Christopher Marlowe - Tamburlaine the Great - Part 1

To injury 31 or suppress your worthy title;

Or, if they would, there are in readiness

Ten thousand horse to carry you from hence,

In spite of all suspected enemies.

COSROE. I know it well, my lord, and thank you all.

ORTYGIUS. Sound up the trumpets, then.

[Trumpets sounded.]

ALL. 32 God save the king!

[Exeunt.]

Enter TAMBURLAINE leading ZENOCRATE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE,

AGYDAS, MAGNETES, LORDS, and SOLDIERS loaden with treasure.

TAMBURLAINE. Come, lady, let not this appal your thoughts;

The jewels and the treasure we have ta'en

Shall be reserv'd, and you in better state

Than if you were arriv'd in Syria,

Even in the circle of your father's arms,

The mighty Soldan of Aegyptia.

ZENOCRATE. Ah, shepherd, pity my distressed plight!

(If, as thou seem'st, thou art so mean a man,)

And seek not to enrich thy followers

By lawless rapine from a silly maid,

Who, travelling 33 with these Median lords

To Memphis, from my uncle's country of Media,

Where, all my youth, I have been governed,

Have pass'd the army of the mighty Turk,

Bearing his privy-signet and his hand

To safe-conduct us thorough 34 Africa.

MAGNETES. And, since we have arriv'd in Scythia,

Besides rich presents from the puissant Cham,

We have his highness' letters to command

Aid and assistance, if we stand in need.

TAMBURLAINE. But now you see these letters and commands

Are countermanded by a greater man;

And through my provinces you must expect

Letters of conduct from my mightiness,

If you intend to keep your treasure safe.

But, since I love to live at liberty,

As easily may you get the Soldan's crown

As any prizes out of my precinct;

For they are friends that help to wean my state

Till men and kingdoms help to strengthen it,

And must maintain my life exempt from servitude.—

But, tell me, madam, is your grace betroth'd?

ZENOCRATE. I am, my lord,—for so you do import.

TAMBURLAINE. I am a lord, for so my deeds shall prove;

And yet a shepherd by my parentage.

But, lady, this fair face and heavenly hue

Must grace his bed that conquers Asia,

And means to be a terror to the world,

Measuring the limits of his empery

By east and west, as Phoebus doth his course.—

Lie here, ye weeds, that I disdain to wear!

This complete armour and this curtle-axe

Are adjuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine.—

And, madam, whatsoever you esteem

Of this success, and loss unvalued, 35 Both may invest you empress of the East;

And these that seem but silly country swains

May have the leading of so great an host

As with their weight shall make the mountains quake,

Even as when windy exhalations,

Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.

TECHELLES. As princely lions, when they rouse themselves,

Stretching their paws, and threatening herds of beasts,

So in his armour looketh Tamburlaine.

Methinks I see kings kneeling at his feet,

And he with frowning brows and fiery looks

Spurning their crowns from off their captive heads.

USUMCASANE. And making thee and me, Techelles, kings,

That even to death will follow Tamburlaine.

TAMBURLAINE. Nobly resolv'd, sweet friends and followers!

These lords perhaps do scorn our estimates,

And think we prattle with distemper'd spirits:

But, since they measure our deserts so mean,

That in conceit 36 bear empires on our spears,

Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds,

They shall be kept our forced followers

Till with their eyes they view us emperors.

ZENOCRATE. The gods, defenders of the innocent.

Will never prosper your intended drifts,

That thus oppress poor friendless passengers.

Therefore at least admit us liberty,

Even as thou hop'st to be eternized

By living Asia's mighty emperor.

AGYDAS. I hope our lady's treasure and our own

May serve for ransom to our liberties:

Return our mules and empty camels back,

That we may travel into Syria,

Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus,

Expects the arrival of her highness' person.

MAGNETES. And wheresoever we repose ourselves,

We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

TAMBURLAINE. Disdains Zenocrate to live with me?

Or you, my lords, to be my followers?

Think you I weigh this treasure more than you?

Not all the gold in India's wealthy arms

Shall buy the meanest soldier in my train.

Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove,

Brighter than is the silver Rhodope, 37 Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills,

Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine

Than the possession of the Persian crown,

Which gracious stars have promis'd at my birth.

A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee,

Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus;

Thy garments shall be made of Median silk,

Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own,

More rich and valurous 38 than Zenocrate's;

With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled

Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools, 39 And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops,

Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd: 40 My martial prizes, with five hundred men,

Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves,

Shall we all offer 41 to Zenocrate,

And then myself to fair Zenocrate.

TECHELLES. What now! in love?

TAMBURLAINE. Techelles, women must be flattered:

But this is she with whom I am in 42 love.

Enter a SOLDIER.

SOLDIER. News, news!

TAMBURLAINE. How now! what's the matter?

SOLDIER. A thousand Persian horsemen are at hand,

Sent from the king to overcome us all.

TAMBURLAINE. How now, my lords of Egypt, and Zenocrate!

Now must your jewels be restor'd again,

And I, that triumph'd 43 so, be overcome?

How say you, lordings? is not this your hope?

AGYDAS. We hope yourself will willingly restore them.

TAMBURLAINE. Such hope, such fortune, have the thousand horse.

Soft ye, my lords, and sweet Zenocrate!

You must be forced from me ere you go.—

A thousand horsemen! we five hundred foot!

An odds too great for us to stand against.

But are they rich? and is their armour good!

SOLDIER. Their plumed helms are wrought with beaten gold,

Their swords enamell'd, and about their necks

Hang massy chains of gold down to the waist;

In every part exceeding brave 44 and rich.

TAMBURLAINE. Then shall we fight courageously with them?

Or look you I should play the orator?

TECHELLES. No; cowards and faint-hearted runaways

Look for orations when the foe is near:

Our swords shall play the orators for us.

USUMCASANE. Come, let us meet them at the mountain-top, 45 And with a sudden and an hot alarum

Drive all their horses headlong down the hill.

TECHELLES. Come, let us march.

TAMBURLAINE. Stay, Techelles; ask a parle first.

The SOLDIERS enter.

Open the mails, 46 yet guard the treasure sure:

Lay out our golden wedges to the view,

That their reflections may amaze the Persians;

And look we friendly on them when they come:

But, if they offer word or violence,

We'll fight, five hundred men-at-arms to one,

Before we part with our possession;

And 'gainst the general we will lift our swords,

And either lance 47 his greedy thirsting throat,

Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve

For manacles till he be ransom'd home.

TECHELLES. I hear them come: shall we encounter them?

TAMBURLAINE. Keep all your standings, and not stir a foot:

Myself will bide the danger of the brunt.