The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2


Act: 1 Scene: 1
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.