partner, rather than rival. Shake-
speare gives the word the same force
in A ntony and Cleopatra, v. i. 42 seq. :
' . . . thou, my brother, my com-
petitor
In top of all design, my mate in
empire.
Friend and companion in the front
of war.'
209. Hermes] (Mercurius of the
Romans) was the herald and
messenger of the gods of Olympus
88
THE FIRST PART OF
[ACT I
Could use persuasions more pathetical. 210
Tamh. Nor are Apollo's oracles more true
Than thou shalt find my vaunts substantial.
Tech. We are his friends, and if the Persian king
Should offer present dukedoms to our state,
We think it loss to make exchange for that
We are assured of by our friend's success.
Usum. And kingdoms at the least we all expect,
Besides the honour in assured conquests,
Where kings shall crouch unto our conquering swords.
And hosts of soldiers stand amaz'd at us, 220
When with their fearful tongues they shall confess,
These are the men that all the world admires.
Ther. What strong enchantments tice my yielding soul ?
Ah, these resolved noble Scythians !
But shall I prove a traitor to my king ?
224. AK] T.B. Are Oi_4. To, Rob.-Wag. As, [Qy.) T.B.
and himself the god of eloquence ;
hence Marlowe's ' prolocutor to the
Gods ' . It is not quite clear whether
Theridamas is using the word in
its general sense of ' spokesman '
or in its technical, legal sense of
* advocate '. Perhaps his meaning
hovers between the two.
210. pathetical] in the general
sense of moving, stimulating to
emotion or to conviction.
211. Apollo's oracles^delivered in
his capacity as the god of prophecy
from the shrine at Pytho or Delphi
(and from other shrines in Greece).
Hence he is regarded as the patron
and inspirer of all prophets (such
as Cassandra in the Agamemnon).
Perhaps the noblest use that has
been made of this myth in modem
literature is to be found in the pil-
grimage to the oracle at Delphi
to establish the guilt or innocence
of Hermione in The Winter's Tale.
Marlowe uses the word ' oracle '
of the utterance made from the
shrine, not of the shrine itself, a
usage which is also frequent in the
classical writers.
214. to our state"] here, as often,
' for our state or position ', i.e.
' should offer to raise us to the
status of Dukes '.
221. fearful] full of fear. The
Elizabethan language could use
both subjectively and objectively
many words of this form which
to-day have only an objective
application.
224. Ah,] The reading of the text
is Brereton's conjecture, adopted
by Tucker Brooke (Oxf. edn. 19 10),
which seems both to fit the punc-
tuation of Oi and to give us a pair
of separate lines highly character-
istic of Marlowe's style. In the
absence of any evidence as to the
source (MS. or print) of the text
of Oj it is fruitless to conjecture
too closely as to the origin of the
error in the octavos. It may be
acknowledged in passing that it is
difficult to imagine the ' h ' of an
Elizabethan English hand confused
by any printer with the letters
' re ' in the same hand. Tucker
Brooke's conjecture ' Qy. As ? '
(Oxf. ed., p. 20) is pertinent.
sc.ii] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 89
Tamh. No, but the trusty friend of Tamburlaine.
Ther. Won with thy words, and conquered with thy looks,
I yield myself, my men, and horse to thee :
To be partaker of thy good or ill.
As long as life maintains Theridamas. 230
Tamh. Theridamas, my friend, take here my hand.
Which is as much as if I swore by heaven.
And caird the gods to witness of my vow,
/ Thus shall my heart be still combined with thine,
_ Until our bodies turn to elements, \
And both our souls aspire celestial thrones.
Techelles, and Casane, welcome him. ~^
Tech. Welcome renowmed Persian to us all.
Usum, Long may Theridamas remain with us.
Tamh. These are my friends in whom I more rejoice, 240
Than doth the king of Persia in his crown :
And by the love of Pylades and Orestes,
Whose statues we adore in Scythia,
227. thy looks] looks O3. 238. renowmed] renowned O3 O4. 243.
statues] statutes Oj Og.
235. bodies turn to elements'] perfunctory than was his knowledge
What Tamburlaine pictures is the of astronomy or mathematical
disintegration of the body, after the science (cf. I. iv. iv. 96-100,
soul has left it to pass on to celestial II. iii. iv. 4-9 and notes). Even
regions, into the four constituent here Marlowe characteristically
elements of which according to blends Aristotelian physic with a
medieval physiological theories, reminiscence of Ecclesiastes xii. 7.
not only man but all the universe 236. aspire] aspire to. As in
was made ; earth, air, fire, water Hero and Leander : Sestiad II,
being the constituent elements of Argument, 11. 7-8 : ' doth aspire
the physical universe and bile (or Hero's fair tower and his desire .'
melancholy), blood, choler and 242. Pylades] the friend of
phlegm those of the temperament Orestes who followed him home to
of man, both formed by a blending Argos when he returned to claim
of the principles of cold, heat, his kingdom, supported him in the
dryness and moisture taken two execution of Clytemnestra and
at a time; the theory follows through the sufferings which fol-
naturally from the study of Aris- lowed until the murder was ex-
totle. Marlowe's physiology proves, piated. See Kesch-yhis Choephoroi ;
upon examination, to have been Sophocles, Electra ; Euripides, Elec-
purely medieval and Aristotelian, tra Orestes ; etc.
untouched by the more advanced 243. statues] Wagner remarks
thought of his time, shortly about upon the partly similar cases of
to culminate in the discoveries of I. iv. ii. 105 and II. 11. iv. 140.
Harvey, and apparently far mpr^ Jn both of these 0 1-3 read ' stature '
90
THE FIRST PART OF
[act I
Thyself and them shall never part from me,
Before I crown you kings in Asia.
Make much of them, gentle Theridamas,
And they will never leave thee till the death.
Ther. Nor thee, nor them, thrice-noble Tambur-
laine,
Shall want my heart to be with gladness pierc'd,
To do you honour and security. 250
Tamb. A thousand thanks worthy Theridamas.
And now fair madam, and my noble lords,
If you will willingly remain with me,
You shall have honours as your merits be :
Or else you shall be forc'd with slavery.
Agyd. We yield unto thee, happy Tamburlaine.
245. kings] King O4. 253. will] om. O3 O4. 254. honours] herors O^.
and O4 reads ' statue '. Probably
in both cases (certainly in the
last) the reference is to a statue,
and the form ' statua ' is consistent
with the metrical mould of the line.
If this be so, we have in these two
later cases a curious instance of
misrepresentation due to sound
rather than to orthography which,
taken in conjunction with the
similar problem of I. i. ii. 224 (see
above), might point to a dictation
error. On the other hand, the
problem presented by the present
passage rather suggests that this
confusion was already incorporated
in the source from which O^ was
composed and that an additional
misprint of ' t ' for ' r ' was added
in Oi O2 though not in the later
octavos. The reading of O3 O4
here is not really supported by
Bullen's reference to Ovid, Ex
Ponto, III. ii. 95-6 :
' Mirus amor juvenum, quamvis
abiere tot anni
' In Scythia magnum nunc quo-
que nomen habet,'
which is sufficiently general to
apply either to the ' statutes '
(i.e. ordinances, codes) or to the
' statues ' of Py lades and Orestes.
Marlowe may also have in mind a
general memory of the part played
by Pylades and Orestes in Iphi-
geneia in Tauris.
244. Thyself and them] Modern
English would write * thyself and
they ', but cf. Abbott, A Shakespeare
Grammar, § 214 and King John,
IV. ii. 50 :
' Your safety, for the which myself
and them
' Bend their best studies.'
248-50. Nor . . . security] The
construction here is unusual and
Robinson suggested an emendation
which is not necessary. I think
the latter part of the sentence is an
afterthought and explanatory : ' My
heart shall be found lacking neither
to thee nor to them — it shall not
fail to be pierced with gladness,
etc' See N.E.D. s.v. 'want' l.d.
and cf. especially ' One whose good
will hath not wanted to gratifie
your grace with a better thing if
mine abilitie were greater '. Eden,
Treat. Newe Ind., Ded. (1553).
An alternative explanation is * My
heart will gladly be pierced (i.e.
I will die) to honour or protect
you or them ',
sc. II] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT
91
Tamb. For you then madam, I am out of doubt.
Zeno. I must be pleased perforce, wretched Zenocrate !
[Exeunt.
258. I . . . Zenocrate] Zeno-
crate's feelings have not yet begun
to undergo the change revealed in
III. ii. It is an error to suppose
that Marlowe is indifferent to the
details of craftsmanship by which
an audience is prepared for the
emotions and events which are to
play an important part in the
drama, but he is inclined, especially
in Tamburlaine, to make them
unduly subtle and unobtrusive.
It is his stage-craft that is at fault
rather than his dramatic sense.
ACT II
SCENE I
CosROE, Menaphon, Ortygius, Ceneus, with other
Soldiers.
Cos. Thus far are we towards Theridamas,
And valiant Tamburlaine, the man of fame,
The man that in the forehead of his fortune
Bears figures of renown and miracle.
But tell me, that hast seen him, Menaphon,
What stature wields he, and what personage ?
Men. Of stature tall, and straightly fashioned,
Like his desire, lift upwards and divine,
So large of limbs, his joints so strongly knit,
Such breadth of shoulders as might mainly bear
10
Act II. Scene i.
2. the] that O3.
II. i. I. Thus . . . Theridamas'}
In the interval between the Acts
an alHance has been formed between
Tamburlaine and Theridamas upon
the one side and Cosroe, the in-
tending usurper of the Persian
throne, upon the other. The
audience which has witnessed the
last scene is able to appreciate the
irony of Cosroe's assumption that
Tamburlaine will remain his tool,
placing his genius at the service
of his overlord,
3-4. The man . . . miracle'] This
appears to be an allusion to the
Mahometan belief in the secret
signs of destiny which Allah writes
upon every man's forehead, or
possibly to the seal of Revelation
vii. 3.
7-30. Of stature . . . Tamburlaine]
The magnificent description given
by Menaphon owes little to any
accounts of Tamburlaine except
occasional phrases which seem to
be derived directly from Peron-
dinus (see Appendix D). Gran-
ucci's does not seem to have
given Marlowe any help. He omits
from Perondinus's description the
lameness of Tamburlaine and
his wealth of beard. The beauty
is Marlowe's own and also the
Platonic suggestion that the body
of Tamburlaine was but the image
of his mind.
7. Of stature tall] Cf. Per. * Sta-
tura fuit procera ' . (See Appendix
9. So large of limbs] ' Latus ab
humeris et pectore,' ^tc. (Se.e
Appendix D.)
92
SC. l]
TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT
93
Old Atlas' burthen ; 'twixt his manly pitch,
A pearl more worth than all the world is placed,
Wherein by curious sovereignty of art
Are fixed his piercing instruments of sight.
Whose fiery circles bear encompassed
A heaven of heavenly bodies in their spheres.
That guides his steps and actions to the throne
Where honour sits invested royally :
Pale of complexion, wrought in him with passion,
Thirsting with sovereignty and love of arms.
His lofty brows in folds do figure death,
And in their smoothness amity and life :
About them hangs a knot of amber hair.
Wrapped in curls, as fierce Achilles' was.
On which the breath of heaven delights to play.
20
20. and^ with O^ Og.
11. Atlas' burthen] The image is
Marlowe's. Atlas the Titan is
represented in mythology as sup-
porting upon his shoulders the
heavens and all the stars. Pitch]
is defined by the N.E.D. (iv. 16)
as ' A projecting point of some part
of the body, as the shoulder, the
hip ' and paralleled with this pass-
age is Topsell's {Four-footed beasts)
' When the shoulder point or pitch
of the shoulder [of a hare] is dis-
placed '.
12. A pearl] This image seems
hardly happy, but there equally
seems no other interpretation than
that of Dyce ; the pearl is the
head.
14-15. piercing instruments . . .
fiery circles] Cf . Perondinus : ' oris
truculenti . . . formidinem incutie-
bant,' (See Appendix D.)
15-17. Whose . . . spheres] I find
difficulty in following Marlowe's
metaphor here. Apparently the
circles of Tamburlaine's eyes con-
tain within their compass such
compulsive power as is equivalent
to a universe of propitious stars
leading him to the throne by their
influence.
19. Pale of complexion] This
pallor of genius is Marlowe's own
addition.
20. Thirsting with sovereignty]
Perondinus elsewhere (Cap. iv) has
a hint of this : ' Nam properanti
insatiabili siti in regiones magis
septentrionali plagae subjectas se
ultro dedidere . . .'
23. amber hair]. This is, of
course, most improbable in a
Mongol and Marlowe does not seem
to have had an authority for it.
Rather has he in mind — as he
himself admits — the description of
Achilles. The golden-red colour
and the length of Achilles' hair is
mentioned by Homer : //. i. 197
{^av6ri KofXT)) and //. xxiii. 141
{^avdi^v direKhparo xa^riji'). Mar-
lowe's picture of Achilles with curls
may be a reminiscence of Ovid's
account of Thetis disguising him as
a girl to save him from going to
the war {Met. xiii. 162 ff.) and
Statius's reference {Achilleid, i.
611 ' cinxit purpureis flaventia
tempora vittis ') may account for
the ' amber hair ', so unlike a
Tartar, and immediately followed
by the comparison with Achilles.
94
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
Making it dance with wanton majesty :
His arms and fingers long and sinewy,
Betokening valour and excess of strength :
In every part proportioned like the man
Should make the world subdued to Tamburlaine. 30
Cos. Well hast thou pourtrayed in thy terms of life
The face and personage of a wondrous man :
Nature doth strive with Fortune and his stars
To make him famous in accomplished worth :
And well his merits shew him to be made
His fortune's master and the king of men,
That could persuade, at such a sudden pinch,
With reasons of his valour and his life,
A thousand sworn and overmatching foes.
Then, when our powers in points of swords are join'd, 40
And closed in compass of the killing bullet.
Though strait the passage and the port be made
27. sinewy] Dyce etc. snowy O^.g. His armes long, his fingers snowy-
white Oa.
27-8. sinewy] O1-3 read ' snowy '
which seems unsatisfactory. Dyce
proposed the emendation ' sinewy '
which has been since retained, the
Oxford ed. reading ' s(i)nowy ' and
thus indicating the probable stages
of the corruption which concluded
in the well-meaning amplification
' snowy -white ' of O4.
Perondinus has an interesting
reference to the strength of Tam-
burlaine's arms : * . . , valida erat
usque adeo nervorum compage ut
. . . Parthici ingentis arcus chor-
dam lacertosis brachiis ultra aurem
facile posset extendere.' Central
Asiatic bows are of two kinds,
those designed like the Persian
to be drawn back till the right hand
holding the string is level with the
chin, and those which can be simi-
larly drawn back level with the
right ear. I am assured by an
authority on these bows that con-
siderable strength is needed to
draw them at all and that no
normal strength could draw them
beyond the point to which they are
designed to stretch. So intimate
a detail of Tartar custom as this
(which I have not found in any
other source) suggests, as docs
indeed much of his narrative, that
Perondinus had an additional
source of information sounder than
the accounts of his predecessors
in Europe.
33. Nature . . . stars] Familiar
terms from three different systems
are here combined, as often with
Marlowe ; Nature, the Natura
Dea of the Middle Ages, the power
that directed the material world
and was the cause of its phenomena,
Fortuna, the Roman deity of
chance (in contradiction to the
belief in the control of the Parcae),
and the stars of medieval (and
ultimately Oriental) astrology di-
recting events by influence.
42-3. strait . . . /«/(?] a reminiscence
of ' Strait is the gate and narrow is
the way, which leadeth unto life '
(Matthew vii. 14).
SC. l]
TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT
95
50
That leads to palace of my brother's life,
Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not.
And when the princely Persian diadem
Shall overweigh his weary witless head,
And fall like mellowed fruit, with shakes of death,
In fair Persia noble Tamburlaine
Shall be my regent, and remain as king.
Grty, In happy hour we have set the crown
Upon your kingly head, that seeks our honour
In joining with the man ordain'd by heaven
To further every action to the best.
Cen. He that with shepherds and a little spoil.
Durst, in disdain of wrong and tyranny.
Defend his freedom 'gainst a monarchy.
What will he do supported by a king ?
Leading a troop of gentlemen and lords,
And stuffed with treasure for his highest thoughts ?
Cos. And such shall wait on worthy Tamburlaine. 60
Our army will be forty thousand strong.
When Tamburlaine and brave Theridamas
Have met us by the river Araris :
And all conjoin'd to meet the witless king.
That now is marching near to Parthia,
0^^
-^^
A^
44, is] in O4.
48. fair] The metre requires a
dissyllable here . Words or syllables
ending in ' r ' frequently vary in
Elizabethan English and are valued
as monosyllables or dissyllables
according to the demands of the
metre. Compare ' hour ' in 1. 50,
which, in the early texts is signifi-
cantly spelt ' hower '.
59. stuff] has here the now obso-
lete sense of to furnish support or
money to a person. The word has
depreciated since the late sixteenth
century, when it could be regularly
used in a serious and even dignified
context. Cf. Romeo and Juliet, iii.
V. 183. 'A Gentleman . . . Stuft
as they say with Honourable parts.'
63. the river Araris] Does Mar-
lowe mean ' Araxes ' ? There are
two rivers of this name, one on
which Persepolis was situated, and
the other in Armenia. Probably
it is the second that is meant here.
Ortelius marks it clearly, flowing
east through Armenia into the
Caspian Sea. Herodotus refers to
the Oxus as the Araxes, which
introduced a further possibility
of confusion for the Elizabethans.
65. near to Parthia] The Persian
army is described as moving north
towards the territory about the
Caspian Sea. Marlowe is inten-
tionally vague about the actual
site of this unhistorical battle.
96 THE FIRST PART OF [actii
And with unwilling soldiers faintly arm'd,
To seek revenge on me and Tamburlaine.
To whom, sweet Menaphon, direct me straight.
Men. I will, my lord. [Exeunt
y r..r- .. SCENE II
Mycetes, Meander, with other Lords and Soldiers
Myc. Come my Meander, let us to this gear.
I tell you true, my heart is swoln with wrath
On this same thievish villain Tamburlaine,
And of that false Cosroe, my traitorous brother.
Would it not grieve a king to be so abused.
And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away ?
And, which is worse, to have his diadem
Sought for by such scald knaves as love him not ?
I think it would : well then, by heavens I swear,
Aurora shall not peep out of her doors, lo
But I will have Cosroe by the head.
And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword.
Tell you the rest, Meander, I have said.
Mean. Then, having passed Armenian deserts now,
Scene ii.
7. worse'l worst O^ Oj O4.
Act II. Scene ii. describes the position of the army
and its previous line of march,
I . gear] business, as often with which has been described by Cosroe
the EUzabethans. Cf. Troilus and in the previous scene as ' marching
Cressida, i. i. 6 : ' Will this gear near to Parthia '. The army of
ne'er be mended ' and North Mycetes has passed the Armenian
{Plutarch) ' whilest this gere was deserts and reached the foothills of
a-brewing '. the Caucasus, or Georgian moun-
3, 4. On, of] The two prepositions tains, where it has come into
are used interchangeably to signify touch with the northern army of
the direction or the object of the Tamburlaine. The district in
emotion. which both armies are marching
8. scald] mean, contemptible, lies, roughly, between the Black
low. Sea and the Caspian Sea, The
II. Cosroe] as usually, a tri- Tartar army, being in advance,
syllable. has taken possession of the fast
14-17. Then. . . am6Ms/j] Meander places in the mountains.
sc.ii] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 97
And pitched our tents under the Georgian hills,
Whose tops are covered with Tartarian thieves,
That lie in ambush, waiting for a prey.
What should we do but bid them battle straight,
And rid the world of those detested troops ?
Lest, if we let them linger here a while, 20
They gather strength by power of fresh supplies.
This country swarms with vile outrageous men.
That live by rapine and by lawless spoil.
Fit soldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.
And he that could with gifts and promises
Inveigle him that led a thousand horse.
And make him false his faith unto his king, /
Will quickly win such as are like himself.
Therefore cheer up your minds ; prepare to fight.
He that can take or slaughter Tamburlaine, 30
Shall rule the province of Albania.
Who brings that traitor's head, Theridamas,
Shall have a government in Media,
Beside the spoil of him and all his train.
But if Cosroe (as our spials say.
And as we know) remains with Tamburlaine,
His highness' pleasure is that he should live.
And be reclaim'd with princely lenity.
Enter a Spy.
Spy. An hundred horsemen of my company,
Scouting abroad upon these champion plains, 40
15. pitched] pitch Oj. 24. the] that O4. 27. his king] the King O3
O4. 28. are] be Og. 34. Beside] Besides O4. 38. S.D.] Add. Dyce.
40. champion] campion O3.
22. outrageous] ' fierce ', ' vio- struction more common in fully
lent '. inflected than in relatively unin-
27, false] to betray or go back fleeted languages,
upon his word. 33. M^fi^ia] the north-eastern por-
31. Albania] for the Ancients tion of the Persian Empire, in
and for Ortehus is the district Ortelius immediately south of the
lying along the west coast of the Caspian Sea.
Caspian Sea, north of the Caucasus. 35. spials] espials, spies.
32. Theridamas] a genitive in 40. champion plains] level
apposition to ' traitor's ', a con- stretches of open country.
7
98
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
/ Have view'd the army of the Scythians,
Which make report it far exceeds the king's.
Mean. Suppose they be in number infinite,
Yet being void of martial discipHne,
All running headlong after greedy spoils.
And more regarding gain than victory,
Like to the cruel brothers of the earth.
Sprung of the teeth of dragons venomous.
Their careless swords shall lanch their fellows' throats
And make us triumph in their overthrow. 50
Myc. Was there such brethren, sweet Meander, say,
That sprung of teeth of dragons venomous ?
Mean. So poets say, my lord.
Myc. And 'tis a pretty toy to be a poet.
Well, well. Meander, thou art deeply read ;
And having thee, I have a jewel sure.
Go on my lord, and give your charge, I say ;
Thy wit will make us conquerors to-day.
Mean. Then noble soldiers, to entrap these thieves.
That live confounded in disordered troops.
If wealth or riches may prevail with them,
We have our camels laden all with gold,
6©
42. make] makes O4. report] reports O^ O3. 48. teeth of] om.
O3 O4.
43-50. Suppose . . . overthrow]
The picture which Meander draws
represents fairly the armies of many
eastern powers at this time, dis-
tinguished rather for size than
for organization or mobiUty. The
Mongols, as Marlowe knew and as
the lives of Tamburlaine unani-
mously insist, gained their chief
advantage by the strictness of
their discipline and the excellence
of their communication, transport
and fighting organization. Timur's
army was never seduced by spoils
until the fighting was over ; the
preparations of Meander, though
reasonable enough, are foredoomed
to failure. The transferred epithet
which appears here in ' greedy
spoils ' is rare with Marlowe.
48. teeth of dragons] Cadmus, in
the mythological accounts, after
killing the dragon that guarded the
well of Ares, sowed the dragon's
teeth in the earth. There sprang
up therefrom armed men who fell
to fighting and slaying each other.
There were five survivors, who
became the ancestors of the Theb-
ans.
54. And . . . poet] Even those
critics who have denied Marlowe
a sense of humour have not denied
a biting irony which approaches
near it. With this sly comment
we can compare his later reflections
upon the fate of Mercury and his
sons, the poets {Hero and Leander :
Sestiad I., 11. 465-482).
sc. Ill] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 99
Which you that be but common soldiers
Shall fling in every corner of the field ;
And while the base-born Tartars take it up,
You, fighting more for honour than for gold.
Shall massacre those greedy minded slaves.
And when their scattered army is subdu'd.
And you march on their slaughtered carcasses.
Share equally the gold that bought their lives, 70
And live like gentlemen in Persia.
Strike up the drum, and march courageously,
Fortune herself doth sit upon our crests.
Myc, He tells you true, my masters, so he does.
Drums, why sound ye not when Meander speaks ?
SCENE III
COSROE, TAMBURLAINE, ThERIDAMAS, TeCHELLES,
UsuMCASANE, Ortygius, with others.
Cos. Now, worthy Tamburlaine, have I reposed
In thy approved fortunes all my hope.
What thinkst thou, man, shall come of our attempts ?
For, even as from assured oracle,
I take thy doom for satisfaction.
Tamb. And so mistake you not a whit, my lord.
fFor fates and oracles [of] heaven have sworn
VjTo royalise the deeds of Tamburlaine,
72. the] om. O3 O4. 75. Meanderl Meand. Oj. Mean. 02-4.
Scene in.
Heading] Actus i, Scoena 2 O3 O4. 7. [0/]] Add. Rob. etc. om Oi_4.
Act II. Scene Hi. note on that line. The use of the
7. [of]] A word of one syllable has word ' heaven ' here suggests a
fallen out in all the early texts. mingling of pagan and Christian
Robinson's addition is adopted here. systems such as was common with
' Fates and oracles of heaven ' may many of the Elizabethans but with
be compared with 11. i. 33 and the none more than with Marlowe.
100
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
And make them blest that share in his attempts.
And doubt you not but, if you favour me lo
And let my fortunes and my valour sway
To some direction in your martial deeds,
The world will strive with hosts of men at arms
To swarm unto the ensign I support.
The hosts of Xerxes, which by fame is said
To drink the mighty Parthian Araris,
Was but a handful to that we will have ;
Our quivering lances shaking in the air
And bullets like Jove's dreadful thunderbolts
Enrolled in flames and fiery smouldering mists 20
Shall threat the gods more than Cyclopian wars ;
And with our sun-bright armour^^ as we march.
We'll chase the stars from heaven and dim their eyes
12. To some] To scorne Og. 13. will] shall O3 O4.
11-12. sway To some direction]
means, I think, ' Prevail so as to
give me some degree of control '.
15. The hosts of Xerxes] Xerxes
brought his army, said to be of
fabulous size, against the Greek
empire in 480 B.C. ; it was defeated
and scattered at Salamis. For the
Greek interpretation of the story
we have the Persae of Aeschylus.
But Marlowe is more likely to
have read the tale in Herodotus or
a derivative of his history. (Com-
pare Herodotus, vii. 21. 43, etc.).
Even so, some version has inter-
vened between Marlowe and Hero-
dotus here, supplying the more
fabulous accompaniments.
16. Parthian Araris] See 11. i. 63
and note. The legend here referred
to is given by Herodotus, vii. 21 ;
but the river he speaks of as
Araxes is probably either the Oxus,
the Jaxartes or the Volga. Sir
Thomas Browne {Pseud. Ep., Book
VII, Cap. 18) reports the legend
but does not name the river.
Haytoun {Les Fleurs des hystoires
de la terre D orient, Part v. ch. vii.,
Sig. Piv.) repeats the comment of
Pius II on Tamburlaine in words
which are close to Marlowe's
lines : ' Les gens et les chevaulx
de son ost en beuvant ont mys
plusieurs grans fleuves a sec tant
estoyt la nombre grant. II estoyt
plus puissant que iamais ne furent
xerses ne darius et se nommoit
lire de dieu.'
20. Enrolled . . . mists] Modern
gunpowder was unknown to the
Tartars, though various explosives
approximating to it seem to have
been used by Timur, The national
weapon of most central Asiatic
races is, however, the bow. The
historians from whom Marlowe
drew his account were more or less
unaware of this fact, and he makes
hardly any mention of it, drawing
instead upon the accounts of
Timur's use of siege engines and
European armaments, which had
accumulated as the story travelled
west,
21. Cyclopian] Marlowe identifies
the Cyclopes, as do many classical
writers, with the Titans, who
attacked the empire of Jove.
(See II. vi. 2 and note, and compare
Homer, Od.. ix.)
sc.iii] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT lOi
That stand and muse at our admired arms.
Ther. You see, my lord, what working words he hath.
But, when you see his actions top his speech,
Your speech will stay, or so extol his worth
As I shall be commended and excused
For turning my poor charge to his direction.
And these his two renowmed friends, my lord, 30
Would make one thrust and strive to be retain'd
In such a great degree of amity.
Tech. With duty and with amity we yield
Our utmost service to the fair Cosroe.
Cos. Which I esteem as portion of my crown.
Usumcasane and Techelles both,
When she that rules in Rhamnis' golden gates
And makes a passage for all prosperous arms.
Shall make me solely emperor of Asia,
Then shall your meeds and valours be advanced 40
To rooms of honour and nobility.
Tamh. Then haste, Cosroe, to be king alone,
That I with these my friends and all my men
May triumph in our long expected fate.
The king your brother is now hard at hand ;
Meet with the fool, and rid your royal shoulders
26. top] Dyce etc. stop Oi_4. 31. thrust] thrist O4. 33. and] notOi^^.
34. the] thee O3 O4. 40. meeds] deeds O4.
26. top.] The old texts unani- thirst and was followed by several
mously read ' stop '. ' Top ' was subsequent editors,
suggested by Dyce and has been 37. Rhamnis] The early texts
followed by subsequent editors, have the form Rhamnis (instead of
including Wagner and Tucker Rhamnus), which is therefore re-
Brooke, one of the few deviations tained. The reference is to the
the latter editor permits from the temple of Nemesis at Rhamnus in
text of Oi- The use of ' top ' in Attica. References to Rhamnusia
this sense can be readily paralleled occur in Ovid, one of Marlowe's
(cf. Hamlet, iv. iv. 89, ' So far he favourite classical authors, and it
topp'd my thought '). is possibly one of these passages
30. renowmed] see i. ii. 187 and that he has in mind here. (See
note. Trist., v. 8, 9 and Metam., iii.
31. thrust] the reading of O1-3 ; 406.)
' thrist', of O4, Dyce emended to
102 THE FIRST PART OF [actii
Of such a burden as outweighs the sands
And all the craggy rocks of Caspea.
Enter a Messenger.
Mes. My lord, we have discovered the enemy
Ready to charge you with a mighty army. 50
Cos. Come, Tamburlaine, now whet thy winged sword
And lift thy lofty arm into the clouds,
That it may reach the king of Persia's crown
And set it safe on my victorious head.
Tamh. See where it is, the keenest curtle-axe
That e'er made passage thorough Persian arms !
These are the wings shall make it fly as swift
As doth the lightning or the breath of heaven.
And kill as sure as it swiftly flies.
Cos. Thy words assure me of kind success. 60
Go, valiant soldier, go before and charge
The fainting army of that foolish king.
Tanib. Usumcasane and Techelles, come.
We are enough to scare the enemy.
And more than needs to make an emperor. [Exeunt.
48. S.D.] Add Dyce. 55. curtle-axe] Cutle-axe Oj Og. 64. enough]
enow Og. 65. S.D.] Add. Rob.
48. Caspea] The Caspian Sea. times also daggers, but not, as a
55. curtle-axe] A European wea- rule, axes,
pon again. The Scythian warriors 59, 60. sure . . . assure] Marlowe
carried bows and swords, some- apparently scans these as dis-
syllabic and trisyllabic words.
sc. IV] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 103
SCENE IV
To the battle and Mycetes comes out alone with his crown
in his hand, offering to hide it.
^.^^
Myc, Accurst be he that first invented war !
They knew not, ah, they knew not, simple men,
How those were hit by pelting cannon shot
Stand staggering like a quivering aspen leaf
Fearing the force of Boreas' boisterous blasts.
In what a lamentable case were I,
If nature had not given me wisdom's lore !
For kings are clouts that every man shoots at,
Our crown the pin that thousands seek to cleave ;
Therefore in policy I think it good lo
To hide it close ; a goodly stratagem,
And far from any man that is a fool.
So shall not I be known ; or if I be, -
They cannot take away my crown from me.
Here will I hide it in this simple hole.
Enter Tamburlaine.
Tamb. What fearful coward straggling from the camp.
When kings themselves are present in the field ?
Scene iv.
Heading Scene iv] Add. Dyce. 4. Stanch] Stand those O4.
Act II. Scene iv. ,^- ^^XV \fl^ favourite meta-
phor with Marlowe s contempor-
1-5. Accurst . . . blasts'] The sym- aries, famiHar with archery, which,
pathy and insight of Marlowe's encouraged by a measure of gov-
study of Mycetes is never more ernment support, was still an
clearly shown than in these lines. everyday pastime. The clout is
The figure of Tamburlaine was not the central mark of the butts, to
the only one that Marlowe was hit which is the aim of the archer ;
capable of drawing at this time, the pin is the nail in its centre that
though the mood of the weak, fastens it in place. ' To cleave the
timid degenerate is necessarily pin ' is, of course, a triumph
strictly subordinate in a play of achieved only by the highest skill,
conquest and victory. References such as this to familiar
^. those were] elliptic ]' thosewho objects of Elizabethan daily life,
were '. which are frequent in Shakespeare,
5. Boreas] The common Latin are rare in Marlowe, particularly in
namefor the personified north wind. the earlier plays.
104 THE FIRST PART OF [actii
Myc. Thou liest.
Tamb. Base villain, darst thou give the lie ?
Myc. Away ! I am the king. Go, touch me not. 20
Thou breakst the law of arms unless thou kneel
And cry me ' Mercy, noble king ! '
Tamb. Are you the witty king of Persia ?
Myc. Ay, marry, am I ; have you any suit to me ?
Tamb. I would entreat you to speak but three wise words.
Myc. So I can when I see my time.
Tamb. Is this your crown ?
Myc. Ay. Didst thou ever see a fairer ?
Tamb. You will not sell it, will ye ?
Myc. Such another word, and I will have thee executed. 30
Come, give it me.
Tamb. No ; I took it prisoner.
Myc. You lie ; I gave it you.
Tamb. Then 'tis mine.
Myc. No ; I mean I let you keep it.
Tamb. Well, I mean you shall have it again.
Here, take it for a while ; I lend it thee,
Till I may see thee hemm'd with armed men.
Then shalt thou see me pull it from thy head ;
Thou art no match for mighty Tamburlaine. [Exit. 40
Myc. O gods, is this Tamburlaine the thief ?
I marvel much he stole it not away.
[Sound trumpets to the battle and he runs in.
19 give] give me O4. 40. S.D.] Add. Dyce.
23. witty] This word had a wider It is also worth noticing that this
meaning in EHzabethan than in passage is in prose, a medium Mar-
modern Enghsh. Tamburlaine uses lowe never ^.ppears to choose
it here to mean sagacious and dis- willingly, and that it may therefore
creet or, perhaps, intelligent and be a survival of those ' fond and
capable. Either, applied to Mycetes frivolous gestures' of which Rich-
caught in the act of hiding the crown, ard Jones ' (purposely) omitted '
is heavy and obvious sarcasm. some in setting up the text.
28-35. -^y • ■ • k^^P *^] Mycetes, Whether these ' gestures ' were by
perhaps under stress of a stage- another hand or by Marlowe's
manager's demand for comic relief, under compulsion, we may be
degenerates in this part of the equally sure they were no part of
scene into a conventional imbecile. his original intention.
sc. V] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 105
SCENE V
COSROE, TAMBURLAINE, ThERIDAMAS, MeNAPHON, MeANDER,
Ortygius, Techelles, Usumcasane, with others.
Tamh. Hold thee, Cosroe ; wear two imperial crowns.
Think thee invested now as royally,
Even by the mighty hand of Tamburlaine,
As if as many kings as could encompass thee
With greatest pomp had crown'd thee emperor.
Cos. So do I, thrice renowmed man at arms ;
And none shall keep the crown but Tamburlaine.
Thee do I make my regent of Persia,
And general lieutenant of my armies.
Meander, you that were our brother's guide, lo
And chiefest counsellor in all his acts.
Since he is yielded to the stroke of war,
On your submission we with thanks excuse.
And give you equal place in our affairs.
Mean. Most happy emperor, in humblest terms
I vow my service to your majesty.
With utmost virtue of my faith and duty.
Cos. Thanks, good Meander. Then, Cosroe, reign, -
And govern Persia in her former pomp.
Now send embassage to thy neighbour kings, 20
And let them know the Persian king is chang'd ...
From one that knew not what a king should do
To one that can command what 'longs thereto.
Scene v.
Heading Scene v\ Add. Dyce. ii. chiefest] chiefe O^. 15. happy]
happiest O3 O4. 16. your] you O3. 20. embassage] Ambassage Oj Oj.
II. chiefest] There is nothing
Act II. Scene v. unusual in this double superlative
8. Persia] should, as usually in form, and it is difficult to see why
this play, be scanned as a trisyllabic the printer of O 2 should have
word. wished to change it.
106
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
And now we will to fair Persepolis
With twenty thousand expert soldiers.
The lords and captains of my brother's camp
With little slaughter take Meander's course,
And gladly yield them to my gracious rule.
Ortygius and Menaphon, my trusty friends,
Now will I gratify your former good, 30
And grace your calling with a greater sway.
Orty. And as we ever aimed at your behoof,
And sought your state all honour it deserv'd.
So will we with our powers and our lives
Endeavour to preserve and prosper it.
Cos. I will not thank thee, sweet Ortygius ;
Better replies shall prove my purposes.
And now, Lord Tamburlaine, my brother's camp
I leave to thee and to Theridamas,
To follow me to fair Persepolis. 40
Then will we march to all those Indian mines
32. aimed^ and Oj O^.
I O3 O,.
33. if] is O2. 34. our lives] lives O^. 41. we"]
24, Persepolis'] was not actually
at this time a ruin ; it had been
reduced by Alexander in 331 B.C.,
but was presumably to some
extent rebuilt as it figures later in
ancient and medieval history.
None of the historians of Timur
mention it among the Persian
cities when describing his con-
quests there — Bizarus {Lib. Duodec,
p. 412) describes its ancient glory
and destruction by Alexander —
and Marlowe seems to have ele-
vated it to a position which neither
history nor his sources accord to it.
For the full justification of this
innovation we have only to read
the lines 50-4 of this scene.
25. expert] here slightly nearer
to the original Latin meaning of
' expertus ', passively used, than
to the modern English ; ' proved '
rather than * technically profi-
cient '.
29. A metrically difficult line,
best scanned as an Alexandrine.
33. state] here, power, position,
high rank.
41. Indian mines] Darius I (521-
485 B.C.) had originally annexed
the gold-bearing country of Kash-
mir and much territory about the
Indus. It is not easy to say by
whom, or at what date before
Timur's coming, they were lost to
the Persians. Persia fell under the
dominion of Jenghiz Khan at the
end of the twelfth century and
from then to the death of Abu
Sa'id (1335) was an Empire (paying
nominal homage to the Khakhan
in China) stretching from Egypt to
the territory of Tagatai and from
the bounds of China to those of
the Byzantine Empire, A period
of disintegration followed the death
of Abu Sa'id, during which a large
number of minor dynasties, Mongol
sc. V] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 107
My witless brother to the Christians lost,
And ransom them with fame and usury.
And till thou overtake me Tamburlaine,
(Staying to order all the scattered troops,)
Farewell, lord regent and his happy friends.
I long to sit upon my brother's throne.
Mena. Your majesty shall shortly have your wish, !
\t And ride in triumph through Persepolis. [Exeunt.
^"""^ [Manent Tamb., Ther., Tech., and Usum.
Tamb. And ride in triumph through Persepolis ! 50
Is it not brave to be a king, Techelles ?
Usumcasane and Theridamas,
Is it not passing brave to be a king.
And ride in triumph through Persepolis ?
Tech. O, my lord, 'tis sweet and full of pomp !
Usum, To be a king, is half to be a god.
Ther. A god is not so glorious as a king :
I think the pleasure they enjoy in heaven,
I Cannot compare with kingly joys in earth ;
^-To wear a crown enchas'd with pearl and gold, 60
Whose virtues carry with it Ufe and death ;
To ask and have, command and be obeyed ;
When looks breed love, with looks to gain the prize,
Such power attractive shines in princes' eyes.
Tamb. Why, say, Theridamas, wilt thou be a king ?
Ther. Nay, though I praise it, I can live without it.
48. Prefix Mena] Mean Og.
and non-Mongol, rose and fell, 60-4. To wear . . . eyes] The
until Timur united the whole again imaginations of Tamburlaine's fol-
briefiy in the Timurid dynasty. lowers are pedestrian and literal
It is this disturbed period, just beside the undefined aspiration of
before the coming of Timur, that their leader. The dreams of Theri-
Marlowe has chosen for the setting damas recall those of Richard :
of the unhistorical events of the
opening scenes of the play. ' How sweet a thing it is to wear
59. in earth] (modern ' on earth ') a crown
is common among Elizabethans ' Within whose circuit is Elysium
and familiar to them as to modern ' And all that poets feign of bliss
readers from the clause ' Thy will and joy.'
be done in earth as it is in heaven ' (j Henry VI, i. ii. 29-31.)
(Matthew vi. 9).
108 THE FIRST PART OF [act ii
Tamb. What says my other friends, will you be kings ?
Tech. I, if I could, with all my heart, my lord.
Tamb. Why, that's well said, Techelles ; so would I.
And so would you, my masters, would you not ? 70
Usum. What then my lord ?
Tamb. Why then, Casane, shall we wish for ought
The world affords in greatest novelty.
And rest attemptless, faint and destitute ?
Methinks we should not. I am strongly mov'd.
That if I should desire the Persian crown,
I could attain it with a wondrous ease ;
And would not all our soldiers soon consent,
If we should aim at such a dignity ?
Ther. I know they would with our persuasions. 80
Tamb. Why then, Theridamas, I'll first assay .
To get the Persian kingdom to myself ; 1
Then thou for Parthia ; they for Scythia and Media ;
And if I prosper, all shall be as sure
As if the Turk, the Pope, Afric and Greece
Came creeping to us with their crowns a-piece.
Tech. Then shall we send to this triumphing king.
And bid him battle for his novel crown ?
Usum. Nay, quickly, then, before his room be hot.
Tamb. Twill prove a pretty jest, in faith, my friends. 90
Ther. A jest to charge on twenty thousand men ?
I judge the purchase more important far.
Tamb. Judge by thyself, Theridamas, not me ;
72. Casane] Casanes O^^^. 86. a-piece] apace Oi Og.
72. Casane] obviously intended the Soldan of Egypt standing for
here, though ' Casanes ' is the the chief empire of the African con-
reading of O1-4. tinent ; the Emperor of Greece
85. As if ... Greece] Tamburlaiine the surviving eastern Roman or
names the four potentates whose Byzantine Empire with its seat
submission would virtually make at Constantinople,
him emperor of the world : the 92, purchase] here endeavour,
Turkish emperor representing Ana- undertaking ; Theridamas has
tolia, some of the western Black not yet caught to the full the
Sea coast, the Levant, and several exaltation of Tamburlaine and his
African Provinces ; the Pope being followers,
the spiritual head of Christendom ;
sc.vi] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 109
For presently Techelles here shall haste
To bid him battle ere he pass too far,
And lose more labour than the gain will quite.
Then shalt thou see the Scythian Tamburlaine
Make but a jest to win the Persian crown.
Techelles, take a thousand horse with thee
And bid him turn him back to war with us, lOO
That only made him king to make us sport.
We will not steal upon him cowardly.
But give him warning and more warriors.
Haste thee, Techelles ; we will follow thee.
[Exit Techelles,
What saith Theridamas ?
Ther. Go on, for me. [Exeunt.
SCENE VI
CosROE, Meander, Ortygius, Menaphon, with other
Soldiers.
Cos. What means this devilish shepherd, to aspire
With such a giantly presumption,
To cast up hills against the face of heaven,
And dare the force of angry Jupiter ?
But as he thrust them underneath the hills,
95. too] to Os O4. 97. the] this Og. lOo. him back]Rob. etc. his back 0^_^.
103. and] with O4. 104. S.D.] Add. Dyce etc.
Scene vi.
4. Jupiter] lupititer O3.
96. quite] repay or reward. Jove, described by many writers,
106. for me] as usually, ' As far Ovid among them. SeeM5^i.i5i—
as I am concerned '. 5. One line there comes near to
Marlowe's phrasing :
Act II. Scene vt. < Altaque congestos struxisse ad
2. giantly] A rare adjective. The sidera montes.'
more usual form even in Elizabethan There is a slight confusion here in
English was' giantlike ', The refer- Marlowe's mythology. It was Ty-
ence in this and the next two lines is phoeus who was buried under
to the Titans and their war against Aetna, not the rebellious Titans.
110 THE FIRST PART OF [actii
And pressed out fire from their burning jaws,
So will I send this monstrous slave to hell,
Where flames shall ever feed upon his soul.
Mean. Some powers divine, or else infernal, mixed
Their angry seeds at his conception ; lo
For he was never sprung of human race.
Since with the spirit of his fearful pride,
He dares so doubtlessly resolve of rule.
And by profession be ambitious.
Orty. What god or fiend or spirit of the earth
Or monster turned to a manly shape.
Or of what mould or mettle he be made.
What star or state soever govern him.
Let us put on our meet encountering minds.
And in detesting such a devilish thief, 20
In love of honour and defence of right.
Be arm'd against the hate of such a foe,
Whether from earth or hell or heaven he grow.
Cos. Nobly resolv'd, my good Ortygius.
And since we all have sucked one wholesome air,
And with the same proportion of elements
Resolve, I hope we are resembled.
Vowing our loves to equal death and life.
Let's cheer our soldiers to encounter him.
That grievous image of ingratitude, 30
13. dares] dare O3 O4.
13. doubtlessly] ' free from the 25-8. since . . . life] A somewhat
sense of doubt ', ' without mis- obscure passage. For the idea of
giving '. Cf. Shakespeare, King dissolution after death we may
John, IV. i. 130, ' Pretty childe, compare Tamburlaine's words, i.
sleepe doubtlesse and secure.' No ii. 235. I take Cosroe's meaning to
instance of doubtlessly in this sense be ' As we, being men, have all
is given by N.E.D. resolve of] lived by breathing the same air
' resolve upon ', ' set his mind and shall all dissolve at death
upon '. The whole may be para- into the same proportions of the
phrased, ' He dares resolve so un- elements of which we are made
hesitatingly to rule and so openly up, I hope we are determined to be
declares his ambition.' equally alike in our fates, whether
17. mettle] in the general sense of of death or of life '.
disposition, temperament.
sc.vii] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT ill
That fiery thirster after sovereignty,
And burn him in the fury of that flame
That none can quench but blood and empery.
Resolve, my lords and loving soldiers, now
To save your king and country from decay.
Then strike up, drum ; and all the stars that make
The loathsome circle of my dated life,
Direct my weapon to his barbarous heart.
That thus opposeth him against the gods,
And scorns the powers that govern Persia ! 40
[Exetint.
SCENE VII
Enter to the battle, and after the battle enter Cosroe wounded,
Theridamas, Tamburlaine, Techelles, Usumcasane,
with others.
Cos. Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine,
Thus to deprive me of my crown and life !
Treacherous and false Theridamas,
Even at the morning of my happy state,
Scarce being seated in my royal throne,
To work my downfall and untimely end !
An uncouth pain torments my grieved soul
And death arrests the organ of my voice.
Who, entering at the breach thy sword hath made,
40. S.D.] Add Wag. etc.
Scene vii.
Heading Scene vii] Add. Dyce.
32-3. And burn . . . empery] or ' limited ' by the stars, which
Cosroe apparently means that consistently fought for him. Cos-
Tamburlaine's ambition, thwarted roe, on the other hand, has reason
by defeat, will destroy him by its to feel weary of his life, though the
own fury, sentiment is a little unexpected.
37. ' my ', the reading of O1-4 In support of the reading ' his '
is retained here. Collier suggested it may be noted that Cosroe is
emending to ' his ', but Tambur- resolved (1. 7) upon the destruction
laine's life was in no sense ' dated ' of Tamburlaine.
112
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
r^
10
Sacks every vein and artier of my heart.
Bloody and insatiate Tamburlaine !
< ^ Tamb. The thirst of reign and sweetness of a crown,
O^ "ji That caused the eldest son of heavenly Ops ^DCturr^
j\
To thrust his doting father from his chair,
And place himself in the imperial heaven,
Mov'd me to manage arms against thy state.
What better precedent than mighty Jove ?
Nature, that fram'd us of four elements
Act II. Scene vii.
lo. vein and artier'] Marlowe's
knowledge of physiology, unlike
his knowledge of pure or specu-
lative science, seems, as has been
said, to have been little more
than is found in many of his con-
temporaries. Vague foreshadow-
ings of Harvey's conception of the
circulation are not uncommon at
this time, though they usually
resolve, upon examination, into
mere generalities. In Part II.
IV. i. 178-9 Trebisond refers to
' spirit, vein and artier ' feeding
the heart. But neither passage
suggests that the functions of
veins and arteries are definitely
distinguished.
13. eldest son . . . Ops] The career
of Jove as described by Ovid and
other story-tellers seems to have
laid hold upon Marlowe's imagina-
tion ; there are few episodes in it
which are not touched on directly
or obliquely in this play and no
other passages of classical myth-
ology seem to come more readily
into his mind. It is, of course,
peculiarly fitting to the story of
Tamburlaine and to Marlowe's
mood in this early period.
15. imperial] The reading of the
text is the modern equivalent of the
form Emperiall of Oi_4 here and
elsewhere, I think, however, that
there is little doubt that this form
does duty equally for the modern
* empyreal ' and ' imperial '. Either
meaning could be adopted here,
but in view of the reference to the
empire of Jove throughout the
passage, I incline to the second.
16. to manage arms] A common
phrase at this period for waging
war. See Part II. v. iii. 36 and
note.
18-26. Nature . . . never rest]
The lines that follow form one of
the most beautiful and perhaps the
most completely characteristic pass-
ages of poetry in Marlowe's work.
They are the key not only to the
spirit of Tamburlaine and to the
mood in which the first part of
the play is conceived, but to Mar-
lowe's thought whenever it is
occupied with the themes that were
most significant to him. Physio-
logically his man is formed, like
Aristotle's, of four elements (see
the note to i. ii. 235) which dispute
with each other, in a perfect tem-
perament, for supreme control
(regiment). But, adds Marlowe,
the fact that this warfare is a part
of Nature's purpose and that she
gives us so unquestionable evidence
of it, teaches us that strife and
aspiration should be the law of our
spiritual being also. Then, ming-
ling with this the Platonic concep-
tion of the soul as the seed of
divine potentiality in man, he per-
ceives this element urging the same
conclusion. Finally, Marlowe, the
Elizabethan astronomer, the man
who loved the movements of the
stars more than the familiar sur-
face of the earth, measures man's
divinity by his highest achieve-
ment : the comprehension of ' the
wondrous architecture of the
world '. As he watches the moving
heavens that never rest, he per-
ceives that there is, moreover, a
sc. VII] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 113
Warring within our breasts for regiment,
Doth teach us all to have aspiring minds : 20
Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous architecture of the world.
And measure every wandering planet's course.
Still climbing after knowledge infinite.
And always moving as the restless spheres,
Wills us to wear ourselves and never rest.
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,
A/ That perfect bliss and sole felicity,
"nF The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.
Ther. And that made me to join with Tamburlaine ; 30
For he is gross and like the massy earth
That moves not upwards, nor by princely deeds
Doth mean to soar above the highest sort.
Tech. And that made us, the friends of Tamburlaine,
To lift our swords against the Persian king.
Usum. For as, when Jove did thrust old Saturn down,
Neptune and Dis gain'd each of them a crown,
So do we hope to reign in Asia,
27. fruit] fruites Og.
profound bond between their des- lowe's whole conception seems to
tiny and that of the ' soul of man ', sink to that level,
the one ' still climbing after know- 31-3- For he . . . soar"] The earth,
ledge infinite ', the other also ever the heaviest of the four elements,
moving. More than any other combining the properties of ' dry-
passage, these lines of Marlowe's ness ' and ' coldness ' was typical
recall those of Ptolemaeus : ' I of grossness and dullness of nature,
know that I am mortal and em- Any man, Theridamas says, that
phemeral ; but when I scan the moves not upwards led by an aspira-
multitudinous circling spirals of tion such as Tamburlaine's, is
the stars, no longer do I touch only a clod of earth,
earth with my feet, but sit with 36-9. For as . . . Persia] The
Zeus himself, and take my fill of rimes here are unfortunate but un-
the ambrosial food of gods.' (J. W. deniable. There is no ground for
Mackail, Select Epigrams from the assuming the passage to be un-
Greek Anthology, iv. xxxii.) authentic. Neptune and Dis, the
27-9. Until . . .crown] 'The rest', Poseidon and Hades of Greek
says Mr. Havelock Ellis in a fine mythology, were the two brothers
comment upon this passage, ' is of Zeus and shared the rule of the
Scythian bathos.' Tamburlaine's universe with him (Poseidon gov-
aspiration sinks, exhausted for the erning the sea and Hades the under-
raoment, to repeat the interpreta- world), when the empire of Cronus
tions his followers had put upon it (Saturn), and the older gods gave
(see II. V. 60 and note) even as, in place to that of Zeus,
the second part of the play, Mar-
8
114
THE FIRST PART OF
[act II
(n/'
If Tamburlaine be plac'd in Persia.
Cos. The strangest men that ever nature made ! 40
I know not how to take their tyrannies.
My bloodless body waxeth chill and cold ;
And with my blood my life slides through my wound ;
My soul begins to take her flight to hell,
And summons all my senses to depart ;
The heat and moisture which did feed each other,
For want of nourishment to feed them both,
Is dry and cold ; and now doth ghastly death
With greedy talents gripe my bleeding heart,
And like a harpy tires on my life. 50
tjiK jTheridamas and Tamburlaine, I die :
And fearful vengeance light upon you both !
[Tamburlaine takes the crown, and puts it on.
Tamh. Not all the curses which the furies breathe
Shall make me leave so rich a prize as this.
Theridamas, Techelles, and the rest.
Who think you now is king of Persia ?
42. chiW] child O3. 50. harpy] Harpyr Oj O3 Harper O4. 52. S.D.
Tamburlaine] Dyce etc. He Oi_4. 53. the furies] thy furies Og.
44-5. My soul . . . depart] An in-
teresting passage, if only for the
conception of the senses (as in
Aristotelian philosophy) as pro-
perties of the soul and not of the
body. Marlowe is not consistent,
in this play, in the accounts he
gives of this relationship.
46-8. The heat . . . cold] Blood,
the element which combines the
properties of moisture and heat,
being removed, the balance of the
' temperament ' or constitution is
destroyed and only the properties
of cold and dryness, those of the
melancholy humour in the constitu-
tion of man, and of the earth in the
material universe, remain.
48. Is] Dyce and some subse-
quent editors have emended to
' Are '. There is no need for a
correction ; a singular verb with
two cognate subjects is good Eliza-
bethan English.
49. talents] tallents, the read-
ing of O1-4, is a usual spelling for
' talons '. The confusion between
the two words was so general that
Shakespeare in Love's Labour's Lost
(iv. ii. 65) puns upon it : ' If a
talent be a claw, look how he claws
him with a talent.'
50. harpy] Marlowe probably has
in mind the Harpies of later
mythology, winged birdlike mon-
sters with the faces of women, who
were sent to torment Phineus by
seizing upon and bearing off his
food before he could eat it. (Com-
pare Aen., III. 210 seq. ; Metam.,
VII. 4, Fasti VI. 132, all of which
were probably familiar to Marlowe.)
tires] is dissyllabic. (O4 reads
' tyers '.) The term was a common
one in falconry and means to seize
upon and tear a prey.
sc. VII] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT 115 ^
All. Tamburlaine ! Tamburlaine !
Tamb. Though Mars himself, the angry god of arms.
And all the earthly potentates conspire
To dispossess me of this diadem, 60 |
Yet will I wear it in despite of them, I
As great commander of this eastern world, i
If you but say that Tamburlaine shall reign. j
All. Long live Tamburlaine, and reign in Asia ! 1
Tamb. So ; now it is more surer on my head ,1
Than if the gods had held a parliament, t
And all pronounc'd me king of Persia. [Exeunt. \
Finis Actus 2
67. S.D.] Add. Rob. etc.
65. more surer] The double com- English as the double superlative
parative is as good Elizabethan in ' chiefest ' noted above.
ACT III
SCENE I
Bajazeth, the Kings of Fez, Morocco, and Argier, with
others, in great pomp.
Baj. Great kings of Barbary, and my portly bassoes,
We hear the Tartars and the eastern thieves,
Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine,
Presume a bickering with your emperor,
And thinks to rouse us from our dreadful siege
Of the famous Grecian Constantinople.
You know our army is invincible ;
As many circumcised Turks we have,
And warlike bands of Christians renied.
As hath the ocean or the Terrene sea lo
Act III. Scene i.
Fez, Morocco, and Argier] These
kingdoms are all marked by Orte-
lius along the north coast of
Africa ; together they make up,
as Marlowe notes, the district
known generally as Barbary.
I. portly'] See i. ii. i86 and note.
4. bickering] here used in the
older sense of skirmish or battle,
though the word also occurs among
Marlowe's contemporaries in the
more common modern sense of
wrangling or altercation.
6. Grecian Constantinople] Mar-
lowe makes little of the siege of
Constantinople by Bajazet, but it
occupies an important part in the
writings of the historians, especi-
ally of the Byzantines, The inter-
vention of Timur, which post-
poned the fall of Constantinople
for some 50 years, seems, according
to the majority of these, to have
been brought about by appeals
from the Greek and neighbouring
princes whom Bajazet had op-
pressed and who turned to Timur,
the emperor of the East, for pro-
tection. Marlowe, in placing the
conflict with Bajazet in Tambur-
laine's youth instead of at the end
of his life, has necessarily modified
this part of the story.
9. Christians renied] apostates,
those who have ' renayed ' (O.F.
renier, pop. L. renegare) their
faith. Compare Nicholay's ac-
count of the Christians forced into
the service of the Algerian Turks,
III, iii. 1. 55 n.
10. Terrene] frequently used by
Marlowe and by Ortelius for Medi-
terranean. The springs or full
tides, which set in with the waxing
of the moon and come to their
height at the full moon, do not
indicate, as Marlowe suggests, a
116
SC. l]
TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT
117
Small drops of water when the moon begins
To join in one her semicircled horns :
Yet would we not be brav'd with foreign power.
Nor raise our siege before the Grecians yield.
Or breathless lie before the city-walls.
Fez. Renowmed emperor and mighty general.
What if you sent the bassoes of your guard
To charge him to remain in Asia,
Or else to threaten death and deadly arms
As from the mouth of mighty Bajazeth ? 20
Baj. Hie thee, my basso, fast to Persia.
Tell him thy lord, the Turkish emperor.
Dread lord of Afric, Europe and Asia,
Great king and conqueror of Grsecia,
The ocean, Terrene, and the coal-black sea,
The high and highest monarch of the world.
Wills and commands (for say not I entreat),
Not once to set his foot in Africa,
Or spread his colours in Graecia,
Act III. Scene i.
21. basso] Brother O^. 26. highest] higestOi- 2S. Not] Nor O^. in]onO/^.
greater quantity of water in the sea
but a stronger movement of the
tides and a greater contrast be-
tween the levels of ebb and flow.
Even so, the Mediterranean is not
a good example of a sea thus in-
fluenced by the moon, as its tides
are very slight.
14. the Grecians] here, the in-
habitants of Constantinople under
the Emperor Manuel Paleologus,
the ruler, at the time of Bajazet's
siege, of the Byzantine Empire,
the surviving portion of the East-
em Roman Empire.
18-20. To charge . . . Bajazeth]
This was in effect done by the his-
torical Timur, according to many
of the accounts of his war with
Bajazet. The provocative reply
that Bajazet sent brought upon
him the succeeding disasters.
23-6. Dread lord . . . world] Ba-
jazet assumes a number of titles to
which he had but a slight and
nominal claim, just as the historical
Bajazet seems to have embarked
upon a career of deliberate aggran-
disement. He was the fourth Em-
peror of the Turks, the son of Amu-
rath, inheriting as the nucleus of his
Empire Natolia (Anatolia or Asia
Minor). His lordship over Africa
consisted in a doubtful control of
Egypt and of Barbary, of Europe
in a footing in northern Greece and
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