Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2Marlowe, Christopher
History
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2
Marlowe, Christopher
English drama; Historical drama; Timur, 1336-1405 -- Drama; Tragedies (Drama)
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?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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