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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2

Act: 1 Scene: 1- --

[Enter]Orcanes, king of Natolia, Gazellus, Yice-roy of Byron, Uribassa , and their traine, with drums and trumpets.

Orcanes

Egregious Viceroyes of these Eastern parts

Plac'd by the issue of great Bajazeth ,

And sacred Lord, the mighty Calapine:

Who lives in Egypt, prisoner to that slave,

Which kept his father in an yron cage:

Now have we martcht from faire Natolia

Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius banks,

Our warlike hoste in compleat armour rest,

Where Sigismond the king of Hungary

Should meet our person to conclude a truce.

What? Shall we parle with the Christian,

Or crosse the streame, and meet him in the field?

Gazellus

King of Natolia, let us treat of peace,

We all are glutted with the Christians blood,

And have a greater foe to fight against,

Proud Tamburlaine, that now in Asia,

Neere Guyrons head doth set his conquering feet,

And means to fire Turky as he goes:

Gainst him my Lord must you addresse your power.

Uribassa

Besides, king Sigismond hath brought from Christendome,

More then his Camp of stout Hungarians,

Sclavonians, Almans, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes,

That with the Holbard, Lance, and murthering Axe,

Will hazard that we might with surety hold.

Orcanes

Though from the shortest Northren Paralell,

Vast Gruntland compass with the frozen sea,

Inhabited with tall and sturdy men,

Gyants as big as hugie Polypheme:

Millions of Souldiers cut the Artick line,

Bringing the strength of Europe to these Armes:

Our Turky blades shal glide through al their throats,

And make this champion mead a bloody Fen.

Danubius stream that runs toTrebizon,

Shall carte wrapt within his scarlet waves,

As martiall presents to our friends at home,

The slaughtered bodies of these Christians.

The Terrene main wherin Danubius fals,

Shall by this battell be the bloody Sea.

The wandring Sailers of proud Italy,

Shall meet those Christians fleeting with the tyde,

Beating in heaps against their Argoses,

And make faire Europe mounted on her bull,

Trapt with the wealth and riches of the world,

Alight and weare a woful mourning weed.

Gazellus

Yet stout Orcanes, Prorex of the world,

Since Tamburlaine hath mustred all his men,

Marching from Cairon northward with his camp,

To Alexandria, and the frontier townes,

Meaning to make a conquest of our land:

Tis requisit to parle for a peace

With Sigismond the king of Hungary:

And save our forces for the hot assaults

Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia.

Orcanes

Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said:

My realme, the Center of our Empery

Once lost, All Turkie would be overthrowne:

And for that cause the Christians shall have peace

Slavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes

Feare not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine :

Nor he but Fortune that hath made him great.

We have revolted Grecians, Albanees,

Cicilians, Jewes, Arabians, Turks, and Moors,

Natolians, Sorians, blacke Egyptians,

Illirians, Thracians, and Bythinians,

Enough to swallow forcelesse Sigismond,

Yet scarse enough t'encounter Tamburlaine.

He brings a world of people to the field,

From Scythia to the Orientall Plage

Of India, wher raging Lantchidol

Beates on the regions with his boysterous blowes,

That never sea-man yet discovered:

All Asia is in Armes with Tamburlaine.

Even from the midst of fiery Cancers Tropick,

To Amazonia under Capricorne,

And thence as far as Archipellago:

All Affrike is in Armes with Tamburlaine.

Therefore Viceroies the Christians must have peace.

[Enter] Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, and their traine with drums and trumpets.

Sigismond

Orcanes (as our Legates promist thee)

Wee with our Peeres have cross Danubius stream

To treat of friendly peace or deadly war:

Take which thou wilt, for as the Romans usde

I here present thee with a naked sword.

Wilt thou have war, then shake this blade at me,

If peace, restore it to my hands againe:

And I wil sheath it to confirme the same.

Orcanes

Stay Sigismond, forgetst thou I am he

That with the Cannon shooke Vienna walles,

And made it dance upon the Continent:

As when the messy substance of the earth,

Quiver about the Axeltree of heaven.

Forgetst thou that I sent a shower of cartes

Mingled with powdered shot and fethered steele

So thick upon the blink-ei'd Burghers heads,

That thou thy self, then County-Pallatine,

The king of Boheme, and the Austrich Duke,

Sent Herralds out, which basely on their knees

In all your names desirde a truce of me?

Forgetst thou, that to have me raise my siege,

Wagons of gold were set before my tent:

Stampt with the princely Foule that in her wings

Caries the fearfull thunderbolts of Jove .

How canst thou think of this and offer war?

Sigismond

Vienna was besieg'd, and I was there,

Then County-Pallatine,but now a king:

And what we did, was in extremity:

But now Orcanes, view my royall hoste,

That hides these plaines, and seems as vast and wide,

As dooth the Desart of Arabia

To those that stand on Badgeths lofty Tower,

Or as the Ocean to the Traveiler

That restes upon the snowy Appenines:

And tell me whether I should stoope so low,

Or treat of peace with the Natolian king?

Gazellus

Kings of Natolia and of Hungarie,

We came from Turky to confirme a league,

And not to dare ech other to the field:

A friendly parle might become ye both.

Fredericke

And we from Europe to the same intent,

Which if your General refuse or scorne,

Our Tents are pitcht, our men stand in array,

Ready to charge you ere you stir your feet.

Orcanes

So press are we, but yet if Sigismond

Speake as a friend, and stand not upon tearmes,

Here is his sword, let peace be ratified

On these conditions specified before,

Drawen with advise of our Ambassadors.

Sigismond

Then here I sheath it, and give thee my hand,

Never to draw it out, or manage armes

Against thy selfe or thy confederates:

But whilst I live will be at truce with thee.

Orcanes

But confirme it with an oath,

And sweare in sight of heaven and by thy Christ.

Sigismond

By him that made the world and sav'd my soule,

The sonne of God and issue of a Mayd,

Sweet Jesus Christ, I sollemnly protest,

And vow to keepe this peace inviolable.

Orcanes

By sacred Mahomet, the friend of God,

Whose holy Alcaron remaines with us,

Whose glorious body when he left the world,

Closde in a coffyn mounted up the aire,

And hung on stately Mecas Temple roofe,

I sweare to keepe this truce inviolable:

Of whose conditions, and our solemne othes

Sign'd with our handes, each shal retaine a scrowle:

As memorable witnesse of our league.

Now Sigismond, if any Christian King

Encroche upon the confines of thy realme,

Send woord, Orcanes of Natolia

Confirm'd this league beyond Danubius streame,

And they will (trembling) sound a quicke retreat,

So am I fear'd among all Nations.

Sigismond

If any heathen potentate or king

Invade Natolia, Sigismond will send

A hundred thousand horse train'd to the war,

And backs by stout Lanceres of Germany ,

The strength and sinewes of the imperiall seat.

Orcanes

I thank thee Sigismond, but when I war

All Asia Minor, Affrica, and Greece

Follow my Standard and my thundring Drums:

Come let us goe and banquet in our tents:

I will dispatch chiefe of my army hence

To faire Natolie, and to Trebizon,

To stay my comming gainst proud Tamburlaine.

Freend Sigismond, and peeres of Hungary,

Come banquet and carouse with us a while,

And then depart we to our territories.

Exeunt.

Act: 1 Scene: 2- -

[Enter]Callapine with Almeda, his keeper.

Callapine

Sweet Almeda, pity the ruthfull plight

Of Callapine, the sonne of Bajazeth,

Born to be Monarch of the Western world:

Yet here detain'd by quell Tamburlaine.

Almeda

My Lord I pitie it, and with my heart

Wish your release, but he whose wrath is death,

My soveraigne Lord, renowmed Tamburlain ,

Forbids you further liberty than this.

Callapine

Ah were I now but halfe so eloquent

To paint in woords, what Ile perfourme in deeds,

I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me.

Almeda

Not for all Affrike, therefore moove me not.

Callapine

Yet heare me speake my gentle Almeda.

Almeda

No speech to that end, by your favour sir.

Callapine

By Cairo runs—

Almeda

No talke of running, I tell you sir.

Callapine

A litle further, gentle Almeda.

Almeda

Wel sir, what of this?

Callapine

By Cairo runs to Alexandria Bay,

Darotes streames, wherin at anchor lies

A Turkish Gally of my royall fleet,

Waiting my comming to the river side,

Hoping by some means I shall be releast,

Which when I come aboord will hoist up saile,

And soon put foorth into the Terrene sea:

Where twixt the Isles of Cyprus and of Creete,

We quickly may in Turkish seas arrive.

Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more

Upon their knees, all bid me welcome home.

Amongst so many crownes of burnisht gold,

Choose which thou wilt, all are at thy command.

A thousand Gallies mann'd with Christian slaves

I freely give thee, which shall cut the straights,

And bring Armados from the coasts of Spaine ,

Fraughted with golde of rich America:

The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee,

Skilful in musicke and in amorous lades:

As faire as was Pigmalions Ivory gyrle,

Or lovely Io metamorphosed.

With naked Negros shall thy coach be drawer,

And as thou rid'st in triumph through the streets,

The pavement underneath thy chariot wheels

With Turky Carpets shall be covered:

And cloath of Arras hung about the walles,

Fit objects for thy princely eie to pierce.

A hundred Bassoes cloath'd in crimson silk

Shall ride before the on Barbarian Steeds:

And when thou goest, a golden Canapie

Enchac'd with pretious stones, which shine as bright

As that faire vail that covers all the world:

When Phoebus leaping from his Hemi-Spheare,

Discendeth downward to th'Antipodes.

And more than this, for all I cannot tell.

Almeda

How far hence lies the Galley, say you?

Callapine

Sweet Almeda, scarse halfe a league from hence.

Almeda

But need we not be spied going aboord?

Callapine

Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill

And crooked bending of a craggy rock,

The sailes wrapt up, the mast and tacklings downe,

She lies so close that none can find her out.

Almeda

I like that well: but tel me my Lord, if I should let you goe, would you bee as good as your word? Shall I be made a king for my labour?

Callapine

As I am Callapine the Emperour,

And by the hand of Mahomet I sweare,

Thou shalt be crown'd a king and be my mate.

Almeda

Then here I sweare, as I am Almeda,

Your Keeper under Tamburlaine the great,

(For that's the style and tytle I have yet)

Although he sent a thousand armed men

To intercept this haughty enterprize,

Yet would I venture to conduct your Grace,

And die before I brought you backe again.

Callapine

Thanks gentle Almeda, then let us haste,

Least time be past, and lingring let us both.

Almeda

When you will my Lord, I am ready.

Callapine

Even straight: and farewell cursed Tamburlaine.

Now goe I to revenge my fathers death.

Exeunt.

Act: 1 Scene: 3- -

[Enter]Tamburlaine with Zenocrate, and his three sonnes, Calyphas, Amyras, and Celebinus, with drummes and trumpets.

Tamburlaine

Now, bright Zenocrate, the worlds faire eie,

Whose beames illuminate the lamps of heaven,

Whose cheerful looks do cleare the clowdy aire

And cloath it in a christall liverie,

Now rest thee here on faire Larissa Plaines,

Where Egypt and the Turkish Empire parts,

Betweene thy sons that shall be Emperours,

And every one Commander of a world.

Zenoocrate

Sweet Tamburlain, when wilt thou leave these armes

And save thy sacred person free from scathe:

And dangerous chances of the wrathfull war?

Tamburlaine

When heaven shal cease to moove on both the poles

And when the ground wheron my souldiers march

Shal rise aloft and touch the horned Moon,

And not before, my sweet Zenocrate:

Sit up and rest thee like a lovely Queene.

So, now she sits in pompe and majestie:

When these my sonnes, more precious in mine eies

Than all the wealthy kingdomes I subdewed:

Plac'd by her side, looke on their mothers face.

But yet me thks irinthe looks are amorous,

Not martiall as the sons of Tamburlaine .

Water and ayre being simbolisde in one,

Argue their want of courage and of wit:

Their haire as white as milke and soft as Downe,

Which should be like the quilles of Porcupines,

As blacke as Jeat, and hard as Iron or steel,

Bewraies they are too dainty for the wars.

Their fingers made to quaver on a Lute,

Their armes to hang about a Ladies necke:

Their legs to dance and caper in the aire:

Would make me thinke them Bastards, not my sons,

But that I know they issued from thy wombe,

That never look'd on man but Tamburlaine.

Zenocrate

My gratious Lord, they have their mothers looks,

But when they list, their conquering fathers hart:

This lovely boy the yongest of the three,

Not long agoe bestrid a Scythian Steed:

Trotting the ring, and tilting at a glove:

Which when he tainted with his slender rod,

He raign'd him straight and made him so curves,

As I cried out for feare he should have falne.

Tamburlaine

Wel done my boy, thou shalt have shield and lance,

Armour of proofe, horse, helme, and Curtle-axe,

And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe,

And harmelesse run among the deadly pikes.

If thou wilt love the warres and follow me,

Thou shalt be made a King and raigne with me,

Keeping in yron cages Emperours.

If thou exceed thy elder Brothers worth,

And shine in compleat vertue more than they,

Thou shalt be king before them, and thy seed

Shall issue crowned from their mothers wombe.

Celebinus

Yes father, you shal see me if I live,

Have under me as many kings as you,

And martch with such a multitude of men,

As all the world shall tremble at their view.

Tamburlaine

These words assure me boy, thou art my sonne,

When I am old and cannot mannage armes,

Be thou the scourge and terrour of the world.

Amyras

Why may not I my Lord, as wel as he,

Be tearm'd the scourge and terrour of the world?

Tamburlaine

Be al a scourge and terror to the world,

Or els you are not sons of Tamburlaine.

Calyphas

But while my brothers follow armes my lord,

Let me accompany my gratious mother,

They are enough to conquer all the world

And you have won enough for me to keep.

Tamburlaine

Bastardly boy, sprong from some cowards loins,

And not the issue of great Tamburlaine :

Of all the provinces I have subdued

Thou shalt not have a foot, unlesse thou beare

A mind corragious and invincible:

For he shall weare the crowne of Persea,

Whose head hath deepest scarres, whose breast most woundes,

Which being wroth, sends lightning from his eies,

And in the furrowes of his frowning browes,

Harbors revenge, war, death and cruelty:

For in a field whose superficies

Is covered with a liquid purple veile,

And sprinkled with the braines of slaughtered men,

My royal chaire of state shall be advanc'd:

And he that meanes to place himselfe therein

Must armed wade up to the chin in blood.

Zenocrate

My Lord, such speeches to our princely sonnes,

Dismaies their minces before they come to proove

The wounding troubles angry war affoords.

Celebinus

No Madam, these are speeches fit for us,

For if his chaire were in a sea of blood,

I would prepare a ship and saile to it,

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king.

Amyras

And I would strive to swim through pooles of blood,

Or make a bridge of murthered Carcases,

Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks,

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king.

Tamburlaine

Wel lovely boies, you shal be Emperours both,

Stretching your conquering armes from east to west:

And sirha, if you meane to weare a crowne,

When we shall meet the Turkish Deputie

And all his Viceroies, snatch it from his head,

And cleave his Pericranion with thy sword.

Calyphas

If any man will hold him, I will strike,

And cleave him to the channell with my sword.

Tamburlaine

Hold him, and cleave him too, or Ile cleave thee,

For we will martch against them presently.

Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane

Promist to meet me on Larissa plaines

With hostes apeece against this Turkish crue,

For I have sworne by sacred Mahomet,

To make it parcel of my Empery.

The trumpets sound, Zenocrate, they come.

EnterTheridamas, and his traine with Drums and Trumpets.

Tamburlaine

Welcome Theridamas, king of Argier.

Theridamas

My Lord the great and mighty Tamburlain,

Arch-Monarke of the world, I offer here,

My crowne, my selfe, and all the power I have,

In all affection at thy kingly feet.

Tamburlaine

Thanks good Theridamas.

Theridamas

Under my collors march ten thousand Greeks,

And of Argier and Affriks frontier townes

Twise twenty thousand valiant men at armes,

All which have sworne to sacke Natolia:

Five hundred Briggandines are under saile,

Meet for your service on the sea, my Lord,

That ranching from Argier to Tripoly,

Will quickly ride before Natolia:

And batter downe the castles on the shore.

Tamburlaine

Wel said Argier, receive thy crowne againe.

Enter Techelles and Usumcasane together.

Tamburlaine

Kings of Morocus and of Fesse, welcome.

Usumcasane

Magnificent and peerlesse Tamburlaine,

I and my neighbor King of Fesse have brought

To aide thee in this Turkish expedition,

A hundred thousand expert souldiers:

From Azamor to Tunys neare the sea,

Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake,

And all the men in armour under me,

Which with my crowne I gladly offer thee.

Tamburlaine

Thanks king of Morocus, take your crown again.

Techelles

And mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly God,

Whose lookes make this inferiour world to quake,

I here present thee with the crowne of Fesse,

And with an hoste of Moores trainde to the war,

Whose coleblacke faces make their foes retire,

And quake for feare, as if infernall Jove

Meaning to aid thee in this Turkish armes,

Should pierce the blacke circumference of hell,

With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags,

And millions of his strong tormenting spirits:

From strong Tesella unto Biledull,

All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake.

Tamburlaine

Thanks king of Fesse, take here thy crowne again.

Your presence (loving friends and fellow kings)

Makes me to surfet in conceiving joy.

If all the christall gates of Joves high court

Were opened wide, and I might enter in

To see the state and majesty of heaven,

It could not more delight me than your sight.

Now will we banquet on these plaines a while,

And after martch to Turky with our Campe,

In number more than are the drops that fall

When Boreas rents a thousand swelling cloudes,

And proud Orcanes of Natolia,

With all his viceroies shall be so affraide,

That though the stones, as at Deucalions flood,

Were turnde to men, he should be overcome:

Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood,

That Jove shall send his winged Messenger

To bid me sheath my sword, and leave the field:

The Sun unable to sustaine the sight,

Shall hide his head in Thetis watery lap,

And leave his steeds to faire Boetes charge:

For halfe the world shall perish in this fight:

But now my friends, let me examine ye,

How have ye spent your absent time from me?

Usumcasane

My Lord, our men of Barbary have martcht

Foure hundred miles with armour on their backes,

And laine in leagre fifteene moneths and more,

For since we left you at the Souldans court,

We have subdude the Southerne Guallatia,

And all the land unto the coast of Spaine .

We kept the narrow straight of Gibralter,

And made Canarea cal us kings and Lords,

Yet never did they recreate themselves,

Or cease one day from war and hot alarms,

And therefore let them rest a while my Lord.

Tamburlaine

They shal Casane, and tis time yfaith.

Techelles

And I have martch'd along the river Nile ,

To Machda, where the mighty Christian Priest

Caltd John the great, sits in a milk-white robe,

Whose triple Myter I did take by force,

And made him sweare obedience to my crowne.

From thence unto Cazates did I martch,

Wher Amazonians met me in the field:

With whom (being women) I vouchsaft a league,

And with my power did march to Zansibar ,

The Westerne part of Affrike, where I view'd

The Ethiopian sea, rivers and lakes:

But neither man nor child in al the land:

Therfore I tooke my course to Manico :

Where unresisted I remoov'd my campe.

And by the coast of Byather at last,

I came to Cubar, where the Negros dwell,

And conquering that, made haste to Nubia,

There having sacks Borno the Kingly seat,

I took the king, and lead him bound in chaines

Unto Damasco, where I staid before.

Tamburlaine

Well done Techelles: what saith Theridamas?

Theridamas

I left the confines and the bounds of Affrike

And made a voyage into Europe ,

Where by the river Tyros I subdew'd

Stoka, Padalia, and Codemia.

Then cross the sea and came to Oblia ,

And Nigra Silva, where the Devils dance,

Which in despight of them I set on fire:

From thence I cross the Gulfe, call'd by the name

Mare magiore, of th'inhabitantes:

Yet shall my souldiers make no period

Untill Natolia kneele before your feet.

Tamburlaine

Then wil we triumph, banquet and carouse,

Cookes shall have pensions to provide us cates,

And glut us with the dainties of the world,

Lachrima Christi and Calabrian wines

Shall common Souldiers drink in quafling boules,

I, liquid golde when we have conquer'd him,

Mingled with corrall and with orient pearle:

Come let us banquet and carrouse the whiles.

Exeunt.

Nav.