Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2. Christopher Marlowe

These words assure me, boy, thou art my son.

      When I am old and cannot manage arms,

      Be thou the scourge and terror of the world.

      AMYRAS.  Why may not I, my lord, as well as he,

      Be term'd the scourge and terror of 39 the world?

      TAMBURLAINE.  Be all a scourge and terror to 40 the world,

      Or else you are not sons of Tamburlaine.

      CALYPHAS.  But, while my brothers follow arms, my lord,

      Let me accompany my gracious mother:

      They are enough to conquer all the world,

      And you have won enough for me to keep.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Bastardly boy, sprung 41 from some coward's loins,

      And not the issue of great Tamburlaine!

      Of all the provinces I have subdu'd

      Thou shalt not have a foot, unless thou bear

      A mind courageous and invincible;

      For he shall wear the crown of Persia

      Whose head hath deepest scars, whose breast most wounds,

      Which, being wroth, sends lightning from his eyes,

      And in the furrows of his frowning brows

      Harbours revenge, war, death, and cruelty;

      For in a field, whose superficies 42    

      Is cover'd with a liquid purple veil,

      And sprinkled with the brains of slaughter'd men,

      My royal chair of state shall be advanc'd;

      And he that means to place himself therein,

      Must armed wade up to the chin in blood.

      ZENOCRATE.  My lord, such speeches to our princely sons

      Dismay their minds before they come to prove

      The wounding troubles angry war affords.

      CELEBINUS.  No, madam, these are speeches fit for us;

      For, if his chair were in a sea of blood,

      I would prepare a ship and sail to it,

      Ere I would lose the title of a king.

      AMYRAS.  And I would strive to swim through 43 pools of blood,

      Or make a bridge of murder'd carcasses, 44    

      Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks,

      Ere I would lose the title of a king.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both,

      Stretching your conquering arms from east to west:—

      And, sirrah, if you mean to wear a crown,

      When we 45 shall meet the Turkish deputy

      And all his viceroys, snatch it from his head,

      And cleave his pericranion with thy sword.

      CALYPHAS.  If any man will hold him, I will strike,

      And cleave him to the channel 46 with my sword.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Hold him, and cleave him too, or I'll cleave thee;

      For we will march against them presently.

      Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane

      Promis'd to meet me on Larissa-plains,

      With hosts a-piece against this Turkish crew;

      For I have sworn by sacred Mahomet

      To make it parcel of my empery.

      The trumpets sound; Zenocrate, they come.

      Enter THERIDAMAS, and his train, with drums and trumpets.

      Welcome, Theridamas, king of Argier.

      THERIDAMAS.  My lord, the great and mighty Tamburlaine,

      Arch-monarch of the world, I offer here

      My crown, myself, and all the power I have,

      In all affection at thy kingly feet.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Thanks, good Theridamas.

      THERIDAMAS.  Under my colours march ten thousand Greeks,

      And of Argier and Afric's frontier towns

      Twice twenty thousand valiant men-at-arms;

      All which have sworn to sack Natolia.

      Five hundred brigandines are under sail,

      Meet for your service on the sea, my lord,

      That, launching from Argier to Tripoly,

      Will quickly ride before Natolia,

      And batter down the castles on the shore.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Well said, Argier! receive thy crown again.

      Enter USUMCASANE and TECHELLES.

      Kings of Morocco 47 and of Fez, welcome.

      USUMCASANE.  Magnificent and peerless Tamburlaine,

      I and my neighbour king of Fez have brought,

      To aid thee in this Turkish expedition,

      A hundred thousand expert soldiers;

      ]From Azamor to Tunis near the sea

      Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake,

      And all the men in armour under me,

      Which with my crown I gladly offer thee.

      TAMBURLAINE.  Thanks, king of Morocco:  take your crown again.

      TECHELLES.  And, mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly god,

      Whose looks make this inferior world to quake,