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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 servi-
tude.-

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

Zeno. I am, my lord,-for so you do import. Tamb. 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,*
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.

Tech. 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.

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

That even to death will follow Tamburlaine. Tamb. Nobly resolv'd, sweet friends and fol

lowers!

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 + 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.
Zeno. The gods, defenders of the innocent,
Will never prosper your intended drifts,

* unvalued] i. e. not to be valued, or estimated.

t conceit] i. e. fancy, imagination.

That thus oppress poor friendless passengers.
Therefore at least admit us liberty,
Even as thou hop'st to be eternizèd
By living Asia's mighty emperor.

Agyd. 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.
Mag. And wheresoever we repose ourselves,
We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

Tamb. 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, 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+ than Zenocrate's; With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools,‡ And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops, Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd: § My martial prizes, with five hundred men, Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves, Shall we all offer|| to Zenocrate, And then myself to fair Zenocrate.

Tech. What now! in love?

Tamb. Techelles, women must be flattered: But this is she with whom I am in love.

Enter a Soldier.

Sold. News, news!

Tamb. How now! what's the matter? Sold. A thousand Persian horsemen are at hand,

Sent from the king to overcome us all.

* Rhodope] Old eds. "Rhodolfe."

t valurous] i. e. valuable.

pools] So the 8vo.-The 4to "Poles."

§ resolv'd] i. e. dissolved. So the 8vo.-The 4to "desolu'd."

Shall we all offer] The 8vo “Shall we offer" (the word "all" having dropt out)-The 4to "We all shall offer. in] The 8vo "it."-Omitted in the 4to.

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

Now must your jewels be restor❜d again,
And I, that triumph'd so, be overcome?
How say you, lordings? is not this your hope?

Agyd. We hope yourself will willingly restore them.

Enter THERIDAMAS with others.

Ther. Where is this* Scythian Tamburlaine? Tamb. Whom seek'st thou, Persian? I am Tamburlaine.

Ther. Tamburlaine !

A Scythian shepherd so embellished

With nature's pride and richest furniture !

Tamb. Such hope, such fortune, have the His looks do menace heaven and dare the gods;

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?
Sold. Their plumèd 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 † and rich.

His fiery eyes are fix'd upon the earth,
As if he now devis'd some stratagem,

Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vaults +
To pull the triple-headed dog from hell.
Tamb. Noble and mild this Persian seems
to be,

If outward habit judge the inward man.

Tech. His deep affections make him passionate. Tamb. With what a majesty he rears his looks!

In thee, thou valiant man of Persia,

Tamb. Then shall we fight courageously with I see the folly of thy emperor.

them?

Or look you I should play the orator?

Tech. No; cowards and faint-hearted runaways Look for orations when the foe is near: Our swords shall play the orators for us.

Usum. Come, let us meet them at the moun

tain-top,+

And with a sudden and an hot alarum
Drive all their horses headlong down the hill.
Tech. Come, let us march.

Tamb. Stay, Techelles; ask a parle first.

The Soldiers enter.

Open the mails,§ 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|| his greedy thirsting throat,
Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve
For manacles till he be ransom'd home.

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

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

Myself will bide the danger of the brunt.

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Art thou but captain of a thousand horse,
That by characters graven in thy brows,
And by thy martial face and stout aspèct,
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,§
To be my queen and portly emperess.

If thou wilt stay with me, renowmèd || man,

this] So the 8vo.-The 4to "the."-Qy. "Where is this Scythian shepherd Tamburlaine"? Compare the next words of Theridamas.

+ vaults] Here the 8vo has "vauts,"-"which," says one of the modern editors, "was common in Marlowe's time:" and so it was; but in the Sec. Part of this play, act ii. sc. 4, the same 8vo gives, —

"As we descend into the infernal vaults.' thy] So the 8vo.-The 4to "the."

§ brave] See note † in preceding column.

renowmed] i. e. renowned.-So the 8vo.-The 4to "renowned."-The form "renowmed" (Fr. renommé) occurs repeatedly afterwards in this play, according to the

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 *;

And Christian merchants, † that with Russian

stems +

Plough up huge furrows in the Caspian Sea,
Shall vail § to us as lords of all the lake;
Both we will reign as consuls of the earth,
And mighty kings shall be our senators.
Jove sometime maskèd in a shepherd's weed;
And by those steps that he hath scal'd the
heavens

May we become immortal like the gods.
Join with me now in this my mean estate,
(I call it mean, because, being yet obscure,
The nations far-remov'd admire me not,)
And when my name and honour shall be spread
As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings,
Or fair Böotes || sends his cheerful light,
Then shalt thou be competitor ¶ with me,
And sit with Tamburlaine in all his majesty.
Ther. Not Hermes, prolocutor to the gods,
Could use persuasions more pathetical.

Tamb. Nor are Apollo's oracles more true
Than thou shalt find my vaunts substantial.
Tech. We are his friends; and, if the Persian
king

Should offer present dukedoms to our state,
We think it loss to make exchange for that
We are assur'd of by our friend's success.

Usum. And kingdoms at the least we all expect,
Besides the honour in assured conquests,
Where kings shall crouch unto our conquering
swords,

And hosts of soldiers stand amaz'd at us,
When with their fearful tongues they shall confess,
These are the men that all the world admires.
Ther. What strong enchantments tice my
yielding soul

8vo.

It is occasionally found in writers posterior to Marlowe's time. e. g.

"Of Constantines great towne renoum'd in vaine." Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling's Monarchicke Tragedies, ed. 1607.

cliffs] So the 8vo.-The 4to "cliftes."
merchants] i. e. merchant-men, ships of trade.
stems] i. e. prows.

§ vail] i. e. lower their flags.

Bootes] The Svo "Botees."-The 4to "Boetes."

¶ competitor] i. e. associate, partner (a sense in which

the word is used by Shakespeare).

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Than doth the king of Persia in his crown;
And, by the love of Pylades and Orestes,
Whose statues we adore in Scythia,
Thyself and them shall never part from me
Before I crown you kings § in Asia.
Make much of them, gentle Theridamas,
And they will never leave thee till the death.
Ther. Nor thee nor them, I thrice-noble Tam-
burlaine,

Shall want my heart to be with gladness pierc'd,
To do you honour and security.

Tamb. A thousand thanks, worthy Theridamas.

And now, fair madam, and my noble lords,
If you will ¶ willingly remain with me,
You shall have honours as your merits be;
Or else you shall be forc'd with slavery.

Agyd. We yield unto thee, happy Tamburlaine Tamb. For you, then, madam, I am out of doubt.

Zeno. I must be pleas'd perforce,-wretched Zenocrate! [Exeunt.

* To these] Old eds. "Are these."

+ renowmed] See note, p. 11.-So the 8vo.-The 4to renowned."

"

statues] So the 4to.-"The first edition reads 'statutes,' but, as the Scythians worshipped Pylades and Orestes in temples, we have adopted the reading of the quarto as being most probably the correct one." Ed. 1826.

§ kings] So the 8vo.-The 4to "king."

Nor thee nor them] The modern editors silently print "Nor they nor theirs."

¶ will] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to.

SCENE I.

Enter COSROR, Menaphon, OrTYGIUS, and CENEUS, with Soldiers.

ACT II.

Cos. Thus far are we towards Theridamas, And valiant Tamburlaine, the man of fame, The man that in the forehead of his fortune Bears figures of renown and miracle. But tell me, that hast seen him, Menaphon, What stature wields he, and what personage? Men. Of stature tall, and straightly fashioned, Like his desire, lift upwards and divine; So large of limbs, his joints so strongly knit, Such breadth of shoulders as might mainly bear Old Atlas' burden; 'twixt his manly pitch,* A pearl more worth than all the world is plac'd, Wherein by curious sovereignty of art Are fix'd his piercing instruments of sight, Whose fiery circles bear encompassed

A heaven of heavenly bodies in their spheres,
That guides his steps and actions to the throne
Where honour sits invested royally;

Pale of complexion, wrought in him with passion,
Thirsting with sovereignty and + love of arms;
His lofty brows in folds do figure death,
And in their smoothness amity and life;
About them hangs a knot of amber hair,
Wrapped in curls, as fierce Achilles' was,

On which the breath of heaven delights to play,
Making it dance with wanton majesty ;
His arms and fingers long and sinewy, ‡
Betokening valour and excess of strength;—
In every part proportion'd like the man
Should make the world subdu'd § to Tamburlaine.
Cos. Well hast thou pourtray'd in thy terms
of life

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The face and personage of a wondrous man :
Nature doth strive with Fortune* and his stars
To make him famous in accomplish'd worth;
And well his merits shew him to be made
His fortune's master and the king of men,
That could persuade, at such a sudden pinch,
With reasons of his valour and his life,
A thousand sworn and overmatching foes.
Then, when our powers in points of swords are
join'd,

And clos'd in compass of the killing bullet,
Though strait the passage and the port + be made
That leads to palace of my brother's life,
Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not;
And, when the princely Persian diadem
Shall overweigh his weary witless head,

And fall, like mellow'd fruit, with shakes of death,

In fair § Persia noble Tamburlaine
Shall be my regent, and remain as king.

Orty. In happy hour we have set the crown Upon your kingly head, that seeks our honour In joining with the man ordain'd by heaven To further every action to the best.

Cen. He that with shepherds and a little spoil
Durst, in disdain of wrong and tyranny,
Defend his freedom 'gainst a monarchy,
What will he do supported by a king,
Leading a troop of gentlemen and lords,
And stuff'd with treasure for his highest thoughts!
Cos. And such shall wait on worthy Tambur-
laine.

Our army will be forty thousand strong,
When Tamburlaine and brave Theridamas
Have met us by the river Araris ;

And all conjoin'd to meet the witless king,
That now is marching near to Parthia,
And, with unwilling soldiers faintly arm'd,

* Nature doth strive with Fortune, &c.] Qy did Shakespeare recollect this passage when he wrote,"Nature and Fortune join'd to make thee great ”? King John, act iii. sc. 1.

t port] i. e. gate. tis] So the 8vo.-The 4to "in." § In fair, &c.] Here "fair" is to be considered as a dissyllable: com pare, in the Fourth Act of our author's Jew of Malta,

"I'll feast you, lodge you, give you fair words,
And, after that," &c.

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Enter MYCETES, MEANDER, with other Lords ;
and Soldiers.

Myc. Come, my Meander, let us to this gear.
I tell you true, my heart is swoln with wrath
On this same thievish villain Tamburlaine,
And of that false Cosroe, my traitorous brother.
Would it not grieve a king to be so abus'd,
And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away?
And, which is worse,† to have his diadem
Sought for by such scald knaves as love him
not?

I think it would: well, then, by heavens I swear,
Aurora shall not peep out of her doors,
But I will have Cosroe by the head,
And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword.
Tell you the rest, Meander: I have said.

Mean. Then, having pass'd Armenian deserts

now,

And pitch'd our tents under the Georgian hills,
Whose tops are cover'd with Tartarian thieves,
That lie in ambush, waiting for a prey,
What should we do but bid them battle straight,
And rid the world of those detested troops?
Lest, if we let them linger here a while,
They gather strength by power of fresh supplies.
This country swarms with vile outragious men
That live by rapine and by lawless spoil,
Fit soldiers for the ‡ wicked Tamburlaine;
And he that could with gifts and promises
Inveigle him that led a thousand horse,
And make him false his faith unto his § king,
Will quickly win such as be || like himself.
Therefore cheer up your minds; prepare to fight:
He that can take or slaughter Tamburlaine,
Shall rule the province of Albania;
Who brings that traitor's head, Theridamas,
Shall have a government in Media,

Beside the spoil of him and all his train :
But, if Cosroe (as our spials say,

And as we know) remains with Tamburlaine,

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His highness' pleasure is that he should live, And be reclaim'd with princely lenity.

Enter a Spy.

Spy. An hundred horsemen of my company, Scouting abroad upon these champion* plains, Have view'd the army of the Scythians; Which make report it far exceeds the king's.

Mean. Suppose they be in number infinite, Yet being void of martial discipline, All running headlong, greedy after + spoils, And more regarding gain than victory, Like to the cruel brothers of the earth, Sprung of the teeth of § dragons venomous, Their careless swords shall lance their fellows' throats,

And make us triumph in their overthrow.

Myc. Was there such brethren, sweet Meander,

say,

That sprung of teeth of dragons venomous?
Mean. So poets say, my lord.

Myc. And 'tis a pretty toy to be a poet.
Well, well, Meander, thou art deeply read;
And having thee, I have a jewel sure.
Go on, my lord, and give your charge, I say;
Thy wit will make us conquerors to-day.

Mean. Then, noble soldiers, to entrap these thieves

That live confounded in disorder'd troops,
If wealth or riches may prevail with them,
We have our camels laden all with gold,
Which you that be but common soldiers
Shall fling in every corner of the field;
And, while the base-born Tartars take it up,
You, fighting more for honour than for gold,
Shall massacre those greedy-minded slaves;
And, when their scatter'd army is subdu'd,
And you march on their slaughter'd carcasses,
Share equally the gold that bought their lives,
And live like gentlemen in Persia.
Strike up the drum, and march courageously:
Fortune herself doth sit upon our crests.

Myc. He tells you true, my masters; so he does.

Drums, why sound ye not when Meander speaks! [Exeunt, drums sounding.

* champion] i. e. champaign.

† greedy after] Old eds. "after greedie."

1 Sprung] Here, and in the next speech, both the old eds. "Sprong" but in p. 18, 1. 3, first col., the 4to as sprung", and in the Sec. Part of the play, act iv. sc.

they both give "sprung from a tyrants loynes." § teeth of] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to.

lance] Here both the old eds. "lanch": but see note II, p. 11.

the] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to.

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