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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2

Act: 4 Scene: 2

Distrest Olympia, whose weeping eies

Since thy arrivall here beheld no Sun,

But closde within the compasse of a tent,

Hath stain'd thy cheekes, and made thee look like death,

Devise some meanes to rid thee of thy life,

Rather than yeeld to his detested suit,

Whose drift is onely to dishonor thee.

And since this earth, dew'd with thy brinish teares,

Affoords no hearbs, whose taste may poison thee,

Nor yet this seer, beat often with thy sighes,

Contagious smels, and vapors to infect thee,

Nor thy close Cave a sword to murther thee,

Let this invention be the instrument.

My Lord and husbandes death, with my sweete sons,

With whom I buried al affections,

Save griefe and sorrow which torment my heart,

Forbids my mind to entertaine a thought

That tends to love, but meditate on death,

A fitter subject for a pensive soule.

Ah, pity me my Lord, and draw your sword,

Making a passage for my troubled soule,

Which beates against this prison to get out,

And meet my husband and my loving sonne.

No such discourse is pleasant in mine eares,

But that where every period ends with death,

And every line begins with death againe:

I cannot love to be an Emperesse.

Stay good my Lord, and wil you save my honor,

Ile give your Grace a present of such price,

As all the world cannot affoord the like.

An ointment which a cunning Alcumist

Distilled from the purest Balsamum,

And simplest extracts of all Minerals,

In which the essentiall fourme of Marble stone,

Tempered by science metaphisicall,

And Spels of magicke from the mouthes of spirits,

With which if you but noint your tender Skin,

Nor Pistol, Sword, nor Lance can pierce your flesh.

To proove it, I wil noint my naked throat,

Which when you stab, looke on your weapons point,

And you shall se't rebated with the blow.

My purpose was (my Lord) to spend it so,

But was prevented by his sodaine end.

And for a present easie proofe hereof,

That I dissemble not, trie it on me.

Now stab my Lord, and mark your weapons point

That wil be blunted if the blow be great.