Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

SCENE II

Enter OLYMPIA.

OLYMPIA.  Distress'd Olympia, whose weeping eyes, Since thy arrival here, behold 212 no sun, But, clos'd within the compass of a 213 tent, Have 214 stain'd thy cheeks, and made thee look like death, Devise some means to rid thee of thy life, Rather than yield to his detested suit, Whose drift is only to dishonour thee; And, since this earth, dew'd with thy brinish tears, Affords no herbs whose taste may poison thee, Nor yet this air, beat often with thy sighs, Contagious smells and vapours to infect thee, Nor thy close cave a sword to murder thee, Let this invention be the instrument.

Enter THERIDAMAS.

THERIDAMAS.  Well met, Olympia:  I sought thee in my tent, But, when I saw the place obscure and dark, Which with thy beauty thou wast wont to light, Enrag'd, I ran about the fields for thee, Supposing amorous Jove had sent his son, The winged Hermes, to convey thee hence; But now I find thee, and that fear is past, Tell me, Olympia, wilt thou grant my suit? OLYMPIA.  My lord and husband's death, with my sweet son's, (With whom I buried all affections Save grief and sorrow, which torment my heart,) Forbids my mind to entertain a thought That tends to love, but meditate on death, A fitter subject for a pensive soul. THERIDAMAS.  Olympia, pity him in whom thy looks Have greater operation and more force Than Cynthia's in the watery wilderness; For with thy view my joys are at the full, And ebb again as thou depart'st from me. OLYMPIA.  Ah, pity me, my lord, and draw your sword, Making a passage for my troubled soul, Which beats against this prison to get out, And meet my husband and my loving son! THERIDAMAS.  Nothing but still thy husband and thy son? Leave this, my love, and listen more to me: Thou shalt be stately queen of fair Argier; And, cloth'd in costly cloth of massy gold, Upon the marble turrets of my court Sit like to Venus in her chair of state, Commanding all thy princely eye desires; And I will cast off arms to 215 sit with thee, Spending my life in sweet discourse of love. OLYMPIA.  No such discourse is pleasant in 216 mine ears, But that where every period ends with death, And every line begins with death again: I cannot love, to be an emperess. THERIDAMAS.  Nay, lady, then, if nothing will prevail, I'll use some other means to make you yield: Such is the sudden fury of my love, I must and will be pleas'd, and you shall yield: Come to the tent again. OLYMPIA.  Stay now, my lord; and, will you 217 save my honour, I'll give your grace a present of such price As all the world can not afford the like. THERIDAMAS.  What is it? OLYMPIA.  An ointment which a cunning alchymist Distilled from the purest balsamum And simplest extracts of all minerals, In which the essential form of marble stone, Temper'd by science metaphysical, And spells of magic from the mouths 218 of spirits, With which if you but 'noint your tender skin, Nor pistol, sword, nor lance, can pierce your flesh. THERIDAMAS.  Why, madam, think you to mock me thus palpably? OLYMPIA.  To prove it, I will 'noint my naked throat, Which when you stab, look on your weapon's point, And you shall see't rebated 219 with the blow. THERIDAMAS.  Why gave you not your husband some of it, If you lov'd him, and it so precious? OLYMPIA.  My purpose was, my lord, to spend it so, But was prevented by his sudden end; And for a present easy proof thereof, 220     That I dissemble not, try it on me. THERIDAMAS.  I will, Olympia, and will 221 keep it for The richest present of this eastern world.

[She anoints her throat. 222]

OLYMPIA.  Now stab, my lord, and mark your weapon's point, That will be blunted if the blow be great. THERIDAMAS.  Here, then, Olympia.—

[Stabs her.]

What, have I slain her?  Villain, stab thyself! Cut off this arm that at murdered my 223 love, In whom the learned Rabbis of this age Might find as many wondrous miracles As in the theoria of the world! Now hell is fairer than Elysium; 224     A greater lamp than that bright eye of heaven, ]From whence the stars do borrow 225 all their light, Wanders about the black circumference; And now the damned souls are free from pain, For every Fury gazeth on her looks; Infernal Dis is courting of my love, Inventing masks and stately shows for her, Opening the doors of his rich treasury To entertain this queen of chastity; Whose body shall be tomb'd with all the pomp The treasure of my 226 kingdom may afford.

[Exit with the body.]

SCENE III

Enter TAMBURLAINE, drawn in his chariot by the KINGS OF TREBIZON and SORIA, 227 with bits in their mouths, reins in his 228 left hand, and in his right hand a whip with which he scourgeth them; AMYRAS, CELEBINUS, TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE; ORCANES king of Natolia, and the KING OF JERUSALEM, led by five 229 or six common SOLDIERS;

and other SOLDIERS.

TAMBURLAINE.  Holla, ye pamper'd jades of Asia! 230     What, can ye draw but twenty miles a-day, And have so proud a chariot at your heels, And such a coachman as great Tamburlaine, But from Asphaltis, where I conquer'd you, To Byron here, where thus I honour you? The horse that guide the golden eye of heaven, And blow the morning from their nostrils, 231     Making their fiery gait above the clouds, Are not so honour'd in 232 their governor As you, ye slaves, in mighty Tamburlaine. The headstrong jades of Thrace Alcides tam'd, That King Aegeus fed with human flesh, And made so wanton that they knew their strengths, Were not subdu'd with valour more divine Than you by this unconquer'd arm of mine. To make you fierce, and fit my appetite, You shall be fed with flesh as raw as blood, And drink in pails the strongest muscadel: If you can live with it, then live, and draw My chariot swifter than the racking 233 clouds; If not, then die like beasts, and fit for naught But perches for the black and fatal ravens. Thus am I right the scourge of highest Jove; And see the figure of my dignity, By which I hold my name and majesty! AMYRAS.  Let me have coach, 234 my lord, that I may ride, And thus be drawn by 235 these two idle kings. TAMBURLAINE.  Thy youth forbids such ease, my kingly boy: They shall to-morrow draw my chariot, While these their fellow-kings may be refresh'd. ORCANES.  O thou that sway'st the region under earth, And art a king as absolute as Jove, Come as thou didst in fruitful Sicily, Surveying all the glories of the land, And as thou took'st the fair Proserpina, Joying the fruit of Ceres' garden-plot, 236     For love, for honour, and to make her queen, So, for just hate, for shame, and to subdue This proud contemner of thy dreadful power, Come once in fury, and survey his pride, Haling him headlong to the lowest hell! THERIDAMAS.  Your majesty must get some bits for these, To bridle their contemptuous cursing tongues, That, like unruly never-broken jades, Break through the hedges of their hateful mouths, And pass their fixed bounds exceedingly. TECHELLES.  Nay, we will break the hedges of their mouths, And pull their kicking colts 237 out of their pastures. USUMCASANE.  Your majesty already hath devis'd A mean, as fit as may be, to restrain These coltish coach-horse tongues from blasphemy. CELEBINUS.  How like you that, sir king? why speak you not? KING OF JERUSALEM.  Ah, cruel brat, sprung from a tyrant's loins! How like his cursed father he begins To practice taunts and bitter tyrannies! TAMBURLAINE.  Ay, Turk, I tell thee, this same 238 boy is he That must (advanc'd in higher pomp than this) Rifle the kingdoms I shall leave unsack'd, If Jove, esteeming me too good for earth, Raise me, to match 239 the fair Aldeboran, Above 240 the threefold astracism of heaven, Before I conquer all the triple world.— Now fetch me out the Turkish concubines: I will prefer them for the funeral They have bestow'd on my abortive son.

[The CONCUBINES are brought in.]

Where are my common soldiers now, that fought So lion-like upon Asphaltis' plains? SOLDIERS.  Here, my lord. TAMBURLAINE. Hold ye, tall 241 soldiers, take ye queens a-piece,— I mean such queens as were kings' concubines; Take them; divide them, and their 242 jewels too, And let them equally serve all your turns. SOLDIERS.  We thank your majesty. TAMBURLAINE.  Brawl not, I warn you, for your lechery; For every man that so offends shall die. ORCANES.  Injurious tyrant, wilt thou so defame The hateful fortunes of thy victory, To exercise upon such guiltless dames The violence of thy common soldiers' lust? TAMBURLAINE. Live continent, 243 then, ye slaves, and meet not me With troops of harlots at your slothful heels. CONCUBINES.  O, pity us, my lord, and save our honours! TAMBURLAINE.  Are ye not gone, ye villains, with your spoils?

[The SOLDIERS run away with the CONCUBINES.]

KING OF JERUSALEM.  O, merciless, infernal cruelty! TAMBURLAINE.  Save your honours! 'twere but time indeed, Lost long before ye knew what honour meant. THERIDAMAS.  It seems they meant to conquer us, my lord, And make us jesting pageants for their trulls. TAMBURLAINE.  And now themselves shall make our pageant, And common soldiers jest 244 with all their trulls. Let them take pleasure soundly in their spoils, Till we prepare our march to Babylon, Whither we next make expedition. TECHELLES.  Let us not be idle, then, my lord, But presently be prest 245 to conquer it. TAMBURLAINE.  We will, Techelles.—Forward, then, ye jades! Now crouch, ye kings of greatest Asia, And tremble, when ye hear this scourge will come That whips down cities and controlleth crowns, Adding their wealth and treasure to my store. The Euxine sea, north to Natolia; The Terrene, 246 west; the Caspian, north northeast; And on the south, Sinus Arabicus; Shall all 247 be loaden with the martial spoils We will convey with us to Persia. Then shall my native city Samarcanda, And crystal waves of fresh Jaertis' 248 stream, The pride and beauty of her princely seat, Be famous through the furthest 249 continents; For there my palace royal shall be plac'd, Whose shining turrets shall dismay the heavens, And cast the fame of Ilion's tower to hell: Thorough 250 the streets, with troops of conquer'd kings, I'll ride in golden armour like the sun; And in my helm a triple plume shall spring, Spangled with diamonds, dancing in the air, To note me emperor of the three-fold world; Like to an almond-tree 251 y-mounted 252 high Upon the lofty and celestial mount Of ever-green Selinus, 253 quaintly deck'd With blooms more white than Erycina's 254 brows, 255     Whose tender blossoms tremble every one At every little breath that thorough heaven 256 is blown. Then in my coach, like Saturn's royal son Mounted his shining chariot 257 gilt with fire, And drawn with princely eagles through the path Pav'd with bright crystal and enchas'd with stars, When all the gods stand gazing at his pomp, So will I ride through Samarcanda-streets, Until my soul, dissever'd from this flesh, Shall mount the milk-white way, and meet him there. To Babylon, my lords, to Babylon! [Exeunt.]

ACT V

SCENE I

Enter the GOVERNOR OF BABYLON, MAXIMUS, and others, upon the walls.

GOVERNOR.  What saith Maximus? MAXIMUS.  My lord, the breach the enemy hath made Gives such assurance of our overthrow, That little hope is left to save our lives, Or hold our city from the conqueror's hands. Then hang out 258 flags, my lord, of humble truce, And satisfy the people's general prayers, That Tamburlaine's intolerable wrath May be suppress'd by our submission. GOVERNOR.  Villain, respect'st thou 259 more thy slavish life Than honour of thy country or thy name? Is not my life and state as dear to me, The city and my native country's weal, As any thing of 260 price with thy conceit? Have we not hope, for all our batter'd walls, To live secure and keep his forces out, When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis Makes walls a-fresh with every thing that falls Into the liquid substance of his stream, More strong than are the gates of death or hell? What faintness should dismay our courages, When we are thus defenc'd against our foe, And have no terror but his threatening looks?

Enter, above, a CITIZEN, who kneels to the GOVERNOR.

CITIZEN.  My lord, if ever you did deed of ruth, And now will work a refuge to our lives, Offer submission, hang up flags of truce, That Tamburlaine may pity our distress, And use us like a loving conqueror. Though this be held his last day's dreadful siege, Wherein he spareth neither man nor child, Yet are there Christians of Georgia here, Whose state he 261 ever pitied and reliev'd, Will get his pardon, if your grace would send. GOVERNOR.  How 262 is my soul environed! And this eterniz'd 263 city Babylon Fill'd with a pack of faint-heart fugitives That thus entreat their shame and servitude!

Enter, above, a SECOND CITIZEN.

SECOND CITIZEN.  My lord, if ever you will win our hearts, Yield up the town, and 264 save our wives and children; For I will cast myself from off these walls, Or die some death of quickest violence, Before I bide the wrath of Tamburlaine. GOVERNOR.  Villains, cowards, traitors to our state! Fall to the earth, and pierce the pit of hell, That legions of tormenting spirits may vex Your slavish bosoms with continual pains! I care not, nor the town will never yield As long as any life is in my breast.

Enter THERIDAMAS and TECHELLES, with SOLDIERS.

THERIDAMAS.  Thou desperate governor of Babylon, To save thy life, and us a little labour, Yield speedily the city to our hands, Or else be sure thou shalt be forc'd with pains More exquisite than ever traitor felt. GOVERNOR.  Tyrant, I turn the traitor in thy throat, And will defend it in despite of thee.— Call up the soldiers to defend these walls. TECHELLES.  Yield, foolish governor; we offer more Than ever yet we did to such proud slaves As durst resist us till our third day's siege. Thou seest us prest 265 to give the last assault, And that shall bide no more regard of parle. 266 GOVERNOR.  Assault and spare not; we will never yield.

[Alarms:  and they scale the walls.]

Enter TAMBURLAINE, drawn in his chariot (as before) by the KINGS OF TREBIZON and SORIA; AMYRAS, CELEBINUS, USUMCASANE;

ORCANES king of Natolia, and the KING OF JERUSALEM, led by

SOLDIERS; 267 and others. TAMBURLAINE.  The stately buildings of fair Babylon, Whose lofty pillars, higher than the clouds, Were wont to guide the seaman in the deep, Being carried thither by the cannon's force, Now fill the mouth of Limnasphaltis' lake, And make a bridge unto the batter'd walls. Where Belus, Ninus, and great Alexander Have rode in triumph, triumphs Tamburlaine, Whose chariot-wheels have burst 268 th' Assyrians' bones, Drawn with these kings on heaps of carcasses. Now in the place, where fair Semiramis, Courted by kings and peers of Asia, Hath trod the measures, 269 do my soldiers march; And in the streets, where brave Assyrian dames Have rid in pomp like rich Saturnia, With furious words and frowning visages My horsemen brandish their unruly blades.

Re-enter THERIDAMAS and TECHELLES, bringing in the

GOVERNOR OF BABYLON. Who have ye there, my lords? THERIDAMAS.  The sturdy governor of Babylon, That made us all the labour for the town, And us'd such slender reckoning of 270 your majesty. TAMBURLAINE.  Go, bind the villain; he shall hang in chains Upon the ruins of this conquer'd town.— Sirrah, the view of our vermilion tents (Which threaten'd more than if the region Next underneath the element of fire Were full of comets and of blazing stars, Whose flaming trains should reach down to the earth) Could not affright you; no, nor I myself, The wrathful messenger of mighty Jove, That with his sword hath quail'd all earthly kings, Could not persuade you to submission, But still the ports 271 were shut:  villain, I say, Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell, The triple-headed Cerberus would howl, And make 272 black Jove to crouch and kneel to me; But I have sent volleys of shot to you, Yet could not enter till the breach was made. GOVERNOR.  Nor, if my body could have stopt the breach, Shouldst thou have enter'd, cruel Tamburlaine. 'Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yield, Nor yet thyself, the anger of the Highest; For, though thy cannon shook the city-walls, 273     My heart did never quake, or courage faint. TAMBURLAINE.  Well, now I'll make it quake.— Go draw him 274 up, Hang him in 275 chains upon the city-walls, And let my soldiers shoot the slave to death. GOVERNOR.  Vile monster, born of some infernal hag, And sent from hell to tyrannize on earth, Do all thy worst; nor death, nor Tamburlaine, Torture, or pain, can daunt my dreadless mind. TAMBURLAINE.  Up with him, then! his body shall be scar'd. 276 GOVERNOR.  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. TAMBURLAINE. Then, for all your valour, you would save your life? Whereabout lies it? GOVERNOR.  Under a hollow bank, right opposite Against the western gate of Babylon. TAMBURLAINE.  Go thither, some of you, and take his gold:—

[Exeunt some ATTENDANTS.]

The rest forward with execution. Away with him hence, let him speak no more.— I think I make your courage something quail.—

[Exeunt ATTENDANTS with the GOVERNOR or BABYLON.]

When this is done, we'll march from Babylon, And make our greatest haste to Persia. These jades are broken-winded and half-tir'd; Unharness them, and let me have fresh horse.

[ATTENDANTS unharness the KINGS or TREBIZON and SORIA]