Gov. Vile monster! born of some infernal hag,
And sent from hell to tyrannise on earth,

Do all thy worst; nor death, nor Tamburlaine,
Torture, nor pain, can daunt my dreadless mind.

110

Tamb. Up with him, then; his body shall be scared. Gov. But, Tamburlaine, in Limnasphaltis' lake There lies more gold than Babylon is worth, Which when the city was besieged, I hid. Save but my life and I will give it thee. Tamb. Then for all your valour you would

life?

Whereabout lies it?

Gov. Under a hollow bank, right opposite

Against the western gate of Babylon.

save your

120

Tamb. Go thither, some of you, and take his gold;

The rest-forward with execution!

Away with him hence, let him speak no more.
I think I make your courage something quail.
When this is done, we'll march from Babylon,
And make our greatest haste to Persia.

[They hang up the Governor in chains. These jades are broken-winded and half tired, Unharness them, and let me have fresh horse.

[Attendants unharness the Kings of Trebizond and

Soria.

So, now their best is done to honour me,

Take them and hang them both up presently.

Treb. Vild tyrant! barbarous bloody Tamburlaine !

130

Tamb. Take them away, Theridamas; see them de

spatched.

Ther. I will, my lord.

[Exit with the Kings of Trebizond and Soria. Tamb. Come, Asian viceroys; to your tasks awhile, And take such fortune as your fellows felt.

Orc. First let thy Scythian horse tear both our limbs, Rather than we should draw thy chariot, And like base slaves abject our princely minds To vile and ignominious servitude.

Jer. Rather lend me thy weapon, Tamburlaine, That I may sheathe it in this breast of mine.

A thousand deaths could not torment our hearts

More than the thought of this doth vex our souls.

140

Amy. They will talk still, my lord, if you don't bridle,

them.

Tamb. Bridle them, and let me to my coach.

[They bridle them. Amy. See now, my lord, how brave the captain hangs. Tamb. 'Tis brave indeed, my boy; well done. Shoot first, my lord, and then the rest shall follow. Ther. Then have at him to begin withal.

150

[THERIDAMAS shoots.

Gov. Yet save my life, and let this wound appease The mortal fury of great Tamburlaine.

Tamb. No, though Asphaltis' lake were liquid gold, And offered me as ransom for thy life,

Yet should'st thou die. Shoot at him all at once.

So, now he hangs like Bagdet's governor,

[They shoot.

Having as many bullets in his flesh

As there be breaches in her battered wall.

Go now, and bind the burghers hand and foot,

160

And cast them headlong in the city's lake.

Tartars and Persians shall inhabit there,

And to command the city, I will build

A [lofty] citadel that all Africa,

Which hath been subject to the Persian king,

Shall pay me tribute for in Babylon.

Tech. What shall be done with their wives and children, my lord ?

Tamb. Techelles, drown them all, man, woman, and

child.

Leave not a Babylonian in the town.

Tech. I will about it straight. Come, soldiers.

170

[Exit with soldiers.

Tamb. Now, Casane, where's the Turkish Alcoran, And all the heaps of superstitious books

Found in the temples of that Mahomet,

Whom I have thought a god? They shall be burnt.
Usum. Here they are, my lord.

Tamb. Well said; let there be a fire presently.

In vain, I see, men worship Mahomet :

My sword hath sent millions of Turks to hell,

Slain all his priests, his kinsmen, and his friends,
And yet I live untouched by Mahomet.

180

There is a God, full of revenging 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 have any power,
Come down thyself and work a miracle:
Thou art not worthy to be worshipped,
That suffers flame of fire to burn the writ
Wherein the sum of thy religion rests.
Why send'st thou not a furious whirlwind down
To blow thy Alcoran up to thy throne,
Where men report thou sit'st by God himself?
Or vengeance on the head of Tamburlaine
That shakes his sword against thy majesty,
And spurns the abstracts of thy foolish laws?
Well, soldiers, Mahomet remains in hell;
He cannot hear the voice of Tamburlaine;
Seek out another Godhead to adore,
The God that sits in heaven, if any God;
For he is God alone, and none but he.

Re-enter TECHELLES.

Tech. I have fulfilled your highness' will, my lord. Thousands of men, drowned in Asphaltis' lake, Have made the waters swell above the banks,

And fishes, fed1 by human carcases,

Amazed, swim up and down upon the waves,

As when they swallow assafoetida,

Which makes them fleet aloft and gape for air.

190

200

Tamb. Well then, my friendly lords, what now remains,

But that we leave sufficient garrison,

And presently depart to Persia

To triumph after all our victories ?

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VOL. I.

1 Old copies "feede."

N

Ther. Ay, good my lord; let us in haste to Persia,
And let this captain be removed the walls

To some high hill about the city here.
Tamb. Let it be so; about it, soldiers;
But stay; I feel myself distempered suddenly.

Tech. What is it dares distemper Tamburlaine ?

Tamb. Something, Techelles; but I know not what—

But forth, ye vassals! whatsoe'er it be,

Sickness or death can never conquer me.

[Exeunt. 220

SCENE II.

Enter CALLAPINE, the King of Amasia, and Soldiers, with drums and trumpets.

Call. King of Amasia, now our mighty host
Marcheth in Asia Major where the streams
Of Euphrates and Tigris swiftly run,
And here may we behold great Babylon
Circled about with Limnasphaltis' lake
Where Tamburlaine with all his army lies,
Which being faint and weary with the siege,
We may lie ready to encounter him
Before his host be full from Babylon,
And so revenge our latest grievous loss,

If God or Mahomet send any aid.

Ama. Doubt not, my lord, but we shall conquer him.

The monster that hath drunk a sea of blood,

And yet gapes still for more to quench his thirst,

Our Turkish swords shall headlong send to hell,