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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 1

Act: 3 Scene: 1<<

[Enter] Bajazeth, the kings of Fesse , Moroco, and Argier ,with others, in great pompe.

Bajazeth

Great Kings of Barbary, and my portly Bassoes,

We heare, the Tartars and the Easterne theeves

Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine,

Presume a bickering with your Emperour:

And thinks to rouse us from our dreadful siege

Of the famous Grecian Constantinople

You know our Armie is invincible:

As many circumcised Turkes we have,

And warlike bands of Christians renied,

As hath the Ocean or the Terrene sea

Small drops of water, when the Moon begins

To joine in one her semi-circled homes:

Yet would we not be brav'd with forrain power,

Nor raise our siege before the Gretians yeeld,

Or breathles lie before the citie walles.

Fesse

Renowmed Emperour, and mighty Generall,

What if you sent the Bassoes of your guard,

To charge him to remaine in Asia

Or els to threaten death and deadly armes,

As from the mouth of mighty Bajazeth.

Bajazeth

Hie thee my Bassoe fast to Persea,

Tell him thy Lord the Turkish Emperour,

Dread Lord of Affrike, Europe and Asia ,

Great King and conquerour of Grecia ,

The Ocean, Terrene, and the cole-blacke sea,

The high and highest Monarke of the world,

Wils and commands (for say not I intreat)

Not once to set his foot in Affrica,

Or spread his collours in Grecia ,

Least he incurre the furie of my wrath.

Tell him, I am content to take a truce,

Because I heare he beares a valiant mind.

But if presuming on his silly power,

He be so mad to manage Armes 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 meane to take his mornings next arise

For messenger, he will not be reclaim'd,

And meane to fetch thee in despight of him.

Bassoe

Most great and puisant Monarke of the earth,

Your Bassoe will accomplish your behest:

And show your pleasure to the Persean,

As fits the Legate of the stately Turk.

Exit Bassoe.

Argier

They say he is the King of Persea

But if he dare attempt to stir your siege,

Twere requisite he should be ten times more,

For all flesh quakes at your magnificence.

Bajazeth

True (Argier) and tremble at my lookes.

Morocus

The spring is hindred by your smoothering host,

For neither rain can fall upon the earth,

Nor Sun reflexe his vertuous beames thereon,

The ground is mantled with such multitudes.

Bajazeth

All this is true as holy Mahomet,

And all the trees are blasted with our breathes.

Fesse

What thinks your greatnes best to be atchiev'd

In pursuit of the Cities overthrow?

Bajazeth

I wil the captive Pioners of Argrer,

Cut of the water, that by leaden pipes

Runs to the citie from the mountain Carnon .

Two thousand horse shall forrage up and downe,

That no reliefe or succour come by Land.

And all the sea my Gallies countermaund.

Then shall our footmen lie within the trench,

And with their Cannons mouth'd like Orcus gulfe

Batter the walles, and we will enter in:

And thus the Grecians shall be conquered.

Exeunt.

Act: 3 Scene: 2<<

[Enter] Agidas, Zenocrate, Anippe, with others.

Agidas

Madame Zenocrate, may I presume

To know the cause of these unquiet fits:

That worke such trouble to your woonted rest:

Tismore then pitty such a heavenly face

Should by hearts sorrow wax so wan and pale,

When your offensive rape by Tamburlaine,

(Which of your whole displeasures should be most)

Hath seem'd to be digested long agoe.

Zenocrate

Although it be digested long agoe,

As his exceding favours have deserv'd,

And might content the Queene of heaven as well,

As it hath chang'd my first conceiv'd disdaine.

Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts,

With ceaselesse and disconsolate conceits,

Which dies my lookes so livelesse as they are.

And might, if my extreams had full events,

Make me the gastly counterfeit of death.

Agidas

Eternall heaven sooner be dissolv'd,

And all that pierceth Phoebes silver eie,

Before such hap fall to Zenocrate.

Zenocrate

Ah, life and soule still hover in his Breast,

And leave my body sencelesse as the earth.

Or els unite you to his life and soule,

That I may live and die with Tamburlaine.

Enter [aloofe] Tamburlaine with Techelles and others.

Agidas

With Tamburlaine? Ah faire Zenocrate ,

Let not a man so vile and barbarous,

That holds you from your father in despight,

And keeps you from the honors of a Queene,

Being supposde his worthlesse Concubine,

Be honored with your love, but for necessity.

So now the mighty Souldan heares of you,

Your Highnesse needs not doubt but in short time,

He will with Tamburlaines destruction

Redeeme you from this deadly servitude.

Zenocrate

Agidas, leave to wound me with these words:

And speake of Tamburlaine as he deserves.

The entertainment we have had of him,

Is far from villanie or servitude.

And might in noble minds be counted princely.

Agidas

How can you fancie one that lookes so fierce,

Onelie disposed to martiall Stratagems?

Who when he shall embrace you in his armes,

Will tell how many thousand men he slew.

And when you looke for amorous discourse,

Will rattle foorth his facts of war and blood.

Too harsh a subject for your dainty eares.

Zenocrate

As looks the sun through Nilus flowing stream,

Or when the morning holds him in her armes:

So lookes my Lordly love, faire Tamburlaine .

His talke much sweeter than the Muses song,

They sung for honor gainst Pierides ,

Or when Minerva did with Neptune strive.

And higher would Ireare my estimate,

Than Juno sister to the highest God,

If I were matcht with mightie Tamburlaine.

Agidas

Yet be not so inconstant in your love,

But let the yong Arabian live in hope,

After your rescue to enjoy his choise.

You see though first the King of Persea

(Being a Shepheard) seem'd to love you much,

Now in his majesty he leaves those lookes,

Those words of favour, and those comfortings,

And gives no more than common courtesies.

Zenocrate

Thence rise the tears that so distain my cheeks,

Fearing his love through my unworthynesse.

Tamburlaine goes to her, and takes her awey lovingly by the hand, looking wrathfully on Agidas, and sayes nothing.

[Exeunt. Manet Agidas.]

Agidas

Betraide by fortune and suspitious love,

Threatned with frowning wrath and jealousie,

Surpriz'd with feare of hideous revenge,

I stand agast: but most astonied

To see his choller shut in secrete thoughtes,

And wrapt in silence of his angry soule.

Upon his browes was pourtraid ugly death,

And in his eies the furie of his hart,

That shine as Comets, menacing revenge,

And casts a pale complexion on his cheeks.

As when the Sea-man sees the Hyades

Gather an armye of Cemerian clouds,

(Auster and Aquilon with winged Steads

All sweating, tilt about the watery heavens,

With shivering speares enforcing thunderclaps,

And from their shieldes strike flames of lightening)

All fearefull foldes his sailes, and sounds the maine,

Lifting his prayers to the heavens for aid,

Against the terrour of the winds and waves.

So fares Agidas for the late felt frownes

That sent a tempest to my daunted thoughtes,

And makes my soule devine her overthrow.

Enter Techelles with a naked dagger.

Techelles

See you Agidas how the King salutes you.

He bids you prophesie what it import.

Exit.

Agidas

I prophecied before and now I proove,

The killing frownes of jealousie and love.

He needed not with words confirme my feare,

For words are vaine where working tooles present

The naked action of my threatned end.

It saies, Agydas, thou shalt surely die,

And of extremities elect the least.

More honor and lesse paine it may procure,

To dy by this resolved hand of thine,

Than stay the torments he and heaven have sworne.

Then haste Agydas, and prevent the plagues:

Which thy prolonged Fates may draw on thee:

Go wander free from feare of Tyrants rage,

Remooved from the Torments and the hell:

Wherewith he may excruciate thy soule.

And let Agidas by Agidas die,

And with this stab slumber eternally. [Dies.]

[Enter Techelles and Usumcasane.]

Techelles

Usumcasane, see how right the man

Hath hit the meaning of my Lord the King.

Usumcasane

Faith, and Techelles, it was manly done:

And since he was so wise and honorable,

Let us affoord him now the bearing hence.

And crave his triple worthy buriall.

Techelles

Agreed Casane, we wil honor him.

[Exeunt with body.]

Act: 3 Scene: 3<<

[Enter] Tamburlain, Techelles, Usumcasane, Theridamas, Bassoe, Zenocrate, [Anippe,] with others.

Tamburlaine

Bassoe, by this thy Lord and maister knowes,

I meane to meet him in Bithynia:

See how he comes? Tush. Turkes are ful of brags

And menace more than they can wel performe:

He meet me in the field and fetch thee hence?

Alas (poore Turke) his fortune is to weake,

T'incounter with the strength of Tamburlaine

View well my Camp, and speake indifferently,

Doo not my captaines and my souldiers looke

As if they meant to conquer Affrica.

Bassoe

Your men are valiant but their number few,

And cannot terrefie his mightie hoste.

Mv Lord. the great Commander of the worlde.

Besides fifteene contributorie kings,

Hath now in armes ten thousand Janisaries,

Mounted on lusty Mauritanian Steeds,

Brought to the war by men of Tripoly :

Two hundred thousand footmen that have serv'd

In two set batters fought in Grecia :

And for the expedition of this war,

If he think good, can from his garrisons,

Withdraw as many more to follow him.

Techelles

The more he brings, the greater is the spoile,

For when they perish by our warlike hands,

We meane to seate our footmen on their Steeds,

And rifle all those stately Janisars.

Tamburlaine

But wil those Kings accompany your Lord?

Bassoe

Such as his Highnesse please, but some must stay

To rule the provinces he late subdude.

Tamburlaine

Then fight couragiously, their crowns are yours.

This hand shal set them on your conquering heads:

That made me Emperour of Asia.

Usumcasane

Let him bring millions infinite of men,

Unpeopling Westerne Affrica and Greece:

Yet we assure us of the victorie.

Theridamas

Even he that in a trice vanquisht two kings,

More mighty than the Turkish Emperour:

Shall rouse him out of Europe , and pursue

His scattered armie til they yeeld or die.

Tamburlaine

Wel said Theridamas, speake in that mood,

For Wil and Shall best fitteth Tamburlain,

Whose smiling stars gives him assured hope

Of martiall triumph, ere he meete his foes:

I that am tearm'd the Scourge and Wrath of God,

The onely feare and terrour of the world,

Wil first subdue the Turke, and then inlarge

Those Christian Captives, which you keep as slaves,

Burdening their bodies with your heavie chaines,

And feeding them with thin and slender fare,

That naked rowe about the Terrene sea.

And when they chance to breath and rest a space,

Are punisht with Bastones so grievously,

That they lie panting on the Gallies side,

And strive for life at every stroke they give.

These are the quell priates of Argeire,

That damned traine, the scum of Affrica ,

Inhabited with stragling Runnagates,

That make quick havock of the Christian blood.

But as Ilive that towne shall curse the time

That Tamburlaine set foot in Affrica .

Enter Bajazethwith his Bassoes and contributorie Kinges [and Zabina and Ebea].

Bajazeth

Bassoes and Janisaries of my Guard,

Attend upon the person of your Lord,

The greatest Potentate of Affrica.

Tamburlaine

Techelles, and the rest prepare your swordes,

I meane t'incounter with that Bajazeth.

Bajazeth

Kings of Fesse, Moroccus and Argier,

He cals me Bajazeth, whom you call Lord.

Note the presumption of this Scythian slave:

I tell thee villaine, those that lead my horse

Have to their names tytles of dignity,

And dar'st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth?

Tamburlaine

And know thou Turke, that those which lead my horse,

Shall lead thee Captive thorow Affrica

And dar'st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine?

Bajazeth

By Mahomet, my Kinsmans sepulcher,

And by the holy Alcaron I sweare,

He shall be made a chest and lustlesse Eunuke,

And in my Sarell tend my Concubines:

And all his Captaines that thus stoutly stand,

Shall draw the chariot of my Emperesse,

Whom I have brought to see their overthrow.

Tamburlaine

Bythis my sword that conquer'd Persea,

Thy fall shall make me famous through the world:

I will not tell thee how Ile handle thee,

But every common souldier of my Camp

Shall smile to see thy miserable state.

Fesse

What meanes the mighty Turkish Emperor

To talk with one so base as Tamburlaine ?

Morocus

Ye Moores and valiant men of Barbary ,

How can ye suffer these indignities?

Argier

Leave words and let them feele your lances pointes,

Which glided through the bowels of the Greekes.

Bajazeth

Wel said my stout contributory kings,

Your threefold armie and my hugie hoste,

Shall swallow up these base borne Perseans.

Techelles

Puissant, renowmed and mighty Tamburlain,

Why stay we thus prolonging all their lives?

Theridamas

I long to see those crownes won by our swords,

That we may raigne as kings of Affrica .

Usumcasane

What Coward wold not fight for such a prize?

Tamburlaine

Fight all couragiously and be you kings.

I speake it, and my words are oracles.

Bajazeth

Zabina, mother of three braver boies,

Than Hercules, that in his infancie

Did pash the jawes of Serpents venomous:

Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike Lance,

Their shoulders broad, for complet armour fit,

Their lims more large and of a bigger size

Than all the brats ysprong from Typhons loins:

Who, when they come unto their fathers age,

Will batter Turrets with their manly fists.

Sit here upon this royal chaire of state,

And on thy head weare my Emperiall crowne,

Untill I bring this sturdy Tamburlaine,

And all his Captains bound in captive chaines.

Zabina

Such good successe happen to Bajazeth.

Tamburlaine

Zenocrate:, the loveliest Maide alive

Fairer than rockes of pearle and pretious stone,

The onely Paragon of Tamburlaine,

Whose eies are brighter than the Lamps of heaven,

And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony:

That with thy lookes canst cleare the darkened Sky:

And calme the rage of thundring Jupiter:

Sit downe by her: adorned with my Crowne,

As if thou wert the Empresse of the world.

Stir not Zenocrate untill thou see

Me martch victoriously with all my men,

Triumphing over him and these his kings,

Which I will bring as Vassals to thy feete.

Til then take thou my crowne, vaunt of my worth,

And manage words with her as we will armes.

Zenocrate

And may my Love, the king of Persea ,

Returne with victorie, and free from wound.

Bajezeth

Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish arms,

Which lately made all Europe quake for feare:

I have of Turkes, Arabians, Moores and Jewes

Enough to cover all Bythinia .

Let thousands die, their slaughtered Carkasses

Shall serve for walles and bulwarkes to the rest:

And as the heads of Hydra, somy power

Subdued, shall stand as mighty as before:

If they should yeeld their necks unto the sword,

Thy souldiers armes could not endure to strike

So many blowes as I have heads for thee.

Thou knowest not (foolish hardy Tamburlaine)

What tis to meet me in the open field,

That leave no ground for thee to martch upon.

Tamburlaine

Our conquering swords shall marshal us the way

We use to march upon the slaughtered foe:

Trampling their bowels with our horses hooffes:

Brave horses, bred on the white Tartarian hils:

My Campe is like to Julius Caesars Hoste,

That never fought but had the victorie:

Nor in Pharsalia was there such hot war,

As these my followers willingly would have:

Legions of Spirits fleeting in the aire,

Direct our Bullets and our weapons pointes

And make our strokes to wound the sencelesse aire .

And when she sees our bloody Collours spread,

Then Victorie begins to take her flight,

Resting her selfe upon my milk-white Tent:

But come my Lords, to weapons let us fall.

The field is ours, the Turk, his wife and all.

Exit, with his followers.

Bajazeth

Come Kings and Bassoes, let us glut our swords

That thirst to drinke the feble Perseans blood.

Exit, with his followers.

Zabina

Base Concubine, must thou be plac'd by me

That am the Empresse of the mighty Turke?

Zenocrate

Disdainful Turkesse and unreverend Bosse,

Cal'st thou me Concubine that am betroath'd

Unto the great and mighty Tamburlaine?

Zabina

To Tamburlaine the great Tartarian thiefe?

Zenocrate

Thou wilt repent these lavish words of thine,

When thy great Bassoe-maister and thy selfe,

Must plead for mercie at his kingly feet,

And sue to me to be your Advocates.

Zabina

And sue to thee? I tell thee shamelesse girle,

Thou shalt be Landresse to my waiting maid.

How lik'st thou her Ebea , will she serve?

Ebea

Madame, she thinks perhaps she is too fine.

But I shall turne her into other weedes ,

And make her daintie fingers fall to woorke.

Zenocrate

Hearst thou Anippe, how thy drudge doth talk,

And how my slave, her mistresse menaceth.

Both for their sausinesse shall be employed,

To dresse the common souldiers meat and drink.

For we will scorne they should come nere our selves.

Anippe

Yet somtimes let your highnesse send for them

To do the work my chamber maid disdaines.

They sound to the battell within, and stay.

Zenocrate

Ye Gods and powers that governe Persea,

And made my lordly Love her worthy King:

Now strengthen him against the Turkish Bajazeth,

And let his foes like flockes of fearfull Roes,

Pursude by hunters, flie his angrie lookes,

That I may see him issue Conquerour.

Zabina

Now Mahomet, solicit God himselfe,

And make him raine down murthering shot from heaven

To dash the Scythians braines, and strike them dead,

That dare to manage armes with him,

That offered jewels to thy sacred shrine,

When first he war'd against the Christians.

To the battell againe.

Zenocrate

By this the Turks lie weltring in their blood

And Tamburlaine is Lord of Affrica.

Zabina

Thou art deceiv'd, I heard the Trumpets sound,

As when my Emperour overthrew the Greeks:

And led them Captive into Affrica

Straight will I use thee as thy pride deserves:

Prepare thy selfe to live and die my slave.

Zenocrate

If Mahomet should come from heaven and sweare,

My royall Lord is slaine or conquered,

Yet should he not perswade me otherwise,

But that he lives and will be Conquerour.

Bajazeth flies [over the stage], and he pursues him. The battell short, and they enter, Bajazeth is overcome.

Tamburlaine

Now king of Bassoes, who is Conqueror?

Bajazeth

Thou, by the fortune of thisdamned foile.

Tamburlaine

Where are your stout contributorie kings?

Enter Techelles, Theridamas, Usumcasane.

Techelles

We have their crownes, their bodies strowe the fielde.

Tamburlaine

Each man a crown? why kingly fought ifaith.

Deliver them into my treasurie.

Zenocrate

Now let me offer to my gracious Lord,

His royall Crowne againe, so highly won.

Tamburlaine

Nay take the Turkish Crown from her, Zenocrate ,

And crowne me Emperour of Affrica .

Zabina

No Tamburlain, though now thou gat the best,

Thou shalt not yet be Lord of Affrica .

Theridamas

Give her the Crowne Turkesse, you wer best.

He takes it from her,and gives it Zenocrate.

Zabina

Injurious villaines, thieves, runnagates,

How dare you thus abuse my Maiesty?

Theridamas

Here Madam, you are Empresse, she is none.

Tamburlaine

Not now Theridamas, her time is past:

The pilfers that have bolstered up those tearmes,

Are falne in clusters at my conquering feet.

Zabina

Though he be prisoner, he may be ransomed.

Tamburlaine

Not all the world shall ransom Bajazeth

Bajazeth

Ah faire Zabina, we have lost the field.

And never had the Turkish Emperour

So great a foile by any forraine foe.

Now will the Christian miscreants be glad,

Ringing with joy their superstitious belles:

And making bonfires for my overthrow.

But ere I die those foule Idolaters

Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones,

For though the glorie of this day be lost,

Affrik and Greece have garrisons enough

To make me Soveraigne of the earth againe.

Tamburlaine

Those walled garrisons wil I subdue,

And write my selfe great Lord of Affrica:

So from the East unto the furthest West,

Shall Tamburlain extend his puisant arme.

The Galles and those pilling Briggandines,

That yeerely saile to the Venetian gulfe,

And hover in the straightes for Christians wracke,

Shall lie at anchor in the Isle Asant ,

Untill the Persean Fleete and men of war,

Sailing along the Orientall sea,

Have fetcht about the Indian continent:

Even from Persepolis to Mexico,

And thence unto the straightes of Jubalter:

Where they shall meete, and joine their force in one,

Keeping in aw the Bay of Portingale :

And all the Ocean by the British shore.

And by this meanes Ile win the world at last.

Bajazeth

Yet set a ransome on me Tamburlaine.

Tamburlaine

What, thinkst thou Tamburlain esteems thy gold?

Ile make the kings of India ere I die,

Offer their mines (to sew for peace) to me,

And dig for treasure to appease my wrath:

Come bind them both and one lead in the Turke.

The Turkesse let my Loves maid lead away.

They bind them.

Bajazeth

Ah villaines, dare ye touch my sacred armes?

O Mahomet, Oh sleepie Mahomet.

Zabina

O cursed Mahomet that makest us thus

The slaves to Scythians rude and barbarous.

Tamburlaine

Come bring them in, and for this happy conquest

Triumph, and solemnize a martiall feast.

Exeunt.

Nav.