Olym. To prove it, I will 'noint my naked throat, Which, when you stab, look on your weapon's point, And you shall see't rebated 1 with the blow.

Ther. Why gave you not your husband some of it, If you loved him, and it so precious?

Olym. My purpose was, my lord, to spend it so, But was prevented by his sudden end;

And for a present, easy proof thereof,

That I dissemble not, try it on me.

Ther. I will, Olympia, and will keep it for The richest present of this eastern world.

70

Olym. Now stab, my lord, and mark your weapon's

point,

That will be blunted if the blow be great.

Ther. Here then, Olympia.

What, have I slain her! Villain, stab thyself;

Cut off this arm that murderèd thy love,

In whom the learnèd Rabbis of this age
Might find as many wondrous miracles
As in the Theoria of the world.

Now hell is fairer than Elysium ; 4

A greater lamp than that bright eye of heaven,

1 Blunted.

2 So 4to.-8vo. "and I will."

So

[Stabs her.

Collier pointed out that this incident was taken from Ariosto's Orl. Fur., Book xxix., "where Isabella, to save herself from the lawless passion of Rodomont, anoints her neck with a decoction of herbs which she pretends will render it invulnerable: she then presents her throat to the pagan, who, believing her assertion, aims a blow and strikes off her head."-Engl. Dram. Poetry, iii. 119 (old ed.)

4 8vo. "Elisian."-4to. "Elizian."

VOL. I.

M

From whence the stars do borrow1 all their light,
Wanders about the black circumference;

And now the damnèd souls are free from pain,

For every Fury gazeth on her looks;

Infernal Dis is courting of my love,

Inventing masks and stately shows for her,
Opening the doors of his rich treasury
To entertain this queen of chastity;

Whose body shall be tombed with all the pomp
The treasure of my 2 kingdom may afford.

SCENE IV.

90

[Exit, with the body.

Enter TAMBURLAINE drawn in his chariot by the Kings of Trebizond and Soria, with bits in their mouths, reins in his left hand, and in his right hand a whip with which he scourgeth them; TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE, AMYRAS, CELEBINUS; Kings of Natolia and Jerusalem led by 5 five or six common Soldiers.

Tamb. Holla, ye pampered jades of Asia! 6 What! can ye draw but twenty miles a day, And have so proud a chariot at your heels, And such a coachman as great Tamburlaine, But from Asphaltis, where I conquered you,

1 So 4to.-8vo. "borrow doo."

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

311 'In like manner in Lodge's Wounds of Civil War, Sylla enters in triumph drawn by his captives."—Broughton.

4 So 4to.-8vo. "their."

So 4to.-8vo. "led by with five."

• This line was parodied by a host of writers.

To Byron here, where thus I honour you!

The horse that guide the golden eye of Heaven,
And blow the morning from their nosterils,1

Making their fiery gait above the clouds,

Are not so honoured in their

governor,

As you, ye slaves, in mighty Tamburlaine.

The headstrong jades of Thrace Alcides tamed,
That King Egeus fed with human flesh,

And made so wanton that they knew their strengths,
Were not subdued with valour more divine
Than you by this unconquered arm of mine.
To make you fierce, and fit my appetite,
You shall be fed with flesh as raw as blood,`
And drink in pails the strongest muscadel;
If you can live with it, then live, and draw
My chariot swifter than the racking 2 clouds;
If not, then die like beasts, and fit for naught
But perches for the black and fatal ravens.
Thus am I right the scourge of highest Jove;
And see the figure of my dignity

By which I hold my name and majesty !

Amy. Let me have coach, my lord, that I may ride, And thus be drawn with 3 these two idle kings.

Tamb. Thy youth forbids such ease, my kingly boy;

ΤΟ

20

1 So 4to.-8vo. "nostrils." Dyce compares Virgil, Æn. xii. 114:— "Cum primum alto se gurgite tollunt

Solis equi lucemque elatis navibus efflant."

2 Scudding; driven by the wind.

3 So 8vo. (Cf. v. 1, l. 72, "Drawn with these kings.")-Modern editors, following the 4to., give "by."

They shall to-morrow draw my chariot,
While these their fellow-kings may be refreshed.

Orc. O thou that sway'st the region under earth,
And art a king as absolute as Jove,
Come as thou didst in fruitful Sicily,

Surveying all the glories of the land,
And as thou took'st the fair Proserpina,
Joying the fruit of Ceres' garden-plot,1

For love, for honour, and to make her queen,
So for just hate, for shame, and to subdue
This proud contemner of thy dreadful power,
Come once in fury and survey his pride,
Haling him headlong to the lowest hell.

Ther. Your majesty must get some bits for these,
To bridle their contemptuous, cursing tongues,
That, like unruly, never-broken jades,

Break through the hedges of their hateful mouths,
And pass their fixèd bounds exceedingly.

30

40

Tech. Nay, we will break the hedges of their mouths, And pull their kicking colts 2 out of their pastures. Usum. Your majesty already hath devised

A mean, as fit as may be, to restrain

These coltish coach-horse tongues from blasphemy.

50

Cel. How like you that, sir king? why speak ye not? Jer. Ah, cruel brat, sprung from a tyrant's loins!

How like his cursèd father he begins

To practise taunts and bitter tyrannies!

Tamb. I, Turk, I tell thee, this same boy is he

1 So 4to.-8vo. "garded plot."

2 Colt's-teeth.

That must (advanced in higher pomp than this)
Rifle the kingdoms I shall leave unsacked,
If Jove, esteeming me too good for earth,
Raise me to match the fair Aldeboran,
Above the threefold astracism of heaven,
Before I conquer all the triple world.
Now, fetch me out the Turkish concubines;
I will prefer them for the funeral

They have bestowed on my abortive son.

60

[The Concubines are brought in.

Where are my common soldiers now, that fought

So lion-like upon Asphaltis' plains?

Sold. Here, my lord.

Tamb. Hold ye, tall soldiers, take ye queens apiece

I mean such queens as were king's concubines-
Take them; divide them, and their 1 jewels too,
And let them equally serve all your turns.

Sold. We thank you.

Tamb. Brawl not, I warn you, for your lechery: For every man that so offends shall die.

Orc. Injurious tyrant, wilt thou so defame

The hateful fortunes of thy victory,

71

To exercise upon such guiltless dames

The violence of thy common soldiers' lust?

80

Tamb. Live continent 2 then, ye slaves, and meet not

me

With troops of harlots at your slothful heels.

1 So 4to.-Omitted in 8vo.
2 Old copies "content,"