Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2. Christopher Marlowe

hristopher Marlowe

      Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

      THE PROLOGUE

      The general welcomes Tamburlaine receiv'd,

      When he arrived last upon the 1 stage,

      Have made our poet pen his Second Part,

      Where Death cuts off the progress of his pomp,

      And murderous Fates throw all his triumphs 2 down.

      But what became of fair Zenocrate,

      And with how many cities' sacrifice

      He celebrated her sad 3 funeral,

      Himself in presence shall unfold at large.

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      TAMBURLAINE, king of Persia.

      CALYPHAS,  ]

      AMYRAS,    ] his sons.

      CELEBINUS, ]

      THERIDAMAS, king of Argier.

      TECHELLES, king of Fez.

      USUMCASANE, king of Morocco.

      ORCANES, king of Natolia.

      KING OF TREBIZON.

      KING OF SORIA.

      KING OF JERUSALEM.

      KING OF AMASIA.

      GAZELLUS, viceroy of Byron.

      URIBASSA.

      SIGISMUND, King of Hungary.

      FREDERICK, ]

      BALDWIN,   ] Lords of Buda and Bohemia.

      CALLAPINE, son to BAJAZETH, and prisoner to TAMBURLAINE.

      ALMEDA, his keeper.

      GOVERNOR OF BABYLON.

      CAPTAIN OF BALSERA.

      HIS SON.

      ANOTHER CAPTAIN.

      MAXIMUS, PERDICAS, Physicians, Lords, Citizens, Messengers,

      Soldiers, and Attendants.

      ZENOCRATE, wife to TAMBURLAINE.

      OLYMPIA, wife to the CAPTAIN OF BALSERA.

      Turkish Concubines.

      THE SECOND PART OF TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT

      ACT I

      SCENE I

      Enter ORCANES king of Natolia, GAZELLUS viceroy of Byron,

      URIBASSA, 4 and their train, with drums and trumpets.

      ORCANES.  Egregious viceroys of these eastern parts,

      Plac'd by the issue of great Bajazeth,

      And sacred lord, the mighty Callapine,

      Who lives in Egypt prisoner to that slave

      Which kept his father in an iron cage,—

      Now have we march'd from fair Natolia

      Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius' banks

      Our warlike host, in complete armour, rest,

      Where Sigismund, the king of Hungary,

      Should meet our person to conclude a truce:

      What! shall we parle with the Christian?

      Or cross the stream, and meet him in the field?

      GAZELLUS.  King of Natolia, let us treat of peace:

      We all are glutted with the Christians' blood,

      And have a greater foe to fight against,—

      Proud Tamburlaine, that now in Asia,

      Near Guyron's head, doth set his conquering feet,

      And means to fire Turkey as he goes:

      'Gainst him, my lord, you must address your power.

      URIBASSA.  Besides, King Sigismund hath brought from Christendom

      More than his camp of stout Hungarians,—

      Sclavonians, Almains, Rutters, 5 Muffs, and Danes,

      That with the halberd, lance, and murdering axe,

      Will hazard that we might with surety hold.

      ORCANES. 6  Though from the shortest northern parallel,

      Vast Grantland, compass'd with the Frozen Sea,

      (Inhabited with tall and sturdy men,

      Giants as big as hugy 7 Polypheme,)

      Millions of soldiers cut the 8 arctic line,

      Bringing the strength of Europe to these arms,

      Our Turkey blades shall glide through all their throats,

      And make this champion 9 mead a bloody fen:

      Danubius' stream, that runs to Trebizon,

      Shall carry, wrapt within his scarlet waves,

      As martial presents to our friends at home,

      The slaughter'd bodies of these Christians:

      The Terrene 10 main, wherein Danubius falls,

      Shall by this battle be the bloody sea:

      The wandering sailors of proud Italy

      Shall meet those Christians, fleeting with the tide,

      Beating in heaps against their argosies,

      And make fair Europe, mounted on her bull,

      Trapp'd with the wealth and riches of the world,

      Alight, and wear a woful mourning weed.

      GAZELLUS.  Yet, stout Orcanes, pro-rex of the world,

      Since Tamburlaine hath muster'd all his men,

      Marching from Cairo 11 northward, with his camp,

      To Alexandria and the frontier towns,

      Meaning to make a conquest of our land,

      'Tis