Tamburlaine the Great Who, from a Scythian shephearde, by his rare and woonderfull conquests, became a most puissant and mightye monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in warre) was tearmed, the scourge of God. Deuided into two tragicall discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon stages in the citie of London. By the right honorable the Lord Admyrall, his seruauntes.

Tamburlaine the Great Who, from a Scythian shephearde, by his rare and woonderfull conquests, became a most puissant and mightye monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in warre) was tearmed, the scourge of God. Deuided into two tragicall discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon stages in the citie of London. By the right honorable the Lord Admyrall, his seruauntes.

Table of contents

Title page

To the Gentlemen Readers: and others that take pleasure in reading Histories.

The two tragical Discourses of mighty Tamburlaine, the Scythian Shepheard. &c.

The Prologue.

Actus. 1.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 1. Scoena. 2:

Actus. 2.

Scaena. 1.

Act. 2. Scaena. 2,

Actus. 2. Scaena. 3.

[4]

[5]

Actus. 2. Scaena. 6.

Actus. 3.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 3. Scaena. 2.

Act. 3. Scaena. 3,

Actus. 4.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 4. Scaena. 2.

Act. 4. Scaena. 3,

Actus: 4. Scaena 5.

Actus: 5.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 5. Scaena. 2.

§

THE SECOND PART OF The bloody Conquests of mighty Tamburlaine. With his impassionate fury, for the death of his Lady and loue, faire Zenocrate: his fourme of exhortation and discipline to his three sons, and the maner of his own death.

The Prologue.

Actus. 1.

Scaena. 1.

Act. 1. Scaena. 2,

Actus. 1. Scaena. 3.

Actus. 1. Scaena. 4.

Actus: 1. Scaena. 5.

Actus. 1. Scaena. 6.

Actus. 2.

Scaena. 1.

Actus, 2. Scaena, 2.

[3]

Actus. 2. Scaena vltima.

Actus. 3.

Scaena. 1,

Actus. 2. Scaena. 2.

Actus. 3. Scaena. 1,

[4]

Actus: 3. Scaena. 5.

Actus. 2. Scaena. 1.

Actus. 4.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 4. Scaena. 3,

Actus. 4. Scaena. 4.

Actus. 5.

Scaena. 1.

Actus. 5. Scaena. 4.

Actus. 5. Scaena. 6.

§

§

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Tamburlaine the Great. Who, from a Scythian Shephearde, by his rare and woonderfull Conquests, became a most puissant and mightye Monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in Warre) was tearmed, The Scourge of God.

Deuided into two Tragicall Discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon Stages in the Citie of London.

By the right honorable the Lord Admyrall, his seruantes.

Now first, and newlie published.

LONDON. Printed by Richard Ihones: at the signe of the Rose and Crowne neere Holborne Bridge. 1590.

To the Gentlemen Readers: and others that take pleasure in reading Histories.

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GEntlemen, and curteous Readers whosoeuer: I haue here published in print for your sakes, the two tragical Discourses of the Scythian Shepheard, Tamburlaine, that became so great a Conquerour, and so mightie a Monarque: My hope is, that they wil be now no lesse acceptable vnto you to read after your serious affaires and studies, then they haue bene (lately) delightfull for many of you to see, when the same were shewed in London vpon stages: I haue (purposely) omitted and left out some fond and friuolous Iestures, digressing (and in my poore opinion) far vnmeet for the matter, which I thought, might seeme more tedious vnto the wise, than any way els to be regarded, though (happly) they haue bene of some vaine cōceited fondlings greatly gaped at, what times they were shewed vpon the stage in their graced deformities: neuertheles now, to be mixtured in print with such matter of worth, it wuld [Page] A2v prooue a great disgrace to so honorable & starely a historie: Great folly were it in me, to commend vnto your wisedomes, either the eloquence of the Authour that writ them, or the worthinesse of the matter it selfe; I therefore leaue vnto your learned censures, both the one and the other, and my selfe the poore printer of them vnto your most curteous and fauourable protection; which if you vouchsafe to accept, you shall euermore binde mee to imploy what trauell and seruice I can, to the adua uncing and pleasuring of your excellent degree.

Yours, most humble at commaundement, R. I. Printer

The two tragical Discourses of mighty Tamburlaine, the Scythian Shepheard. &c.

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The Prologue.

FRom iygging vaines of riming mother wits,

And such conceits as clownage keepes in pay,

Weele lead you to the stately tent of War.

Where you shall heare the Scythian Tamburlaine:

Threatning the world with high astounding tearms

And scourging kingdoms with his cōquering sword

View but his picture in this tragicke glasse,

And then applaud his fortunes as you please.

Actus. 1.

Scaena. 1.

Mycetes, Cosroe, Meander, Theridamas, Ortygius, Ceneus, with others.

Mycetes.

BRother Cosroe, I find my selfe agreeud,

Yet insufficient to expresse the same:

For it requires a great and thundring speech:

Good brother tell the cause vnto my Lords,

I know you haue a better wit than I.

Cos.

Vnhappie Persea, that in former age

Hast bene the seat of mightie Conquerors,

That in their prowesse and their pollicies,

Haue triumpht ouer Affrike, and the bounds

Of Europe, wher the Sun dares scarce appeare,

For freezing meteors and coniealed colde:

Now to be rulde and gouerned by a man,

At whose byrth-day Cynthia with Saturne ioinde,

And Ioue, the Sun and Mercurie denied

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To shed his influence in his fickle braine,

Now Turkes and Tartars shake their swords at th [...]

Meaning to mangle all thy Prouinces,

Mycet.

Brother, I see your meaning well enough.

And thorough your Planets I perceiue you thinke,

I am not wise enough to be a kinge,

But I refer me to my noble men,

That knowe my wit, and can be witnesses:

I might command you to be slaine for this,

Meander, might I not?

Meand.

Not for so small a fault my soueraigne Lord

Mycet.

I meane it not, but yet I know I might,

Yet liue, yea, liue, Mycetes wils it so:

Meander, thou my faithfull Counsellor,

Declare the cause of my conceiued griefe,

Which is (God knowes) about that Tamburlaine.

That like a Foxe in midst of haruest time,

Dooth pray vpnon my flockes of Passengers.

And as I heare, doth meane to pull my plumes,

Therefore tis good and meete for to be wise.

Meand.

Oft haue I heard your Maiestie complain,

Of Tamburlaine, that sturdie Scythian thiefe,

That robs your merchants of Persepolis,

Treading by land vnto the Westerne Isles,

And in your confines with his lawlesse traine,

Daily commits inciuill outrages.

Hoping (misled by dreaming prophesies)

To raigne in Asia, and with barbarous Armes,

To make himselfe the Monarch of the East:

But ere he march in Asia, or display

His vagrant Ensigne in the Persean fields,

Your Grace hath taken order by Theridimas,

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Chardg'd with a thousand horse, to apprehend

And bring him Captiue to your Highnese throne,

Myce.

Ful true thou speakst, & like thy selfe my lord

Whom I may tearme a Damon for thy loue.

Therefore tis best, if so it lik you all,

To send my thousand horse incontinent,

To apprehend that paltrie Scythian.

How like you this, my honorable Lords?

Is it not a kingly resolution?

Cosr.

It cannot choose, because it comes from you.

Myce.

Then heare thy charge, valiant Theridimas

The chiefest Captaine of Mycetes hoste,

The hope of Persea, and the verie legges

Whereon our state doth leane, as on a staffe,

That holds vs vp, and foiles our neighbour foes,

Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse,

Whose foming galle with rage and high disdaine,

Haue sworne the death of wicked Tamburlaine.

Go growning foorth, but come thou smyling home,

As did Sir Paris with the Grecian Dame,

Returne with speed, time passeth swift away,

Our life is fraile, and we may die to day.

Ther.

Before the Moone renew her borrowed light,

Doubt not my Lord and gratious Soueraigne,

But Tamburlaine, and that Tartarian rout,

Shall either perish by our warlike hands,

Or plead for mercie at your highnesse feet.

Myce.

Go, stout Theridimas, thy words are swords

And with thy lookes thou conquerest all thy foes:

I long to see thee back returne from thence,

That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine.

All loden with the heads of killed men,

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And from their knees, euen to their hoofes below,

Besmer'd with blood, that makes a dainty show.

The.

Then now my Lord, I humbly take my leaue.

Exit.

Myc.

Therid. farewel ten thousand times,

Ah, Menaphon, why staiest thou thus behind,

When other men prease forward for renowne?

Go Menaphon, go into Scythia,

And foot by foot follow Theridamas:

Cos.

Nay, pray you let him stay, a greater

Fits Menaphon, than warring with a Thiefe:

Create him Prorex of Affrica,

That he may win the Babylonians hearts,

Which will reuolt from Persean gouernment,

Vnlesse they haue a wiser king than you.

Myc.

Vnlesse they haue a wiser king than you?

These are his words, Meander set them downe.

Cos.

And ad this to them, that all Asia

Lament to see the follie of their King.

Myc.

Well here I sweare by this my royal seat.

Cos.

You may doe well to kisse it then.

Myc.

Embost with silke as best beseemes my state.

To be reueng'd for these contemptuous words.

O where is dutie and allegeance now?

Fled to the Caspean or the Ocean maine?

What, shall I call thee brother? No, a foe,

Monster of Nature, shame vnto thy stocke,

That dar'st presume thy Soueraigne for to mocke.

Meander come, I am abus'd Meander.

Exit.

Manent Cosroe & Menaphon.

Mena.

How now my Lord, what, mated and amaz'd

To heare the king thus thraten like himselfe?

Cos.

Ah Menaphon, I passe not for his threates,

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The plot is laid by Persean Noble men,

And Captaines of the Medean garrisons,

To crowne me Emperour of Asia,

But this it is that doth excruciate

The verie substance of my vexed soule!

To see our neighbours that were woont to quake

And tremble at the Persean Monarkes name,

Now sits and laughs our regiment to scorne,

And that which might resolue me into teares:

Men from the farthest Equinoctiall line,

Haue swarm'd in troopes into the Easterne India:

Lading their shippes with golde and pretious stones:

And made their spoiles from all our prouinces.

Mena.

This should intreat your highnesse to reioice,

Since Fortune giues you opportunity,

To gaine the tytle of a Conquerour,

By curing of this maimed Emperie,

Affrike and Europe bordering on your land,

And continent to your Dominions:

How easely may you with a mightie hoste,

Passe into Graecia, as did Cyrus once.

And cause them to withdraw their forces home,

Least you subdue the pride of Christendome!

Cos.

But Menaph. what means this trumpets sound

Mena.

Behold, my Lord Ortigius, and the rest,

Bringing the Crowne to make you Emperour.

Enter Ortigius & Conerus bearing a Crowne with others.

Ort.

Magnificent and mightie Prince Cosroe,

We in the name of other Persean states,

And commons of this mightie Monarchie,

Present thee with th'Emperiall Diadem.

[Page]A5vCene.

The warlike Souldiers, & the Gentlemen,

That heretofore haue fild Persepolis

With Affrike Captaines, taken in the field:

Whoose ransome made them martch in coates of gold,

With costlie iewels hanging at their eares,

And shining stones vpon their loftie Crestes,

Now liuing idle in the walled townes,

Wanting both pay and martiall discipline.

Begin in troopes to threaten ciuill warre.

And openly exclaime against the King.

Therefore to stay all sodaine mutinies,

We will inuest your Highnesse Emperour:

Whereat the Souldiers will conceiue more ioy,

Then did the Macedonians at the spoile

Of great Darius and his wealthy hoast.

Cosr.

Wel, since I see the state of Persea droope,

And languish in my brothers gouernment:

I willingly receiue th'mperiall crowne,

And vow to weare it for my countries good:

In spight of them shall malice my estate.

Ortyg.

And in assurance of desir'd successe,

We here doo crowne thee Monarch of the East,

Emperour of Asia, and of Persea,

Great Lord of Medea and Armenia:

Duke of Affrica and Albania,

Mesopotamia and of Parthia,

East India and the late discouered Isles,

Chiefe Lord of all the wide vast Euxine sea,

And of the euer raging Caspian Lake:

Long liue Cosroe mighty Emperour.

Cosr.

And Ioue may neuer let me longer liue,

Then I may seeke to gratifie your loue,

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And cause the souldiers that thus honour me,

To triumph ouer many Prouinces.

By whose desires of discipline in Armes,

I doubt not shortly but to raigne sole king,

And with the Armie of Theridamas,

Whether we presently will flie (my Lords)

To rest secure against my brothers force.

Ortyg

We knew my Lord, before we brought the crowne,

Intending your inuestion so neere,

The residence of your dispised brother,

The Lord would not be too exasperate,

To iniure or suppresse your woorthy tytle.

Or if they would, there are in readines

Ten thousand horse to carie you from hence,

In spite of all suspected enemies.

Cosr.

I know it wel my Lord, & thanke you all,

Ortyg.

Sound vp the trumpets then,

God saue the King.

Exeunt.

Actus. 1. Scoena. 2:

Tamburlaine leading Zenocrate: Techelles, Vsumeasane, other Lords and Souldiers loden with treasure.

Tam.

COme lady, let not this appal your thoughts

The iewels and the treasure we haue tane

Shall be reseru'd, and you in better state,

Than if you were arriu'd in Siria.

Euen in the circle of your Fathers armes:

The mightie Souldan of Egyptia.

Zeno.

Ah Shepheard, pity my distressed plight,

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(If as thou seem'st, thou art so meane a man)

And seeke not to inrich thy followers,

By lawlesse rapine from a silly maide.

Who traueiling with these Medean Lords

To Memphis, from my vncles country of Medea,

Where all my youth I haue vene gouerned,

Haue past the armie of the mightie Turke:

Bearing his priuie signet and his hand:

To safe conduct vs thorow Affrica:

Mag.

And since we haue arriu'd in Scythia,

Besides rich presents from the puisant Cham,

We haue his highnesse letters to command

Aide and assistance if we stand in need.

Tam.

But now you see these letters & commandes,

Are countermanded by a greater man:

And through my prouinces you must expect

Letters of conduct from my mightinesse,

If you intend to keep your treasure safe.

But since I loue to liue at liberty,

As easely may you get the Souldans crowne,

As any prizes out of my precinct.

For they are friends that help to weane my state,

Till men and kingdomes help to strengthen it:

And must maintaine my life exempt from seruitude.

But tell me Maddam, is your grace betroth'd:

Zen.

I am (my Lord,) for so you do import.

Tam.

I am a Lord, for so my deeds shall prooue,

And yet a shepheard by my Parentage:

But Lady, this faire face and heauenly hew,

Mud grace his bed that conquers Asia:

And meanes to be a terrour to the world,

Measuring the limits of his Emperie

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By East and west, as Phaebus doth his course:

Lie here ye weedes that I disdaine to weare,

This compleat armor, and this curtle-axe

Are adiuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine.

And Maddam, whatsoeuer you esteeme

Of this successe, and losse vnvallued,

Both may inuest you Empresse of the East:

And these that seeme but silly country Swaines,

May haue the leading of so great an host,

As with their waight shall make the mountains quake.

Euen as when windy exhalations,

Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.

Tec.

As princely Lions when they rouse themselues,

Stretching their pawes, and threatning heardes of Beastes.

So in his Armour looketh Tamburlaine:

Me thinks I see kings kneeling at his feet,

And he with frowning browes and fiery lookes[?],

Spurning their crownes from off their captiue heads.

Vsum.

And making thee and me Techelles, kinges,

That euen to death will follow Tamburlaine.

Tam.

Nobly resolu'd, sweet friends and followers,

These Lords (perhaps) do scorne our estimates:

And thinke we prattle with distempered spirits,

But since they measure our deserts so meane,

That in conceit bear Empires on our speares,

Affecting thoughts coequall with the cloudes,

They shall be kept our forced followers,

Till with their eies thee view vs Emperours.

Zen.

The Gods, defenders of the innocent,

Will neuer prosper your intended driftes,

That thus oppresse[?] poore friendles passengers.

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Therefore at least admit vs libertie,

Euen as thou hop'st to be eternized,

By liuing Asias mightie Emperour.

Agid.

I hope our Ladies treasure and our owne,

May serue for ransome to our liberties:

Returne our Mules and emptie Camels backe,

That we may traueile into Siria,

Where her betrothed Lord Alcidamus,

Expects th'arriuall of her highnesse person.

Mag.

And wheresoeuer we repose our selues,

We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

Tamb.

Disdaines Zenocrate to liue with me?

Or you my Lordes to be my followers?

Thinke you I way this treasure more than you?

Not all the Gold in Indias welthy armes,

Shall buy the meanest souldier in my traine.

Zenocrate, louelier than the Loue of Ioue,

Brighter than is the siluer Rhodolfe,

Fairet than whitcst snow on Scythian hils,

Thy person is more woorth to Tamburlaine,

Than the possession of the Persean Crowne.

Which gratious startes haue promist at my birth,

A hundreth Tartars shall attend on thee,

Mountrf on Steeds, swifter than Pegasus.

Thy Garments shall be made of Medean silke,

Enchast with precious iuelles of mine owne:

More rich and valurous than Zenocrates.

With milke-white Hartes vpon an Iuorie sled,

Thou shalt be drawen amidst the frosen Pooles,

And scale the ysie mountaines lofty tops:

Which with thy beautie will be soone resolu'd.

My martiall prises with fiue hundred men,

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Wun on the fiftie headed Vuolgas waues.

Shall all we offer to Zenocrate,

And then my selfe to faire Zenocrate.

Tech.

What now? In loue?

Tam.

Techelles, women must be flaterrd.

But this is she with whom I am in loue.

Enter a Souldier.

Sould.

Newes, newes.

Tamb.

How now, what's the matter?

Sould.

A thousand Persean horsmen are at hand,

Sent from the King to ouercome vs all.

Tam.

How now my Lords of Egypt & Zenocrate?

Now must your iewels be restor'd againe:

And I that triumpht so be ouercome.

How say you Lordings, Is not this your hope?

Agid.

We hope your selfe wil willingly restore thē.

Tamb.

Such hope, such fortune haue the thousand horse.

Soft ye my Lords and sweet Zenocrate.

You must be forced from me ere you goe:

A thousand horsmen: We fiue hundred foote?

An ods too great, for vs to stand against:

But are they rich: And is their armour good?

Sould.

Their plumed helmes are wrought with beaten golde.

Their swords enameld, and about their neckes

Hangs massie chaines of golde downe to the waste,

In euery part exceeding braue and rich.

Tam.

Then shall we fight couragiously with them.

Or looke you, I should play the Orator?

Tech.

No: cowards and fainthearted runawaies,

Looke for orations when the foe is neere.

Our swordes shall play the Orators for vs.

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Come let vs meet them at the mountain foot,

And with a sodaine and an hot alarme

Driue all their horses headlong down the hill.

Tech.

Come let vs martch.

Tam.

Stay Techelles, aske a parlee first,

The Souldiers enter.

Open the Males, yet guard the treasure sure,

Lay out our golden wedges to the view,

That their reflexions may amaze the Perseans.

And looke we friendly on them when they come:

But if they offer word or violence,

Weele fight fiue hundred men at armes to one,

Before we part with our possession.

And gainst the Generall we will lift our swords.

And either lanch his greedy thirsting throat,

Or take him prisoner, and his chaine shall serue

For Manackles, till he be ransom'd home.

Tech,

I heare them come, shal we encounter them?

Tam.

Keep all your standings, and not stir a foote,

My selfe will bide the danger of the brunt.

Enter Theridamas with others.

Ther.

Where is this Scythian Tamberlaine?

Tam.

Whō seekst thou Persean? I am Taburlain.

Ther.

Tamburlaine? A Scythian Shepheard, so imbellished

With Natures pride, and richest furniture,

His looks do menace heauen and dare the Gods,

His fierie eies are fixt vpon the earth.

As if he now deuis'd some Stratageme:

Or meant to pierce Auernas darksome vaults.

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To pull the triple headed dog from hell.

tamb.

Noble and milde this Persean seemes to be,

If outward habit iudge the inward man,

tech.

His deep affections make him passionate.

tamb.

With what a maiesty he rears his looks:

In thee (thou valiant man of Persea)

I see the folly of thy Emperour:

Art thou but Captaine of a thousand horse,

That vy Characters grauen in thy browes,

And by thy martiall face and stout aspect,

Deseru'st to haue the leading of an hoste?

Forsake thy king and do but ioine with me

And we will triumph ouer all the world.

I hold the Fates bound fast in yron chaines,

And with my hand turne Fortunes wheel about,

And sooner shall the Sun fall from his Spheare,

Than Tamburlaine be slaine or ouercome.

Draw foorth thy sword, thou mighty man at Armes,

Intending but to rase my charmed skin:

And Ioue himselfe will stretch his hand from heauen.

To ward the blow, and shield me safe from harme,

See how he raines down heaps of gold in showers.

As if he meant to giue my Souldiers pay,

And as a sure and grounded argument,

That I shall be the Monark of the East.

He sends this Sculdans daughter rich and braue,

To be my Queen and portly Emperesse,

If thou wilt stay with me, renowmed man,

And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct,

Besides thy share of this Egyptian prise,

Those thousand horse shall sweat with martiall spoile

Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities sackt,

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Both we wil walke vpon the lofty clifts,

And Christian Merchants that with Russian stems

Plow vp huge furrowes in the Caspian sea.

Shall vaile to vs, as Lords of all the Lake.

Both we will raigne as Consuls of the earth,

And mightie kings shall be our Senators,

Ioue sometime masked in a Shepheards weed,

And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heauens,

May we become immortall like the Gods.

Ioine with me now in this my meane estate,

(I cal it meane, because being yet obscure,

The Nations far remoou'd admyre me not)

And when my name and honor shall be spread,

As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings,

Or faire Botëes sends his cheerefull light.

Then shalt thou be Competitor with me,

And sit with Tambulaine. in all his maiestie.

Ther.

Not Hermes Prolocutor to the Gods,

Could vse perswasions more patheticall.

Tam.

Nor are Apollos Oracles more true,

Then thou shalt find my vaunts substantiall.

Tec.

We are his friends, and if the Persean king

Should offer present Duke domes to our state,

We thinke it losse to make exchange for that,

We are assured of by our friends successe.

Vsum.

And kingdomes at the least we all expect.

Befides the honor in assured conquestes:

Where kings shall crouch vnto our conquering swords,

And hostes of souldiers stand amaz'd at vs,

When with their fearfull tongues they shall cenfesse

Theise are the men that all the world admires,

Ther.

What stronge enchantments tice my yeelding soule

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Are these resolued noble Scythians?

But shall I prooue a Traitor to my King?

Tam.

No, but the trustie friend of Tamburlaine.

Ther.

Won with thy words, & conquered with thy looks,

I yeeld my selfe, my men & horse to thee:

To be partaker of thy good or ill,

As long as life maintaines Theridamas.

Tam.

Theridamas my friend, take here my hand.

Which is as much as if I swore by heauen,

And call'd' the Gods to witnesse of my vow,

Thus shall my heart be still combinde with thine,

Vntill our bodies turne to Elements:

And both our soules aspire celestiall thrones.

Techelles, and Casane, welcome him.

Tech.

Welcome renowmed Persean to vs all.

Cas.

Long may theridamas remaine with vs.

Tam.

These are my friends in whō I more reioice,

Than dooth the King of Persea in his Crowne:

And by the loue of Pyllades and Orestes,

Whose statutes we adore in Scythia,

Thy selfe and them shall neuer part from me,

Before I crowne you kings in Asia.

Make much of them gentle Theridamas,

And they will neuer leaue thee till the death.

ther.

Nor thee, nor them, thrice noble Tambutlain

Shal want my heart to be with gladnes pierc'd

To do you honor and securitie.

Tam.

A thousand thankes worthy theridamas:

And now faire Madam, and my noble Lords,

If you will willingly remaine with me,

You shall haue herors, as your merits be:

Or els you shall be forc'd w [...]h slauerie.

[Page]B2vAgid.

We yeeld vnto thee happie Tamburlaine

tamb.

For you then Maddam, I am out of doubt

Zeno.

I must be pleasde perforce, wretched Zenocrate.

Exeunt.

Actus. 2.

Scaena. 1.

Cosroe, Menaphon, Ortygius, Ceneus, with other Souldiers.

Cosroe.

THus farre are we towards Theridamas,

And valiant Tamburlaine, the man of fame,

The man that in the forhead of his fortune,

Beares figures of renowne and myracle:

But tell me, that hast seene him, Menaphon,

What stature wields he, and what personage:

Mena.

Of stature tall, and straightly fashioned,

Like his desire, lift vpwards and diuine,

Sa large of lims, his ioints so strongly knit,

Such breadth of shoulders as might mainely beare

Olde Atlas burthen, twixt his manly pitch,

A pearle more worth, then all the world is plaste:

Wherein by curious soueraintie of Art,

Are firt his piercing instruments of sight:

Whose fiery cyrcles beare encompassed

A heauen of heauenly bodies in their Spheares:

That guides his steps and actions to the throne.

Where honor sits inuested royally:

Pale of complexion: wrought in him with passion,

Thrirsting with souerainty with loue of armes,

His lofty browes in foldes, do figure death,

[Page]B3r

And in their smoothnesse, amitie and life:

About them hangs a knot of Amber heire.

Wrapped in curles, as fierce Achilles was,

On which the breath of heauen delights to play,

Making it daunce with wanton maiestie:

His armes and singers long and snowy,

Betokening valour and excesse of strength:

In euery part proportioned like the man,

Should make the world subdued to Tamburlaine.

Cos

Wel hast thou pourtraid in thy tearms of life,

The face and personage of a woondrous man:

Nature doth striue with Fortune and his stars,

To make him famous in accomplisht woorth:

And well his merits show him to be made:

His Fortunes m [...]ister, and the king of men.

That could perswade at such a sodaine pinch,

With reasons of his valour and his life,

A thousand sworne and ouermatching foes:

Then when our powers in points of swords are ioin'd

And closde in compasse of the killing bullet,

Though straight the passage and the port be made,

That leads to Pallace of my brothers life,

Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not.

And when the princely Persean Diadem,

Shall ouerway his wearie witlesse head,

And fall like mellowed fruit, with shakes of death,

In faire Persea noble tamburlaine

Shall be my Regent, and remaine as King:

Ort.

In happy hower we haue set the Crowne

Vpon your kingly head, that seeks our honor,

In ioyning with the man, ordain'd by heauen

To further euery action to the best.

[Page]B3vCen.

He that with Shepheards and a litle spoile,

Durst in disdaine of wrong and tyrannie,

Defend his freedome gainst a Monarchie.

What will he doe supported by a king:

Leading a troope of Gentlemen and Lords,

And stuft with trasure for his highest thoughts,

Cos.

And such shall wait on worthy Tamburlaine.

Our army will be forty thousand strong,

When Tamburlain and braue Theridamas

Haue met vs by the riuer Araris:

And all conioin'd to meet the witlesse King.

That now is marching neer to Parthia.

And with vnwilling souldiers faintly arm'd,

To seeke reuenge on me and Tamburlaine.

To whom sweet Menaphon, direct me straight.

Mena.

I will my Lord.

Exeunt.

Act. 2. Scaena. 2,

Mycetes, Meander, with other Lords and Souldiers.

Mycetes.

COme my Meander, let vs to this geere,

I tel you true my heart is swolne with wrath,

On this same theeuish villaine tamburlaine.

And of that false Cosroe, my traiterous brothet

Would it not grieue a King to be so abusde.

And haue a thousand horsmen tane away?

And which is worst to haue his Diadem

Sought for by such scalde knaucs as loue him net.

I thinke it would: wel then, by heauens I sweare,

Aurora shall not peepe out of her doores,

[Page]B4r

But I will haue Cosroe by the head,

And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword.

Tell you the rest (Meander) I haue said.

Mean.

Then hauing past Armenian desarts now,

And pitch our tents vnder the Georgean hilles.

Whose tops are couered with Tartarian thieues,

That lie in ambush, waiting for a pray:

What should we doe but bid them battaile straight,

And rid the world of those detested troopes;

Least if we let them lynger here a while,

They gather strength by power of fresh supplies.

This countrie swarntes with vile eutragious men,

That liue by rapine and by lawlesse spoile,

Fit Souldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.

And he that could with giftes and promises.

Inueigle him that lead a thousand horse,

And make him false his faith vnto his King,

Will quickly win such as are like himselfe.

Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight,

He that can take or slaughter tamburlaine,

Shall rule the Prouince of Albania.

Who brings that Traitors head theridamas,

Shal haue a gouernment in Medea:

Beside the spoile of him and all his traine:

But if Cosroe (as our Spials say,

And as we know) remaines with tamburlaine,

His Highnesse pleasure is that he should liue,

And be reclaim'd with princely lenitie.

A Spy.

An hundred horsmen of my company

Srowting abroad vpon these champion plaines,

Haue vtew'd the army of the Scythians,

Which make reports it far exceeds the Kings.

[Page]B4vMean.

Suppose they be in number infinit,

Yet being void of Martiall discipline,

All running headlong after greedy spoiles:

And more regarding gaine than victory:

Like to the cruell brothers of the earth,

Sprong of the teeth of Dragons venomous,

Their carelesse swords shal lanch their fellowes threats

And make vs triumph in their ouerthrow.

Myc.

Was there such brethren, sweet Meander, say

That sprong of teeth of Dragons venomous.

Meand.

So Poets say, my Lord.

Myce.

And tis a prety toy to be a Poet.

Wel, wel (Meander) thou art deeply read:

And hauing thee, I haue a iewell sure:

Go en my Lord, and giue your charge I say,

Thy wit will make vs Conquerors to day.

Mean.

Then noble souldiors, to intrap these theeues,

That liue confounded in disordered troopes,

If wealth or riches may preuaile with them,

We haue our Cammels laden all with gold:

Which you that be but common souldiers,

Shall fling in euery corner of the field:

And while the base borne Tartars take it vp,

You fighting more for honor than for gold,

Shall massacre those greedy minded slaues.

And when their scattered armie is subdu'd:

And you march on their slaughtered carkasses,

Share equally the gold that bought their liues,

And liue like Gentlemen in Persea,

Strike vp the Drum and martch corragiously,

Fortune her selfe dooth sit vpon our Crests.

Myc.

He tels you true, my maisters, so he does.

Drumꝭ, why sound ye not whē Meand. speakꝭ.

Exeunt

[Page]

B5r

Actus. 2. Scaena. 3.

Cosroe, Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Techelles, Vsumeasane, Ortygius. with others.

Cosroe.

NOw worthy Tamburlaine, haue I reposde,

In thy approoued Fortunes all my hope,

What thinkst thou man, shal come of our attemptes.

For euen as from assured oracle,

I take thy doome for satisfaction.

Tamb.

And so mistake you not a whit my Lord.

For Fates and Oracles, heauen haue sworne,

To roialise the deedes of tamburlaine:

And make them blest that share in his attemptes.

And doubt you not, but if you fauour me,

And let my Fortunes and my valour sway,

To some direction in your martiall deeds,

The world will striue with hostes of men at armes.

To swarme vnto the Ensigne I support,

The host of Xerxes, which by fame is said

To drinke the mightie Parthian Araris,

Was but a handful to that we will haue.

Our quiuering Lances shaking in the aire,

And bullets like Ioues dreadfull Thunderbolts,

Enrolde in flames and fiery smoldering mistes,

Shall threat the Gods more than Cyclopian warres,

And with our Sun-bright armour as we march,

Weel chase the Stars from heauen, and dim their eies

That stand and muse at our admyred armes.

therid.

You see my Lord, what woorking woordes he hath.

[Page]B5v

But when you see his actions stop his speech,

Your speech will stay, or so extol his worth,

As I shall be commended and excusde

For turning my poore charge to his direction.

And these his two renowmed friends my Lord,

Would make one thrust and striue to be retain'd

In such a great degree of amitie.

tech.

With dutie not with amitie we yeeld

Our vtmost seruice to the faire Cosroe.

Cos.

Which I esteeme as portion of my crown.

Vsumeasane and techelles both,

When she that rules in Rhamnis golden gates,

And makes a passage for all prosperous Armes:

Shall make me solely Emperour of Asia,

Then shall your meeds and vallours be aduaunst

To roomes of honour and Nobilitie.

Tam.

Then haste Cosroe to be king alone.

That I with these my friends and all my men,

May triumph in our long expected Fate,

The King your Brother is now hard at hand,

Meete with the foole, and rid your royall shoulders

Of such a burthen, as outwaies the sands

And all the craggie rockes of Caspea.

Mess.

My Lord, we haue discouered the enemie

Ready to chardge you with a mighty armie.

Cos.

Come tamburlain, now whet thy winged sword

And lift thy lofty arme into the cloudes,

That it may reach the King of Perseas crowne,

And set it safe on my victorious head.

tam.

See where it is, the keenest Cutle-axe.

That ere made passage thorow Persean Armes,

These are the wings shall make it flie as swift,

[Page]B6r

As dooth the lightening: or the breath of heauen,

And kill as sure as it swiftly flies.

Cos.

Thy words assure me of kind successe:

Go valiant Souldier, go before and charge

The fainting army of that foolish King.

tamb.

Vsumeasane and techelles come,

We are enough to scarre the enemy,

And more than needes to make an Emperour.

[4]

To the Battaile, and Mycetes comes out alone with his Crowne in his hand offering to hide it.

Myc.

Accurst be he that first inuented war,

They knew not, ah, they knew not simple men,

How those were hit by pelting Cannon shot,

Stand staggering like a quiuering Aspen leafe,

Fearing the force of Boreas boistrous blasts.

In what a lamentable case were I,

If Nature had not giuen me wisedomes lore?

For Kings are clouts that euery man shoots at,

Our Crowne the pin that thousands seeke to cleaue,

Therefore in pollicie I thinke it good

To hide it close: a goodly Stratagem,

And far from any man that is a foole.

So shall not I be knowen, or if I bee,

They cannot take away my crowne from me.

Here will I hide it in this simple hole.

Enter Tamburlain.

tam.

What fearful coward stragling from the camp

When Kings themselues are present in the field.

Myc.

Thou liest.

tam.

Base villaine, darst thou giue the lie?

Myc.

Away, I am the King: go, touch me not.

[Page]B6v

Thou breakst the law of Armes vnlesse thou kneele.

And cry me mercie, noble King.

Tam

Are you the witty King of Persea?

Myce.

I marie am I: haue you any suite to me?

Tam.

I would intreat you to speak but three wise wordes.

Myce.

So I can when I see my time.

Tam.

Is this your Crowne?

Myce.

I, Didst thou euer see a fairer?

Tamb.

You will not sell it, wil ye?

Myce.

Such another word, and I, will haue thee executed.

Come giue it me.

Tamb.

No, I tooke it prisoner.

Myce.

You lie, I gaue it you.

tam.

Then tis mine.

Myce.

No, I meane, I let you keep it.

tamb.

Wel, I meane you shall haue it againe.

Here take it for a while, I lend it thee,

Till I may see thee hem'd with armed men.

Then shalt thou see me pull it from thy head:

Thou art no match for mightie Tamburlaine.

Myce.

O Gods, is this tamburlaine the thiefe,

I marueile much he stole it not away.

Sound trumpets to the battell, and he runs in.

[5]

Cosroe, Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Menaphon, Meander, Ortygius, Techelles. Vsumeasane, with others.

Tamb.

Holde thee Cosroe, weare two imperiall Crownes.

[Page]B7r

Thinks thee Inuested now as royally,

Euen by the mighty hand of tamburlaine,

As if as many kinges as could encompasse thee,

With greatest pompe had crown'd thee Emperour.

Cosr.

So do I thrice renowined man at armes,

And none shall keepe the crowne but tamburlaine:

Thee doo I make my Regent of Persea,

And Generall Lieftenant of my Armies.

Meander, you that were our brothers Guide,

And chiefest Counsailor in all his acts,

Since he is yeelded to the stroke of War,

On your submission we with thanks excuse,

And giue you equall place in our affaires.

Mean.

Most happy Emperour in humblest tearms

I vow my seruice to your Maiestie.

With vtmost vertue of my faith and dutie.

Cosr.

Thanks good Meander, then Cosroe raign

And gouerne Persea in her former pomp:

Now send Ambassage to thy neighbor Kings,

And let them know the Persean King is chang'd:

From one that knew not what a King should do,

To one that can commaund what longs thereto:

And now we will to faire Persepolis,

With twenty thousand expert souldiers.

The Lords and Captaines of my brothers campe,

With litle slaughter take Meanders course,

And gladly yeeld them to my gracious rule:

Ortigius and menaphon, my trustie friendes,

Now will I gratify your former good,

And grace your calling with a greater sway.

Ort.

And as we euer and at your behoofe,

And sought your state, all honor it deseru'd,

[Page]B7v

So will we with our powers and our liues,

Indeuor to preserue and prosper it.

Cos.

I will not thank thee (sweet Ortigius)

Better replies shall prooue my purposes.

And now, Lord tamburlaine, my brothers Campe

I leaue to thee, and to theridamas,

To follow me to faire Persepolis.

Then will we march to all those Indian Mines,

My witlesse brother to the Christians lost:

And ransome them with fame and vsurie.

And till thou ouertake me tamburlaine,

(Staying to order all the scattered troopes)

Farewell Lord Regent, and his happie friends,

I long to sit vpon my brothers throne,

Mena.

Your Maiestie shall shortly haue your wish.

And ride in triumph through Persepolis.

Exeunt.

Manent Tamb. Tech. Ther. Vsum.

tamb.

And ride in triumph through Persepolis?

Is it not braue to be a King, techelles?

Vsumeasane and theridamas,

Is it not passing braue to be a King,

And ride in triumph through Persepolis?

tech.

O my Lord, tis sweet and full of pompe.

Vsum.

To be a King, is halfe to be a God.

ther.

A God is not so glorious as a King:

I thinke the pleasure they enioy in heauen

Can not compare with kingly ioyes in earth,

To weare a Crowne enchac'd with pearle and golde,

Whose vertues carie with it life and death,

To aske, and haue: command, and be obeied.

When looks breed loue, with lookes to gaine the prize;

Such power attractiue shines in princes eies.

[Page]

B8r

tam.

Why say theridamas, wilt thou be a king?

the.

Nay, though I praise it, I can liue without it.

tam.

What saies my other friends, wil you be kings?

tec.

I, if I could with all my heart my Lord.

tam.

Why, that's wel said techelles, so would I,

And so would you my maisters, would you not?

Vsum.

What then my Lord?

tam.

Why then Casanes shall we wish for ought

The world affoords in greatest noueltie,

And rest attmplesse faint and destitute?

Me thinks we should not, I am strongly moou'd,

That if I should desire the Persean Crowne,

I could attaine it with a woondrous ease,

And would not all our souldiers soone consent,

If we should aime at such a dignitie?

ther.

I know they would with our perswasions.

tam.

Why then theridamas, Ile first assay,

To get the Persean Kingdome to my selfe:

Then thou for Parthia, they for Scythia and Medea.

And if I prosper, all shall be as sure,

As if the Turke, the Pope, Affrike and Greece,

Came creeping to vs with their crownes apace.

tech.

Then shall we send to this triumphing King,

And bid him battell for his nouell Crowne?

Vsum.

Nay quickly then, before his roome be hot.

tam.

Twil prooue a pretie iest (in faith) my friends.

the.

A iest to chardge on twenty thousand men?

I iudge the purchase more important far.

tam.

Iudge by thy selfe theridamas, not me,

For presently techelles here shal haste,

To bid him battaile ere he passe too farre,

And lose more labor than the gaine will quight.

[Page]B8v

Then shalt thou see the Scythian tamburlaine,

Make but a iest to win the Persean crowne.

techelles, take a thousand horse with thee,

And bid him turne his back to war with vs,

That onely made him King to make vs sport.

We will not steale vpon him cowardly,

But giue him warning and more warriours.

Haste the techelles, we will follow thee.

What saith theridamas?

ther.

Goe on for me.

Exeunt.

Actus. 2. Scaena. 6.

Cosroe, Meander, Ortygius, Menaphon, with other Souldiers.

Cos.

VVhat means this diuelish shepheard to aspire

With such a Giantly presumption.

To cast vp hils against the face of heauen:

And dare the force of angrie Iupiter.

But as he thrust them vnderneath the hils,

And prest out fire from their burning iawes:

So will I send this monstrous slaue to hell,

Where flames shall euer feed vpon his soule.

mean.

Some powers diuine, or els infernall, mixt

Their angry seeds at his conception:

For he was neuer sprong of humaine race,

Since with the spirit of his fearefull pride,

He dares so doubtlesly resolue of rule.

And by profession be ambitous.

Ort.

What God or Feend, or spirit of the earth,

Or Monster turned to a manly shape,

[Page]C1r

Or of what mould or mettel he be made,

What star or state soeuer gouerne him,

Let vs put on our meet incountring mindes,

And in detesting such a diuelish Thiefe,

In loue of honor & defence of right,

Be arm'd against the hate of such a foe,

Whether from earth, or hell, or heauen he grow.

Cos.

Nobly resolu'd, my good Ortygius.

And since we all haue suckt one wholsome aire,

And with the same proportion of Elements,

Resolue, I hope we are resembled,

Vowing our loues to equall death and life,

Let's cheere our souldiers to incounter him,

That grieuous image of ingratitude:

That fiery thirster after Soueraingtie:

And burne him in the fury of that flame,

That none can quence but blood and Emperie.

Resolue my Lords and louing souldiers now,

To saue your King and country from decay:

Then strike vp Drum, and all the Starres that make

The loathsome Circle of my dated life,

Direct my weapon to his barbarous heart,

That thus opposeth him against the Gods,

And scornes the Powers that gouerne Persea.

Enter to the Battell, & after the battell, enter Cosroe wounded, Theridamas, tamburlaine, Techelles, Vsumeasane, with others.

Cos.

Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine,

Thus to depriue me of my crowne and life.

Treacherous and false theridamas,

[Page]C1v

Euen at the morning of my happy state,

Scarce being seated in my royall throne,

To worke my downfall and vntimely end.

An vncouth paine torments my grieued soule,

And death arrests the organe of my voice.

Who entring at the breach thy sword hath made,

Sacks euery vaine and artier of my heart,

Bloody and insatiate Tamburlain.

tam.

The thirst of raigne and sweetnes of a crown,

That causde the eldest sonne of heauenly Ops,

To thrust his doting father from his chaire,

And place himselfe in the Emperiall heauen,

Moou'd me to manage armes against they state,

What better president than mightie Ioue?

Nature that fram'd vs of foure Elements,

Warring within our breasts for regiment,

Doth teach vs all to haue aspyring minds:

Our soules, whose faculties can comprehend

The wondrous Architecture of the world:

And measure euery wandring plannets course.

Still climing after knowledge infinite,

And alwaies moouing as the restles Spheares.

Wils vs to weare our selues and neuer rest.

Vntil we reach the ripest fruit of all.

That perfect blisse and sole felicitie.

The sweet fruition of an earthly crowne.

Ther.

And that made me to ioine with tamburlain

For he is grosse and like the massie earth,

That mooues not vpwards, nor by princely deeds

Doth meane to soare aboue the highest sort.

Tec.

And that made vs the friends of Tamburlaine.

To lift our swords against the Persean King.

[Page]

C2r

Vsum.

For as when Ioue did thrust old Saturn down.

Neptune and Dis gain'd each of them a Crowne.

So do we hope to raign in Asia,

If tamburlain be plac'd in Persea.

Cos.

The strangest men that euer nature made,

I know not how to take their tyrannies.

My bloodlesse body waxeth chill and colde,

And with my blood my life slides through my wound.

My soule begins to take her flight to hell.

And sommons all my sences to depart:

The heat and moisture which did feed each other,

For want of nourishment to feed them both.

Is drie and cold, and now dooth gastly death

With greedy tallents gripe my bleeding hart,

And like a Harpyr tires on my life.

Theridamas and Tamburlaine, I die,

And fearefull vengeance light vpon you both.

He takes the Crowne and puts it on.

tam.

Not all the curses which the furies breathe,

Shall make me leaue so rich a prize as this:

Teridamas, techelles, and the rest,

Who thinke you now is king of Persea?

All.

Tamburlaine, tamburlaine.

Tamb.

Though Mars himselfe the angrie God of armes,

And all the earthly Potentates conspire,

To dispossesse me of this Diadem:

Yet will I weare it in despight of them,

As great commander of the Easterne world,

If you but say that tamburlaine shall raigne.

Al.

Long liue tamburlaine, and raigne in Asia.

[Page]

C2v

tamb.

So, now it is more surer on my head,

Than if the Gods had held a Parliament:

And all pronounst me king of Persea.

Finis Actus 2.

Actus. 3.

Scaena. 1.

Baiazeth, the kings of Fess. Moroco, and Argier. with others, in great pompe.

Baiazeth.

GReat Kings of Barbary, and my portly Bassoes,

We heare, the Tartars & the Easterne theeues

Vnder the conduct of one Tamburlaine,

Presume a bickering with your Emperour:

And thinks to rouse vs from our dreadful siege

Of the famous Grecian Constantinople.

You know our Armie is inuincible:

As many circumcised Turkes we haue,

And warlike bands of Christians renied,

As hath the Ocean or the Terrene sea

Small drops of water, when the Maon begins

To ioine in one her semi-circled hornes:

Yet would we not be brau'd with forrain power,

Nor raise our siege before the Gretians yeeld.

Or breathles lie before the citie walles.

Fess.

Renowmed Emperour, and mighty Generall

What if you sent the Bassoes of your guard.

To charge him to remaine in Asia.

Or els to threaten death and deadly armes,

As from the mouth of mighty Baiazeth.

Bai.

Hie thee my Bassoe fast to Persea,

Tell him thy Lord the Turkish Emperour,

Dread Lord of Affrike, Europe and Asia.

[Page]C3r

Great King and conquerour of Grecia,

The Ocean, Terrene, and the cole-blacke sea,

The high and higest Monarke of the world.

Wils and Commands (for say not I intreat)

Not once to set his foot in Affrica,

Or spread his collours in Grecia.

Least he incurre the furie of my wrath.

Tell him, I am content to take a truce,

Because I heare he beares a valiant mind.

But if presuming on his silly power,

He be so mad to manage Armes with me,

Then stay thou with him, say I bid thee so.

And if before the Sun haue measured heauen

With triple circuit thou regreet vs not,

We meane to take his mornings next arise.

For messenger, he will not be reclaim'd,

And meane to fetch thee in despight of him.

Bass.

Most great and puisant Monarke of the earth,

Your Bassoe will accomplish your behest:

And show your pleasure to the Persean.

As fits the Legate of the stately Turk.

Exit Bass.

Arg.

They say he is the King of Persea.

But if he dare attempt to stir your siege,

Twere requisite he should be ten times more,

For all flesh quakes at your magnificence.

Bai.

True (Argier) and tremble at my lookes.

Moro.

The spring is hindred by your smoothering host,

For neither rain can fall vpon the earth,

Nor Sun reflere his vertuous beames thereon.

The ground is mantled with such multitudes.

Bai.

All this is true as holy Mahomet,

And all the trees are blasted with our breathes.

[Page]C3vFess.

What thinks your greatnes best to be atchieu'd

In pursuit of the Cities ouerthrow?

Bai.

I wil the captiue Pioners of Argier,

Cut of the water, that by leaden pipes

Runs to the citie from the mountain Carnon,

Two thousand horse shall forrage vp and downe,

That no reliefe or succour come by Land.

And all the sea my Gallies countermaund.

Then shall our footmen lie within the trench,

And with their Cannons mouth'd like Orcus gulfe

Batter the walles, and we will enter in:

And thus the Grccians shall be conquered.

Exeunt

Actus. 3. Scaena. 2.

Agidas, Zenocrate, Anippe, with others.

MAdam Zenocrate, may I presume

To know the cause of these vnquiet fits:

That worke such trouble to your woonted rest:

Tis more then pitty such a heauenly face

Should by hearts sorrow wax so wan and pale.

When your offensiue rape by tamburlaine,

(Which of your whole displeasures should be most)

Hath seem'd to be digested long agoe.

Zen.

Although it be digested long agoe

As his exceding fauours haue deseru'd,

And might content the Queene of heauen as well:

As it hath chang'd my first conceiu'd disdaine.

Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts,

With ceasclesse and discorsolate conceits.

[Page]C4r

Which dies my lookes so liuelesse as they are.

And might, if my extreams had fuil euents,

Make me the gastly counterfeit of death.

Agid.

Eternall heauen sooner be dissolu'd.

And all that pierceth Phoebes siluer eie,

Before such hap fall to zenocrate.

zen.

Ah, life, and soule still houer in his Breast.

And leaue my body sencelesse as the earth.

Or els vnite you to his life and soule,

That I may liue and die with tamburlain.

Enter Tamburlaine with Techelles and others.

Agid.

With tamburlaine? Ah faire zenocrate.

Let not a man so vile and barbarous,

That holds you from your father in despight,

And keeps you from the honors of a Queene.

Being supposde his worthlesse Concubine.

Be honored with your loue, but for necessity.

So now the mighty Souldan heares of you,

Your Highnesse needs not doubt but in short time,

He will with Tamburlaines destruction

Redeeme you from this deadly seruitude.

Zen.

leaue to wound me with these words.

And speake of tamburlaine as he deserues:

The entertainment we haue had of him,

Is far from villanie or seruitude.

And might in noble minds be counted princely.

Agid.

How can you fancie one that lookes so fierce,

Onelie disposed to martiall Stratagems?

Who when he shall embrace you in his armes,

Will tell how many thousand men he slew.

[Page]C4v

And when you looke for amorous discourse,

Will rattle foorth his facts of war and blood.

Too harsh a subiect for your dainty eares.

Zen.

As looks the sun through Nilus flowing stream,

Or when the morning holds him in her armes.

So lookes my Lordly loue, faire tamburlaine:

His talke much sweeter than the Muses song,

They sung for honor gainst Pierides.

Or when Minerua did with Neptune striue,

And higher would I reare my estimate,

Than Iuno sister to the highest God.

If I were matcht with mightie tamburlaine,

Agid.

Yet be not so inconstant in your loue,

But let the yong Arabian liue in hope,

After your rescue to eioy his choise.

You see though first the King of Persea

(Being a Shepheard) seem'd to loue you much,

Now in his maiesty he leaues those lookes,

Those words of fauour, and those comfortings,

And giues no more than common courtesies.

Zen.

Thence rise the tears that so distain my checks,

Fearing his loue through my vnworthynesse.

Tamburlaine goes to her, & takes her away louingly by the hand, looking wrathfully on Agidas, and sayes nothing.

Agid.

Betraide by fortune and suspitious loue.

Threatned with frowning wrath and iealousie.

Surpriz d with feare of hideous reuenge.

I stand agast: but most astonied

To see his choller shut in secrete thoughtes,

And wrapt in silence of his angry soule.

[Page]C5r

Vpon his browes was pourtraid vgly death,

And in his eies the furie of his hart.

That shine as Comets, menacing reuenge,

And casts a pale complexion on his cheeks.

As when the Sea-man sees the Hyades

Gather an armye of Cemerian clouds,

(Auster and Aquilon with winged Steads

All sweating, tilt about the watery heauens,

With shiuering speares enforcing thunderclaps.

And from their shieldes strike flames of lightening)

All fearefull foldes his sailes, and sounds the maine,

Lifting his prayers to the heauens for aid,

Against the terrour of the winds and waues.

So fares Agydas for the late felt frownes

That sent a tempest to my daunted thoughtes,

And makes my soule deuine her ouerthrow.

Enter Techelles with a naked dagger.

tech.

See you Agidas how the King salutes you.

He bids you prophesie what it imports.

Exit.

Agid.

I prophecied before and now I prooue,

The killing frownes of iealousie and loue.

He needed not with words confirme my feare,

For words are vaine where working tooles present

The naked action of my threatned end.

It saies, Agydas, thou shalt surely die.

And of extremities elect the least,

More honor and lesse paine it may procure,

Tody by this resolued hand of thine,

Than stay the torments he and heauen haue sworne.

Then haste Agydas, and preuent the plagues:

Which thy prolonged Fates may draw on thee:

Go wander free from feare of Tyrants rage.

[Page]C5v

Remooued from the Torments and the hell:

Wherewith he may excruciate thy soule.

And let Agidas by Agidas die.

And with this stab slumber eternally.

tech.

Vsumeasane, see how right the man

Hath hit the meaning of my Lord the King.

Vsum.

Faith, and techelles, it was manly done;

And since he was so wise and honorable,

Let vs affoord him now the bearing hence.

And craue his triple worthy buriall.

tech.

Agreed Casane, we wil honor him.

Act. 3. Scaena. 3,

Tamburlain, Techelles, Vsumeasane, Theridamas, Bassoe, Zenocrate, with others.

Tamburlaine.

BAssoe, by this thy Lord and maister knowes,

I meane to meet him in Bithynia:

see how he comes? Tush. Turkes are ful of brags

And menace more than they can wel performe:

He meet me in the field and fetch thee hence?

Alas (poore Turke) his fortune is to weake,

T'incounter with the strength of Tamburlaine.

View well my Camp, and speake indifferently,

Doo not my captaines and my souldiers looke

As if they meant to conquer Affrica.

Basl.

Your men are valiant but their number few,

And cannot terrefie his mightie hoste,

My Lord, the great Commander of the worlde,

Besides fifteene contributorie kings,

Hath now in armes ten thousand Ianisaries,

Mounted on lusty Mauritanian Steeds.

[Page]C6r

Brought to the war by men of Tripoly.

Two hundred thousand footmen that haue seru'd

In two set battels fought in Grecia:

And for the expedition of this war,

If he think good, can from his garrisons,

Withdraw as many more to follow him.

tech.

The more he brings, the greater is the spoile,

For when they perish by our warlike hands,

We meane to seate our footmen on their Steeds.

And rifle all those stately Ianisars.

tam.

But wil those Kings accompany your Lord?

Bass.

Such as his Highnesse please, but some must stay

To rule the prouinces he late subdude.

tam.

Thē fight couragiously, their crowns are yours

This hand shal set them on your conquering heads:

That made me Emperour of Asia.

Vsum.

Let him bring missions infinite of men,

Vnpeopling Westerne Affrica and Greece:

Yet we assure vs of the victorie.

ther.

Euen he that in a trice vanquisht two kings,

More mighty than the Turkish Emperour:

Shall rouse him out of Europe, and pursue

His scattered armie til they yeeld or die.

tamb.

Wel said theridamas, speake in that mood,

For Wil and Shall best fitteth Tamburlain,

Whose smiling stars giues him assured hope

Of martiall triumph, ere he meete his foes:

I that am tearm'd the Scourge and Wrath of God,

The onely feare and terrour of the world,

Wil first subdue the Turke, and then inlarge

Those Christian Captiues, which you keep as slaues,

Burdening their bodies with your heauie chames.

[Page]C6v

And feeding them with thin and slender fare,

That naked rowe about the Terrene sea.

And when they chance to breath and rest a space,

Are punisht with Bastones so grieuously,

That they lie panting on the Gallies side.

And striue for life at euery stroke they giue,

These are the cruell pirates of Argeire,

That damned traine, the scum of Affrica.

Inhabited with stragling Runnagates,

That make quick hauock of the Christian blood.

But as I liue that towne shall curse the time

That Tamburlaine set foot in Affrica:

Enter Baiazeth with his Bassoes and contributorie Kinges.

Bai.

Bassoes and Ianisaries of my Guard,

Attend vpon the person of your Lord,

The greatest Potentate of Affrica.

Tam.

Techelles, and the rest prepare your swordes

I meane t'incounter with that Baiazeth.

Bai.

Kings of Fesse, Moroccus and Argier,

He cals me Baiazeth, whom you call Lord.

Note the presemption of this Scythian slaue:

I tell thee villaine, those that lead my horse

Haue to their names tytles of dignity,

And dar'st thou bluntly call me Baiazeth?

Tam.

And know thou Turke, that those which lead my horse,

Shall lead thee Captiue thorow Affrica.

And dar'st thou bluntly call me tamburlaine?

Bai.

By Mahomet, my Kinsmans sepulcher.

[Page]C7r

And by the holy Alcaron I sweare,

He shall be made a chast and lustlesse Eunuk [...],

And in my Sarell tend my Concubines:

And all his Captaincs that thus stoutly stand,

Shall draw the chariot of my Emperesse.

Whom I haue brought to see their ouerthrow.

Tamb.

By this my sword that conquer'd Persea,

Thy fall shall make me famous through the world:

I will not tell thee how Ile handle thee,

But euery common souldier of my Camp

Shall smile to see thy miserable state.

Fess.

What meanes the mighty Turkish Emperor

To talk with one so base as tamburlaine.

Moro.

Ye Moores and valiant men of Barbary.

How can ye suffer these indignities.

Arg.

Leaue words and let them feele your lances pointes.

Which glided through the bowels of the Greekes.

Bai.

Wel said my stout contributory kings,

Your threefold armie and my hugie hoste,

Shall swallow vp these base borne Perseans,

tech.

Puissant, renowmed and mighty tamburlain,

Why stay we thus prolonging all their liues'?

ther.

I long to see those crownes won by our swords

That we may raigne as kings of Affrica.

Vsum.

What Coward wold not fight for such a prize?

Tamb.

Fight all couragiously and be you kings.

I speake it, and my words are oracles.

Bai.

Zabina, mother of three brauer boies,

Than Hercules, that in his infancie

Did pash the iawes of Serpents venomous:

Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike Lance.

[Page]C7v

Their shoulders broad, for complet armour fit,

Their lims more large and of a bigger size

Than all the brats ysprong from Typhons loins:

Who, when they come vnto their fathers age,

Will batter Turrets with their manly sists.

And on thy head weare my Emperiall crowne,

Vntill I bring this sturdy tamburlain,

And all his Captains bound in captiue chaines.

zab.

Such good successe happen to Baiazeth,

Tam.

zenocrate, the loueliest Maide aliue,

Fairer than rockes of pearle and pretious stone,

The onely Paragon of tamburlaine,

Whose eies are brighter than the Lamps of heauen.

And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony:

That with thy lookes canst cleare the darkened Sky:

And calme the rage of thundring Iupiter:

Sit downe by her: adorned with my Crowne,

As if thou wert the Empresse of the world.

Stir not zenocrate vntill thou see

Me martch victoriously with all my men,

Triumphing cuer him and these his kings.

Which I will bring as Vassals to thy feete.

Til then take thou my crowne, vaunt of my worth,

And manage words with her as we will armes.

zen.

And may my Loue, the king of Persea

Returne with victorie, and free from wound.

Bai.

Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish arms,

Which lately made all Europe quake for searc:

I haue of Turkes, Arabians, Moores and Iewes

Enough to couer all Bythinia,

Let thousands die, their slaughtered Carkasses

[Page]C8r

Shal serue for walles and bulwarkes to the rest:

And as the heads of Hydra, so my power

Subdued, shall stand as mighty as before:

If they should yeeld their necks vnto the sword,

Thy souldiers armes could not endure to strike

So many blowes as I haue heads for thee.

Thou knowest not (foolish hardy Tamburlaine)

What tis to meet me in the open field,

That leaue no ground for thee to martch vpon.

Tam.

Our conquering swords shall marshal vs the way

We vse to march vpon the slaughtered foe:

Trampling their bowels with our horses hooffes:

Braue horses, bred on the white Tartarian hils:

My Campe is like to Iulius Caesars hoste,

That neuer fought but had the victorie:

Nor in Pharsalia was there such hot war,

As these my followers willingly would haue:

Legions of Spirits fleeting in the aire,

Direct our Bullets and our weapons pointes

And make our strokes to wound the sencelesse lure,

And when she sees our bloody Collours spread.

Then Victorie begins to take her flight,

Resting her selfe vpon my milk-white Tent:

But come my Lords, to weapons let vs fall.

The field is ours, the Turk, his wife and all.

Exit, with his followers.

Bai.

Come Kings and Bassoes let vs glut our swords

That thirst to drinke the feble Perseans blood.

Exit, with his followers.

zab.

Base Concubine, must thou be plac'd by me

That am the Empresse of the mighty Turke?

zen.

Disdainful Turkesse and vnreuerend Bosse,

[Page]C8v

Call'st thou me Concubine that am betroath'd

Vnto the great and mighty tamburlaine?

Zab.

To tamburlaine the great Tartarian thiefe?

Zen.

Thou wilt repent these lauish words of thine,

When thy great Bassoe, maister and thy selfe.

Must plead for mercie at his kingly feet,

And sue to me to be your Aduocates.

Zab.

And sue to thee? I tell thee shamelesse girle,

Thou shalt be Landresse to my waiting maid.

How lik'st thou her Ebea, will she serue?

Ebea.

Madame, she thinks perhaps she is too fine.

But I shall turne her into other weedes.

And make her daintie fingers fall to woorke.

Zen.

hearst thou Anippe, how thy drudge doth talk,

And how my slaue, her mistresse menaceth.

Both for their sausinesse shall be employed,

To dresse the common souldiers meat and drink.

For we will scorne they should come nere our selues.

Anip.

Yet somtimes let your highnesse send for thē

To do the work my chamber maid disdaines.

They sound the battell within, and stay

Zen.

Ye Gods and powers that gouerne Persea.

And made my lordly Loue her worthy King:

Now strengthen him against the Turkish Baiazeth,

And let his foes like flockes of fearfull Roes,

Pursude by hunters, flie his angrie lookes,

That I may see him issue Conquerour.

Zab.

Now Mahomet, solicit God himselfe,

And make him raine down murthering shot frō heauen

To dash the Scythians braines, and strike them dead,

That dare to manage armes with him,

That offered iewels to thy sacred shrine.

[Page]D1r

When first he war'd against the Christians.

To the battell againe.

Zen.

By this the Turks lie weltring in their blood sound,

And tamburlaine is Lord of Affrica:

Zab.

Thou art deceiu'd, I heard the Trumpets

As when my Emperour ouerthrew the Greeks:

And led them Captiue into Affrica.

Straight will I vse thee as thy pride deserues:

Prepare thy selfe to liue and die my slaue.

Zen.

If Mahomet should come from heauen and sweare,

My royall Lord is slaine or conquered.

Yet should he not perswade me otherwise.

But that he liues and will be Conquerour.

Baiazeth flies, and he pursues him. The battell short, and they enter, Baiazeth is ouercome.

Tam.

Now king of Bassoes, who is Conqueror?

Bai.

Thou, by the fortune of this damned foile,

Tam.

Where are your stout contributorie kings?

Enter Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasane.

Tech.

We haue their crownes their bodies strowe the fielde.

Tam.

Each man a crown? why kingly fought ifaith

Deliuer them into my treasurie.

Zen.

Now let me offer to my gracious Lord.

His royall Crowne againe, so highly won:

tam.

Nay take the Turkish Crown from her, zen.

And crowne me Emperour of Affrica.

Zab.

No tamburlain, though now thou gat the best

Thou shalt not yet be Lord of Affrica.

[Page]D1vther.

Giue her the Crowne Turkesse you wer best.

He takes it from her, and giues it Zenocrate,

zab.

Iniurious villaines, thieues, runnagates,

How dare you thus abuse my Maiesty?

ther.

Here Madam, you are Empresse, she is none,

tam.

Not now theridamas, her time is past:

The pillers that haue bolstered vp those tearmes,

Are falne in clusters at my conquering feet.

zab.

Though he be prisoner, he may be ransomed:

tamb.

Not all the world shall ransom Baiazeth.

Bai.

Ah faire zabina, we haue lost the field.

And neuer had the Turkish Emperour

So great a foile by any forraine foe.

Now will the Christian nusc reants be glad,

Ringing with ioy their superstitious belles:

And making bonfires for my ouerthrow.

But ere I die those foule Idolaters

Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones,

For though the glorie of this day be lost.

Affrik and Greece haue garrisons enough

To make me Soueraigne of the earth againe.

Tam.

Those walled garrisons wil I subdue,

And write my selfe great Lord of Affrica:

So from the East vnto the furthest West,

Shall tamburlain extend his puisant arme.

The Galles and those pilling Briggandines,

That yeerely saile to the Venetian gulfe,

And houer in the straightes for Christians wracke,

Shall lie at anchor in the Isle Asant.

Vntill the Persean Fleete and men of war,

Sailing along the Orientall sea,

Haue fetcht about the Indian continent:

[Page]D2r

Euen from Persepolis to Mexico,

And thence vnto the straightes of Iubalter:

Where they shall meete, and ioine their force in one[?]

Keeping in aw the Bay of Portingale.

And all the Ocean by the British shore:

And by this meanes Ile win the world at last.

Bai.

Yet set a ransome on me tamburlaine.

Tam.

What, thinkst thou tamburlain esteems thy gold,

Ile make the kings of India ere I die,

Offer their mines (to sew for peace) to me,

And dig for treasure to appease my wrath:

Come bind them both and one lead in the Turke.

The Turkesse let my Loues maid lead away.

They bind them.

Bai.

Ah villaines, dare ye touch my sacred armes.

O Mahomet, Oh sleepie Mahomet.

zab.

O cursed Mahomet that makest vs thus

The slaues to Scythians rude and barbarous.

Tam.

Come bring them in, & for this happy cōquest

Triumph, and solemnize a martiall feast.

Exeunt.

Finis Actus tertii.

Actus. 4.

Scaena. 1.

Souldan of Egipt with three or four Lords, Capolin Souldan.

AWake ye men of Memphis, heare the clange

Of Scythian trumpets, heare the Basiliskes,

That roaring, shake Damascus turrets downe,

The rogue of Volga holds zenocrate,

The Souldans daughter[?] for his Concubine,

And with a troope of theeues and vagabondes.

[Page]

D2v

Hath spread his collours to our high disgrace:

While you faint-hearted base Egyptians,

Lie slumbering on the flowrie bankes of Nile,

As Crocodiles that vnaffrighted rest,

While thundring Cannons rattle on their Skins.

Mess.

Nay (mightie Souldan) did your greatnes see

The frowning lookes of fiery Tamburlaine,

That with his terrour and imperious eies,

Commandes the hearts of his associates,

It might amaze your royall maiesty.

Soul.

Villain. I tell thee, were that tamburlaine,

As monstrous as Gorgon, prince of Hell,

The Souldane would not start a foot from him.

But speake, what power hath he?

Mess.

Mightie Lord,

Three hundred thousand men in armour clad,

Vpon their pransing Steeds, didainfully

With wanton paces trampling on the ground.

Fiue hundred thousand footmen threatning shot,

Shaking their swords, their speares and yron bils,

Enuironing their Standard round, that stood

As bristle-pointed as a thorny wood.

Their warlike Engins and munition

Exceed the forces of their martial men.

Soul.

Nay could their nūbers counteruail the stars

Or euer drisling drops of Aprill snowers,

Or withered leaues that Autume shaketh downe.

Yet would the Souldane by his conquering power:

So scatter and consume them in his rage,

That not a man should liue to rue their fall,

Cap.

So might your highnesse, had you time to sort

Your fighting men, and raise your royall hoste.

[Page]D3r

But tamburlaine, by expedition

Aduantage takes of your vnreadinesse.

Soul.

Let him take all th'aduantages he can,

Were all the world conspird to sight for him,

Nay, were he Deuill, as he is no man,

Yet in reuenge of faire Zenocrate,

Whom he detameth in despight of vs,

This arme should send him downe to Erebus.

To shroud his shame in darknes of the night.

Mess.

Pleaseth your mightinesse to vnderstand,

His resolution far exceedeth all:

The first day when he pitcheth downe his tentes,

White is their hew, and on his siluer crest

A snowy Feather spangled white he beares,

To signify the mildnesse of his minde.

That satiate with spoile refuseth blood:

But when Aurora mounts the second time,

As red as scarlet is his furniture,

Then must his kindled wrath bee quencht with blood.

Not sparing any that can manage armes:

But if these threats mooue not submission.

Black are his collours, blacke Pauilion,

His speare, his shield, his horse, his armour, plumes,

And Ietty Feathers menace death and hell,

Without respect of Sex, degree or age.

He raceth all his foes with fire and sword.

Soul.

Mercilesse villaine, Pesant ignorant,

Of lawfull armes, or martiall discipline:

Pillage and murder are his vsuall trades.

The slaue vsurps the glorious name of war.

See Capolin the faire Arabian king,

That hath bene disapointed by this slaue:

[Page]D3v

Of my faire daughter, and his princely Loue:

May haue fresh warning to go war with vs,

And be reueng'd for her dispardgement.

Actus. 4. Scaena. 2.

Tamburlain, Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasane, Zenocrate, Anippe, two Moores drawing Baiazeth in his cage, and his wife following him.

Tamb.

BRing out my foot-stoole.

They take him out of the cage.

Bai

Ye holy Priests of heauenly Mahomet,

That sacrificing slice and cut your flesh,

Staining his Altars with your purple blood:

Make heauen to frowne and euery fired starre

To sucke vp poison from the moorish Fens,

And poure it in this glorious Tyrants throat.

tam.

The chiefest God first moouer of that Spheare,

Enchacd with thousands euer shining lamps,

Will sooner burne the glorious frame of Heauen.

Then it should so conspire my ouerthrow.

But Villaine, thou that wishest this to me,

Fall prostrate on the lowe disdainefull earth.

And be the foot-stoole of great Tamburlain,

That I may rise into my royall throne.

Bai.

First shalt thou rip my bowels with thy sword,

And sacrifice my heart to death and hell,

Before I yeeld to such a slauery.

tamb.

Base villain, vassall, slaue to Tamburlaine:

Vnworthy to imbrace or touch the ground.

That beares the honor of my royall waight.

[Page]D4r

Stoop villaine, stoope, stoope for so he bids,

That may command thee peecemeale to be torne,

Or scattered like the lofty Cedar trees,

Strocke with the voice of thundring Iupiter.

Bai.

Then as I look downe to the damned Feends.

Feends looke on me, and thou dread God of hell.

With Evan Scepter strike this hatefull earth,

And make it swallow both of vs at once.

He gets vp vpon him to his chaire.

Tamb.

Now cleare the triple region of the aire,

And let the maiestie of heauen beholde

Their Scourge and Terrour treade on Emperours,

Smile Stars that raign'd at my natiuity:

And dim the brightnesse of their neighbor Lamps,

Disdaine to borrow light of Cynthia,

For I the chiefest Lamp of all the earth,

First rising in the East with milde aspect,

But fired now in the Meridian line,

Will send vp fire to your turning Spheares,

And cause the Sun to borrowe light of you.

My sword stroke fire from his coat of steele,

Euen in Bythinia, when I took this Turke:

As when a fiery exhalation

Wrapt in the bowels of a freezing cloude,

Fighting for passage, make the Welkin cracke,

And casts a flash of lightning to the earth.

But ere I martch to wealthy Persea,

Or leaue Damascus and th'Egyptian fields,

As was the fame of Clymeus brain-sicke sonne,

That almost brent the Axeltree of heauen,

[Page]D4v

So shall our swords, our lances and our shot.

Fill all the aire with fiery meteors.

Then when the Sky shal waxe as red as blood,

It shall be said, I made it red my selfe,

To make me think of nought but blood and war.

Zab.

Vnworthy king, that by thy crueltie,

Vnlawfully vsurpest the Persean seat:

Dar'st thou that neuer saw an Emperour,

Before thou met my husband in the field,

Being thy Captiue, thus abuse his state,

Keeping his kingly body in a Cage,

That rooffes of golde, and sun-bright Pallaces,

Should haue prepar'd to entertaine his Grace?

And treading him beneath thy loathsome feet,

Whose feet the kings of Affrica haue kist.

tech.

You must deuise some tormēt worsse, my Lord

To make these captiues reine their lauish tongues.

tam.

zenocrate, looke better to your slaue:

zen.

She is my Handmaids slaue, and she shal looke

That these abuses flow not from her tongue:

Chide her Anippe.

Anip.

Let these be warnings for you then my slaue,

How you abuse the person of the king:

Or els I sweare to haue you whipt stark nak'd.

Bai.

Great tamburlaine, great in my ouerthrow,

Ambitious pride shall make thee fall as low.

For treading on the back of Baiazeth,

That should be horsed on fower mightie kings.

tam.

Thy names and tytles, and thy dignities

Are fled from Baiazeth, and remaine with me,

That will maintaine it against a world of Kings.

Put him in againe.

[Page]D5rBai.

Is this a place for mighty Baiazeth?

Confusion light on him that helps thee thus.

tam.

There whiles he liues, shal Baiezeth be kept,

And where I goe be thus in triumph drawne:

And thou his wife shalt feed him with the scraps

My seruitures shall bring the from my boord.

For he that giues him other food than this:

Shall sit by him and starue to death himselfe.

This is my minde, and I will haue it so.

Not all the Kings and Emperours of the Earth:

If they would lay their crownes before my feet,

Shall ransome him, or take him from his cage.

The ages that shall talk of Tamburlain,

Euen from this day to Platoes wondrous yeare,

Shall talke how I haue handled Baiazeth.

These Mores that drew him from Bythinia,

To faire Damascus, where we now remaine,

Shall lead him with vs wheresoere we goe.

Techelles, and my louing followers,

Now may we see Damascus lofty towers,

Like to the shadowes of Pyramides,

That with their beauties grac'd the Memphion fields▪

The golden stature of their feathered bird

That spreads her wings vpon the citie wals,

Shall not defend it from our battering shot.

The townes-men maske in silke and cloath of gold.

And euery house is as a treasurie.

The men, the treasure, and the towne is ours.

Ther.

Your tentes of white now pitch'd before the gates

And gentle flags of amitie displaid.

I doubt not but the Gouernour will yeeld,

Offering Damascus to your Maiesty.

[Page]D5vTam.

So shall he haue his life, and all the rest.

But if he stay vntil the bloody flag

Be once aduanc'd on my vermilion Tent,

He dies, and those that kept vs out so long.

And when they see me march in black aray,

With mournfull streamers hanging down their heads,

Were in that citie all the world contain'd.

Not one should scape: but perish by our swords.

zen.

Yet would you haue some pitie for my sake,

Because it is my countries, and my Fathers.

Tam.

Not for the world Zenocrate, if I haue sworn:

Come bring in the Turke.

Excunt.

Act. 4. Scaena. 3,

Souldane, Arabia, Capoline, with steaming collor: and Souldiers.

Souldan.

ME thinks we martch as Meliager did,

Enuironed with braue Argolian knightes:

To chace the sauage Caldonian Boare,

Or Cephalus with lustie The bane youths.

Against the Woolfe that angrie Themis sent.

To waste and spoile the sweet Aonian fieldes.

A monster of fiue hundred thousand heades,

Compact of Rapine, Pyracie, and spoile.

The Scum of men, the hate and Scourge of God,

Raues in Egyptia, and annoyeth vs.

My Lord it is the bloody Tamburlaine.

A sturdy Felon and a base-bred Thiefe.

By murder raised to the Perse an Crowne.

That dares controll vs in our Territories.

[Page]D6r

To tame the pride of this presumotuous Beast,

Ioine your Arabians with the Souldans power:

Let vs vnite our royall bandes in one,

And hasten to remooue Damascus siege.

It is a blemish to the Maiestie

And high estate of mightie Emperours,

That such a base vsurping vagabond

Should braue a king, or weare a princely crowne.

Ara.

Renowmed Souldane, haue ye lately heard

The ouerthrow of mightie Baiazeth,

About the confines of Bythinia?

The slauerie wherewith he persecutes

The noble Turke and his great Emperesse.

Soul.

I haue, and sorrow for his bad successe:

But noble Lord of great Arabia,

Be so perswaded, that the Souldan is

No more dismaide with tidings of his fall,

Than in the hauen when the Pilot stands

And viewes a strangers ship rent in the winds,

And shiuered against a craggie rocke,

Yet in compassion of his wretched state,

A sacred vow to heauen and him I make,

Confirming it with lbis holy name,

That Tamburlaine shall rue the day, the hower,

Wherein he wrought such ignominious wrong.

Vnto the hallowed person of a prince,

Or kept the faire zenocrate so long.

As Co [...]tubine, I feare to feed his [...]ust.

Ara.

Let griefe and furie hasten on reuenge,

Let Tamburlaine for his offences feele

Such plagues as heauen and we can poure on him.

I long to breake my speare vpon his crest,

[Page]D6v

And prooue the waight of his victorious arme:

For Fame I feare hath bene too prodigall:

In sounding through the world his partiall praise:

Soul.

Capolin, hast thou suruaid our powers.

Cap.

Great Emperours of Egypt and Arabia.

The number of your hostes vnited is,

A hundred and fifty thousand horse,

Two hundred thousand foot, braue men at armes,

Couragious and full of hardinesse:

As frolike as the hunters in the chace:

Of sauage beastes amid the desart woods.

Arab.

My mind presageth fortunate successe,

And tamburlaine, my spirit doth foresee

The vtter ruine of thy men[?] and thee.

Soul.

Then reare your standardes, let your sounding Drummes

Direct our Souldiers to Damascus walles.

Now Tamburlaine, the mightie Souldane comes,

And leads with him the great Arabian King.

To dim thy basenesse and obscurity.

Famous for nothing but for theft and spoile,

To race and scatter thy inglorious crue,

Of Scythians and slauish Persians.

Exeunt.

Actus: 4. Scaena 5.

The Banquet, and to it commeth Tamburlain al in scarlet, Theridamas. Techelles, Vsumeasane, the Turke, with others.

Tamb.

NOw hang our bloody collours by Damascus.

Reflexing hewes of blood vpon their heads.

[Page]D7r

While they walke quiuering on their citie walles,

Halfe dead for feare before they feele my wrath:

Then let vs freely banquet and carouse

Full bowles of wine vnto the God of war,

That meanes to fill your helmets full of golde▪

And make Damascus spoiles as rich to you,

As was to Iason Colchos golden fleece.

And now Baiazeth, hast thou any stomacke?

Bai.

I, such a stomacke (cruel tamburlane) as I could

Willingly feed vpon thy blood-raw hart.

tam.

Nay, thine owne is easier to come by, plucke out that,

And twil serue thee and thy wife: Wel zenocrate,

techelles, and the rest, fall to your victuals.

Bai.

Fall to, and neuer may your meat digest,

Ye Furies that can maske inuisible,

Diue to the bottome of Auernas poole,

And in your hands bring hellish poison vp.

And squease it in the cup of tamburlain.

Or winged snakes of Lerna cast your stings,

And leaue your venoms in this Tyrants dish.

zab.

And may this banquet prooue as omenous,

As Prognes to th'adulterous Thracian King.

That fed vpon the substance of his child.

zen.

My Lord, how can you suffer these outragious curses

By these slaues of yours?

tam.

To let them see (diuine zenocrate)

I glorie in the curses of my foes.

Hauing the power frō the Emperiall heauen,

To turne them al vpon their proper heades.

tech.

I pray you giue them leaue Madam, this speech is a goodly refreshing to them.

[Page]D7vTher.

But if his highnesse would let them be fed, it would doe them more good.

tam.

Sirra, why fall you not too, are you so daintily brought vp, you cannot eat your owne flesh?

Bai.

First legions of deuils shall teare thee in peeces.

Vsum.

Villain, knowest thou to whom thou speakest

tam.

O let him alone: here, eat sir, take it from my swords point, or Ile thrust it to thy heart.

He takes it and stamps vpon it.

ther

He stamps it vnder his feet my Lord.

tam.

Take it vp Villaine and eat it, or I will make thee slice the brawnes of thy armes into carbonadoes, and eat them.

vsu.

Nay, twere better he kild his wife, & then she shall be sure not to be staru'd, & he be prouided for a moneths victuall before hand.

tam.

Here is my dagger, dispatch her while she is fat, for if she liue but a while longer, shee will fall into a comsumption with freatting, and then she will not bee woorth the eating.

ther.

Doost thou think that Mahomet wil suffer this

tech.

Tis like he wil, when he cannot let it.

tam.

Go to, fal to your meat: what not a bit? belike he hath not bene watered to day, giue him some drinke.

They giue him water to drinke, and he flings it on the ground.

Faste and welcome sir, while hunger make you eat. How now zenocrate, dooth not the Turke and his wife make a goodly showe at a banquet?

Zen.

Yes. my Lord.

ther

Me thinks, tis a great deale better than a consort of musicke.

[Page]D8rtam.

Yet musicke woulde doe well to cheere vp ze nocrate: pray thee tel, why art thou so sad? If thou wilt haue a song, the Turke shall straine his voice: but why is it?

Zen.

My lord, to see my fathers towne besieg'd,

The countrie wasted where my selfe was borne,

How can it but afflict my verie soule?

If any loue remaine in you my Lord,

Or if my loue vnto your maiesty

May merit fauour at your highnesse handes,

Then raise your siege from faire Damascus walles,

And with my father take a frindly truce.

tamb.

Zenocrate, were Egypt Ioues owne land,

Yet would I with my sword make Ioue to sto [...]pe,

I will confute those blind Geographers

That make a triple region in the world,

Excluding Regions which I meane to trace

And with this pen reduce them to a Map.

Calling the Prouinces, Citties and townes

After my name and thine zenocrate:

Here at Damascus will I make the Point

That shall begin the Perpendicular.

And wouldst thou haue me buy thy Fathers loue

With such a losse? Tell me zenocrate?

Zen.

Honor still waight on happy tamburlaine:

Yet giue me leaue to plead for him my Lord.

Tam.

Content thy selfe, his person shall be safe.

And all the friendes of faire Zenocrate,

If with their liues they will be pleasde to yeeld,

Or may be forc'd to make me Emperour.

For Egypt and Arabia must be mine.

[Page]D8v

Feed you slaue, thou maist thinke thy selfe happie to be fed from my trencher.

Bai.

My empty stomacke ful of idle heat,

Drawes bloody humours from my feeble partes,

Preseruing life, by hasting cruell death.

My vaines are pale, my sinowes hard and drie,

My iointes benumb'd, vnlesse I eat, I die.

Zab.

Eat Baiazeth, Let vs liue in spite of them,

Looking some happie power will pitie and inlarge vs.

tam.

Here Turk, wilt thou haue a cleane trencher?

Bai.

I Tyrant, and more meat.

tam.

Soft sir, you must be dieted, too much eating will make you surfeit.

ther.

So it would my lord, specially hauing so smal a walke, and so litle exercise.

Enter a second course of Crownes.

tam.

Theridamas, techelles and Casane, here are the cates you desire to finger, are they not?

ther.

I (my Lord) but none saue kinges must feede with these.

tech.

Tis enough for vs to see them, and for tamburlaine onely to enioy them.

tam.

Wel, Here is now to the Souldane of Egypt the King of Arabia, and the Gouernour of Damascus. Now take these three crownes, and pledge me, my contributorie Kings.

I crowne you here (Theridamas) King of Argier: Techelles King of Fesse, and Vsumeasane King of Morocus. How say you to this (Turke) these are not your contributorie kings.

[Page]E1rBai.

Nor shall they long be thine, I warrant them.

tam.

Kings of Argier, Morocus, and of Fesse.

You that haue martcht with happy Tamburlaine,

As far as from the frozen place of heauen.

Vnto the watry mornings ruddy hower.

And thence by land vnto the Torrid Zone,

Deserue these tytles I endow you with.

By value and by magnanimity.

Your byrthes shall be no blemish to your fame.

For vertue is the fount whence honor springs.

And they are worthy she inuesteth kings.

ther.

And since your highnesse hath so well vouchsaft,

If we deserue them not with higher meeds

Then erst our states and actions haue retain'd,

Take them away againe and make vs slaues.

Tam.

Wel said Theridamas, when holy Fates

Shall stablish me in strong Egyptia.

We meane to traueile to th'Antatique Pole,

Conquering the people vnderneath our feet.

And be renowm'd, as neuer Emperours were.

zenocrate, I will not crowne thee yet,

Vntil with greater honors I be grac'd.

Finis Actus quarti.

Actus: 5.

Scaena. 1.

The Gouernour of Damasco, with three or foure Citizens, and foure Virgins with branches of Laurell in their hands.

Gouernour.

STil doth this man or rather God of war,

Batt [...]r our walles, and beat our Turrets downe

[Page]E1v

And to resist with longer stubbornesse,

Or hope of rescue from the Souldans power,

Were but to bring our wilfull ouerthrow,

And make vs desperate of our threatned liues:

We see his tents haue now bene altered,

With terrours to the last and cruelst hew:

His cole-blacke collours euery where aduaunst,

Threaten our citie with a generall spoile:

And if we should with common rites of Armes,

Offer our safeties to his clemencie,

I feare the custome proper to his sword,

Which he obserues as parcell of his fame:

Intending so to terrifie the world,

By any innouation or remorse,

Will neuer be dispenc'd with til our deaths,

Therfore, for these our harmlesse virgines sakes,

Whose honors and whose liues relie on him:

Let vs haue hope that their vnspotted praiers

Their blubbered cheekes and hartie humble mones

Will melt his furie into some remorse:

And vse vs like a louing Conquerour.

Virg.

If humble suites or imprecations,

(vttered with teares of wretchednesse and blood,

Shead from the heads and hearts of all our Sex.

Some made your wiues, and some your children)

Might haue intreated your obdurate breasts.

To entertaine some care of our securities.

Whiles only danger beat vpon our walles,

These more than dangerous warrants of our deat [...]

Had neuer bene erected as they bee,

Nor you depend on such weake helps as we

Go.

Wel, louely Virgins, think our count [...]s care

[Page]E2r

Our loue of honor loth to be enthral'd

To forraine powers, and rough imperious yokes:

Would not with too much cowardize or feare,

Before all hope of rescue were denied,

Submit your selues and vs to seruitude.

Therefore in that your safeties and our owne

Your honors, liberties and liues were weigh'd

In equall care and ballance with our owne,

Endure as we the malice of our stars.

The wrath of Tamburlain, and power of warres.

Or be the means the ouerweighing heauens

Haue kept to quallifie these hot extreames.

And bring vs pardon in your chearfull lookes.

2. Virg.

Then here before the maiesty of heauen,

And holy Patrones of Egyptia,

With knees and hearts submissiue we intreate,

Grace to our words and pitie to our lookes

That this deuise may prooue propitious,

And through the eies and eares of tamburlaine,

Conuey euents of mercie to his heart:

Graunt that these signes of victorie we yeeld

May bind the temples of his conquering head,

To hide the folded furrowes of his browes,

And shadow his displeased countenance,

With happy looks of ruthe and lenity,

Leaue vs my Lord, and louing countrimen,

What simple Virgins may perswade, we will.

Go.

Garewell (sweet Virgins) on whose safe return

Depends our citie, libertie, and liues.

Exeunt.

[Page]

E2v

Actus. 5. Scaena. 2.

Tamburlaine. Techelles Theridamas, Vsumeasan, with others: Tamburlaine all in blacke, and veri [...] melancholy.

Tamb.

WHat, are the Turtles fraide out of their neastes?

Alas poore fooles, must you be first shal feele

The sworne destruction of Damascus.

They know my custome: could they not as well

Haue sent ye out, when first my milkwhite flags

Through which sweet mercie threw her gentle beams

Reflexing them on your disdainfull cies:

As now when furie and incensed hate

Flings slaughtering terrour from my coleblack tents.

And tels for trueth, submissions comes too late.

1. Virgin.

Most happy King and Emperour of the earth.

Image of Honor and Nobilitie.

For whome the Powers diuine haue made the world.

And on whose throne the holy Graces sit.

In whose sweete person is compriz'd the Sum

Of natures Skill and heauenly maiestie.

Pittie our plightes, O pitie poore Damascus:

Pitie olde age, within whose siluer haires

Honor and reuerence euermore haue raign'd,

Pitie the mariage bed, where many a Lord

In prime and glorie of his louing ioy.

Embraceth now with teares of ruth and blood,

The iealous bodie of his fearfull wife,

Whose cheekes and hearts so punisht with conceit,

[Page]E3r

To thinke thy puisant neuer staied arme

Will part their bodies, and preuent their soules

From heauens of comfort, yet their age might beare,

Now waxe all pale and withered to the death,

As well for griefe our ruthlesse Gouernour

Haue thus refusde the mercie of thy hand,

(Whose scepter Angels kisse, and Furies dread)

As for their liberties, their loues or liues,

O then for these, and such as we our selues,

For vs, for infants, and for all our bloods,

That neuer nourisht thought against thy rule,

Pitie, O pitie, (sacred Emperour)

The prostrate seruice of this wretched towne.

And take in signe thereof this gilded wreath,

Whereto ech man of rule hath giuen his hand,

And wisht as worthy subiects happy meanes,

To be inuesters of thy royall browes,

Euen with the true Egyptian Diadem.

tam.

Virgins, in vaine ye labo [...] to preuent

That which mine honor sweares shal be perform'd:

Behold my sword, what see you at the point?

Virg.

Nothing but feare and fatall steele my Lord.

tam.

Your fearfull minds are thicke and mistie then

For there sits Death, there sits imperious Death.

Keeping his circuit by the slicing edge.

But I'am pleasde you shall not see him there,

He now is seated on my horsmens speares:

And on their points his fleshlesse bodie feches.

Techelles, straight goe charge a few of them

To chardge these Dames, and shew my seruant death:

Sitting in scarlet on their armed speares.

Omnes.

O pitie vs.

[Page]E3vtam.

Away with them I say and shew them death.

They take them away.

I will not spare these proud Egyptians.

Nor change my Martiall obseruations,

For all the wealth of Gehons golden waues.

Or for the loue of Venus, would she leaue

The angrie God of Armes, and lie with me.

They haue refusde the offer of their liues,

And know my customes are as peremptory

As wrathfull Planets, death, or destinie.

Enter Techelles.

What, haue your horsmen shewen the virgins Death?

tech.

They haue my Lord, and on Damascus wals

Haue hoisted vp their slaughtered carcases.

tam.

A sight as banefull to their soules I think

As are Thessalian drugs or Mithradate.

But goe my Lords, put the rest to the sword.

Exeunt.

Ah faire Zenocrate, diuine Zenocrate,

Faire is too foule an Epithite for thee,

That in thy passion for thy countries loue,

And feare to see thy kingly Fathers harme,

With haire discheweld wip'st thy watery cheeks:

And like to Flora in her mornings pride,

Shaking her siluer treshes in the aire.

Rain'st on the earth resolued pearle in showers,

And sprinklest Saphyrs on thy shining face,

Wher Beauty, mother to the Muses sits,

And comments vollumes with her Yuory pen:

Taking instructions from thy flowing eies,

Eies when that Ebena steps to heauen.

In silence of thy solemn Euenings walk.

Making the mantle of the richest night.

[Page]E4r

The Moone, the Planets, and the Meteors light,

There Angels in their christal armours fight

A doubtfull battell with my tempted thoughtes,

For Egypts freedom and the Souldans life:

His life that so consumes Zenocrate,

Whose sorrowes lay more siege vnto my saule,

Than all my Army to Damascus walles.

And neither Perseans Soueraign, nor the Turk

Troubled my sences with conceit of foile,

So much by much, as dooth zenocrate.

What is beauty saith my sufferings then?

If all the pens that euer poets held,

Had fed the feeling of their maisters thoughts,

And euery sweetnes that inspir'd their harts,

Their minds, and muses on admyred theames:

If all the heauenly Quintessence they still

From their immortall flowers of Poesy,

Wherein as in a myrrour we perceiue

The highest reaches of a humaine wit.

If these had made one Poems period

And all combin'd in Beauties worthinesse,

Yet should ther houer in their restlesse heads,

One thought, one grace, one woonder at the least,

Which into words no vertue can digest:

But how vnseemly is it for my Sex

My discipline of armes and Chiualrie,

My nature and the terrour of my name.

To harbour thoughts effeminate and faint?

Saue onely that in / Beauties iust applause,

With whose instinct the soule of man is toucht.

And euery warriour that is rapt with loue,

Of fame, of valour, and of victory

[Page]E4v

Must needs haue beauty beat on his conceites,

I thus conceiuing and subduing both:

That which hath stopt the tempest of the Gods,

Euen from the fiery spangled vaile of heauen,

To feele the louely warmth of shepheards flames,

And martch in cottages of strowed weeds,

Shal giue the world to note for all my byrth,

That Vertue solely is the sum of glorie,

And fashions men with true nobility.

Who's within there?

Enter two or three.

Hath Baiazeth bene fed to day?

An.

I, my Lord.

tamb.

Bring him forth, & let vs know if the towne be ransackt.

Enter Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasan & others.

tech

The town is ours my Lord, and fresh supply

Of conquest, and of spoile is offered vs:

tam.

Thats wel techelles, what's the newes?

tech.

The Souldan and the Arabian king together

Martch on vs with such eager violence,

As if there were no way but one with vs.

tam.

No more there is not I warrant thee techelles

They bring in the Turke.

ther.

We know the victorie is ours my Lord,

But let vs saue the reuerend Souldans life,

For faire Zenocrate, that so laments his state.

tamb.

That will we chiefly see vnto, theridamas.

For sweet zenocrate, whose worthinesse

Deserues a conquest ouer euery hart:

[Page]E5r

And now my footstoole, if I loose the field,

You hope of libertie and restitution:

Here let him stay my maysters from the tents,

Till we haue made vs ready for the field.

Pray for vs Baiazeth, we are going.

Exeunt.

Bai.

Go, neuer to returne with victorie:

Millions of men encompasse thee about.

And gore thy body with as many wounds,

Sharpe forked arrowes light vpon thy horse:

Furies from the blacke Cocitus lake,

Breake vp the earth, and with their firebrands,

Enforce thee run vpon the banefull pikes.

Volleyes of shot pierce through thy charmed Skin.

And euery bullet dipt in poisoned drugs,

Or roaring Cannons seuer all thy ioints.

Making thee mount as high as Eagles soare.

zab.

Let all the swords and Lances in the field,

Stick in his breast, as in their proper roomes,

At euery pore let blood comme dropping foorth.

That lingring paines may massacre his heart.

And madnesse send his danmed soule to hell.

Bai.

Ah faire zabina, we may curse his power,

The heauens may frowne, the earth for anger quake,

But such a Star hath influence in his sword,

As rules the Skies, and countermands the Gods,

More than Cymerian Stix or Distinie:

And then shall we in this detested guyse,

With shame, with hungar, and with horror aie

Griping our bowels with retorqued thoughtes,

And haue no hope to end our extasies.

zab.

Then is there left no Mahomet, no God,

No Feend, no Fortune, nor no hope of end?

[Page]E5v

To our infamous monstrous slaueries:

Gape earth, and let the Feends infernall view,

As hell, as hoplesse and as full of feare

As are the blasted banks of Erebus:

Where shaking ghosts with euer howling grones,

Houer about the vgly Ferriman, to get a passage to Elisiā

why should we liue, O wretches, beggars slaues

Why liue we Baiazeth, and build vp neasts,

So high within the region of the aire,

By liuing long in this oppression,

That all the world will see and laugh to scorne.

The former triumphes of our mightines,

In this obscure infernall seruitude:

Bai.

O life more loathsome to my vexed thoughts,

Than noisome parbreak of the Stygian Snakes,

Which fils the nookes of Hell with standing aire,

Infecting all the Ghosts with curelesse griefs:

O dreary Engines of my loathed sight,

That sees my crowne, my honor and my name,

Thrust vnder yoke and thraldom of a thiefe.

Why feed ye still on daies accursed beams,

And sink not quite into my tortur'd soule.

You see my wife, my Queene and Emperesse,

Brought vp and propped by the hand of fame,

Queen of fifteene contributory Queens,

Now throwen to roomes of blacke abiection,

Smear'd with blots of basest drudgery:

And Villanesse to shame, disdaine, and misery:

Accursed Baiazeth, whose words of ruth,

That would with pity chear zabinas heart:

And make our soules resolue in ceasles teares,

Sharp hunger bites vpon and gripes the root:

[Page]E6r

From whence the issues of my thoughts doe breake,

O poore zabina, O my Queen, my Queen,

Fetch me some water for my burning breast,

To coole and comfort me with longer date,

That in the shortned sequel of my life,

I may poure foorth my soule into thine armes,

With words of loue: whose moaning entercourse

Hath hetherto bin staid, with wrath and hate

Of our expreslesse band inflictions:

zab.

Sweet Baiazeth, I will prolong thy life,

As long as any blood or sparke of breath

Can quench or coole the torments of my griefe.

She goes out:

Bai.

Now Baiazeth, abridge thy banefull daies,

And beat thy braines out of thy conquer'd head:

Since other meanes are all forbidden me,

That may be ministers of my decay.

O highest Lamp of euerliuing Ioue,

Accursed day infected with my griefs,

Hide now thy stained face in endles night,

And shut the windowes of the lightsome heauens,

Let vgly darknesse with her rusty coach

Engyrt with tempests wrapt in pitchy clouds,

Smother the earth with neuer fading mistes:

And let her horses from their nostrels breathe

Rebellious winds and dreadfull thunderclaps:

That in this terrour tamburlaine may liue.

And my pin'd soule resolu'd in liquid ay,

May styl excruciat his tormented thoughts.

Then let the stony dart of sencelesse colde,

Pierce through the center of my withered heart,

And make a passage for my loathed life.

He brains himself against the cage.

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E6v

Enter Zabina.

Zab.

What do mine eies behold, my husband dead?

His Skul al riuin in twain, his braines dasht out?:

The braines of Baiazeth, my Lord and Soueraigne?:

O Baiazeth, my husband and my Lord,

O Baiazet, O Turk, O Emperor, giue him his liquor Not I, bring milk and fire, and my blood I bring him againe, teare me in peeces, giue me the sworde with a ball of wildefire vpon it. Downe with him, downe with him. Goe to my child, away, away, away. Ah, saue that Infant, saue him, saue him. I, euen I speake to her, the Sun was downe. Streamers white. Red, Blacke, here here, here. Fling the meat in his face. Tamburlaine, tamburlaine, Let the souldiers be buried. Hel, death, tamburlain, Hell, make ready my Coch, my chaire, my iewels, I come, I come, I come.

She runs against the Cage and braines her selfe

Zenocrate wyth Anippe,

Wretched Zenocrate, that liuest to see,

Damascus walles di'd with Egytian blood.

Thy Fathers subiects and thy countrimen:

Thy streetes strowed with disseuered iointes of men,

And wounded bodies gasping yet for life.

But most accurst, to see the Sun-bright troope

Of heauenly vyrgins and vnspotted maides,

Whose lookes might make the angry God of armes,

To breake his sword, and mildly treat of loue,

On horsmens Lances to be hoisted vp,

And guiltlesly endure a cruell death.

For euery fell and stout Tartarian Stead,

[Page]E7r

That stampt on others with their thundring hooues

When al their riders chardg'd their quiuering speares

Began to checke the ground, and rain themselues:

Gazing vpon the beautie of their lookes:

Ah Tamburlaine, wert thou the cause of this

That tearm'st Zenocrate thy dearest loue?

Whose liues were dearer to Zenocrate

Than her owne life, or ought saue thine owne loue.

But see another bloody spectacle.

Ah wretched eies, the enemies of my hart,

How are ye glutted with these grieuous obiects,

And tell my soule mor tales of bleeding ruth?

See, se Anippe if they breathe or no.

Anip.

No breath nor sence, nor motion in them both

Ah Madam, this their slauery hath Enforc'd,

And ruthlesse cruelty of Tamburlaine.

Zen.

Earth cast vp fountaines from thy entralles,

And wet thy cheeks for their vntimely deathes:

Shake with their waight in signe of feare & griefe:

Blush heauen, that gaue them honor at their birth,

And let them die a death so barbarous.

Those that are proud of fickle Empery,

And place their chiefest good in earthly pompe:

Behold the Turke and his great Emperesse.

Ah tamburlaine, my loue, sweet tamburlaine,

That fights for Scepters and for slippery crownes,

Behold the Turk and his great Emperesse,

Thou that in conduct of thy happy stars,

Sleep'st euery night with conquest on thy browes,

And yet wouldst shun the wauering turnes of war,

In feare and feeling of the like distresse,

Behold the Turke and his great Emperesse.

[Page]E7v

Ah myghty Ioue and holy Mahomet,

Pardon my Loue, oh pardon his contempt,

Of earthly fortune, and respect of pitie,

And let not conquest ruthlesly pursewde

Be equally against his life incenst,

In this great Turk and haplesse Emperesse.

And pardon me that was not moou'd with ruthe,

To see them liue so long in misery:

Ah what may chance to thee zenocrate?

Anip,

Madam content your self and be resolu'd,

Your Loue hath fortune so at his command,

That she shall stay and turne her wheele no more,

As long as life maintaines his mighty arme,

That fights for honor to adorne your head.

Enter a Messenger.

Zen.

What other heauie news now brings Philemus?

Phi.

Madam, your father and th' Arabian king,

The first affecter of your excellence,

Comes now as Turnus gainst Eneas did.

Armed with lance into the Egyptian fields,

Ready for battaile gainst my Lord the King.

Zen.

Now shame and duty, loue and feare presents

A thousand sorrowes to my martyred soule:

Whom should I wish the fatall victory,

When my poore pleasures are deuided thus,

And rackt by dutie from my cursed heart:

My father and my first betrothed loue,

Must fight against my life and present loue:

Wherin the change I vse condemns my faith,

And makes my deeds infamous through the world.

But as the Gods to end the Troyans toile,

Preuent'd Turnus of Lauinia.

[Page]E8r

And fatally enricht Eneas loue.

So for a finall Issue to my griefes,

To pacifie my countrie and my loue,

Must Tamburlaine by their resistlesse powers,

With vertue of a gentle victorie,

Conclude a league of honor to my hope,

Then as the powers deuine haue preordainde,

With happy safty of my fathers life,

Send like defence of faire Arabia.

They sound to the battaile. And Tamburlaine enioyes the victory, after Arabia enters wounded.

Ar.

What cursed power guides the murthering hands,

Of this infamous Tyrants souldiers.

That no escape may saue their enemies:

Nor fortune keep them selues from victory.

Lye down Arabia, wounded to the death,

And let Zenocrates faire eies beholde

That as for her thou bearst these wretched armes.

Euen so for her thou diest in these armes:

Leauing thy blood for witnesse of thy loue.

zen.

Too deare a witnesse for such loue my Lord,

Behold Zenocrate, the cursed obiect

Whose Fortunes neuer mastered her griefs:

Behold her wounded in conceit for thee,

As much as thy faire body is for me.

Ar.

Then shal I die with full contented heart,

Hauing beheld deuine Zenocrate,

Whose sight with ioy would take away my life,

As now it bringeth sweetnesse to my wound,

If I had not bin wounded as I am.

[Page]E8v

Ah that the deadly panges I suffer now,

Would lend an howers license to my tongue:

To make discourse of some sweet accidents

Haue chanc'd thy merits in this worthles bondage.

And that I might be priuy to the state,

Of thy deseru'd contentment and thy loue:

But making now a vertue of thy sight,

To driue all sorrow from my fainting soule:

Since Death denies me further cause of ioy.

Depriu'd of care, my heart with comfort dies.

Since thy desired hand shall close mine eies.

Enter Tamburlain leading the Souldane, Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasane, with others.

Tam.

Come happy Father of Zenocrate,

A title higher than thy Souldans name:

Though my right hand haue thus enthralled thee

Thy princely daughter here shall set thee free.

She that hath calmde the furie of my sword.

Which had ere this bin bathde in streames of blood,

As vast and deep as Euphrates or Nile.

Zen:

O sight thrice welcome to my ioiful soule.

To see the king my Father issue safe,

From dangerous battel of my conguering Loue.

Soul.

Wel met my only deare Zenocrate,

Though with the losse of Egypt and my Crown.

tam.

Twas I my lord that gat the victory,

And therfore grieue not at your ouerthrow.

Since I shall render all into your hands.

And ad more strength to your dominions

Then euer yet confirm'd th'Egyptian Crown.

[Page]F1r

The God of war resignes his roume to me,

Meaning to make me Generall of the world,

Ioue viewing me in armes, lookes pale and wan,

Fearing my power should pull him from his throne,

Where ere I come the fatall sisters sweat,

And griesly death by running to and fro,

To doo their ceassles homag to my sword:

And here in Affrick where it seldom raines,

Since I arriu'd with my triumphat hoste,

Haue swelling cloudes drawen from wide gasping woundes.

Bene oft resolu'd in bloody purple showers,

A meteor that might terrify the earth,

And make it quake at euery drop it drinks:

Millions of soules sit on the bankes of Styx,

Waiting the back returne of Charons boat,

Hell and Elisian swarme with ghosts of men,

That I haue sent from sundry foughten fields.

To spread my fame through hell and vp to heauen:

And see my Lord, a sight of strange import,

Emperours and kings lie breathlesse at my feet,

The Turk and his great Emperesse as it seems,

Left to themselues while we were at the fight.

Haue desperatly dispatcht their slauish liues:

With them Arabia too hath left his life,

Al sights of power to grace my victory:

And such are obiects fit for Tamburlaine.

Wherein as in a mirrour may be seene,

His honor, that consists in sheading blood,

When men presume to manage armes with him.

Soul.

Mighty hath God & Mahomet made thy hand

(Renowmed tamburlain) to whom all kings

[Page]F1v

Of force must yeeld their crownes and Emperies,

And I am pleasde with this my ouerthrow:

If as beseemes a person of thy state,

Thou hast with honor vsde Zenocrate.

tamb.

Her state and person wants no pomp you see,

And for all blot of foule inchastity,

I record heauen, het heauenly selfe is cleare:

Then let me find no further time to grace

Her princely Temples with the Persean crowne:

But here these kings that on my fortunes wait:

And haue bene crown'd for prooued worthynesse,

Euen by this hand that shall establish them,

Shal now, adioining al their hands with mine,

Inuest her here my Queene of Persea,

What saith the noble Souldane and Zenocrate:

Soul.

I yeeld with thanks and protestations

Of endlesse honor to thee for her loue.

Tamb.

Then doubt I not but faire Zenocrate

Will soone consent to satisfy vs both.

Zen.

Els should I much forget my self, my Lord,

Ther.

Then let vs set the crowne vpon her head,

That long hath lingred for so high a seat.

Tech.

My hand is ready to performe the deed,

For now her mariage time shall worke vs rest:

Vsum.

And her's the crown my Lord, help set it on

Tam.

Then sit thou downe diuine Zenocrate,

And here we crowne thee Queene of Persea,

And all the kingdomes and dominions

That late the power of Tamburlaine subdewed:

As Iuno, when the Giants were supprest,

That darted mount aines at her brother Ioue:

So lookes my Loue, shadowing in her browes

[Page]F2r

Triumphes and Trophees for my victories:

Or as Latonas daughter bent to armes,

Adding more courage to my conquering mind,

To gratify the sweet zenocrate,

Egyptians, Moores and men of Asia,

From Barbary vnto the Westeme Indie,

Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy Syre.

And from the boundes of Affrick to the banks

Of Ganges, shall his mighty arme extend.

And now my Lords and louing followers,

That purchac'd kingdomes by your matiall deeds,

Cast off your armor, put on scarlet roabes.

Mount vp your royall places of estate,

Enuironed with troopes of noble men,

And there make lawes to rule your prouinces:

Hang vp your weapons on Alcides poste,

For Tamburlaine takes truce with al the world,

Thy first betrothed, Loue Arabia,

Shall we with honor (as beseemes) entombe,

With this great Turke and his faire Emperesse:

Then after all these solemne Exequies,

We wil our celebrated rites of mariage solemnize,

Finis Actus quinti & vltimi huius primae partis.

§

§

[Page]

F2v

Tamburlaine, the great.

THE SECOND PART OF The bloody Conquests of mighty Tamburlaine. With his impassionate fury, for the death of his Lady and loue, faire Zenocrate: his fourme of exhortation and discipline to his three sons, and the maner of his own death.

[Page]

F3r

The Prologue.

THe generall welcomes Tamburlain receiud,

When he arriued last vpon our stage,

Hath made our Poet pen his second part▪

Wher death cuts off the progres of his pomp.

And murdrous Fates throwes al his triumphs down,

But what became of faire Zenocrate,

And with how manie cities sacrifice

He celebrated her said funerall,

Himselfe in presence shal vnfold at large.

Actus. 1.

Scaena. 1.

Orcanes, king of Natolia, Gazellus, vice-roy of Byron, Vpibassa, and their traine, with drums and trumpets.

Orcanes-

EGregious Viceroyes of these Eastern parts

Plac'd by the issue of great Baiazeth:

And sacred Lord the mighty Calapine:

Who liues in Egypt, prisoner to that slaue,

Which kept his father in an yron cage:

Now haue we martcht from faire Natolia

[Page]F3v

Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius banks,

Our warlike hoste in compleat armour rest,

Where Sigismond the king of Hungary

Should meet our person to conclude a truce.

What? Shall we parle with the Christian?

Or crosse the streame, and meet him in the field.

Byr.

King of Natolia, let vs treat of peace,

We all are glutted with the Christians blood,

And haue a greater foe to fight against,

Proud Tamburlaine, that now in Asia,

Neere Guyrons head doth set his conquering feet,

And means to fire Turky as he goes:

Gainst him my Lord must you addresse your power.

Vpibas.

Besides, king Sigismond hath brought from Christendome,

More then his Camp of stout Hungarians,

Sclauonians, Almans, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes,

That with the Holbard, Lance, and murthering Axe,

Will hazard that we might with surety hold.

Though from the shortest Northren Paralell,

Vast Gruntland compast with the frozen sea,

Inhabited with tall and sturdy men,

Gyants as big as hugie Polypheme:

Millions of Souldiers cut the Artick line,

Bringing the strength of Europe to these Armes.

Our Turky blades shal glide through al their throats,

And make this champion mead a bloody Fen,

Danubius stream that runs to Trebizon,

Shall carie wrapt within his scarlet waues,

As martiall presents to our friends at home.

The slaughtered bodies of these Christians.

The Terrene main wherin Danubius fals,

[Page]F4r

Shall by this battell be the bloody Sea.

The wandring Sailers of proud Italy,

Shall meet those Christians fleeting with the tyde,

Be ating in heaps against their Argoses.

And make faire Europe mounted on her bull,

Trapt with the wealth and riches of the world,

Alight and weare a woful mourning weed.

Byr.

Yet stout Orcanes, Prorex of the world,

Since Tamburlaine hath mustred all his men,

Marching from Cairon northward with his camp,

To Alexandria, and the frontier townes,

Meanung to make a conquest of our land:

Tis requisit to parle for a peace

With Sigismond the king of Hungary:

And saue our forces for the hot assaults

Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia.

Orc.

Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said:

My realme, the Center of our Empery

Once lost, All Turkie would be ouerthrowne:

And for that cause the Christians shall haue peace.

Slauonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes

Feare not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine.

Nor he but Fortune that hath made him great.

We haue reuolted Grecians, Albanees,

Cicilians, Iewes, Arabians, Turks, and Moors,

Natolians, Sorians, blacke Egyptians,

Illicians, Thracians, and Bythimans,

Enough to swallow forcelesse Sigismond

Yet scarse enough t'encounter Tamburlaine,

He brings a world of people to the field,

From Scythia to the Orientall Plage

Of India, wher raging Lantchidol

[Page]F4v

Beates on the regions with his boysterous blowes,

That neuer sea-man yet discouered:

All Asia is in Armes with tamburlaine,

Euen from the midst of fiery Cancers Tropick,

To Amazonia vnder Capricorne.

And thence as far as Archipellago.

All Affrike is in Armes with tamburlaine.

Therefore Viceroies the Christians must haue peace.

Act. 1. Scaena. 2,

Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, and their traine with drums and trumpets.

Sigis.

ORcanes (as our Legates promist thee)

Wee with our Peeres haue crost Danubius,

to treat of friēdly peace or deadly war:

Take which thou wilt, for as the Romans vsde stream

I here present thee with a naked sword,

Wilt thou haue war, then shake this blade at me,

If peace, restore it to my hands againe:

And I wil sheath it to confirme the same.

Orc

Stay Sigismond, forgetst thou I am he

That with the Cannon shooke Vienna walles.

And made it dance vpon the Continent:

As when the massy substance of the earth,

Quiuer about the Axeltree of heauen.

Forgetst thou that I sent a shower of dartes

Mingled with powdered shot and fethered steele

So thick vpon the blink-ei'd Burghers heads,

That thou thy self, then County-Pallatine,

The king of Boheme, and the Austrich Duke,

[Page]F5r

Sent Herralds out, which basely on their knees

In all your names desirde a truce of me?

Forgetst thou, that to haue me raise my siege,

Wagons of gold were set before my tent:

Stampt with the princely Foule that in her wings

Caries the fearfull thunderbolts of Ioue,

How canst thou think of this and offer war?

Sig.

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 Traueiler

That restes vpon the snowy Appenines:

And tell me whether I should stoope so low,

Or treat of peace with the Natolian king?

Byr.

Kings of Natolia and of Hungarie,

We came from Turky to confirme a league,

And not to dare eeh other to the field:

A friendly parle might become ye both.

Fred.

And we from Europe to the same intent,

Which if your General refuse or scorne,

Our Tents are pitcht, our men stand in array.

Ready to charge you ere you stir your feet.

Nat.

So prest are we, but yet if Sigismond

Speake as a friend, and stand not vpon tearmes,

Here is his sword, let peace be ratified

On these conditions specified before,

Drawen with aduise of our Ambassadors.

Sig.

Then here I sheath it, and giue thee my hand,

[Page]F5v

Neuer to draw it out, or manage armes

Against thy selfe or thy confederates:

But whilst I liue will be at truce with thee.

Nat.

But (Sigismond) confirme it with an oath,

And sweare in sight of heauen and by thy Christ.

Sig.

By him that made the world and sau'd my soule

The sonne of God and issue of a Mayd,

Sweet Iesus Christ, I sollemnly protest,

And vow to keepe this peace inuiolable.

Nat.

By sacred Mahomet, the friend of God,

Whose holy Alcaron remaines with vs,

Whose glorious body when he left the world,

Closde in a coffyn mounted vp the aire,

And hung on stately Mecas Temple roofe,

I sweare to keepe this truce imnolable:

Of whose conditions, and our solemne othes

Sign'd with our handes, each shal retaine a scrowle,

As memorable witnesse of our league.

Now Sigismond, if any Christian King

Encroche vpon the confines of thy realme,

Send woord, Orcanes of Natolia

Confirm'd this league beyond Danubius streame,

And they will (trembling) sound a quicke retreat,

So am I fear'd among all Nations.

Sig.

If any heathen potentate or king

Inuade Natolia, Sigismond will send

A hundred thousand horse train'd to the war,

And backt by stout Lanceres of Germany.

The strength and sinewes of the imperiall seat.

Nat.

I thank thee Sigismond, but when I war,

All Asia Minor, Affrica, and Greece

[Page]F6r

Follow my Standard and my thundring Drums:

Come let vs goe and banquet in our tents:

I will dispatch chiefe of my army hence

To faire Natolia, and to Trebizon,

To stay my comming gainst proud Tamburlaine,

Freend Sigismond, and peeres of Hungary,

Come banquet and carouse with vs a while,

And then depart we to our territories.

Exeunt.

Actus. 1. Scaena. 3.

Callapine with Almeda, his keeper.

Callap.

SWeet Almeda, pity the ruthfull plight

Of Callapine, the sonne of Baiazeth,

Born to be Monarch of the Western world:

Yet here detain'd by cruell Tamburlaine.

Alm.

My Lord I pitie it, and with my heart

With your release, but he whose wrath is death,

My soueraigue Lord, renowmed tamburlain.

Forbids you further liberty than this.

Cal.

Ah were I now but halfe so eloquent

To paint in woords, what Ile perfourme in deeds,

I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me.

Al.

Not for all Affrike, therefore mooue me not.

Cal.

Yet heare me speake my gentle Almeda.

Al.

No speach to that end, by your fauour sir.

Cal.

By Cario runs.

Al.

No talke of running, I tell you sir.

Cal.

A litle further, gentle Almeda.

Al.

Wel sir, what of this?

Cal.

By Cario runs to Alexandria Bay,

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Darotes streames, wherin at anchor lies

A Turkish Gally of my royall fleet,

Waiting my comming to the riuer side,

Hoping by some means I shall be releast,

Which when I come aboord will hoist vp saile,

And soon put foorth into the Terrene sea:

Where twirt the Ifles of Cyprus and of Creete,

We quickly may in Turkish seas arriue.

Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more

Vpon their knees, all bid me welcome home.

Amongst so mady crownes of burnisht gold,

Choose which thou wilt, all are at thy command,

A thousand Gallies mann'd with Christian slaues

I freely giue thee, which shall cut the straights,

And bring Armados from the coasts of Spaine,

Fraughted with golde of rich America:

The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee,

Skilful in musicke and in amorous laies:

As faire as was Pigmalions Iuory gyrle,

Or louely Io metamorphosed.

With naked; Negros shall thy coach be drawen,

And as thou rid'st in triumph through the streets,

The pauement vnderneath thy chariot wheels

With Turky Carpets shall be couered:

And cloath of Arras hung about the walles,

Fit obiects for thy princely eie to pierce.

A hundred Bassoes cloath'd in crimson silk

Shall ride before the on Barbarian Steeds:

And when thou goest, a golden Canapie

Enchac'd with pretious stones, which shine as bright

As that faire vail that couers all the world:

When Phoebus leaning from his Hemi-Spheare,

[Page]F7r

Discendeth downward to th'Antipodes.

And more than this, for all I cannot tell.

Alm.

How far hence lies the Galley, say you?

Cal.

Sweet Almeda, scarse halfe a league from hence.

Alm.

But need we not be spied going aboord?

Cal.

Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill

And crooked bending of a craggy rock,

The sailes wrapt vp, the mast and tacklings downe,

She lies so close that none can find her out,

Alm.

I like that well: but tel me my Lord, if I should let you goe, would you bee as good as your word? Shall I be made a king for my labour?

Cal.

As I am Callapine the Emperour,

And by the hand of Mahomet I sweare,

Thou shalt be crown'd a king and be my mate,

Alm.

Then here I sweare, as I am Almeda,

Your Keeper vnder Tamburlaine the great,

(For that's the style and tytle I haue yet)

Although he sent a thousand armed men

To intercept this haughty enterprize,

Yet would I venture to conduct your Grace,

And die before I brought you backe again.

Cal.

Thanks gentle Almeda, then let vs haste,

Least time be past, and lingring let vs both.

Al.

When you will my Lord, I am ready,

Cal.

Euen straight: and farewell cursed Tamburlaine.

Now goe I to reuenge my fathers death.

Exeunt

[Page]

F7v

Actus. 1. Scaena. 4.

Tamburlaine with zenocrate, and his three sonnes, Calyphas, Amyras, and Celebinus, with drummes and trumpets.

Tamb.

NOw bright zenocrate, the worlds faire eie,

Whose beames illuminate the lamps of heauē,

Whose chearful looks do cleare the clowdy aire

And cloath it in a christall liuerie,

Now rest thee here on faire Larissa Plaines,

Where Egypt and the Turkish Empire parts,

Betweene thy sons that shall be Emperours,

And euery one Commander of a world.

zen.

Sweet tamburlain, when wilt thou leaue these armes

And saue thy sacred person free from scathe:

And dangerous chances of the wrathfull war.

Tam.

When heauen shal cease to mooue on both the poles

& when the ground wheron my souldiers march

Shal rise aloft and touch the horned Moon,

And not before my sweet zenocrate:

Sit vp and rest thee like a louely Queene.

So, now she sits in pompe and maiestie:

When these my sonnes, more procious in mine eies

Than all the wealthy kingdomes I subdewed:

Plac'd by her side, looke on their mothers face,

But yet me thinks their looks are amorous,

Not martiall as the sons of Tamburlaine

Water and ayre being simbolisde in one:

Argue their want of courage and of wit,

Their haire as white as milke and soft as Downe.

Which should be like the quilles of Porcupines.

[Page]F8r

As blacke as Ieat, and hard as Iron or steel,

Bewraies they are too dainty for the wars.

Their fingers made to quauer on a Lute,

Their armes to hang about a Ladies necke:

Their legs to dance and caper in the aire:

Would make me thinke them Bastards, not my sons,

But that I know they issued from thy wombe,

That neuer look'd on man but Tamburlaine.

zen

My gratious Lord, they haue their mothers looks

But whē they list, their cōquering fathers hart:

This louely boy the yongest of the three,

Not long agoe bestrid a Scythian Sceed:

Trotting the ring, and tilting at a gloue:

Which when he tainted with his slender rod,

He raign'd him straight and made him so curuet,

As I cried out for feare he should haue falne,

Tam.

Wel done my boy, thou shalt haue shield and lance

Armour of proofe, horse, helme, & Cuttle-axe

And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe,

And harmelesse run among the deadly pikes.

If thou wilt loue the warres and follow me,

Thou shalt be made a King and raigne with me.

Keeping in yron cages Emperours.

If thou exceed thy elder Brothers worth,

And shine in compleat vertue more than they,

Thou shalt be king before them, and thy seed

Shall issue crowned from their mothers wombe,

Cel.

Yes father, you shal see me if I liue,

Haue vnder me as many kings as you,

And martch with such a multitude of men,

As all the world shall tremble at their view.

tam.

These words assure me boy, thou art my sonne,

When I am old and cannot mannage armes,

[Page]F8v

Be thou the scourge and terrour of the world,

Amy.

Why may not I my Lord, as wel as he,

Be tearm'd the scourge and terrour of the world?

tam.

Be al a scourge and terror to the world,

Or els you are not sons of Tamburlaine.

Cal.

But while my brothers follow armes my lord

Let me accompany my gratious mother,

They are enough to conquer all the world

And you haue won enough for me to keep.

tam.

Bastardly boy, sprong frō some cowards lions:

And not the issue of great Tamburlaine,

Of all the prouinces I haue subdued

Thou shalt not haue a foot, vnlesse thou beare

A mind corragious and inuincible:

For he shall weare the crowne of Persea,

Whose head hath deepest scarres, whose breast most woundes,

Which being wroth, sends lightning from his eies.

And in the furrowes of his frowning browes,

Harbors reuenge, war, death and cruelty:

For in a field whose superfluities

Is couered with a liquid purple veile,

And sprinkled with the braines of slaughtered men,

My royal chaire of state shall be aduanc'd:

And he that meanes to place himselfe therein

Must armed wade vp to the chin in blood.

zen.

My Lord, such speeches to our princely sonnes,

Dismaies their mindes before they come to prooue

The wounding troubles angry war affoords.

Cel.

No Madam, these are speeches fit for vs,

For if his chaire were in a sea of blood,

I would prepare a ship and saile to it.

[Page]G1r

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king,

Amy.

And I would striue to swim through pooles of blood,

Or make a bridge of murthered Carcases,

Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks,

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king.

tam.

Wel louely boies, you shal be Emperours both

Stretching your conquering armes from east to west:

And sirha, if you meane to weare a crowne,

When we shall meet the Turkish Deputie

And all his Viceroies, snatch it from his head,

And cleaue his Pericranion with thy sword.

Cal.

If any man will hold him, I will strike,

And cleaue him to the channell with my sword,

tamb.

Hold him, and cleaue him too, or Ile cleaue thee

For we will martch against them presently.

Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane

Promist to meet me on Larissa plaines

With hostes apeece against this Turkish crue,

For I haue sworne by sacred Mahomet,

To make it parcel of my Empery,

The trumpets sound Zenocrate, they come.

Actus: 1. Scaena. 5.

Enter Theridamas, and his traine with Drums and Trumpets.

Tamb.

WElcome Theridamas, king of Argier,

Ther,

My Lord the great and mighty Tamburlain,

Arch-Monarke of the world, I offer here,

[Page]G1v

My crowne, my selfe, and all the power I haue,

In all affection at thy kingly feet.

tam.

Thanks good theridamas.

ther.

Vnder my collors march ten thousand Greeks

And of Argier and Affriks frontier townes,

Twise twenty thousand valiant men at armes,

All which haue sworne to sacke Natolia:

Fiue hundred Briggandines are vnder saile,

Meet for your seruice on the sea, my Lord,

That lanching from Argier to Tripoly,

Will quickly ride before Natolia:

And batter downe the castles on the shore.

tam.

Wel said Argier, receiue thy crowne againe.

Actus. 1. Scaena. 6.

Enter Techelles and Vsumeasane together.

Tamb.

KIngs of Morocus and of Fesse, welcome.

Vsu.

Magnificent & peerlesse Tamburlaine,

I and my neighbor King of Fesse haue brought

To aide thee in this Turkish expedition,

A hundred thousand expert souldiers:

From Azamor to Tunys neare the sea,

Is Barbary vnpeopled for thy sake,

And all the men in armour vnder me,

Which with my crowne I gladly offer thee.

tam.

Thanks king of Morocus, take your crown again.

tech.

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 Ioue

[Page]G2r

Meaning to aid them in this Turkish armes,

Should pierce the blacke circumference of hell,

With vgly Furies bearing fiery flags,

And millions of his strong tormenting spirits:

From strong Tesella vnto Biledull,

All Barbary is vnpeopled for thy sake.

tam.

Thanks king of Fesse, take here thy crowne again

Your presence (louing friends and fellow kings)

Makes me to surfet in conceiuing ioy,

If all the christall gates of Ioues high court

Were opened wide, and I might enter in

To see the state and maiesty of heauen,

It could not more delight me than your sight.

Now will we banquet on these plaines a while,

And aster martch to Turky with our Campe,

In number more than are the drops that fall

When Boreas rents a thousand swelling cloudes,

And proud Orcanes of Natolia,

With all his viceroies shall be so affraide,

That though the stones, as at Deucalions flood,

Were turnde to men, he should be ouercome:

Such lauish will I make of Turkish blood,

That Ioue shall send his winged Messenger

To bid me sheath my sword, and leaue the field:

The Sun vnable to sustaine the sight,

Shall hide his head in thetis watery lap,

And leaue his steeds to faire Boetes charge:

For halfe the world shall perish in this fight:

But now my friends, let me examine ye,

How haue ye spent your absent time from me:

Vsum.

My Lord our men of Barbary haue martcht

Foure hundred miles with armour on their backes,

[Page]G2v

And laine in leagre fifteene moneths and more,

For since we left you at the Souldans court,

We haue subdude the Southerne Guallatia,

And all the land vnto the coast of Spaine.

We kept the narrow straight of Gibralter,

And made Canarea cal vs kings and Lords,

Yet neuer did they recreate themselues,

Or cease one day from war and hot alarms,

And therefore let them rest a while my Lord.

Tam.

They shal Casane, and tis time yfaith.

Tech.

And I haue martch'd along the riuer Nise

To Machda, where the mighty Christian Priest

Cal'd Iohn 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 vnto 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, riuers and lakes:

But neither man nor child in al the land:

Therfore I tooke my course to Manico.

Where vnresisted I remoou'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 hauing sackt Borno the Kingly seat,

I took the king, and lead him bound in chaines

Vnto Damasco, where I staid before.

Tamb.

Well done Techelles: what saith Theridamas:

[Page]G3rther.

I left the confines and the bounds of Afrik

And made a voyage into Europe,

Where by the riuer Tyros I subdew'd

Stoka, Padalia, and Codemia.

Then crost the sea and came to Oblia.

And Nigra Silua, where the Deuils dance,

Which in despight of them I set on fires

From thence I crost the Gulfe, call by the name

Mare magioré, of th'inhabitantes;

Yet shall my souldiers make no period

Vntill Natolia kneele before your feet.

tamb.

Then wil we triumph, banquet and carouse,

Cookes shall haue pensions to prouide vs eates,

And glut vs with the dainties of the world,

Lachrima Christi and Calabrian wines

Shall common Souldiers drink in quaffing boules,

I, liquid golde when we haue conquer'd him.

Mingled with corrall and with orientall pearles:

Come let vs banquet and carrouse the whiles.

Exeunt.

Finis Actus primi.

Actus. 2.

Scaena. 1.

Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, with their traine.

Sigis.

NOw say my Lords of Buda and Bohemia,

What motiō is it that inflames your thoughts,

And stirs your valures to such soddaine armes?

Fred.

Your Maiesty remembers I am sure

What cruell slaughter of our Christian bloods,

These heathnish Turks and Pagans lately made,

[Page]G3v

Betwixt the citie Zula and Danubius

How through the midst of Verna and Bulgaria

And almost to the very walles of Rome,

They haue not long since massacred our Camp,

It resteth now then that your Maiesly

Take all aduantages of time and power,

And worke reuenge vpon these Infidels:

Your Highnesse knowes for Tamburlaines repaire,

That strikes a terrour to all Turkish hearts,

Natolia hath dismist the greatest part

Of all his armie, pitcht against our power

Betwixt Cutheia and Orminius mount:

And sent them marching vp to Belgasar,

Acantha, Antioch, and Caesaria,

To aid the kings of Soria and Ierusalem.

Now thou my Lord, aduantage take hereof,

And issue sodainly vpon the rest:

That in the fortune of their ouerthrow,

We may discourage all the pagan troope,

That dare attempt to war with Christians.

Sig.

But cals not then your Grace to memorie

The league we lately made with king Orcanes,

Confirm'd by oth and Articles of peace,

And calling Christ for record of our trueths?

This should be treacherie and violence,

Against the grace of our profession.

Bald.

No whit my Lord: for with such Infidels,

In whom no faith nor true religion rests,

We are not bound to those accomplishments,

The holy lawés of Christendome inioine:

But as the faith which they prophanely plight

Is not by necessary pollycy,

[Page]G4r

To be esteem'd assurance for our selues,

So what we vow to them shauld not infringe

Our liberty of armes and victory.

Sig.

Though I confesse the othes they vndertake,

Breed litle strength to out securitie,

Yet those infirmities that thus defame

Their faiths, their honors, and their religion,

Should not giue vs presumption to the like,

Our faiths are sound, and must be consumate,

Religious, righteous, and inuiolate.

Fred.

Assure your Grace tis superstition

To stand so strictly on dispensiue faith:

And should we lose the opportunity

That God hath giuen to venge our Christians death

And scourge their foule blasphemous Paganisme:

As fell to Saule, to Balaam and the rest,

That would not kill and curse at Gods command,

So surely will the vengeance of the highest

And iealous anger of his fearefull arme

Be pour'd with rigour on our sinfull heads,

If we neglect this offered victory.

Sig.

Then arme my Lords, and issue sodainly,

Giuing commandement to our generall hoste,

With expedition to assaile the Pagan,

And take the victorie our God hath giuen.

Exeunt,

Actus, 2. Scaena, 2.

Orcanes, Gazellus, Vribassa with their traine.

Orcanes.

GAzellus, Vribassa, and the rest,

Now will we march from proud Orminus mount

[Page]G4v

To faire Natolia, where our neighbour kings

Expect our power and our royall presence,

T'incounter with the cruell tamburlain,

That nigh Larissa swaies a mighty hoste,

And with the thunder of his martial tooles

Makes Earthquakes in the hearts of men and heauen,

Gaz.

And now come we to make his sinowes shake,

With greater power than erst his pride hath felt,

An hundred kings by scores wil bid him armes,

And hundred thousands subiects to each score:

Which if a shower of wounding thunderbolts

Should breake out off the bowels of the clowdes

And fall as thick as haile vpon our heads,

In partiall aid of that proud Scythian,

Yet should our courages and steeled crestes,

And numbers more than infinit of men,

Be able to withstand and conquer him.

Vrib.

Me thinks I see how glad the christian King

Is made, for ioy of your admitted truce:

That could not but before be terrified:

With vnacquainted power of our hoste.

Enter a messenger.

Mess

Arme dread Soueraign and my noble Lords

The treacherous army of the Christians,

Taking aduantage of your slender power,

Comes marching on vs, and determines straight,

To bid vs battaile for our dearest liues.

Orc.

Traitors, villaines, damned Christians,

Haue I not here the articles of peace,

And solemne couenants we haue both confirm'd,

[Page]G5r

He by his Christ, and I by Mahomet:

Gaz.

Hel and confusion light vpon their heads,

That with such treason seek our ouerthrow,

And cares so litle for their prophet Christ.

Orc.

Can there be such deceit in Christians,

Or treason in the fleshly heart of man,

Whose shape is figure of the highest God?

Then if there be a Christ, as Christians say,

But in their deeds deny him for their Christ:

If he be son to euerliuing Ioue,

And hath the power of his outstretched arme,

If he be iealous of his name and honor,

As is our holy prophet Mahomet,

Take here these papers as our sacrifice

And witnesse of thy seruants periury.

Open thou shining vaile of Cynthia

And make a passage from the imperiall heauen

That he that sits on high and neuer sleeps,

Nor in one place is circumscriptible,

But euery where fils euery Continent,

With strange infusion of his sacred vigor,

May in his endlesse power and puritie

Behold and venge this Traitors periury.

Thou Christ that art esteem'd omnipotent,

If thou wilt prooue thy selfe a perfect God,

Worthy the worship of all faithfull hearts,

Be now reueng'd vpon this Traitors soule,

And make the power I haue left behind

(Too litle to defend our guiltlesse liues)

Sufficient to discomfort and confound

The trustlesse force of those false Christians.

[Page]G5v

To armes my Lords, on Christ still let vs crie,

If there be Christ, we shall haue victorie.

[3]

Sound [...]o the battell, and Sigismond comes out wounded.

Sig.

Discomfited is all the Christian hoste,

And God hath thundered vengeance from on high,

For my accurst and hatefull periurie.

O iust and dreadfull punisher of sinne,

Let the dishonor of the paines I feele,

In this my mortall well deserued wound,

End all my penance in my sodaine death,

And let this death wherein to sinne I die,

Conceiue a second life in endlesse mercie.

Enter Orcanes, Gazellus, Vribassa, with others.

Or.

Now lie the Christians bathing in their bloods,

And Christ or Mahomet hath bene my friend.

Gaz.

See here the periur'd traitor Hungary,

Bloody and breathlesse for his villany.

Orc.

Now shall his barbarous body be a pray

To beasts and foules, and al the winds shall breath

Through shady leaues of euery sencelesse tree,

Murmures and hisses for his hainous sin.

Now scaldes his soule in the Tartarian streames,

And feeds vpon the banefull tree of hell,

That zoacum, that fruit of bytternesse,

That in the midst of fire is ingraft,

Yet flourisheth as Flora in her pride,

With apples like the heads of damned Feends,

[Page]G6r

The Dyuils there in chaines of quencelesse flame,

Shall lead his soule through Orcus burning gulfes

From paine to paine, whose change shal neuer end:

What saiest thou yet Gazellus to his foile:

Which we referd to iustice of his Christ,

And to his power, which here appeares as full

As raies of Cynthia to the clearest sight?

Gaz.

Tis but the fortune of the wars my Lord,

Whose power is often proou'd a myracle.

Orc.

Yet in my thoughts shall Christ be honoured,

Not dooing Mahomet an iniurie,

Whose power had share in this our victory:

And since this miscreant hath disgrac'd his faith,

And died a traitor both to heauen and earth,

We wil both watch and ward shall keepe his trunke

Amidst these plaines, for Foules to pray vpon.

Go Vribassa, giue it straight in charge.

Vri.

I will my Lord.

Exit Vrib.

Orc.

And now Gazellus, let vs haste and meete

Our Army and our brother of Ierusalem,

Of So [...], Trebizon and Amasia,

And happily with full Natolian bowles

Of Greekish wine now let vs celebrate

Our happy conquest, and his angry fate.

Exeunt.

Actus. 2. Scaena vltima.

The Arras is drawen and Zenocrate lies in her bed of state, Tamburlaine sitting by her: three Phisitians about her bed, tempering potions. Theridamas, Techelles, Vsumeasane, and the three sonnes.

[Page]G6vTamburlaine,

BLacke is the beauty of the brightest day,

The golden balle of heauens eternal fire,

That danc'd with glorie on the siluer waues:

Now wants the fewell that enflamde his beames

And all with faintnesse and for foule disgrace,

He bindes his temples with a frowning cloude,

Ready to darken earth with endlesse night:

Zenocrate that gaue him light and life,

Whose eies shot fire from their Iuory bowers,

And tempered euery soule with liuely heat,

Now by the malice of the angry Skies,

Whose iealousie admits no second Mate,

Drawes in the comfort of her latest breath

All dassed with the hellish mists of death.

Now walk the angels on the walles of heauen,

As Centinels to warne th'immortall soules,

To entertaine deuine Zenocrate.

Apollo Cynthia, and the ceaslesse lamps

That gently look'd vpon this loathsome earth,

Shine downwards now no more, but deck the heauens

To entertaine diuine Zenocrate.

The christall springs whose taste illuminates

Refined eies with an eternall sight,

Like tried siluer runs through Paradice

To entertaine diuine zenocrate.

The Cherubins and holy Seraphins

That sing and play before the king of kings,

We all their voices and their instruments

To entertaine diuine Zenocrate.

And in this sweet and currious harmony,

The God that tunes this musicke to our soules:

[Page]G7r

Holds out his hand in highest maiesty

To entertaine diuine Zenocrate.

Then let some holy trance conuay my thoughts,

Vp to the pallace of th'imperiall heauen:

That this my life may be as short to me

As are the daies of sweet Zenocrate:

Phisitions, wil no phisicke do her good?

Phis.

My Lord, your Maiesty shall soone perceiue▪

And if she passe this fit, the worst is past.

tam.

Tell me, how fares my faire Zenocrate:

zen.

I fare my Lord, as other Emperesses,

That when this fraile and transitory flesh,

Hath suckt the measure of that vitall aire

That feeds the body with his dated health,

Wanes with enforst and necessary change.

tam.

May neuer such a change transfourme my loue

In whose sweet being I repose my life,

Whose heauenly presence beautified with health,

Giues light to Phoebus and the fixed stars,

Whose absence make the sun and Moone as darke

As when opposde in one Diamiter:

Their Spheares are mounted on the serpents head,

Or els discended to his winding traine:

Liue still my Loue and so conserue my life,

Or dieng, be the anchor of my death.

zen.

Liue still my Lord, O let my soueraigne liue,

And sooner let the fiery Element

Dissolue, and make your kingdome in the Sky,

Than this base earth should shroud your maiesty:

For should I but suspect your death by mine,

The comfort of my future happinesse

And hope to meet your highnesse in the heauens,

[Page]G7v

Turn'd to dispaire, would break my wretched breast,

And furie would confound my present rest.

But let me die my Loue, yet let me die,

With loue and patience let your true loue die:

Your griefe and furie hurtes my second life,

Yet let me kisse my Lord before I die,

And let me die with kissing of my Lord.

But since my life is lengthened yet a while,

Let me take leaue of these my louing sonnes,

And of my Lords whose true nobilitie

Haue merited my latest memorie:

Sweet sons farewell, in death resemble me,

And in your liues your fathers excellency.

Some musicke, and my fit wil cease my Lord.

They call musicke.

tam.

Proud furie and intollorable fit,

That dares torment the body of my Loue,

And scourge the Scourge of the immortall God:

Now are those Spheares where Cupid vsde to sit,

Wounding the world with woonder and with loue,

Sadly supplied with pale and ghastly death:

Whose darts do pierce the Center of my soule,

Her sacred beauty hath enchaunted heauen,

And had she liu'd before the siege of Troy,

Hellen, whose beauty sommond Greece to armes,

And drew a thousand ships to Tenedos,

Had not bene nam'd in Homers Iliads:

Her name had bene in euery line he wrote:

Or had those wanton Poets, for whose byrth

Olde Rome was proud, but gasde a while on her,

Nor Lesbia, nor Corrinna had bene nam'd,

zenocrate had bene the argument

[Page]G8r

Of euery Epigram or Eligie.

The musicke sounds, and she dies.

tam.

What, is she dead? Techelles, draw thy sword,

And wound the earth, that it may cleaue in twaine,

And we discend into th'infernall vaults,

To haile the fatall Sisters by the haire,

And throw them in the triple more of Hell,

For taking hence my faire zenocrate.

Casane and theridamas to armes,

Raise Caualieros higher than the cloudes:

And with the cannon breake the frame of heauen,

Batter the shining pallace of the Sun,

And shiuer all the starry strmament:

For amdrous Ioue hath snatcht my loue from hence,

Meaning to make her stately Queene of heauen,

What God so euer holds thee in his armes,

Giuing thee Nectar and Ambrosia,

Behold me here diuine zenocrate,

Rauing, impatient, desperate and mad,

Breaking my steeled lance, with which I burst

The rusty beames of Ianus Temple doores,

Letting out death and tyrannising war:

To martch with me vnder this bloody flag,

And if thou pitiest Tamburlain the great,

Come downe from heauen and liue with me againe.

ther.

Ah good my Lord be patient, she is dead,

And all this raging cannot make her liue,

If woords might serue, our voice hath rent the aire,

If teares, our eies haue watered all the earth:

If griefe, our murthered harts haue straind forth blood

Nothing preuailes, for she is dead my Lord.

tam.

For she is dead: thy words doo pierce my soule

[Page]G8v

Ah sweet theridamas, say so no more,

Though she be dead, yet let me think she liues,

And feed my mind that dies for want of her:

Where ere her soule be, thou shalt stay with me

Embalm'd with Cassia, Amber Greece and Myrre,

Not lapt in lead but in a sheet of gold,

And till I die thou shalt not be interrd.

Then in as rich a tombe as Mausolus,

We both will rest and haue one Epitaph

Writ in as many seuerall languages,

As I haue conquered kingdomes with my sword,

This cursed towne will I consume with fire,

Because this place bereft me of my Loue:

The houses burnt, wil looke as if they mourn'd

And here will I set vp her stature,

And martch about it with my mourning campe,

Drooping and pining for zenocrate.

The Arras is drawen.

Actus. 3.

Scaena. 1,

Enter the kings of Trebisond and Soria, one bringing a sword, & another a scepter: Next Natolia and Ierusalem with the Emperiall crowne: After Calapine, and after him other Lordes: Orcanes and Ierusalem crowne him, and the other giue him the scepter.

Orca.

CAlepinus Cyricelibes, otherwise Cybelius, son and successiue heire to the late mighty Emperour Baiazeth, by the aid of God and his friend Mahomet, Emperour of Natolia, Ierusalem, [Page] H1r Trebizon, Soria, Amasia, Thracia, Illyria, Carmonia And al the hundred and thirty Kingdomes late contributory to his mighty father. Long liue Callepinus, Emperour of Turky.

Cal.

Thrice worthy kings of Natolia, and the rest,

I will requite your royall gratitudes

With all the benefits my Empire yeelds:

And were the sinowes of th'imperiall seat

So knit and strengthned, as when Baiazeth

My royall Lord and father fild the throne,

Whose cursed fate hath so dismembred it,

Then should you see this Thiefe of Scythia,

This proud vsurping king of Persea,

Do vs such honor and supremacie,

Bearing the vengeance of our fathers wrongs,

As all the world should blot our dignities

Out of the booke of base borne infamies.

And now I doubt not but your royall cares

Hath so prouided for this cursed foe,

That since the heire of mighty Baiazeth

(An Emperour so honoured for his vertues)

Reuiues the spirits of true Turkish heartes,

In grieuous memorie of his fathers shame,

We shall not need to nourish any doubt,

But that proud Fortune, who hath followed long

The martiall sword of mighty Tamburlaine,

Will now retaine her olde inconstancie,

And raise our honors to as high a pitch

In this our strong and fortunate encounter,

For so hath heauen prouided my escape,

From al the crueltie my soule sustaind,

By this my friendly keepers happy meanes,

[Page]H1v

That Ioue sur char dg'd with pity of our wrongs,

Will poure it downe in showers on our heads:

Scourging the pride of cursed tamburlain.

Orc.

I haue a hundred thousad men in armes,

Some, that in conquest of the periur'd Christian.

Being a handfull to a mighty hoste,

Thinke them in number yet sufficient,

To drinke the riuer Nile or Euphrates,

And for their power, ynow to win the world.

Ier.

And I as many from Ierusalem,

Iudaea, Gaza, and Scalonians bounds,

That on mount Sinay with their ensignes spread,

Looke like the parti-coloured cloudes of heauen,

That shew faire weather to the neighbor morne.

Treb.

And I as many bring from Trebizon,

Chio Famastro and Amasia,

All bordring on the Mare-major sea:

Riso, Sancina, and the bordering townes,

That touch the end of famous Euphrates.

Whose courages are kindled with the flames,

The cursed Scythian sets on all their townes,

And vow to burne the villaines cruell heart.

Sor.

From Soria with seuenty thousand strong,

Tane from Aleppo, Soldino, Tripoly,

And so vnto my citie of Damasco,

I march to meet and aide my neigbor kings,

All which will ioine against this Tamburlain,

And bring him captiue to your highnesse feet.

Orc.

Our battaile then in martiall maner pitcht,

According to our ancient vse, shall beare

The figure of the semi-circled Moone:

Whose hornes shall sprinkle through the tainted aire,

[Page]H2r

The poisoned braines of this proud Scythian.

Cal.

Wel then my noble Lords, for this my friend,

That freed me from the bondage of my foe:

I thinke it requisite and honorable,

To keep my promise, and to make him king,

That is a Gentleman (I know) at least.

Alm.

That's no matter sir, for being a king,

For Tamburlain came vp of nothing.

Ier.

Your Maiesty may choose some pointed time,

Perfourming all your promise to the full:

Tis nought for your maiesty to giue a kingdome.

Cal.

Then wil I shortly keep my promise Almeda

Alm.

Why, I thank your Maiesty.

Exeunt.

Actus. 2. Scaena. 2.

Tamburlaine with Vsumeasane, and his three sons, foure bearing the hearse of Zenocrate, and the drums sounding a dolefull martch, the Towne burning.

Tamb.

SO, burne the turrets of this cursed towne,

Flame to the highest region of the aire:

And kindle heaps of exhalations,

That being fiery meteors, may presage,

Death and destruction to th'inhabitants

Ouer my Zenith hang a blazing star,

That may endure till heauen be dissolud,

Fed with the fresh supply of earthly dregs,

Threatning a death and famine to this land,

Flieng Dragons, lightning, fearfull thunderclaps,

sindge these fair plaines, and make them seeme as black

[Page]H2v

As is the Island where the Furies maske

Compast with Lethe, Styx and Phlegeton,

Because my deare Zenocrate is dead.

Cal.

This Piller plac'd in memorie of her,

Where in Arabian, Hebrew, Greek, is writ

This towne being burnt by Tamburlaine the great,

Forbids the world to build it vp againe.

Amy.

And here this mourful streamer shal be plac'd

Wrought with the Persean and Egyptian armes,

To signifie she was a princesse borne,

And wife vnto the Monarke of the East.

Celib.

And here this table as a Register

Of all her vertues and perfections.

tam.

And here the picture of zenocrate,

To shew her beautie, which the world admyr'd,

Sweet picture of diuine Zenocrate,

That hanging here, wil draw the Gods from heauen:

And cause the stars fixt in the Southern arke,

Whose louely faces neuer any viewed,

That haue not past the Centers latitude.

As Pilgrimes traueile to our Hemi-spheare.

Onely to gaze vpon Zenocrate.

Thou shalt not beautifie Larissa plaines.

But keep within the circle of mine armes.

At euery towne and castle I besiege,

Thou shalt be set vpon my royall tent.

And when I meet an armie in the field,

Whose looks will shed such influence in my campe,

As if Bellona, Goddesse of the war

Threw naked swords and sulphur bals of fire,

Vpon the heads of all our enemies.

And now my Lords, aduance your speares againe,

[Page]H3r

Sorrow no more my sweet Casane now:

Boyes leaue to mourne, this towne shall euer mourne,

Being burnt to cynders for your mothers death.

Cal.

If I had wept a sea of teares for her,

It would not ease the sorrow I sustaine.

Amy.

As is that towne, so is my heart consum'd,

With griefe and sorrow for my mothers death.

Cel.

My mothers death hath mortified my mind,

And sorrow stops the passage of my speech.

Tamb.

But now my boies, leaue off, and [...]ist to me,

That meane to teach you rudiments of war:

Ile haue you learne to sleepe vpon the ground,

March in your armour throwe watery Fens,

Sustaine the scortching heat and freezing cold,

Hunger and cold right adiuncts of the war.

And after this, to scale a castle wal,

Besiege a fort, to vndermine a towne,

And make whole cyties caper in the aire.

Then next, the way to fortifie your men,

In champion grounds, what figure serues you best,

For with the quinque-angle fourme is meet,

Because the corners there may fall more flat:

Whereas the Fort may fittest be assailde,

And sharpest where th'assault is desperate.

The ditches must be deepe, the Counterscarps

Narrow and steepe, the wals made high and broad,

The Bulwarks and the rampiers large and strong,

With Caualieros and thicke counterforts,

And roome within to lodge sixe thousand men.

It must haue priuy ditches, countermines,

And secret issuings to defend the ditch.

It must haue high Argins and couered waies

[Page]H3v

To keep the bulwark fronts from battery,

And Parapets to hide the Muscatiers:

Casemates to place the great Artillery,

And store of ordinance that from euery flanke

May scoure the outward curtaines of the Fort,

Dismount the Cannon of the aduerse part,

Murther the Foe and saue their walles from breach.

When this is learn'd for seruice on the land,

By plaine and easie demonstration,

Ile teach you how to make the water mount,

That you may dryfoot martch through lakes & pooles,

Deep riuers, hauens, creekes, and litle seas,

And make a Fortresse in the raging waues,

Fenc'd with the concaue of a monftrous rocke,

Inuincible by nature of the place.

When this is done, then are ye souldiers,

And worthy sounes of Tamburlain the great,

Cal.

My Lord, but this is dangerous to be done,

We may be slaine or wounded ere we learne.

tam.

Villain, art thou the sonne of Tamburlaine,

And fear'st to die, or with a Curtle-axe

To hew thy flesh and make a gaping wound:

Hast thou beheld a peale of ordinance strike

A ring of pikes, mingled with shot and horse,

Whose shattered lims, being tost as high as heauen,

Hang in the aire as thicke as sunny motes,

And canst thou Coward stand in feare of death:

Hast thou not seene my horsmen charge the foe,

Shot through the armes, cut ouerthwart the hands,

Dieng their lances with their streaming blood,

And yet at night carrouse within my tent,

Filling their empty vaines with aiery wine,

[Page]H4r

That being concocted, turnes to crimson blood,

And wilt thou shun the field for feare of woundes:

View me thy father that hath conquered kings,

And with his hoste martch round about the earth,

Quite voide of skars, and cleare from any wound,

That by the warres lost not a dram of blood,

And see him lance his flesh to teach you all.

He cuts his arme.

A wound is nothing be it nere so deepe,

Blood is the God of Wars rich liuery.

Now look I like a souldier, and this wound

As great a grace and maiesty to me,

As if a chaire of gold enamiled,

Enchac'd with Diamondes, Saphyres, Rubies

And fairest pearle of welthie India

Were mounted here vnder a Canapie:

And I sat downe, cloth'd with the massie robe,

That late adorn'd the Affrike Potentate.

Whom I brought bound vnto Damascus walles.

Come boyes and with your fingers search my wound,

And in my blood wash all your hands at once,

While I sit smiling to behold the sight.

Now my boyes, what think you of a wound?

Cal.

I know not what I should think of it,

Me thinks tis a pitifull sight.

Cel.

Tis nothing: giue me a wound father.

Amy.

And me another my Lord.

tam.

Come sirra, giue me your arme.

Cel.

Here father, cut it brauely as you did your own

tam.

It shall suffice thou darst abide a wound

My boy, Thou shalt not loose a drop of blood,

Before we meet the armie ef the Turke.

[Page]H4v

But then run desperate through the thickest throngs,

Dreadlesse of blowes, of bloody wounds and death:

And let the burning of Larissa wals

My speech of war, and this my wound you see

Teach you my boyes to beare couragious minds,

Fit for the followers of great tamburlaine.

Vsumeasane now come let vs martch

Towards Techelles and Theridamas,

That we haue sent before to fire the townes,

The towers and cities of these hatefull Turks,

And hunt that Coward, faintheart, runaway,

With that accursed traitor Almeda,

Til fire and sword haue found them at a bay.

Vsu.

I long to pierce his bowels with my sword,

That hath betraied my gracious Soueraigne,

That curst and damned Traitor Almeda.

Tam.

Then let vs see if coward Calapine

Dare leuie armes against our puissance,

That we may tread vpon his captiue necke,

And treble all his fathers slaueries.

Exeunt.

Actus. 3. Scaena. 1,

Techelles, Theridamas and their traine.

Therid.

THus haue wee martcht Northwarde from Tamburlaine,

Vnto the frontier point of Soria:

And this is Balsera their chiefest hold,

Wherein is all the treasure of the land.

tech.

Then let vs bring our light Artilery,

Minions, Fauknets, and Sakars to the trench,

[Page]H5r

Filling the ditches with the walles wide breach,

And enter in, to seaze vpon the gold:

How say ye Souldiers, Shal we not?

Soul.

Yes, my Lord, yes, come lets about it,

ther.

But stay a while, summon a parle, Drum,

It may be they will yeeld it quietly,

Knowing two kings, the friend to tamburlain,

Stand at the walles, with such a mighty power.

Summon the battell.

Captaine with his wife and sonne.

Cap.

What requier you my maisters?

ther.

Captaine, that thou yeeld vp thy hold to vs.

Cap.

To you. Why, do you thinke me weary of it?

Tech.

Nay Captain, thou art weary of thy life,

If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlain.

ther.

These Pioners of Argier in Affrica,

Euen in the ca [...]ous face shall raise a hill

Of earth and fagots higher than thy Fort,

And ouer thy Argins and couered waies

Shal play vpon the bulwarks of thy hold

Volleies of ordinance til the breach be made,

That with his ruine fils vp all the trench.

And when we enter in, not heauen it selfe

Shall ransome thee, thy wife and family.

Tech.

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 issue foorth, but they shall die:

And therefore Captaine, yeeld it quietly.

[Page]H5vCap.

Were you that are the friends of Tamburlain

Brothers to holy Mahomet himselfe,

I would not yeeld it: therefore doo your worst.

Raise mounts, batter, intrench, and vndermine,

Cut off the water, all conuoies that can,

Yet I am resolute, and so farewell.

ther.

Pioners away, and where I stuck the stake,

Intrench with those dimensions I prescribed:

Cast vp the earth towards the castle wall,

Which til it may defend you, labour low:

And few or none shall perish by their shot.

Pion.

We will my Lord.

Exeunt.

Tech.

A hundred horse shall scout about the plaines

To spie what force comes to relieue the holde.

Both we (theridamas) wil intrench our men,

And with the Iacobs staffe measure the height

And distance of the castle from the trench,

That we may know if our artillery

Will carie full point blancke vnto their wals.

ther.

Then see the bringing of our ordinance

Along the trench into the battery,

Where we will haue Galions of sixe foot broad,

To saue our Cannoniers from musket shot,

Betwixt which, shall our ordinance thunder foorth,

And with the breaches fall, smoake, fire, and dust,

The cracke, the Ecchoe and the souldiers crie

Make deafe the aire, and dim the Christall Sky.

tech.

Trumpets and drums, alarum presently,

And souldiers play the men, the holds is yours.

[4]

Enter the Captaine with his wife and sonne.

[Page]H6rOlym.

Come good my Lord, & let vs haste frō hence

Along the caue that leads beyond the foe,

No hope is left to saue this conquered hold.

Cap.

A deadly bullet gliding through my side,

Lies heauy on my heart, I cannot liue.

I feele my liuer pierc'd and all my vaines,

That there begin and nourish euery part,

Mangled and torne, and all my entrals bath'd

In blood that straineth from their orifex.

Farewell sweet wife, sweet son farewell, I die.

Olym.

Death, whether art thou gone that both we liue:

Come back again (sweet death) & strike vs both:

One minute end our daies, and one sepulcher

Containe our bodies: death, why comn'st thou not:

Wel, this must be the messenger for thee,

Now vgly death stretch out thy Sable wings,

And carie both our soules, where his remaines.

Tell me sweet boie, art thou content to die?

These barbarous Scythians full of cruelty,

And Moores, in whom was neuer pitie found,

Will hew vs peecemeale, put vs to the wheele,

Or els inuent some torture worse than that,

Therefore die by thy louing mothers hand,

Who gently now wil lance thy Iuory throat,

And quickly rid thee both of paine and life.

Son.

Mother dispatch me, or Ile kil my selfe,

For think ye I can liue, and see him dead:

Giue me your knife, good mother) or strike home:

The Scythiens shall not tyrannise on me.

Sweet mother strike, that I may meet my father.

She stabs him.

Olym.

Ah sacred Mahomet, if this be sin,

[Page]H6v

Intreat a pardon of the God of heauen,

And purge my soule before it come to thee.

Entert Theridamas, Techelles and all their traine.

ther.

How now Madam, what are you doing?

Olim.

Killing my selfe, as I haue done my sonne,

Whose body with his fathers I haue burnt,

Least cruell Scythians should dismember him.

tech.

Twas brauely done, and like a souldiers wife,

Thou shalt with vs to Tamburlaine the great,

Who when he heares how resolute thou wert,

Wil match thee with a viceroy or a king.

Olym.

My Lord deceast, was dearer vnto me,

Than any Viceroy, King or Emperour.

And for his sake here will I end my daies.

ther.

But Lady goe with vs to Tamburlaine,

And thou shalt see a man greater [...]n Mahomet.

In whose high lookes is much more maiesty

Than from the Concaue superficies.

Of Ioues vast pallace the imperiall Orbe,

Vnto the shinining bower where Cynthia sits,

Like louely thetis in a Christall robe,

That treadeth Fortune vnderneath his feete,

And makes the mighty God of armes his slaue:

On whom death and the fatall sisters waite,

With naked swords and scarlet liueries:

Before whom (mounted on a Lions backe)

Rhammusia beares a helmet ful of blood,

And strowes the way with braines of slaughtered men▪

By whose proud side the vgly furies run.

[Page]H7r

Harkening when he shall bid them plague the world,

Ouer whose zenith cloth'd in windy aire,

And Eagles wings ioin'd to her feathered breast,

Fame houereth, sounding of her golden Trumpe:

That to the aduerse poles of that straight line,

Which measureth the glorious frame of heauen,

The name of mightie Tamburlain is spread:

And him faire Lady shall thy eies behold. Come.

Olim

Take pitie of a Ladies ruthfull teares,

That humbly craues vpon her knees to stay,

And cast her bodie in the burning flame,

That feeds vpon her sonnes and husbands flesh.

tech.

Madam, sooner shall fire consume vs both,

Then scortch a face so beautiful as this.

In frame of which, Nature hath shewed more skill,

Than when she ga [...]e eternall Chaos forme,

Drawing from it the shining Lamps of heauen.

ther.

Madam, I am so far in loue with you,

That you must goe with vs, no remedy.

Olim.

Then carie me I care not where you will,

And let the end of this my fatall iourney,

Be likewise end to my accursed life.

tech.

No Madam, but the beginning of your ioy,

Come willinglie, therfore.

ther.

Souldiers now let vs meet the Generall,

Who by this time is at Natolia,

Ready to charge the army of the Turke.

The gold, the siluer, and the pearle ye got,

Rifling this Fort, deuide in equall shares:

This Lady shall haue twice so much againe,

Out of the coffers of our treasurie.

Exeunt.

[Page]

H7v

Actus: 3. Scaena. 5.

Callepine, Orcanes, Ierusalem, Trebizon, Soria; Almeda; with their traine.

Messenger.

REnowmed Emperour, mighty Callepine,

Gods great lieftenant ouer all the world:

Here at Alepo with an hoste of men

Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persea:

In number more than are the quyuering leaues

Of Idas forrest, where your highnesse hounds,

With open crie pursues the wounded Stag:

Who meanes to gyrt Natolias walles with siege,

Fire the towne and ouerrun the land.

Cal.

My royal army is as great as his,

That from the bounds of Phrigia to the sea

Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waues,

Couers the hils, the valleies and the plaines.

Viceroies and Peeres of Turky play the men,

Whet all your swords to mangle Tamburlain

His sonnes, his Captaines and his followers,

By Mahomet not one of them shal liue.

The field wherin this battaile shall be fought,

For euer, terme, the Perseans sepulchre,

In memorie of this our victory.

Orc.

Now, he that cals himself the scourge of Ioue,

The Emperour of the world, and earthly God,

Shal end the warlike progresse he intends,

And traueile hedlong to the lake of hell:

Where legions of deuils knowing he must die

[Page]H8r

Here in Natolia, by your highnesse hands)

All brandishing their brands of quenchlesse fire,

Streching their monstrous pawes, grin with their teeth.

And guard the gates to entertaine his soule.

Cal.

Tel me Viceroies the number of your men,

And what our Army royall is esteem'd.

Ier.

From Palestina and Ierusalem,

Of Hebrewes, three score thousand fighting men

Are come since last we shewed your maiesty.

Orc.

So from Arabia desart, and the bounds

Of that sweet land, whose braue Metropolis

Reedified the faire Semyramis,

Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse,

Since last we numbred to your Maiesty.

treb.

From trebizon in Asia the lesse,

Naturalized Turks and stout Bythinians

Came to my bands full fifty thousand more,

That fighting, knowes not what retreat doth meane,

Nor ere returne but with the victory,

Since last we numbred to your maiesty.

Sor.

Of Sorians from Halla is repair'd

And neighbor cities of your highnesse land,

Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot,

Since last we numbred to your maiestie:

So that the Army royall is esteem'd

Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.

Callep.

Then welcome Tamburlaine vnto thy death.

Come puissant Viceroies, let vs to the field,

(The Perseans Sepulchre) and sacrifice

Mountaines of breathlesse men to Mahomet.

[Page]H8v

Who now with Ioue opens the firmament,

To see the slaughter of our enemies.

Actus. 2. Scaena. 1.

Tamburlaine with his three sonnes, Vsumeasane with other.

Tam.

HOw now Casane? See a knot of kings,

Sitting as if they were a telling tidles.

Vsu.

My Lord, your presence makes them pale and wan.

Poore soules they looke as if their deaths were neere.

tamb.

Why, so he is Casane, I am here,

But yet Ile sane their liues and make them slaues.

Ye petty kings of Turkye I am come,

As Hector did into the Grecian campe.

To ouerdare the pride of Groecia.

And set his warlike petson to the view

Of fierce Achilles, riuall of his fame,

I doe you honor in the simile.

For if I should as Hector did Achilles,

(The worthiest knight that euer brandishe sword)

Challenge in combat any of you all,

I see how fearfully ye would refuse,

And fly my gloue as from a Scorpion.

Orc.

Now thou art fearfull of thy armies strength,

Thou wouldst with ouer match of person fight,

But Shepheards issue, base borne tamburlaine,

Thinke of thy end, this sword shall lance thy throat.

Tamb.

Villain, the shepheards issue, at whose byrth

[Page]I1r

Heauen did affoord a gratious aspect,

And ioin'd those stars that shall be opposite,

Euen till the dissolution of the world;

And neuer meant to make a Conquerour;

So famous as is mighty Tamburlain:

Shall so torment thee and that Callapine,

That like a roguish runnaway, suborn'd

That villaine there, that slaue, that Turkish dog,

To false his seruice to his Soueraigne,

As ye shal curse the byrth of Tamburlaine.

Cal.

Raile not proud Scythian, I shall now reuenge

My fathers vile abuses and mine owne.

Ier.

By Mahomet he shal be tied in chaines,

Rowing with Christians in a Brigandine,

About the Grecian Isses to rob and spoile:

And turne him to his ancient trade againe.

Me thinks the slaue should make a lusty theefe.

Cal.

Nay, when the battaile ends, al we wil meet,

And sit in councell to inuent some paine,

That most may vex his body and his soule:

Tam.

Sirha, Callapine, Ile hang a clogge about your necke for running away againe, you shall not trouble me thus to come and fetch you.

But as for you (Viceroy) you shal haue bits,

And harnest like my horses, draw my coch:

And when ye stay, be lasht with whips of wier,

Ile haue you learne to feed on prouander,

And in a stable lie vpon the planks:

Orc.

But Tamburlaine, first thou shalt kneele to vs

And humbly craue a pardon for thy life.

treb.

The common souldiers of our mighty hoste

Shal bring thee bound vnto the Generals tent.

[Page]I1vSor.

And all haue iointly sworne thy cruell death,

Or bind thee in eternall torments wrath.

tam.

Wel sirs, diet your selues, you knowe I shall haue occasion shortly to iourney you.

Cel.

See father, how Almeda the Iaylor lookes vpon vs.

tam.

Villaine, traitor, damned fugitiue,

Ile make thee wish the earth had swallowed thee:

Seest thou not death within my wrathfull looks.

Goe villaine, cast thee headlong from a rock,

Or rip thy bowels, and rend out thy heart,

T'appease my wrath, or els Ile torture thee,

Searing thy hatefull flesh with burning yrons,

And drops of scalding lead, while all thy ioints

Be rackt and beat asunder with the wheele,

For if thou liuest, not any Element

Shal shrowde thee from the wrath of tamburlaine

Cal.

Wel, in despight of thee he shall be king:

Come Almeda, receiue this crowne of me,

I here inuest thee king of Ariadan,

Bordering on Mare Roso neere to Meca.

Or.

What, take it man.

Al.

Good my Lord, let me take it.

Cal.

Doost thou aske him leaue: Hēre, take it.

tam.

Go too sirha, take your crown, and make vp the halfe dozen.

So sirha, now you are a king you must giue armes.

Or.

So he shal, and we are thy head in his Scutchion:

tamb.

No, let him hang a bunch of keies on his standerd, to put him in remembrance he was a Iailor, that when I take him, I may knocke out his braines with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come [Page] I2r sweating from my chariot.

treb.

Away, let vs to the field, that the villaine may be slaine.

tamb.

Sirha, prepare whips, and bring my chariot to my Tent: For as soone as the battaile is done, Ile ride in triumph through the Camp.

Enter Theridamas, Techelles and their traine.

How now ye pety kings, loe, here are Bugges

Wil make the haire stand vpright on your heads,

And cast your crownes in slauery at their feet.

Welcome theridamas and techelles both,

See ye this rout, and know ye this same king:

ther.

I, my Lord, he was Calapines keeper.

tam.

Wel, now you see hee is a king, looke to him theridamas, when we are fighting, least hee hide his crowne as the foolish king of Persea did.

Sor.

No Tamburlaine, hee shall not be put to that Exigent, I warrant thee.

tam.

You knowe not sir:

But now my followers and my louing friends,

Fight as you euer did, like Conquerours,

The glorie of this happy day is yours:

My sterne aspect shall make faire Victory,

Houering betwixt our armies, light on me,

Loden with Lawrell wreathes to crowne vs all.

tech.

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,

tamb.

You shall be princes all immediatly:

Come fight ye Turks, or yeeld vs victory.

Or.

No, we wil meet thee slauish tāburlain.

Exeunt

[Page]

I2v

Actus. 4.

Scaena. 1.

Alarme: Amyras and Celebinus, issues from the tent where Caliphas sits a sleepe.

NOw in their glories shine the golden crownes

Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns

That halfe dismay the maiesty of heauen:

Now brother follow we our fathers sword,

That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts,

And cuts down armies with his conquerings wings,

Cel.

Call foorth our laisie brother from the tent,

For if my father misse him in the field,

Wrath kindled in the furnace of his breast,

Wil send a deadly lightening to his heart.

Amy.

Brother, ho, what, giuen so much to sleep

You cannot leaue it, when our enemies drums

And ratling cannons thunder in our eares

Our proper ruine, and our fathers foile:

Cal.

Away ye fools, my father needs not me,

Nor you in faith, but that you wil be thought

More childish valourous than manly wise:

If halfe our campe should sit and sleepe with me,

My father ware enough to scar the foe:

You doo dishonor to his maiesty,

To think our helps will doe him any good.

Amy.

What, dar'st thou then be absent frō the fight,

Knowing my father hates thy cowardise,

And oft hath warn'd thee to be stil in field,

When he himselfe amidst the thickest troopes

Beats downe our foes to flesh our taintlesse swords.

Cal.

I know sir, what it is to kil a man,

[Page]I3r

It works remorse of conscience in me,

I take no pleasure to be murtherous,

Nor care for blood when wine wil quench my thirst.

Cel.

O cowardly boy, fie for shame, come foorth.

Thou doost dishonor manhood, and thy house.

Cal.

Goe, goe tall stripling, fight you for vs both,

And take my other toward brother here,

For person like to prooue a second Mars,

Twill please my mind as wel to heare both you

Haue won a heape of honor in the field,

And left your slender carkasses behind,

As if I lay with you for company.

Amy.

You wil not goe then:

Cal

You say true.

Amy.

Were all the lofty mounts of Zona mundi,

That fill the midst of farthest Tartary,

Turn'd into pearle and proffered for my stay,

I would not bide the furie of my father:

When made a victor in these hautie arms.

He comes and findes his sonnes haue had no shares

In all the honors he proposde for vs.

Cal.

Take you the honor, I will take my ease,

My wisedome shall excuse my cowardise:

I goe into the field before I need:

Alarme, and Amy, and Celeb. run in.

The bullets fly at random where they list.

And should I goe and kill a thousand men,

I were as soone rewarded with a shot,

And sooner far than he that neuer fights.

And should I goe and do nor harme nor good,

I might haue harme, which all the good I haue

Ioin'd with my fathers crowne would neuer cure.

[Page]I3v

Ile to cardes: Perdicas.

Perd.

Here my Lord.

Cal.

Come, thou and I wil goe to cardes to driue away the time.

Per.

Content my Lord, but what shal we play for?

Cal.

Who shal kisse the fairest of the Turkes Concubines first, when my father hath conquered them.

Per.

Agreed yfaith.

They play.

Cal.

They say I am a coward, (Perdicas) and I feare as litle their tara, tantaras, their swordes or their cannons, as I doe a naked Lady in a net of golde, and for feare I should be affraid, would put it off and come to bed with me.

Per.

Such a feare (my Lord) would neuer make yee retire.

Cal.

I would my father would let me be put in the front of such a battaile once, to trie my valour.

Alarme.

What a coyle they keepe, I beleeue there will be some hurt done anon amongst them.

Enter Tamburlain, Theridamas, Techelles, Vsumeasane, Amyras, Celebinus, leading the Turkish kings.

Tam.

See now ye slaues, my childrē stoops your pride

And leads your glories sheep-like to the sword.

Bring them my boyes, and tel me if the warres

Be not a life that may illustrate Gods,

And tickle not your Spirits with desire

Stil to be train'd in armes and chiualry:

Amy.

Shal we let goe these kings again my Lord

To gather greater numbers gainst our power,

That they may say, it is not chance doth this,

[Page]I4r

But matchlesse strength and magnanimity.

tamb.

No, no Amyras, tempt not Fortune so,

Cherish thy valour stil with fresh supplies:

And glut it not with stale and daunted foes,

But wher's this coward, villaine, not my sonne,

But traitor to my name and maiesty.

He goes in and brings him out.

Image of sloth, and and picture of a slaue,

The obloquie and skorne of my renowne,

How may my hart, thus fired with mine eies,

Wounded with shame, and kill'd with discontent,

Shrowd any thought may holde my striuing hands

From martiall iustice on thy wretched soule.

ther.

Yet pardon him I pray your Maiesty.

tech. & Vsu.

Let al of vs intreat your highnesse pardon

tam.

Stand vp, ye base vnworthy souldiers,

Know ye not yet the argument of Armes?

Amy.

Good my Lord, let him be forgiuen for once,

And we wil force him to the field hereafter.

tam.

Stand vp my boyes, and I wil teach ye arms,

And what the iealousie of warres must doe.

O Samarcanda, where I breathed first,

And ioy'd the fire of this martiall flesh,

Blush, blush faire citie, at thine honors foile,

And shame of nature with Iaertis streame,

Embracing thee with deepest of his loue,

Can neuer wash from thy distained browes.

Here Ioue, receiue his fainting soule againe,

A Forme not meet to giue that subiect essence,

Whose matter is the flesh of Tamburlain,

Wherein an incorporeall spirit mooues,

Made of the mould whereof of thy selfe consists.

[Page]I4v

Which makes me valiant, proud, ambitious,

Ready to leuie power against thy throne,

That I might mooue the turning Spheares of heauē,

For earth and al this aery region

Cannot containe the state of Tamburlaine.

By Mahomet, thy mighty friend I sweare,

In sending to my issue such a soule,

Created of the massy dregges of earth,

The scum and tartar of the Elements,

Wherein was neither corrage, strength or wit,

But follie, sloth, and damned idlenesse:

Thou hast procur'd a greater enemie,

Than he that darted mountaines at thy head.

Shaking the burthen mighty Atlas beares:

Whereat thou trembling hid'st thee in the aire.

Cloth'd with a pitchy cloud for being seene.

And now ye cankred curres of Asia,

That will not see the strength of Tamburlaine,

Although it shine as brightly as the Sun.

Now you shal feele the strength of Tamburlain,

And by the state of his supremacie,

Approoue the difference twixt himself and you.

Orc.

Thou shewest the difference twixt our selues and thee.

In this thy barbarous damned tyranny.

Ier.

Thy victories are growne so violent,

That shortly heauen, fild with the meteors

Of blood and fire thy tyrannies haue made,

Will poure down blood and fire on thy head:

Whose scalding drops wil pierce thy seething braines,

And with our bloods, reuenge our bloods on thee.

Tamb.

Villaines, these terrours and these tyrannies

[Page]I5r

(If tyrannies wars iustice ye repute)

I execute, enioin'd me from aboue:

To scourge the pride of such as heauen abhors,

Nor am I made Arch-monark of the world,

Crown'd and inuested by the hand of Ioue,

For deeds of bounty or nobility:

But since I exercise a greater name,

The Scourge of God and terrour of the world,

I must apply my selfe to fit those tearnies,

In war, in blood, in death, in crueltie,

And plague such Pesants as resisting me,

The power of heauens eternall maiesty.

Theridamas, techelles, and Casane,

Ransacke the tents and the pauilions

Of these proud Turks, and take their Concubines.

Making them burie this effeminate brat,

For not a common Souldier shall defile

His manly fingers with so faint a boy.

Then bring those Turkish harlots to my tent,

And Ile dispose them as it likes me best,

Meane while take him in.

Soul.

We will my Lord.

Ier

O damned monster, nay a Feend of Hell,

Whose cruelties are not so harsh as thine,

Nor yet imposo, with such a bitter hate.

Orc.

Reuenge it Radamanth and Eacus,

And let your hates extended in his paines,

Expell the hate wherewith he paines our soules.

treb.

May neuer day giue vertue to his eies,

Whose sight composde of furie and of fire

Doth send such sterne affections to his heart,

Sor.

May neuer spirit, vaine or Artier feed

[Page]I5v

The cursed substance of that cruel heart,

But (wanting moisture and remorsefull blood)

Drie vp with anger, and consume with heat.

tam.

Wel, bark ye dogs, Ile bridle al your tongues

And bind them close with bits of burnisht steele,

Downe to the channels of your hatefull throats,

And with the paines my rigour shall inflict,

Ile make ye roare, that earth may eccho foorth

The far resounding torments ye sustaine,

As when an heard of lusty Cymbrian Buls,

Run mourning round about, the Femals misse,

And stung with furie of their following,

Fill all the aire with troublous bellowing:

I will with Engines, neuer exercisde,

Conquer, sacke, and vtterly consume

Your cities and your golden pallaces,

And with the flames that beat against the clowdes

Incense the heauens. and make the starres to melt,

As if they were the teares of Mahomet

For hot consumption of his countries pride:

And til by viston, or by speach I heare

Immortall Ioue say, Cease my Tamburlaine,

I will persist a terrour to the world,

Making the Meteors, that like armed men

Are seene to march vpon the towers of heauen,

Run tilting round about the firmament,

And breake their burming Lances in the aire,

For honor of my woondrous victories.

Come bring them in to our Pauilion.

Exeunt.

[Page]

I6r

Actus. 4. Scaena. 3,

Olympia alone.

DIstrest Olympia, whose weeping eies

Since thy arriuall here beheld no Sun,

But closde within the compasse of a tent,

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

Deuise 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 aier, beat often with thy sighes,

Contagious smels, and vapors to infect thee,

Nor thy close Caue a sword to murther thee,

Let this inuention be the instrument.

Enter Theridamas.

The.

Wel met Olympia, I sought thee in my tent

But when I saw the place obscure and darke,

Which with thy beauty thou wast woont to light,

Enrag'd, I ran about the fields for thee,

Supposing, amorous Ioue had sent his sonne,

The winged Hermes, to conuay thee hence:

But now I finde thee, and that feare is past.

Tell me Olympia, wilt thou graunt my suit?

Olym.

My Lord and husbandes death, with my sweete sons,

With whom I buried al affections,

Saue griefe and sorrow which torment my heart,

Forbids my mind to entertaine a thought

That tends to loue, but meditate on death,

[Page]I6v

A fitter subiect for a pensiue soule.

Ther.

Olympia, pitie him, in whom thy looks

Haue greater operation and more force

Than Cynthias in the watery wildernes,

For with thy view my ioyes are at the full,

And eb againe, as thou departst from me.

Olim.

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 louing sonne.

ther.

Nothing, but stil thy husband and thy sonne?

Leaue this my Loue, and listen more to me,

Thou shalt be stately Queene of faire Argier,

And cloth'd in costly cloath of massy gold,

Vpon the marble turrets of my Court

Sit like to Venus in her chaire of state,

Commanding all thy princely eie desires,

And I will cast off armes and sit with thee,

Spending my life in sweet discourse of loue.

Olym.

No such discourse is pleasant in mine eaxes,

But that where euery period ends with death,

And euery line begins with death againe:

I cannot loue to be an Emperesse.

ther.

Nay Lady, then if nothing wil preuaile,

Ile vse some other means to make you yeeld,

Such is the sodaine fury of my loue,

I must and wil be pleasde, and you shall yeeld:

Come to the tent againe.

Olym.

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

Ile giue your Grace a present of such price,

As all the world cannot affoord the like.

ther.

What is it.

[Page]I7rOlym.

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.

Ther.

Why Madam, thinke ye to mocke me thus palpably?

Olim.

To prooue 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.

ther.

Why gaue you not your husband some of it, if you loued him, and it so precious?

Olym.

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

But was preuented by his sodaine end.

And for a present easie proofe hereof,

That I dissemble not, trie it on me,

ther.

I wil Olympia, and will keep it for

The richest present of this Easterne world.

She noints her throat.

Olym.

Now stab my Lord, and mark your weapons point

That wil be blunted if the blow be great.

ther.

Here then Olympia.

What, haue I slaine her? Villaine, stab thy selfe:

Cut off this arme that murthered my Loue:

In whom the learned Rabies of this age,

Might find as many woondrous myracles,

As in the Theoria of the world.

Now Hell is fairer than Elisian,

A greater Lamp than that bright eie of heauen,

[Page]I7v

From whence the starres doo borrow all their light

Wanders about the black circumference,

And now the damned soules are free from paine,

For euery Fury gazeth on her lookes:

Infernall Dis is courting of my Loue,

Inuenting maskes and stately showes for her,

Opening the doores of his rich treasorie,

To entertaine this Queene of chastitie,

Whose body shall be comb'd with all the pompe

The treasure of my kingdome may affoord.

Exit, taking her away.

Actus. 4. Scaena. 4.

Tamburlaine drawen in his chariot by Trebizon and Soria with bittes in their mouthes, reines in his left hand, in his right hād a whip, with which he scourgeth them, Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasane, Amyras, Celebinus: Natolia, and Ierusalem led by with fiue or six common souldiers.

Tam.

HOlla, ye pampered Iades of Asia:

What, can ye draw but twenty miles a day,

And haue so proud a chariot at your heeles,

And such a Coachman as great Tamburlaine?

But from Asphaltis, where I conquer'd you,

To Byron here where thus I honor you:

The horse that guide the golden cie of heauen,

And blow the morning from their nosterils,

Making their fiery gate aboue the cloudes,

Are not so honoured in their Gouernour,

As you (ye slaues) in mighty Tamburlain.

The headstrong Iades of Thrace, Alcides tam'd,

[Page]I8r

That King Egeus fed with humaine flesh,

And made so wanton that they knew their strengths,

Were not subdew'd with valour more diuine,

Than you by this vnconquered arme of mine.

To make you fierce, and fit my appetite,

You shal be fed with flesh as raw as blood,

And drinke in pailes the strongest Muscadell:

If you can liue with it, then liue, and draw

My chariot swifter than the racking cloudes:

If not, then dy like beasts, and fit for nought

But perches for the black and fatall Rauens.

Thus am I right the Scourge of highest Ioue,

And see the figure of my dignitie,

By which I hold my name and maiesty.

Ami.

Let me haue coach my Lord, that I may ride,

And thus be drawen with these two idle kings.

tam.

Thy youth for bids such ease my kingly boy,

They shall to morrow draw my chariot,

While these their fellow kings may be refresht,

Orc.

O thou that swaiest the region vnder earth,

And art a king as absolute as Ioue,

Come as thou didst in fruitfull Scicilie,

Suruaieng all the glories of the land:

And as thou took'st the faire Proserpina,

Ioying the fruit of Ceres garden plot,

For loue, for honor, and to make het Queene,

So for iust hate, for shame, and to subdew

This proud contemner of thy dreadfull power,

Come once in furie and suruay his pride,

Haling him headlong to the lowest hell.

ther.

Your Maiesty must get some byts for these,

To bridle their contemptuous cursing tongues,

[Page]I8v

That like vnruly neuer broken Iades,

Breake through the hedges of their hateful mouthes,

And passe their fixed boundes exceedingly.

Tech.

Nay, we wil break the hedges of their mouths

And pul their kicking colts out of their pastures,

Vsu

Your Maiesty already hath deuisde

A meane, as fit as may be to restraine

These coltish coach-horse tongues from blasphemy.

Cel.

How like you that sir king? why speak you not?

Ier.

Ah cruel Brat, sprung from a tyrants loines,

How like his cursed father he begins,

To practize tauntes and bitter tyrannies?

Tam.

I Turke, I tel thee, this same Boy is he,

That must (aduaunst in higher pompe than this)

Rifle the kingdomes I shall leaue vnsackt.

If Ioue esteeming me too good for earth,

Raise me to match the faire Aldeboran,

Aboue the threefold Astracisme of heauen,

Before I conquere all the triple world.

New fetch me out the Turkish Concubines,

I will prefer them for the funerall

They haue bestowed on my abortiue sonne.

The Cōncubines are brought in.

Where are my common souldiers now that fought

So Lion-like vpon Asphaltis plaines?

Soul.

Here my Lord.

Tam.

Hold ye tal souldiers, take ye Queens apeece

(I meane such Queens as were kings Concubines)

Take them, deuide them and their iewels too,

And let them equally serue all your turnes.

Soul.

We thank your maiesty.

tam.

Brawle not (I warne yon for your lechery,

[Page]K1r

For euery man that so offends shall die,

Ore.

Iniurious tyrant, wilt thou so defame

The hatefull fortunes of thy victory,

To exercise vpon such guiltlesse Dames,

The violence of thy common Souldiours lust.

Tam.

Liue content then (ye slaues) and meet not me

With troopes of harlots at your sloothful heeles

Lad.

O pity vs my Lord, and saue our honours.

tam.

Are ye not gone ye villaines with your spoiles?

They run away with the Ladies.

Ier.

O mercilesse infernall cruelty.

Tam.

Saue your honours? twere but time indeed,

Lost long before you knew what honour meant.

ther.

It seemes they meant to conquer vs my Lord,

And make vs ieasting Pageants for their Trulles.

tam.

And now themselues shal make our Pageant,

And common souldiers iest with all their Truls,

Let them take pleasure soundly in their spoiles,

Till we prepare our martch to Babylon,

Whether we next make expedition.

tech.

Let vs not be idle then my Lord,

But presently be prest to conquer it.

tam.

We wil techelles, forward then ye Iades:

Now crowch ye kings of greatest Asia,

And tremble when ye heare this Scourge wil come,

That whips downe cities, and controwleth crownes,

Adding their wealth and treasure to my store,

The Euxine sea North to Natolia,

The Terrene west, the Caspian north north-east,

And on the south Senus Arabicus.

Shal al be loden with the martiall spoiles

We will conuay with vs to Persea.

[Page]K1v

Then shal my natiue city Samarcanda

And christall waues of fresh Iaertis streame,

The pride and beautie of her princely seat,

Be famous through the furthest continents,

For there my Pallace royal shal be plac'd:

Whose shyning Turrets shal dismay the heauens,

And cast the fame of Ilions Tower to hell.

Thorow the streets with troops of conquered kings,

Ile ride in golden armour like the Sun,

And in my helme a triple plume shal spring,

Spangled with Diamonds dancing in the aire,

To note me Emperour of the threefold world.

Like to an almond tree ymounted high,

Vpon the lofty and celestiall mount,

Of euery greene Selinus queintly dect

With bloomes more white than Hericinas browes,

Whose tender blossoms tremble euery one,

At euery litle breath that thorow heauen is blowen:

Then in my coach like Saturnes royal son,

Mounted his shining chariots, gilt with fire.

And drawen with princely Eagles through the path,

Pau'd with bright Christall, and enchac'd with starres,

When all the Gods stand and gazing at his pomp.

So will I ride through Samarcanda streets,

Vntil my soule disseuered from this flesh,

Shall mount the milk-white way and meet him there.

To Babylon my Lords, to Babylon.

Exeunt.

Finis Actus quarti.

[Page]

K2r

Actus. 5.

Scaena. 1.

Enter the Gouernour of Babylon vpon the walles with others.

Gouer.

WHat saith Maximus?

Max.

My Lord, the breach the enimie hath made

Giues such assurance of our ouerthrow,

That litle hope is left to saue our liues,

Or hold out citie from the Conquerours hands.

Then hang out flagges (my Lord of humble truce,

And satisfie the peoples generall praiers,

That Tamburlains intollorable wrath

May be supprest by our submission.

Gou.

Villaine, respects thou more thy slauish life,

Than honor of thy countrie or thy name?

Is not my life and state as deere to me,

The citic and my natiue countries weale,

As any thing of price with thy conceit?

Haue we not hope, for all our battered walles,

To liue secure, and keep his forces out,

When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis

Makes walles a fresh with euery 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 haue no terrour but his threatning lookes?

Enter another, kneeling to the Gouernour.

My Lord, if euer you did deed of tuth,

And now will work a refuge to our liues,

[Page]K2v

Offer submission, hang vp flags of truce,

That Tambur laine may pitie our distresse,

And vse vs like a louing Conquerour,

Though this be held his last daies dreadfull siege,

Wherein he spareth neither man nor child,

Yet are there Christians of Georgia here,

Whose state he euer pitied and relieu'd:

Wil get his pardon if your grace would send.

Gouer.

How is my soule enuironed,

And this eternisde citie Babylon,

Fill'd with a packe of faintheart Fugitiues,

That thus intreat their shame and seruitude?

Another.

My Lord, if euer you wil win our hearts,

Yeeld vp the towne, saue our wiues and children:

For I wil cast my selfe from off these walles,

Or die some death of quickest violence,

Before I bide the wrath of Tamburlaine.

Gouer.

Villaines, cowards, Traitors to our state,

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

That legions of tormenting spirits may ver

Your slauish bosomes with continuall pames,

I cate not, nor the towne will neuer yeeld

As long as any life is in my breast.

Enter Theridamas and Techelles, with other souldiers.

Thou desperate Gouernour of Babylon,

To saue thy life, and vs a litle labour,

Yeeld speedily the citie to our hands,

Or els be sure thou shalt be forc'd with paines,

More exquisite than euer Traitor felt.

Gou.

Tyrant, I turne the traitor in thy throat,

And wil defend it in despight of thee.

[Page]K3r

Call vp the souldiers to defend these wals.

tech.

Yeeld foolish Gouernour, we offer more

Than euer yet we did to such proud slaues,

As durst resist vs till our third daies siege:

Thou seest vs prest to giue the last assault,

And that shal bide no more regard of parlie.

Gou.

Assault and spare not, we wil neuer yeeld.

Alarme, and they scale the walles.

Enter Tamburlain, with Vsumeasane. Amyras, and Celebinus, with others, the two spare kings.

Tam.

The stately buildings of faire Babylon,

Whose lofty Pillers, higher than the cloudes,

Were woont to guide the seaman in the deepe.

Being caried thither by the cannons force,

Now fil the mouth of Limnasphaltes lake,

And make a bridge vnto the battered walles,

Where Belus, Ninus and great Alexander

Haue rode in triumph, triumphs Tamburlaine,

Whose chariot wheeles haue burst th' Assirians bones,

Drawen with these kings on heaps of carkasses,

Now in the place where faire Semiramis,

Courted by kings and peeres of Asia,

Hath trode the Meisures, do my souldiers martch,

And in the streets, where braue Assirian Dames

Haue rid in pompe like rich Saturnia,

With furious words and frowning visages,

My horsmen brandish their vnruly blades.

Enter Theridamas and Techelles bringing the Gouernor of Babylon.

Who haue ye there my Lordes?

[Page]K3vTher.

The sturdy Gouernour of Babylon,

That made vs all the labour for the towne,

And vsde such slender reckning of you maiesty.

tam.

Go bind the villaine, he shall hang in chaines,

Vpon the ruines of this conquered towne,

Sirha, the view of our vermillion tents,

Which threatned more than if the region

Next vnderneath the Element of fire,

Were full of Commets and of blazing stars,

Whose flaming traines should reach down to the earth

Could not affright you, no, nor I my selfe,

The wrathfull messenger of mighty Iouc,

That with his sword hath quail'd all earthly kings.

Could not perswadé you to submission,

But stil the ports were shut: villaine I say,

Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell,

The triple headed Cerberus would howle,

And wake blacke Ioue to crouch and kneele to me.

But I haue sent volleies of shot to you,

Yet could not enter till the breach was made,

Gou.

Nor if my body could haue stopt the breach,

Shouldst thou haue entted, cruel tamburlaine:

Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yeeld,

Nor yet thy selfe, thè anger of the highest,

For though thy cannon shooke the citie walles,

My heart did neuer quake, or corrage faint.

tam.

Wel, now Ile make it quake, go draw him vp,

Hang him vp in chaines vpon the citie walles,

And let my souldiers shoot the slaue to death.

Gouern.

Vile monster, borne of some infernal hag,

And sent from hell to tyrannise on earth,

Do all thy wurst, nor death, nor Tamburlaine,

[Page]K4r

Torture or paine can daunt my dreadlesse minde.

tam.

Vp with him then, his body shal be scard.

Gou

But Tamburlain, in Lymnasphaltis lake,

There lies more gold than Babylon is worth,

Which when the citie was besieg'd I hid,

Saue but my life and I wil giue it thee.

tam.

Then for all your valour, you would saue your life,

Where about lies it?

Gou.

Vnder a hollow bank, right opposite

Against the Westerne gate of Babylon.

tam

Go thither some of you and take his gold,

The rest forward with execution,

Away with him hence, let him speake no more:

I think I make your courage something quaile,

When this is done, we'll martch from Babylon,

And make our greatest haste to Persea:

These Iades are broken winded, and halfe tyr'd,

Vnharnesse them, and let me haue fresh horse:

So, now their best is done to honour me,

Take them, and hang them both vp presently.

Tre.

Vild Tyrant, barbarous bloody Tamburlain

Tamb.

Take them away Theridamas, see them dispatcht.

Ther

I will my Lord.

tam.

Come Asian Viceroies, to your taskes a while

And take such fortune as your fellowes felt.

Orc.

First let thy Scythyan horse teare both our limmes

Rather then we should draw thy chariot.

And like base slaues abiect our princely mindes

To vile and ignominious seruitude.

Ier.

Rather lend me thy weapon Tamburlain,

That I may sheath it in this breast of mine,

[Page]K4v

A thousand deathes could not torment our hearts

More than the thought of this dooth vexe our soules.

Amy.

They will talk still my Lord, if you doe not bridle them.

tam.

Bridle them, and let me to my coach.

They bridle them.

Amy.

See now my Lord how braue the Captaine hangs.

tam.

Tis braue indeed my boy, wel done,

Shoot first my Lord, and then the rest shall follow.

ther.

Then haue at him to begin withall.

Theridamas shootes.

Gou

Yet saue my life, and let this wound appease

The mortall furie of great Tamburlain.

tam.

No, though Asphaltis lake were liquid gold,

And offer'd me as ransome for thy life,

Yet shouldst thou die, shoot at him all at once.

They shoote.

So now he hangs like Bagdets Gouernour,

Hauing as many bullets in his flesh,

As there be breaches in her battered wall.

Goe now and bind the Burghers hand and foot,

And cast them headlong in the cities lake:

Tartars and Perseans shall inhabit there,

And to command the citie, I will build

A Cytadell, that all Affrica

Which hath bene subiect to the Persean king,

Shall pay me tribute for, in Babylon.

tech.

What shal be done with their wiues and children my Lord.

tam,

Techelles, Drowne them all, man, woman, and child,

Leaue not a Babylonian in the towne.

[Page]

K5r

tech

I will about it straight, come Souldiers.

Exit

tam.

Now Casane, wher's the Turkish Alcaron,

And all the heapes of supersticious bookes,

Found in the Temples of that Mahomet?

Whom I haue thought a God, they shal be burnt.

Cas.

Here they are my Lord.

tam.

Wel said, let there be a fire presently,

In vaine I see men worship Mahomet,

My sword hath sent millions of Turks to hell.

Slew all his Priests, his kinsmen, and his friends,

And yet I liue vntoucht by Mahomet:

There is a God full of reuenging wrath,

From whom the thunder and the lightning breaks,

Whose Scourge I am, and him will I obey.

So Casane, fling them in the fire.

Now Mahomet, if thou haue any power,

Come downe thy selfe and worke a myracle,

Thou art not woorthy to be worshipped,

That suffers flames of fire to burne the writ

Wherein the sum of thy religion rests.

Why send 'st thou not a furious whyrlwind downe,

To blow thy Alcaron vp to thy throne,

Where men report, thou sitt'st by God himselfe,

Or vengeance on the head of Tamburlain,

That shakes his sword against thy maiesty.

And spurns the Abstracts of thy foolish lawes.

Wel souldiers, Mahomet remaines in hell,

He cannot heare the voice of Tamburlain,

Seeke out another Godhead to adore,

The God that sits in heauen, if any God,

For he is God alone, and none but he.

tech.

I haue fulfil'd your highnes wil, my Lord,

[Page]K5v

Thousands of men drown'd in Asphal [...]is Lake,

Haue made the water swell abore the bankes,

And fishes feed by humaine carkasses,

Amasde, swim vp and downe vpon the waues,

As when they swallow Assafitida,

Which makes them fleet aloft and gaspe for aire,

tam.

Wel then my friendly Lordes what now remaines

But that we leaue sufficient garrison

And presently depart to Persea,

To triumph after all our victories.

ther.

I, good my Lord, let vs in hast to Persea,

And let this Captaine be remoou'd the walles,

To some high hill about the citie here.

tam.

Let it be so, about it souldiers:

But stay, I feele my selfe distempered sudainly.

tech.

What is it dares distemper Tamburlain?

tam.

Something techelles but I know not what,

But foorth ye vassals, what so ere it be,

Sicknes or death can neuer conquer me.

Exeunt

Actus. 5. Scaena. 4.

Enter Callapine, Amasia, with drums and trumpets.

Callap.

KIng of Amasia, now our mighty hoste,

Marcheth in Asia maior where the streames,

Of Euphrates and Tigris swiftly runs,

And here may we behald 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.

[Page]K6r

Before his hoste be full from Babylon,

And so reuenge our latest grieuous losse,

If God or Mahomet send any aide.

Ama.

Doubt not my lord, but we shal conquer him

The Monster that hath drinke a sea of blood,

And yet gapes stil for more to quench his thirst,

Our Turkish swords shal headlong send to hell,

And that vile Carkasse drawne by warlike kings,

The Foules shall eate, for neuer sepulchre

Shall grace that base-borne Tyrant tamburlaine.

Cal.

When I record my Parents slauish life,

Their cruel death, mine owne captiuity,

My Viceroies bondage vnder tamburlaine,

Me thinks I could sustaine a thousand deaths,

To be reueng'd of all his Villanie.

Ah sacred Mahomet, thou that hast seene,

Millions of Turkes perish by Tamburlaine,

Kingdomes made waste, braue cities sackt & burnt,

And but one hoste is left to honor thee.

And thy obedient seruant Callapine,

And make him after all these ouerthrowes,

To triumph ouer cursed Tamburlaine.

Ama

Feare not my Lord, I see great Mahomet

Clothed in purple clowdes, and on his head

A Chaplet brighter than Apollos crowne,

Marching about the ayer with armed men,

To ioine with you against this Tamburlaine.

Renowmed Generall mighty Callapine,

Though God himselfe and holy Mahomet,

Should come in person to resist your power,

Yet might your mighty hoste incounter all,

And pull proud Tamburlaine vpon his knees,

[Page]K6v

To sue for mercie at your highnesse feete,

Cal.

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 haue here the chiefe selected men

Of twenty seuerall kingdomes at the least:

Nor plowman, Priest, nor Merchant staies at home.

All Turkie is in armes with Callapine.

And neuer 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 vs lie in wait for him

And if we find him absent from his campe,

Or that it be reioin'd again at full,

Assaile it and be sure of victorie.

Exeunt.

Actus. 5. Scaena. 6.

Theridamas, Techelles, Vsumeasane.

WEepe heauens, and vanish into liquid teares

Fal starres that gouerne his natiuity,

And sommon al the shining lamps of heauen

To cast their bootlesse fires to the earth.

And shed their feble influence in the aire.

Muffle your beauties with eternall clowdes,

For hell and darknesse pitch their pitchy tentes,

And Death with armies of Cymerian spirits

[Page]

K7r

Giues battile gainst the heart of Tamburlaine.

Now in defiance of that woonted loue,

Your sacred vertues pour'd vpon his throne,

And made his state an honor to the heauens,

These cowards inuisiblie assaile hys soule,

And threaten conquest on our Soueraigne:

But if he die, your glories are disgrac'd,

Earth droopes and saies, that hell in heauen is plac'd,

tech.

O then ye Powers that sway eternal seates,

And guide this massy substance of the earthe,

If you retaine desert of holinesse,

As your supreame estates instruct our thoughtes,

Be not iuconstant, carelesse of your fame,

Beare not the burthen of your enemies ioyes,

Triumphing in his fall whom you aduaimst,

But as his birth, life, health and maiesty

Were strangely blest and gouerned by heauen,

So honour heauen til heauen dissolued be,

His byrth, his life, his health and maiesty.

Cas..

Blush heauen to loose the honor of thyname,

To see thy foot-stoole set vpon thy head,

And let no basenesse in thy haughty breast,

Sustaine a shame of such inexcellence:

To see the deuils mount in Angels throanes,

And Angels diue into the pooles of hell.

And though they think their painfull date is out,

And that their power is puissant as Ioues,

Which makes them manage armes against thy state,

Yet make them feele the strength of Tamburlain,

Thy instrument and note of Maisty.

Is greater far than they can thus subdue.

For if he die, thy glorie is disgrac'd,

[Page]K7v

Earth droopes and saies that hel in heauen is plac'd.

tam.

What daring God torments my body thus,

And seeks to conquet mighty Tamburlaine,

Shall sicknesse prooue me now to be a man,

That haue bene tearm'd the terrour of the world?

Techelles and the rest, come take your swords,

And threaten him whose hand afflicts my soul,

Come let vs march against the powers of heauen,

And set blacke streamers in the firmament,

To signifie the slaughter of the Gods,

Ah friends, what shal I doe I cannot stand,

Come carie me to war against the Gods,

That thus inuie the health of Tamburlaine,

ther.

Ah good my Lord, leaue these iinpatient words,

Which ad much danger to your malladie.

tam.

Why shal I sit and languish in this paine,

No, strike the drums, and in reuenge of this,

Come let vs chardge our speares and pierce his breast,

Whose shoulders beare the Axis of the world,

That if I perish, heauen and earth may fade,

theridamas, haste to the court of Ioue,

Will him to send Apollo hether straight,

To cure me, or Ile fetch him downe my selfe.

tech.

Sit stil my gratious Lord, this griefe wil cease,

And cannot last, it is so violent.

tam.

Not last techelles, no, for I shall die,

See where my slaue, the vglie monster death

Shaking and quiuering, pale and wan for feare,

Stands aiming at me with his murthering dart,

Who flies away at euery glance I giue,

And when I look away, comes stealing on:

Villaine away, and hie thee to the field,

[Page]K8r

I and myne armie come to lode thy barke

With soules of thousand mangled carkasses,

Looke where he goes, but see, he comes againe

Because I stay, techelles let vs march,

And weary Death with bearing soules to hell.

Phi.

Pleaseth your Maiesty to drink this potion.

Which wil abate the furie of your fit,

And cause some milder spirits gouerne you.

tam.

Tel me, what think you of my sicknes now?

Phi.

I view'd your vrine, and the Hipostates

Thick and obscure doth make your danger great,

Your vaines are full of accidentall heat,

Whereby the moisture of your blood is dried,

The Humidum and Calor, which some holde

Is not a parcell of the Elements,

But of a substance more diuine and pure,

Is almost cleane extinguished and spent.

Which being the cause of life, imports your death.

Besides my Lord, this day is Criticall,

Dangerous to those, whose Chrisis is as yours:

Your Artiers which alongst the vaines conuey

The liuely spirits which the heart ingenders

Are partcht and void of spirit that the soule

Wanting those Organnons by which it mooues,

Can not indure by argument of art.

Yet if your maiesty may escape this day,

No doubt, but you shal soone recouer all.

tam.

Then will I comfort all my vital parts,

And liue in spight of death aboue a day.

Alarme within.

Mess.

My Lord, yong Callapine that lately fled from your maiesty, hath nowe gathered a fresh Armie, and [Page] K8v hearing your absence in the field, offers to set vpon vs presently.

Tam.

See my Phisitions now, how Ioue hath sent,

A present medicince to recure my paine:

My looks shall make them flie, and might I follow,

There should not one of all the villaines power

Liue to giue offer of another fight.

Vsum.

I ioy my Lord, your highnesse is so strong,

That can endure so well your royall presence,

Which onely will dismay the enemy.

Tam.

I know it wil Casane: draw you slaues,

In spight of death I will goe show my face.

Alarme, Tam. goes in, and comes out againe with al the rest.

Thus are the villaines, cowards fled for feare,

Like Summers vapours, vanisht by the Sun.

And could I but a while pursue the field,

That Callapine should be my slaue againe.

But I perceiue my martial strength is spent,

In vaine I striue and raile against those powers,

That meane t'inuest me in a higher throne,

As much too high for this disdainfull earth.

Giue me a Map, then let me see how much

Is left for me to conquer all the world,

That these my boies may finish all my wantes,

One brings a Map.

Here I began to martch towards Persea,

Along Armenia and the Caspian sea,

And thence vnto Bythinia, where I tooke

The Turke and his great Empresse priseners,

Then martcht I into Egypt and Arabia,

And here not far from Alexandria,

[Page]L1r

Whereas the Terren and the red sea meet,

Being distant lesse than stil a hundred leagues,

I meant to cut a channell to them both,

That men might quickly saile to India.

From thence to Nubia neere Borno Lake,

And so along the Ethiopian sea,

Cutting the Tropicke line of Capricorne,

I conquered all as far as Zansibar,

Then by the Northerne part of Affrica.

I came at last to Graecia, and from thence

To Asia, where I stay against my will,

Which is from Scythia, where I first began,

Backeward and forwards nere fiue thousand leagues,

Looke here my boies, see what a world of ground,

Lies westward from the midst of Cancers line,

Vnto the rising of this earthly globe,

Whereas the Sun declining from our sight,

Begins the day with our Antypodes:

And shall I die, and this vnconquered?

Loe here my sonnes, are all the golden Mines,

Inestimable drugs and precious stones,

More worth than Asia, and the world beside,

And from th'Antartique Pole, Eastward behold

As much more land, which neuer was descried,

Wherein are rockes of Pearle, that shine as bright

As all the Lamps that beautifie the Sky,

And shal I die, and this vnconquered?

Here louely boies, what death forbids my life,

That let your liues commaund in spight of death.

Amy.

Alas my Lord, how should our bleeding harts

Wounded and broken with your Highnesse griefe,

Retaine a thought of ioy, or sparke of life?

[Page]K1v

Your soul giues essence to our wretched subiects.

Whose matter is incorporoat in your flesh.

Cel.

Your paines do pierce our soules, no hope suruiues,

For by your life we entertaine our liues,

tam.

But sons, this subiect not of force enough,

To hold the fiery spirit it containes,

must part, imparting his impressions,

By equall portions into both your breasts:

My flesh deuided in your precious shapes,

Shal still retaine my spirit, though I die,

And liue in all your seedes immortally:

Then now remooue me, that I may resigne

My place and proper tytle to my sonne:

First take my Scourge and my imperiall Crowne,

And mount my royall chariot of estate,

That I may see thee crown'd before I die,

Help me (my Lords) to make my last remooue.

ther.

A woful change my Lord, that daunts our thoughts,

More than the ruine of our proper soules.

tam.

Sit vp my sonne, let me see how well

Thou wilt become thy fathers maiestie.

They crowne him.

Ami

With what a flinty bosome should I ioy.

The breath of life, and burthen of my soule,

If not resolu'd into resolued paines,

My bodies mortified lineaments

should exercise the motions of my heart,

Pierc'd with the ioy of any dignity?

O father, if the vnrelenting eares

Of death and hell be shut against my praiers,

And that the spightfull influence of heauen.

Denie my soule fruition of her ioy,

[Page]L2r

How should I step or stir my hatefull feete,

Against the inward powers of my heart,

Leading a life that onely striues to die,

And plead in vaine, vnpleasing soueranity.

tam.

Let not thy loue exceed thyne honor sonne,

Nor bar thy mind that magnanimitie,

That nobly must admit necessity;

Sit vp my boy, and with those silken raines,

Bridle the steeled stomackes of those Iades.

ther.

My Lord, you must obey his maiesty,

Since Fate commands, and proud necessity.

Amy.

Heauens witnes me, with what a broken hart

And damned spirit I ascend this seat,

[...]nd send my soule before my father die,

His anguish and his burning agony.

tam.

Now fetch the hearse of faire Zenocrate,

Let it be plac'd by this my fatall chaire,

And serue as parcell of my funerall.

Cas.

Then feeles your maiesty no soueraigne ease,

Nor may our hearts all drown'd in teares of blood,

Ioy any hope of your recouery?

tamb.

Casane no, the Monarke of the earth,

And eielesse Monster that torments my soule,

Cannot behold the teares ye shed for me,

And therefore stil augments his cruelty.

tech.

Then let some God oppose his holy power,

Against the wrath and tyranny of death,

That his teare-thyrsty and vnquenched hate,

May be vpon himselfe reuerberate.

They bring in the hearse.

tam

Now eies, inioy your latest benefite,

And when my soule hath vertue of your sight,

[Page]L2v

Pierce through the [...]fin and the sheet of gold,

And glut your longings with a heauen of ioy.

So, raigne my sonne, scourge and controlle those slaues

Guiding thy chariot with thy Fathers hand.

As precious is the charge thou vndertak'st

As that which Clymens brainsicke sonne did guide,

When wandring Phoebes Iuory cheeks were scortcht

And all the earth like AEtna breathing fire:

Be warn'd by him, then learne with awfull eie

To sway a throane as dangerous as his:

For if thy body thriue not full of thoughtes

As pure and fiery as Phyteus beames,

The nature of these proud rebelling Iades

Wil take occasion by the slenderest haire,

And draw thee peecemeale like Hyppolitus,

Through rocks more steepe and sharp than Caspian cliftes.

The nature of thy chariot wil not beare

A guide of baser temper than my selfe,

More then heauens coach, the pride of Phaeton.

Fa [...]l my boies, my dearest friends, farewel,

My body feeles, my soule dooth weepe to see

Your sweet desires depriu'd my company,

For Tamburlaine, the Scourge of God must die.

Amy.

Meet heauen & earth, & here let al things end

For earth hath spent the pride of all her fruit,

And heauen consum'd his choisest liuing fire.

Let earth and heauen his timelesse death deplore,

For both their woorths wil equall him no more,

FINIS.

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Title statement

Tamburlaine the Great Who, from a Scythian shephearde, by his rare and woonderfull conquests, became a most puissant and mightye monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in warre) was tearmed, the scourge of God. Deuided into two tragicall discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon stages in the citie of London. By the right honorable the Lord Admyrall, his seruauntes.

Marlowe, Christopher, 1564-1593.

Edition statement

1590

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Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A07004

ID [STC]

STC 17425

ID [STC]

ESTC S122101

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99857253

ID [PROQUEST]

99857253

ID [VID]

22946

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A07004)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 22946)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 852:7)

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— Tamburlaine the Great Who, from a Scythian shephearde, by his rare and woonderfull conquests, became a most puissant and mightye monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in warre) was tearmed, the scourge of God. Deuided into two tragicall discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon stages in the citie of London. By the right honorable the Lord Admyrall, his seruauntes., Marlowe, Christopher, 1564-1593.. Now first, and newlie published..

Extent

[164] p. : ill. (woodcut)

Printed by Richard Ihones: at the signe of the Rose and Crowne neere Holborne Bridge,. London :: 1590.. (By Christopher Marlowe.) (Contains both parts.) (Signatures: A-K L² .) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.) (Cropped.)

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The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.