The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Tamburlaine Part 2

Act: 1 Scene: 3
Techelles
And mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly God,
Whose lookes make this inferiour world to quake,
I here present thee with the crowne of Fesse,
And with an hoste of Moores trainde to the war,
Whose coleblacke faces make their foes retire,
And quake for feare, as if infernall Jove
Meaning to aid thee in this Turkish armes,
Should pierce the blacke circumference of hell,
With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags,
And millions of his strong tormenting spirits:
From strong Tesella unto Biledull,
All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake.
Techelles
And I have martch'd along the river Nile ,
To Machda, where the mighty Christian Priest
Caltd John the great, sits in a milk-white robe,
Whose triple Myter I did take by force,
And made him sweare obedience to my crowne.
From thence unto Cazates did I martch,
Wher Amazonians met me in the field:
With whom (being women) I vouchsaft a league,
And with my power did march to Zansibar ,
The Westerne part of Affrike, where I view'd
The Ethiopian sea, rivers and lakes:
But neither man nor child in al the land:
Therfore I tooke my course to Manico :
Where unresisted I remoov'd my campe.
And by the coast of Byather at last,
I came to Cubar, where the Negros dwell,
And conquering that, made haste to Nubia,
There having sacks Borno the Kingly seat,
I took the king, and lead him bound in chaines
Unto Damasco, where I staid before.
Act: 3 Scene: 3
Techelles
Then let us bring our light Artilery,
Minions, Fauknets, and Sakars to the trench,
Filling the ditches with the walles wide breach,
And enter in, to seaze upon the gold:
How say ye Souldiers, Shal we not?
Techelles
Nay Captain, thou art weary of thy life,
If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlain.
Techelles
Captaine, these Moores shall cut the leaden pipes,
That bring fresh water to thy men and thee:
And lie in trench before thy castle walles,
That no supply of victuall shall come in,
Nor any issue foorth, but they shall die:
And therefore Captaine, yeeld it quietly.
Techelles
A hundred horse shall scout about the plaines
To spie what force comes to relieve the horde.
Both we (Theridamas) wil intrench our men,
And with the Jacobs staffe measure the height
And distance of the castle from the trench,
That we may know if our artillery
Will carte full point blancke unto their wals.
Techelles
Trumpets and drums, alarum presently,
And souldiers play the men, the hold is yours.
Act: 3 Scene: 4
Techelles
Twas bravely done, and like a souldiers wife.
Thou shalt with us to Tamburlaine the great,
Who when he heares how resolute thou wert,
Wil match thee with a viceroy or a king.
Techelles
Madam, sooner shall fire consume us both,
Then scortch a face so beautiful as this,
In frame of which, Nature hath shewed more skill,
Than when she gave eternall Chaos forme,
Drawing from it the shining Lamps of heaven.
Techelles
No Madam, but the beginning of your joy,
Come willinglie, therfore.
Act: 3 Scene: 5
Techelles
I smile to think, how when this field is fought,
And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat
With carrieng pearle and treasure on their backes.
Act: 4 Scene: 1
Techelles and Usumcasane
Let al of us intreat your highnesse pardon.
Act: 4 Scene: 3
Techelles
Nay, we wil break the hedges of their mouths
And pul their kicking colts out of their pastures.
Techelles
Let us not be idle then my Lord,
But presently be press to conquer it.
Act: 5 Scene: 1
Techelles
Yeeld foolish Governour, we offer more
Than ever yet we did to such proud slaves,
As durst resist us till our third daies siege:
Thou seest us prest to give the last assault,
And that shal bide no more regard of parlie.
Techelles
What shal be done with their wives and children my Lord.
Techelles
I will about it straight, come Souldiers.
Techelles
I have fulfil'd your highnes wil, my Lord,
Thousands of men drown'd in Asphaltis Lake,
Have made the water swell above the bankes,
And fishes fed by humaine carkasses,
Amasde, swim up and downe upon the waves,
As when they swallow Assafatida,
Which makes them fleet aloft and gaspe for aire.
Techelles
What is it dares distemper Tamburlain?
Act: 5 Scene: 3
Techelles
O then ye Powers that sway eternal seates,
And guide this messy substance of the earthe,
If you retaine desert of holinesse,
As your supreame estates instruct our thoughtes,
Be not inconstant, carelesse of your fame,
Beare not the burthen of your enemies joyes,
Triumphing in his fall whom you advaunst,
But as his birth, life, health and majesty
Were strangely blest and governed by heaven,
So honour heaven til heaven dissolved be,
His byrth, his life, his health and majesty.
Techelles
Sit stil my gratious Lord, this griefe wil cease ,
And cannot last, it is so violent.
Techelles
Then let some God oppose his holy power,
Against the wrath and tyranny of death,
That his teare-thyrsty and unquenched hate,
May be upon himselfe reverberate.