H ide now th y stained face in endless n ig h t, A nd sh u t th e windows of th e lightsom e heavens I L e t ugly D arkness w ith her ru sty coach,
E n g irt w ith tem pests, w ra p t in pitch y clouds, Sm other th e e a rth w ith never-fading m ists, A nd le t her horses from th e ir nostrils breathe Rebellious w inds an d dreadful thunder-claps, T h a t in this te rro r T am burlaine m ay live, And m y p in ’d soul, resolv’d in liquid air, May still excruciate his to rm en ted th o u g h ts!
Then le t th e sto n y d a r t of senseless cold Pierce th ro u g h th e centre of m y w ith e r’d h ea rt, A nd m ake a passage for m y loathed lif e !
\H e brains him self against the cage Re-enter Z a b in a .
Zab. W h a t do m ine eyes behold? m y husband deadl His skull all riven in tw a in ! his brains dash ’d o ut, The brains of B ajazeth , m y lord and sovereign 1 0 B ajazeth, m y husband and m y lord 1
0 B a ja zeth 1 O T u rk 1 0 e m p e ro r!
Give him his liq u o r? n o t I. B ring m ilk and fire, and m y blood I bring him again.—T ear m e in pieces— give me th e sword w ith a ball of wild-fire up o n it.— Down w ith him 1 down w ith h im !— Go to m y c h ild ; aw ay, aw ay, aw ay 1 ah, save th a t in f a n t! save him , save h im !— I, even I, speak to her.—T he sun w as down— stream ers w hite, red, black.—
H ere, here, h ere l—Fling th e m e a t in his face—T am b u r
laine, T am burlaine 1— L e t th e soldiers be buried.— Hell, d ea th , T am burlaine, hell!—Make read y m y coach, my chair, m y jewels.— I come, I com e, I co m e!
\She runs against the cage, and brains herself.
Enter Ze n o c r a t e with An i p p e. Zeno. W retched Z e n o c ra te! th a t liv ’s t to see D am ascus’ walls d y ’d w ith E g y p tia n s’ blood, T h y fa th e r’s subjects an d th y cou n try m en ; T he streets strow ’d w ith dissever’d join ts of men, A nd wounded bodies gasping y e t for life;
B u t m ost accurs’d, to see th e su n-bright troop Of heavenly virgins an d u n sp o tted m aids (Whose looks m ig h t m ake th e ' angry god of arm s To break his sw ord an d mildly tr e a t of love)
Tamburlaine the Great
On horsem en’s lances to be hoisted up, A nd guiltlessly endure a cruel d e a th ; F o r every fell and s to u t T a rta ria n steed,
T h a t sta m p ’d on others w ith th eir thundering hoofs, W hen all th e ir riders charg’d th e ir quivering spears, Began to check th e ground and rein them selves, Gazing upon th e b ea u ty of th eir looks.
Ah, T am burlaine, w ert thou th e cause of this, T h a t te rm ’s t Zenocrate th y d earest love ? W hose lives were dearer to Zenocrate
T h an her own life, or a u g h t save thine own love.
B u t see, an o th er bloody sp e cta cle!
Ah, w retched eyes, th e enemies of m y h e a rt, H ow are ye g lu tted w ith these grievous objects, A nd tell m y soul more tales of bleeding r u t h !—
See, see, A nippe, if they breathe or no.
A n ip . N o b rea th , nor sense, nor m otion, in them b o th : Ah, m adam , this th e ir slavery h a th enforc’d,
And ruthless cruelty of T am burlaine 1
Zeno. E a rth , c a st up fountains from th y entrails, And w et th y cheeks for th e ir untim ely d e a th s ; Shake w ith th e ir w eight in sign of fear an d g rie f!
B lush, heaven, th a t gave them honour a t th e ir birth , A nd le t them die a d e a th so b a rb a ro u s!
Those th a t are proud of fickle em pery
A nd place th e ir chiefest good in earth ly pom p, Behold th e T u rk an d his g rea t em peress!
Ah, T am burlaine m y love, sw eet Tam burlaine, T h a t fight’s t for sceptres and for slippery crowns, Behold th e T u rk an d his g rea t em peress!
Thou th a t, in co n d u ct of th y h appy stars, Sleep’s t every n ig h t w ith conquest on th y brows, And y e t w ouldst shun th e w avering tu rn s of w ar, In fear and feeling of the like distress,
Behold th e T u rk and , his g rea t em peress 1 Ah, m ig h ty Jove an d holy M ahom et, P ard o n m y love I 0 , pardon his contem pt Of e a rth ly fortune an d respect of p ity ; And le t n o t conquest, ruthlessly p ursu’d, Be equally ag ain st his life incens’d In this great T u rk an d hapless emperess 1 And pardon me t h a t was n o t m ov’d w ith ru th To see th em live so long in misery !—
*c 383
56 M arlow e’s Plays
Ah, w h at m ay chance to thee, Zenocrate ? A n ip . M adam , co n ten t yourself, and be resolv’d,
Y our love h a th F o rtu n e so a t his com m and, T h a t she shall stay , and tu rn her wheel no m ore, As long as life m aintains his m ighty arm T h a t fights for honour to adorn your head.
Enter Ph i l e m u s.
Zeno. W h a t o ther heavy news now brings Philem us?
Phil. M adam , yo u r fath e r, and th e A rabian king, The first afiecter of yo u r excellence,
Come now, as T urnus ’gainst /Eneas did, A rm ed w ith lance into th e .¿Egyptian fields, R eady for b a ttle ’gainst m y lord th e king.
Zeno. Now sham e and d u ty , love and fear present A thousand sorrows to m y m a rty r’d soul, W hom should I wish th e fata l victory.
W hen m y poor pleasures are divided thus, A nd ra c k ’d by d u ty from m y cursed h ea rt?
My fath er an d m y first-betrothed love M ust fight against m y life and present lo v e;
W herein th e change I use condem ns m y faith, A nd makes m y deeds infam ous th rough th e w o rld : B u t, as th e gods, to end th e T ro jan s’ toil,
P rev en ted T urnus of L avinia, A nd fatally enrich’d .¿Eneas’ love, So, for a final issue to m y griefs, To pacify m y country an d my love,
M ust T am burlaine by th eir resistless powers, W ith virtu e of a gentle victory,
Conclude a league of honour to m y hope;
T hen, as th e powers divine have pre-ordain’d, W ith h appy safety of m y fa th e r’s life Send like defence of fair A rabia.
[They sound to the battle w ithin ; and Tamburlaine enjoys the victory : after which, the K ing of Arabia enters wounded.
K . of A r. W h a t cursed power guides th e m urdering hands Of this infam ous ty r a n t’s soldiers,
T h a t no escape m ay save th e ir enemies, N or fortune keep them selves from v icto ry ? Lie down, A rabia, w ounded to the death, And let Z enocrate’s fair eyes behold,