamb.

• Well, now ye see he is a king; look to him, Theridamas, when we are fighting, lest he hide his crown as the foolish king of Persia did.

Sor.

• No, Tamburlaine; he shall not be put to that exigent, I warrant thee.

  160

Tamb.

• You know not, sir—
• But now, my followers and my loving friends,
• Fight as you ever did, like conquerors,
• The glory of this happy day is yours.
• My stern aspect shall make fair victory,
• Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me
• Loaden with laurel wreaths to crown us all.

Tech.

• I smile to think how, when this field is fought
• And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat
• With carrying pearl and treasure on their backs.

  170

Tamb.

• You shall be princes all, immediately;
• Come, fight ye Turks, or yield us victory.

Orc.

• No; we will meet thee, slavish Tamburlaine.
• [Exeunt.

ACT THE FOURTH.

[1]So 4to.—8vo. “this.”

[2]We have had this expression already (in sc. 3, 1. 63). Cf. i Henry VI; . 6, L 63,— “When they shall hear how we have played the men.”

[1]So 4to.—omitted in 8vo.

[2]So 4to.—8vo, “in their brands.”

[3]So 4to.—omitted in 8vo.

[1]I.e. to prevent your running away,

[2]So 4to.—8vo. “with.”

[1]One of the few quibbles in Marlowe.

[2]So 4to.—8vo. “Go.”

[1]Bugbears.