Tamburlaine the Great Volume Ii Part 9

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 h.e.l.l 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 circ.u.mference; And now the d.a.m.ned 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 chast.i.ty; 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, TECh.e.l.lES, 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 appet.i.te, 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 h.e.l.l!

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 pa.s.s their fixed bounds exceedingly.

TECh.e.l.lES. 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' l.u.s.t?

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.

TECh.e.l.lES. Let us not be idle, then, my lord, But presently be prest [245] to conquer it.

TAMBURLAINE. We will, Tech.e.l.les.--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 h.e.l.l: 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 G.o.ds 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 a.s.surance 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.