Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1Marlowe, Christopher
General
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1
Marlowe, Christopher
English drama; Historical drama; Timur, 1336-1405 -- Drama; Tragedies (Drama)
AGYDAS. I prophesied before, and now I prove
The killing frowns of jealousy and love.
He needed not with words confirm my fear,
For words are vain where working tools present
The naked action of my threaten'd end:
It says, Agydas, thou shalt surely die,
And of extremities elect the least;
More honour and less pain it may procure,
To die by this resolved hand of thine
Than stay the torments he and heaven have sworn.
Then haste, Agydas, and prevent the plagues
Which thy prolonged fates may draw on thee:
Go wander free from fear of tyrant's rage,
Removed from the torments and the hell
Wherewith he may excruciate thy soul;
And let Agydas by Agydas die,
And with this stab slumber eternally.
[Stabs himself.]
TECHELLES. Usumcasane, see, how right the man
Hath hit the meaning of my lord the king!
USUMCASANE. Faith, and, Techelles, it was manly done;
And, since he was so wise and honourable,
Let us afford him now the bearing hence,
And crave his triple-worthy burial.
TECHELLES. Agreed, Casane; we will honour him.
[Exeunt, bearing out the body.]
SCENE III.
Enter TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, THERIDAMAS,
a BASSO, ZENOCRATE, ANIPPE, with others.
TAMBURLAINE. Basso, by this thy lord and master knows
I mean to meet him in Bithynia:
See, how he comes! tush, Turks are full of brags,
And menace [155] more than they can well perform.
He meet me in the field, and fetch [156] thee hence!
Alas, poor Turk! his fortune is too weak
T' encounter with the strength of Tamburlaine:
View well my camp, and speak indifferently;
Do not my captains and my soldiers look
As if they meant to conquer Africa?
BASSO. Your men are valiant, but their number few,
And cannot terrify his mighty host:
My lord, the great commander of the world,
Besides fifteen contributory kings,
Hath now in arms ten thousand janizaries,
Mounted on lusty Mauritanian steeds,
Brought to the war by men of Tripoly;
Two hundred thousand footmen that have serv'd
In two set battles fought in Graecia;
And for the expedition of this war,
If he think good, can from his garrisons
Withdraw as many more to follow him.
TECHELLES. The more he brings, the greater is the spoil;
For, when they perish by our warlike hands,
We mean to set [157] our footmen on their steeds,
And rifle all those stately janizars.
TAMBURLAINE. But will those kings accompany your lord?
BASSO. Such as his highness please; but some must stay
To rule the provinces he late subdu'd.
TAMBURLAINE. [To his OFFICERS]
Then fight courageously: their crowns are yours;
This hand shall set them on your conquering heads,
That made me emperor of Asia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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