Were wont to guide the seaman in the deep, Drawn with these kings on heaps of carcasses. Hath trod the measures,† do my soldiers march; Re-enter THERIDAMAS and TECHELLES, bringing in the GOVERNOR OF BABYLON. Who have ye there, my lords? Ther. The sturdy governor of Babylon, That made us all the labour for the town, And us'd such slender reckoning off your majesty. Tumb. Go, bind the villain; he shall hang in chains Upon the ruins of this conquer'd town.— Could not affright you; no, nor I myself, Could not persuade you to submission, But still the ports§ were shut: villain, I say, Shouldst thou have enter'd, cruel Tamburlaine. 'Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yield, Nor yet thyself, the anger of the Highest; Hang him in chains upon the city-walls, Gov. Vile monster, born of some infernal hag, Gov. But, Tamburlaine, in Limnasphaltis' lake There lies more gold than Babylon is worth, Which, when the city was besieg'd, I hid : Save but my life, and I will give it thee. Tamb. Then, for all your valour, you would save your life? Gov. Under a hollow bank, right opposite Against the western gate of Babylon. Tamb. Go thither, some of you, and take his [Exeunt some Attendants. gold:: The rest forward with execution. K. of Treb. Vile | tyrant! barbarous bloody Tamb. Take them away, Theridamas; see them despatch'd. Ther. I will, my lord. [Exit with the KINGS OF TREBIZON and SORIA. * the city walls] So the 8vo.-The 4to "the walles." + him] So the 4to.-The 8vo "it." in] Old eds. "vp in,-the "vp" having been repeated by mistake from the preceding line. § scar'd] So the 8vo; and, it would seem, rightly; Tamburlaine making an attempt at a bitter jest, in reply to what the Governor has just said.-The 4to "sear'd." Vile] The 8vo "Vild"; the 4to "Wild" (Both eds., a little before, have " Vile monster, born of some infernal hag", and, a few lines after, "To vile and ignominious servitude":-the fact is, our early writers (or rather, transcribers), with their usual inconsistency of spelling, give now the one form, and now the other: compare the folio Shakespeare, 1628, where we sometimes find "vild" and sometimes "vile.") Tamb. Come, Asian viceroys; to your tasks a while, And take such fortune as your fellows felt. Orc. First let thy Scythian horse tear both our limbs, Rather than we should draw thy chariot, K. of Jer. Rather lend me thy weapon, Tamburlaine, That I may sheathe it in this breast of mine. Tamb. Bridle them, and let me to my coach. Tamb. Now, Casane, where's the Turkish Alcoran, And all the heaps of superstitious books Usum. Here they are, my lord. Tamb. Well said!* let there be a fire presently. [They light a fire. In vain, I see, men worship Mahomet: [They burn the books. Now, Mahomet, if thou have any power, Come down thyself and work a miracle: Amy. See, now, my lord, how brave the captain Thou art not worthy to be worshipped hangs! Tamb. "Tis brave indeed, my boy:-well done! Shoot first, my lord, and then the rest shall follow. Ther. Then have at him, to begin withal. [THERIDAMAS shoots at the GOVERNOR. Gov. Yet save my life, and let this wound ap pease The mortal fury of great Tamburlaine ! That suffer'st + flames of fire to burn the writ To blow thy Alcoran up to thy throne, Where men report thou sitt'st || by God himself? Or vengeance on the head ¶ of Tamburlaine Tamb. No, though Asphaltis' lake were liquid That shakes his sword against thy majesty, gold, And offer'd me as ransom for thy life, Yet shouldst thou die.-Shoot at him all at once. [They shoot. So, now he hangs like Bagdet's* governor, As there be breaches in her batter'd wall. Which hath been subject to the Persian king, Tech. What shall be done with their wives and children, my lord? Tamb. Techelles, drown them all, man, woman, and child; Leave not a Babylonian in the town. Tech. I will about it straight.-Come, soldiers. [Exit with Soldiers. * Bagdet's] So the 8vo.-The 4to "Badgets." ↑ A citadel, &c.] Something has dropt out from this line. And spurns the abstracts of thy foolish laws?— Re-enter TECHELLES. Tech. I have fulfill'd your highness' will, my lord: Thousands of men, drown'd in Asphaltis' lake, * Well said] Equivalent to-Well done! as appears from innumerable passages of our early writers: see, for instances, my ed. of Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, vol. i. 328, vol. ii. 445, vol. viii. 254. t will П So the 8vo.-The 4to "I will." suffer'st] Old eds. "suffers" but see the two following notes. § send'st] So the 8vo.-The 4to "sends." sit'st] So the 8vo.-The 4to "sits." head] So the 8vo.-The 4to "blood." ** fed] Old eds. "feede." tt upon] So the 8vo.-Omitted in the 4to. As when they swallow assafoetida, The fowls shall eat; for never sepulchre Which makes them fleet aloft and gapet for Shall grace this* base-born tyrant Tamburlaine. air. Call. When I record+ my parents' slavish life, Tamb. Well, then, my friendly lords, what now remains, But that we leave sufficient garrison, And presently depart to Persia, To triumph after all our victories? Their cruel death, mine own captivity, My viceroys' bondage under Tamburlaine, Methinks I could sustain a thousand deaths, To be reveng'd of all his villany.— Ther. Ay, good my lord, let us in haste to Ah, sacred Mahomet, thou that hast seen Enter CALLAPINE, KING OF AMASIA, a Captain, and train, with drums and trumpets. Call. King of Amasia, now our mighty host Marcheth in Asia Major, where the streams Of Euphrates ¶ and Tigris swiftly run; And here may we ** behold great Babylon, Circled about with Limnasphaltis' lake, Where Tamburlaine with all his army lies, Which being faint and weary with the siege, We may lie ready to encounter him Before his host be full from Babylon, And so revenge our latest grievous loss, If God or Mahomet send any aid. K. of Ama. Doubt not, my lord, but we shall conquer him: The monster that hath drunk a sea of blood, And yet gapes still for more to quench his thirst, Our Turkish swords shall headlong send to hell; And that vile carcass, drawn by warlike kings, Millions of Turks perish by Tamburlaine, Kingdoms made waste, brave cities sack'd and burnt, And but one host is left to honour thee, K. of Ama. Fear not, my lord; I see great Clothed in purple clouds, and on his head His fortune greater, and the victories All Turkey is in arms with Callapine; [Exeunt. · this] So the 8vo.-The 4to "that" (but in the next speech of the same person it has "this Tamburlaine "). ↑ record] i.e. call to mind. Aid] So the 8vo.-The 4to "And." § Renowmed] See note 1, p. 11. So the 8vo.-The 4to "Renowned."-The prefix to this speech is wanting in the old eds. SCENE III. Enter THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, and USUMCASANE. Ther. Weep, heavens, and vanish into liquid tears! Fall, stars that govern his nativity, And summon all the shining lamps of heaven Earth droops, and says that hell in heaven is plac'd! Enter TAMBURLAINE*, drawn in his chariot (as before) by ORCANES king of Natolia, and the KING OF JERUSALEM, AMYRAS, CELEBINUS, and Physicians. Tamb. What daring god torments my body thus, And seeks to conquer mighty Tamburlaine ? Ther. Ah, good my lord, leave these impatient words, Which add much danger to your malady! Tamb. Why, shall I sit and languish in this pain? Tech. O, then, ye powers that sway eternal No, strike the drums, and, in revenge of this, seats, And guide this massy substance of the earth, As your supreme estates instruct our thoughts, Come, let us charge our spears, and pierce his breast Whose shoulders bear the axis of the world, And cannot last, it is so violent. Tamb. Not last, Techelles! no, for I shall die. Usum. Blush, heaven, to lose the honour of See, where my slave, the ugly monster Death, thy name, To see thy footstool set upon thy head; And, though they think their painful date is out, And that their power is puissant as Jove's, Which makes them manage arms against thy state, Yet make them feel the strength of Tamburlaine (Thy instrument and note of majesty) Is greater far than they can thus subdue; Earth droops, and says that hell in heaven is plac'd! invisibly] So the 4to.-The 8vo "inuincible." ↑ inexcellence] So the 4to.-The 8vo "inexcellencie." Shaking and quivering, pale and wan for fear, First Phy. Pleaseth your majesty to drink this potion, Which will abate the fury of your fit, Tamb. Tell me what think you of my sickness Like summer's vapours vanish'd by the sun; now? And, could I but a while pursue the field, First Phy. I view'd your urine, and the hypos- That Callapine should be my slave again. tasis,* Thick and obscure, doth make your danger great: In vain I strive and rail against those powers Your veins are full of accidental heat, Whereby the moisture of your blood is dried: But of a substance more divine and pure, Is almost clean extinguished and spent; But I perceive my martial strength is spent: That mean t' invest me in a higher throne, Which, being the cause of life, imports your Here I began to march towards Persia, death: Besides, my lord, this day is critical, Yet, if your majesty may escape this day, Enter a Messenger. Mes. My lord, young Callapine, that lately fled from your majesty, hath now gathered a fresh army, and, hearing your absence in the field, offers to set upon us presently. Tamb. See, my physicians, now, how Jove hath sent A present medicine to recure my pain! Along Armenia and the Caspian Sea, Look here, my boys; see, what a world of ground My looks shall make them fly; and, might I Unto the rising of this|| earthly globe, follow, There should not one of all the villain's power Live to give offer of another fight. Usum. I joy, my lord, your highness is so That can endure so well your royal presence, Tamb. I know it will, Casane.-Draw, you In spite of death, I will go shew my face. Whereas the sun, declining from our sight, Tamb. Thus are the villain cowards § fled for That let your lives command in spite of death. fear, hypostasis] Old eds. "Hipostates." +artiers] See note *, p. 18. upon] So the 4to.-The 8vo "on." § villain cowards] Old eds. "villaines, cowards" (which is not to be defended by "Villains, cowards, traitors to our state", p. 67, sec, col.). Compare "But where's this coward villain," &c., p. 61 sec. col. Amy. Alas, my lord, how should our bleeding hearts, * unto] So the 8vo.-The 4to "to." Terrene] i.e. Mediterranean. § began] So the 8vo.-The 4to "begun." |