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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 1

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.]

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