That Tamburlaine shall rue the day, the hower,
Wherein he wrought such ignominious wrong
OVnto the hallowed person of a prince,
Or kept the faire Zenocrate so long,
As Concubine, I feare to feed his lust.

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,
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,

1610

1615

1629

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 :

1625

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,

1635

Famous for nothing but for theft and spoile,
To race and scatter thy inglorious crue,
Of Scythians and slauish Persians.

Actus 4. Scana 4.

Exeunt.

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

Tamb. Now hang our bloody collours by Damascus, Reflexing hewes of blood vpon their heads,

1608 the hower] and houre 1605 thy basenesse and] the basnesse of 1605 1590, 1592

1625 and om. 1605

1640

1635

Scena 4 1605: Scæna 5

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,

1795

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

1800

Their blubbered cheekes and hartie humble mones
Will melt his furie into some remorse:
And vse vs like a louing Conquerour.

1805

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 death
Had neuer bene erected as they bee,
Nor you depend on such weake helps as we.

1810

Go. Wel, louely Virgins, think our countries care, Our loue of honor loth to be enthral'd

1815

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

1820

1825

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,

1830

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 :

1835

1799 sake 1605

1810 cares 1592

1814 help 1605

1825

powers 1605

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. Farewell (sweet Virgins) on whose safe return
Depends our citie, libertie, and liues.

1840

Exeunt (all except the Virgins.)

Actus 5. Scana 2.

Tamburlaine, Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumcasan, with others: Tamburlaine all in blacke, and verie 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

1846

Through which sweet mercie threw her gentle beams 1850 Reflexing them on your disdainfull eies :

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,

1856

For whome the Powers diuine haue made the world,

And on whose throne the holy Graces sit,

1860

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,

1844 S.D. all.. Virgins add. Dyce
1848 know] knew 1592, Dyce to Bull.
Rob. etc. exc. Bull.
As] and 1605
Bull.

1863

1847 Damascus walls Bull. 1851 Reflexing] Reflexed

your] their conj. Dyce1, Dyce, Wag. 1852 1853 tent 1605 1854 submission Rob. etc. exc.

1866 of ruth and] and ruth of 1605

Whose cheekes and hearts so punisht with conceit,
To thinke thy puisant neuer staied arme

Will part their bodies, and preuent their soules

1870

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 labour to preuent
That which mine honor sweares shal be perform'd:
Behold my sword, what see you at the point?

1875

1880

1885

Virg. Nothing but feare and fatall steele my Lord. 1890 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 feedes.
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.

1895

1900

Tam. 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,

1905

1874 Haue] Hath 1605, Dyce to Bull. Has Rob. 1879 nourish 1605 1884 wisht] wish 1605 1887 ye] you 1592, Rob. to Bull.

And know my customes are as peremptory
As wrathfull Planets, death, or destinie.

Enter Techelles.

What, haue your horsmen shewen the virgins Death? 1910 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.

1915

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,

1920

Rain'st on the earth resolued pearle in showers,
And sprinklest Saphyrs on thy shining face,
Wher Beauty, mother to the Muses sits,

1925

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,
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 soule,
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,

1922 morning Cunn., Bull.

1930

1935

1940

1923 tresses 1592, Rob. etc. when that] that when Ellis, Bull. which when that conj. Schipper, 1930 Making] Make in Ellis, Bull.

Wag.
Cunn., Bull.

1928

1932 There] These

fights 1605 1938 Persia's Rob. etc.