Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1Marlowe, Christopher
General
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1
Marlowe, Christopher
English drama; Historical drama; Timur, 1336-1405 -- Drama; Tragedies (Drama)
BAJAZETH. I will the captive pioners [139] of Argier
Cut off the water that by leaden pipes
Runs to the city from the mountain Carnon;
Two thousand horse shall forage up and down,
That no relief or succour come by land;
And all the sea my galleys countermand:
Then shall our footmen lie within the trench,
And with their cannons, mouth'd like Orcus' gulf,
Batter the walls, and we will enter in;
And thus the Grecians shall be conquered.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II.
Enter ZENOCRATE, AGYDAS, ANIPPE, with others.
AGYDAS. Madam Zenocrate, may I presume
To know the cause of these unquiet fits
That work such trouble to your wonted rest?
'Tis more than pity such a heavenly face
Should by heart's sorrow wax so wan and pale,
When your offensive rape by Tamburlaine
(Which of your whole displeasures should be most)
Hath seem'd to be digested long ago.
ZENOCRATE. Although it be digested long ago,
As his exceeding favours have deserv'd,
And might content the Queen of Heaven, as well
As it hath chang'd my first-conceiv'd disdain;
Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts
With ceaseless [140] and disconsolate conceits, [141]
Which dye my looks so lifeless as they are,
And might, if my extremes had full events,
Make me the ghastly counterfeit [142] of death.
AGYDAS. Eternal heaven sooner be dissolv'd,
And all that pierceth Phoebus' silver eye,
Before such hap fall to Zenocrate!
ZENOCRATE. Ah, life and soul, still hover in his [143] breast,
And leave my body senseless as the earth,
Or else unite you [144] to his life and soul,
That I may live and die with Tamburlaine!
Enter, behind, TAMBURLAINE, with TECHELLES, and others.
AGYDAS. With Tamburlaine! Ah, fair Zenocrate,
Let not a man so vile and barbarous,
That holds you from your father in despite,
And keeps you from the honours of a queen,
(Being suppos'd his worthless concubine,)
Be honour'd with your love but for necessity!
So, now the mighty Soldan hears of you,
Your highness needs not doubt but in short time
He will, with Tamburlaine's destruction,
Redeem you from this deadly servitude.
ZENOCRATE. Leave [145] to wound me with these words,
And speak of Tamburlaine as he deserves:
The entertainment we have had of him
Is far from villany or servitude,
And might in noble minds be counted princely.
AGYDAS. How can you fancy one that looks so fierce,
Only dispos'd to martial stratagems?
Who, when he shall embrace you in his arms,
Will tell how many thousand men he slew;
And, when you look for amorous discourse,
Will rattle forth his facts [146] of war and blood,
Too harsh a subject for your dainty ears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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