Intending so to terrify the world,

By any innovation or remorse

Will never be dispensed with till our deaths;
Therefore, for these our harmless virgins' sakes,
Whose honours and whose lives rely on him,
Let us have hope that their unspotted prayers,
Their blubbered1 cheeks, and hearty, humble moans,
Will melt his fury into some remorse,

And use us like a loving conqueror.

I Virg. If humble suits or imprecations,2
(Uttered with tears of wretchedness and blood
Shed from the heads and hearts of all our sex,
Some made your wives and some your children)
Might have entreated your obdurate breasts
To entertain some care3 of our securities
Whiles only danger beat upon our walls,

20

30

These more than dangerous warrants of our death
Had never been erected as they be,

Nor you depend on such weak helps as we.

Gov. Well, lovely virgins, think our country's care, Our love of honour, loath to be inthralled

To foreign powers and rough imperious yokes,
Would not with too much cowardice or fear,
(Before all hope of rescue were denied)
Submit yourselves and us to servitude.
Therefore in that your safeties and our own,

Your honours, liberties, and lives were weighed

40

In equal care and balance with our own,

1 Cf. Dido, v. 5:—" And woeful Dido by these blubbered cheeks." 2 Entreaties.

3 So 4to.-8vo. "'cares."

Endure as we the malice of our stars,

The wrath of Tamburlaine and power of wars;
Or be the means the overweighing heavens
Have kept to qualify these hot extremes,

And bring us pardon in your cheerful looks.

2 Virg. Then here before the Majesty of Heaven

And holy patrons1 of Ægyptia,

With knees and hearts submissive we entreat

Grace to our words and pity to our looks
That this device may prove propitious,

And through the eyes and ears of Tamburlaine
Convey events of mercy to his heart;
Grant that these signs of victory we yield

May bind the temples of his conquering head,
To hide the folded furrows of his brows,
And shadow his displeasèd countenance
With happy looks of ruth and lenity.
Leave us, my lord, and loving countrymen ;
What simple virgins may persuade, we will.
Gov. Farewell, sweet virgins, on whose safe return
Depends our city, liberty, and lives.

50

60

[Exeunt Governor and Citizens; manent Virgins. Enter TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE, with others: Tamburlaine all in black and very melancholy.

Tamb. What, are the turtles frayed out of their nests? Alas, poor fools! must you be first shall feel

1 The 8vo. reads "Patrones," which is perhaps meant for “Patroness," i.e. "Isis."

The sworn destruction of Damascus walls? 1
They knew my custom; could they not as well
Have sent ye out, when first my milk-white flags,2
Through which sweet mercy threw her gentle beams,
Reflexing them on your disdainful eyes,
As now, when fury and incensèd hate

Flings slaughtering terror from my coal-black tents,
And tells for truth submissions comes too late?

1 Virg. Most happy king and emperor of the earth, Image of honour and nobility,

For whom the powers divine have made the world,
And on whose throne the holy Graces sit;

In whose sweet person is comprised the sum
Of nature's skill and heavenly majesty ;
Pity our plights! O pity poor Damascus !
Pity old age, within whose silver hairs
Honour and reverence evermore have reigned!
Pity the marriage bed, where many a lord,

In prime and glory of his loving joy,

Embraceth now with tears of ruth and blood

The jealous body of his fearful wife,

Whose cheeks and hearts so punished with conceit,

To think thy puissant, never-stayed arm,

Will part their bodies, and prevent their souls

70

80

From heavens of comfort yet their age might bear, 90

1 I have added the word "walls," as it is required to complete the line. The expression “Damascus walls" occurs repeatedly.

2 An anacoluthon. Some such word as "appeared" may be understood. [In the next line but one Dyce and Cunningham read "reflexèd" for the old copies' "reflexing."]

Now wax all pale and withered to the death,
As well for grief our ruthless governor
Hath1 thus refused the mercy of thy hand,
(Whose sceptre angels kiss and furies dread,)
As for their liberties, their loves, or lives!
O then for these, and such as we ourselves,
For us, our infants, and for all our bloods,
That never nourished thought against thy rule,
Pity, O pity, sacred emperor,

The prostrate service of this wretched town,
And take in sign thereof this gilded wreath;
Whereto each man of rule hath given his hand,
And wished,2 as worthy subjects, happy means
To be investers of thy royal brows
Even with the true Egyptian diadem!

Tamb. Virgins, in vain you labour to prevent That which mine honour swears shall be performed. Behold my sword! what see you at the point?

100

1 Virg. Nothing but fear, and fatal steel, my lord. Tamb. Your fearful minds are thick and misty then; 110 For there sits Death; there sits imperious Death Keeping his circuit by the slicing edge.

But I am pleased you shall not see him there;
He now is seated on my horsemen's spears,
And on their points his fleshless body feeds.
Techelles, straight go charge a few of them

To charge these dames, and show my servant, Death,
Sitting in scarlet on their armèd spears.

All. O pity us!

1 So 4to.-8vo. haue,"

"

2 So 4to.-8vo. "wish."

Tamb. Away with them, I say, and show them Death. [The Virgins are taken out.

I will not spare these proud Egyptians,
Nor change my martial observations

For all the wealth of Gihon's golden waves,
Or for the love of Venus, would she leave
The angry god of arms and lie with me.
They have refused the offer of their lives,
And know my customs are as peremptory
As wrathful planets, death, or destiny.

Enter TECHElles.

121

What, have your horsemen shown the virgins Death? Tech. They have, my lord, and on Damascus walls, 130 Have hoisted up their slaughtered carcases.

Tamb. A sight as baneful to their souls, I think,

As are Thessalian drugs or mithridate :1
But go, my lords, put the rest to the sword.

Ah, fair Zenocrate !-divine Zenocrate !—
Fair is too foul an epithet for thee,

[Exeunt Lords.

That in thy passion for thy country's love,
And fear to see thy kingly father's harm,
With hair dishevelled wip'st thy watery cheeks;
And, like to Flora 2 in her morning pride,

1 An antidote distilled from poisons.

140

2 "In England's Parnassus, 1600, occur the following lines by Chapman, which bear a resemblance to the poetical image in the text too striking to have been accidental:

'See where she issues in her beauty's pomp,

As Flora to salute the morning sun,