Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1 by Christopher Marlowe (free ebook reader for iphone TXT) 📕

MENAPHON. This should entreat your highness to rejoice, Since Fortune gives you opportunity To gain the title of a conqueror By curing of this maimed empery. Afric and Europe bordering on your land, And continent to your dominions, How easily may you, with a mighty host, Pass<20> into Graecia, as did Cyrus once, And cause them to withdraw their forces home, Lest you<21> subdue the pride of Christendom! [Trumpet within.]

COSROE. But, Menaphon, what means this trumpet’s sound?

MENAPHON. Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest Bringing the crown to make you emperor!

Re-enter ORTYGIUS and CENEUS,<22> with others, bearing a crown.

ORTYGIUS. Magnificent and mighty prince Cosroe, We, in the name of other Persian states<23> And commons of this mighty monarchy, Present thee with th’ imperial diadem.

CENEUS. The warlike soldiers and the gentlemen, That heretofore have fill’d Persepolis With Afric captains taken in the field, Whose ransom made them march in coats of gold, With costly jewels hanging at their ears, And shining stones upon their lofty crests, Now living idle in the walled towns, Wanting both pay and martial discipline, Begin in troops to threaten civil war, And openly exclaim against their<24> king: Therefore, to stay all sudden mutinies, We will invest your highness emperor; Whereat the soldiers will conceive more joy Than did the Macedonians at the spoil Of great Darius and his wealthy host.

COSROE. Well, since I see the state of Persia droop And languish in my brother’s government, I willingly receive th’ imperial crown, And vow to wear it for my country’s good, In spite of them shall malice my estate.

ORTYGIUS. And, in assurance of desir’d success, We here do crown thee monarch of the East<;> Emperor of Asia and Persia;<25> Great lord of Media and Armenia; Duke of Africa and Albania, Mesopotamia and of Parthia, East India and the late-discover’d isles; Chief lord of all the wide vast Euxine Sea, And of the ever-raging<26> Caspian Lake.

ALL.<27> Long live Cosroe, mighty emperor!

COSROE. And Jove may<28> never let me longer live Than I may seek to gratify your love, And cause the soldiers that thus honour me To triumph over many provinces! By whose desires of discipline in arms I doubt not shortly but to reign sole king, And with the army of Theridamas (Whither we presently will fly, my lords,) To rest secure against my brother’s force.

ORTYGIUS. We knew,<29> my lord, before we brought the crown, Intending your investion so near The residence of your despised brother, The lords<30> would not be too exasperate 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.]

SCENE II.

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.

Enter THERIDAMAS with others.

THERIDAMAS. Where is this<48> Scythian Tamburlaine?

TAMBURLAINE. Whom seek’st thou, Persian? I am Tamburlaine.

THERIDAMAS. Tamburlaine! A Scythian shepherd so embellished With nature’s pride and richest furniture! His looks do menace heaven and dare the gods; His fiery eyes are fix’d upon the earth, As if he now devis’d some stratagem, Or meant to pierce Avernus’ darksome vaults<49> To pull the triple-headed dog from hell.

TAMBURLAINE. Noble and mild this Persian seems to be, If outward habit judge the inward man.

TECHELLES. His deep affections make him passionate.

TAMBURLAINE. With what a majesty he rears his looks!— In thee, thou valiant man of Persia, I see the folly of thy<50> emperor. Art thou but captain of a thousand horse, That by characters graven in thy brows, And by thy martial face and stout aspect, Deserv’st to have the leading of an host? Forsake thy king, and do but join with me, And we will triumph over all the world: I hold the Fates bound fast in iron chains, And with my hand turn Fortune’s wheel about; And sooner shall the sun fall from his sphere Than Tamburlaine be slain or overcome. Draw forth thy sword, thou mighty man-at-arms, Intending but to raze my charmed skin, And Jove himself will stretch his hand from heaven To ward the blow, and shield me safe from harm. See, how he rains down heaps of gold in showers, As if he meant to give my soldiers pay! And, as a sure and grounded argument That I shall be the monarch of the East, He sends this Soldan’s daughter rich and brave,<51> To be my queen and portly emperess. If thou wilt stay with me, renowmed<52> man, And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct, Besides thy share of this Egyptian prize, Those thousand horse shall sweat with martial spoil Of conquer’d kingdoms and of cities sack’d: Both we will walk upon the lofty cliffs;<53> And Christian merchants,<54> that