The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2


Act: 1 Scene: 2
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.
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.
Yet heare me speake my gentle Almeda.
By Cairo runs—
A litle further, gentle Almeda.
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.
Sweet Almeda, scarse halfe a league from hence.
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.
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.
Thanks gentle Almeda, then let us haste,
Least time be past, and lingring let us both.
Even straight: and farewell cursed Tamburlaine.
Now goe I to revenge my fathers death.

Act: 3 Scene: 1
Thrice worthy kings of Natolie, and the rest,
I will requite your royall gratitudes
With all the benefits my Empire yeelds:
And were the sinowes of th'imperiall seat
So knit and strengthned, as when Bejezeth
My royall Lord and father fild the throne,
Whose cursed fate hath so dismembred it,
Then should you see this Thiefe of Scythia,
This proud usurping king of Persea,
Do us such honor and supremacie,
Bearing the vengeance of our fathers wrongs,
As all the world should blot our dignities
Out of the booke of base borne infamies.
And now I doubt not but your royall cares
Hath so provided for this cursed foe,
That since the heire of mighty Bajezeth
(An Emperour so honoured for his vertues)
Revives the spirits of true Turkish hearses,
In grievous memorie of his fathers shame,
We shall not need to nourish any doubt,
But that proud Fortune, who hath followed long
The martiall sword of mighty Tamburlaine,
Will now retaine her olde inconstancie,
And raise our honors to as high a pitch
In this our strong and fortunate encounter.
For so hath heaven provided my escape,
From al the crueltie my soule sustaind,
By this my friendly keepers happy meanes,
That Jove surchardg'd with pity of our wrongs,
Will poure it downe in showers on our heads:
Scourging the pride of cursed Tamburlain.
Wel then my noble Lords, for this my friend,
That freed me from the bondage of my foe:
I thinke it requisite and honorable,
To keep my promise, and to make him king,
That is a Gentleman (I know) at least.
Then wil I shortly keep my promise Almeda.

Act: 3 Scene: 5
My royal army is as great as his,
That from the bounds of Phrigia to the sea
Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves,
Covers the tails, the valleies and the plainest
Viceroles and Peeres of Turky play the men,
Whet all your swords to mangle Tamburlain ,
His sonnes, his Captaines and his followers,
By Mahomet not one of them shal live.
The field wherin this battaile shall be fought,
For ever terme, the Perseans sepulchre,
In memorie of this our victory.
Tell me Viceroies the number of your men,
And what our Army royall is esteem'd.
Then welcome Tamburlaine unto thy death.
Come puissant Viceroies, let us to the field,
(The Perseans Sepulchre) and sacrifice
Mountaines of breathlesse men to Mahomet ,
Who now with love opens the firmament,
To see the slaughter of our enemies.
Raile not proud Scythian, I shall now revenge
My fathers vile abuses and mine owne.
Nay, when the battaile ends, al we wil meet,
And sit in councell to invent some paine,
That most may vex his body and his soule.
Wel, in despight of thee he shall be king:
Come Almeda, receive this crowne of me,
I here invest thee king of Ariadan,
Bordering on Mare Roso neere to Meca.
Doost thou aske him leave? Here, take it.

Act: 5 Scene: 2
King of Amasia, now our mighty hoste,
Marcheth in Asia major, where the streames,
Of Euphrates and Tigris swiftly runs,
And here may we behold great Babylon ,
Circled about with Limnasphaltis Lake,
Where Tamburlaine with all his armie lies,
Which being faint and weary with the siege,
Wee may lie ready to encounter him,
Before his hoste be full from Babylon,
And so revenge our latest grievous losse,
If God or Mahomet send any aide.
When I record my Parents slavish life,
Their cruel death, mine owne captivity,
My Viceroies bondage under Tamburlaine,
Me thinks I could sustaine a thousand deaths,
To be reveng'd of all his Villanie.
Ah sacred Mahomet, thou that hast seene
Millions of Turkes perish by Tamburlaine,
Kingdomes made waste, brave cities sacks and burnt,
And but one hoste is left to honor thee:
Aid thy obedient servant Callapine ,
And make him after all these overthrowes,
To triumph over cursed Tamburlaine.
Captaine, the force of Tamburlaine is great,
His fortune greater, and the victories
Wherewith he hath so sore dismaide the world,
Are greatest to discourage all our drifts,
Yet when the pride of Cynthia is at full,
She waines againe, and so shall his I hope,
For we have here the chiefe selected men
Of twenty severall kingdomes at the least:
Nor plowman, Priest, nor Merchant staies at home,
All Turkie is in armes with Callapine.
And never wil we sunder camps and armes,
Before himselfe or his be conquered.
This is the time that must eternize me,
For conquering the Tyrant of the world.
Come Souldiers, let us lie in wait for him
And if we find him absent from his campe,
Or that it be rejoin'd again at full,
Assaile it and be sure of victorie.