Soul. Villain, I tell thee, were that Tamburlaine As monstrous as Gorgon, prince of Hell,

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 sec
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.

1380

1385

The Souldane would not start a foot from him.

1390

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.

1400

Soul. Nay could their numbers counteruail the stars Or euer drisling drops of Aprill showers,

Or withered leaues that Autume shaketh downe :

Yet would the Souldane by his conquering power,
So scatter and consume them in his rage,

1405

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.
But Tamburlaine, by expedition

1410

Aduantage takes of your vnreadinesse.

Soul. Let him take all th'aduantages he can,

Were all the world conspird to fight for him,
Nay, were he Deuill, as he is no man,
Yet in reuenge of faire Zenocrate,
Whom he detaineth in despight of vs,

This arme should send him downe to Erebus,
To shroud his shame in darknes of the night.

1389 Gorgon] the Gorgon Rob.
1412 th'] the 1605

shouid] shal 1592

1592: the deuill 1605

1415

1403 euer om. 1592
1414 Deuill 1590: Deul

1407

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

1420

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,

1425

Then must his kindled wrath bee quencht with blood,

Not sparing any that can manage armes :

But if these threats mooue not submission,

1430

Black are his collours, blacke Pauilion,

His speare, his shield, his horse, his armour, plumes,
And letty 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
Of my faire daughter, and his princely Loue :
May haue fresh warning to go war with vs,
And be reueng'd for her dispar(a)dgement.

Actus 4. Scana 2.

1435

1440

(Exeunt.)

Tamburlain, Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumcasane, 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 fixed starre
To sucke vp poison from the moorish Fens,
And poure it in this glorious Tyrants throat.
1445 S.D. him] Bajazeth Dyce

1444+ S.D. add. Dyce it om. 1592, Wag.

1445

1450

1451

Tam. The chiefest God first moouer of that Spheare, Enchac'd 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.

1455

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,

1461

That beares the honor of my royall waight.
Stoop villaine, stoope, stoope for so he bids,

1465

That may command thee peecemeale to be torne,
Or scattered like the lofty Cedar trees,

Strooke with the voice of thundring Iupiter.

Bai. Then as I look downe to the damned Feends, 1470 Feends looke on me, and thou dread God of hell,

With Eban 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

1475

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,

1480

First rising in the East with milde aspect,
But fixed 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(s) the Welkin cracke,

1455 it should] should it 1592 vnto 1592

1485

1456 this] it 1605 1459 into] 1461 heart 1590, 1605, Dyce, Wag.: soule 1592, Rob., 1466 stoop, stoop, stoop; for conj. Dyce 1478 their] your conj.

Dyce', Cunn., Bull.

1473 S.D. He] Tamburlaine Dyce etc. Dyce, Dyce etc.

1489 makes Dyce etc.: make 1590-1605

And casts a flash of lightning to the earth.
But ere I martch to wealthy Persea,

1490

Or leaue Damascus and th' Egyptian fields,
As was the fame of Clymenes brain-sicke sonne,
That almost brent the Axeltree of heauen,
So shall our swords, our lances and our shot
Fill all the aire with fiery meteors.

1495

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.

1500

1505

Tech. You must deuise some torment worsse, my Lord
To make these captiues reine their lauish tongues.
Tam. Zenocrate, looke better to your slaue.

1511

Zen. She is my Handmaids slaue, and she shal looke That these abuses flow not from her tongue :

Chide her Anippe.

1515

Anip. Let these be warnings for you then my slaue, How you abuse the person of the king:

throw

1520

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.
(They put him into the cage.)
Bai. Is this a place for mighty Baiazeth?
Confusion light on him that helps thee thus.

Tam. There whiles he liues, shal Baiezeth be kept,

1525

1490 to] on 1605 1493 Clymenes 1592, Dyce etc.: Clymeus 1590,

1605 1494 brent] burnt 1605

you then] then for you 1605, Dyce S.D. add. Dyce 1529 while 1655

1514 from] in 1592

1523 dignitie 1605

1516 for

1526

t

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,

1530

1535

1540

1545

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,

1550

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,

1556

I doubt not but the Gouernour will yeeld,

Offering Damascus to your Maiesty.

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

But if he stay vntil the bloody flag

1560

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,

1565

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.

1531 shal 1592

Exeunt.

1570

stature] statue 1605, Cunn. country Rob. to Bull.

1548 grac'd] grace Dyce to Wag.
1554 is] are Rob. to Cunn.

1549

1568