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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2

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.