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.

Enter the Governor of Babylon, MAXIMUS, and others upon the walls.

Gov.

• What saith Maximus?

Max.

• My lord, the breach the enemy hath made
• Gives such assurance of our overthrow
• That little hope is left to save our lives,
• Or hold our city from the conqueror's hands.
• Then hang our/tags, my lord, of humble truce,
• And satisfy the people's general prayers,
• That Tamburlaine's intolerable wrath
• May be suppressed by our submission.

Gov.

• Villain, respects thou1 more thy slavish life,

  10

• Than honour of thy country or thy name?
• Are not my life and state as dear to me,
• The city, and my native country's weal,
• As anything of price with thy conceit?
• Have we not hope, for all our battered walls,
• To live secure and keep his forces out,
• When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis
• Makes walls afresh with everything that falls
• Into the liquid substance of his stream,
• More strong than are the gates of death or hell?

  20

• What faintness should dismay our courages
• When we are thus defenced against our foes,
• And have no terror but his threatening looks.

Enter a Citizen, who kneds to the Governor.

Cir.

• My lord, if ever you did deed of ruth,
• And now will work a refuge for our lives,
• Offer submission, hang up flags of truce,
• That Tamburlaine may pity our distress,
• And use us like a loving conqueror.
• Though this be held his last day's dreadful siege,
• Wherein he spareth neither man nor child,

  30

• Yet are there Christians of Georgia here,
• Whose state was ever pitied and relieved,
• Would get his pardon if your grace would send.

Gov.

• How is my soul environkd [with cares!]
• And this eternized city, Babylon,
• Filled with a pack of faint-heart fugitives
• That thus entreat their shame and servitude I
• Enter another Citizen.

Sec. Cit.

• My lord, if ever you will win our hearts,
• Yield up the town and1 save our wives and children;
• For I will cast myself from off these walls

  40

• Or die some death of quickest violence
• Before I bide the wrath of Tamburlaine.

Gay.

• Villains, cowards, traitors to our state!
• Fall to the earth and pierce the pit of hell,
• That legions of tormenting spirits may vex
• Your slavish bosoms with continual pains!
• I care not, nor the town will ever yield,
• As long as any life is in my breast.

Enter THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, and Soldiers withou! the walls.

Ther.

• Thou desperate governor of Babylon,
• To save thy hfe, and us a little labour,

  50

• Yield speedily the city to our hands,
• Or else be sure thou shalt be forced with pains,
• More exquisite than ever traitor felt.

Gov

• Tyrant! I turn the traitor in thy throat,
• And will defend it in despite of thee.--
• Call up the soldiers to defend these walls!

Tech.

• Yield, foolish governor; we offer more
• Than ever yet we did to such proud slaves
• As durst resist us till our third day's siege.
• Thou seest us prest to give the last assault,

  60

• And that shall bide no more regard of parle. 1

Gov.

• Assault and spare not; we will never yield.
• [Alarms: and tkey scale the walls.

Enter TAMBURLAINE (drawn in his chariot by the kings of Trebizond and Soria), USUMCASANE, AMYRAS, and CELEBInCUS; the two spare1 Kings of Natolia and Jerusalem; and others.

Tamb.

• The stately buildings of fair Babylon,
• Whose lofty pillars, higher than the clouds,
• Were wont to guide the seaman in the deep,
• Being carried thither by the cannon's force,
• Now fill the mouth of Limnasphaltis' lake
• And make a bridge unto the battered walls.
• Where Belus, Ninus, and great Alexander
• Have rode in triumph, triumphs Tamburlaine,

  70

• Whose chariot wheels have burst the Assyrians' bones,
• Drawn with these kings on heaps of carcases.
• Now in the place where fair Semiramis,
• Courted by kings and peers of Asia,
• Hath trod the measures,1 do my soldiers march;
• And in the streets, where brave Assyrian dames
• Have rid in pomp like rich Saturnia,
• With furious words and frowning visages
• My horsemen brandish their unruly blades.
• Re-enter THERIDAMAS and TECHELLES,brinffng in the Governor of Babylon.
• Who have ye there, my lords?

  80

Ther.

• The sturdy governor of Babylon,
• That made us all the labour for the town,
• And used sueh slender reckoning of your majesty.

Tamb.

• Go, bind the villain; he shall hang in chains
• Upon the ruins of this conquered town.
• Sirrah, the view of our vermilion tents,
• (Which threatened more than if the region
• Next underneath the element of fire
• Were full of comets and of blazing stars,
• Whose flaming trains should reach down to the earth,)

  90

• Could not affright you; no, nor I myself,
• The wrathful messenger of mighty Jove,
• That with his sword hath quailed all earthly kings,
• Could not persuade you to submission,
• But still the ports were shut; villain! I say,
• Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell,
• The triple-headed Cerberus would howl
• And wake black Jove to crouch and kneel to me;
• But I have sent volleys of shot to you,
• Yet could not enter till the breach was made.

  100

Gov.

• Nor, if my body could have stopt the breach,
• Should'st thou have entered, cruel Tamburlaine.
• 'Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yield,
• Nor yet thyself, the anger of the Highest,
• For though thy cannon shook the city wails,
• My heart did never quake, or courage faint.

Tamb.

• Well, now I'll make it quake; go draw him1 up,
• Hang him in 2 chains upon the city walls,
• And let my soldiers shoot the slave to death.

Gov.

• Vile monster! born of some infernal hag,

  110

• And sent from hell to tyrannise on earth,
• Do all thy worst; nor death, nor Tamburlaine,
• Torture, nor pain, can daunt my dreadless mind.

Tamb.

• Up with him, then; his body shall be scared.

Gov.

• But, Tamburlaine, in Limnasphalfis' lake
• There lies more gold than Babylon is worth,
• Which when the city was besieged, I hid.
• Save but my life and I will give it thee.

Tamb.

• Then for all your valour you would save your life?
• Whereabout lies it?

  120

Gov.

• Under a hollow bank, right opposite
• Against the western gate of Babylon.

Tamb.

• Go thither, some of you, and take his gold;-
• The rest--forward with execution!
• Away with him hence, let him speak no more.
• I think I make your courage something quail
• When this is done, we'll march from Babylon,
• And make our greatest haste to Persia.
• [They hang u_Othe Governor in chains
• These jades are broken-winded and half tired,
• Unharness them, and let me have fresh horse.

  130

• [Attendants unharness the Kings o_ Trebizond and Sofia.
• So, now their best is done to honour me,
• Take them and hang them both up presently,

Treb.

• Vild tyrant! barbarous bloody Tamburlaine!

Tamb.

• Take them away, Theridamas; see them despatched.

Ther.

• I will, my lord.
• [Exit with the lr_ings of Trebizond and Sofia.

Tamb.

• Come, Asian viceroys; to your tasks awhile,
• And take such fortune as your fellows felt.

Ore.

• First let thy Seythian horse tear both our limbs,
• Rather than we should draw thy chariot,
• And like base slaves abject our prmcety minds

  140

• To vile and ignominious servitud_

Jrer.

• Rather lend me thy weapon, Tamburlaine,
• That I may sheathe it in this breast of mine.
• A thousand deaths could not torment our hearts
• More than the thought of this doth vex our souls.

Amy.

• They will talk still, my lord, if you don't bridle them.

Tamb.

• Bridle them, and let me to my coach.
• [They bridle them.

Amy.

• See now, my lord, how brave the captain hangs.

Tam&

• 'Tis brave indeed, my boy; well done.
• Shoot first, my lord, and then the rest shall follow.

  50

Ther.

• Then have at him to begin withal.
• [THERIDAMAS Shoots.

Gov.

• Yet save my life, and let this wound appease
• The mortal fury of great Tamburlaiue.

Tamb.

• No, though Asphaltis' lake were liquid gold,
• And offered me as ransom for thy life,
• Yet should'st thou die. Shoot at him all at once.
• [They shoat.
• So, now he hangs like Bagdet's governor,
• Having as many bullets in his flesh
• As there be breaches in her battered walL
• Go now, and bind the burghers hand and foot,

  160

• And cast them headlong in the city's lake.
• Tartars and Persians shall inhabit there,
• And to command the city, I will build
• A [lofty] citadel that all Africa,
• Which hath been subject to the Persian king,
• Shall pay me tribute for in Babylon.

Tech.

• What shall be done with their wives and children, my lord?

Tamb

• Techelles, drown them all, man, woman, and child.
• Leave not a Babylonian in the town.

Tech.

• I will about it straight. Come, soldiers.

  170

• [Exit with soldiers.

Tomb.

• Now, Casane, where's the Turkish Alcoran,
• And all the heaps of superstitious books
• Found in the temples of that Mahomet,
• Whom I have thought a god? They shall be burnt.

Usum.

• Here they are, my lord.

Tarab.

• Well said; let there be a fire presently.
• In vain, I see, men worship Mahomet :
• My sword hath sent millions of Turks to hell,
• Slain all his priests, his kinsmen, and his friends,
• And yet I live untouched by Mahomet.

  180

• There is a God, full of revenging wrath,
• From whom the thunder and the lightning breaks,
• Whose scourge I am, and him will I obey :
• So, Casane, fling them in the fire.
• Now, Mahomet, if thou have any power,
• Come down thyself and work a miracle :
• Thou art not worthy to be worshipped,
• That suffers flame of fire to burn the writ
• Wherein the sum of thy religion rests.
• Why send'st thou not a furious whirlwind down

  190

• To blow thy Alcoran up to thy throne,
• Where men report thou sit'st by God himself?
• Or vengeance on the head of Tamburlaine
• That shakes his sword against thy majesty,
• And spurns the abstracts of thy foolish laws?
• Well, soldiers, Mahomet remains in hell;
• He cannot hear the voice of Tamburlaine;
• Seek out another Godhead to adore,
• The God that sits in heaven, if any God;
• For he is God alone, and none but he.

  200

• Re-enter TECHELLES.

Tech

• I have fulfilled your highness' will, my lord.
• Thousands of men, dro_uaed in Asphaltis' lake,
• Have made the waters swell above the banks,
• And fishes, fed 1 by human carcases,
• Amazed, swim up and down upon the waves,
• As when they swallow assafo_tida,
• Which makes them fleet aloft and gape for air.

Tamb.

• Well then, my friendly lords, what now remains,
• But that we leave sufficient garrison,
• And presently depart to Persia

  210

• To triumph after all our victories?

Ther.

• Ay, good my lord; let us in haste to Persia,
• And let this captain be removed the walls
• To some high hill about the city here.

Lamb.

• Let it be so; about it, soldiers;
• But stay; I feel myself distempered suddenly.

Tech.

• What is it dares distemper Tamburlaine?

Lamb.

• Something, Techelles; but I know not what--
• But forth, ye vassals! whatsoe'er it be,
• Sickness or death can never conquer me.
• [Exeunt.

  220

[1]So the old copies. “Respects thou” is good Ehzabedxan Enghsh.

[1]So 4to.--Omitted 8vo.

[1]Old copies “parlie.”

[1]I.e. the kingsout of harness

[1]A statelydance. Cf. Muc_Ado. _. x “--” Thefirstsuitishotand hastylikea Scotchjig, andfullas fantastleal; theweddingmannerly, modestasa measure,fullof stateandancientry.”

[1]So 4to.8vo, “it.”

[2]Oldcopies “vp in.”

[1]Old coples “feede.”