ACT THE FIFTH.

SCENE I.

Enter the Governor of Babylon, MAXIMUS, and others upon the walls.

Gov. What saith Maximus ?

Max. My lord, the breach the enemy hath made

Gives such assurance of our overthrow

That little hope is left to save our lives,

Or hold our city from the conqueror's hands.

Then hang our flags, my lord, of humble truce,
And satisfy the people's general prayers,

That Tamburlaine's intolerable wrath
May be suppressed by our submission.

Gov. Villain, respects thou1 more thy slavish life

Than honour of thy country or thy name?
Are not my life and state as dear to me,
The city, and my native country's weal,
As anything of price with thy conceit?
Have we not hope, for all our battered walls,

ΤΟ

1 So the old copies. "Respects thou" is good Elizabethan English.

To live secure and keep his forces out,
When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis
Makes walls afresh with everything that falls
Into the liquid substance of his stream,

More strong than are the gates of death or hell?
What faintness should dismay our courages
When we are thus defenced against our foes,
And have no terror but his threatening looks.

Enter a Citizen, who kneels to the Governor.

Cit. My lord, if ever you did deed of ruth,
And now will work a refuge for our lives,
Offer submission, hang up flags of truce,

That Tamburlaine may pity our distress,
And use us like a loving conqueror.

Though this be held his last day's dreadful siege,
Wherein he spareth neither man nor child,
Yet are there Christians of Georgia here,
Whose state was ever pitied and relieved,
Would get his pardon if your grace would send.
Gov. How is my soul environèd [with cares!]
And this eternized city, Babylon,

Filled with a pack of faint-heart fugitives
That thus entreat their shame and servitude!

Enter another Citizen.

Sec. Cit. My lord, if ever you will win our hearts, Yield up the town and1 save our wives and children;

1 So 4to.-Omitted in 8vo.

20

30

For I will cast myself from off these walls
Or die some death of quickest violence
Before I bide the wrath of Tamburlaine.

Gov. Villains, cowards, traitors to our state!
Fall to the earth and pierce the pit of hell,
That legions of tormenting spirits may vex
Your slavish bosoms with continual pains!
I care not, nor the town will ever yield,
As long as any life is in my breast.

40

Enter THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, and Soldiers without the walls.

Ther. Thou desperate governor of Babylon,
To save thy life, and us a little labour,
Yield speedily the city to our hands,

Or else be sure thou shalt be forced with pains,
More exquisite than ever traitor felt.

Gov. Tyrant! I turn the traitor in thy throat,
And will defend it in despite of thee.-

Call

up the soldiers to defend these walls!
Tech. Yield, foolish governor; we offer more
Than ever yet we did to such proud slaves
As durst resist us till our third day's siege.

Thou seest us prest to give the last assault,
And that shall bide no more regard of parle.1
Gov. Assault and spare not; we will never yield.

50

60

[Alarms: and they scale the walls.

1 Old copies "parlie."

Enter TAMBURLAINE (drawn in his chariot by the Kings of Trebizond and Soria), USUMCASANE, AMYRAS, and CELEBINUS; the two spare1 Kings of Natolia and Jerusalem; and others.

Tamb. The stately buildings of fair Babylon,
Whose lofty pillars, higher than the clouds,
Were wont to guide the seaman in the deep,
Being carried thither by the cannon's force,
Now fill the mouth of Limnasphaltis' lake
And make a bridge unto the battered walls.
Where Belus, Ninus, and great Alexander
Have rode in triumph, triumphs Tamburlaine,

Whose chariot wheels have burst the Assyrians' bones,
Drawn with these kings on heaps of carcases.
Now in the place where fair Semiramis,

Courted by kings and peers of Asia,

Hath trod the measures,2 do my soldiers march;

And in the streets, where brave Assyrian dames

Have rid in pomp like rich Saturnia,

With furious words and frowning visages

My horsemen brandish their unruly blades.

70

Re-enter THERIDAMAS and TECHELLES, bringing in the Governor of Babylon.

Who have ye there, my lords?

Ther. The sturdy governor of Babylon,

1 I.e. the kings out of harness.

80

2 A stately dance. Cf. Much Ado, ii. 1 :-" The first suit is hot and hasty like a Scotch jig, and full as fantastical; the wedding mannerly, modest as a measure, full of state and ancientry."

That made us all the labour for the town,

And used such slender reckoning of your majesty.

Tamb. Go, bind the villain; he shall hang in chains Upon the ruins of this conquered town. Sirrah, the view of our vermilion tents, (Which threatened more than if the region Next underneath the element of fire

Were full of comets and of blazing stars,

Whose flaming trains should reach down to the earth,) 90

Could not affright you; no, nor I myself,
The wrathful messenger of mighty Jove,

That with his sword hath quailed all earthly kings,

Could not persuade you to submission,

But still the ports were shut; villain! I say,
Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell,

The triple-headed Cerberus would howl

And wake black Jove to crouch and kneel to me;
But I have sent volleys of shot to you,

Yet could not enter till the breach was made.

Gov. Nor, if my body could have stopt the breach, Should'st thou have entered, cruel Tamburlaine. 'Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yield, Nor yet thyself, the anger of the Highest, For though thy cannon shook the city walls, My heart did never quake, or courage faint.

1

100

Tamb. Well, now I'll make it quake; go draw him 1 up,

Hang him in chains upon the city walls,

And let my soldiers shoot the slave to death.

1 So 4to.-8vo. "it."

2 Old copies "vp in."