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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2

Act: 5 Scene: 1

What saith Maximus?

Villaine, respects thou more thy slavish life,

Than honor of thy countrie or thy name?

Is not my life and state as deere to me,

The citie and my native countries weale,

As any thing of price with thy conceit?

Have we not hope, for all our battered walles,

To live secure, and keep his forces out,

When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis

Makes walles a fresh with every thing that falles

Into the liquid substance of his streame,

More strong than are the gates of death or hel?

What faintnesse should dismay our courages,

When we are thus defenc'd against our Foe,

And have no terrour but his threatning lookes?

How is my soule environed,

And this eternisde citie Babylon,

Fill'd with a packe of faintheart Fugitives,

That thus intreat their shame and servitude?

Villaines, cowards, Traitors to our state.

Fall to the earth, and pierce the pit of Hel,

That legions of tormenting spirits may vex

Your slavish bosomes with continuall paines,

I care not, nor the towne will never yeeld

As long as any life is in my breast.

Tyrant I turne the traitor in thy throat,

And wil defend it in despight of thee.

Call up the soldiers to defend these wals.

Assault and spare not, we wil never yeeld.

Nor if my body could have stopt the breach,

Shouldst thou have entred, cruel Tamburlaine:

Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yeeld,

Nor yet thy self, the anger of the highest,

For though thy cannon shook the citie walles,

My heart did never quake, or corrage faint.

Vile monster, born of some infernal hag,

And sent from hell to tyrannise on earth,

Do all thy wurst, nor death, nor Tamburlaine,

Torture or paine can daunt my dreadlesse minde.

But Tamburlaine in Lymnasphaltis lake,

There lies more gold than Babylon is worth,

Which when the citie was besieg'd I hid,

Save but my life and I wil give it thee.

Under a hollow bank, right opposite

Against the Westerne gate of Babylon.

Yet save my life, and let this wound appease

The mortall furie of great Tamburlain.