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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 1

Act: 3 Scene: 1

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.

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.

Bajazeth

True (Argier) and tremble at my lookes.

Bajazeth

All this is true as holy Mahomet,

And all the trees are blasted with our breathes.

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.

Act: 3 Scene: 3

Bajazeth

Bassoes and Janisaries of my Guard,

Attend upon the person of your Lord,

The greatest Potentate of Affrica.

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?

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.

Bajazeth

Wel said my stout contributory kings,

Your threefold armie and my hugie hoste,

Shall swallow up these base borne Perseans.

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.

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.

Bajazeth

Come Kings and Bassoes, let us glut our swords

That thirst to drinke the feble Perseans blood.

Bajazeth

Thou, by the fortune of thisdamned foile.

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.

Bajazeth

Yet set a ransome on me Tamburlaine.

Bajazeth

Ah villaines, dare ye touch my sacred armes?

O Mahomet, Oh sleepie Mahomet.