THE WORKS OF 
 
 CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES 
 
 VOL. r.
 
 THE WORKS OF 
 
 CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE 
 
 'a 
 
 WITH NOTES AND SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. ALEXANDER DYCE 
 
 ALD 
 
 LONDON 
 
 W I L L I A M P I C KERIN G 
 
 1850
 
 ?? 
 
 v,|
 
 TO 
 
 JOHN FORSTER, Esq. 
 
 AUTHOR OF THE LIFE OF GOLDSMITH, ETC. 
 
 ^fjese Folumes are mscrifrrtr, 
 
 AS A SLIGHT RETURN FOR MANY KINDNESSES, 
 BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND, 
 
 THE EDITOR.
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE present edition of Marlowe's Works is 
 not a reprint of that put forth by the same 
 publisher in 1826, but exhibits a new text formed 
 on a collation of the early copies. I had no 
 concern in the edition of 1826, which, neverthe- 
 less, has been frequently cited as mine ; and 
 when I characterize it as abounding with the 
 grossest errors, I cannot offend its editor, who 
 has been long deceased. 
 
 Several years ago, an edition of Marlowe's 
 Works was projected by Mr. J. P. Collier; but, 
 on learning that I had commenced the present 
 one, he abandoned his design, and kindly trans- 
 ferred to me some curious documents which he 
 had intended to use himself, and which I have 
 inserted in their proper places : nor, conscious 
 as I am that there has been inexcusable delay in 
 bringing out the present edition, ought I to be 
 dissatisfied that Mr. Collier should have since
 
 V1U PREFACE. 
 
 printed a considerable portion of those papers 
 in the Prolegomena to his Shakespeare. I have 
 also to return my thanks to Mr. Collier for 
 furnishing me with all the entries concerning 
 Marlowe's pieces which he had met with while 
 preparing for the press his Extracts from the 
 Registers of the Stationers' Company. 
 
 My best acknowledgments are due to the 
 Rev. Dr. Bandinel, Librarian of the Bodleian, 
 Oxford, both for the information which he com- 
 municated to me by letter, and for the many 
 courtesies which I experienced from him when 
 I had occasion to inspect Malone's collection 
 of English poetry, now added to the Bodleian 
 treasures. By the ready services of the Rev. H. 
 O. Coxe, of the same noble establishment, I 
 have profited more than once. 
 
 To the Rev. J. C. Robertson, Vicar of Beakes- 
 bourne, who spared neither time nor trouble in 
 aiding my inquiries about Marlowe in his native 
 city, I feel myself greatly indebted ; and to the 
 Rev. W. S. H. Braham, Rector of St. George's, 
 Canterbury, I am not without obligations. 
 
 Having reason to believe that Marlowe had 
 been educated at the King's School, Canterbury, 
 I requested the Hon. D. Finch, Auditor, to ex-
 
 PREPACK. IX 
 
 amine certain old Treasww's Accounts, which, 
 I was told, were preserved in the Cathedral, and 
 were likely to determine the point. With this 
 request Mr. Finch complied ; and informed me 
 that Marlowe was mentioned in those Accounts, 
 as one of the King's Scholars who had received 
 the usual stipend, during such and such years. 
 But there his civilities ended. It was in vain 
 that I continued asking him, as a particular fa- 
 vour, either to permit me to make the necessary 
 extracts from those Accounts, or to allow a clerk 
 to make them for me ; — in Mr. Finch's opinion, 
 my solicitations were unreasonable. Several 
 months after, a gentleman, whose influence is 
 powerful at Canterbury, was induced (through 
 the medium of a mutual friend) to exert himself 
 in my behalf; and, in consequence of his kind 
 interposition, the extracts from the Accounts 
 were at last forwarded to me, accompanied with 
 a special notice that " ten and sixpence" must 
 be sent, in return, to Mr. Finch. 
 
 The task of tracing Marlowe's course at Cam- 
 bridge was voluntarily undertaken for me by the 
 Rev. George Skinner, of Jesus College; and 
 he performed it with a zeal for which I feel truly 
 grateful.
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 To the Rev. John Mitford, to W. J. Thorns, 
 Esq., and to W. H. Black, Esq., 1 have to offer 
 my thanks for various and not unimportant as- 
 sistance. 
 
 The first edition of Marlowe's Hero and Le- 
 ander was lent to me by the late Mr. Miller of 
 Craigentinnv. 
 
 ALEX. DYCE. 
 
 The present edition of Marlowe's Works was just com- 
 pleted, when the following lines were sent to the Editor by 
 Mr. Collier, who found them written, in an old hand, on 
 the title-page of a copy of Alarum for London, or The 
 Siedge of Antwerpc. With the ventrous actes and valorous 
 deeds of the lame Soldier. As it hath been playde by the right 
 Honorable the Lord Charberlaine [sic] his Seruunts, London, 
 &r, 1602, 4/o:— 
 
 " Our famous Marloe had in this a hand, 
 As from his fellowes I doe vnderstand : 
 The printed copie doth his Muse much wrong, 
 But natheles manie lines ar good and strong. 
 Of Paris' Massaker such was the fate; 
 A perfitt coppie came to hand to late." 
 
 The report of Marlowe's " fellowes " may be true : but 
 certainly in the Alarum for London (as we now possess it) 
 no traces of his genius are discoverable.
 
 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 Page 
 
 Account of Marlowe and his Writings i 
 
 Addenda and Corrigenda lxix 
 
 First Part of Tamburlaine 1 
 
 Second Part of Tamburlaine 117 
 
 The Jew of Malta 227
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF MARLOWE 
 AND HIS WRITINGS. 
 
 1^7" H EN the latest biographer of Marlowe set out with 
 a declaration that " the time of this writer's birth 
 cannot be ascertained/'* he rather hastily assumed the im- 
 possibility of discovering it. Christopher Marlowe, the son 
 of John Marlowe, shoemaker, f was born at Canterbury in 
 February 1563-4, and baptized in the Church of St. George 
 the Martyr on the 26th of that month.]; 
 
 * Lives of English Dramatists, i. 49. (Lardner's Cyclop.) 
 
 t " Marlowe a shooe makers sonne of Cant." MS. Note, in 
 a very old hand, on the margin of a copy of Beard's Theatre of 
 God's Judgments, 1598, which, when 1 saw it, belonged to the 
 late Mr. B. H. Bright. — " His [Marlowe's] father was a shoe- 
 maker in Canterburie." MS. Note in a copy of Hero and Lean- 
 der, ed. 1629, now in the possession of Mr. J. P. Collier. — 
 See also the last stanza but four of the ballad called TheAtheist's 
 Tragedie, vol. iii. Appendix iv. 
 
 t 1563-4, " The 26 th day of ffebruary was christened Chris- 
 tofer the sonne of John Marlow." Register of St. George the 
 Martyr, Canterbury. — The following entries are found in the 
 same Register ; which, though very old, is only a transcript; 
 and the scribe was unable to decypher the Christian names 
 in the fourth, seventh, and eighth entries. 
 
 1548, "The 28 th day of December was christened Marget 
 the daughter of John Marlow." 
 
 1562, " The xxi" of May was christened Mary the daugh- 
 ter of John Marlowe." 
 
 1565, " The [date illegible] day of December was christened 
 Margarit the daughter of John Marlowe." 
 
 b
 
 11 SO .ML ACCOUNT OF 
 
 Our poet's history has hitherto been a blank up to the pe- 
 riod of his graduating at Cambridge; but that deficiency is 
 now in some sort supplied by the following particulars. 
 
 The King's School at Canterbury was founded by Henry 
 the Eighth for a Master, an Usher, and fifty Scholars be- 
 tween the ages of nine and fifteen, — the Scholars having each 
 a stipend of four pounds per annum, and retaining their 
 Scholarships for five years. To enable some of the more 
 deserving Scholars, on completing their education at this 
 establishment, to proceed to one of the Universities, several 
 benefactions were made at various times. The earliest 
 which I find recorded is that of Archbishop Parker. In 
 1569 he founded two Scholarships, each of the value of 
 £3. 6s. 8d., in Corpus Christi alias Benet College, Cam- 
 
 1563, "The last day of October was christened [sic] 
 
 the sonne of John Marlow." 
 
 1569, "The 20 th day of August was christened John the 
 sonne of John Marlow." 
 
 1566, "The 10 th day of December was buried Simon the 
 sonne of Thomas Marlow." 
 
 1567, " The 5 th day of November was buried [itc] the 
 sonne of John Marlow." 
 
 1568, " The 28 th day of August was buried [sic] the 
 daughter of John Marlow." 
 
 1570, " The 7 th day of August was buried Thomas y e sonne 
 of John Marlow." 
 
 1604, " John Marloe clarke of St. Maries was buried y e 26 th 
 of January." 
 
 Qy. does the last entry refer to the elder or the young-er 
 John Marlowe (see the fifth entry)? Jt is possible that, while 
 our poet's father followed the business of a shoemaker (which, 
 according to the stanza of the ballad referred to in the pre- 
 ceding- note, he continued to do till his death), he also held 
 the situation of " clarke of St. Maries." 
 
 So unsettled was the orthography of the time, that our au- 
 thor's name ( as will be seen) was written in ten different ways, 
 — Mario, Marloe, Marlow, Marlowe, Marley, Marly, Marlye, 
 Marlen, Marlin, Marlvn !
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. iii 
 
 bridge, to maintain, during the space of two hundred years, 
 two Scholars, natives of Kent, and educated at the King's 
 School, who were to be called Canterbury Scholars, and to 
 be entitled to all the advantages enjoyed by the other Scho- 
 lars in the college. Archbishop Whitgift having renewed 
 this foundation, it is now perpetual.* 
 
 That the King's School may henceforth claim the honour 
 of having contributed to the instruction of Marlowe is 
 proved by a document which I obtained with great diffi- 
 culty,! — an extract from " the Treasurer's Accounts" con- 
 cerning the " Stipend, sive Salar. L a puerorum studen. 
 Gram matic," for the year ending at the Feast of St. Michael, 
 21st Ebz. It commences with " Idem denar. per dictum 
 Thesaur. de exit, officii sui hoc anno solut. quinquaginta 
 pueris studen. Grammatic. pro salariis suis ad s. iiij" pro 
 quolibet eorum per annum," and contains four notices of 
 the usual sum having been paid " XrGfero Marley," — "in 
 primo termino hujus anni," "in secundo termino hujus 
 anni," "in tercio termino hujus anni," and "in ultimo 
 termino hujus anni." If I may depend upon the informa- 
 tion which I received together with the extract just quoted, 
 Marlowe did not continue at the King's School the full 
 period which its statutes allowed him to remain. J 
 
 At the proper age Marlowe was removed to Cambridge ; 
 and, as Benet was the college of which he became a member, 
 
 * For other particulars concerning the King's School, see 
 Hasted's Hist, of Kent, iv. 583 sqq. 
 
 t See Preface. 
 
 X " Marlowe's name," I am informed, "does not occur in 
 [the Accounts for] 1575, 1576, 1577, nor 1581 : the interven- 
 ing Accounts are wanting." (It could not occur in the Ac- 
 counts for 1581). — The present Master of the King's School 
 observes "that no special patronage was required for Marlowe's 
 election as a Scholar; any boy of good ability may at any time 
 get into the School."
 
 IV SOM ! U COUNT OF 
 
 I at first concluded that he had been elected to one of the 
 Parker Scholarships already mentioned ; but a careful ex- 
 amination of the records both of the University and of Benet, 
 which has recently been made at my request, leaves, I am 
 told, very little doubt that he did not obtain a Scholarship.* 
 He was matriculated as Pensioner of Benet College, 17th 
 March, 1580-1. f He took the degree of A. B. in 1583, and 
 that of A. M.in 15874 
 
 If Marlowe did not benefit by the Parker foundation, we 
 are at a loss to know how he was enabled to meet the ex- 
 penses of the University : that his father could have supplied 
 him with the requisite sums, is altogether improbable; and 
 we are driven to conjecture that Marlowe owed his mainte- 
 nance at college either to some wealthier relative, or to some 
 patron whose favour he had won by early indications of 
 genius. Among the Kentish gentry there was no one more 
 likely to have lent him a helping hand than Sir Roger Man- 
 wood, 5 Chief Baron of the Exchequer, who had his principal 
 
 * The onlv mention of bim in the Books of Corpus (Benet) 
 Coll. is an entry of his admission in 1 580 ; and there he is called 
 " Marlin," without the christian name. My correspondent at 
 Cambridge observes; "the University hooks enter both the 
 christian name and the surname in all <:;ises ; the Benet Books 
 only in the case of Scholars. It therefore seems nearly certain 
 that Marlowe was not a Foundation Scholar. He may perhaps 
 have held some bye -scholarship or exhibition." The same 
 obliging- informant has since communicated tome the remark of 
 a gentleman belonging to Corpus, that " Scholars were entered 
 with a ' pomp and circumstance' not found in the notice of 
 ■ Marlin.'" 
 
 t " 17 .Mar. 1580 Chrof. Marlen Pensioner." Cambridge Ma- 
 triculation-Book. 
 
 X " Xrof. Marlyn 1583 A. B."— " Chr: Marley 1587 A.M." 
 Cambri I i ace- Book. 
 
 § Sir Roger Man wood, the son of a draper, was born at 
 Sandwich in 1525. He applied himself to the study of the law, 
 and appears to have become early eminent in bis profession. He 
 was maden Si rj< ant, 23d April, 1567, a Justice of the Common-
 
 MARLOWE AND Ills WRITINGS. 
 
 mansion at St. Stephen's near Canterbury, and was much 
 distinguished for his munificence. Indeed, it would seem 
 that on some occasion or other Marlowe was indebted to 
 the bounty either of that excellent man, or of his son Peter 
 (afterwards Sir Peter) Man wood, who was both learned 
 himself and an encourager of the learned; for, unless the 
 Latin verses in vol. iii. p. 308, are wrongly assigned to our 
 poet, which there is no reason to suppose, a tribute of 
 respect to the memory of Sir Roger Manwood was among 
 his latest compositions. 
 
 It is plain that Marlowe was educated with a view to 
 one of the learned professions. Most probably he was in- 
 
 Pleas, 14th Octr. 1572 ; and he was both knighted and ap- 
 pointed Chief Baron of the Exchequer, 17th Novr. 1578. He 
 founded and endowed a free-school at Sandwich, and was a 
 very liberal benefactor to the parish and church of St. Stephen's 
 alias Hackington, where (in the neighbourhood of Canterbury) 
 he mostly resided. Sir Roger was twice married : bv his first 
 wife he had three sons and two daughters ; by his second wife 
 no issue. He died 14ih Deer. 1592, and was buried in the 
 parish-church of St. Stephen's, which contains a splendid mo- 
 nument to his memory. See Hist, of Sandwich, pp. 245-248, 
 by Boys (who erroneously states that Sir Roger was author of 
 the well-known treatise on Forest Laws: it was written bv 
 John Manwood). — The monument above-mentioned was erected 
 by Sir Roger himself shortly before bis decease. This fact was 
 curiously confirmed some years ago when the monument was 
 undergoing repairs : the person who was at work on it told the 
 ]i resent rector of St. Stephen's that some letters and figures in 
 the last line of the inscription (those that record the date of 
 ! ir Roger's death) were not cut by the same hand which had 
 cut the rest. — The Register of St. Stephen's states that Sir 
 Roger was buried 16th December. 
 
 Peter Manwood, the eldest and only surviving son of Sir 
 Roger, was created a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of 
 James the First. He served several times in Parliament for 
 Sandwich; and died in 1625. His eldest daughter became the 
 wife of Sir Thomas Walsingham, knight, who (as will afti r- 
 wards be shown) was on terms of intimacy with Marlowe. v 
 Boys's Hist, of Sandwich, pp. 249, 250.
 
 VI SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 tended for the Church ; nor is it unlikely that, having begun, 
 even during his academic course, to entertain those scep- 
 tical opinions for which he was afterwards so notorious, he 
 abandoned all thoughts of taking orders. Be that as it 
 may, his predilection for the drama was decided ; before 
 1587 it seems certain that he had produced Tarn b uridine 
 the Great ; and eventually he joined the crowd of adven- 
 turers in the metropolis with a determination to rely on his 
 genius alone for a subsistence. 
 
 At one time Marlowe unquestionably "fretted his hour 
 upon the stage." According to Phillips, whose account is 
 followed by Wood* and Tanner, f he " rose from an actor 
 to be a maker of plays ; "J and in a very curious ballad, || 
 which was composed while some of his contemporaries were 
 still alive, we are told that he performed at the Curtain in 
 Shore-ditch ; 
 
 " He had alsoe a player beene 
 
 Upon the Curtaine-stage, 
 But. brake his leg in one lewd scene 
 
 When in his early age." 
 
 But is the assertion of Phillips, that Marlowe was first an 
 actor and afterward* a dramatist, to be received as the exact 
 truth ? I think not ; for, wit'.iout taking into consideration 
 the flagrant inaccuracies of Phillips's work, there are cir- 
 
 Ath. Oxon. ii. 7. ed. Bliss. 
 
 t <" . Brit. p. 512. 
 
 t Theat. Poet. ( Mi <I rn Poi ts), p. 24, ed. 1675.— Warton says 
 that Marlowe was «• often applauded, both by Queen Elizabeth 
 <i d king Janus the Fit st, as a judicious player " (Hist, q) Engl. 
 Poet. iii. 433. ed. 4to.)j yet he presently adds that Marlowe 
 "died rather before t) 1593" (p. 437),— which was 
 
 " rather before" King James ascended the throne of England. 
 | The Atheist's Tragedie ; see vol. iii, — Appendix iv. The 
 date of this ballad may be inferred from the second stanza, — 
 
 " A truer storie nere was told, 
 " &c.
 
 MAULOWE AND II IS WRITINGS. VI 
 
 cumstances in the history of Marlowe which seem strongly 
 to contradict it. Nor do the words of the ballad, " When 
 in his early age," necessarily confirm the statement of 
 Phillips. In the stanza just ciced, the ballad-monger (who 
 found " age" an obvious rhyme to " stage") meant, I con- 
 ceive, no more than this, — that Marlowe's histrionic feats 
 took place soon after he had formed a permanent connection 
 with the London theatres for the sake of a livelihood; and, 
 as far as I can judge, such really was the case. We have 
 seen that Marlowe took the degree of A. M. in 1587 ; and 
 there is every reason to believe that he was then known as a 
 successful dramatist: but if he had been also known as one 
 who had exhibited himself on the London boards in the 
 capacity of a regular actor (and as such the ballad-monger 
 evidently describes him), I am by no means sure that, in 
 those days, the University of Cambridge would have granted 
 the degree.* On this point, however, I would not urge my 
 opinion with any positiveness : new materials for Marlowe's 
 biography may hereafter come to light, and prove that I am 
 mistaken. 
 
 For the same person to unite in himself the actor and the 
 dramatist was very common, both at that time and at a later 
 period. Marlowe may have performed on more than one 
 stage, though we can trace him only to the Curtain ; and we 
 may gather from the terms of the ballad (" He had alsoe a 
 player beene .... But brake his leg," &c.) that, the acci- 
 dent which there befell him having occasioned incurable 
 lameness, he was for ever disabled as an actor. 
 
 * Even the composing of plays for a London theatre by a 
 member of the University was a proceeding very unlikely to 
 meet with approbation from the l)ons of Cambridge. They 
 most probably held in supreme contempt all modern dramas which 
 were not academic, — which were not written to be acted in a 
 college-ball when some royal or dignified personage honoured 
 the University with a visit.
 
 VII! SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 The tragedy of Tamburlaine the Great, in two Parts (the 
 Second Part, it appears, having been brought upon the stage- 
 soon after the First*), may be confidently assigned to Mar- 
 lowe, though the old editions have omitted the author's 
 name. It is his earliest drama, at least the earliest of his 
 plays which we possess. From Nash's Epistle "To the 
 Gentlemen Students of both Universities, "f prefixed to 
 Greene's Menaphon, 1587, and from Greene's Address "To 
 the Gentlemen Readers,"} prefixed to his Perimedts the 
 BlackeSmith, 1588, Mr. Collier concludes, and, I think, 
 very justly, " that Marlowe was our first poet who used 
 blank-verse in dramatic compositions performed in public 
 theatres, that Tamburlaine was the play in which the suc- 
 cessful experiment was made, and that it was acted anterior 
 to 1587."§ On the authority of a rather obscure passage in 
 The Black Book, 1(304, Malone had conjectured that Tam- 
 
 * See Prologue to the Sec. Part. 
 
 t In which Nash ridicules the then recent introduction of 
 blank-verse on the public stage, and seems to allude to Mar- 
 lowe in contemptuous terms. 
 
 t In which Greene expressly mentions Marlowe's tragedy ; 
 " daring God out of heauen with that atheist Tamburlan, or 
 blaspheming with the mad preest of the sonne." — Mr. Collier 
 thinks that Marlowe also wrote the play in which " the Priest 
 of the Sun " was a leading character. 
 
 § Hist.of Vug!. Dram. Poet. iii. 112. — Compare too the Pro- 
 logue to the First Part of Tamburlaine; 
 
 " From jigging reins of rhyming mother -wits, 
 And such conceits as clownage keeps in pay, 
 We'll lead you to the stately tent of war," &c. 
 
 it must be remembered that, before the appearance of Tambur- 
 laine, writers for the regular theatres had confined themselves 
 to the use of prose or rhyme. All the English tragedies in 
 blank verse which preceded Tamburlaine were performed either 
 at court or before private societies. — Warton incidentally ob- 
 serves that Tamburlaine was "represented before the year 
 ." Hist.of Engl. Poet. iv. 11. ed. -lto.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. IX 
 
 burlaine was written either wholly or in part by Nash :• but 
 to that conjecture Mr. Collier, — besides adducing a line 
 from a sonnet by Gabriel Harvey, in which Marlowe, then 
 just deceased, is spoken of under the appellation of "Tam- 
 berlaine,"f — has opposed the explicit testimony of Hen- 
 slowe's Diary, " Pd unto Thomas Dickers [Dekker], the 
 
 20 of Desembr 1597 fyve shellenges for a prolog 
 
 to Marloes Tamberlen." I I may add, that the rhymer who 
 has turned the history of Marlowe into a ballad, describes 
 him in one place as "blaspheming Tambolin." § 
 
 This tragedy, which was entered in the Stationers' Books, 
 14th August, 1590,|| and printed during the same year, has 
 not come down to us in its original fulness ; and probably 
 we have no cause to lament the curtailments which it suf- 
 fered from the publisher of the first edition. " I have pur- 
 posely," he says, " omitted and left out some fond and fri- 
 
 * Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 357. — The passage in The 
 
 Black Book is, — " the spindle-shank spiders went. 
 
 stalking- over his [Nash's] head as if they had been conning- of 
 Tai. burlaine " (see Middleton's Works, v. 526, ed. Dyce) ; and 
 it means, I have no doubt, that the spiders stalked with the 
 tragic gait of an actor who is practising the part of Tamburlaine : 
 compare the 8th line of the passage quoted from Hall's Satires, 
 in p. x. 
 
 + " Weepe, Powles ; thy Tamberlaine voutsafes to dye." 
 A New Letter of Notable Contents, 1593, Sig. D 3. 
 
 $ Diary, p. 71, ed. Shake. Soc. — As another proof that Tam- 
 burlaine is by Marlowe, Mr. Collier ( H ist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. 
 iii. 114) adduces Heywood's Prologue to our author's Jew of 
 Malta : but that Prologue is nothing to the purpose ; see note, 
 vol. i. 231 of the present edition. — Notwithstanding the strong- 
 evidence to the contrary, Mr. Hallam (Introd. to the Lit. of 
 Europe, ii. 169, ed. 1343) still continues to regard Nash as 
 Marlowe's coadjutor in Tamburlaine. 
 
 § See vol. iii, — Appendix iv. 
 
 || " A ballad entituled the storye of Tamburlayne the greate," 
 &c. (founded, 1 suppose, on Marlowe's play) was entered in 
 the Stationers' Books, 5th Nov. 1594.
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 volous gestures, digressing, and, in my poor opinion, far 
 unmeet for the matter, which I thought might seem more 
 tedious unto the wise than any way else to be regarded, 
 though haply they have been of some vain-conceited fond- 
 lings greatly gaped at, what time they were shewed upon 
 the stage in their graced deformities : nevertheless now to 
 be mixtured in print with such matter of worth, it would 
 prove a great disgrace to so honourable and stately a his- 
 tory." * By the words, " fond and frivolous gestures," we 
 are to understand those of the "clown," who very frequently 
 figured, with more or less prominence, even in the most 
 serious dramas of the time. The introduction of such buf- 
 fooneries into tragedyf is censured by Hall towards the 
 conclusion of a passage which, as it mentions " the Turkish 
 Tamberlaine," would seem to be partly levelled at Mar- 
 lowe : \ 
 
 " One higber-pitch'd doth set his soaring thought 
 On crowned kings that Fortune hath low brought, 
 
 ... . o » 
 
 Or some vpreared high-aspiring swaine, 
 As it might be the Turkish Tamberlaine. 
 Then weeneth he his base drink-drowned Spright 
 Rapt to the three-fold loft of lieauen hight, 
 When lie conceiues vpon his fained .stage 
 The stalking- steps of his greate personage, 
 Graced with huf-cap termes and thundring threats, 
 That his poore hearers' hay re quite vpright sets. 
 
 Now, least such frightf 'all shmves of Fortune's fall 
 
 * Vol. i. 5. 
 
 + In Italy, at tiie commencement of the 18th century (and 
 probably much later) it was not unusual to introduce " the 
 Doctor," " Harlequin," " Pantalone," and " Coviello," into 
 p tragedies. " 1 have seen," says Addison, "a translation 
 of The Cid acted at liolonia, which would never have taken, 
 had they not found a place in it for these buiT'oons." Remarks 
 on Sacral Parts of Italy, &ic. in, the years 1701, 1702, 1703, 
 p. 68. ed. 1745. 
 
 J Perhaps I ought to add, that Marlowe was dead when (in 
 1597 ) the satire, from which these lines are quoted, was first 
 given to the pi
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XI 
 
 And bloudy tyrants' rage should chance apall 
 
 The dead-stroke audience, midst the silent rout 
 
 Comes leaping in a selfe-mUformed lout, 
 
 And laughes, and grins, and frames his mimik face, 
 
 And iustles straight into the prince's place : 
 
 Then doth the theatre eccho all aloud 
 
 With gladsome noyse of that applauding crowd. 
 
 A goodlu hoch-poch, when vile russeltings 
 
 Are match['d] with motuirchs and with mightie kings ! "* 
 
 But Hall's taste was more refined and classical than that 
 of his age ; and the success of Tamburlaine, in which the 
 celebrated Alleyn represented the hero,f was adequate to 
 the most sanguine expectations which its author could have 
 formed. Nor did it cease to be popular when no longer a 
 novelty : the Scythian conqueror, gorgeous in his " copper- 
 laced coat and crimson velvet breeches, "t riding in a chariot 
 drawn by harnessed monarchs,§ and threatening destruction 
 
 * Hall's Virgid. Lib. i. Sat. iii. ed. 1602. 
 
 f See Heywood's Prol. to The Jew of Malta, vol. i. 231. 
 
 i " Item, Tamberlyn.es cotte, with coper lace," — " Item, 
 Tamberlanes breches of crymson vellvet." Appendix to Hen- 
 slowe's Diary, pp. 274-5, ed. Shake. Soc. We find ibid. p. 
 273, " Tamberlyue brydell" (i. e. the bridle for the captive 
 kings.) 
 
 § " Eater Tamburlaine, drawn in his chariot by the Kings of 
 Trebizon and Soria, with bits in their mouths, fyc. 
 
 " Tamb. Holla, ye pamper'd jades of Asia ! " &c. vol. i. 194. 
 
 This has been quoted or alluded to, generally with ridicule, by 
 a whole host of writers. Pistol's " hollow pamper'd jades of 
 Asia" in Shakespeare's Henry IV. P. ii. Act ii. sc. 4, is known 
 to most readers: see also Beaumont and Fletcher's Coxcomb, 
 act ii. sc. 2 ; Fletcher's Women F 'leased, act iv. sc. 1 ; Chan- 
 man's, Jonson's, and Marston's Eastward Ho, act ii. Sig. B 3, 
 ed. 1605; Brathwait's Strappado for the D'ruell, 1615, p. 159; 
 Taylor the water-poet's Thiefe and his World runnes on Wheeles, 
 — Workes, pp. Ill [121], 239, ed. 1630 ; A Broun Dozen of 
 Drunkards, &c. 1648, sig. A3; the Duke of Newcastle's 
 Varietie, a comedy, 1649, p. 72; — but 1 cannot afford room 
 for more references. — In 1566 a similar spectacle had been 
 exhibited at Grav's Inn : there the Dumb Show before the first
 
 XII SOM I' ACCOUNT OF 
 
 to the very powers of heaven,* was for many years a highly- 
 attractive personage to the play-goers of the metropolis. 
 
 act of Gascoigne and Kinwelmersh's Jocasta introduced " a 
 king with an imperiall cvovvne vpon hys head," &c. " sitting in 
 a chariote very richly furnished, drawen in by iiii kings in their 
 dublets and hosen, with crownes also vpon theyr heads, repre- 
 senting vnto vs ambition by the historie of Sesostres," &c. 
 
 * In defence of such passages Marlowe perhaps would have 
 alleged the example of the Italian romanesque poets (who were 
 more read in England during his time than they are at present). 
 In Bojardo's Orlando Innamoruto, when JMaifisa finds that she 
 cannot overcome Ranaldo, 
 
 " Chiama iniquo Macone e doloroso, 
 Cornuto e becco Trivigante appella ; 
 Kibaldi, a lor dicea, per qual cagione, 
 Tenete il cavalier in suTarcioce 1 
 
 Venga un di voi, et lascisi vedere, 
 Et pigli a suo piacer questa difesa, 
 C'h'io faro sua persona rimanere 
 Qua giii riversa e nel prato distesa. 
 Voi non volete mia forza temere 
 Perch e la su non posso esser ascesa ; 
 Ma, s'io prendo il cammino, io ve n'avviso, 
 Tutti v'uccido, ed ardo il Paradiso." 
 
 Lib, i. C. xvm. st. 9, ed. Pan. 
 
 In the same poem Agramante declares to his council that be i^ 
 resolved to subdue, not only Carlo Mano, but the whole world ; 
 and, he concludes, 
 
 " Poi che battuto avro tutta la terra, 
 Ancor nel Paradiso io vo' far guerra." 
 
 Lib. ii. ('. i. si. 64. 
 
 In Le Prime Imprese del Conte Orlando by Dolce, when Ago- 
 lante hears that bis son Almonte is slain, 
 
 " egli ha sua Stella 
 Accusa, e hi biastema parimente; 
 Et e da 1' ira stimolato tanto 
 ( he <!i strugger il ciel si dona vanto." 
 
 ('. xvii, p. 134, ed. I 

 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XIII 
 
 Numerous entries concerning the performance of both Parts 
 of this tragedy occur in Henslowe's Diary, the earliest dated 
 28th August, 1594, the latest 13th Nov. 1595.* Taylor, 
 the water-poet, makes Tom Coryat inform the Great Mogul, 
 that Tamburlaine " perhaps is not altogether so famous in 
 his own country of Tartaria as in England ;"-f and notices 
 
 There are touches of this kind even in Ariosto ; 
 
 " Dal sagace Spagnuol, che con la guida 
 Di duo del sangue d'Avalo ardiria 
 Farsi nel cielo e ne lo 'nferno via." 
 
 Oil. Fur. C. xxxiii. st. 51. 
 
 The same sort of extravagance is occasionally found in English 
 dramatists later than Marlowe. For instance, in Heywood's 
 Four Prentices of London (acted about 1599, and certainly in- 
 tended for a serious play) the Soldan exclaims, 
 
 " Should Ioue himselfe in thunder answere I [i. e. ay], 
 When we say no, wee'd pull him from the skie." 
 
 Sig. F2,ed. 1615. 
 
 Yet this early production of Heywood contains some line 
 things ; e. g., 
 
 " In Sion towres hangs his victorious fiagge, 
 Blowing defiance this way ; and it showes 
 Like a red meteor in the troubled aire, 
 Or like a blazing comet that fore-tels 
 The fall of princes." Sig. G. 
 
 The line marked in Italics has been cited neither by the editors 
 of Milton nor by those of Gray as parallel to the following- 
 passages ; 
 
 " Th' imperial ensign ; which, full high advanc'd, 
 Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind." 
 
 Par. Lost. i. 5Cb\ 
 
 " Loose his heard, and hoary hair 
 Stream'd, Wee a meteor, to the troubled air." The Bard. 
 
 * Pp. 40-60, ed. Shake. Soc. — The play called Tambercame, 
 which is mentioned in the same Diary, was doubtless a distinct 
 piece from Marlowe's Tamburlaine. 
 
 t Oration to the Great Mogul, p. 85, Workes, ed. 1630.
 
 XIV SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 of the play, which shew that it was still in some repute, 
 might be cited from writers of a more recent period.* But 
 before the close of the seventeenth century it had sunk into 
 oblivion: a precocious young gentleman, a Mr. Charles 
 Saunders, whose Tamerlane (after having been acted, with 
 a Prologue by Dryden) was printed in 1681, writes thus in 
 his Preface: " It hath been told me, there is a Cock-pit 
 play going under the name of The Scythiun Shepherd or 
 Tamberlain the Great, which how good it is, any one may 
 judge by its obscurity, being a thing, not a booksellerf in 
 
 * E. G- "Tut, leave your raging, sir; for though you 
 should roar like Tamerlin at the Bull," &c. Cowley's Guardian, 
 act iii, sc. 6, ed. 1650. 
 
 t Since those days, the old editions of Marlowe's pieces 
 hare, of course, become more and more difficult to procure. 
 The following fragment of Memoranda, in the handwriting of 
 ( I believe) Dr. Ducarel, was obligingly forwarded to me by 
 Mr. Bolton Corney, and may prove not uninteresting to some 
 readers. " One fine summer's day, in the year one thousand 
 seven hundred and sixty four, going into an old book-shop kept 
 by an old woman and her daughter, on the north side of Middle- 
 Row, Ilolbourn, to look for any ancient books ; not being there 
 long, looking round the shop, before Dodd the comedian came 
 in, to search, as he told me, for any one of Kit Marlow's plays. 
 I asked the old woman if she had any more books besides those 
 in the shop. She said ' she had ; but they were in an inner 
 room without any window-light ; and that the last person that 
 had been there was the noted book-worm Dr. Rawlinson,' — 
 who then had been sleeping with his fathers some few years. 
 
 " Mr. Dodd ask'd if it was agreeable for him to accompany 
 me. We had two candles lighted, and going into this dark re- 
 cess, saw a ;;reai number of books laying on the ground, which 
 took us some hours looking over. He brought out a book or 
 two ; but was not lucky enough to find Kit Marlow there. 
 An.!, alter turning over, for three or four hours, many dirty 
 s, I only found worth buying," &c. Though Dodd failed 
 in Middle-Row, he must have found " dark recesses " in other 
 localities where a search after early dramas was not made in 
 vain; for his collection of plavs (sold by auction after his de- 
 cease) was very curious and valuable.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XV 
 
 London, or scarce the players themselves who acted it for- 
 merly, cow'd call to remembrance." 
 
 With very little discrimination of character, with much 
 extravagance of incident, with no pathos where pathos was 
 to be expected, and with a profusion of inflated language, 
 Tamburluine is nevertheless a very impressive drama, and 
 undoubtedly superior to all the English tragedies which 
 preceded it ; — superior to them in the effectiveness with 
 which the events are brought out, in the poetic feeling which 
 animates the whole, and in the nerve and variety of the ver- 
 sification. Marlowe was yet to shew that he could impart 
 truthfulness to his scenes ; but not a few passages might be 
 gleaned from Tamburluine, as grand in thought, as splendid 
 in imagery, and as happy in expression, as any which his 
 later works contain. 
 
 A memorandum that Marlowe " translated Coluthus's 
 Rape of Helen into English rhyme in the year 1587," is 
 cited from Coxeter's MSS. by Warton ; who observes that 
 " Coluthus's poem was probably brought into vogue, and 
 suggested to Marlowe's notice, by being paraphrased in 
 Latin verse the preceding year by Thomas Watson."* — The 
 poet of Lycopolis so seldom rises above mediocrity, that the 
 loss of Marlowe's version may be borne with perfect resig- 
 nation. 
 
 It is to be presumed that Tamburluine had not been long 
 before the public, when Marlowe produced his Taunt us. f 
 
 * Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 433, ed. 4to ; where Warton also 
 remarks, " 1 have never seen it [Marlowe's translation of Co- 
 luthus] . . . But there is entered to Jones, in 1595, ' A booke 
 entituled Rapt us Helena', Helen's Rape, by the Athenian duke 
 Theseus'." Surely, Warton could not mean, that the book- 
 entered to Jones in 1595 was perhaps Marlowe's version or" 
 Coluthus ; for Coluthus relates the rape of Helen by Paris, not 
 by Theseus. 
 
 t Mr. Collier observes that " Marlowe's Faustus, in all pro- 
 bability, was written very soon after his Tamburlaine the Great,
 
 \vi SOME ACCOU NT ul' 
 
 We know not the date of the first edition of the prose- 
 romance which supplied the materials for this play; but 
 " A ballad of the life and death of Doctor Faustus the great 
 cungerer" was licensed to be printed 28th February, 1588-9; 
 and, as ballads were frequently founded on favourite dramas, 
 it is most likely that the ditty just mentioned was derived 
 from our author's play. A stanza in llowlands's Knave of 
 Clubs, not only informs us that Alleyn acted the chief part 
 in this tragedy, but also describes his costume; 
 
 " The gull gets on a surplis, 
 
 With a crosse upon his brest, 
 Like Allen playing Faustus, 
 
 In that manner was he drest." * 
 
 The success of Faustus was complete. Henslowe has sun- 
 dry entries f concerning it; none, however, earlier than 30th 
 Sept. 1594, at which date Marlowe was dead, and the play, 
 there is every reason to believe, had been several years on the 
 prompter's list. Henslowe has also two important memo- 
 randa regarding the " additions" which were made to it, 
 when, in consequence of having been repeatedly performed, 
 it had somewhat palled upon the audience ; 
 
 as in 1588 * a ballad of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus' 
 (which in the language of that time might mean either the play 
 or a metrical composition founded upon its chief incidents) was 
 licensed to be printed." Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 126. 
 As we find that the play was entered in the Stationers' Books in 
 1601, the " ballad of Faustus " must mean the story of Faustus 
 in verse, — perhaps, that ballad which 1 have inserted in vol. 
 ii. 157.— When -Mr. Collier stated that the old romance of 
 Faustus was entered in the Stationers' Books in 1588 (note 
 on Henslowe's Diary, p. 42), he meant, I apprehend, the old 
 ballad. 
 
 * P. 22. ed. Percy Soc. (reprint of ed. 1611). — An inven- 
 tory of Alleyn's theatrical apparel includes " Faustus Jerkin, 
 his cloke." Collier's Mem. of Alleyn, p. 20. 
 
 t Diary, pp. 42 — 91, ed. Shake. Soc.
 
 MAKLOWE AND HIS WHITINGS. XVU 
 
 " I'd unto Thomas Dickers [Dekker], the 20 of Desembr 
 1597, for adycyons to Fostus twentie shellinges." 
 
 " Lent unto the companye, the 22 of novmbr 1602, to 
 paye unto W m Birde and Samwell Rowley for ther adi- 
 cyones in Docler Fostes, the some of . . . . iiij 1 '".* 
 
 Faustus was entered in the Stationers' Books 7th January 
 1600-1.** The earliest edition yet discovered is the quarto of 
 1604; which never having been examined either by Mar- 
 lowe's editors or (what is more remarkable) by the excellent 
 historian of the stage, Mr. Collier, they all remained ignorant 
 how very materially it differs from the later editions. The 
 next quarto, that of 1616 (reprinted in 1624 and in 1631), 
 besides a text altered more or less from the commencement 
 to the end, contains some characters and scenes which are 
 entirely new: but, as the present work includes both the 
 edition of 1604 and that of 1616, a more particular account 
 of their variations is unnecessary here. — We have seen that 
 " additions" were made to Faustus in 1597, and again in 
 1602, at the first of which dates Marlowe had been several 
 years deceased ; and a question arises, is the quarto of 
 1604 wholly from our author's pen, or is it, — as the quarto 
 of 1616 indisputably is, — an alteration of the tragedy by 
 other hands? Malone believed that the quarto of 1604 was 
 " Marlowe's original play ;"f but a passage in a speech of 
 
 * Id. pp. 71, 228. — Among the stage-properties of the Lord 
 Admiral's men (Id. p. 273) we find " j dragon in fostes." 
 
 *"* I make this statement on the authority of the MS. notes 
 by Malone in his copies of 4tos 1604 and 1631 (now in the 
 Bodleian Library). 
 
 t MS. Note in his copy of 4to 1604. — In his copy of 4to 
 1631 he has written; " The reason why Rowley and Bird's 
 additions did not appear in the edition of 1604, was, that thev 
 were retained for the use of the theatre." (Malone, it would 
 seem, was not then aware that Dekker had made additions to 
 Faustus in 1557.) —Mr. Collier says, " We may conclude that 
 the additions last made [to Faustus by Bird and Rowley] were 
 very considerable ; and with them probably the piece was 
 
 c
 
 XV111 SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 the Horse-courser proves him to have been mistaken. The 
 words are these ; " Mass, Doctor Lopus was never such a 
 doctor:"* now, Marlowe died in 1593; and the said 
 Doctor Lopez did not start into notoriety till the following 
 year, during which he suffered death at Tyburn for his 
 treasonable practices, f I at first entertained no doubt that 
 the (somewhat mutilated and corrupted) quarto of 1604 
 presented Faustus with those comparatively unimportant 
 " additions " for which Dekker was paid twenty shillings in 
 1 597 ; and that the quarto of 1616 exhibited that alteration 
 of the play which was made by the combined ingenuity of 
 Bird and Rowley in 1602. But I have recently felt less 
 confident on this subject, having found that the anonymous 
 comedy The Taming of a Shrew, which was entered in the 
 Stationers' Books and printed in 1594, contains a seeming 
 imitation of a line in Faustus, — a line which occurs only in 
 the quarto of 1616 (reprinted in 1 624 and 1631), and which 
 belongs to a scene that, as the merest novice in criticism will 
 at once perceive, was not the composition of Marlowe. If 
 the line in question J was really imitated by the author of The 
 'Taming of a Shreiu, we must conclude that, earlier than 1597, 
 Faustus had received " additions " concerning which the an- 
 
 printed in 1604." Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. m. 126: but 
 when Mr. Collier made this remark, he was unacquainted with 
 the quarto of 1604, as is proved by his quoting, througkout his 
 valuable work, the text of the later Faustus. 
 
 * Vol. ii. 64. 
 
 t He was executed in June 1594 : see Stowe's Annates, p. 
 768, ed. 1615. 
 
 % It is, — 
 
 " Or hew'd this flesh and bones as small as sand." 
 
 Vol. ii. 135. 
 The probable imitation of it is, — 
 
 " And hew'd thee smaller than the Libian sandes." 
 The resemblance between these two lines might have been con- 
 sidered as purely accidental, did not the Taming of a Shrew con- 
 tain several passages almost transcribed from Tamburlaitte and 
 Faustus : see much more on this subject towards the conclusion 
 of the present essay.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. xix 
 
 nals of the stage are silent ; nor must we attempt to assign to 
 their respective writers those two rifacimenti of the tragedy 
 which are preserved in the quartos of 1604 and 1616. — A 
 fifth quarto of Faustus was printed in 1663, With New 
 Additions, as it is now Acted. With several New Scenes, 
 together with the Actors Names [i. e. the names of the 
 Dram. Pers.]," the new matter* occupying much less 
 space than the title-page would lead us to imagine, and 
 evidently supplied by some poetaster of the lowest grade. — 
 The repeated alterations and editions of this tragedy seem to 
 justify the assertion of Phillips, that " of all that Marlowe 
 hath written to the stage, his Dr. Faustus hath made the 
 greatest noise, with its devils and such like tragical sport."f 
 The well-known fact, that our early dramatists usually 
 borrowed their fables from novels or " histories," to which 
 they often servilely adhered, has been thought no derogation 
 from their merits. Yet the latest biographer of Marlowe 
 dismisses Faustus as " unworthy of his reputation," chiefly 
 because it " closely follows a popular romance of the same 
 name." J Certain it is that Marlowe has " closely followed " 
 the prose History of Doctor Faustus ; but it is equally certain 
 that he was not indebted to that History for the poetry and 
 the passion which he has infused into his play, for those 
 thoughts of surpassing beauty and grandeur with which it 
 
 * Mr. Collier makes a slight mistake when he states that in 
 4to 1663 " a scene at Rome is transferred to Constantinople, 
 and another interpolated from The Rich Jew of Malta." Hist, of 
 Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 126. There is no scene at Constantinople, 
 nor any interpolation from the Jew of Malta ; but there is a scene 
 at Babylon, during which the Sultan questions one of his Ba- 
 shaws concerning the taking of Malta, and is informed how 
 
 they had won the town by means of the Jew. Perhaps it is 
 
 hardly worth mentioning that Marlowe's Fuitstus was " made 
 into a Farce, with the Humonrs of Harlequin and Scaramouch," 
 by the celebrated actor Mountfort, who was so basely assassi- 
 nated in 1692. 
 
 t Theat. Poet. (Modem Poets), p. 25, ed. 1675. 
 
 $ Lives of English Dramatists, i. 58 (Lardner's Cyclop.).
 
 XX SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 abounds, and for that fearful display of mental agony at the 
 close, compared to which all attempts of the kind by prece- 
 ding English dramatists are " poor indeed." In the opinion 
 of Hazlitt, " Faustus, though an imperfect and unequal per- 
 formance, is Marlowe's greatest work."* Mr. Hallam re- 
 marks, " There is an awful melancholy about Marlowe's 
 Mephistophiles, perhaps more impressive than the malignant 
 mirth of that fiend in the renowned work of Goethe. But 
 the fair form of Margaret is wanting."f In the comic 
 scenes of Faustus (which are nearly all derived from the 
 prose History) we have buffoonery of the worst description ; 
 and it is difficult not to believe that Marlowe is answerable 
 for at least a portion of them, when we recollect that he had 
 inserted similar scenes in the original copy of his Tamburlaim. 
 In what year Marlowe produced The Jew of l\Ialta we 
 are unable to determine. The words in the Prologue, 
 " now the Guise is dead," are evidence that it was composed 
 after 23rd Dec. 1588; and Mr. Collier thinks that it was pro- 
 bably written about 1589 or 1590. J Barabas was originally 
 performed by Alleyn;§ and the aspect of the Jew was 
 rendered as grotesque and hideous as possible by means of a 
 false nose. In Rowley's Search for Money, 1609, a person 
 is described as having " his visage (or vizard) like the arti- 
 ficiall Jewe of Maltae's nose ;"|| and a speech in the play 
 itself, " Oh, brave, master ! I worship your nose for this,"^f 
 is a proof that Marlowe intended his hero to be distinguished 
 for the magnitude of that feature. It would seem, indeed, 
 that on our early stage Jews were always furnished with an 
 extra quantity of nose : it was thought that a race so uni- 
 versally hated could hardly be made to appear too ugly. 
 The great popularity of this tragedy is evinced by Hen- 
 
 * Lectures on Drain. Lit. p. 53, ed. 1840. 
 
 t Intrud. to the Lit. of Europe, ii. 171, ed. 1843. 
 
 t Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 135. *S See vol. i. 229, 231 . 
 
 || P. 19, ed. Percy Soc. f Vol. i. 276.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXI 
 
 slowe's Diary, where we find numerous notices concerning 
 it, the earliest dated 26th February 1591-2, the latest 21st 
 June 1596; and again, a notice of its revival 19th May, 
 1601.* Though entered in the Stationers' Books 17th May 
 1594,f it remained in manuscript till 1633, when, after 
 having been acted at court and the Cock-pit with prologues 
 and epilogues by Heyvvood, it was published under the aus- 
 pices of the same dramatist. 
 
 The character of Barabas, upon which the interest of the 
 tragedy entirely depends, is delineated with no ordinary 
 power, and possesses a strong individuality. Unfortunately, 
 however, it is a good deal overcharged ; but I suspect, that 
 in this instance at least, Marlowe violated the truth of nature, 
 not so much from his love of exaggeration, as in consequence 
 of having borrowed all the atrocities of the play from some 
 now-unknown novel, whose author was willing to flatter the 
 prejudices of his readers by attributing almost impossible 
 wickedness to a son of Israel. "The first two acts of The 
 Jew of Malta," observes Mr. Hallam, " are more vigorously 
 conceived, both as to character and circumstance, than any 
 other Elizabethan play, except those of Shakespeare : " J but 
 the latter part is in every respect so inferior, that we rise 
 from a perusal of the whole with a feeling akin to disap- 
 pointment. If the dialogue has little poetry, it has often 
 
 * Pp.21— 74, 137, ed. Shake. Soc. We also find (Id. p. 
 274) in an inventory of the stage-properties of the Lord Ad- 
 miral's men, " j cauderm for the jewe," i. e. the caldron into 
 which Barabas falls. 
 
 t On the preceding day was entered " a ballad " on the same 
 subject, derived, we may presume, from the tragedy. — Sir 
 John Harington has the following couplet in an epigram written 
 perhaps as early as 1592 ; 
 
 " Was ever Jew of Malta or of Millain 
 Then [Than] this most damned Jew more Jewish villain ? " 
 Of a devout usurer — Epigrams, B. iii. Ep. 16, ed. folio. 
 $ Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, ii. 170, ed. 1843.
 
 XXII SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 great force of expression. — That Shakespeare was well ac- 
 quainted with this tragedy cannot be doubted ; but that he 
 caught from it more than a few trifling hints for The Mer- 
 chant of Venice will be allowed by no one who has carefully 
 compared the character of Barabas with that of Shylock.* — 
 An alteration of The Jew of Malta was produced at Drury- 
 lane Theatre in 1818, when Kean was in the zenith of his 
 fame, and, owing to his exertions in Barabas, it was very 
 favourably received. 
 
 Warton incidentally mentions that Marlowe's Edward the 
 Second was " written in the year 1590 ;" + and, for all we 
 know, he may have made the assertion on sufficient grounds, 
 though he has neglected to specify them. Mr. Collier, who 
 regards it (and, no doubt, rightly) as one of our author's 
 latest pieces, has not attempted to fix its date. It was 
 entered in the Stationers' Books 6th July 1593, and first 
 printed in 1598. 
 
 From that heaviness, which prevails more or less in all 
 " chronicle histories" anterior to those of Shakespeare, this 
 tragedy is not wholly free; its crowded incidents do not 
 always follow each other without confusion ; and it has few 
 of those " raptures," for which Marlowe is eulogized by 
 one of his contemporaries.! But, taken as a whole, it is the 
 most perfect of his plays ; there is no overdoing of character, 
 no turgidity of language. On the two scenes which give the 
 chief interest to this drama Lamb remarks ; " the reluctant 
 pangs of abdicating royalty in Edward furnished hints which 
 Shakespeare scarce improved in his Richard the Second; 
 and the death-scene of Marlowe's king moves pity and terror 
 beyond any scene ancient or modern with which I am ac- 
 
 * See a considerable number of what have been called the 
 " parallel passages" of these two plays in the Appendix to 
 YValdron's edition, and very ingenious continuation, of Jonson's 
 Sad Shepherd, p. 209. 
 
 + Hist, of Engl. Pert. iii. 138, ed. 4to. 
 
 } See tli" lines by Drayton afterwards quoted.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XX111 
 
 quainted."* The excellence of both scenes is indisputable; 
 but a more fastidious critic than Lamb might perhaps justly 
 object to such an exhibition of physical suffering as the 
 latter scene affords. 
 
 The Massacre at Paris was, we are sure, composed after 
 August 2nd, 1589, when Henry the Third, with whose 
 death it terminates, expired in consequence of the wound 
 he had received from Jaques Clement the preceding day.f 
 On the following entry in Henslowe's Diary, — " Rd at the 
 
 tragedey of the guyes [Guise] 30 [January, 1593|] 
 
 iij s .... iiij%" — Mr. Collier observes, "In all probability 
 Marlowe's Massacre at Paris. This entry is valuable, sup- 
 posing it to apply to Marlowe's tragedy, because it ascertains 
 the day it was first acted, Henslowe having placed ve [i. e. 
 new] in the margin. It was perhaps Marlowe's last play, 
 as he was killed about six months afterwards." Henslowe 
 has several later entries concerning the performance of the 
 same piece (which he also designates The Massacre) ; but 
 probably, when he notices " the Guise" under the year 
 1598,5> he refers to a revival of the tragedy with additions 
 
 * Spec, of Engl. Dram. Pods, p. 28, ed. 1808. 
 
 t " The Jew of Malta contains, in its original prologue, spoken 
 bv Maehiavel, an allusion to The Massacre at Paris, which had 
 preceded it." Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 135. But when 
 Mr. Collier made this remark, he had not yet seen Henslowe's 
 MSS. : and as to the words in question, " now the Guise is 
 dead," — they only shew that The Jew of Malta was written 
 after the death of the Duke of Guise. 
 
 t It is quite manifest, both from what precedes and what 
 follows in the Diary, that Henslowe (who was an egregious 
 blunderer) ought to have written here " 1592," i.e. 1592-3 (see 
 Diary, p. 30, ed. Shake. Soc.) ; and with that date the entry 
 has been given by Malone, Shakespeare, by Boswell, iii. 299, 
 as well as by Mr. Collier, Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 132. 
 
 § " Lent W m Birde, alias Borne, the 27 of novcmbr [1598], 
 to bye a payer of sylke stockens, to playe theGwisse in]xxx»." 
 
 "Lent unto VV m Borne, the 19ofnovembr, 1598,uponalonge
 
 XXIV SOME ACCOUNT OK 
 
 and alterations. — It appears that in the play as originally 
 written, the character of Guise was supported by Alleyn.* 
 — The Massacre at Paris was printed without date (perhaps 
 about 1595 or 1596), either from a copy taken down, during 
 representation, by some unskilful and ignorant short-hand- 
 writer, or from a very imperfect transcript which had be- 
 longed to one of the theatres. 
 
 It would be rash to decide on the merits of a play which 
 we possess only with a text both mutilated f and abounding 
 in corruptions; I strongly suspect, however, that The ilias- 
 sucre at Paris, even in its pristine state, was the very 
 worst of Marlowe's dramas. 
 
 ^Ve must now turn from his works to the personal 
 history of Marlowe. — It is not to be doubted that by 
 this time he had become acquainted with most of those 
 who, like himself, were dramatists by profession; and 
 there can be little doubt too that beyond their circle (which, 
 of course, included the actors) he had formed few intimacies. 
 Though the demand for theatrical novelties was then inces- 
 sant, plays were scarcely recognized as literature, and the 
 dramatists were regarded as men who held a rather low 
 rank in society : the authors of pieces which had delighted 
 thousands were generally looked down upon by the grave 
 substantial citizens, and seldom presumed to approach the 
 mansions of the aristocracy but as clients in humble atten- 
 dance on the bounty of their patrons. Unfortunately, the 
 discredit which attached to dramatic writing as an occupation 
 was greatly increased by the habits of those who pursued 
 
 tanev clocke of clothe, the some of xij s , w ch he sayd yt was to 
 Imbrader his hatte for the Gwisse jxij*. " pp. 110, 113. 
 
 At a later date Webster wrote a drama (now lost) which was 
 called The Guise, and which is more likely to have been an 
 original work than one founded upon Marlowe's tragedy. 
 
 * In an inventory of theatrical apparel belonging to Alleyn is 
 "hose" [i. e. breeches] . . . " for the Guises." Collier's Mem. 
 of Alleyn, p. 21. 
 
 t See note vol. ii. 336.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXV 
 
 it : a few excepted, they were improvident, unprincipled, 
 and dissolute, — now rioting in taverns and " ordinaries" 
 on the profits of a successful play, and now lurking in the 
 haunts of poverty* till the completion of another drama had 
 enabled them to resume their revels. — At a somewhat later 
 period, indeed, a decided improvement appears to have 
 taken place in the morals of our dramatic writers : and it 
 is by no means improbable that the high respectability of 
 character which was maintained by Shakespeare and Jonson 
 may have operated very beneficially, in the way of exam- 
 ple, on the play -wrights around them. — But among 
 those of superior station there was at least one person 
 with whom Marlowe lived on terms of intimacy : the pub- 
 lisher of his posthumous fragment, Hero and Lcander, was 
 induced to dedicate it * to the worshipful Sir Thomas Wal- 
 singham,-)- knight," because he had " bestowed upon the 
 author many kind favours, entertaining the parts of reckon- 
 ing and worth which he found in him with good countenance 
 and liberal affection." X Nor is this the only proof extant 
 that Sir Thomas Walsingham cultivated a familiarity with 
 the dramatists of his day ; for to him, as to his " long-loved 
 and honourable friend,'" Chapman has inscribed by a sonnet 
 the comedy of Al Fooles, 1605. § 
 
 * The author of The Atheist's Tragedie has not failed to notice 
 such vicissitudes of fortune in Marlowe's case j 
 
 " A poet was he of repute, 
 
 And wrote full many a playe, 
 Now strutting in a silken sute, 
 
 Then begging by the way." 
 
 See vol. iii, — Appendix iv. 
 
 t Sir Thomas Walsingham, knight, of Chesilhurst in Kent. 
 He married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Peter Manwood, 
 knight of the Bath (see note, p. v.), and died in 1630, aged 
 69. See Thorpe's Registrant Roffense, p. 933, and Hasted's 
 Hist, of Kent, i.*99. t See vol. iii. 3. 
 
 § This poetical dedication is found, I believe, in only a single 
 copy of the play.
 
 XXVI SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 Among the play-wrights of the time, Robert Greene was 
 far from the meanest in the estimation of his contemporaries. 
 The ill-will which he appears to have borne to Marlowe* 
 when the latter first rose into public favour, had most proba- 
 bly passed away long before the period at which we are now 
 arrived ; and we may conclude that they eventually kept up 
 a friendly intercourse with each other, undisturbed by any 
 expression of uneasiness on the part of Greene at Marlowe's 
 acknowledged preeminence. — The wretched Greene, re- 
 duced to utter beggary, and abandoned by the companions 
 of his festive hours, expired at the house of a poor shoe- 
 maker near Dowgate on the 3rd of September 1592 ; f and 
 soon after his decease, his Groatsworth of Wit bought with 
 a million of Repentance was given to the public by Henry 
 Chettle, one of the minor dramatic, anti miscellaneous writers 
 of the day. The following " Address," which occurs to- 
 wards the conclusion of that tract, has been frequently re- 
 printed : but it is a document which must not be omitted in 
 any biography of Marlowe : — 
 
 " To those Gentlemen his quondam acquaintance, that 
 spend their wits in making playes, R. G. wisheth a better 
 exercise, and wisedome to preuent his extremities. 
 
 " If wofull experience may mooue you, gentlemen, to 
 beware, or vnheard-of wretchednes intreat you to take heed, 
 I doubt not but you will look backe with sorrow on your 
 time past, and endeuour with repentance to spend that 
 which is to come. Wonder not (for with thee will I first 
 beginne), thou famous gracer of tragedians [i. e. Marlowe], 
 that Green, who hath said with thee, like the foole in his 
 heart, ' There is no God,' should now giue glorie vnto his 
 greatnesse ; for penetrating is his power, his hand lyes heauy 
 
 * See p. viii, note third. 
 
 t For various other particulars, see the Account of Greene, 
 £tc. p. lxxii sqq., prefixed to his Dram. Works, ed. Dyce.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXVII 
 
 vpon me, he hath spoken vnto me with a voyce of thunder, 
 and I haue felt* he is a God that can punish enemies. 
 Why should thy excellent wit, his gift, be so blinded that 
 thou shouldest giue no glory to the giuer ? Is it pestilent 
 Machiuilian policie that thou hast studied? O peevish f 
 follie ! what are his rules but meere confused mockeries, 
 able to extirpate in small time the generation of mankinde ? 
 for if sic volo, sic iubeo, holde in those that are able to com- 
 maund, and if it be lawfully/as et nefas, to doo any thing that 
 is beneficiall, onely tyrants should possesse the earth, and 
 they striuing to exceed in tiranny, should ech to other be a 
 slaughterman, till, the mightyest outliuing all, one stroke 
 were left for Death, that in one age mans life should end. 
 The brocherj of this dyabolicall atheisme is dead, and in his 
 life had neuer the felicitie he aymed at, but, as he beganne 
 in craft, liued in feare, and ended in dispaire. Quam in- 
 scrutabilia sunt Dei judicial This murderer of many brethren 
 had his conscience seared like Cayne ; this betrayer of him 
 that gaue his life for him inherited the portion of Judas; 
 this apostata perished as ill as Julian : and wilt thou, my 
 friend, be his disciple ? Looke vnto mee, by him persuaded 
 to that libertie, and thou shalt finde it an infernall bondage. 
 I know the least of my dements merit this miserable death ; 
 but wilfull striuing against knowne truth exceedeth all the 
 terrors of my soule. Deferre not (with mee) till this last 
 point of extremitie ; for little knowest thou how in the end 
 thou shalt be visited. 
 
 * felt] Old. ed. " left." 
 
 t peevish] Old ed. " punish " (the compositor's eye having 
 perhaps caught that, word from the preceding sentence). 
 
 t brocher] Old ed. " Brother." — " Probably Francis Kett, 
 A. M», of Winmondham in Norfolk, who was bred at Benet 
 College in Cambridge, and was chosen fellow 1573. In Feb- 
 ruary 1589 he. was burnt at Norwich for holding detestable 
 opinions against Christ." MS. Note by Malone.
 
 XXVI11 SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 " With thee I ioyne young Iuuenall [i. e. Lodge], that 
 bytingsatyrist, that lastly* with mee together writ a comedie. 
 Sweet boy, might I aduise thee, be aduised, and get not 
 many enemies by bitter words: inueigh against vaine men, 
 for thou canst doo it, no man better, no man so well ; thou 
 hast a libertie to reproue all and name none ; for one being 
 spoken to, all are offended, — none beeing blamed, no man 
 is iniuried. Stop shallow water still running, it will rage; 
 tread on a worme, and it will turne ; then blame not schol- 
 ars who are vexed with sharpe and bitter lines, if they re- 
 prooue thy too much liberty of reproofe. 
 
 " And thou [i.e. Peele] no lesse deseruing then the other 
 two, in some things rarer, in nothing inferiour, driuen (as 
 myselfe) to extreame shifts, a little haue I to say to thee; 
 and, were it not an idolatrous oath, I would sweare by sweet 
 S. George thou art vnworthy better hap, sith thou dependest 
 on so meane a stay. Base-minded men all three of you, if 
 by my misery yee bee not warned ; for vnto none of you 
 (like me) sought those burs to cleaue ; those puppits, I 
 meane, that speake from our mouths, those anticks garnisht 
 in our colours. Is it not strange that I to whome they all 
 haue bin beholding, is it not like that you to whom they all 
 haue bin beholding, shall, were yee in that case that I am 
 now, be both of them at once forsaken? Yes, trust them 
 not ; for there is an vpstart crowf [i. e. Shakespeare] beau- 
 tified with our feathers, that, with his Tj/grcs heart wrapt in 
 a players hyde, supposes hee is as well able to bombast out 
 a blanke-verse as the best of you, and, beeing an absolute 
 Johannes-fac-totum, is in his owne conceytthe onely Shake- 
 
 • lustlii] Qy. " lately'"! Lodge's talent as a satirist may be 
 seenin his Fig lor Momus, 1595. The " com edie" which be com - 
 po ed in conjunction with Greene, is A Looking Glasse for London 
 and England (reprinted in Greene's Dram. Works, ed, Dvce). 
 
 t This allusion to Shakespeare will be particularly noticed 
 in a later ]>;irt of the present memoir.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXIX 
 
 scene in a countrey. Oh, that I might intreat your rare 
 wittes to bee imployed in more profitable courses, and let 
 these apes imitate your past excellence, and neuer more 
 acquaynte them with your admyred inuentions! I knowe 
 the best husband of you all will neuer prooue an vsurer, and 
 the kindest of them all will neuer prooue a kinde nurse : 
 yet, whilst you may, seeke you better maisters ; for it is 
 pitty men of such rare wits should bee subiect to the plea- 
 sures of such rude groomes. 
 
 " In this I might insert two more that both haue wrirte 
 against these buckram gentlemen : but let their owne worke 
 serue to witnesse against theyr owne wickednesse, if they 
 perseuer to maintaine any more such peasants. For other 
 new commers, I leaue them to the mercie of these painted 
 monsters, who, I doubt not, will driue the best-minded to 
 despise them : for the rest, it skills not though they make a 
 ieast at them. 
 
 " But now returne I again to you 'three, knowing my 
 miserie is to you no newes; and let me heartilie intreate 
 you to be warned by my harmes. Delight not, as I haue 
 done, in irreligious oaths, for from the blasphemers house 
 a curse shall not depart. Despise drunkennes, which wasteth 
 the wit, and maketh* men all equall vnto beasts. Flie lust, 
 as the deathsman of the soule, and defile not the temple of 
 the Holy Ghost. Abhorre those epicures whose loose life 
 hath made religion loathsome to your eares ; and when they 
 soothe you with tearms of mastership, remember Robert 
 Greene, whome they haue often so flattered, perishes now 
 for want of comfort. Remember, gentlemen, your Hues are 
 like so many light f tapers that are with care deliuered to 
 all of you to maintaine : these with wind-puft wrath may be 
 extinguished, with J; drunkennesse put§ out, with || negli- 
 
 * maketh] Old ed. " making." + light] i. e. lit— lighted. 
 
 * with] Old ed. " which." § put] Old ed. " puts." 
 || with] Old ed. " which."
 
 XXX SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 gence let fall; for mans time of itselfe is not so short but it 
 is more shortened by shine. The fire of my life* is now at 
 the last snuffe, and the want of wherewith to sustaine it, 
 there is no substance for life to feed on. Trust not, then, I 
 beseech yee, left to such weake stayse ; for they are as 
 changeable in minde as in many attires. Well, my hand is 
 tyred, and I am forst to leaue where I would beginne; for 
 a whole booke cannot contain their wrongs, which I am 
 forst to knit vp in some few lines of words. "f 
 
 Both Marlowe and Shakespeare having taken offence at the 
 above " Address," their complaints were noticed by Chettle, 
 the editor of the tract, in a public statement which he pre- 
 fixed to his Kind-Harts Dreame, &c, and which, if satisfac- 
 tory to Shakespeare, was little calculated to soothe the dis- 
 pleasure of Marlowe. " About three moneths since," says 
 Chettle, " died M. Robert Greene, leauing many papers in 
 sundry booke-sellers hands; among other, his Groats-worth 
 of Wit, in which a letter written to diuers play-makers is 
 offensiuely by one or two of them taken; and because on 
 the dead they cannot be auenged, they wilfully forge in 
 their conceites a liuing author; and after tossing it to X and 
 fro, no remedy, but it must light on me. How I haue all 
 the time of my conuersing in printing hindred the bitter 
 inueying against schollers, it hath been very well knowne, 
 and how in that I dealt I can sufficiently prooue. With 
 neither of them that take offence was I acquainted, and 
 with one of them [i. e. Marlowe] I care not if I neuer be : 
 the other [i. e. Shakespeare], whome at that time I did not 
 so much spare as since I wish I had, for that as I haue mo- 
 derated the heate of liuing writers, and might haue vsde my 
 owne discretion (especially in such a case) the author beeing 
 
 * life] Old ed. " light." Some words seem to have dropt 
 out from this sentence. 
 
 t I quote from ed. 1617. + to] Old ed. '* two.',
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXXI 
 
 dead, that I did not, I am as sory as if the originall fault 
 had beene my fault, because myselfe haue seene his demea- 
 nor no lesse ciuill than he exclent in the qualitie he pro- 
 fesses ; besides, diuers of worship haue reported his vpright- 
 nes of dealing which argues his honesty, and his facetious 
 grace in writting that aprooues his art. For the first, whose 
 learning I reuerence, and, at the perusing of Greenes booke, 
 stroke out what then in conscience I thought he in some 
 displeasure writ, or, had it beene true, yet to publish it was 
 intollerable, him I would wish to vse me no worse than I 
 deserue. I had onely in the copy this share; it was il 
 written, as sometime Greenes hand was none of the best; 
 licensd it must be, ere it could bee printed, which could 
 neuerbe if it might not be read : to be breife, I writ it ouer, 
 and, as neare as I could, followed the copy, onely in that 
 letter I put something out, but in the whole booke not a 
 worde in ; for I protest it was all Greenes, not mine, nor 
 Maister Nashes, as some vniustly haue affirmed."* 
 
 That it should have been attributed to Nash seems 
 strange enough : but we have his own testimony, in addition 
 to Chettle's, that such was the case. " Other newes," he 
 says, " I am aduertised of, that a scald triuiall lying pam- 
 phlet, cald Greens Groats-worth of Wit, is giuen out to be 
 of my doing. God neuer haue care of my soule, but vtterly 
 renounce me, if the least word or sillible in it proceeded from 
 my pen, or if I were any way priuie to the writing or printing 
 
 * " To the Gentlemen Readers," before Kind-Harts Dreame, 
 &c. n. d. [1592]. — Mr. Collier remarks, " We have some 
 doubts of the authenticity of the ' Groatsworth of Wit ' as 
 a work by Greene." Life of Shakespeare, p. cxxxi. I cannot 
 think these doubts well founded. The only important part of the 
 tract, the Address to the play-wrights, has an earnestness which 
 is scarcely consistent with forgery ; and Chettle, though an 
 indigent, appears to have been a respectable man. Besides, 
 the Groatsworth of Wit, from beginning to end, closely resem- 
 bles in style the other prose-works of Greene.
 
 XXXII SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 of it."*_" Possibly," observes Mr. Collier, « one of the 
 ' lying' portions of it, in the opinion of Nash, was that in 
 which an attack was made upon Shakespeare," f— a remark 
 which somewhat surprises me. Nothing can be plainer than 
 that Greene wrote the passage in question with a perfect 
 knowledge that those whom he addressed, viz. Marlowe, 
 Lodge, and Peele, were no less jealous of the " Shake- 
 scene " than himself, and that they would relish the sneering 
 allusion to one who had given evidence of possessing a dra- 
 matic power which in its full developement might reduce 
 the whole band of earlier play-wrights to comparative insig- 
 nificance. There is, therefore, no likelihood that Nash, the 
 companion of Greene, Marlowe, Lodge, and Peele, — and 
 he too a writer for the stage, — would have beheld the bright 
 dawn of Shakespeare's genius with feelings more liberal than 
 theirs. But, however he may have felt towards Shakespeare, I 
 cannot doubt that when he mentioned the Groatsworth of II it 
 in the terms above cited, he was thinking only of the proba- 
 ble consequences of such a publication to himself: he was 
 vexed and irritated because its disclosures concerning men 
 with whom he was well known to have associated, — the 
 dead Greene, J and the still-living Marlowe, — had a strong 
 tendency to injure his own character; and he boldly pro- 
 nounced it to be a " lying pamphlet," in the hope of shaking 
 its credit with the world. 
 
 * " A priuate Epistle to the Printer," prefixed to the sec. 
 ed. of Pierce Penndesse his Supplication to the Diuell, 1592 ( 1 
 quote from ed. 1595). 
 
 + Introd. to Nash's Pierce Penniless's Supp. &c. p. xvii, ed. 
 Shake. Soc. 
 
 t After Greene's death, Nash was anxious to persuade the 
 public that no great intimacy had subsisted between them ; but 
 he was obliged to allow that he had been Greene's companion 
 " at that fatall banquet of Rhenish wine and pickled hearing," of 
 which Greene surfeited and died : see Nash's Strange Newes, 
 &c, 1592, Sigs. E4, H,L4.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXXIll 
 
 That Greene's exhortation, " to be warned by his harms" 
 had no effect on Marlowe, is but too certain. Greene had 
 not been a year in the grave, when Marlowe perished by 
 a violent death in the very prime of manhood. This catas- 
 trophe occurred at Deptford ; where in the burial-register 
 of the parish-church of St. Nicholas may still be read the 
 entry, " Christopher Marlow, slaine by ffrancis Archer, the 1 
 of June, 1593."* — In Beard's Theatre of God's Judgements, 
 1597, we have the following account. " Not inferior to any 
 of the former in atheisme and impietie, and equal to al in 
 maner of punishment, was one of our own nation, of fresh 
 and late memorie, called Marlin [in the margin Marlow], 
 by profession a scholler, brought vp from his youth in the 
 Vniuersitie of Cambridge, but by practise a play-maker and 
 a poet of scurrilitie, who by giuing too large a swing to his 
 owne wit, and suffering his lust to haue the full reines, fell 
 (not without just desert) to that outrage and extremitie, that 
 hee denied God and his sonne Christ, and not onely in word 
 blasphemed the Trinitie, but also (as it is credibly reported) 
 wrote bookes against it, affirming our Sauiour to be but a 
 deceiuer, and Moses to be butaconiurer and seducer of the 
 people, and the holy Bible to bee but vaine and idle stories, 
 and all religion but a deuice of policie. But see what a 
 hooke the Lord put in the nostrils of this barking dogge ! So 
 it fell out, that as he purposed to stab one whom he ought a 
 grudge vnto, with his dagger, the other party perceiuing so 
 auoyded the stroke, that withall catching hold of his wrest, 
 hee stabbed his owne dagger into his owne head, in such 
 sort that, notwithstanding all the meanes of surgerie that 
 could bee wrought, hee shortly after died thereof; the man- 
 ner of his death being so terrible (for hee euen cursed and 
 blasphemed to his last gaspe, and together with his breath an 
 
 * This entrv (which I have myself examined) was first given 
 to the public by a writer in a periodical work called The British 
 Stage (No. for January 1821).
 
 XXXIV SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 oath flew out of his mouth), that it was not only a manifest 
 signe of Gods judgement, but also an horrible and fearefull 
 terror to all that beheld him. But herein did the justice of 
 God most notably appeare, in that hee compelled his owue 
 hand, which had written these blasphemies, to bee the in- 
 strument to punish him, and that in his braine which had 
 deuised the same."* — Meres, in his Palladis Tamia, &c, 
 1598, after referring to the passage of Beard just quoted, 
 goes on to say, " As the poet Lycophron was shot to death 
 by a certain riual of his, so Christopher Marlow was stabd 
 to death by a bawdy seruingman, a riuall of his in his lewde 
 loue."f — The story is told somewhat differently by Vaughan 
 in The Golden Groue, &c, 1600: " Not inferiour to these 
 was one Christopher Marlow, by profession a play-maker, 
 who, as it is reported, about 14 yeres agoe, wrote a booke 
 against the Trinitie. But see the effects of Gods justice ! 
 It so hapned that at Detford, a litle village about three 
 miles distant from London, as he meant to stab with his 
 ponyard one named Ingram [Archer ?], that had inuited him 
 thither to a feast and was then playing at tables, hee [Ar- 
 cher?] quickly perceyuing it, so auoyded the thrust, that 
 withall drawing out his dagger for his defence, hee stabd this 
 Marlow into the eye, in such sort that, his braynes comming 
 out at the daggers point, hee shortly after dyed. Thus 
 did God, the true executioner of diuine iustice, worke the 
 ende of impious atheists." J — The author of The Returne 
 from Pei'nassus, an academic drama which, though acted 
 before the death of Queen Elizabeth, was not printed till 
 1606, has these striking lines concerning our poet; 
 
 " Marlowe was happy in his buskin['d] Muse, — 
 Alas, vnhappy in his life and end ! 
 Pitty it is, that wit so ill should dwell, 
 Wit lent from heauen, but vices sent from hell. 
 Our theater hath lost, Pluto hath got, 
 A tragick penman for a driery plot."§ — 
 
 * P. 149, ed. 1631. t Fol. 286. 
 
 t Sig. C4, ed.1608. $ Sig. B2.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXXV 
 
 In The Thunderbolt of God's wrath against hard-hearted 
 and stiffe-necked sinners, &c, 1618, Rudierde closely adheres 
 to the narrative of Beard, mixing up with it, however, the 
 erroneous statement that Marlowe was killed " in a streete 
 in London."* — Wood, it is evident, derived his information 
 wholly from Beard and Meres, when, not without a touch of 
 his own quaintness, he related the circumstances of our 
 author's death, f — To the above authorities, I subjoin the 
 MS. Notes of an unknown writer in a copy of Marlowe's 
 Hero and Leander, ed. 16294 " Feb - 10 » 1640. Mr. [here 
 two words in cipher] that Marloe was an atheist, and wrot a 
 booke against [here two words in cipher], how that it was all 
 one mans making, and would haue printed it, but it would not 
 be suffred to be printed. Hee was a rare scholar, and made 
 excellent verses in Latine. Hee died aged about 30." — 
 " Marloe was an acquaintance of Mr. [here a name in cipher] 
 of Douer, whom hee made become an atheist ; so that he was 
 faine to make a recantation vppon this text, ' The foole hath 
 said in his heart there is no God.' " — " This [here the name, 
 as before, in cipher] learned all Marloe by heart." — " Mar- 
 loe was stabd with a dagger, and dyed swearing." 
 
 In addition to the various charges of impiety brought 
 against Marlowe in the preceding passages, the reader will 
 
 * P. 29. 
 
 t See Ath. Oxon, ii. 7, ed. Bliss. — Compare too the ballad 
 called The Atheist's Tragedie, vol. in, Appendix iv. of the 
 present edition. — A couplet in Marston's Satires, 1598, has 
 been supposed, without much reason, to point at Marlowe's 
 death ; 
 
 " 'Tis loose-leg'd Lais, that same common drab, 
 For whom good Tubrio tooke the mortall stab." 
 
 Sut. ii. p. 145, ed. 1764. 
 
 Mr. Collier thinks that in the Epistle to the Reader, prefixed to 
 the Second Part of T. 13. 's translation of The French Academie, 
 there is an allusion to Marlowe : vide Poet. Decam., ii. 271 , sqq. 
 I do not think so. 
 
 t In the possession of Mr. J. P. Collier.
 
 XXXVI SOME ACCOUNT OK 
 
 find in Appendix i. to the present work that "Note" of 
 his "damnable opinions" which, just before the poet's 
 death, was given in, as grounds for a judicial process, by a 
 person named Bame, and which Ritson exultingly drew forth 
 from the Harleian MSS.* in answer to Warton's assertion 
 that Marlowe had no systematic disbelief of religion, and 
 that the Puritans had construed his slight scepticism into 
 absolute atheism. f 
 
 How far the poet's freethinking was really carried, I do 
 not pretend to determine. I certainly feel that probability 
 is outraged in several of the statements of Bame, who ap- 
 pears to have had a quarrel with Marlowe, and who, it must 
 not be forgotten, was afterwards hanged at Tyburn ; and I 
 can readily believe that the Puritans would not stick at 
 misrepresentation in speaking of a man whose writings had 
 so greatly contributed to exalt the stage: but when I see 
 that the author of The Returne from Pernassus, whom no 
 one will suspect of fanaticism, has painted the character of 
 Marlowe in the darkest colours, while at the same time he 
 bestows a high encomium on his genius ; and, above all, 
 when I remember that, before either Bame or the Puritans 
 had come forward as his accusers, the dying Greene % had 
 borne unequivocal testimony against him to the very same 
 effect, — it is not easy for me to resist the conviction that 
 Marlowe's impiety was more confirmed and daring than 
 Warton and others have been willing to allow. 
 
 It was only to be expected that among the surviving friends 
 of Marlowe there would be some who would mention him § 
 
 * It is among the papers of Lord Keeper Puckering. 
 
 t Vide Warton's Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 437, ed. 4to. and 
 Ritson's Observations on that work, p. 40. 
 
 J Be it remembered too that the more offensive part of what 
 Greene had written concerning Marlowe, was omitted by Chet- 
 tle when he revised the Groat's-worth of Wit : see p. xxxi. 
 
 § Hartley Coleridge, treating of old dramas founded on deeply
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXXVII 
 
 in terms altogether different from those employed by the 
 writers last quoted; and accordingly we find that in the 
 Prologue to The Honour of the Garter, which was pub- 
 lished very shortly after Marlowe's death, he is apostro- 
 phised by Peele in the language of enthusiastic admiration; 
 
 '' Unhappy in thine end, 
 Marley, the Muses' darling for thy verse, 
 Fit to write passions for the souls below, 
 If any wretched souls in passion speak."* 
 
 When Nash republished his Christ's Tears over Jerusalem 
 in 1594, he prefixed to it an Epistle in which he renews his 
 attack on Gabriel Harvey, and "vindicates," among others, 
 " poor deceased Kit Marlowe : " this I state on the autho- 
 rity of Mr. Collier,f the only copy of that edition which I 
 have seen being imperfect and wanting the passage about 
 Marlowe. — The same writer, in his final and best attack on 
 Gabriel Harvey, Haue with you to Saffron-walden, &c, 1.596, 
 has recorded a "saying" of Marlowe concerning Richard 
 Harvey, the younger brother of Gabriel ; " Kit Marloe was 
 wont to say, that he was an asse, good for nothing but to 
 preach of the Iron Age." % The reader, I presume, will not 
 think so highly of this bon-mot as Nash appears to have 
 done : but it at least contains the truth ; for Richard Harvey 
 has fairly "written himself down an ass" in his Astrological 
 Discourse, which, to the infinite dismay of many persons as 
 
 tragic incidents in English domestic life which had recently 
 occurred, observes ; " It is a wonder that the assassination of 
 Marlowe was never dramatized." Introd. to the Works of 
 Massinger and Ford, p. xiii. Surely, it is no wonder that the 
 dramatists of those days did not endeavour to give additional 
 publicity to the sad and disgraceful fate of one who had been 
 the most eminent among them. 
 
 * Peele's Works, ii. 222, ed. Dyce, 1829. 
 
 t Introd. to Nash's Pierce Penniless's Suppl. &c, p. xxix, ed. 
 Shake. Soc. 
 
 t Sig. N 3.
 
 XXXVUl SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 silly as the author, announced that a very fatal conjunction 
 of Saturn and Jupiter was to happen on the 28th of April, 
 1583. — In a MS. poem called The Newe Metamorphosis, 
 or a Feuste of Fancie, &c, by J. M. 1600, (unknown to me, 
 except through the medium of a recent work,)* our poet is 
 spoken of as " kynde Kit Marloe," — an epithet which, 
 however impious his tenets, or however loose his morals, he 
 may have fully merited. — And here let me observe with 
 respect to " Kit," that it is not to be considered as a fond 
 and familiar appellation bestowed on Marlowe in conse- 
 quence of any endearing qualities which he may have pos- 
 sessed ; for Hey wood, after declaring that 
 
 " Our moderne poets to that passe are driuen, 
 Those names are curtal'd which they first had giuen ; 
 And, as we wisht to haue their memories drown'd, 
 We scarcely can afford them halfe their sound," 
 
 adduces fourteen instances of this abbreviation of the Chris- 
 tian name, among which is the following; 
 
 " Mario, renown'd for his rare art and wit, 
 Could ne're attaine beyond the name of Kit, 
 Although his Hero and Leander did 
 Merit addition rather." t 
 
 Neither painting nor engraving has preserved the features 
 of Marlowe ; nor does any passage in the writings of his 
 contemporaries enable us to form the slightest idea of his 
 personal appearance. — I now resume the enumeration of his 
 works. 
 
 Bishop Tanner, speaking of the tragedy of Dido, says, 
 " Hanc perfecit et edidit Tho. Nash, Loud. 1594, 4to."; and 
 he presently adds, " Petowius in pracfatione ad secundaria 
 partem Herois et Lcandri multa in Marlovii commenda- 
 tionem adfert ; hoc etiam facit Tho. Nash in Carmine ele- 
 
 * I lalli well's Life of Shakespeare, p. 190. 
 
 t The Hierarchie of the hlessed Angelk, 1635, p. 206.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. XXXIX 
 
 giaco IragazdicE Didonis praefixo in obitum Christoph. Mar- 
 lovii, ubi quatuor ejus tragcediarum mentionem facit, nee 
 non et alterius De Duce Guisio."* Warton, too, observes, 
 " His [Marlowe's] tragedy of Dido Queen of Carthage was 
 completed and published by bis friend Thomas Nashe in 
 1594 ; " subjoining in a note, " Nashe in his Elegy prefixed 
 to Marlowe's Dido, mentions five of his plays. "f As the 
 Elegy by Nash is not in any of the few copies of Dido which 
 are at present known, it would seem to be lost irretrievably ; 
 but that it once existed is unquestionable. Malone, who 
 applied to Warton for farther particulars on this subject has 
 left the following MS. note in his copy of the play. J " He 
 [Warton] informed me by letter that a copy of this play was 
 in Osborne's Catalogue in the year 1754; that he then saw 
 it in his shop (together with several of Mr. Oldys's books 
 that Osborne had purchased), and that the elegy in question, 
 1 on Marlowe's untimely death,' was inserted immediately 
 after the title-page; that it mentioned a play of Marlowe's 
 entitled The Duke of Guise, \ and four others, but whether 
 particularly by name he could not recollect. Unluckily he 
 did not purchase this rare piece, and it is now God knows 
 where." || Mr. Collier, who seems to be unacquainted with 
 what Tanner and Warton have stated concerning Dido, re- 
 gards it as a drama undoubtedly written by Marlowe and 
 Nash in conjunction ; and moreover is of opinion that their 
 respective shares may be easily distinguished, those of Nash 
 being more monotonous in versification and less poetical than 
 
 * Biblioth. Brit. p. 512. 
 
 t Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 435. ed. 4to. 
 
 X Now in the Bodleian Library. 
 
 § i. e. The Massacre at Paris. 
 
 || Yet it would almost seem that Malone bad as little faith 
 in honest Tom Warton's veracity as Ritson himself bad ; for 
 presently, after citing Tanner, he writes ; " I suspect Mr. War- 
 ton had no other authority than this for saying that this play 
 was left imperfect bv Marlowe, and completed and published by 
 Nash."
 
 xl SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 those of Marlowe.* For my own part, since I find Tanner's 
 statement so circumstantially confirmed by Warton, I consider 
 myself bound to believe, till some positive evidence be pro- 
 duced to the contrary, that Dido was completed for the stage 
 by Nash after the decease of Marlowe. As to any marked 
 difference of versification which would enable us to deter- 
 mine exactly what parts of the play are by Marlowe and 
 what by Nash,f — I must confess that it is not quite so per- 
 ceptible to me as to Mr. Collier; nor do I think that we are 
 warranted in assigning to the latter poet all the less brilliant 
 passages, since we know that Marlowe, though often soaring 
 to a height which Nash could not have reached, yet fre- 
 quently sinks to the level of a very ordinary writer. In 
 short, I cannot but suspect that Nash's contributions to Dido 
 were comparatively small. — The date of its original represen- 
 tation has not been ascertained : it was acted by the Children 
 of the Chapel ; t and (as already noticed) was first printed 
 in 1594. 
 
 * See Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 225.— At p. 138 Mr. 
 Collier remarks that "Marlowe and Nash were not acquainted 
 with each other in 1587," but at p. 221 that Dido was " appa- 
 rently written previous to 1590." 
 
 t Mr. Collier particularly gives to Nash the description of 
 the fall of Troy, — a description which I should rather say is 
 Marlowe's, its splendid extravagance being above the powers of 
 Nash. 
 
 % It is doubtful, as Mr. Collier observes, whether the fol- 
 lowing entry in Henslowe's Diary refers to some alteration and 
 revival of Marlowe's Dido, or to some new piece on the same 
 subject (forHenslowe afterwards mentions a play called Eneas' 
 Revenge) ; 
 
 " Layd owte for coper lace for the littell boye, for^ 
 
 a valle [veil?] for the boye, ageanstethe playeof ^xxix*." 
 Dido and Eneus, the 3 of Jenewary 1597 J 
 
 p. 117, ed. Shake. Soc. Among the stage-properties of the Lord 
 Admiral's men we find " j tome of Dido," and among their stage- 
 dresses " Dides robe." Id. pp. 273, 276. For Marlowe's Dido 
 " a tomb" was not wanted. — In an inventory of Allevn's thea-
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. xli 
 
 Previous to the appearance of this tragedy, several dramas 
 on the story of Dido had been attempted in England.* John 
 Rightwise, master of St. Paul's School, London, " made 
 the Tragedy of Dido out of Virgil, and acted the same with 
 the scholars of his school, before Cardinal Wolsey, with great 
 applause :"f it would seem to have been a Latin composi- 
 tion. In 1564 "a tragedie named Dido, in hexametre 
 verse, without anie chorus," J written by Edward Haliwell, 
 was played before Queen Elizabeth in King's-College cha- 
 pel, Cambridge : and in 1583 a Latin Dido was represented 
 for the amusement of Prince Alasco in Christ-Church hall, 
 Oxford. The author of the last-mentioned piece has hitherto 
 been unknown : but I can now state that it was composed 
 by Dr. William Gager, whose Latin plays were greatly ad- 
 mired even beyond the precincts of the university ; and large 
 
 trical wardrobe is " Pryams hose in Dido" (Collier's Mem. of 
 Atleyn, p. 21) : qy. were the said hose [i. e. breeches] used for 
 the statue of Priam in Marlowe's tragedy (see vol. ii. 379) ! It 
 is at least certain that Priam could not possibly be a character 
 in any play on the story of Dido. 
 
 * Warton, Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 435, ed. 4to. notices 
 " the interlude of Dido and Eneas at Chester," which, he savs, 
 " I have before mentioned : " but I cannot find the earlier men- 
 tion of it. 
 
 t Wood's Ath. Oxon. i. 35, ed. Bliss. See too Tanner's 
 BihUolh. p. 632, where, however, the notice of this play is 
 taken from Wood. — Warton, Hist, of Engl. Poet. ii. 434, ed. 4to. 
 states that it was written by Rightwise and in Latin ; but he 
 afterwards, iii. 84, wrongly assigns it to Edward Haliwell, and 
 says " it may be doubted whether this drama was in English." — 
 A mistake of Harwood concerning Rightwise's Dido has per- 
 plexed Mr. Hallam, lntrod. to the Lit. of Europe, i. 433, ed. 1843. 
 
 $ Nichols's Prog, of Elizabeth, i. 186, ed. 1823.— It " was 
 written by Edward Haliwell, fellow of King's College, as ap- 
 pears from Hatcher"s account of the provosts, fellows, &c. of 
 that society. Bodl. MSS. Rawlinson, B. 274." Note by Bliss 
 in Wood's Ath. Oxon., i. 35.— See also Tanner's Biblioth. p. 372. 
 — Warton, Hist, of Engl. Poet. ii. 383, ed. 4to. supposes it to 
 have been an English play.
 
 xlii SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 fragments of it, which I have recovered from his own manu- 
 script, may be read in an appendix to the present volumes.§ 
 
 Much of Marlowe's play is necessarily derived from Vir- 
 gil ; * and, as those portions of the Mneid that relate to 
 Dido are in a high degree truthful and passionate, the com- 
 parison which we are forced to make between them and the 
 English tragedy is so unfavourable to the latter, that we 
 are in some danger of estimating it below its real worth. 
 But, though Marlowe's portrait of Dido be nearly as inferior 
 to Virgil's as Hogarth's Sigismonda is to Correggio's, and 
 though the other characters of the play have little force or 
 variety, our author must yet be allowed the praise of having 
 engrafted on the Roman fable some well-imagined circum- 
 stances, and of having given to many passages, which are 
 wholly unborrowed, such richness of colouring and such 
 beauty of expression as the genuine poet only can bestow. 
 
 Nash, whose name has occurred more than once in this 
 memoir, and whose partnership in Dido has just been men- 
 tioned, survived the publication of that tragedy for several 
 years. If his Summer's Last Will and Testament, 1600, was 
 not put forth by himself, his Lenten Stuffe, 1599, must be 
 regarded as the piece with which he closed his literary 
 career. In 1601 he was certainly deceased. f His talents 
 as a writer were very considerable, and various; but his 
 
 § Vol. iii, — Appendix ii. — Tbe comedy Bivales, with which 
 Prince Alasco bad been entertained on the preceding night, was 
 also by Gager ; see Wood's Ath. Oxon. ii. 87, ed. Bliss. Of 
 Gager's plays two only, I believe, have been printed, — Ulysses 
 Redux, 1591, and Meleager, 1592. Meres mentions " Doctor 
 Gager of Oxforde," as one of " the best for comedy amongst 
 us," in a list of names where Shakespeare's occurs ! Palladis 
 Tamia, &c, 1598, fol. 283. 
 
 * Marlowe is under no obligations either to the Didone of Dolce 
 (first printed in 1547) or to the Didone of Cinthio (first printed 
 in 1583), — Italian tragedies of some celebrity. 
 
 t As is proved by one of the " Cenotaphia " in Fitzgeoffrey's 
 Ajfanite, &c, 1601.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. xliil 
 
 strength is chiefly displayed in his prose-invectives, which, 
 whatever be their offences against good taste and perhaps 
 against good feeling, are scarcely to be paralleled for bitter- 
 ness of sarcasm and volubility of language.* Like other 
 wits of the day, he subsisted by his pen; and sometimes he 
 did not scruple to employ it on subjects of the vilest ribal- 
 dry.f In Dekker's tract called A Knight's Conjuring, &c, 
 1607, he is introduced, together with Marlowe, Greene, and 
 Peele, in the Elysian fields : but I now subjoin only a por- 
 tion of the passage, because I have quoted it more fully 
 elsewhere ; J " Whil'st Marlow, Greene, and Peele had 
 got under the shades of a large vyne, laughing to see Nash 
 (that was but newly come to their colledge) still haunted 
 with the sharpe and satyricall spirit that followed him heere 
 upon earth." 
 
 As the various editions of Marlowe's Ovid's Elegies, 
 
 * The lines on Nash in Drayton's Epistle to H. Reynolds 
 have been frequently cited : but not so, 1 believe, the following 
 epigram in Freeman's Rubbe and a great Cast, 1614 (Part Sec. 
 Ep. 96) ; 
 
 " Nash, had Lycambes on earth liuing beene 
 The time thou wast, his death had bin al one ; 
 Had he but mou'd thy tartest Muse to spleene, 
 Vnto the forke he had as surely gone ; 
 For why there liued not that man, I thinke, 
 Vsde better or more bitter gall in inke." 
 
 t See Davies's Wits Bedlam, 1617, Sig. F 2, where a certain 
 piece by Nash is mentioned as " knowne to euery trull." — But 
 in estimating Nash's character, we must not attach any im- 
 portance to the following lines, which seem to have been dic- 
 tated merely by friendship for the person addressed ; 
 To Doctor Harvey of Cambridge. 
 " The proverb saves, Who fights [fight] with duity foes 
 Must needs be fo) I'd, admit they win or lose : 
 Then think it doth a Doctor's credit dash, 
 To make himself antagonist to Nash." 
 
 Sir J. Harington's Epigrams, B. ii. Ep. 36, ed. folio. 
 
 t Account of Peele and his Writings, p. v. (prefixed to Ids 
 Works), ed. 1829.
 
 xliv SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 printed together with Davies's Epigrams, have no dates, we 
 cannot determine in what years they were successively pub- 
 lished. Of the three editions which I have collated (and 
 others, I believe, exist) the volume entitled Epigrummes and 
 Elegies by J. D. and C. M.* containing only a portion of 
 the Amoves, and exhibiting a comparatively antiquated ortho- 
 graphy, is undoubtedly the earliest, f A later edition which 
 I have used, and which contains the Elegies complete, with 
 their more objectionable passages rather heightened than 
 softened down, is probably that which was burnt at Sta- 
 tioners' Hall by order of the Archbishop of Canterbury and 
 the Bishop of London, in June, 1599. J A much later 
 edition, collated by me, is a re-impression of the one last 
 mentioned, and appears to have been published about 1640. 
 These three editions bear each the imprint " Middlebourgh " ; 
 but, whatever may have been the case with respect to the 
 first two, the third is evidently the production of a London 
 press. 
 
 * See vol. iii. 224 for the true description of that rare edi- 
 tion. My description of it, earlier in the same volume, p. 106, 
 is not accurate, the copy which I first used having been wrongly 
 done up by the binder. 
 
 t Ritson says (under " Davies") that these pieces were pub- 
 lished " about 1596," and afterwards (under " Marlow ") in 
 " 1596." Bibl. Poet. pp. 181, 276. 
 
 J We may wonder at the inconsistency of the book-inqui- 
 sitors of those days, who condemned to the flames Marlowe's 
 Ovid's Elegies, Marston's Metamorphosis of Pygmalion's Image, 
 nay, even Hall's Satires, and yet spared Harington's Orlando 
 Furioso, which equals the original in licentiousness and some- 
 times exceeds it in coarseness. The truth may be that " the 
 authorities " did not choose to meddle with a translation which 
 was not only dedicated to the Virgin Queen, but had been ex- 
 ecuted at her desire. — Though Sir John took every sort of 
 liberty with the original, omitting, altering, &c, and though (as 
 innumerable passages shew) he wanted an eye for its charming 
 picturesqueness, his Orlando Furioso did not deserve Jonson's 
 sweeping censure, — that it, " under all translations, was the 
 worst." Conversations with Drummond, p. 3. ed. Shake. Soc.
 
 MAUI.OAVE AND HIS WRITINGS. xlv 
 
 This version of the Arnorcs, taken altogether, does so little 
 credit either to Marlowe's skill as a translator or to his 
 scholarship, that one is almost tempted to believe it was 
 never intended by him to meet the eye of the world, but 
 was made, merely as a literary exercise, at an early period 
 of life, when classical studies chiefly engaged his atten- 
 tion. We look in vain for the graces of Ovid. In many 
 passages we should be utterly puzzled to attach a definite 
 meaning to the words, if we had not the original at hand ; 
 and in many others the Latin is erroneously rendered, the 
 mistranslations being sometimes extremely ludicrous.* I 
 doubt if more can be said in praise of this version than that 
 it is occasionally spirited and flowing, f Of the XVth Elegy 
 of the First Book there are two translations, — the second, 
 which is by B. J. (i. e. Ben Jonson) being, however, only 
 an alteration of the first.J 
 
 The Epigrams, which accompany the Ovid's Elegies, are 
 
 * E.g. 
 
 " Snakes leap by verse from caves of broken mountains." 
 (*' Carmine dissiliunt, abruptis faucibus, angues.") 
 
 vol. iii. 144. 
 
 " Ida, the seat of groves, did sing with corn." 
 (" Ipse locus nemorum canebat frugibus lde.") 
 
 vol. iii. 211. 
 t These couplets remind us of Pope's Homer ; 
 
 " So the fierce troops of Thracian Rhesus fell, 
 And captive horses bade their lord farewell." 
 
 vol. iii. 128. 
 
 " What age of Varro's name shall not be told, 
 And Jason's Argo, and the fleece of gold'! " 
 
 vol. iii. 140. 
 
 J This alteration of the preceding version was afterwards 
 introduced into The Poetaster : see Jonson's Works, ii. 397, ed. 
 Gifford, who insists that both these translations are by Jonson, 
 the former being the rough sketch of the latter.
 
 xlvi SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 wholly* by John (afterwards, Sir John) Davies; a man so 
 celebrated as the author of Nosce Teipsum, that I need not 
 touch on his biography. Like other collections of the kind 
 which appeared a little later, these Epigrams are, for the 
 most part, satires in miniature. They possess some poig- 
 nancy of ridicule and some vigour of expression, but hardly 
 enough to justify the applauses which they once called 
 forth ; f and they chiefly recommend themselves to readers 
 of the present day, as illustrating the manners and " hu- 
 mours " which prevailed towards the close of Elizabeth's 
 reign. I have given them with the text considerably improved 
 by means of one of the Harleian MSS. When Davies 
 republished his poems in 1622, he did not admit a single 
 Epigram into the volume ; and what he thus deliberately 
 rejected, he doubtless wished to be forgotten. 
 
 A paraphrase on the very elegant production of the Pseudo- 
 MusaeusJ had been projected and was already partly com- 
 
 * See vol. hi. 224. 
 
 t They were probably widely circulated in manuscript before 
 their appearance in print. See vol. in. 227, 245, for notices of 
 them from Guilpin's Skialetheia, &c, 1598, (where Davies is 
 termed " our English Martiall,")from Sir J. Harington's Meta- 
 morphosis of A) ax, 1596, and from Bastard's Chrestoleros, &c, 
 1598. See also Meres's Palladia Tamiu, &c, 1598, fol. 284 ; 
 Fitzgeoffrey's Ajfanix, &c, 1601, Sigs. B3, E4; R. Carew's 
 Ephtle on the Excell. of the English Tongue, p. 13 (appended to 
 his Survey of Cornwall, ed. 1769); and Jonson's Conversations 
 with Drummond, pp. 15, 26, 37, (where mention is made of two 
 epigrams not in the printed collection), ed. Shake. Soc. — In 
 Jonson's xviiith Epigram is the line " Davis and Weever, and 
 the best have been " (i. e. and the best epigrammatists that have 
 been), Works, vm. 161 ; where Gifford gives, without any 
 addition of his own, a note by Whalley, who says that Jonson 
 alludes to Davies of Hereford and to Weever's Funeral Monu- 
 ments : but the allusion is to Sir John Davies's Epigrams and to 
 Weever's Epigrams, 1599. 
 
 X " Musaeus station'd with his lyre 
 Supreme among th' Elysian quire,
 
 MAKLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. xlvii 
 
 posed by Marlowe, when death put an end to his labours ; 
 and as much of Hero and Leander as could be discovered 
 after his decease, having been entered in the Stationers' 
 Books 28th September, 1593,* was given to the press in 
 1598. — While the poem of the Greek grammarian is com- 
 prised in 341 verses, the fragment in question extends to 
 above 800. 
 
 In this paraphrase -j- Marlowe has somewhat impeded the 
 
 Is, for the dwellers upon earth, 
 Mute as a lark ere morning's birth." 
 
 (Wordsworth's Lines written in a blank leaf of 
 Macpherson's Ossian.) 
 
 Yet various learned men believed that the Greek poem on 
 Hero and Leander was really composed by the ancient Mu- 
 sfeus : and we therefore need not wonder when we find 
 Marlowe, and his continuator Chapman, entertaining that 
 belief. — The elder Scaliger had not only persuaded him- 
 self that the poem was genuine, but that it was superior to 
 the works of Homer. The younger and the greater Scaliger, 
 however, thought very differently ; and I give the following 
 passage from his Epistolte, because it is not cited by Schrader 
 in the Prolegomena to Mus&us. " Parcior et castigatior [Dio- 
 nysio Per., Oppiano, et Nonno] quidem Musaus, sed qui cum 
 illorum veterum frugalitate comparatus, prodigus videatur. 
 Neque in hoc sequimur optimi parentis nostri judicium, quem 
 acumina ilia et flores declamatorii ita cceperunt, ut non dubitavit 
 eum Homero praeferre." p. 531, ed. 1627. 
 
 * " It occurs again in the registers of the Stationers, in 
 1597, 1598, and 1600." [The latest entry must refer to an edi- 
 tion of the poem with Chapman's continuation.] Warton's 
 Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 434, ed. 4to. 
 
 t By an oversight, Warton calls it a " translation." Hist, of 
 Engl. Poet. iii. 434, ed. 4to. Though Warton was perhaps 
 better acquainted with the Greek and Roman writers than any 
 of our poetical antiquaries, Tyrwhitt always excepted, yet this 
 is not the only slip of the kind which he has made. For in- 
 stance, in vol. ii. 461, he mentions Grindal's " recommending 
 such barbarous and degenerate classics as Pulinge7iius [i. e. Pier 
 Angelo Manzolli], Sedulius, and Prudentius," &c.
 
 Xlviii SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 progress and weakened the interest of the story by intro- 
 ducing extraneous matter and by indulging in whimsical 
 and frivolous details ; he occasionally disregards costume ; 
 he is too fond of conceits, and too prodigal of" wise saws " 
 and moral axioms. But he has amply redeemed these faults 
 by the exquisite perception of the beautiful which he dis- 
 plays throughout a large portion of the fragment, by descrip- 
 tions picturesque and vivid in the extreme, by lines which 
 glow with all the intensity of passion, by marvellous felici- 
 ties of language, and by skilful modulation of the verse. — 
 The quotation from this poem in As you like it* may be 
 considered as a proof that it was admired by Shakespeare ; 
 and the words which are there applied to the author, — 
 " dead shepherd," — sound not unlike an expression of pity 
 for his sad and untimely end. Jonson, too, in Every Man 
 in his Humour f has cited Hero and Leander; and he is 
 reported to have spoken of it often in terms of the highest 
 praise. % 
 
 * See note, vol. hi. 12. I may add here, that Shakespeare 
 seems to make two allusions to Marlowe's poem in The Two 
 Gentlemen of Verona, act i. sc. 1, act iii. sc. 1. 
 
 t See note, vol. iii. 13. 
 
 t In an address " To the Reader," signed R. C, prefixed to 
 The Chast and Lost Lovers, &c, 1651, the work of William Bos- 
 worth, " a young gentleman 19 years of age," who was then 
 deceased, is the following passage ; " The strength of his fancy 
 and the shadowing of it in words he [Bosworth] taketh from 
 Mr. Marlow in his Hero and Leander, whose mighty lines Mr. 
 Benjamin Johnson (a man sensible enough of bis own abilities) 
 was often heard to say that they [sic] were examples fitter for 
 admiration than for parallel." But I cannot help suspecting 
 that all R. C.'s knowledge of Jonson's admiration of " Mr. 
 Marlow " was derived from Ben's verses on Shakespeare, 
 where we find the very words, " Marlowe's mighty line." 
 
 Some other notices of Marlowe's poem mav be thrown toge- 
 ther here. — " Let me see, hath anv bodie in Yarmouth heard of 
 Leander and Hero, of wliome diuine Musaeus sung, and a 
 diuiner Muse than him, Kit Marlow 1 At that, she
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. xllX 
 
 The age of Elizabeth, so fertile in great poets, liad also its 
 indifferent rhymers in abundance ; and one of the latter class 
 lost no time in attempting to complete this beautiful frag- 
 ment. Before the close of the year 1598 Henry Petovve put 
 forth The Second Part of Hero and Leander, contemning 
 their further fortunes ;* and, though none of his contempo- 
 raries has informed us how it was received by the public, 
 there can be little doubt that it met with the contempt and 
 ridicule which it deserved. In a Dedicatory Epistle to Sir 
 Henry Guilford, knight, Petowe writes as follows. "This 
 historie of Hero and Leander, penned by diat admired poet 
 Marloe, but not finished (being preuented by sodaine death), 
 and the same (though not abruptly, yet contrary to all menns 
 expectation) resting, like a heade seperated from the body, 
 with this harsh sentence, Desunt nonnulla ; I, being inriched 
 by a gentleman, a friend of mine, with the true Italian dis- 
 course of those louers' further fortunes, haue presumed to 
 finish the historie, though not so well as diuers riper wits 
 doubtles would haue done," &c. Whether Petowe really 
 
 [Hero] became a franticke Bacchanal outright, and made no 
 more bones but sprang after him [Leander], and soresignd vp her 
 priesthood, and left worke for Musaeus and Kit Marlowe." Nash's 
 Lenten Stuffe, &c, 1599, pp. 42, 45.—" [Will you read] Catul- 
 lus 1 [take] Shakespeare, and Barlowes [Marlowe's] Fragment." 
 R. Carew's Epistle on the Excell. of the English Tongue, p. 13. 
 (appended to his Survey of Cornwall, ed. 1769.) — " Marlowe his 
 excellent fragment of Hero and Leander." Bolton's Hypercri- 
 tica, — according to a MS. copy, — Anc. Crit. Essays (edited by 
 Haslewood), ii. 247. — " In his begun poem of Hero and Leander 
 he [Marlowe] seems to have a resemblance of that clean and 
 unsophisticated wit which is natural to that incomparable poet 
 [Shakespeare]." Phillips's Th.eat. Poet. (Modern Poets), p. 24, 
 ed. 1675. 
 
 * It was entered in the Stationers' Books, 14th April of that 
 year. — As poems in those days were much read in MS., Mar- 
 lowe's Hero and Leander was probably familiar to Petowe before 
 it bad reached the press. This observation applies, of course, 
 to Chapman also (see afterwards).
 
 1 SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 borrowed the substance of this Continuation from a foreign 
 original, or whether what he says about " the true Italian 
 discourse" is to be understood as an ingenious fiction, 1 
 haue taken no pains to inquire : it is at least certain that the 
 wretched style in which he relates the very foolish incidents 
 is all his own.* One passage (and the best, too,) of the 
 poem must be inserted here, because it affords a remarkable 
 proof of the celebrity which Marlowe had acquired : — 
 
 " Quicke-sighted spirits, — this suppos'd Apollo, — 
 
 Conceit no other but th' admired Mario ; 
 
 Mario admir'd, whose honney-flowing vaine 
 
 No English writer can as yet attaine; 
 
 Whose name in Fame's immortall treasurie 
 
 Truth shall record to endles memorie ; 
 
 Mario, late mortall, now fram'd all diuine, 
 
 What soule more happy then that soule of thine 1 
 
 Liue still in heauen thy soule, thy fame on earth ! 
 
 Thou dead, of Marios Hero findes a dearth. 
 
 Weepe, aged Tellus ! all on earth t complaine ! 
 
 Thy ehiefe-borne faire hath lost her f'aire f againe : 
 
 Her faire in this is lost, that Mario's want 
 
 Inforceth Hero's faire be wonderous scant. 
 
 Oh, had that king of poets breathed longer, 
 
 Then had faire beautie's fort been much more stronger ! 
 
 * In an address " To the quicke-sighted Reader," Petowe 
 declares that this production was " the first fruits of an vnripe 
 wit, done at certaine vacant bowers." — He afterwards published : 
 — Philochasander and Elanira the faire Lady of Britaine, &c, 
 1599. — Elizabetha quasi vivens. Eliza's Funerall, &c, 1603, (re- 
 printed in The Hurl, Misrel. vol. x. ed. Park ). — Englands Cirsar. 
 His Majesties most royall Coronation, &c, 1603 (reprinted ibid.). — 
 The Whipping of Runawaies, &c, 1603. And he probably was 
 author of The Movs-trap (a collection of Epigrams), 1606, as it 
 has a dedication signed H. P. — From what I have read of these 
 pieces, I should say that Petowe improved as he continued to 
 write, for they are much superior to his Hero and Leander : 
 still they give him no claim to be styled a poet. 
 
 t all an earth] Old ed. "all earth on earth." 
 
 t faire] i. e. beauty.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. 
 
 His goulclen pen had clos'd her so about, 
 
 No bastard oeglet's quill, the world throughout, 
 
 Had been of force to marre what he had made ; 
 
 For why they were not expert in that trade. 
 
 What mortall soule with Mario might contend, 
 
 That could 'gainst reason force him stoope or bend ? 
 
 Whose siluer-charming toung mou'd such delight, 
 
 That men would shun their sleepe in still darke night 
 
 To meditate vpon his goulden lynes, 
 
 His rare conceyts, and sweete-according rimes. 
 
 But Mario, still-admired Mario's gon 
 
 To liue with beautie in Elyzium ; 
 
 Irumortall beautie, who desires to heare 
 
 His sacred poesies, sweete in euery eare : 
 
 Mario must frame to Orpheus' melodie 
 
 Himnes all diuine to make heauen harmonie. 
 
 There euer liue the prince of poetrie, 
 
 Liue with the liuing in eternitie ! " * 
 
 As the piece just quoted, however despicable in itself, pos- 
 sesses a sort of interest from its connection with Marlowe's 
 fragment, and as it is of such rare occurrence that little 
 more than its title has been cited by poetical antiquaries, 
 some other extracts from it have been appended to the pre- 
 sent volumes. f 
 
 But Chapman, — the well-known translator of Homer, — 
 had also been busy with a continuation of Marlowe's " half- 
 told tale;" and it appears to have been completed as early 
 as Petowe's Second Part above described. "As Musaeus, 
 who wrote the loue of Hero and Leander, had two excellent 
 schollers, Thamaras and Hercules, so hath he in England 
 two excellent poets imitators of him in the same argument 
 and subiect, Christopher Marlow and George Chapman," 
 are the words of Meres in his Palladis Tamiu, &c. 15984 
 
 * Sig. B ii. 
 
 t See vol. iii, — Appendix iii. 
 
 % Fol. 282. Meres, we may presume, had seen Chapman's 
 Continuation in a manuscript copy. A little before the passage 
 just quoted, lie mentions Shakespeare's Sonnets, which certainly 
 were not then in print.
 
 lii SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 At that date, however, there js little doubt that Chapman's 
 portion of the poem had not been printed ; nor does it seem 
 to have been ever printed singly. The earliest edition of the 
 complete work yet discovered is that of 1600;* and, 
 strangely enough, its title-page makes no mention of Chap- 
 man, though his name is coupled with Marlowe's in the 
 title-pages of all the subsequent impressions. In this ela- 
 borate performance (the popularity of which is attested by 
 repeated editions) Chapman has divided Marlowe's frag- 
 ment into two Sestiads,f has added four other Sestiads from 
 his own pen, and has prefixed a rhyming Argument to each 
 of the six. 
 
 A passage of the Third Sestiad, in which Chapman makes 
 an apostrophe to the " free soul'' of Marlowe, requires some 
 notice here : 
 
 " Then, ho, most strangely-intellectual fire, 
 That, proper to my soul, hast power t' inspire 
 ller burning faculties, and with the wings 
 Of thy unsphered flame visit'st the springs 
 Of spirits immortal ! now (as swift as Time 
 Doth follow Motion) find th' eternal clime 
 Of his free soul, whose living subject stood 
 Up to the chin in the Pierian flood, 
 And drunk to me half this Musaean story, 
 Inscribing it to deathless memory : 
 Confer with it, and make my pledge as deep, 
 That neither's draught be consecrate to sleep ; 
 Tell it how much his late desires I tender 
 (If yet it know not), and to light surrender 
 
 * See note, p. xlvii. See too the second article in the list of 
 editions, vol. iii. 2 : according to the title-page, that edition 
 ought also to contain Marlowe's First Book of Lucan ; but in 
 the Bodleian copy (the only one I have ever met with) the 
 Lucan is wanting. 
 
 t Warton says, " I learn from Mr. Malone, that Marlowe 
 finished only the two first Sestiads and about one hundred lines 
 of the third." Hist, of Etigl. Poet. iii. 434, ed. 4to. But this is 
 a mistake; see vol. iii. 138, of the present work.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. Hii 
 
 My soul's dark offspring, willing it should die 
 To loves, to passions, and society."* 
 
 The words, " his late desires," seem capable of no other 
 interpretation than — the late wishes of Marlowe that Chap- 
 man should continue the poem ; while the words which fol- 
 low, " If yet it know not," seem to imply that those wishes 
 had not been expressed to Chapman by Marlowe himself, 
 but had been conveyed to Chapman by others. Perhaps, 
 therefore, we are to understand, — that on some occasion, not 
 long before his death, Marlowe, when speaking of the poem 
 to his friends, had mentioned Chapman as the person whom 
 he should choose to complete it, if he himself should not 
 live to bring it to a close. I need hardly remind the 
 reader that, in Marlowe's case, "his late desires" cannot 
 be referred to wishes expressed during the lingering illness 
 of a death-bed. As to the conclusion of the passage, "and 
 to light surrender," &c, I must confess that I am far from 
 understanding it clearly.— Most probably there is no autho- 
 rity (at least, no good authority) for Warton's statement that 
 Chapman had formed a friendship with Marlowe ;f and the 
 lines just cited would certainly lead us to suppose that their 
 acquaintance with each other, if any, had been very slight. 
 
 Chapman offends, to a still greater degree than Marlowe, 
 by loading the narrative with excrescences, which render it 
 deficient in unity and due subordination of parts ; and he 
 has all Marlowe's proneness to conceits and apothegms. He 
 disappoints us by unexpected inequalities and strange im- 
 
 * Vol. iii. 46. 
 
 f Warton states that Chapman, having gone to London in 
 his youth, " soon commenced a friendship with Spenser, Shake- 
 speare, Marlowe, and Daniel." Hist, of Engl. Poet. iii. 447, ed. 
 4to. According to Wood (cited by Warton, ibid. p. 448), 
 Chapman was a man "religious and temperate, qualities rarely 
 meeting in a poet ; " and as Marlowe unhappily appears not to 
 have possessed those " qualities," it is unlikely that any inti- 
 macy should have existed between him and Chapman.
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 proprieties; he loves frigid personifications; liis meaning is 
 not always transparent, his versification not always happy. 
 But he has great depth of thought; he rises not unfre- 
 quently to the real poetic enthusiasm ; his pictures have a 
 truly graphic force of delineation; his touches of fancy are 
 often bright and delicate ; his pathos is sometimes profound. 
 Chapman has not received justice from Warton, who men- 
 tions only slightly and disparagingly his continuation of Hero 
 and Leander* It is, on the whole, a less perfect perform- 
 
 * "At length George Chapman, the translator of Homer, 
 completed, but with a striking inequality, Marlowe's unfinished 
 version." Hist, of Engl. Poet .iii. 434, ed. 4to. (which, indeed, is 
 nearly what Phillips had said in the Theat. Poet. (Modem Poets,) 
 p. 25, ed. 1675). — To this opinion we may oppose that of 
 Chapman's contemporary, Chettle, who speaks of him as 
 
 " Corvn, full of worth and wit, 
 That finisht dead Musceus' gracious song 
 With grace as great and words and verse as fit." 
 
 England's Mourning Garment, n. d. Sig. D 2. 
 
 At a much later period Chapman published a version of Mu- 
 saeus, — The Divine Poem of Musceus. First of all Boakes. Trans- 
 lated according to the originall, By Geo: Chapman, 1616, 12mo. 
 It is dedicated to Inigo Jones. In an address " To the Com- 
 mune Reader " Chapman mentions " that partly excellent poem 
 of Maister Marloe's." — This translation being of extraordinary 
 rarity, I subjoin, as a specimen, the concluding lines ; 
 
 " No more the false light for the curst winde burn'd, 
 
 That of Leander euer to be mourn 'd 
 
 Blew out the loue and soule; when Hero still 
 
 Had watchfull eyes and a most constant will 
 
 To guide the voyage ; and the morning shin'd, 
 
 Yet not by her light she her loue could finde. 
 
 She stood distract with miserable woes, 
 
 And round -about the sea's broad shoulders throwes 
 
 Her eye, to second the extinguisht light, 
 
 And tried if any way her husband's sight, 
 
 Erring* in any part, she could descry. 
 
 * Erring'] i. e. wandering.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WHITINGS. Iv 
 
 ancethan Marlowe's (much shorter) portion of the tale : but 
 if the superiority of the one poet over the other is to be 
 decided by individual passages, there will be no small dif- 
 ficulty in determining to whom the palm is due. 
 
 The Second and Fourth Books of Virgil's JEneld by Lord 
 Surrey, some of Ovid's Epistles by Turberville, and Gas- 
 coigne and Kinwelmersh's paraphrase and alteration of the 
 Phcenissee of Euripides under the title of Iocasta, were all, 
 or nearly all,* the specimens of blank-verse translation from 
 the ancient poets, which our language afforded, till Mar- 
 
 When at her turret's foote she saw him lye 
 Mangled with rockes and all embru'd, she tore 
 About her brest the curious weede she wore, 
 And, with a shrieke, from off her turret's height 
 Cast her f'aire body headlong, that fell right 
 On her dead husband, spent with him her breath, 
 And each won other in the worst of death." 
 
 * Of course, Grimoald's blank-verse translations from the 
 Alexandreis of Gaultier are not to be taken into account. — 
 In Steevens's list of Ancient Translations from Classic Authors 
 (Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell, i. 380), there occurs Vir- 
 gil's Eclogues and Georgicks, translated into blank verse by W . 
 Webbe, Lond. 1589. Qy. was there ever any such book 1 
 Webbe, indeed, gives translations of the First and Second Ec- 
 logues in his Discourse of English Poetrie, (p. 7 1 , sqq. ed. Hasle- 
 wood), but they are in English hexameters ; and ibid. (p. 54), 
 he says that he once turned the Ceorgics " to that same English 
 verse which other such workes were in, though it were rudely," 
 &c, and that his version had fallen into the hands of a person, 
 who, he was told, either had published or intended to publish 
 it. — Peele translated one of the Iphigenias of Euripides into 
 English verse (qy. if blank-verse'!) ; but in all probability it 
 was never printed. I learn this fact from some Latin lines 
 (in MS.) by Dr. Gager, — In Iphigeniam Georgii Peeli Angli- 
 canis versibus redditam. The " Effiginiu a Tragedye showen 
 on the Innocentes daie at nighte by the Children of Powles," 
 1571, which is mentioned in Cunningham's Extracts from the 
 Accounts of the Revels at Court, &c, p. 13, is very unlikely to 
 have been Peele's translation ; for at that date Peele, there is 
 good reason to believe, was under twenty years of age.
 
 Ivi SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 lovve's First Book of Lucan, having been entered in the 
 Stationers' Books 28th Sept. 1593, was published in 1600. 
 
 As the versification wants that variety of pause which 
 Marlowe latterly was accustomed to observe, I should have 
 unhesitatingly referred this attempt to an early period of his 
 life, did not such a defect seem sufficiently accounted for by 
 the necessity which he had imposed upon himself of " trans- 
 lating line for line." Nor is it unlikely, that having once 
 had in view a complete version of the Pharsalia, he may 
 have been deterred from proceeding farther than the First 
 Book by finding that he had adopted a plan which greatly 
 increased the difficulty of his undertaking. Though a pleas- 
 ing memorial of his devotion to classical literature, this 
 fragment can add very little to his fame, even if we should 
 allow that it reflects the lofty and declamatory style of Lucan 
 more faithfully than any subsequent translation. 
 
 The beautiful song, " Come live with me," &c, was origi- 
 nally printed, but wanting the fourth and sixth stanzas, in 
 The PassioJiate Pilgrim, 1599, a collection of poems which 
 the title-page falsely affirms to be wholly by Shakespeare ; 
 and it was for the first time published complete, and sub- 
 scribed with the real author's name, " C. Marlowe,"* in 
 England's Helicon, 1G0O. 
 
 Few songs have been more popular than this : we find 
 both a Reply to and an Imitation of itf in England's He- 
 
 * Marlowe himself quotes (with a slight variation) aline of 
 it in The Jew of Malta : see vol. i. 319. 
 
 t The first stanza of the Reply had previously appeared in 
 The Passionate Pilgrim. Sir E. JBrydges has inserted both these 
 pieces as Raleigh's in bis ed. of that extraordinarv man's Poems. 
 I think it very doubtful if lie wrote even the former of them ; 
 but I cannot discuss the question of their authorship here : on 
 that subject see Percy's Bel. of A. E. P. i. 237, ed. 1812, Kit- 
 son's Bihl. Poet. pp. 254, 307, and Sir E. Brydges's Iutrod. to 
 England? s Helicon, p. xiii. — Oklys in a MS. note, under the 
 article " Marlowe," in his copy of Langbaine's Ace. oj Engl.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. Uil 
 
 licon ; snatches of it are sung by Sir Hugh Evans in The 
 Merry Wives of Windsor;* and Donne f and Merrick} 
 have each (unsuccessfully) attempted to rival it. In 1653, 
 when it was comparatively little known, Isaac Walton, by 
 inserting it in The Complete Angler, gave it fresh celebrity. 
 — Making no appeal to the heart, nor having any force of 
 sentiment, it cannot be regarded as a love-song of the highest 
 class; but it is among the very best of those sweet and 
 fanciful strains with which genius has enriched the fabled 
 Arcadia. 
 
 As the editor of England's Parnassus, 1600, appears never 
 to have resorted to manuscript sources, we may conclude 
 that the descriptive stanzas by Marlowe in that anthology, 
 " I walk'd along a stream," Sec, were extracted from some 
 printed piece, of which not a single copy now remains. 
 
 Dram. Poets, says; " S r W. Ralegh was an encourager of his 
 [Marlowe's] Muse ; and he wrote an answer to a Pastoral Son- 
 net of S r Walters printed by Isaac Walton in his Book of Fish- 
 ing." For the first of these statements 1 know no authority ; 
 as°to the second, — " Sir Walters" is obviously a slip of the 
 pen for " Marlowe's." 
 
 * Act iii. sc. i. — In Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), viii. 
 104, may be seen the old music to which it was suns;, given 
 from a MS. by Sir J. Hawkins.— N. Breton mentions this song 
 in A Paste with a Packet of Mad Letters, 1603 ; " At the least 
 you shall heare the old song that you were wont, to like well of, 
 sung by the blacke browes with the cherrie-cheeke, vnder the 
 side of the pide cow, Come Hue with me and he my hue." p 59, 
 ed. 1637. — Again, in his Choice, Chance, and Change, &c, 1606 ; 
 " Why, how now, doe you take me for a woman, that you come 
 vpon me with a ballad of Come Hue with me and he my lone ?" 
 p. 3. — In Deloney's Strange Histories, &c, 1607, is a ballad 
 called The Imprisonment of Queene Elinor, &c, " to the tune of 
 Come Hue with me and he my lone." 
 
 t See Donne's Poems, p. 190, ed. 1633. In later eds. it is 
 entitled The Buit. 
 
 t See ToPhillh to lore and lire with him, Herrick's Hesperides, 
 ].. -223, ed. 1643.
 
 lviii SOME ACCOUNT or 
 
 Most probably it was a composition of no great length : but 
 the stanzas in question present so fine a picture of objects 
 seen through a poetic medium, that, in exchange for the rest, 
 every reader of taste would willingly part with a dozen of 
 those long and tedious productions which are precious in 
 the estimation of antiquaries alone. 
 
 A comedy called The Maiden's Holiday was entered in 
 the Stationers' Books, 8th April 1654, as the joint-work of 
 Marlowe and Day ; but it did not reach the press ; and at 
 last it met its fate from that arch -destroyer of manuscript 
 dramas, John Warburton's cook. In matters of authorship 
 the Stationers' Books are not always to be trusted ; and 
 that Marlowe and Day should have written in conjunction 
 is rendered highly improbable by the fact, that we find 
 no notice of Day as a dramatist earlier than 1599. Still, 
 there is a possibility that Marlowe may have so far mistaken 
 his own powers as to attempt a comedy, that he may have 
 left it unfinished at his death, and that Day may have com- 
 pleted it : there is a possibility too that we possess a frag- 
 ment of The Maiden's Holiday in that pastoral " Dialogue " 
 attributed to " Kitt Marlowe ", which was recently discovered 
 among the Alleyn Papers, and which, mean as it is, I have 
 not chosen to exclude from the present edition. 
 
 Lusts Dominion ; or, The Lascivious Queen. A Tragedie. 
 Written by Christqfer Marloe, Gent., was issued from the 
 shop of Kirkman in 1657 ; but that it could not have been 
 the work of Marlowe has been distinctly shown by Mr. 
 Collier;* who also conjectures with great probability, that, 
 
 * " This play, Lust's Dominion, though hitherto supposed to 
 have been written hv Marlow, is unquestionably not his. Some 
 confusion is occasioned in the plot by the insertion of characters 
 unknown to history ; but the King Philip who figures in the 
 first act is Philip ii. of Spain, who did not die (vide Watson's 
 Philip ii, vol. m. p. 332) until 1598. Marlow was killed by 
 Archer in 1593. If this be not sufficient, or if it should be
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. lix 
 
 as a Spanish Moor is its hero, it is no other than The Spaneshe 
 Mores Tragedie, which was written by Dekker, Haughton, 
 and Day, and is mentioned in Henslowe's Diary under 
 " the 13 of febrearye 1599 [-1600]."* 
 
 It is now necessary to consider a remarkable passage f of 
 Greene's Address to Marlowe, Lodge, and Peele, which has 
 been already cited from The Groutsworth of Wit. " There 
 is," he says, and that he is speaking of Shakespeare no one 
 can hesitate to believe, " an vpstart crow beautified with our 
 feathers, that, with his Tygres heart wrapt in a players hyde, 
 
 supposed for a moment that Philip i. might be intended, there 
 is still further and conclusive evidence to shew that Marlow 
 could not be the author of Lust's Dominion. A tract was printed 
 in London in 1599 (vide Lord Somers' Collection, ii. 505), 
 called A briefe and true Declaration of the Sicknesse, last words, 
 and Death of the King of Spain, Philip Second, from which va- 
 rious passages in the play were clearly borrowed. We will 
 compare a £ew quotations from both relating to the death of the 
 King. 
 
 * Dry your wet eyes, for sorrow wanteth force 
 T'inspire a breathing soul in a dead corse.' Lust's Dom. 
 
 ' My friends and subjects, your sorrowes are of no force to re- 
 cover my health.' Tract. 
 
 ' when I am embalm 'd, 
 Apparel me in a rich royal robe .... 
 Then place my bones within that brazen shrine.' Lust's Dom. 
 
 ' Commanding that this my bodie .... be embalm'd ; then 
 apparelled with a royal robe, and so placed within this brazen 
 shrine.' Tract. 
 
 ' Have care to Isabel : 
 Her virtue was King Philip's looking-glass.' Lust's Dom. 
 
 ' I pray you, have a great care and regard to your sister, be- 
 cause she was my looking-glasse.' Tract." Note in Dodsleu'.<: 
 Old Plays, ii. 311, ed. 1825. 
 
 * P. 165, ed. Shake. Soc. 
 
 t See p. xxviii.
 
 lx SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 supposes hee is as well able to bombast out a blanke-verse as 
 the best of you," &c. Hence it is evident that before Septem- 
 ber 1592 Shakespeare had re-modelled certain pieces written, 
 either separately or conjointly, by Greene, Marlowe, Lodge, 
 or Peele. It would seem, too, that, while accusing our great 
 dramatist of having adorned himself with borrowed plumes, 
 Greene more particularly alludes to the two old " histories" 
 entitled The First Part of the Contention of the two famous 
 houses of York and Lancaster and The True Tragedie of 
 Richard Duke of Yorke, on which Shakespeare is known to 
 have founded The Second and Third Parts of Henry the 
 Sixth; for the words, " his Tygres heart wrapt in a players 
 hyde" are parodied from a line in The True Tragedie, 
 
 " Oh, tygers hart wrapt in a womans hide." 
 
 Sig. B2,ed. 1595. 
 
 I say that Greene seems to allude to both these elder dra- 
 mas, because hardly a shadow of doubt can be entertained 
 that they were written by the same poet or poets. 
 
 To The First Part of the Contention and to The True 
 Tragedie Greene may have contributed his share ; so also 
 may Lodge, and so may Peele have done : but in both 
 pieces there are scenes characterised by a vigour of concep- 
 tion and expression, to which, as their undisputed works 
 demonstratively prove, neither Greene, nor Lodge, nor Peele 
 could possibly have risen. Surely, therefore, we have full 
 warrant for supposing that Marlowe* was largely concerned 
 
 * Malone, — who had at first conjectured either that Greene 
 and Peele were the joint-authors of these two pieces, or that 
 Greene wrote the one and Peele the other, — was afterwards 
 " inclined to believe that Marlowe was the author of one, if 
 not of both." Shakespeare, by Boswell, ii. 313. — Concerning 
 the authorship of The First Part of the Contention, Mr. Collier, 
 Shakespeare, v. 107, merely says," By whom it was written we 
 have no information ;" hut in the Hist.oJ tlir English Stage, pre- 
 fixed to his Shakespeare, p. xlix, he states that " there is much
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. lxi 
 
 in the composition of The First Part of the Contention and 
 of The True Trugedie ; and the following instances of their 
 
 reason to suppose Greene had been concerned " in it as well as 
 in the other play. On The True Tragedie he has the following 
 observations. " Although there is no ground whatever for 
 giving it to Marlowe, there is some reason for supposing that it 
 
 came from the pen of Robert Greene Although 
 
 Greene talks of an upstart crow beautified with nur feathers,' 
 lie seems to have referred principally to his own works, and to the 
 manner in which Shakespeare had availed himself of them. 
 This opinion is somewhat confirmed by two lines in a tract 
 called ' Greene's Funerals ' by R. B., 1594, where the writer 
 is adverting to the obligations of other authors to Greene ; — 
 
 ' Nay, more, the men that so eclips'd his fame, 
 Purloin 'd his plumes — can they deny the same? ' 
 
 Here R. B. nearly adopts Greene's words, ' beautified with our 
 feathers,' and applies to him individually what Greene, perhaps 
 to avoid the charge of egotism and vanity, had stated more 
 
 generally Another fact tends to the same conclusion : 
 
 it is a striking coincidence between a passage in ' The True 
 Tragedy' and some lines in one of Greene's acknowledged 
 dramas, ' Alphonsus, King of Arragon' .... In ' Alphonsus ' 
 the hero kills Flaminius, his enemy, and thus addresses the 
 dying man ; — 
 
 ' Go, pack thee hence,' &c. 
 And if he ash thee who did send thee down, 
 Alphonsus say, who now must wear thy crown.' 
 
 In ' The True Tragedy' Richard, while stabbing Henry VI. a 
 second time, exclaims, 
 
 ' If any spark of life remain in thee, 
 Down, down to hell ; and say I sent thee thither.' " 
 
 Collier's Shakespeare, v. 225-7. — 
 
 Mr. Hallam remarks ; " It seems probable that the old plays of 
 the Contention of Lancaster and York, and the True Tragedy of 
 Richard Duke of York, which Shakespeare remodelled in the 
 second and third parts of Henry VI., were in great part by 
 Marlowe, though Greene seems to put in for some share in 
 their composition;" and in a note he adds ; " The bitterness 
 he [Greene] displays must lead us to suspect that he had been
 
 Ixii SOME ACCOUNT OV 
 
 occasional close resemblance to his Edward the Second are 
 confirmative of that supposition, however little such paral- 
 lelisms might be thought to weigh, if they formed the only 
 grounds for it : 
 
 " I tell thee, Poull, when thou didst runne at tilt 
 And stolst away our ladaies' hearts in France," &c. 
 
 First Part of the Cont. Sig. B 3, ed. 1594. 
 
 " Tell Isabel the queen, I look'd not thus, 
 
 When for her sake I ran at tilt in France," Sec. 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 282. 
 
 " Madame, I bring you newes from Ireland ; 
 The wild Onele, my lords, is vp in amies, 
 With troupes of Irish Kernes, that, vncontrold, 
 Doth plant themselues within the E7iglish pale." 
 
 First Part of the Cont. Sig. E. 
 
 " The irild Oneil, with swarms of Irish herns, 
 Lives uncontroWd within the English pale." 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 208. 
 
 " Sterne Fawconbridge commands the narrow seas." 
 
 The True Tragedie, Sig. A 6, ed. 1595. 
 
 " The haughty Dane commands the narrow seas." 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 208. 
 
 " Thus yeelds the cedar to the axes edge, 
 
 Whose urines guue shelter to the princlie eagle." 
 
 The True Tragedie, Sig. E2. 
 
 " A lofty cedar-tree, fair flourishing, 
 
 On ivhose top-branches kingly eagles perch." 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 201. 
 
 " What, will the aspiring hloud of Lancaster 
 Sinkc into the ground ? 1 had thought it would haue mounted." 
 
 The True Tragedie, Sig. E 6. 
 
 one himself of those who were thus preyed upon. But the 
 greater part of the plays in question is in the judgment, I con- 
 ceive, of all competent critics, far above the powers either of 
 Greene or Peele, and exhibits a much greater share of the spi- 
 rited versification, called by Jonson the ' mighty line,' of Chris- 
 topher Marlowe." Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, ii. 171, ed. 
 1843.
 
 MAKLOWK AND HIS WRITINGS. Ixiil 
 
 " Frown'st thou thereat, aspiring Lancaster? " 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 169. 
 
 " [And], highly scorning that the lowly earth 
 Should drink his blood, mounts up to the air." 
 
 Id. ibid. 257. 
 
 Besides The First Part of the Contention and The True 
 
 Tragedie,* some other play or plays, of which Greene was 
 
 either the sole or joint author, and in which Marlowe had 
 
 no concern whatever, may perhaps be comprehended in the 
 
 expression, " our feathers : " but an inquiry into that point 
 
 would be irrelevant here. 
 
 Two old plays are yet to be mentioned, which have been 
 ascribed to Marlowe, and which Shakespeare remodelled, — 
 The Troublesome Raigne of King John, in Two Parts, and 
 The Taming of a Shrew. Be it observed, however, that to 
 neither of these plays, even supposing them to have been 
 really written by Marlowe, could we refer the above-cited 
 allusion of Greene in 1592 ; for at the date Shakespeare, 
 unless his commentators are greatly mistaken, had not pro- 
 duced his King John and his Taming of the S/treiv. 
 
 In support of Marlowe's claim to The Troublesome Raigne, 
 it has been urged: — First, that the Prologue to the earliest 
 
 * I may notice, that while Shakespeare was remodelling The 
 First Part of the Contention and The True Tragedie, he had 
 sometimes in his recollection plays which we know for certain 
 to be by Marlowe ; 
 
 " She bears a duke's revenues on her back." 
 
 Sec. Part of Henry VI, act i. sc. 3. 
 
 " He wears a lord's revenue on his back." 
 
 Edward the Sec. vol. ii. 196. 
 
 " These arms of mine shall be thy winding-sheet; 
 My heart, sweet boy, shall be thy sepulchre." 
 
 Third Part of henry VI., act II. sc. 5. 
 
 " What sight is this? my Lodovico slain ! 
 Tliese arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre." 
 
 The Jew of Malta, vol. i. 289.
 
 lxiv SOME ACCOUNT OF 
 
 4to seems to solicit the favour of the audience for a piece 
 which had been composed by the author of Tumburluine ; 
 
 " You, that with friendly grace of smoothed brow 
 Haue entertain'd the Scythian Tamburlaine, 
 And giuen applause vnto an infidel, 
 Vouchsafe to welcome with like curtesie 
 A warlike Christian and your countryman." 
 
 Secondly, that the play has two passages coincident with 
 lines in The First Part of the Contention and The True 
 Tragedie, — to both which dramas, as already observed, 
 there is good reason to believe that Marlowe was a large 
 contributor ; 
 
 " Then, good my lord, if you forgiue them all, 
 Lift vp your hand in token you forgiue. 
 
 King John, farewell ! in token of thy faith. 
 And signe thou diedst the seruant of the Lord, 
 Lift vp thy hand, that we may witnesse heere 
 Thou diedst the seruant of our Sauiour Christ. 
 Now ioy betide thy soule ! "' 
 
 The Troublesome Raigne, Sig. M, ed. 1622. 
 
 " Lord Cardinal, 
 If thou diest assured of heauenly blisse, 
 Hold vp thy hand, and make some signe to vs. 
 
 [The Cardinall dies. 
 Oh, see, he dies, and makes no signe at all ! 
 Oh, God, forgiue his soule ! " 
 
 First Part of the Cont. Sig. F, ed. 1594. 
 
 " Let England Hue but true within itselfe." 
 
 The Troublesome Raigne, Sig. M 2. 
 
 " Let England be true within itselfe." 
 
 The True Tragedie, Sig. D 4, ed. 1595. 
 
 But, on the other hand, there are many things throughout 
 The 'Troublesome Raigne* so materially at variance with the 
 
 It lias not been observed, that when Shakespeare opened
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WRITINGS. Ixv 
 
 style of Marlowe, that, while I admit the probability of his 
 co-operation in the play, I cannot assent to the critical dic- 
 tum* which would attribute the whole of it to him. 
 
 As to The Taming of a Shrew, which was both entered in 
 the Stationers' Books and printed in 1594, — it abounds in 
 passages that either strongly resemble or directly correspond 
 with passages in the undoubted plays of Marlowe. These 
 were first pointed out by an ingenious American critic, and, 
 together with his arguments to prove that the comedy was 
 written by Marlowe, may be seen in the second volume of 
 Mr. Knight's Library edition of Shakespeare. I shall, as 
 briefly as possible, declare my reasons for believing that 
 Marlowe was not the author of The Taming of a Shrew.f — 
 Among the less striking parallelisms just mentioned is the 
 following one; 
 
 " And hewd thee smaller then the Libian sandes." 
 
 The Taming of a Shrew, p. 42, ed. Shake. Soc. 
 
 " Or hew'd this flesh and bones as small as sand" 
 
 Faustus, vol. ii. 135. 
 
 Now, if we were sure that the resemblance between these 
 two lines was not accidental (and it seems highly probable 
 
 the sec. scene of the first act of his Richard the Third with — 
 " Set down, set down your honourable loud," 
 
 he remembered a line with which a scene in the Second Part of 
 The Troublesome Ruigne begins, — 
 
 " Set downe, set downe the loade not worth your paine." 
 
 Sig. K 4, ed. 1622. 
 
 * Malone once supposed it to have been written by Peele or 
 Greene; latterly (Shuketpeare, by Boswell, ii. 313) he assigned 
 it to Marlowe. 
 
 t In a note, vol. i. 83, I have remarked that " there arc 
 grounds for believing The Taming of a Shrew to be the work of 
 Marlowe : " but since that note was sent to press, a very careful 
 examination of the play has convinced me that there are none 
 at all. 
 
 vol. r. f
 
 IXVl SOME ACCOUNT Ol' 
 
 that the former was suggested by the latter), we might at 
 once conclude that the author of The Taming of a Shrew 
 and Marlowe were distinct persons; for the line cited from 
 Faustus belongs to a scene which is not found in the earliest 
 quarto, and which is evidently the composition of a poet 
 whose style was not a little dissimilar to that of Marlowe. 
 But, leaving this particular out of the question, I find enough 
 besides in The Taming of a Shrew to convince me that it 
 was the work of some one who had closely studied Mar- 
 lowe's writings, and who frequently could not resist the 
 temptation to adopt the very words of his favourite drama- 
 tist. It is quite possible that he was not always conscious of 
 his more trifling plagiarisms from Marlowe, — recollections of 
 whose phraseology may have mingled imperceptibly with the 
 current of his thoughts : but the case was certainly otherwise 
 when he transferred to his own comedy whole passages of 
 Tamburlaine or Faustus. In some instances the borrowed 
 matter seems to be rather out of place: in the speech which 
 I now subjoin it is very awkwardly introduced. When the 
 bridegroom Ferando enters " baselie attired, and a red cap 
 on his head," Polidor entreats him to change his apparel 
 before going to church, and offers him the use of his own 
 wardrobe: upon which, Ferando replies, 
 
 " Tush, Polidor, I haue as many sutes 
 Fantasticke made to fit my humor so, 
 As any in Athens, and as richlie wrought 
 As nas the massie robe that late adorn' d 
 The stately legate of the Persian King, 
 And this from them haue I made choise to weare." 
 
 P. 21, ed. Shake. Soc. 
 
 Surely, we should have wondered at this violent and far- 
 fetched comparison of Ferando's "sutes" to a particular 
 massy robe, if we had not known that the writer was, as 
 usual, levying a contribution on Marlowe ; — 
 
 "And I sat down, clolh'd with a massy robe 
 That late adorn'd the Afric potentate." 
 
 Tamburlaine, vol. i. Ifi4.
 
 MARLOWE AND HIS WHITINGS. lx\ii 
 
 Throughout the play there is little vigour of thought or ex- 
 pression ; the style, when elevated, is laboriously ornate 
 rather than poetical ; the many high-flown descriptions of 
 female beauty (which are admired by the American critic) 
 have only an artificial glow ; and the versification is mono- 
 tonous in the extreme. Yet The Taming of a Shrew is by 
 no means a contemptible drama, possessing, as it certainly 
 does, some portion of genuine comic humour ; a circum- 
 stance which alone would tend to prove that it was not the 
 production of Marlowe, to whom, we have good reason to 
 believe, nature had denied even a moderate talent for the 
 humorous. — I may add, that, as The Taming of a Shrew is 
 printed anonymously, its author probably had no intention 
 that his name should transpire, and therefore resorted to 
 plagiarism with the greater boldness. 
 
 Another word on the subject of plays attributed to Mar- 
 lowe. It has been conjectured that both Locrine and Titus 
 Andronicus are by him : but, if every old tragedy of more 
 than usual merit, whose author is either doubtful or un- 
 known, must be fathered upon Marlowe, the catalogue of 
 his dramas will presently be swollen to a size not easily 
 reconcilable with the shortness of his life. 
 
 I have now brought to a close this very imperfect essay 
 concerning one whom Drayton has characterised in the fol- 
 lowing fervid lines; 
 
 " Neat [Next] Marlovv, bathed in the Thespian springs, 
 
 Had in him those braue translunary things 
 
 That the first poets had; his raptures were 
 
 All ayre and fire, which made his verses cleere ; 
 
 For that fine madnes still he did retaine, 
 
 Which rightly should possesse a poet's braine."* 
 
 * To Henry Reynolds, of Poets and Poesie, — The Batlaile of Agin- 
 court, &c. 1627, ed. i'ol. — Besides the notices of Marlowe which 
 have been already cited from Meres's Palladis Tamia, &c, 1598, 
 (see pp. xxxiv, li), the following passages occur in that work. 
 "As the Greeke tongue is made famous and eloquent by Homer, 
 Hosiod, Euripides, &c. ; and the l.atine tongue by Virgill,
 
 Lwill MARLOWE AND 1113 WHITINGS. 
 
 Though immeasurably superior to the other dramatists of his 
 time, he is, like them, a very unequal writer ; it is in de- 
 tached passages and single scenes, rather than in any of his 
 pieces taken as a whole, that he displays the vast richness 
 and vigour of his genius. But we can hardly doubt that if 
 death had not so suddenly arrested his career, he would have 
 produced tragedies of more uniform excellence ; nor is it 
 too much to suppose that he would also have given still 
 grander manifestations of dramatic power; — indeed, for my 
 own part, I feel a strong persuasion, that, with added years 
 and well-directed efforts, he would have made a much nearer 
 approach in tragedy to Shakespeare* than has yet been 
 made by any of his countrymen. 
 
 Ouid, Horace, &c. ; so the English tongue is mightily enriched, 
 and o-orgeouslie inuested in rare ornaments and resplendent abi- 
 liments by Sir Philip Sidney, Spencer, Daniel, Drayton, Warner, 
 Shakespeare, Marine, and Chapman." fol. 280. " As these tra- 
 gicke poets flourished in Greece, .Eschylus, Euripides, Sopho- 
 cles, &c. ; and these among the Latines, Accius, M. Attilius, 
 Pomponius Secundus, and Seneca ; so these are our best for 
 tragedie, the Lorde Buckhurst, Doctor Leg of Cambridge, Doc- 
 tor Edes of Oxforde, Maister Edward Ferris, the authour of the 
 Mirrour for Magistrates, Marlon*, Pf-ele, Watson, Kid, Shake- 
 speare, Drayton, Chapman, Decker, and Beniamin Johnson." 
 fol. 283. — The passage in Jonson's verses To the memory of 
 Shakespeare, which has been before alluded to (see p. xlviii;, 
 may not improperly be quoted here ; 
 
 " For, if I thought my judgment were of years, 
 I should commit thee surely with thy peers, 
 And tell how far thou didst our Lyly outshine, 
 Or sporting Kyd, or Marlowe's mighty line." 
 
 * Thinking, as I do, that Shakespeare is unlike the other 
 dramatists of Elizabeth and James's age, — that his method 
 of conceiving and working out character (to say nothing of his 
 diction) is peculiarlv his own, — 1 deny the truth of the follow- 
 ing passage in Hazlitt's Lectures on the Dram. Lit. of the age of 
 Elizabeth. " He [Shakespeare] towered above his fellows, ' in 
 shape and gesture proudly eminent,' but he was one of a race of 
 giants, the tallest, the strongest, the most graceful and beau- 
 tiful of them: hut it was a common and a noble ftroo./."p. 12, ed. 
 1 840.
 
 ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA.
 
 ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 FIRST PART OF TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 P. 17, First Note. For " Cenerus" read " Conerus." 
 P. 72. " Awake, ye men of Memphis ! " These words are 
 put into the mouth of Judas in Fletcher's Bonduca, at the con- 
 clusion of act ii. (as I have noticed in the Addenda and Corti- 
 genda to my ed. of Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, i. xcvi ) ; 
 and in Fletcher's Wit without Money, act v. sc. 2, we find 
 " thou man of Memphis." 
 
 P. 83, First Note. " Compare the old play of The Taming 
 of a Shrew (which there are grounds for believing to be the 
 work of Marlowe)." See, p. lxv (Account of Marlowe and his 
 Wiilings). 
 
 SECOND PART OF TAMBURLAINE. 
 
 P. 127. For " Whose holy alcoran," &c, read " Whose holy 
 Aharon," &c. 
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 P. 231 , Third Note. For " Hist, of Engl. Urajn. Poet. iii. 14, " 
 read " iii. 114." 
 
 P. 262, Second Note. Skialetheia, as Mr. Collier afterwards 
 discovered, was written by E. Guilpin. 
 
 P. 270. " We turn unto the air to purge ourselves." See 
 note, vol. ii. 416. 
 
 P. 298. " thou shalt have broth by the eye." To the note 
 on these words add : — Compare The Creed of Piers Ploughman ; 
 
 " Grey grete-heded quenes 
 
 With gold by the eighen." v. 167, ed. Wright (who bus 
 no note on the expression). 
 
 P. 336. For " When as thy life," &c, read " Whenai thv 
 life," &c.
 
 lxxii ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 FAUSTUS. 
 
 P. 7. For " Is not tby common talk found aphorisms 1" read 
 " Is not thy common talk sound aphorisms 1 " 
 
 P. 8. " Che sera, sera." Lest it should be thought that I am 
 wrong in not altering the old spelling here, I may quote from 
 Panizzi's very critical edition of the Orlando Furloso, " La 
 satisfazion ci sera pronta." C. xviii. st. 67. 
 
 P. 45. For " in one's night's space," read " in one night's 
 space." 
 
 P. 49. " Faust. Well, there's the second time." The prefix 
 " Faust." is superfluous here. 
 
 P. 63. For " he has a buttocks," &c, read " he has a but- 
 tock," &c. 
 
 P. 64. " that he would not have had me know of." The old 
 
 ed. has" knowne of"; which perhaps is right, 
 
 meaning — acquainted with. 
 
 P. 75. " And none but thou shalt be my paramour." So, I 
 believe, Marlowe wrote (the line standing so in all the later 
 4tos, see vol. ii. 149) : but the grammar, of course, requires 
 " And none but thou shall be," etc. 
 
 P. 77. For " Oh, gentlemen, hear me," &c, read " Ah, gen- 
 tlemen," &c. 
 
 P. 78. For " Oh, my God, I would weep ! ", read " Ah, my 
 God," &c. 
 
 FAUSTUS (from 4to 1616, &c). 
 
 P. 113. " hold, belly, hold." Compare Florio's Diet. 1611 ; 
 " Iosa, good store, Iwld-bellie-hold." 
 
 EDWARD THE SECOND. 
 
 P. 166. " Tanti, — I'll fawn first on the wind." Compare 
 Fuimus Troes, 1603 ; 
 
 " No kingly menace or censoi-ious frowne 
 Doe I regard. Tanti for all your power." Sig. F 3. 
 
 P. 187. " Look, where the sister of the King of France," &c. 
 In a note on this passage in the last edition of Dodsley's Old 
 Plays, vol. ii, Octavius Gilchrist queries — " the daughter of the
 
 ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. lxxiii 
 
 king of France"? but we find afterwards in this tragedy, p. 
 
 241, 
 
 " sith th' ungentle kin^ 
 Of France refusetb to give aid of arms 
 To this distressed queen, his sister, here," &c. 
 
 (I had printed Edward the Second before I recollected that it 
 formed a portion of Dodsley's Old Plays.) 
 
 P. 195. " Beaumont, fly," &c. I have neglected to mark 
 the entrance of Beaumont : and indeed is it far from clear, when 
 the author intended that he should enter. 
 
 P. 281. 
 
 " Light. So, now must I about this gear: ne'er was there any 
 So finely handled," &c, 
 
 should he arranged thus ; 
 
 " Light. So, now 
 
 Must I about this gear : ne'er was there any 
 So finely handled," &c. 
 
 P. 282. " As doth this water from my tatter'd robes ! " 
 I ought to have noticed that the reading of 4to 1622 is " tot- 
 tered robes." The earlier 4tos have, as in my text, " tatter'd 
 robes : " yet Reed in a note on this passage (in Dodsley's Old 
 Plays) declares that " in every writer of this period the word 
 was spelt tottered " ! The truth is, it was sometimes spelt one 
 way, sometimes the other. 
 
 P. 289. " Sec. Lord. Thus, madam, 'tis the king's will you 
 shall hence." I suspect that our author wrote, " Sec. Lord. 
 Tush, madam," &c. 
 
 DIDO QUEEN OF CARTHAGE. 
 
 P. 384. " in troops all march'd to Tenedos."— The following 
 passage of Sir J. Harington's Orlando Furioso will hardly be 
 thought sufficient to vindicate our author from the imputation of 
 a blunder in geography ; 
 
 " Now had they lost the sight of Holland shore, 
 And marcht with gentle gale in comely ranke," &c. 
 
 B. x. st. 16. 
 P. 397, Second Note. Since I printed this play, I have ex- 
 amined the copy of 4to 1594, which was formerly Malone's 
 and is now in the Bodleian Library ; and I find that in it the 
 line stands plainly, — 
 
 " Hollow pyramids* of siluer plate." 
 g
 
 lxXlV ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. 
 
 P. 406. " Some to the mountains, some unto the soil." 
 
 I am now rather inclined to think that " soil " is used here , 
 
 very forcedly, in the sense of — water. See note, vol. iii. 344. 
 P. 426. " And clad her in a crystal livery." — So Sir J. Ha- 
 
 rington ; 
 
 " Yet sure she doth, with damned Core and Dathan, 
 But feed and clad a synagogue of Sathan." 
 
 Epigrams,— B. I. Ep. 88 [89], ed. folio. 
 
 P. 436. " See, see, the billows heave him up to heaven.' 
 We should read, I have little doubt " heave them up to heaven." 
 
 (The words him and them are very oft confounded by our early 
 
 printers.) 
 
 VOL. III. 
 HERO AND LEANDER. 
 
 P. 11, First Note. Compare, — 
 
 " And over this was rais'd with curious sleight 
 A pyramid, a huge and stately towre, 
 Which towre an hundred cubits had in height 
 By measure from the top unto the Jiowi e ; 
 It seemd a w r orke of as great charge and weight 
 As Adrian made, to bost his wealth and powre," &c. 
 Sir J. Harington's Orlando Furioso, B. xxix, st. 35. 
 
 P. 60. " Beneath all these she wrought a fisherman," &c. 
 
 1 forgot to observe that this description of the fisherman, as 
 well as the picture which follows it, are borrowed (with altera- 
 tions) from the First Idyl, of Theocritus. 
 
 OVID'S ELEGIES. 
 
 P. 141. For " Wars dusty honours," &c, read " War's dusty 
 honours," &c. 
 
 Second Note. " * B. I.' must mean Ben Jonson." — 
 
 See note, p. xlv (Account of Marlowe and his Writings). 
 
 P. 142. " Tityrus' tillage, JEney shall be read," &c, 
 ought to stand, 
 
 " Titvrus, Tillage, .Eney shall be read,"&c. 
 
 i. p. tli" Bucolics, tli" Georgics, and the . Kneid.
 
 ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. lXXV 
 
 EPIGRAMS BY J. D. 
 
 P. 225, First Note. Among the Epigrams omitted in the MS. 
 I ought to have mentioned the 45th. 
 
 Some of these pieces are to be found among the Epigrams in 
 Wit's Recreations: see the reprint of that work (1817 J from a 
 collation of eds. 1640-41-54-63. 
 
 P. 261. " And so is Lepidus his printed dog." — The follow- 
 ing epigram by Sir John Harington determines that he is the 
 Lepidus of this passage and that his favourite dog Bungay is 
 the " printed dog." In a compartment of the engraved title- 
 page to Harington's Orlando Furioso, 1591, is a representation 
 of Bungey (see too his Annotations on Book xli of that poem) ; 
 and hence probably he is termed by Davies the " printed dog." 
 
 " Against Momus, in praise of his dog Bungey. 
 
 " Because a witty writer of this time 
 
 Doth make some mention in a pleasant rime 
 Of Lepidus and of his famous dog, 
 Thou, Momus, that dost love to scoffe and cog, 
 Prat'st amongst base companions, and giv'st out 
 That unto me herein is meant a flout. 
 Hate makes thee blind, Momus : I dare be sworn, 
 He meant to me bis love, to thee his scorn. 
 Put on thy envious spectacles, and see 
 Whom doth he scorn therein, the dog or me 1 
 The dog is grac'd, compared with great Banks, 
 Both beasts right famous for their pretty pranks ; 
 Although in this I grant the dog was worse, 
 He only fed my pleasure, not my purse : 
 Yet that same dog, I may say this and boast it, 
 He found mv purse with gold when I have [had] lost it. 
 Now for myself; some fooles (like thee) may judge 
 That at the name of Lepidus I grudge : 
 No, sure ; so far I think it from disgrace, 
 I wisht it cleare to me and to my race. 
 Lepus or Lepos, I in both have part ; 
 That in my name 1 beare, this in mine heart. 
 But, Momus, I perswade myself that no man 
 Will deigne thee such a name, English or Roman. 
 He wage a but of sack, the best in Bristo, 
 Who cals me Lepid, I will call him Tristo.' 
 
 Epigrams, Book iii. Kp. 21, ed. folio.
 
 TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT, 
 
 IN TWO PARTS. 
 
 VOL. i.

 
 Tamburlaine the Great. Who, from a Scythian Shephearde bu 
 his rare and woonderfull Conquests, became a most puissant and 
 mightye Monarque. And (for his tyranny, and terrour in Warre) 
 was teamed, The Scourge of God. Deuided into two Tragicall 
 Discourses, as they were sundrie times shewed vpon Stages in the 
 Citie of London. By the right honorable the Lord Admurall, his 
 seruauntes. Now first, and newlie published. London. Printed 
 by Richard Ihones : at the signe of the Rose and Crowne neere 
 Holborne Bridge. 1590. 4to. 
 
 The above title-page is pasted into a copy of the First Part 
 of Tamburlaine in the Library at Bridge-water House ; which 
 copy, excepting that title-page and the Address to the Readers, 
 is the impression of 1605. I once supposed that the title-pages 
 which bear the dates 1605 and 1606 (see below) had been 
 added to the 4tos of the Two Parts of the play originally printed 
 in 1590 ; but I am now convinced that both Parts were really 
 reprinted, The First Part in 1605, and The Second Part in 1606, 
 and that nothing remains of the earlier 4tos, except the title- 
 page and the Address to the Readers, which are preserved in 
 the Bridge-water collection. 
 
 In the Bodleian Library, Oxford, is an 8vo edition of both 
 Parts of Tamburlaine, dated 1590: the title-page of The First 
 Part agrees verbatim with that given above; the half-title- 
 page of The Second Part is as follows ; 
 
 The Second Part of The bloody Conquests of mighty Tambur- 
 laine. With his impassionate fury, for the death of his Lady and 
 love faire Zenocrate : his fourme of exhortacion and discipline to 
 his three sons, and the maner of his own death. 
 
 In the Garrick Collection, British Museum, is an 8vo edition 
 of both Parts dated 1592 : the title-page of The First Part runs 
 thus ;
 
 Tamburlaine the (heal. Who, from a Scythian Shepheard, by 
 his rare and wonderfult Conquestes, became a most puissant and 
 mightie Mornareh [sic]: And (for his tyrannie, and terrour in 
 warre) was tearmed, The Scourge of God. The first part of the 
 two Tragicall discourses, as they were sundrie times most stately 
 shewed vpon Stages in the Citie of London. By the right honor- 
 able the Lord Admiral! , his seruauntes. Now newly published. 
 Printed by Richard Iones, dwelling at the signe of the Rose and 
 Crowne neere Holborne Bridge. 
 
 The half-title-page of The Second Part agrees exactly with that 
 already given. Perhaps the 8vo at Oxford and that in the 
 British Museum (for I have not had an opportunity of com- 
 paring them) are the same impression, differing only in the 
 title-pages. 
 
 Langbaine (Account of Engl. Dram. Poets, p. 344) mentions 
 an 8vo dated 1593. 
 
 The title-pages of the latest impressions of The Two Parts are 
 as follows ; 
 
 Tamburlaine the Greate. Who, from the state of a Shepheurd 
 in Scythia, bq his rare and wonderful! Conqiusts, became a most 
 puissant and mighty Moiiarque. London Printed for Edward 
 White, and are to be solde at the little North doore of Saini 
 Paules-Church,at the signe of the Gunnc, 1605. 4to. 
 
 Tamburlaine the Greate. With his impassiunate furie, for the 
 death of his Ladq and Lone f aire Zenocrate : his forme of exhorta- 
 tion and discipline to liis three Sonnes, and tlie manner of his owne 
 death. The second part. London Printed by E. A, for id. 
 White, and are to be solde at his Shop neere the little North doore 
 of Saint Panics Church at the Signe of the Gun. 1606. 4tO. 
 
 The text of the present edition is given from the 8vo of 
 1592, collated with the 4tos of 1605-6.
 
 To the Gentlemen-readers* and others that take 
 pleasure in readiny histories.^ 
 
 Gentlemen and courteous readers whosoever : I 
 have here published in print, for your sakes, the 
 two tragical discourses of the Scythian shepherd 
 Tamburlaine, that became so great a conqueror 
 and so mighty a monarch. My hope is, that they 
 will be now no less acceptable unto you to read 
 after your serious affairs and studies than they have 
 been lately delightful for many of you to see when 
 the same were shewed in London upon stages. I 
 have purposely omitted and left out some fond f and 
 frivolous gestures, digressing, and, in my poor opinion, 
 far unmeet for the matter, which I thought might 
 seem more tedious unto the wise than any way else to 
 be regarded, though haply they have been of some 
 vain-conceited fondlings greatly gaped at, what 
 time they were shewed upon the stage in their 
 
 * To the Gentlemen-readers, c\c] From the 8vo of 1592 : 
 in the 4tos this address is worded here and there differently. 
 I have not thought it necessary to mark the varve lectiones of the 
 worthy printer's composition. 
 
 f histories] i.e. dramas so called, — plays founded on history. 
 
 { fond] i. e. foolish. Concerning the omissions here alluded 
 to, some remarks will he found in the Account of Marlowe and 
 his Writings.
 
 graced deformities : nevertheless now to be mix- 
 tured in print with such matter of worth, it would 
 prove a great disgrace to so honourable and stately a 
 history. Great folly were it in me to commend unto 
 your wisdoms either the eloquence of the author 
 that writ them or the worthiness of the matter 
 itself. I therefore leave unto your learned censures* 
 both the one and the other, and myself the poor 
 printer of them unto your most courteous and favour- 
 able protection ; which if you vouchsafe to accept, 
 you shall evermore bind me to employ what travail 
 and service I can to the advancing and pleasuring 
 of your excellent degree. 
 
 Yours, most humble at commandment, 
 
 R[ichard] J [ones], printer. 
 
 * censures] i. e. judgments, opinions.
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT.
 
 THE PROLOGUE. 
 
 From jigging veins of rhyming mother-wits, 
 And such conceits as clownage keeps in pay, 
 We'll lead you to the stately tent of war, 
 Where you shall hear the Scythian Tamburlaine 
 Threatening the world with high astounding terms, 
 And scourging kingdoms with his conquering sword. 
 View but his picture in this tragic glass, 
 And then applaud his fortunes as you please.
 
 DRAMATIS PERSONS. 
 
 Mycetes, king of Persia. 
 
 Cosroe, his brother. 
 
 Meander, ^ 
 
 Theridamas, 
 
 O rt yg i u s , >■ Persian lords . 
 
 Ceneus, 
 
 Menaphon, J 
 
 Tamburlaine, a Scythian shepherd. 
 
 Techelles, 1 
 
 TT > his followers. 
 
 USUMCASANE,J J 
 
 Bajazeth, emperor of the Turks. 
 
 King of Fez. 
 
 King of Morocco. 
 
 King of Argier. 
 
 King of Arabia. 
 
 Soi.dan of Egypt. 
 
 Governor of Damascus. 
 
 Agydas, 
 
 ,} 
 
 , Median lords. 
 Magnetes, 
 
 Capolin, an Egyptian. 
 
 Philemus, Bassoes, Lords, Citizens, Moors, Soldiers, 
 
 and Attendants. 
 
 Zenocrate, daughter to the Soldan of Egypt. 
 Anippe, her maid. 
 Zabina, wife to Bajazeth. 
 Ebea, her maid. 
 Virgins of Damascus.
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 ACT I. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter Mycetes, Cosroe, Meander, Theridamas, 
 Ortygius, Ceneus, Menaphon, with others. 
 
 Myc. Brother Cosroe, I find myself agriev'd ; 
 Yet insufficient to express the same, 
 For it requires a great and thundering speech : 
 Good brother, tell the cause unto my lords ; 
 I know you have a better wit than I. 
 
 Cos. Unhappy Persia, that in former age 
 Hast been the seat of mighty conquerors, 
 That, in their prowess and their policies, 
 Have triumph 'd over Afric, * and the bounds 
 Of Europe where the sun dares scarce appear 
 For freezing meteors and congealed cold, 
 Now to be rul'd and govern'd by a man 
 
 * Afric] So the 8vo.— -The 4 to " Affrica."
 
 12 THE riRST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 At whose birth-day Cynthia with Saturn join'd, 
 
 And Jove, the Sun, and Mercury denied 
 To shed their* influence in his fickle brain ! 
 Now Turks and Tartars shake their swords at thee, 
 Meaning to mangle all thy provinces. 
 
 Myc. Brother, I see your meaning well enough, 
 And through f your planets I perceive you think 
 I am not wise enough to be a king : 
 But I refer me to my noblemen, 
 That know my wit, and can be witnesses. 
 I might command you to be slain for this, — 
 Meander, might I not ? 
 
 Mean. Not for so small a fault, my sovereign lord. 
 
 Myc. I mean it not, but yet I know I might. — 
 Yet live; yea, live; Mycetes wills it so. — 
 Meander, thou, my faithful counsellor, 
 Declare the cause of my conceived grief, 
 Which is, God knows, about that Tamburlaine, 
 That, like a fox in midst of harvest-time, 
 Doth prey upon my flocks of passengers ; 
 And, as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes : 
 Therefore 'tis good and meet for to be wise. 
 
 Mean. Oft have I heard your majesty complain 
 Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief, 
 That robs your merchants of Persepolis 
 Trading by land unto the Western Isles, 
 And in your confines with his lawless train 
 
 * their] Old eds. " his." 
 
 t through] So the 4to. — The 8vo " thorough."
 
 SC. 1.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 13 
 
 Daily commits incivil* outrages, 
 Hoping (misled by dreaming prophecies) 
 To reign in Asia, and with barbarous arms 
 To make himself the monarch of the East ; 
 But, ere he march in Asia, or display 
 His vagrant ensign in the Persian fields, 
 Your grace hath taken order by Theridamas, 
 Charg'd with a thousand horse, to apprehend 
 And bring him captive to your highness' throne. 
 
 Myc. Full true thou speak'st, and like thyself, 
 my lord, 
 Whom I may term a Damon for thy love : 
 Therefore 'tis best, if so it like you all, 
 To send my thousand horse incontinent + 
 To apprehend that paltry Scythian. 
 How like you this, my honourable lords ? 
 Is it not a kingly resolution ? 
 
 Cos. It cannot choose, because it comes from you. 
 
 Myc. Then hear thy charge, valiant Theridamas, 
 The chiefestj: captain of Mycetes' host, 
 The hope of Persia, and the very legs 
 Whereon our state doth lean as on a staff, 
 That holds us up and foils our neighbour foes: 
 Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse, 
 Whose foaming gall with rage and high disdain 
 Have sworn the death of wicked Tamburlainc. 
 Go frowning forth; but come thou smiling home, 
 
 * incivil] i. e. barbarous. So the 3vo. — The 4to " unciuill." 
 t incontinent) i. e. forthwith, immediately. 
 $ chieffsi] So the 8vo.— The 4to " chiefe."
 
 14 THE IIRST TAUT OF [ACT I. 
 
 As did Sir Paris with the Grecian dame: 
 Return with speed ; time passeth swift away ; 
 Our life is frail, and we may die to-day. 
 
 Tiier. Before the moon renew her borrow'd light, 
 Doubt not, my lord and gracious sovereign, 
 But Tamburlaine and that Tartarian rout* 
 Shall either perish by our warlike hands, 
 Or plead for mercy at your highness' feet. 
 
 Myc. Go, stoutTheridamas ; thy words are swords, 
 And with thy looks thou conquerest all thy foes. 
 I long to see thee back return from thence, 
 That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine 
 All loaden with the heads of killed men, 
 And, from their knees even to their hoofs below, 
 Besmear 'd with blood that makes a dainty show. 
 
 Tiier. Then now, my lord, I humbly takemy leave. 
 
 Myc. Theridamas, farewell ten thousand times. 
 
 [Exit Theridamas. 
 Ah, Menaphon, why stay'st thou thus behind, 
 When other men press f forward for renown ? 
 Go, Menaphon, go into Scythia, 
 And foot by foot follow Theridamas. 
 
 Cos. Nay, pray youj, let him stay ; a greater [task] 
 Fits Menaphon than warring with a thief : 
 Create him pro-rex of all § Africa, 
 That he may win the Babylonians' hearts, 
 
 * roul~\ i. e. crew. 
 
 t press] So the 8vo. — The 4to " prease." 
 t you] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 
 * all] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 1' 
 
 Which will revolt from Persian government, 
 Unless they have a wiser king than you. 
 
 Myc. Unless they have a wiser king than you ! 
 These are his words ; Meander, set them down . 
 
 Cos. And add this to them, — that all Asia 
 Lament to see the folly of their king. 
 
 Myc. Well, here I swear by this my royal seat — 
 
 Cos. You may do well to kiss it, then. 
 
 Myc. Emboss'd with silk as best beseems my state, 
 To be reveng'd for these contemptuous words ! 
 Oh, where is duty and allegiance now? 
 Fled to the Caspian or the Ocean main ? 
 What shall I call thee ? brother ? no, a foe ; 
 Monster of nature, shame unto thy stock, 
 That dar'st presume thy sovereign for to mock ! — 
 Meander, come : I am abus'd, Meander. 
 
 [Exewit all except Cosroe and Menaphon. 
 Men . How now, my lord? what, mated* and amaz'd 
 To hear the king thus threaten like himself! 
 
 Cos. Ah, Menaphon, I pass notf for his threats! 
 The plot is laid by Persian noblemen 
 And captains of the Median garrisons 
 To crown me emperor of Asia : 
 But this it is that doth excruciate 
 The very substance of my vexed soul, 
 To see our neighbours, that were wont to quake 
 And tremble at the Persian monarch's name, 
 
 * muted] i. e. confounded. 
 1 pass not] i. e. care not.
 
 16 THE FinST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Now sit and laugh * our regiment f to scorn ; 
 And that which might resolve J: me into tears, 
 Men from the farthest equinoctial line 
 Have swarm'd in troops into the Eastern India, 
 Lading their ships § with gold and precious stones, 
 And made their spoils from all our provinces. 
 
 Men. This should entreat your highness to rejoice, 
 Since Fortune gives you opportunity 
 To gain the title of a conqueror 
 By curing of this maimed empery. 
 Afric and Europe bordering on your land, 
 And continent to your dominions, 
 How easily may you, with a mighty host, 
 Pass || into Grsecia, as did Cyrus once, 
 And cause them to withdraw their forces home, 
 Lest youll subdue the pride of Christendom ! 
 
 [Trumpet within. 
 
 Cos. But, Menaphon, what means this trumpet's 
 sound ? 
 
 Men. Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest 
 Bringing the crown to make you emperor ! 
 
 * sit and laugh] Old eds. " sits and laughs. - ' 
 
 t regiment'] i. e. rule, government. 
 
 $ resolve] i. e. dissolve. So the 8vo. — The 4to " dissolue." 
 
 ^ sliips] So the 4to. — The 8vo " shippe." 
 
 || Pass] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Hast." 
 
 f you'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " they."
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAIXE THE GREAT. 17 
 
 Re-enter Ortygius and Ceneus,* with others, 
 bearing a crown. 
 
 Orty. Magnificent and mighty prince Cosroe, 
 We, in the name of other Persian states f 
 And commons of this mighty monarchy, 
 Present thee with th' imperial diadem. 
 
 Cen. The warlike soldiers and the gentlemen, 
 That heretofore have fill'd Persepolis 
 With Afric captains taken in the field, 
 Whose ransom made them march in coats of gold, 
 With costly jewels hanging at their ears, 
 And shining stones upon their lofty crests, 
 Now living idle in the walled towns, 
 Wanting both pay and martial discipline, 
 Begin in troops to threaten civil war, 
 And openly exclaim against their J king: 
 Therefore, to stay all sudden mutinies, 
 We will invest your highness emperor ; 
 Whereat the soldiers will conceive more joy, 
 Than did the Macedonians at the spoil 
 Of great Darius and his wealthy host. 
 
 Cos. Well, since I see the state of Persia droop 
 And languish in my brother's government, 
 I willingly receive th' imperial crown, 
 And vow to wear it for my country's good, 
 In spite of them shall malice my estate. 
 
 * Ceneus] Here both the old eds. " Cenerus." 
 t slates] i. e. noblemen, persons of rank. 
 X their] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the." 
 VOL. I. C
 
 18 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Orty. And, in assurance of desir'd success, 
 We here do crown thee monarch of the East, 
 Emperor of Asia and Persia;* 
 Great lord of Media and Armenia ; 
 Duke of Africa and Albania, 
 Mesopotamia and of Parthia, 
 East India and the late-discover'd isles ; 
 Chief lord of all the wide vast Euxine Sea, 
 And of the ever-ragingf Caspian Lake. 
 
 All. X Long live Cosroe, mighty emperor ! 
 
 Cos. And Jove may§ never let me longer live 
 Than I may seek to gratify your love, 
 And cause the soldiers that thus honour me 
 To triumph over many provinces ! 
 By whose desires of discipline in arms 
 I doubt not shortly but to reign sole king, 
 And with the army of Theridamas 
 (Whither we presently will fly, my lords,) 
 To rest secure against my brother's force. 
 
 Orty. We knew ||, my lord, before we brought the 
 crown, 
 Intending your investion so near 
 The residence of your despised brother, 
 
 * and Persia] So the 8vo. — The 4to " and of Persia." 
 
 t ever-raging] So the 8vo. — The 4to " riuer raging." 
 
 { Ai.i.] So the 4to. — Omitted in the 8vo. 
 
 § And Jove may, &c] i. e. And may Jove, &c. This coll; - 
 cation of words is sometimes found in later writers : so in the 
 Prologue to Fletcher's Woman's Prize, — " Which this may 
 prove ! " 
 
 || knew] So the 8vo.— The 4to " knowe."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 The lords* would not be too exasperate 
 To injury f or suppress your worthy title ; 
 Or, if they would, there are in readiness 
 Ten thousand horse to carry you from hence, 
 In spite of all suspected enemies. 
 
 Cos. I know it well, my lord, and thank you all. 
 
 Orty. Sound up the trumpets, then. 
 
 [ Trumpets sounded. 
 
 All. X God save the king ! [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter Tameurlaine leading Zenocrate, Techel- 
 les, Usumcasane, Agydas, Magnetes, Lords, 
 and Soldiers loaden with treasure. 
 
 Tamb. Come, lady, let not this appal your thoughts; 
 The jewels and the treasure we have ta'en 
 Shall be reserv'd, and you in better state 
 Than if you were arriv'd in Syria, 
 Even in the circle of your father's arms, 
 The mighty Soldan of iEgyptia. 
 
 Zeno. Ah, shepherd, pity my distressed plight ! 
 
 * lards] So the 4to.— The 8vo " Lord." 
 
 t injury'] This verb frequently occurs in our early writers. 
 " Then haue you iniuried manie." Lyly's Alexander and Cam- 
 paspe, sig. D 4 ed. 1591. It would seem to have fallen into 
 disuse soon after the commencement of the 17th century: in 
 Heywood's Woman killed with Mildness, 1607, we find, 
 
 " You injury that good man, and wrong me too." Sig. F 2. 
 
 but in ed. 1617 " injury " is altered to " iniure." 
 t All] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo.
 
 20 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 {If, as thou scem'st, thou art so mean a man,) 
 And seek not to enrich thy followers 
 By lawless rapine from a silly maid, 
 Who, travelling* with these Median lords 
 To Memphis, from my uncle's country of Media, 
 Where, all my youth, I have been governed, 
 Have pass'd the army of the mighty Turk, 
 Bearing his privy-signet and his hand 
 To safe conduct us thorough f Africa. 
 
 Mag. And, since we have arriv'd in Scythia, 
 Besides rich presents from the puissant Cham, 
 We have his highness' letters to command 
 Aid and assistance, if we stand in need. 
 
 Tamb. But now you see these letters and com- 
 mands 
 Are countermanded by a greater man ; 
 And through my provinces you must expect 
 Letters of conduct from my mightiness, 
 If you intend to keep your treasure safe. 
 But, since I love to live at liberty, 
 As easily may you get the Soldan's crown 
 As any prizes out of my precinct ; 
 For they are friends that help to wean my state 
 Till men and kingdoms help to strengthen it, 
 And must maintain my life exempt from servitude. 
 But, tell me, madam, is your grace betroth'd ? 
 
 Zexo. I am, my lord, — for so you do import. 
 
 * Who, travelling, &c] The halting metre shews that there is 
 some corruption in this and the next line. 
 
 t thorough] So the 8vo.— The 4to " through."
 
 SC.II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 21 
 
 Tamd. I am a lord, for so my deeds shall prove ; 
 And yet a shepherd by my parentage. 
 But, lady, this fair face and heavenly hue 
 Must grace his bed that conquers Asia, 
 And means to be a terror to the world, 
 Measuring the limits of his empery 
 By east and west, as Phoebus doth his course. — 
 Lie here, ye weeds, that I disdain to wear ! 
 This complete armour and this curtle-axe 
 Are adjuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine. — 
 And, madam, whatsoever you esteem 
 Of this success, and loss unvalued,* 
 Both may invest you empress of the East; 
 And these that seem but silly country swains 
 May have the leading of so great an host 
 As with their weight shall make the mountains quake, 
 Even as when windy exhalations, 
 Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth. 
 
 Tech. As princely lions, when they rouse them- 
 selves, 
 Stretching their paws, and threatening herds of beasts, 
 So in his armour looketh Tamburlaine. 
 Methinks, I see kings kneeling at his feet, 
 And he with frowning brows and fiery looks 
 Spurning their crowns from off their captive heads. 
 
 Usu.m. And making thee and me, Techelles, kings, 
 That even to death will follow Tamburlaine. 
 
 Tamb. Nobly resolv'd, sweet friends and followers ! 
 
 * unvalued] 1. e. not to be valued, or estimated.
 
 22 THE FIIIST PART OF [ACT 
 
 These lords, perhaps, do scorn our estimates, 
 And think we prattle with distemper'd spirits : 
 But, since they measure our deserts so mean, 
 That in conceit* bear empires on our spears, 
 Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds, 
 They shall be kept our forced followers, 
 Till with their eyes they view us emperors. 
 
 Zeno. The gods, defenders of the innocent, 
 Will never prosper your intended drifts, 
 That thus oppress poor friendless passengers. 
 Therefore at least admit us liberty, 
 Even as thou hop'st to be eternized 
 By living Asia's mighty emperor. 
 
 Agyd. I hope our lady's treasure and our own 
 May serve for ransom to our liberties : 
 Return our mules and empty camels back, 
 That we may travel into Syria, 
 Where her betrothed lord Alcidamus 
 Expects the arrival of her highness' person. 
 
 Mag. And wheresoever we repose ourselves, 
 We will report but well of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Tamb. Disdains Zenocrate to live with me ? 
 Or you, my lords, to be my followers ? 
 Think you I weigh this treasure more than you ? 
 Not all the gold in India's wealthy arms 
 Shall buy the meanest soldier in my train. 
 Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove, 
 Brighter than is the silver Rhodope,* 
 
 * conceit] i. e. imagination. 
 
 t Rhodope] Old eds. " Rhodolfe." .
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAISE THE GREAT. 23 
 
 Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills, 
 Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine 
 Than the possession of the Persian crown, 
 Which gracious stars have promis'd at my birth. 
 A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee, 
 Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus ; 
 Thy garments shall be made of Median silk, 
 Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own, 
 More rich and valurous f than Zenocrate's ; 
 With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled 
 Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools J, 
 And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops, 
 Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd§ : 
 My martial prizes, with five hundred men, 
 Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves, 
 Shall we all offer || to Zenocrate, 
 And then myself to fair Zenocrate. 
 
 Tech. What now? in love? 
 
 Tamb. Techelles, women must be flattered : 
 But this is she with whom I am in If love. 
 
 Enter a Soldier. 
 
 Sold. News, news ! 
 
 Tamb. How now ? what's the matter ? 
 
 t valurous] i. e. valuable. 
 
 \ pools] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Poles." 
 
 § resolv'd] i.e. dissolved. So the 8vo. — The 4to " desolu'd." 
 
 || Shall ue all offer] The 8vo " .Shall we offer" (the word 
 
 all" haviug dropt out). — The 4to " We all shall offer." 
 
 11 in] The 8vo " it."— Omitted in the 4 to.
 
 24 THE 1IHST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Sold. A thousand Persian horsemen are at hand, 
 Sent from the king to overcome us all. 
 
 Tamb. How now, my lords of Egypt, and Zeno- 
 crate ? 
 Now must your jewels be restor'd again, 
 And I, that triumph'df so, be overcome? 
 How say you, lordings ? is not this your hope? 
 
 Agyd. We hope yourself will willingly restore 
 them. 
 
 Tamb. Such hope, such fortune, have the thousand 
 horse. 
 Soft ye, my lords, and sweet Zenocrate ; 
 You must be forced from me ere you go. — 
 A thousand horsemen ! we five hundred foot ! 
 An odds too great for us to stand against. 
 But are they rich ? and is their armour good ? 
 
 Sold. Their plumed helms are wrought with beaten 
 gold, 
 Their swords enamell'd, and about their necks 
 Hang}; massy chains of gold down to the waist ; 
 In every part exceeding brave§ and rich. 
 
 Tamb. Then shall we fight courageously with them ? 
 Or look you I should play the orator ? 
 
 Tech. No; cowards and faint-hearted runaways 
 Look for orations when the foe is near : 
 Our swords shall play the orators for us. 
 
 t triumph' J \ So the 8vo. — The 4to " triumph." 
 } Hang] Old eds. " Hangs." 
 $ hat i. (. . splendid.
 
 SC. Ii.] TAMBURLA1NE THE GREAT. 25 
 
 Usum. Come, let us meet them at the mountain-top,* 
 And with a sudden and an hot alarum 
 Drive all their horses headlong down the hill. 
 
 Tech. Come, let us march. 
 
 Tamb. Stay, Techelles ; ask a parle first. 
 
 The Soldiers enter. 
 
 Open the males,f yet guard the treasure sure : 
 
 Lay out our golden wedges to the view, 
 
 That their reflections may amaze the Persians ; 
 
 And look we friendly on them when they come ; 
 
 But, if they offer word or violence, 
 
 We'll fight, five hundred men at arms to one, 
 
 Before we part with our possession ; 
 
 And 'gainst the general we will lift our swords, 
 
 And either lancet his greedy thirsting throat, 
 
 Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve 
 
 For manacles, till he be ransom'd home. 
 
 Tech. I hear them come : shall we encounter them ? 
 
 Tamb. Keep all your standings, and not stir a foot : 
 Myself will bide the danger of the brunt.. 
 
 Enter Thi.ridamas with others. 
 
 Ther. Where is this Scythian Tamburlaine§ ? 
 Tamb. Whom seek'st thou, Persian ? I am Tam- 
 burlaine. 
 
 * top] So the 4to.— The 8vo " foot." 
 
 t males] Or mails — i. e. bugs, budgets. 
 
 $ lance] So the 4 to. — Here the 8vo has " Ianch ;" hut morn 
 than once in the Sec. Pcut of the play it gives " lance.'' 
 
 § Scythian Tamburlaine] Qy. " Scythian shepherd Tambur- 
 laine"?
 
 26 THE FIRST PAItT OF [ACT I. 
 
 Ther. Tamburlaine ! a Scythian shepherd so em- 
 bellish'd 
 With nature's pride and richest furniture ! 
 His looks do menace Heaven and dare the gods ; 
 His fiery eyes are fix'd upon the earth, 
 As if he now devis'd some stratagem, 
 Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vaults* 
 To pull the triple-headed dog from hell. 
 
 Tamb. Noble and mild this Persian seems to be, 
 If outward habit judge the inward man. 
 
 Tech. His deep affections make him passionate. 
 
 Tamb. With what a majesty he rears his looks ! — 
 In thee, thou valiant man of Persia, 
 I see the folly of thyf emperor. 
 Art thou but captain of a thousand horse, 
 That by characters graven in thy brows, 
 And by thy martial face and stout aspect, 
 Deserv'st to have the leading of an host ? 
 Forsake thy king, and do but join with me, 
 And we will triumph over all the world : 
 I hold the Fates bound fast in iron chains, 
 And with my hand turn Fortune's wheel about ; 
 And sooner shall the sun fall from his sphere 
 Than Tamburlaine be slain or overcome. 
 
 * vaults] Here the 8vo has " vauts," — " which," says one of 
 the modern editors, " was common in Marlowe's time:" and 
 so it was ; but in the Sec. Part of this play, act ii. sc. 4, the 
 same 8vo gives, — 
 
 " As we descend into ttie infernal vaults." 
 
 t thv] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBUKLAINE THE GREAT. 27 
 
 Draw forth thy sword, thou mighty man at arms, 
 
 Intending but to raze my charmed skin, 
 
 And Jove himself will stretch his hand from heaven 
 
 To ward the blow, and shield me safe from harm. 
 
 See, how he rains down heaps of gold in showers, 
 
 As if he meant to give my soldiers pay ! 
 
 And, as a sure and grounded argument 
 
 That I shall be the monarch of the East, 
 
 He sends this Soldan's daughter rich and brave,* 
 
 To be my queen and portly emperess. 
 
 If thou wilt stay with me, renowmedf man, 
 
 And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct, 
 
 Besides thy share of this Egyptian prize, 
 
 Those thousand horse shall sweat with martial spoil 
 
 Of conquer'd kingdoms and of cities sack'd : 
 
 Both we will walk upon the lofty cliffs};, 
 
 And Christian merchants §, that with Russian stems 
 
 Plough up huge furrows in the Caspian Sea, 
 
 Shall vail || to us, as lords of all the lake ; 
 
 * brave] i. e. splendidly clad. 
 
 t renowmed] i. e. renowned. So the 8vo. — The 4to " re- 
 nowned." — The form " renowmed" (Fr. renomme) occurs repeat- 
 edly afterwards in this play, according to the 8vo. It is oc- 
 casionally found in writers posterior to Marlowe's time. e. g. 
 
 " Of Constanrines great towne renoumd in vaine." 
 
 Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling's 
 Monarchicke Tragedies, ed. 1607. 
 
 I cliffs] So the 8vo.— The 4to " cliftes." 
 
 § merchants] i. e. merchant-men, ships of trade. 
 
 || rail] i. e. lower their flags.
 
 28 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Both we will reign as consuls of the earth, 
 
 And mighty kings shall be our senators. 
 
 Jove sometime masked in a shepherd's weed ; 
 
 And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heavens 
 
 May we become immortal like the gods. 
 
 Join with me now in this my mean estate, 
 
 (I call it mean, because, being yet obscure, 
 
 The nations far remov'd admire me not,) 
 
 And when my name and honour shall be spread 
 
 As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings, 
 
 Or fair Bootes* sends his cheerful light, 
 
 Then shalt thou be competitor with me, 
 
 And sit with Tamburlaine in all his majesty. 
 
 Ther. Not Hermes, prolocutor to the gods, 
 Could use persuasions more pathetical. 
 
 Tamb. 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 assur'd of by our friend's success. 
 
 Usum. And kingdoms at the least we all expect, 
 Besides the honour in assure/! conquests, 
 Where kings shall crouch unto our conquering swords, 
 And hosts of soldiers stand amaz'd at us, 
 When with their fearful tongues they shall confess, 
 These are the men that all the world admires. 
 
 * B'oolcs] The f?vo " Botecb."— The 4to " iioi 

 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 29 
 
 Tiier. What strong enchantments 'tice my yield- 
 ing soul ! — 
 Are these resolved*, noble Scythians? 
 But shall I prove a traitor to my king ? 
 
 Tamb. No ; but the trusty friend of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Ther. Won with thy words, and conquer'd 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. 
 
 Tamb. Theridamas, my friend, take here my hand, 
 Which is as much as if I swore by Heaven, 
 And call'd the gods to witness of my vow. 
 Thus shall my heart be still combin'd with thine 
 Until our bodies turn to elements, 
 And both our souls aspire celestial thrones. — 
 Techelles and Casane, welcome him. 
 
 Tech. Welcome, renowmedf Persian, to us all ! 
 
 Usum. Long may Theridamas remain with us ! 
 
 Tamb. These are my friends, in whom I more rejoice 
 Than doth the king of Persia in his crown ; 
 And, by the love of Pylades and Orestes, 
 
 * Are these resolved] If the right reading, seems to he equi- 
 valent to — Are these things certain?— The modern editors 
 print, — 
 
 " 'tice my yielding soul 
 To these resolved," &c. 
 
 t renoumcd] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo.— The 4to " re- 
 nowned."
 
 30 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Whose statues* we adore in Scythia, 
 Thyself and them shall never part from me 
 Before I crown you kings f in Asia- 
 Make much of them, gentle Theridamas, 
 And they will never leave thee till the death. 
 
 Ther. Nor thee nor themj, thrice noble Tambur- 
 laine, 
 Shall want my heart to be with gladness pierc'd, 
 To do you honour and security. 
 
 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. 
 
 Tamb. For you, then, madam, I am out of doubt. 
 
 Zeno. I must be pleas'd perforce. Wretched 
 Zenocrate ! [Exeunt. 
 
 * statues] So the 4to.— " The first edition reads 'statutes,' 
 but, as the Scythians worshipped Pylades find Orestes in tem- 
 ples, we have adopted the reading of the quarto as being most 
 probably the correct one." Ed. 1826. 
 
 t kings] So the 8vo.— The 4to " king." 
 
 t Nor thee nor thein] The modern editors silently print " Nor 
 they nor theirs." Compare the second line of this page. 
 
 $ will] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to.
 
 SC.I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 31 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter Cosroe, Menaphon, Ortygius, and Ceneus, 
 with 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 
 Old Atlas' burden ; 'twixt his manly pitch,* 
 A pearl more worth than all the world is plac'd, 
 Wherein by curious sovereignty of art 
 Are fix'd 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, 
 
 * pitch] " I would have you tell me what pitch be was of, 
 Velim mihi dicas qua statura fuerit ." Coles's Diet. But hero 
 " pitch 1 ' seems to mean tbe highest part of bis body, — the 
 " pearl " being, of course, bis head.
 
 32 THE FIRST PART OF [.ACT II. 
 
 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, 
 
 Making it dance with wanton majesty ; 
 
 His arms and fingers long and sinewy f, 
 
 Betokening valour and excess of strength ; — 
 
 In every part proportion'd like the man 
 
 Should make the world subdu'dj to Tamburlaine. 
 
 Cos. Well hast thou pourtray'd 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 accomplish'd 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, 
 
 * and'] So the 4to — The 8ro " with." 
 
 t His arms and fingers long and sinewy] So the 8vo, except 
 that, by a misprint, it has " snowy " for " sinewy." — The 4to 
 gives the line thus, — 
 
 " His amies long, his fingers snowy-white." ! ! 
 
 (and so the line used to stand in Lamb's Spec, of Dram. Poets, 
 till I made the necessary alteration in the recent ed. of thai 
 charming selection.) 
 
 X subdu'd] .So the 8vo.— The 4to " subdue."
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 And clos'd in compass of the killing bullet, 
 
 Though strait the passage and the port* be made 
 
 That leads to palace of my brother's life, 
 
 Proud is f his fortune if we pierce it not ; 
 
 And, when the princely Persian diadem 
 
 Shall overweigh his weary witless head, 
 
 And fall like mellow'd fruit with shakes of death, 
 
 In fair Persia noble Tamburlaine 
 
 Shall be my regent, and remain as king. 
 
 Orty. 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 stufFd with treasure for his highest thoughts? 
 
 Cos. And such shall wait on worthy Tambur- 
 laine. 
 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, 
 And with unwilling soldiers faintly arm'd, 
 To seek revenge on me and Tamburlaine, 
 
 * port] i. e. gate. t is] So the 8vo.— The 4to " in.'' 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 34 IIIF. FIRST PART OF [ACT Hi 
 
 To whom, sweet Menaphon, direct me straight. 
 Men. I will, my lord. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter 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 abus'd, 
 And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away ? 
 And, which is worse f, 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, 
 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 pass'd Armenian deserts now, 
 And pitch'd our tents under the Georgian hills, 
 Whose tops are cover'd 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, 
 They gather strength by power of fresh supplies. 
 This country swarms with vile outragious men 
 
 * of] i. e. <>". I worse] So the 8vo.— The 4to " worst."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE ORr.\'l 
 
 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 hisf king, 
 Will quickly win such as be { like himself. 
 Therefore cheer up your minds ; prepare to fight 
 He that can take or slaughter Tamburlaine, 
 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, 
 Have view'd the army of the Scythians, 
 Which make II report it far exceeds the king's. 
 
 Mean. Suppose they be in number infinite, 
 Yet being void of martial discipline, 
 All running headlong after greedy spoils 
 
 * * 
 
 * the] So the 8vo.— The 4to *' that." 
 t his] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the." 
 
 t be] So the 8vo.— The 4to " are." 
 
 § Beside] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Besides." 
 
 || champion] i. e. champaign. 
 
 % make] So the 8vo. — The 4to " makes." 
 
 * * a f ter g^edy spoils] May be right : but qy. " greedy 
 after spoils " ?
 
 36 THE FIRST PART OS [ACT II. 
 
 And more regarding gain than victory, 
 Like to the cruel brothers of the earth, 
 Sprung* of the teeth off dragons venomous, 
 Their careless swords shall lancet their fellows' throats, 
 And make us triumph in their overthrow. 
 
 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 disorder'd troops, 
 If wealth or riches may prevail with them, 
 We have our camels laden all with gold, 
 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 scatter'd army is subdu'tl, 
 
 * Sprung] Here, and in the next speech, both the old eds. 
 " Sprang": hut at p. 47, 1. 9, the 4to has " sprung ", and in 
 the Ser. Part of the play, act iv. sc. 4, they both give " sprung 
 from a tyrants loynes." 
 
 + teeth of] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 
 X hnice] Here both the old eds. "lanch;" but more than once 
 in the Sec. Putt of the play they have " lance " and " Linnet'."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 37 
 
 And you march on their slaughter'd carcasses, 
 Share equally the gold that bought their lives, 
 And live like gentlemen in Persia. 
 Strike up the* drum, and march courageously : 
 Fortune herself doth sit UDon our crests. 
 
 j. 
 
 Myc. He tells you true, my masters ; so he does.— 
 Drums, why sound ye not, when Meander speaks ? 
 
 [Exeunt, drums soundiny. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Enter Cosuoe, TaxMBurlaine, Theridamas, 
 Techelles, Usumcasane, and Ortygius, with 
 others. 
 
 Cos. Now, worthy Tamburlaine, have I repos'd 
 In thy approved fortunes all my hope. 
 What think'st 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 ; 
 For fates and oracles [of] Heaven have sworn 
 To royalize the deeds of Tamburlaine, 
 And make them blest that share in his attempts : 
 And doubt you not but, if you favour me, 
 And let my fortunes and my valour sway 
 To somef direction in your martial deeds, 
 The world will J strive with hosts of men at arms 
 To swarm unto the ensign I support. 
 
 * the] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 t some] So the 4to. — The 8vo " scorne." 
 } i -ill } So the 8vo.— The 4to " shall."
 
 38 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 The host 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, 
 Enroll'd in flames and fiery smouldering mists, 
 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 
 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 excus'd 
 For turning my poor charge to his direction : 
 And these his two renowmedf friends, my lord, 
 Would make one thirst J 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, 
 
 * top] i. e. rise above, surpass. — Old eds. " stop. " 
 
 t renowned] See note, p. 27. So the 8\ro. — The 4to " re- 
 Qowned." 
 
 t thirst] The 8vo " thrust " : the 4to " thrist." 
 
 •S and] So the 4to. — The 8vo " not.'' 
 
 || the J'nii] So the ftvo.— The 4to *' thee/airc."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 When she* that rules in Rhamnus'f golden gates, 
 And makes a passage for all prosperous arms, 
 Shall make me solely emperor of Asia, 
 Then shall your meeds X and valours be advanc'd 
 To rooms of honour and nobility. 
 
 Tamb. Then haste, Cosroe, to be king alone, 
 That 1 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 
 Of such a burden as outweighs the sands 
 And all the craggy rocks of Caspia. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mes. My lord, we have discover'd the enemy 
 Ready to charge you with a mighty army. 
 
 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. 
 
 Tamb. 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 tbe lightning or the breath of Heaven, 
 And kill as sure^ as it swiftly flies. 
 
 * she] i. e. Nemesis, 
 t Ehamnus'] Old eds. " Rhamnis." 
 X meeds] So tbe 8vo.— The 4to " deeds." 
 § sure] A dissyllable here. In tbe next line " assure " is a 
 trisyllable.
 
 40 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 Cos. Thy words assure me of kind success : 
 Go, valiant soldier, go before, and charge 
 The fainting army of that foolish king. 
 
 Tamb. Usumcasane and Techelles, come : 
 ^Ye are enow to scare the enemy, 
 And more than needs to make an emperor. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 Enter Mycetes with his crown in his hand*. 
 
 Myc Accurs'd be he that first invented war ! 
 They knew not, ah, they knew not, simple men, 
 How those weref hit by pelting cannon-shot 
 Stand staggering I 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 shouts at, 
 Our crown the pin § that thousands seek to cleave : 
 Therefore in policy 1 think it good 
 To hide it close ; a goodly stratagem, 
 And far from any man that is a fool : 
 So shall not I be known ; or, if 1 be, 
 
 * with his crown in liis hand] The old eds. add " offering to 
 hide it ;" but that he does presently after. 
 
 t tlwse were] i. e. those who were, who hare been. 
 
 X Stand staggering] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Stand those 
 staggering." 
 
 i For kings arc clouts that every man shoots at, 
 
 Our crown the pin, fyc] Clout means the white mark in th 
 bults ; pin, the peg in the centre, which fastened it.
 
 SC. IV.] TAMBURLAINE THE ORF.AT. 
 
 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 ? 
 
 Myc Thou liest. 
 
 Tamb. Base villain, dar'st thou give the* lie? 
 
 Myc. Away ! I am the king; go; touch me not. 
 Thou break'st 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 you? 
 
 Myc. Such another word, and 1 will have thee 
 executed. 
 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, 1 mean you shall have it again. 
 
 * give the] So the 8vo. — The 4to " giue me the."
 
 42 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 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. 
 
 Myc. O gods, is this Tamburlaine the thief? 
 I marvel much he stole it not away. 
 
 [ Trumpets within sound to the battle : he runs out. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 Enter Cosroe, Tamburlaine, Menaphon, Mean- 
 der, Ortygius, Theridamas, Teciielles, Usum- 
 casane, with others. 
 
 Tamb. 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, 
 And chiefestf counsellor in all his acts, 
 Since he is yielded to the stroke of war, 
 
 * renmomed man] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo. — The 4to 
 " renowned men." 
 
 t chiefest] So the 4to.— The 8vo " chiefe."
 
 SC. V.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 43 
 
 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, 
 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. 
 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, 
 And grace your calling with a greater sway. 
 
 Orty. And as we ever aim'df at your behoof, 
 And sought your state all honour it t descrv'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. — 
 
 * happy] So the 8vo. — The 4to " happiest." 
 t aini'd] So the 4to.— The 8vo " and." 
 
 $ it] So the 4to.— The 8vo " is." 
 
 * our] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo.
 
 44 TDK FIRST PART 01 [ACT II. 
 
 And now, lord Tamburlaine, my brother's camp 
 I leave to thee and to Theridamas, 
 To follow me to fair Persepolis ; 
 Then will we* march to all those Indian mines 
 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 scatter'd troops,) 
 Farewell, lord regent and his happy friends. 
 I long to sit upon my brother's throne. 
 
 Mean. Your majesty shall shortly have your wish, 
 And ride in triumph through Persepolis. 
 [Exeunt all except Tamb., Ther., Tech., and Usutn. 
 
 Tamb. And ride in triumph through Persepolis ! — 
 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. Oh, my lord, it is 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, 
 Cannot compare with kingly joys inf earth ; — 
 To wear a crown enchas'd with pearl and gold, 
 Whose virtues carry with it life and death ; 
 To ask and have, command and be obey'd ; 
 When looks breed love, with looks to gain the prize, 
 Such power attractive shines in princes' eyes. 
 
 - 11 cj So the 8vo. -The 4to " I." | in | Qy. " on " ' 

 
 SC. V.] T UIBURT.ATNE THE OREAT. 45 
 
 Tamb. Why, say, Theridamas, wilt thou be a king? 
 Tiier. Nay, though I praise it, I can live without it. 
 Tamb. What say* 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? 
 
 Usum. What then, my lord ? 
 
 Tamb. Why, then, Casane,f shall we wish for aught 
 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 ? 
 
 Tiier. I know they would with our persuasions. 
 
 Tamb. Why, then, Theridamas, I'll first assay 
 To get the Persian kingdom to myself; 
 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. t 
 
 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. 
 
 * sai)~] Old eds. " sayes " and " saies." 
 
 t Casune] Both the old eds. here " Casanes." 
 
 t a-piece] So the 4to. — The 8vo " apace."
 
 46 THE FIUST FART OF [ACT II. 
 
 Tamb. 'Twill prove a pretty jest, in faith, my 
 friends. 
 
 Ther. A jest to charge on twenty thousand men ! 
 I judge the purchase* more important far. 
 
 Tamb. Judge by thyself, Theridamas, not me ; 
 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 this J Scythian Tamburlaino 
 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, 
 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 ? 
 
 Tiier. Go on, for me. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene VI. 
 
 Enter Cosroe, Meander, Ortygius, and 
 Menaphon, with Soldiers. 
 
 Cos. What means this devilish shepherd, to aspire 
 With such a giantly presumption, 
 
 * purchase] i. e. booty — gain. t quite] i. e. requite. 
 
 t this] So the 8vo.— The 4 to " the." 
 
 j him] Old eds. " his." 
 
 || and] So the 8vo.— The 4to " with."
 
 SC. VI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 47 
 
 To cast up hills against tlie face of heaven, 
 And dare the force of angry Jupiter ? 
 But, as he thrust them underneath the hills, 
 And press'd 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, mix'd 
 Their angry seeds at his conception ; 
 For he was never sprung* of human race, 
 Since with the spirit of his fearful pride, 
 He dares f so doubtlessly resolve of rule, 
 And by profession be ambitious. 
 
 Ohty. 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 fate | soever govern him, 
 Let us put on our meet encountering minds ; 
 And, in detesting such a devilish thief, 
 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 suck'd one wholesome air, 
 And with the same proportion of elements 
 Resolve §, I hope we are resembled 
 Vowing our loves to ecpial death and life. 
 
 * sprung] See note, p. 36. 
 + dures] So the 8vo. — The 4 to " dare." 
 t fate] Old ods. " state." 
 
 § llesolve] Seems to mean — dissolve (compare " our bodies 
 turn to elements." p. 29) : but I suspect some corruption here.
 
 48 THE FTRST PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 Let's cheer our soldiers to encounter him, 
 
 That grievous image of ingratitude, 
 
 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! 
 
 [Exeunt, drums sounding. 
 
 Scene VII. 
 
 Alarms of battle within. Then enter Cosrop. 
 wounded, Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Techet.- 
 les, 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, 
 
 * Barbuious~] Qy. " Oh, larbarous"! in the next line, but 
 one, " Oh, treacherous'" 1 , and in the last line of the speech, 
 " 01,, bloody'"*.
 
 SC. VII.] TAMBURLAINE THE GItEAT. !' ' 
 
 Sacks every vein and artier* of my heart. — 
 Bloody and insatiate Taniburlaine ! 
 
 Tamb. The thirst of reign and sweetness of a crown, 
 That caus'd the eldest son of heavenly Ops 
 To thrust his doting father from his chair, 
 And place himself in the empyreal heaven, 
 Mov'd me to manage arms against thy state. 
 What better precedent than mighty Jove ? 
 Nature, that fram'd us of four elements 
 Warring within our breasts for regiment f, 
 Doth teach us all to have aspiring minds : 
 Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend 
 The wondrous architecture of the world, 
 And measure every wandering planet's course, 
 Still climbing after knowledge infinite, 
 
 * artier] i. e. artery. This form occurs again in the Sec. 
 I'n it of the present play : so too in a copy of verses by Day ; 
 
 " Hid in the vaines and urtiers of the earthe." 
 
 Shakespeare Soc. Papers, vol. i. 19. 
 
 The word indeed was variously written of old : 
 
 " The arter strynge is the conduyt of the lyfe spiryte." 
 
 Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. G iii. ed. 1530. 
 
 " Riche treasures serue for th'arters of the war." 
 
 Lord Stirling's Darius, act ii. sig. C 2. ed. 1604. 
 
 " Onelye the extrauagant artire of my arrae is brused.' : 
 
 Everie Woman in her Humor, 1609, sig. D 4. 
 
 " And from the veines some hloud each artire draines." 
 
 Davics's Microcosmos, 1611, p. 56. 
 
 t regiment] i. e. rule. 
 VOL. 1. e
 
 50 THE FIRST PART OF [.ACT II. 
 
 A nd always moving as the restless spheres, 
 Will* us to wear ourselves, and never rest, 
 Until we reach the ripest fruit + of all, 
 That perfect bliss and sole felicity, 
 The sweet fruition of an earthly crown. 
 
 Tiieu. And that made me to join with Tambur- 
 laine ; 
 For he is gross and like the massy earth, 
 That moves not upwards, uor by princely deeds 
 Doth mean to soar above the highest sort. 
 
 Tech. And that made us, the friends of Tambur- 
 laine, 
 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, 
 If Tamburlaine be plac'd in Persia. 
 
 Cos. The strangest men that ever Nature made ! 
 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. 
 Are J dry and cold ; and now doth ghastly Death 
 
 * Will] Old oils. " Wils." 
 
 f fruit] So the 4to.— The 8vo " fruites." 
 
 t Are] Old eds. " Is."
 
 SC. VII.] TAMBURLAINE Tf I E GREAT. 
 
 With greedy talents* gripe my bleeding heart, 
 And like a harpy f tires on my life. 
 Theridamas and Tamburlaine, I die: 
 And fearful vengeance light upon you both ! 
 
 [Dies. — Tamburlaine takes Cosroe's crotvn, and 
 
 puts it on his own head. 
 Tamb. 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 ? 
 All. Tamburlaine ! Tamburlaine ! 
 Tamb. Though Mars himself, the angry god of 
 arms, 
 And all the earthly potentates conspire 
 To dispossess me of this diadem, 
 Yet will I wear it in despite of them, 
 As great commander of this eastern world, 
 If you but say that Tamburlaine shall reign. 
 
 All. Long live Tamburlaine, and reign in Asia ! 
 Tamb. So ; now it is more surer on my head 
 Than if the gods had held a parliament, 
 And all pronounc'd me king of Persia. [Exeunt. 
 
 * talents] Was often used by our early writers for talons, as 
 many passages might be adduced to shew. Hence the quibble 
 in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, act iv. sc. 2. " If a talent 
 be a claw," &c. 
 
 t harpy] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Harper"; and with that 
 reading the line is cited, in a note on Macbeth, act iv. sc. 1, by 
 Steevens, who also gives " tires upon my life ; " but " tires " 
 (a well-known term in falconry, and equivalent here to — preys) 
 is to be pronounced as a dissyllable (in the 4to it is spelt . 
 " lurrs"). 
 
 t the] So the 4to.— The 8vo " thy."
 
 .52 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III 
 
 ACT III. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter 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 thinkf 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 reniedj, 
 
 * fonssoes] i. e. bashaws. 
 
 t think] Old eds. " thinks" and " thinkes." 
 
 I Christians retried] i. e. Christians who have denied, or re- 
 nounced their faith. — In The Gent. Magazine for Jan. 1841, 
 J. M. would read " Christians renegadens" or " Christian re- 
 negades :" but the old text is right ; among many passages that 
 might be cited, compare the following ; 
 
 " And that Ydole is the God of false Cristene, that han 
 reneyed hire feu the." The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maun- 
 devile, p. 209. ed. 1725. 
 
 " For that thou should'st reny thy faith, and her thereby pos- 
 
 sesse, 
 The Soldan did capitulat in vaine : the more thy blesse." 
 Warner's Athions England, B. XI. Cb. 68. p 2R7. ed. 1596.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 53 
 
 As hath the ocean or the Terrene* sea 
 
 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. 
 
 K. of Fez. Renowmedf 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? 
 
 Baj. Hie thee, my bassol, 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 spreadH his colours in Grsecia, 
 Lest he incur the fury of my wrath : 
 Tell him I am content to take a truce, 
 
 * Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean. 
 
 + Renmrmtd] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo.' — The 4to " re- 
 nowned." 
 
 t basso] So the 8vo — The 4 to " Brother." 
 
 § Not] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Nor." 
 
 || in] So the 8vo. — The 4to " on." 
 
 11 Or spread, 8fc] A word has dropt out from this line.
 
 .04 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Because I hear he bears a valiant mind : 
 But if, presuming on his silly power, 
 He be so mad to manage arms with me, 
 Then stay thou with him, — say, I bid thee so ; 
 And if, before the sun have measur'd heaven* 
 With triple circuit, thou regreet us not, 
 We mean to take his morning's next arise 
 For messenger he will not be reclaim'd, 
 And mean to fetch thee in despite of him. 
 
 Bas. Most great and puissant monarch of the 
 earth, 
 Your basso will accomplish your behest, 
 And shew your pleasure to the Persian, 
 As tits the legate of the stately Turk. [Exit. 
 
 K. of Aug. They say he is the king of Persia ; 
 But, if he dare attempt to stir your siege, 
 'Twere requisite he should be ten times more, 
 For all flesh quakes at your magnificence. 
 
 Baj. True, Argier; and tremble[s] at my looks. 
 
 K. of Mor. The spring is hinder'd by your 
 smothering host ; 
 For neither rain can fall upon the earth, 
 Nor sun reflex his virtuous beams thereon, 
 The ground is mantled with such multitudes. 
 
 Baj. All this is true as holy Mahomet; 
 And all the trees are blasted with our breaths. 
 
 K. of Fez. What thinks your greatness best to be 
 achiev'd 
 
 • measur'd heaven] So the 8vo. — The Ito " measured the 
 iten.'
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAIXE THE GREAT. 55 
 
 In pursuit of the city's overthrow ? 
 
 Baj. I will the captive pioneers 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, Axippe, with others. 
 
 Agyd. 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. 
 
 Zeno. 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* and disconsolate conceits t, 
 
 ' ceaseless] So the flvo. — The 4to " carelesse.'' 
 t conceits] i. e. fancies, imaginations.
 
 Till'. FIRST PART 01 [.ACT Ii (. 
 
 Which dye* my looks so liveless as they are, 
 And might, it' my extremes had full events, 
 Make me the ghastly counterfeit j- of death. 
 
 Aoyd. Eternal heaven sooner be dissolv'd, 
 And all that pierceth Phoebus' silver eye, 
 Before such hap fall to Zenocrate ! 
 
 Zeno. Ah, life and soul, still hover in his; breast, 
 And leave my body senseless as the earth, 
 Or else unite you§ to his life and soul, 
 That 1 may live and die with Tamburlaine ! 
 
 Enter, behind, Tamburlaine, with Techelles, 
 and others. 
 
 Agyd. 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. 
 
 Zeno. Leave || to wound me with these words, 
 And speak of Tamburlaine as he deserves : 
 The entertainment we have had of him 
 
 * dye] Old eds. " dies." 
 t counterfeit] i. e. picture, resemblance. 
 J /us] So tin' 8vo.— The 4to " the." 
 < you] So the 8vo. — The 4to " me." 
 
 I Mi- author probubh wrote, " Agydas, le>
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 57 
 
 Is far from villany or servitude, 
 
 And might in noble minds be counted princely. 
 
 Agyd. 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* of war and blood, 
 Too harsh a subject for your dainty ears. 
 
 Zeno. As looks the sun through Nilus' flowing 
 stream, 
 Or when the Morning holds him in her arms, 
 So looks my lordly love, fair Tamburlaine ; 
 His talk much f sweeter than the Muses' song 
 They sung for honour 'gainst PieridesJ, 
 Or when Minerva did with Neptune strive : 
 
 And higher would I rear my estimate 
 Than Juno, sister to the highest god, 
 
 If I were match'd with mighty Tamburlaine. 
 Agyd. Yet be not so inconstant in your love, 
 
 But let the young Arabian § live in hope, 
 
 After your rescue to enjoy his choice. 
 
 You see, though first the king of Persia, 
 
 Being a shepherd, seem'd to love you much, 
 
 * facts] i. e. deeds. 
 
 t much] So the 8vo. — The 4to " more." 
 
 i Pievides'] i. e. The daughters of Pierus, who, having chal- 
 lenged the Muses to a trial of song, were overcome, and 
 changed into Magpies. 
 
 <S the young Arabian \ Sell. Alcidamus , see p. 22 1. 18.
 
 58 THE FIRST part or [act III. 
 
 Now, in his majesty, he leaves those looks, 
 Those words of favour, and those comfortings, 
 And gives no more than common courtesies. 
 
 Zeno. Thence rise the tears that so distain my 
 cheeks, 
 Fearing his love* through mv unworthiness. 
 
 [ Tamburlaine goes to her, and takes her away 
 lovingly by the hand, looking wrathfully on 
 Agydas, and says nothing. Exeunt all 
 except Agydas. 
 Agyd. Betray'd by fortune and suspicious love, 
 Threaten'd with frowning wrath and jealousy, 
 Surpris'd with fear and hideous revenge, 
 I stand aghast; but most astonied 
 To see his choler shut in secret thoughts, 
 And wrapt in silence of his angry soul : 
 Upon his brows was pourtray'd ugly death ; 
 And in his eyes the furyf of his heart, 
 That shine J as comets, menacing revenge, 
 And cast§ a pale complexion on his cheeks. 
 As when the seaman sees the Hyades 
 Gather an army of Cimmerian clouds, 
 (Auster and Aquilon with winged steeds, 
 All sweating, tilt about the watery heavens, 
 With shivering spears enforcing thunder-claps, 
 
 * Fearing his love] i. e. Fearing with respect to his love, 
 t funi] So the 4to.— The 8vo " furies." 
 { shine] Qy. " shone '">. 
 
 st] ( >ld eds. " casts" and " cast 

 
 HC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 59 
 
 And from their shields strike flames of lightning,) 
 All-fearful folds his sails, and sounds the main, 
 Lifting his prayers to the Heavens for aid 
 Against the terror of the winds and waves ; 
 So fares Agydas for the late-felt frowns, 
 That sent a tempest to my daunted thoughts, 
 And make* my soul divine her overthrow. 
 
 Re-enter Techelles with a naked dagger, and 
 
 UsUMCASANE. 
 
 Tech. See you, Agydas, how the king salutes you ! 
 He bids you prophesy what it imports. 
 
 Agyd. 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, 
 
 * make] Old cds. " makes."
 
 60 THE FIRST PART 0E [.VCT III. 
 
 And with this stab slumber eternally. [Stabs himself. 
 
 Tech. Usumcasane, see, how right the man 
 Hath hit the meaning of my lord the king ! 
 
 Usum. 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. 
 
 Tech. Agreed, Casane ; we will honour him. 
 
 [Exeunt, bearing out the body. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, Techelles, Usumcasane, 
 Theridamas, a Basso, Zenocrate, Anippe, icith 
 others. 
 
 Tamb. Basso, by this thy lord and master knows 
 I mean to meet him in Bithynia : 
 See, how he comes ! tusli, Turks are full of brags, 
 And menace* more than they can well perform. 
 He meet me in the field, and fetchf 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? 
 
 Bas. Your men are valiant, but their number i'ew, 
 And cannot terrify his mighty host : 
 
 r mennce] So the 8vo.— The 4to " meane." 
 • ■ tch] So the 8vo.— The 4;o " fetcht."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. '>1 
 
 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 Grsecia ; 
 
 And for the expedition of this war, 
 
 If he think good, can from his garrisons 
 
 Withdraw as many more to follow him. 
 
 Tech. The more he brings, the greater is the spoil ; 
 For, when they perish by our warlike hands, 
 We mean to set* our footmen on their steeds, 
 And rifle all those stately janizars. 
 
 Tamb. But will those kings accompany your lord 1 
 
 Bas. Such as his highness please ; but some must 
 stay 
 To rule the provinces he late subdu'd. 
 
 Tamb. [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. 
 
 Usum. Let him bring millions infinite of men, 
 Unpeopling Western Africa and Greece, 
 Yet we assure us of the victory. 
 
 Ther. Even he, that in a trice vanquish'd two kings 
 More mighty than the Turkish emperor, 
 Shall rouse him out of Europe, and pursue 
 
 * set] So the Hvo.— The 4to " seate."
 
 f >'~ THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III 
 
 
 
 His scatter'd army till they yield or die. 
 Tamb. Well said, Theridamas ! speak in that 
 mood ; 
 For will and shall best fitteth Tamburlaine, 
 Whose smiling stars give* him assured hope 
 Of martial triumph ere he meet his foes. 
 I that am term'd the scourge and wrath of God , 
 The only fear and terror of the world, 
 Will first subdue the Turk, and then enlarge 
 Those Christian captives which you keep as slaves, 
 Burdening their bodies with your heavy chains, 
 And feeding them with thin and slender fare ; 
 That naked row about the Terrenef sea, 
 And, when they chance to rest or| breathe a space, 
 Are punish'd with bastones§ so grievously 
 That they|| lie panting on the galleys' side, 
 And strive for life at every stroke they give. 
 These are the cruel pirates of Argier, 
 That damned train, the scum of Africa, 
 Inhabited with straggling runagates, 
 That make quick havoc of the Christian blood : 
 But, as I live, that town shall curse the time 
 That Tamburlaine set foot in Africa. 
 
 * 
 
 to 
 
 give] So the 8vo. — The 4to " giues." 
 t Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean. 
 $ or] So the 8vo. — The 4to " and." 
 5 bastones'] i.e. bastinadoes. 
 |! they] So the 8vo.— Omitted in the 4to.
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLA1NE THE GREAT. 
 
 Enter Bajazeth, Bassoes, the Kings of Fez, Mo- 
 rocco, and Argier ; Zabina and Euea. 
 
 Baj. Bassoes and janizaries of my guard, 
 Attend upon the person of your lord, 
 The greatest potentate of Africa. 
 
 Tamb. Techelles and the rest, prepare your swords ; 
 I mean t' encounter with that Bajazeth. 
 
 Baj. Kings of Fez, Morocco*", and Argier, 
 He calls me Bajazeth, whom you call lord ! 
 Note the presumption of this Scythian slave! — 
 I tell thee, villain, those that lead my horse 
 Have to their names titles f of dignity ; 
 And dar'st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth ? 
 
 Tamb. And know, thou Turk, that those which 
 lead my horse 
 Shall lead thee captive thorough Africa ; 
 And dar'st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine ? 
 
 Baj. By Mahomet my kinsman's sepulchre, 
 And by the holy Alcoran I swear, 
 He shall be made a chaste and lustless eunuch, 
 And in my sarellj tend my concubines ; 
 And all his captains, that thus stoutly stand, 
 Shall draw the chariot of my emperess, 
 Whom I have brought to see their overthrow ! 
 
 * Morocco] Here the old eds. " Moroccus," — a barbarism 
 which 1 have not retained, because previously, in the stage-dire 
 tion at p. 52, they agree in reading " Morocco.'' 
 
 t titles] So the 8vo.— The 4to " title." 
 
 + sarell] i. e. seraglio.
 
 t>4 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Tamb. By this my sword that conquer'd Persia, 
 Thy fall shall make me famous through the world ! 
 I will not tell thee how I'll* handle thee, 
 But every common soldier of my camp 
 Shall smile to see thy miserable state. 
 
 K. of Fez. What means thef mighty Turkish em- 
 peror, 
 To talk with one so base as Tamburlaine ? 
 
 K. of Mor. Ye Moors and valiant men of Barbary, 
 How can ye suffer these indignities? 
 
 K. of Arc Leave words, and let them feel your 
 lances' points, 
 Which glided through the bowels of the Greeks. 
 Baj. Well said, my stout contributory kings ! 
 Your threefold army and my hugyj host 
 Shall swallow up these base-born Persians. 
 
 Tech. Puissant, renowm'd§, and mighty Tambur- 
 laine, 
 Why stay we thus prolonging of || their lives ? 
 
 Ther. I long to see those crowns won by our 
 swords, 
 That we may ruleU as kings of Africa. 
 
 Usum. What coward would not fight for such a 
 prize ? 
 
 * I'll] So the 8vo.— The 4to " I will." 
 t </ie] So the 8vo.— -The 4to " this." 
 t hugii] i. e. huge. 
 
 § renoum'd] See note, p. 27. So (lie ftvo. — The 4to " re- 
 nowned." 
 
 || 0/ ] So the 8vo.— The 4to " all." 
 
 1[ rule] So the 8vo.— The 4to " raigne."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAI.VE THE GREAT. 65 
 
 Tamb. Fight all courageously, and be you kings: 
 I speak it, and my words are oracles. 
 
 Baj. Zabina, mother of three braver* boys 
 Than Hercules, that in his infancy 
 Did pashf the jaws of serpents venomous ; 
 Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike lance, 
 Their shoulders broad for complete armour fit, 
 Their limbs more large, and of a bigger size, 
 Than all the brats y-sprungj from Typhon's loins ; 
 Who, when they come unto their father's age, 
 Will batter turrets with their manly fists ; — 
 Sit here upon this royal chair of state, 
 And on thy head wear my imperial crown, 
 Until I bring this sturdy Tamburlaine 
 And all his captains bound in captive chains. 
 
 Zab. Such good success happen to Bajazeth ! 
 
 Tamb. Zenocrate, the loveliest maid alive, 
 Fairer than rocks of pearl and precious stone, 
 The only paragon of Tamburlaine ; 
 Whose eyes are brighter than the lamps of heaven, 
 And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony ; 
 That with thy looks canst clear the darken'd sky, 
 And calm the rage of thundering Jupiter; 
 Sit down by her, adorned with my crown, 
 As if thou wert the empress of the world. 
 Stir not, Zenocrate, until thou see 
 Me march victoriously with all my men, 
 
 * braver'] So the 8vo. — The 4 to " brave." 
 t push] i. e. crush to pieces by si stroke. 
 t ysprung ] Here the old eds. " i/sr>rong." See note, p. 36! 
 VOL. I. F
 
 66 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Triumphing over him and these his kings, 
 Which I will bring as vassals to thy feet; 
 Till then, take thou my crown, vaunt of my worth, 
 And manage words with her, as we will arms. 
 
 Zeno. And may my love, the king of Persia, 
 Return with victory, and free from wound ! 
 
 Baj. Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish 
 arms, 
 Which lately made all Europe quake for fear. 
 I have of Turks, Arabians, Moors, and Jews, 
 Enough to cover all Bithynia : 
 Let thousands die ; their slaughter 'd carcasses 
 Shall serve for walls and bulwarks to the rest ; 
 And as the heads of Hydra, so my power, 
 Subdu'd, shall stand as mighty as before : 
 If they should yield their necks unto the sword, 
 Thy soldiers' arms could not endure to strike 
 So many blows as I have heads for thee. 
 Thou know'st not, foolish-hardy Tamburlaine, 
 What 'tis to meet me in the open field, 
 That leave no ground for thee to march upon. 
 
 Tamb. Our conquering swords shall marshal us 
 the way 
 We use to march upon the slaughter 'd foe, 
 Trampling their bowels with our horses' hoofs, 
 Brave horses bred on the* white Tartarian hills : 
 My camp is like to Julius Csesar's host, 
 
 * the] Has perhaps crept m by a mistake of the transi 
 
 Or print, (i 

 
 SC. Ill] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 67 
 
 That never fought but had the victory ; 
 
 Nor in Pharsalia was there such hot war, 
 
 As these, my followers, willingly would have. 
 
 Legions of spirits, fleeting in the air, 
 
 Direct our bullets and our weapons' points, 
 
 And make your strokes to wound the senseless light* ; 
 
 And when she sees our bloody colours spread, 
 
 Then Victory begins to take her flight, 
 
 Resting herself upon my milk-white tent. — 
 
 But come, my lords, to weapons let us fall ; 
 
 The field is ours, the Turk, his wife, and all. 
 
 [Exit with his followers . 
 Baj. Come, kings and bassoes, let us glut our 
 swords, 
 That thirst to drink the feeble Persians' blood. 
 
 [Exit with his followers. 
 Zab. Base concubine, must thou be plac'd by me, 
 That am the empress of the mighty Turk ? 
 
 Zeno. Disdainful Turkess, and unreverend bossf, 
 Call'st thou me concubine, that am betroth'd 
 Unto the great and mighty Tamburlaine ? 
 
 Zab. To Tamburlaine, the great Tartarian thief ! 
 
 * And make your strokes to wound the senseless light] The old 
 eds. have, 
 
 " And make our strokes to wound the sencelesse lure." 
 
 (the last word being, perhaps, in the 8vo " lute.") 
 
 t boss] In the Gent. Mag. for Jan. 1841, J. M. proposed to 
 alter " boss" to " Bassa." But the old text is quite right: *' A 
 fat bosse. Femme bien grasse et grosse ; une coche." Cotgrave's 
 Diet.
 
 68 TUT FIRST PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Zeno. Thou wilt repent these lavish words of thine 
 When thy great basso-master and thyself 
 Must plead for mercy at his kingly feet, 
 And sue to me to be your advocate.* 
 
 Zab. And sue to thee ! I tell thee, shameless girl, 
 Thou shalt be laundress to my waiting-maid. — 
 How lik'st thou her, Ebea ? will she serve ? 
 
 Ebea. Madam, she thinks, perhaps, she is too fine ; 
 But J shall turn her into other weeds, 
 And make her dainty fingers fall to work. 
 
 Zeno. Hear'st thou, Anippe, how thy drudge 
 doth talk ? 
 And how my slave, her mistress, menaceth ? 
 Both for their sauciness shall be employ 'd 
 To dress the common soldiers' meat and drink ; 
 For we will scorn they should come near ourselves. 
 
 Anip. Yet sometimes let your highness send for 
 them, 
 To do the work my chambermaid disdains. 
 
 {They sound to the battle within. 
 
 Zeno. Ye gods and powers that govern Persia, 
 And made my lordly love her worthy king, 
 Now strengthen him against the Turkish Bajazcth, 
 And let his foes, like flocks of fearful roes 
 Pursu'd by hunters, fly his angry looks, 
 That I may see him issue conqueror ! 
 
 Zab. Now, Mahomet, solicit God himself, 
 And make him rain down murdering shot from heaven, 
 
 * advocate] So the 4to. — The 8vo " aduocates."
 
 SC. 111. TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 To dash the Scythians' brains, and strike them dead, 
 That dare* to manage arms with him 
 That offer'd jewels to thy sacred shrine, 
 When first he vvarr'd against the Christians ! 
 
 [They sound again to the battle within. 
 Zeno. By this the Turks lie weltering in their 
 blood, 
 And Tamburlaine is lord of Africa. 
 
 Zab. Thou art deceiv'd. I heard the trumpets 
 sound, 
 As when my emperor overthrew the Greeks, 
 And led them captive into Africa. 
 Straight will I use thee as thy pride deserves ; 
 Prepare thyself to live and die my slave. 
 
 Zeno. If Mahomet should come from heaven and 
 swear 
 My royal lord is slain or conquered, 
 Yet should he not persuade me otherwise, 
 But that he lives and will be concpjeror. 
 
 Re-enter Baj azeth, pursued by Tamburlaine!. 
 Tamb. Now, king of bassoes, who is conqueror ? 
 Ba.t. Thou, by the fortune of this damned soilj. 
 
 * That dure, §c] A word dropt out from this line. 
 
 + Re-enter Bqjazeth, pursued by Tamburlaine] The old eds. 
 have, " Bqjazeth flies, and he pursues him. The battell short 
 [Qto. is short], and then enter, Bqjazeth is ouercome." This not 
 very intelligible stage-direction means perhaps that, after Baja- 
 zeth and Tamburlaine had entered, a short combat was to take 
 place between them. 
 
 t soil] May be right : but qy. " foil," i. e. defeat > compare p. 
 71. 1.2.
 
 
 70 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Tamb. Where are your stout contributory kings ? 
 Re-enter Techelles, Theridamas, and 
 
 UsUMCASANE. 
 
 Tech. We have their crowns ; their bodies strow 
 
 the field. 
 Tamb. Each man a crown ! why, kingly fought, 
 i'faith. 
 Deliver them into my treasury. 
 
 Zeno. Now let me offer to my gracious lord 
 His royal crown again so highly won. 
 Tamb. Nay, take the Turkish crown from her, 
 Zenocrate, 
 And crown me emperor of Africa. 
 
 Zab. No, Tamburlaine ; though now thou gat * the 
 best, 
 Thou shalt not yet be lord of Africa. 
 
 Ther. Give her the crown, Turkess, you were best. 
 
 [Takes it from her. 
 Zab. Injurious villains, thieves, runagates, 
 Mow dare you thus abuse my majesty ? 
 Ther. Here, madam, you are empress; she is none. 
 
 [Gives it to Zenocrate. 
 Tamb. Not now, Theridamas ; her time is past : 
 The pillars, that have bolster'd up those terms, 
 Are fain in clusters at my conquering feet. 
 
 Zab. Though he be prisoner, he may be ransom'd. 
 Tamb. Not all the world shall ransom Bajazeth. 
 Baj. Ah, fair Zabina ! we have lost the field; 
 
 r< J So the 8vo.— The 4to " got."
 
 SC. J II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 71 
 
 And never had the Turkish emperor 
 
 So great a foil by any foreign foe. 
 
 Now will the Christian miscreants be glad, 
 
 Ringing with joy their superstitious bells, 
 
 And making bonfires for my overthrow : 
 
 But, ere I die, those foul idolaters 
 
 Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones ; 
 
 For, though the glory of this day be lost, 
 
 Afric and Greece have garrisons enough 
 
 To make me sovereign of the earth again. 
 
 Tamb. Those walled garrisons will I subdue, 
 And write myself great lord of Africa : 
 So from the East unto the furthest West 
 Shall Tamburlaine extend his puissant arm. 
 The galleys and those pilling * brigandines, 
 That yearly sail to the Venetian gulf, 
 And hover in the Straits for Christians' wrack, 
 Shall lie at anchor in the isle Asant, 
 Until the Persian fleet and men-of-war, 
 Sailing along the oriental sea, 
 Have fetch'd about the Indian continent, 
 Even from Persepolis to Mexico, 
 And thence unto the Straits of Gibraltar f ; 
 Where they shall meet and join their force in one, 
 Keeping in awe the Bay of Portingale, 
 And all the ocean by the British { shore ; 
 
 * pilling] i. o. plundering. 
 
 t Gibraltar] Here the old eds. " Jubalter: " but in the Sec. 
 Part of this play, act i. sc. 3, they have " Uibralter." 
 | British] So the 4to.— The 8vo " brightest,"
 
 72 THE FIRST PART OF [ ACT III. 
 
 And by this means I'll win the world at last. 
 Baj. Yet set a ransom on me, Tamburlaine. 
 Tamb. What, think'st thou, Tamburlaine esteems 
 thy gold ? 
 I'll make the kings of India, ere I die, 
 Offer their mines, to sue for peace, to me, 
 And dig for treasure to appease my wrath. — 
 Come, bind them both, and one lead in the Turk ; 
 The Turkess let my love's maid lead away. 
 
 [They bind them. 
 Baj. Ah, villains, dare you touch my sacred 
 arms ? — 
 O Mahomet ! O sleepy Mahomet ! 
 
 Zab. O cursed Mahomet, that mak'st us thus 
 The slaves to Scythians rude and barbarous ! 
 
 Tamb. Come, bring them in ; and for this happy 
 conquest 
 Triumph, and solemnize a martial* feast. [Exeunt. 
 
 ACT IV. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter the Soldan of Egypt, Capolin, Lords, 
 and a Messenger. 
 
 Sold. Awake, ye men of Memphis ! hear the clang 
 Of Scythian trumpets ; hear the basilisks \, 
 That, roaring, shake Damascus' turrets down ! 
 
 * martial] So the 8vo.— The 4to " materiall." 
 f basilisks] Pieces of ordnance so called. They were of im- 
 mense size ; see Douce'6 Must, of Shakespeare, i. 425.
 
 SC. I.J TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 73 
 
 The rogue of Volga holds Zenocrate, 
 The Soldan's daughter, for his concubine, 
 And, with a troop of thieves and vagabonds, 
 Hath spread his colours to our high disgrace, 
 While you, faint-hearted base Egyptians, 
 Lie slumbering on the flowery banks of Nile, 
 As crocodiles that unaffrighted rest, 
 While thundering cannons rattle on their skins. 
 
 Mess. Nay, mighty Soldan, did your greatness see 
 The frowning looks of fiery Tamburlaine, 
 That with his terror and imperious eyes 
 Commands the hearts of his associates, 
 It might amaze your royal majesty. 
 
 Sold. Villain, I tell thee, were that Tamburlaine 
 As monstrous* as Gorgon prince of hell, 
 The Soldan would not start a foot from him. 
 But speak, what power hath he? 
 
 Mess. Mighty lord, 
 Three hundred thousand men in armour clad, 
 Upon their prancing steeds, disdainfully 
 With wanton paces trampling on the ground ; 
 Five hundred thousand footmen threatening shot, 
 Shaking their swords, their spears, and iron bills, 
 Environing their standard round, that stood 
 As bristle-pointed as a thorny wood ; 
 Their warlike engines and munition 
 Exceed the forces of their martial men. 
 
 Sold. Nay, could their numbers countervail the 
 stars, 
 
 * monstrous] To be read as a trisyllable.
 
 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT IV. 
 
 Or ever-drizzling * drops of April showers, 
 Or wither'd leaves that Autumn shaketh down, 
 Yet would the Soldan by his conquering power 
 So scatter and consume them in his rage, 
 That not a man should f live to rue their fall. 
 
 Capo. So might your highness, had you time to sort 
 Your fighting men, and raise your royal host; 
 But Tamburlaine by expedition 
 Advantage takes of your unreadiness. 
 
 Solo. Let him take all th' advantages he can : 
 Were all the world conspir'd to fight for him, 
 Nay, were he devil X, as he is no man, 
 Yet in revenge of fair Zenocrate, 
 Whom he detaineth in despite of us, 
 This arm should send him down to Erebus, 
 To shroud his shame in darkness of the night. 
 
 Mess. Pleaseth your mightiness to understand, 
 His resolution far exceedeth all. 
 The first day when he pitcheth down his tents, 
 White is their hue, and on his silver crest 
 A snowy feather spangled white he bears, 
 To signify the mildness of his mind, 
 That, satiate with spoil, refuseth blood : 
 But, when Aurora mounts the second time, 
 As red as scarlet is his furniture ; 
 Then must his kindled wrath be quench'd with blood, 
 Not sparing any that can manage arms : 
 
 * Or ever-drizzling] So the 4to.— The 8vo " Or drilling." 
 + should] So the 4to.— The 8vo " shal." 
 
 * he devil] So the 8vo.— The 4to " he the deuill."
 
 SC. I.J TA.MBURI.AINE THE GREAT. 15 
 
 But, if these threats move not submission, 
 
 Black are his colours, black pavilion ; 
 
 His spear, his shield, his horse, his armour, plumes. 
 
 And jetty feathers, menace death and hell ; 
 
 Without respect of sex, degree, or age, 
 
 He razeth all his foes with fire and sword. 
 
 Sold. Merciless villain, peasant, ignorant 
 Of lawful arms or martial discipline ! 
 Pillage and murder are his usual trades : 
 The slave usurps the glorious name of war. 
 See, Capolin, the fair Arabian king*, 
 That hath been disappointed by this slave 
 Of my fair daughter and his princely love, 
 May have fresh warning to go war with us, 
 And be reveng'd for her disparagement. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, Techelles, Theridamas, 
 Usumcasane, Zenocrate, Anippe, two Moors 
 drawing Bajazeth in a cage, and Zabina fol- 
 lowing him. 
 
 Tamb. Bring out my footstool. 
 
 [ They take Bajazeth out of the cage. 
 
 Baj. Ye holy priests of heavenly Mahomet, 
 That, sacrificing, slice and cut your flesh, 
 Staining his altars with your purple blood, 
 Make Heaven to frown, and every fixed star 
 
 * Arabian king] Scil. Alcidamus ; see p. 22, 1. 18.
 
 THE FIRST PAUT OF [ACT IV. 
 
 To suck up poison from the moorish fens, 
 And pour it * in this glorious tyrant's throat ! 
 
 Tamb. The chiefest god, first mover of that sphere 
 Enchas'd with thousands ever-shining lamps, 
 Will sooner burn the glorious frame of heaven, 
 Than it should f so conspire my overthrow. 
 But, villain, thou that wishest this J to me, 
 Fall prostrate on the low disdainful earth, 
 And be the footstool of great Tamburlaine, 
 That I may rise into § my royal throne. 
 
 Baj. First shalt thou rip my bowels with thy sword, 
 And sacrifice my soul || to death and hell, 
 Before I yield to such a slavery. 
 
 Tamb. Base villain, vassal, slave to Tamburlaine, 
 Unworthy to embrace or touch the ground, 
 That bears the honour of my royal weight; 
 Stoop, villain, stoop ! stoop 11 ; for so he bids 
 That may command thee piecemeal to be torn, 
 Or scatter'd like the lofty cedar-trees 
 Strook with the voice of thundering Jupiter. 
 
 Baj. Then, as 1 look down to the damned fiends^ 
 Fiends, look on me ! and thou, dread god of hell, 
 With ebon sceptre strike this hateful earth, 
 And make it swallow both of us at once ! 
 
 [Tamburlaine gets up on him into his chair. 
 
 * it] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo. 
 
 t it should] So the 4to. — The 8vo " should it." 
 
 t this] So the 8vo.— The 4to " it." 
 
 § into] So the 4to.— The 8vo " vnto." 
 
 || s,nd] So the 8vo.— The 4to " heart." 
 
 % stoop] Qy. " Stoop, stoop " ?
 
 SC.II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 77 
 
 Tamb. Now clear the triple region of the air, 
 And let the Majesty of Heaven behold 
 Their scourge and terror tread on emperors. 
 Smile stars that reign'd at my nativity, 
 And dim the brightness of their* neighbour lamps; 
 Disdain to borrow light of Cynthia ! 
 Fori, the chiefest lamp of all the earth, 
 First rising in the east with mild aspect, 
 But fixed now in the meridian line, 
 Will send up fire to your turning spheres, 
 And cause the sun to borrow light of you. 
 My sword strook fire from his coat of steel, 
 Even in Bithynia, when I took this Turk ; 
 As when a fiery exhalation, 
 Wrapt in the bowels of a freezing cloud, 
 Fighting for passage, make[s] the welkin crack, 
 And casts a flash of lightning to f the earth : 
 But, ere I march to wealthy Persia, 
 Or leave Damascus and th' Egyptian fields, 
 As was the fame of Clymene's brain-sick son, 
 That almost brent I the axle-tree of heaven, 
 So shall our swords, our lances, and our shot 
 Fill all the air with fiery meteors ; 
 Then, when the sky shall wax as red as blood, 
 It shall be said I made it red myself, 
 To make me think of nought but blood and war. 
 
 * their] Qy. " your" ? see tenth line of the speech. 
 
 t to] So the 8vo.— The 4to " on." 
 
 \ brent] i. e. burnt. So the 8vo. — The 4to " burnt."
 
 78 THE FIRST FART OF [ACT IV. 
 
 Zab. Unworthy king, that by thy cruelty 
 Unlawfully usurp'st the Persian seat, 
 Dar'st thou, that never saw an emperor 
 Before thou met my husband in the field, 
 Being thy captive, thus abuse his state, 
 Keeping- his kingly body in a cage, 
 That roofs of gold and sun-bright palaces 
 Should have prepar'd to entertain his grace ? 
 And treading him beneath thy loathsome feet, 
 Whose feet the kings * of Africa have kiss'd ? 
 Tech. You must devise some torment worse, my 
 lord, 
 To make these captives rein their lavish tongues. 
 Tamb. Zenocrate, look better to your slave. 
 Zeno. She is my handmaid's slave, and she shall 
 look 
 That these abuses flow not from f her tongue. — 
 Chide her, Anippe. 
 
 Anip. Let these be warnings, then, for you,t, my 
 slave, 
 How you abuse the person of the king ; 
 Or else I swear to have you whipt stark-naked. 
 
 Baj. Great Tamburlaine, great in my overthrow, 
 Ambitious pride shall make thee fall as low, 
 For treading on the back of Bajazeth, 
 That should be horsed on four mighty kings. 
 
 * kings] So the 8vo.— The 4to " king." 
 
 t from] So the 4to.— The 8vo " in." 
 
 i then, for you] So the 4to. — The 8vo "for you then.
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLA1NE THE GREAT. 79 
 
 Tamb. Thy names, and titles, and thy dignities* 
 Are fled from Bajazeth, and remain with me, 
 That will maintain it against a world of kings. — 
 Put him in again. [They put him into the cage, 
 
 Baj. Is this a place for mighty Bajazeth ? 
 Confusion light on him that helps thee thus ! 
 
 Tamb. There, whiles f he lives, shall Bajazeth be 
 kept; 
 And, where I go, be thus in triumph drawn ; 
 And thou, his wife, shaltj feed him with the scraps 
 My servitors shall bring thee from my board ; 
 For he that gives him other food than this, 
 Shall sit by him, and starve to death himself: 
 This is my mind, and I will have it so. 
 Not all the kings and emperors of the earth, 
 If they would lay their crowns before my feet, 
 Shall ransom him, or take him from his cage : 
 The ages that shall talk of Tamburlaine, 
 Even from this day to Plato's wondrous year, 
 Shall talk how I have handled Bajazeth : 
 These Moors, that drew him from Bithynia 
 To fair Damascus, where we now remain, 
 Shall lead him with us wheresoe'er we go. 
 Techelles, and my loving followers, 
 Now may we see Damascus' lofty towers, 
 Like to the shadows of Pyramidcs, 
 That with their beauties grace § the Memphian fields. 
 
 * dignities] So the 8vo. — The 4lo " dignitie." 
 t whiles] So the 8vo.— The 4to " while." 
 $ shalt] So the 4to.— The 8vo " shal."' 
 § grace] Old eds. " grac'd."
 
 80 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT V 
 
 The golden stature* of their feather'd bird,+ 
 That spreads her wings upon the city-walls, 
 Shall not defend it from our battering shot : 
 The townsmen masque in silk and cloth of gold, 
 And every house is as a treasury; 
 The men, the treasure, and the town are I ours. 
 
 Ther. Your tents of white now pitch'd before the 
 gates, 
 And gentle flags of amity display'd, 
 I doubt not but the governor will yield, 
 Offering Damascus to your majesty. 
 
 Tamb. So shall he have his life, and all the rest : 
 But, if he stay until the bloody flag' 
 Be once advanc'd on my vermillion tent, 
 He dies, and those that kept us out so long. 
 
 * stature] So the 8vo. — The 4to "statue :" but again, in the 
 Second Part of this play, act ii. sc. 4, we hare, according to the 
 8vo— 
 
 " And here will I set up her stature." 
 
 and, among many passages that might be cited from our early 
 authors, compare the following ; 
 
 " The Statures huge, of Porphyrie and costlier matters made." 
 Warner's Albums England, p. 303. ed. 1596. 
 
 " By them shnl Isis stature gently stand." 
 Chapman's Blind Begger of Alexandria, 1598, sig. A 3. 
 
 " Was not Anubis with his long nose of gold preferred before 
 Neptune, whose stature was but brasse?" Lyly's Midas, sig. 
 A 2. ed. 1592. 
 
 )• bird] i. e. the ibis. 
 
 % are] Old eds. " is."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 And, when they see me march in black array, 
 With mournful streamers hanging- down their heads, 
 Were in that city all the world contain'd, 
 Not one should scape, but perish by our swords. 
 
 Zeno. Yet would you have some pity for my sake, 
 Because it is my country's and my father's. 
 
 Tame-. Not for the world, Zenoerate, if I have 
 sworn. — 
 Come ; bring- in the Turk. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Enter Soldan, King of Arabia*, Capolin, and 
 Soldiers, with streaming colours. 
 
 Sold. Methinks, we march as Meleager did, 
 Environed with brave Argolian knights, 
 To chase the savage Calydoniunf boar, 
 Or Cephalus, with lusty \ Theban youths, 
 Against the wolf that angry Themis sent 
 To waste and spoil the sweet Ionian fields. 
 A monster of five hundred thousand heads, 
 Compact of rapine, piracy, and spoil, 
 The scum of men, the hate and scourge of God, 
 Raves in iEgyptia, and annoyeth us : 
 My lord, it is the bloody Tamburlaine, 
 
 * King of Arabia] i. e. Alcidamus ; see p. 22. 1. 18. 
 t Calydoniari] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Calcedonian." 
 X lusty] So the 8?o. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 THE FIRST PART 01 [aCI IV 
 
 A sturdy felon, and* a base-bred thief, 
 
 By murder raised to the Persian crown, 
 
 That dare control us in our territories. 
 
 To tame the pride of this presumptuous beast, 
 
 Join your Arabians with the Soldan's power; 
 
 Let us unite our royal bands in one, 
 
 And hasten to remove Damascus' siege. 
 
 It is a blemish to the majesty 
 
 And high estate of mighty emperors, 
 
 That such a base usurping vagabond 
 
 Should brave a king, or wear a princely crown. 
 
 K. of Ar. Renowmed f Soldan, have you lately 
 heard 
 The overthrow of mighty Bajazeth 
 About the confines of Bithynia ? 
 The slavery wherewith he persecutes 
 The noble Turk and his great emperess ? 
 
 Sold. I have, and sorrow for his bad success ; 
 But, noble lord of great Arabia, 
 Be so persuaded that the Soldan is 
 No more dismay 'd with tidings of his fall, 
 Than in the haven when the pilot stands, 
 And views a stranger's ship rent in the winds, 
 And shivered against a craggy rock : 
 Yet in compassion of his wretched state, 
 A sacred vow to Heaven and him I make, 
 
 * 
 
 and] So the 4to. — Omitted in the 8vo. 
 t Renowmed] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo.— The Ito " Re- 
 nowned." 

 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINK THF. GREAT. 83 
 
 Confirming it with Ibis' holy name*, 
 
 That Tamburlaine shall rue the day, the | hour, 
 
 Wherein he wrought such ignominious wrong 
 
 Unto the hallow'd person of a prince, 
 
 Or kept the fair Zenocrate so long, 
 
 As concubine, I fear, to feed his lust. 
 
 K. or Ar. Let grief and fury hasten on revenge ; 
 Let Tamburlaine for his offences feel 
 Such plagues as Heaven and we can pour on him : 
 I long to break my spear upon his crest, 
 And prove the weight of his victorious arm ; 
 For fame, I fear, hath been too prodigal 
 In sounding through the world his partial praise. 
 
 Sold. Capolin, hast thou survey 'd our powers? 
 
 Capol. Great emperors of Egypt and Arabia, 
 The number of your hosts united is, 
 A hundred and fifty thousand horse, 
 
 * Ibis' holy name] The ibis has been already alluded to in 
 these lines (at p. 80), — 
 
 " The golden stature of their feather'd bird, 
 That spreads her wings upon the city-walls"; 
 
 and it is well known to have been a sacred bird among the 
 Egyptians (see Cicero Ve Nat. Deorum, I. 36). Compare the 
 old play of The Taming of a Shrew (which there are grounds for 
 believing to be the work of Marlowe) ; 
 
 " Father, / sweare by Ibis' golden beahe, 
 
 More faire and radiente is my bonie Kate 
 
 Then siluer Zanthus," &c. p. 22. ed. Shakespeare Soc. 
 
 In the passage of our text the modern editors substitute 
 " Isis" " for " Ibis'. " 
 
 t the] So the 8vo.— The 4to " and."
 
 84 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT IV 
 
 Two hundred thousand foot, brave men at arms, 
 Courageous and * full of hardiness, 
 As frolic as the hunters in the chase 
 Of savage beasts amid the desert woods. 
 
 K. of Ar. My mind presageth fortunate success ; 
 And, Tamburlaine, my spirit doth foresee 
 The utter ruin of thy men and thee. 
 
 Sold. Then rear your standards; let your sounding 
 drums 
 Direct our soldiers to Damascus' walls. — 
 Now, Tamburlaine, the mighty Soldan comes, 
 And leads with him the great Arabian king, 
 To dim thy baseness and f obscurity, 
 Famous for nothing but for theft and spoil ; 
 To raze and scatter thy inglorious crew 
 Of Scythians and slavish Persians. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 A banquet set out ; and to it come Tamburlaine 
 all in scarlet, Zenocrate, Theridamas, Te- 
 chelles, Usumcasane, Bajazeth drawn in his 
 cage, Zabina, and others. 
 
 Tamb. Now hang our bloody colours by Damascus, 
 Reflexing hues of blood upon their heads, 
 While they walk quivering on their city-walls, 
 Half dead for fear before they feel my wrath. 
 Then let us freely banquet, and carouse 
 
 * and~\ So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 
 + tint baseness mid] So the 8vo. — The 4to " the basnesse of." 

 
 SC. IV.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 Full bowls of wine unto the god of war, 
 That means to fill your helmets full of gold, 
 And make Damascus' spoils as rich to you 
 As was to Jason Colchos' golden fleece. — 
 And now, Bajazeth, hast thou any stomach ? 
 
 Baj. Ay, such a stomach, cruel Tamburlaine, as I 
 could willingly feed upon thy blood-raw heart. 
 
 Tamb. Nay, thine own is easier to come by : pluck 
 out that; and 'twill serve thee and thy wife. — Well, 
 Zenocrate, Techelles, and the rest, fall to your 
 victuals. 
 
 Baj. Fall to, and never may your meat digest ! — 
 Ye Furies, that can mask * invisible, 
 Dive to the bottom of Avernus' pool, 
 And in your hands bring hellish poison up, 
 And squeeze it in the cup of Tamburlaine ! 
 Or, winged snakes of Lerna, cast your stings, 
 And leave your venoms in this tyrant's dish ! 
 
 Zab. And may this banquet prove as ominous 
 As Progne's to th' adulterous Thracian king 
 That fed upon the substance of his child ! 
 
 Zeno. My lotdf, how can you suffer these 
 Outrageous curses by these slaves of yours? 
 
 Tamb. To let them see, divine Zenocrate, 
 I glory in the curses of my foes, 
 Having the power from the empyreal heaven 
 To turn them all upon their proper heads. 
 
 » mask] So the 8vo.— The 4to " walke." 
 
 t My lord, &c] A won! has dropt out : qy- " tamely suffer" ?
 
 86 TIIF. FIRST PART 01 [ACT IV, 
 
 Tech. I pray you, give them leave, madam ; this 
 speech is a goodly refreshing for them*. 
 
 Ther. But, if his highness would let them be fed, 
 it would do them more good. 
 
 Tamb. Sirrah, why fall you not to? are you so 
 daintily brought up, you cannot eat your own flesh ? 
 
 Baj. First, legions of devils shall tear thee in 
 pieces. 
 
 Usum. Villain, knowest thou to whom thou 
 speakest ? 
 
 Tamb. Oh, let him alone. — Heref ; eat, sir; take 
 it from I my sword's point, or I'll thrust it to thy 
 heart. [Bajazeth takes the food, and stamps upon it. 
 
 Tiier. He stamps it under his feet, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. Take it up, villain, and eat it; or I will 
 make thee slice § the brawns of thy arms into carbo- 
 nadoes and eat them. 
 
 Usum. Nay, 'twere better he killed his wife, and 
 then she shall be sure not to be starved, and he be 
 provided for a month's victual beforehand. 
 
 Tamb. Here is my dagger: despatch her while she 
 is fat; for, if she live but a while longer, she will fall || 
 into a consumption with fretting, and then she will 
 not be worth the eating:. 
 
 ■-• 
 
 * a goodly refreshing for them] So the 8vo. — The 4to "a good 
 ■ efreshhig to them." 
 
 t Here] So the 8vo.— The 4to " there." 
 
 t it from] So the 8vo.— The 4to " it vp/iom." 
 
 § dice] So the 8vo.— The 4to " He, 
 
 || xvillfull] So the 8vo.— The 4to " will not fall."
 
 SC. IV.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 87 
 
 Ther. Dost thou think that Mahomet will suffer 
 this? 
 
 Tech. Tis like he will, when he cannot let* it. 
 
 Tamb. Go to ; fall to your meat. What, not a 
 bit !— Belike he hath not been watered to-day : give 
 him some drink. 
 
 [They give him water to drink, and he flings it 
 on the ground. 
 Fast, and welcome, sir, while f hunger make you 
 eat. — How now, Zenocrate ? doth not the Turk and 
 his wife make a goodly show at a banquet ? 
 
 Zeno. Yes, my lord. 
 
 Ther. Methinks 'tis a great deal better than a 
 consort! of music. 
 
 Tamb. Yet music would do well to cheer up Ze- 
 nocrate. Pray thee, tell, why art thou so sad? if 
 thou wilt have a song, the Turk shall strain his voice : 
 but why is it ? 
 
 Zeno. My lord, to see my father's town besieg'd, 
 The country wasted where myself was born, 
 How can it but afflict my very soul ? 
 If any love remain in you, my lord, 
 Or if my love unto your majesty 
 May merit favour at your highness' hands, 
 Then raise your siege from fair Damascus' walls, 
 And with my father take a friendly truce. 
 
 Tamb. Zenocrate, were Egypt Jove's own land, 
 
 * let] i. e. hinder. 
 t while] i. o. until. 
 t consort] i. c. band.
 
 88 THE FIRST PART OF [aCT IV 
 
 Yet would I with my sword make Jove to stoop. 
 I will confute those blind geographers 
 That make a triple region in the world, 
 Excluding regions which I mean to trace, 
 And with this pen* reduce them to a map, 
 Calling the provinces, cities, and towns, 
 After my name and thine, Zenocrate : 
 Here at Damascus will I make the point 
 That shall begin the perpendicular : 
 And wouldst thou have me buy thy father's love 
 With such a loss? tell me, Zenocrate. 
 
 Zeno. Honour siill wait on happy Tamburlaine ! 
 Yet give me leave to plead for him, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. Content thyself: his person shall be safe, 
 And all the friends of fair Zenocrate, 
 If with their lives they will be pleas'd to yield, 
 Or may be forc'd to make me emperor ; 
 For Egypt and Arabia must be mine. — 
 Feed, you slave ; thou mayest think thyself happy 
 to be fed from my trencher. 
 
 Baj. My empty stomach, full of idle heat, 
 Draws bloody humours from my feeble parts, 
 Preserving life by hastening f cruel death. 
 My veins are pale ; my sinews hard and dry ; 
 My joints benumb'd ; unless I eat, I die. 
 
 Zap,. Eat, Bajazelh ; let us live in spite of them, 
 looking some happy power will pity and enlarge us. 
 
 * /»»] i. e. liis sword. 
 
 t hastening] So the 4tO.— The 8vo " Lasting."
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 89 
 
 Tamb. Here, Turk ; wilt thou have a clean 
 trencher ? 
 
 Baj. Ay, tyrant, and more meat. 
 
 Tamb. Soli, sir; you must be dieted; too much 
 eating will make you surfeit. 
 
 Tiier. So it would, my lord, 'specially* having 
 so small a walk and so little exercise. 
 
 [.A second course is brought in of crowns, 
 
 Tamb. Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane, here 
 are the cates you desire to fing-er, are they not ? 
 
 Ther. Ay, my lord : but none save kings must 
 feed with these. 
 
 Tech. Tis enough for us to see them, and for 
 Tamburlaine only to enjoy them. 
 
 Tamb. Weil ; here is now to the Soldan of Egypt, 
 the King of Arabia, and the Governor of Damascus. 
 Now, take those three crowns, and pledge me, my 
 contributory kings. I crown you here, Theridamas, 
 king of Argier ; Techelles, king of Fez; and Usum- 
 casane, king of Morocco f. — How say you to this, 
 Turk? these are not your contributory kings. 
 
 Baj. Nor shall they long be thine, I warrant them. 
 
 Tamb. Kings of Argier, Morocco, and of Fez, 
 You that have march'd with happy Tamburlaine 
 As far as from the frozen place of heaven 
 Unto the watery Morning's ruddy bower, 
 And thence by land unto the torrid zone, 
 
 * 'specially] So the 8vo. — The 4to "especially." 
 + Morocco'] Here and in the next speech the old eds. have 
 " Morocus " and " MorocCL'S :" but see note, p. b'3.
 
 90 THE FIRST PART 01 [ACT IV. 
 
 Deserve these titles I endow you with 
 
 By valour* and by magnanimity. 
 
 Your births shall be no blemish to your fame ; 
 
 For virtue is the fount whence honour springs, 
 
 And they are worthy she investeth kings. 
 
 Tiier. And, since your highness hath so well 
 vouchsaf'd, 
 If we deserve them not with higher meeds 
 Than erst our states and actions have retain'd, 
 Take them away again f, and make us slaves. 
 
 Tamb. Well said, Theridamas : when holy Fates 
 Shall stablish me in strong iEgyptia, 
 We mean to travel to th' antarctic pole, 
 Conquering the people underneath our feet, 
 And be renowm'd J as never emperors were. — 
 Zenocrate, I will not crown thee yet, 
 Until with greater honours I be grac'd. [Exeunt. 
 
 * valour] Old eds. " value." 
 t again] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 $ renowm'd] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo. — The 4to " re- 
 nown'd." 

 
 SC. iJ] TAMBURLAIXE THE GREAT. 91 
 
 ACT V. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter the Governor of Damascus J, with three or 
 four Citizens, and four Virgins with branches 
 of laurel in their hands. 
 
 Gov. Still doth this man, or rather god of war, 
 Batter our walls and beat our turrets down ; 
 And to resist with longer stubbornness, 
 Or hope of rescue from the Soldan's power, 
 Were but to bring our wilful overthrow, 
 And make us desperate of our threaten'd lives. 
 We see his tents have now been altered 
 With terrors to the last and cruel'st hue ; 
 His coal-black colours, every where advanc'd, 
 Threaten our city with a general spoil ; 
 And, if we should with common rites of arms 
 Offer our safeties to his clemency, 
 I fear the custom proper to his sword, 
 Which he observes as parcel of his fame, 
 Intending so to terrify the world, 
 By any innovation or remorse f 
 Will never be dispens'd with till our deaths. 
 Therefore, for these our harmless virgins' sakes§, 
 Whose honours and whose lives rely on him, 
 
 % Damascus] Both the old eds. here "Damasco:" hut in 
 many other places they agree in reading " Damascus." 
 f remorse] i. o. pity. 
 § snkes] So the Bvo. — The 4to " sake."
 
 92 THE FIUST PART OF [ACT V. 
 
 Let us have hope that their unspotted prayers, 
 Their blubber'd* cheeks, and hearty, humble moans, 
 Will melt his fury into some remorse, 
 And use us like a loving conqueror f. 
 
 First Virg. If humble suits or imprecations 
 (Utter'd with tears of wretchedness aod blood 
 Shed from the heads and hearts of all our sex, 
 Some made your wives, and some your children,) 
 Might have entreated your obdurate breasts 
 To entertain some care J of our securities 
 Whiles only danger beat upon our walls, 
 These more than dangerous warrants of our death 
 Had never been erected as they be, 
 Nor you depend on such weak helps § as we. 
 
 Gov. Well, lovely virgins, think our country's care, 
 Our love of honour, loath to be inthrall'd 
 To foreign powers and rough imperious yokes, 
 Would not with too much cowardice or|| fear, 
 Before all hope of rescue were denied, 
 Submit yourselves and us to servitude. 
 Therefore, in that your safeties and our own, 
 Your honours, liberties, and lives were weigh'd 
 In equal care and balance with our own, 
 
 * blubber'cl] That this word formerly conveyed no ludicrous 
 idea, appears from many passages of our early writers. 
 
 t And use us like a loving conqueror] " i. e. And that he will 
 use us like, &c." Ed. 1826. 
 
 I care] So the ^to. — The 8vo " cares." 
 
 <S helps] So the 8vo.— The 4to " help " 
 
 || or] So the 8vo.— The 4to " for." 

 
 SC. i.J TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 93 
 
 Endure as we the malice of our stars, 
 The wrath of Tamburlaine and power* of wars; 
 Or be the means the overweighing Heavens 
 Have kept to qualify these hot extremes, 
 And bring us pardon in your cheerful looks. 
 
 Sec. Virg. Then here, before the Majesty of Hea- 
 ven 
 And holy patrons of iEgyptia, 
 With knees and hearts submissive we entreat 
 Grace to our words and pity to our looks, 
 That this device may prove propitious, 
 And through the eyes and ears of Tamburlaine 
 Convey events of mercy to his heart ; 
 Grant that these signs of victory we yield 
 May bind the temples of his conquering head, 
 To hide the folded furrows of his brows, 
 And shadow his di. pleased countenance 
 With happy looks of ruth and lenity. 
 Leave us, my lord, and loving countrymen: 
 What simple virgins may persuade, we will. 
 
 Gov. Farewell, sweet virgins, on whose safe re- 
 turn 
 Depends our city, liberty, and lives. 
 
 [Exeunt all, except the Virgins. 
 
 * power] So the 8vo. — The 4to " powers."
 
 THE FIRST PART 01" [ACT 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, all in black and very melan- 
 choly, Techelles, Theridamas, Usumcasane, 
 with others. 
 
 Tamb. What, are the turtles fray'd out of their 
 nests ? 
 Alas, poor fools, must you be first shall feel 
 The sworn destruction of Damascus ? 
 They knew* my custom; could they not as well 
 Have sent ye out, when first my milk-white flags, 
 Through which sweet Mercy threw her gentle beams, 
 Reflexedf them on your J disdainful eyes, 
 As§ now, when fury and incensed hate 
 Flings slaughtering terror from my coal-black tents ||, 
 And tells for truth submission If comes too late? 
 First Vjrg. Most happy king and emperor of the 
 earth, 
 Image of honour and nobility, 
 For whom the powers divine have made the world, 
 And on whose throne the holy Graces sit ; 
 In whose sweet person is compris'd the sum 
 Of Nature's skill and heavenly majesty ; 
 Pity our plights ! oh, pity poor Damascus ! 
 Pity old age, within whose silver hairs 
 Honour and reverence evermore have reign 'd ! 
 
 • knew'] So the 8vo.— The 4to " know." 
 t Reflexed] Old eds. " Reflexing." 
 t your'] Qy. "their"? ) 
 § As] So the 8vo.— The 4to '* And." 
 || tents] So the 8vo.— The 4to " tent." 
 f submission] Old eds. " submissions."
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINF. THE GREAT. 
 
 Pity the marriage-bed, where many a lord 
 
 In prime and glory of his loving joy 
 
 Embraceth now with tears of ruth and* blood 
 
 The jealous body of his fearful wife, 
 
 Whose cheeks and hearts, so punish 'd with conceit j 
 
 To think thy puissant never-stayed arm 
 
 Will part their bodies, and prevent their souls 
 
 From heavens of comfort yet their age might bear, 
 
 Now wax all pale and wither'd to the death, 
 
 As well for grief our ruthless governor 
 
 Hath I thus refus'd the mercy of thy hand, 
 
 (Whose sceptre angels kiss and Furies dread,) 
 
 As for their liberties, their loves, or lives ! 
 
 Oh, then, for these, and such as we ourselves, 
 
 For us, for infants, and for all our bloods, 
 
 That never nourish 'd § thought against thy rule, 
 
 Pity, oh, pity, sacred emperor, 
 
 The prostrate service of this wretched town ; 
 
 And take in sign thereof this gilded wreath, 
 
 Whereto each man of rule hath given his hand, 
 
 And wish'd|j, as worthy subjects, happy means 
 
 To be investers of thy royal brows 
 
 Even with the true Egyptian diadem ! 
 
 Tamb. Virgins, in vain you labour to prevent 
 That which mine honour swears shall be perform'd. 
 
 * of ruth and] So the 8vo. — The 4to "and ruth of." 
 
 t conceit] See note, p. 55. 
 
 f Hath] So the 4to.— The 8\ro «* Haue." 
 
 § nourish'd] So the 8vo. — The 4to " nourish. " 
 
 || wish'd] So the 8vo.— The 4to " wish."
 
 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT V. 
 
 Behold my sword ; what see you at the point ? 
 
 First Virg. Nothing but tear and fatal steel, my 
 lord. 
 
 Tamb. Your fearful minds are thick and misty, 
 then, 
 For there sits Death ; there sits imperious* Death, 
 Keeping his circuit by the slicing edge. 
 But I am pleas'd you shall not see him there; 
 He now is seated on my horsemen's spears, 
 And on their points his fleshless body feeds. — 
 Techelles, straight go charge a few of them 
 To charge these dames, and shew my servant Death, 
 Sitting in scarlet on their armed spears. 
 
 Virgins. Oh, pity us ! 
 
 Tamb. Away with them, I say, and shew them 
 Death ! [ The Virgins are taken out by 
 
 Techelles and others. 
 I will not spare these proud Egyptians, 
 Nor change my martial observations 
 For all the wealth of Gihon's golden waves, 
 Or for the love of Venus, would she leave 
 The angry god of arms and lie with me. 
 They have refus'd the offer of their lives, 
 And know my customs are as peremptory 
 As wrathful planets, death, or destiny. 
 
 Re-enter Techelles. 
 What, have your horsemen shown the virgins Death? 
 
 * imperious] So the 3vo.— The 4to " impreeious."
 
 SC. II.] T.U1EURLAINE THE GREAT. 97 
 
 Tech. They have, my lord, and on Damascus' walls 
 Have hoisted up their slaughter'd carcasses. 
 
 Tamb. A sight as baneful to their souls, I think, 
 As are Thessalian drugs or mithridate : 
 But go, my lords, put the rest to the sword. 
 
 [Exeunt all except Tamburlaine. 
 Ah, fair Zenocrate ! — divine Zenocrate ! 
 Fair is too foul an epithet for thee, — 
 That in thy passion* for thy country's love, 
 And fear to see thy kingly father's harm, 
 With hair dishevell'd wip'st thy watery cheeks ; 
 And, like to Flora in her morning's pride, 
 Shaking her silver tresses in the air, 
 Rain'st on the earth resolvedf pearl in showers, 
 And sprinklest sapphires on thy shining face, 
 Where Beauty, mother to the Muses, sits, 
 And comments volumes with her ivory pen, 
 Taking instructions from thy flowing eyes ; 
 Eyes, when that Ebena steps to heaven, J: 
 In silence of thy solemn evening's walk, 
 Making the mantle of the richest night, 
 The moon, the planets, and the meteors, light ; 
 There angels in their crystal armours fight || 
 A doubtful battle with my tempted thoughts 
 For Egypt's freedom and the Soldan's life, 
 
 * passion] i. e. sorrow. 
 
 t resolvtd] i. e. dissolved. 
 
 i Eyes, uhen that Ebena steps to heaven, &c] there is some 
 corruption in this passage. Does " Ebena" mean — Darkness? 
 
 || fight] So the 8vo.— The 4to " fights." 
 VOL. I. II
 
 98 I I IK FIRST PART OF [ACT V 
 
 His life that so consumes Zenocrate ; 
 
 Whose sorrows lay more siege unto my soul, 
 
 Than all my army to Damascus' walls ; 
 
 And neither Persia'sf sovereign nor the Turk 
 
 Troubled my senses with conceit of foil 
 
 So much by much as doth Zenocrate. 
 
 What is beauty, saith my sufferings, then ? 
 
 If all the pens that ever poets held 
 
 Had fed the feeling of their masters' thought > 
 
 And every sweetness that inspir'd their hearts. 
 
 Their minds, and muses on admired themes ; 
 
 If all the heavenly quintessence they still ! 
 
 From their immortal flowers of poesy, 
 
 Wherein, as in a mirror, we perceive 
 
 The highest reaches of a human wit ; 
 
 If these had made one poem's period, 
 
 And all combin'd in beauty's worthiness, 
 
 Yet should there hover in their restless heads 
 
 One thought, one grace, one wonder, at the least, 
 
 Which into words no virtue can digest. 
 
 But how unseemly is it for my sex, 
 
 My discipline of arms and chivalry, 
 
 My nature, and the terror of my name, 
 
 To harbour thoughts effeminate and faint ! 
 
 S;ive only that in beauty's just applause, 
 
 With whose instinct the soul of man is touch'd ; 
 
 And every warrior that is rapt with love 
 
 Of fame, of valour, and of victory, 
 
 t Persia's] Old eds. " Perseans," nrnl " Persians " 
 t still] i. o. distil.
 
 SC II.] TAMEURLAINE THE GREAT. [)[) 
 
 Must needs have beauty beat on his conceits : 
 I thus conceiving and subduing both, 
 That which hath stopt the tempest of the gods,* 
 Even from the fiery-spangledf veil of heaven, 
 To feel the lovely warmth of shepherds' flames, 
 And mask! in cottages § of strowed weeds, 
 Shall give the world to note, for all my birth, 
 That virtue solely is the sum of glory, 
 And fashions men with true nobility. — 
 Who's within there ? 
 
 * gods] " A line appears to have been omitted in both the 
 old copies, after the word ' gods.' The reader will easily supply 
 the sense." Ed. 1826. — " I would read ns follows : — 
 
 ' Save only that in beauty's just applause, 
 With whose instinct the soul of man is touch'd, 
 That which hath stopt the tempest of the gods, 
 Even from the fiery-spangled veil of heaven, 
 To feel the lovely warmth of shepherds' flames, 
 And march in cottages of strowed weeds, 
 And every warrior that is rapt with love 
 Of fame, of valour, and of victory, 
 Must needs have beauty beat on his conceits : 
 I, thus conceiving, and subduing both, 
 Shall give the world to note, for all my birth, 
 That virtue solely is the sum of glory,' &c. 
 
 The editor [of 1826] says, ' A line appears to have been omitted 
 in both the old copies after the word ' gods.' The reader will 
 easily supply the sense.' If my reading is right, there appears 
 to be no omission of lines, or defect in the sense." J. M. in 
 Gent. Mag. for Jan. 1841. 
 
 t fiery -spangled] So the 8vo. — The 4to " spangled firie." 
 X mask] Is surely the right reading. — The 8vo has " martch," 
 the 4to " march." 
 
 § cottages] So the 8vo. — The 4to " coatcb.es."
 
 100 THE FIRST PART 01 [ACT \ . 
 
 Enter Attendants. 
 
 Hath Bajazeth been fed to-day? 
 
 Attend ||. Ay, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. Bring him forth ; and let us know if the 
 town be ransacked. [Exeunt Attendants. 
 
 Enter Techelles, Theridamas, Usumcasane, 
 and others. 
 
 Tech. The town is ours, my lord, and fresh supply 
 Of conquest and of spoil is offer'd us. 
 
 Tamb. That's well, Techelles. What's the news ? 
 
 Tech. The Soldan and the Arabian king: tog-ether 
 March on us with]: such eager violence, 
 As if there were no way but one with us§. 
 
 Tamb. No more there is not, I warrant thee, 
 Techelles. 
 
 Attendants bring in Bajazeth in his cage, followed 
 by Zabina. Exeunt Attendants. 
 
 Ther. We know the victory is ours, my lord ; 
 
 || Attend.'] Old eds. " An." (a misprint probably), which 
 the modern editors understand as " Anippe" (the waiting-maid 
 of Zenocrate). 
 
 | March on us with'] So the 4to. — The8vo " Martcht on with 
 vs with." 
 
 § As if there were no way but one with us] i. e. as if we were 
 to lose our lives. This phrase, which is common in our early 
 writers, was not obsolete in Drvden's time: " for, if he heard 
 the malicious trumpeter proclaiming his name before his betters, 
 he knew there was but one nau with him," Preface to Alt for
 
 
 SC.II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 101 
 
 But let us save the reverend Soldan's life, 
 For fair Zenocrate that so laments his state. 
 
 Tamb. That will we chiefly see unto, Thefidamas, 
 For sweet Zenocrate, whose worthiness 
 Deserves a conquest over every heart. — 
 And now, my footstool, if I lose the field, 
 You hope of liberty and restitution ? — 
 Here let him stay, my masters, from the tents, 
 Till we have made us ready for the field. — 
 Pray for us, Bajazeth ; we are going. 
 
 [Exeunt all except Bajazeth and Zabxn.\. 
 
 Baj. Go, never to return with victory ! 
 Millions of men encompass thee about, 
 And gore thy body with as many wounds ! 
 Sharp forked arrows light upon thy horse ! 
 Furies from the black Cocytus' lake, 
 Break up the earth, and with their fire-brands 
 Enforce thee run upon the baneful pikes ! 
 Vollies of shot pierce through thy charmed skin, 
 And every bullet dipt in poison'd drugs ! 
 Or roaring cannons sever all thy joints, 
 Making thee mount as high as eagles soar ! 
 
 Zab. Let all the swords and lances in the field 
 Stick in his breast as in their proper rooms ! 
 At every pore* let blood come dropping forth, 
 That lingering pains may massacre his heart, 
 And madness send his damned soul to hell ! 
 
 Baj. Ah, fair Zabina ! we may curse his power, 
 
 * pore] So the 8vo.— The 4to " dore."
 
 102 THE FIRST TART OF [ACT 
 
 The Heavens may frown, the earth for anger quake ; 
 But such a star hath influence in* his sword, 
 As rules the skies and countermands the gods, 
 More than Cimmerian Styx or Destiny : 
 And then shall we in this detested guise, 
 With shame, with hunger, and with horror stayf, 
 Griping our bowels with retorquedj thoughts, 
 And have no hope to end our extasies. 
 
 Zab. Then is there left no Mahomet, no God, 
 No fiend, no fortune, nor no hope of end 
 To our infamous, monstrous slaveries. 
 Gape, earth, and let the fiends infernal view 
 A|| hell as hopeless and as full of fear 
 As are the blasted banks of Erebus, 
 Where shaking ghosts with ever-howling groans 
 Hover about the ugly ferryman, 
 To get a passage to ElysiumH ! 
 Why should we live ?— Oh, wretches, beggars, slaves ! — 
 Why live we, Bajazeth, and build up nests 
 So high within the region of the air, 
 By living long in this oppression, 
 That all the world will see and laugh to scorn 
 The former triumphs of our mightiness 
 In this obscure infernal servitude ? 
 
 ] Qy. " on "1 
 t stay} Old eds. " aie" and " aye." 
 
 ; retorqued] i. e. bent back in reflections on our former hap- 
 piness. So the 8vo.— The 4to " retortued." 
 || A] Old eds. "As." 
 If Elysium] Old eds. " Elisian."
 
 SC. II. j TAiMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 103 
 
 Baj. O life, more loathsome to my vexed thoughts 
 Than noisome parbreak* of the Stygian snakes, 
 Which fills the nooks of hell with standing air, 
 Infecting all the ghosts with cureless griefs ! 
 O dreary engines of my loathed sight, 
 That seef my crown, my honour, and my name 
 Thrust under yoke and thraldom of a thief, 
 Why feed ye still on day's accursed beams, 
 And sink not quite into my tortur'd soul ? 
 You see my wife, my queen, and emperess, 
 Brought up and propped by the hand of Fame, 
 Queen of fifteen contributory queens, 
 Now thrown to rooms of black abjection]:, 
 Smeared with blots of basest drudgery, 
 And villainess§ to shame, disdain, and misery. 
 Accursed Bajazeth, whose words of ruth||, 
 That would with pity cheer Zabina's heart, 
 And make our souls resolveH in ceaseless tears, 
 Sharp hunger bites upon and gripes the root, 
 From whence the issues of my thoughts do break ! 
 O poor Zabina ! O my queen, my queen ! 
 Fetch me some water for my burning breast, 
 To cool and comfort me with longer date, 
 That, in the shorten'd sequel of my life, 
 
 * parbreak] i. e. vomit. 
 
 t see] Old eds. " sees." 
 
 i abjection] Old eds. " obiection." 
 
 § villaintss] i. e. servant, slave. 
 
 || ruth] So the 8vo.— The 4to " truth." 
 
 If resolve] i. o. dissolve.
 
 104 THE FIRST PART OF [ ACT 
 
 I may pour forth my soul into thine arms 
 With words of love, whose moaning intercourse 
 Hath hitherto been stay'd with wrath and hate 
 Of our expressless bann'd* inflictions. 
 
 Zab. Sweet Bajazeth, I will prolong thy life, 
 As long as any blood or spark of breath 
 Can quench or cool the torments of my grief. [Exit. 
 
 B.u. Now, Bajazeth, abridge thy baneful days, 
 And beat thef brains out of thy conquer'd head, 
 Since other means are all forbidden me, 
 That may be ministers of my decay. 
 highest lamp of ever-living]: Jove, 
 Accursed day, infected with my griefs, 
 Hide now thy stained face in endless night, 
 And shut the windows of the lightsome heavens ! 
 Let ugly Darkness with her rusty coach, 
 Engirt with tempests, wrapt in pitchy clouds, 
 Smother the earth with never-fading mists, 
 And let her horses from their nostrils breathe 
 Rebellious winds and dreadful thunder-claps, 
 That in this terror Tamburlaine may live, 
 And my pin'd soul, resolv'd in liquid air. 
 May still excruciate his tormented thoughts ! 
 Then let the stony dart of senseless cold 
 Pierce through the centre of my wither'd heart, 
 And make a passage for my loathed life ! 
 
 [He brains himself against the caijc. 
 
 * bann'd] i. e. cursed. 
 
 r the] S,> the 4to. — The 8vo " thy." 
 
 X ever-living'] s (l the 8vo. -The 4to " euerlasting - .''
 
 SC. I!.| TAMB0ULA1NE THE GREAT. 105 
 
 Re-enter Zabina. 
 Zab. What do mine eyes behold? my husband 
 dead ! 
 His skull all riven in twain ! his brains dash'd out, 
 The brains of Bajazeth, my lord and sovereign ! 
 O Bajazeth, my husband and my lord ! 
 
 Bajazeth, O Turk, O emperor! 
 
 Give him his liquor? not I. Bring milk and fire, and 
 my blood I bring him again. — Tear me in pieces — 
 give* me the sword with a ball of wild-fire upon 
 it. — Down with him ! down with him ! — Go to my 
 child ; away, away, away ! ah, save that infant ! 
 save him, save him !— I, even I, speak to herf. — 
 The sun was down — streamers white, red, black — 
 Here, here, here ! — Fling the meat in his face — Tam- 
 burlaine, Tamburlaine ! — Let the soldiers be buried. — 
 Hell, death, Tamburlainel, hell ! — Make ready my 
 coach§, my chair, my jewels. — I come, I come, I 
 come|| ! 
 
 [She runs against the cage, and brains herself. 
 
 * give] So the 4to. — The 8vo " and giue." 
 
 t her] Must mean Zenocrate, whom Zabina fancies herself, to 
 be addressing. 
 
 J Let the soldiers be buried. — Hell, death, Tamburlaine] So the 
 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. (Where the modern editors got their 
 reading, " Let the soldiers be cursed," I know not.) 
 
 § Make ready mi) coach] Shakespeare seems to have remem- 
 bered this passage when he made Ophelia say, " Come, mv 
 coach," &c. Hamlet, act iv. sc. 5. 
 
 || I come, I cmuf, I come] So Hie 8vo. — -The 4to " / come, 
 
 1 come."
 
 106 THE FIRST PART or [ACT 
 
 Enter Zenocrate with Anippe. 
 Zeno. Wretched Zenocrate ! that liv'st to see 
 Damascus' walls dy'd with Egyptian* blood, 
 Thy father's subjects and thy countrymen ; 
 Thef streets strow'd with dissever'd joints of men, 
 And wounded bodies gasping yet for life ; 
 But most accurs'd, to see the sun-bright troop 
 Of heavenly virgins and unspotted maids 
 (Whose looks might make the angry god of arms 
 To break his sword and mildly treat of love) 
 On horsemen's lances to be hoisted up, 
 And guiltlessly endure a cruel death ; 
 For every fell and stout Tartarian steed, 
 That stamp'd on others with their thundering hoofs, 
 When all their riders charg'd their quivering spears, 
 Began to check the ground and rein themselves, 
 Gazing upon the beauty of their looks. 
 O Tamburlaine, wert thou the cause of this, 
 That term'st Zenocrate thy dearest love ? 
 Whose lives were dearer to Zenocrate 
 Than her own life, or aught save thine own love. 
 But see, another bloody spectacle ! 
 Ah, wretched eyes, the enemies of my heart, 
 How are ye glutted with these grievous objects, 
 And tell my soul more tales of bleeding ruth ! — 
 See, see, Anippe, if they breathe or no. 
 
 1 Egyptian] So the 8vo.- -The 4to " Egiptians." 
 I r/j, i «)]<! eds. " Thy."
 
 SC.1I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 107 
 
 Anip. No breath, nor sense, nor motion, in them 
 both: 
 Ah, madam, this their slavery hath enfore'd, 
 And ruthless cruelty of Tamburlaine ! 
 
 Zeno. Earth, cast up fountains from thy* entrails, 
 And wet thy cheeks for their untimely deaths ; 
 Shake with their weight in sign of fear and grief ! 
 Blush, Heaven, that gave them honour at their birth, 
 And let them die a death so barbarous ! 
 Those that are proud of fickle empery 
 And place their chiefest good in earthly pomp, 
 Behold the Turk and his great emperess ! 
 Ah, Tamburlaine my love, sweet Tamburlaine, 
 That fight'st for sceptres and for slippery crowns, 
 Behold the Turk and his great emperess ! 
 Thou that, in conduct of thy happy stars, 
 Sleep'st every night with conquest on thy brows, 
 And yet would'st shun the wavering turns of war, 
 In fear and feeling of the like distress 
 Behold the Turk and his great emperess ! 
 Ah, mighty Jove and holy Mahomet, 
 Pardon my love ! oh, pardon his contempt 
 Of earthly fortune and respect of pity ; 
 And let not conquest, ruthlessly pursu'd, 
 Be equally against his life incens'd 
 In this great Turk and hapless emperess ! 
 And pardon me that was not mov'd with ruth 
 To see them live so long in misery ! — 
 
 * thy] So the 8vo.— The 4to " thine.''
 
 108 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT V. 
 
 All, what may chance to thee, Zenocrate? 
 
 Anip. Madam, content yourself, and be resolv'd 
 Your love hath Fortune so at his command, 
 That she shall stay and turn her wheel no more, 
 As long as life maintains his mighty arm 
 That fights for honour to adorn your head. 
 
 Enter Phixemus. 
 
 Zeno. What other heavy news now brings Phile- 
 mus? 
 
 Pan.. Madam, your father, and the Arabian king 
 The first afiecter of your excellence, 
 Come* now, as Turnus 'gainst iEneas did, 
 Armed \ with lance into the ^Egyptian fields, 
 Ready for battle 'gainst my lord the king. 
 
 Zeno. Now shame and duty, love and fear pre- 
 sent J 
 A thousand sorrows to my martyr'd soul. 
 Whom should I wish the fatal victory, 
 When my poor pleasures are divided thus, 
 And rack'd by duty from my cursed heart? 
 My father and my first-betrothed love 
 Must fight against my life and present love; 
 Wherein the change I use condemns my faith, 
 And makes my deeds infamous through the world : 
 But, as the gods, to end the Trojans' toil, 
 
 * Come] Old eds. " Comes" and " Comep." 
 t Armed] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Aimes." 
 : present'] Old eds. " present ■."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBUftLAINE THE GREAT. 109 
 
 Prevented Turnus of Lavinia, 
 
 And fatally enrich'd iEneas' love, 
 
 So, for a final* issue to my griefs, 
 
 To pacify my country and my love, 
 
 Must Tamburlaine by their resistless powers, 
 
 With virtue of a gentle victory, 
 
 Conclude a league of honour to my hope ; 
 
 Then, as the powers divine have pre-ordain'd, 
 
 With happy safety of my father's life 
 
 Send like defence of fair Arabia. 
 
 {They sound to the battle within; and Tam- 
 burlaine enjoys the victory : after which, the 
 King of ARABiAf enters wounded. 
 K. of Ar. What cursed power guides the murder- 
 ing hands 
 Of this infamous tyrant's soldiers, 
 That no escape may save their enemies, 
 Nor fortune keep themselves from victory ? 
 Lie down, Arabia, wounded to the death, 
 And let Zenocrate's fair eyes behold, 
 That, as for her thou bear'st these wretched arms, 
 Even so for her thou diest in these arms, 
 Leaving thyj blood for witness of thy love. 
 
 Zeno. Too dear a witness for such love, my lord ! 
 Behold Zenocrate, the cursed object 
 Whose fortunes never mastered her griefs ; 
 
 * final] So the 4to.— The 8vo " small." 
 
 t King of Arabia'] i. e. Alcidamus ; see p. 22. I. If!. 
 
 i thy] So the 4to.— The 8vo " my."
 
 110 the first part or [act v. 
 
 Behold her wounded in conceit* for thee, 
 As much as thy fair body is for me ! 
 
 K. of Ar. Then shall I die with full contented 
 heart, 
 Having beheld divine Zenocrate, 
 Whose sight with joy would take away my life 
 As now it bringeth sweetness to my wound, 
 If I had not been wounded as I am. 
 Ah, that the deadly pangs I suffer now, 
 Would lend an hour's licence to my tongue, 
 To make discourse of some sweet accidents 
 Have chanc'd thy merits in this worthless bondage, 
 And that I might be privy to the state 
 Of thy deserv'd contentment and thy love ! 
 But, making now a virtue of thy sight, 
 To drive all sorrow from my fainting soul, 
 Since death denies me further cause of joy, 
 Depriv'd of care, my heart with comfort dies, 
 Since thy desired hand shall close mine eyes. [Dies. 
 
 Re-enter Tamburlaine, leading the Soldan ; 
 Teciielles, Tiieridamas, with others. 
 
 Tamb. Come, happy father of Zenocrate, 
 A title higher than thy Soldan's name. 
 Though my right hand have f thus enthralled thee, 
 Thy princely daughter here shall set thee free ; 
 She that hath calm'd the fury of my sword, 
 
 * conceit] i. e. fancy. 
 
 t have] So the 8vo.— The 4to " ha^'
 
 SC.U.] TAMBURT.AINETHE GREAT. Ill 
 
 Which had ere this been bath'd in streams of blood, 
 As vast and deep as Euphrates or Nile. 
 
 Zeno. Oh, sight thrice welcome to my joyful soul, 
 To see the king, my father, issue safe 
 From dangerous battle of my conquering love ! 
 
 Sold. Well met, my only dear Zenocrate, 
 Though with the loss of Egypt and my crown ! 
 
 Tamb. 'Twas I, my lord, that gat the victory; 
 And therefore grieve not at your overthrow, 
 Since I shall render all into your hands, 
 And add more strength to your dominions 
 Than ever yet confirm'd the Egyptian crown. 
 The god of war resigns his room to me, 
 Meaning to make me general of the world : 
 Jove, viewing me in arms, looks pale and wan, 
 Fearing my power should* pull him from his throne : 
 Where'er I come the Fatal Sisters sweat f, 
 And grisly Death, by running to and fro, 
 To do their ceaseless homage to my sword : 
 And here in Afric, where it seldom rains, 
 Since I arriv'd with my triumphant host, 
 Have swelling clouds, drawn from wide-gn|iiuo | 
 
 wounds, 
 Been oft resolv'd§ in bloody purple showers, 
 A meteor that might terrify the earth, 
 
 * should] So the 8vo.— The 4to " shall." 
 t sweat] So the 8vo. — The 4to " sweare." 
 J wide-gaping] Old eds. " wide gasping." 
 $ rcsolv'W] i. e. dissolved.
 
 112 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT 
 
 And make it quake at every drop it drinks : 
 Millions * of souls sit on the banks of Styx, 
 Waiting the back-return of Charon's boat ; 
 Hell and Elysium f swarm with ghosts of men, 
 That I have sent from sundry foughten fields, 
 To spread my fame through hell and up to heaven : 
 And see, my lord, a sight of strange import, — 
 Emperors and kings lie breathless at my feet; 
 The Turk and his great emperess, as it seems, 
 Left to themselves while we were at the fight, 
 Have desperately despatch'd their slavish lives : 
 With them Arabia, too, hath left his life : 
 All sights of power to grace my victory ; 
 And such are objects fit for Tamburlaine, 
 Wherein, as in a mirror, may be seen 
 His honour, that consists in shedding blood, 
 When men presume to manage arms with him. 
 Sold. Mighty hath God and Mahomet made tin 
 hand, 
 Renowmed J Tamburlaine, to whom all kings 
 Of force must yield their crowns and emperies ; 
 And I am pleas'd with this my overthrow, 
 If, as beseems a person of thy state, 
 Thou hast with honour us'd Zenocrate. 
 
 * Millions] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Million." 
 t Elysium] Old eds. " Elisian." 
 
 t llemm mcd~\ See note, p. 27. So the 8vo.— The 4to " Re- 
 nowned." *Vb
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 113 
 
 Tamb. Her state and person want§ no pomp, you 
 see; 
 And for all blot of foul inchastity, 
 I record * Heaven, her heavenly self is clear : 
 Then let me find no further timef to grace 
 Her princely temples with the Persian crown ; 
 But here these kings that on my fortunes wait, 
 And have been crovvn'd for proved worthiness 
 Even by this hand that shall establish them, 
 Shall now, adjoining all their hands with mine, 
 Invest her here the I Queen of Persia. 
 What saith the noble Soldan, and Zenocrate? 
 
 Sold. I yield with thanks and protestations 
 Of endless honour to thee for her love. 
 
 Tamb. Then doubt I not§ but fair Zenocrate 
 Will soon consent to satisfy us both. 
 
 Zeno. Else II should I much forget myself, my lord. 
 
 Ther. Then let us set the crown upon her head, 
 That long hath linger 'd for so high a seat. 
 
 Tech. My hand is ready to perform the deed ; 
 For now her marriage-time shall work us rest. 
 
 Usum. And here's the crown, my lord ; help set it 
 on.H 
 
 $ want'] Old eds. " wants." 
 
 * record] i. e. take to witness. 
 
 f no further time] i. e. no more distant time. 
 
 $ the] So the 8vo.— The 4to "my." 
 
 § I not] So the 8vo. — The 4to " not I." 
 
 j| Else] So the 4to.— The 8vo " Then." 
 
 % on] So the 4to. — Omitted in the 8vo. 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 1 14 THE FIRST PART OF [ACT V 
 
 Tamb. Then sit thou down, divine Zenocrate; 
 And here we crown thee Queen of Persia, 
 And all the kingdoms and dominions 
 That late the power of Tamburlaine subdu'd. 
 As Juno, when the giants were suppress'd, 
 That darted mountains at her brother Jove, 
 So looks my love, shadowing in her brows 
 Triumphs and trophies for my victories ; 
 Or as Latona's daughter, bent to arms, 
 Adding more courage to my conquering mind. 
 To gratify the sweet Zenocrate, 
 Egyptians, Moors, and men of Asia, 
 From Barbary unto the Western India, 
 Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy sire ; 
 And from the bounds of Afric to the banks 
 Of Ganges shall his mighty arm extend. 
 And now, my lords and loving followers, 
 That purchas'd kingdoms by your martial deeds, 
 Cast oft' your armour, put on scarlet robes, 
 Mount up your royal places of estate, 
 Environed with troops of noblemen, 
 And there make laws to rule your provinces : 
 Hang up your weapons on Alcides' post ; 
 For Tamburlaine takes truce with all the world. 
 Thy first-betrothed love, Arabia, 
 Shall we with honour, as beseems,* entomb 
 With this great Turk and his fair emperess. 
 
 * us beseems] So the 4to. — The 8vo " as best beseemes."
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 115 
 
 Then, after all these solemn exequies, 
 
 We will our celebrated f rites of marriage solemnize. 
 
 t celebrated] " The word ' celebrated ' occurs in both the old 
 editions, but may well be dispensed with as regards both the 
 sense and measure." Ed. 1826. " I think this word got into 
 the text from either the author or printer, who was perhaps the 
 editor, doubting whether to use ' solemnize' or ' celebrate ;' and 
 it slipt from the margin, where it was probably placed, into the 
 verse itself." J. M. in Gent. Mag. for Jan. 1841.
 
 THE SECOND PART OF 
 
 TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT.
 
 The Second Part of Tamburlaine the Great. 
 Concerning the old eds., see the prefatory matter to The 
 First Part.
 
 THE PROLOGUE. 
 
 The general welcomes Tamburlaine receiv'd, 
 
 When he arrived last upon the* stage, 
 
 Hath made our poet pen his Second Part, 
 
 Where Death cuts off the progress of Ins pomp, 
 
 And murderous Fates throwf all his triumphs]: down. 
 
 But what became of fair Zenocrate, 
 
 And with how many cities' sacrifice 
 
 He celebrated her sadi funeral, 
 
 Himself in presence shall unfold at large. 
 
 * the] So the 4to.— The 8vo '* our." 
 
 f throw] Old ed. " throwes." 
 
 i triumphs] So the 8vo.— The 4to " triumph." 
 
 $ sad] Old eds. " said."
 
 
 DRAMATIS PERSONS. 
 
 Tamhurlaine, king of Persia. 
 
 Calyphas, ^ 
 
 Amyras, > his sons. 
 
 Celebinus, ' 
 
 Tiieridamas, king of Argicr. 
 
 Techelles, king of Fez. 
 
 Usumcasane, king of Morocco. 
 
 Orcanes, king of Natolia. 
 
 King of Trebizox. 
 
 King of Soria. 
 
 King of Jerusalem. 
 
 King of Amasia. 
 
 Gazellus, viceroy of Byron. 
 
 Uribassa. 
 
 Sigismund, king of Hungary. 
 
 ' > Lords of Buda and Boh 
 Baldwin, S 
 
 Callapixe, son to Bajazeth, and prisoner to Tam- 
 hurlaine. 
 
 Almeda, his keeper. 
 
 Governor of Babylon. 
 
 Captain of Balsera. 
 
 His Son. 
 
 Maxim us, Perdicas, Physicians, Lords, Citizens, 
 Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants. 
 
 Zenocrate, wife to Tamhurlaine. 
 Olympi \. wife to the Captain of Balsera. 
 Turkish Concubines. 
 
 emia.
 
 THE SECOND PART OF 
 TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 ACT I. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter Orcanes king of Natolia, Gazellus viceroy 
 of Byron, Uribassa*, and their train, with drums 
 and trumpets. 
 
 Orc. Egregious viceroys of these eastern parts, 
 Plac'd by the issue of great Bajazeth, 
 And sacred lord, the mighty Callapine, 
 Who lives in Egypt prisoner to that slave 
 Which kept his father in an iron cage, — 
 Now have we march'd from fair Natolia 
 Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius' banks 
 Our warlike host, in complete armour, rest, 
 Where Sigismund, the king of Hungary, 
 Should meet our person to conclude a truce : 
 What! shall we parle with the Christian? 
 Or cross the stream, and meet him in the field? 
 
 * Uribassa] In this scene, but only here, the old eds. have 
 " Upibassa."
 
 •2"2 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Gaz. King of Natolia, let us treat of peace : 
 We all are glutted with the Christians' blood, 
 And have a greater foe to fight against, — 
 Proud Tamburlaine, that now, in Asia, 
 Near Guyron's head doth set his conquering feet, 
 And means to fire Turkey as he goes: 
 'Gainst him, my lord, you must address your power. 
 
 Uri. Besides, King Sigismund hath brought from 
 Christendom 
 More than his camp of stout Hungarians, — 
 Sclavonians, Almains, Rutters*, Muffs, and Danes, 
 That with the halberd, lance, and murdering axe, 
 Will hazard that we might with surety hold. 
 
 ORC.f Though from the shortest northern parallel, 
 Vast Grantland, compass'd with the Frozen Sea, 
 (Inhabited with tall and sturdy men, 
 Giants as big as hugy J Polypheme,) 
 Millions of soldiers cut the§ arctic line, 
 Bringing the strength of Europe to these arms, 
 Our Turkey blades shall glide through all their throats, 
 And make this champion || mead a bloody fen : 
 
 * Almains, Rutters] Rutters are properly — German troopers 
 (reiter, reuter) ; and in the first scene of Fuustus we have,— 
 
 " Like Almain rutters with their horsemen's staves." 
 
 The distinction made in this line (which is repeated at p. 124) 
 I do not understand. 
 
 t Ore] Omitted in the old eds. 
 
 i hugy] i. e. huge. 
 
 § cut tlie] So the 8vo. —the 4to " out of." 
 
 || champion] i. e. champaign.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 123 
 
 Danubius' stream, that runs to Trebizon, 
 Shall carry, wrapt within his scarlet waves, 
 As martial presents to our friends at home, 
 The slaughter'd bodies of these Christians : 
 The Terrene* main, wherein Danubius falls, 
 Shall by this battle be the bloody sea : 
 The wandering sailors of proud Italy 
 Shall meet those Christians, fleeting with the tide, 
 Beating in heaps against their argosies, 
 And make fair Europe, mounted on her bull, 
 Trapt with the wealth and riches of the world, 
 Alight, and wear a woful mourning weed. 
 
 Gaz. Yet, stout Orcanes, pro-rex of the world, 
 Since Tamburlaine hath muster'd all his men, 
 Marching from Cairo f northward with his camp, 
 To Alexandria and the frontier towns, 
 Meaning to make a conquest of our land, 
 'Tis requisite to parle for a peace 
 With Sigismund, the king of Hungary, 
 And save our forces for the hot assaults 
 Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia. 
 
 Orc. Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said. 
 My realm, the centre of our empery, 
 Once lost, all Turkey would be overthrown, 
 And for that cause the Christians shall have peace. 
 
 * Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean (but the Danube falls into the 
 Black Sea.) 
 
 t Cairo] Old eds " Cairon :" but they are not consistent in 
 the spelling of this name ; afterwards (j). 129) they have " Ca- 
 rlo."
 
 124 THE SECOND PART OF [aCT I. 
 
 Sclavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffs, and Danes, 
 Fear* not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine, 
 Nor he, but Fortune that hath made him great. 
 We have revolted Grecians, Albanese, 
 Sicilians, Jews, Arabians, Turks, and Moors, 
 Natolians, Sorians f, black J Egyptians, 
 Illyrians, Thracians, and Bithynians §, 
 Enough to swallow forceless Sigismund, 
 Yet scarce enough to encounter Tamburlaine. 
 He brings a world of people to the field, 
 
 * Fear] i. e. frighten. 
 
 t Sorians] So the 4to. — The 8vo has here " Syrians " ; but 
 elsewhere in this Sec. Part of the play it agrees with the 4to 
 in having " Sorians," and " Soria " (which occurs repeatedly, — 
 the King of Soria being one of the characters). — Compare Jon- 
 son's For, act iv. sc. 1 ; 
 
 " whether a ship, 
 Newlv arriv'd from Soria, or from 
 Any suspected part of all the Levant, 
 Be guilty of the plague," &c. 
 on which passage Whalley remarks ; '* The city Tyre, from 
 whence the whole country had its name, was anciently called 
 Zur or Zor ; since the Arabs erected their empire in the East, 
 it has been again called Sor, and is at this day known by no 
 other name in those parts. Hence the Italians formed their 
 Soria." 
 
 t black] So the 8vo.— The 4to " and black." 
 § Eyptians, 
 
 Illiiriaus, Thracians, and Bithynians] So the 8vo (except 
 that by a misprint it gives " Illicians "). — The 4to has, — 
 
 " Egyptians, 
 Fred. And we from Europe to the same intent 
 Illirians, Thracians, and Bithynians " ; 
 
 a line which belongs to a later part of the scene (p. 127), 
 being unaccountably inserted here.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 From Scythia to the oriental plage* 
 
 Of India, where raging Lantchidol 
 
 Beats on the regions with his boisterous blows, 
 
 That never seaman yet discovered. 
 
 All Asia is in arms with Tamburlaine, 
 
 Even from the midst of fiery Cancer's tropic, 
 
 To Amazonia under Capricorn ; 
 
 And thence as far as Archipelago, 
 
 All Afric is in arms with Tamburlaine ; 
 
 Therefore, viceroyf, the Christians must have peace. 
 
 Enter Sigismund, Frederick, Baldwin, and their 
 train, with drums and trumpets. 
 
 Sig. Orcanes, (as our legates promis'd thee) 
 We, with our peers, have cross'd Danubius' stream, 
 To treat of friendly peace or deadly war. 
 Take which thou wilt; for, as the Romans us'd, 
 I here present thee with a naked sword : 
 Wilt thou have war, then shake this blade at me; 
 If peace, restore it to my hands again, 
 And I will sheathe it, to confirm the same. 
 
 Orc Stay, Sigismund : forget'st thou I am he 
 That with the cannon shook Vienna-walls, 
 And made it dance upon the continent, 
 As when the massy substance of the earth 
 Quiver[s] about the axle-tree of heaven ? 
 Forget'st thou that I sent a shower of darts, 
 Mingled with powder'd shot and feather'd steel, 
 
 * P' a g g ] '• e - clime. So the 8vo.— The 4to " place." 
 t viceroy} .So the 8vo. — The 4to " vice-royes."
 
 126 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 So thick upon the blink-ey'd burghers' heads, 
 That thou thyself, then County Palatine, 
 The King of Bohemef, and the Austric Duke, 
 Sent heralds out, which basely on their knees, 
 In all your names, desir'd a truce of me? 
 Forget'st thou that, to have me raise my siege, 
 Waggons of gold were set before my tent, 
 Stampt with the princely fowl, that in her wings 
 Carries the fearful thunderbolts of Jove ? 
 How canst thou think of this, and offer war ? 
 
 Sig. Vienna was besieg'd, and I was there, 
 Then County Palatine, but now a king, 
 And what we did was in extremity. 
 But now, Orcanes, view my royal host, 
 That hides these plains, and seems as vast and wide. 
 As doth the desert of Arabia 
 To those that stand on Bagdet's \ lofty tower, 
 Or as the ocean to the traveller 
 That rests upon the snowy Appenines ; 
 And tell me whether I should stoop so low, 
 Or treat of peace with the Natolian king. 
 
 Gaz. Kings of Natolia and of Hungary, 
 We came from Turkey to confirm a league, 
 And not to dare each other to the field. 
 A friendly parle|| might become you both. 
 
 t Boheme] i. e. Bohemia. 
 
 i Bagdet's] So the 8vo in act v. sc. 1. Here it lias " Bad- 
 geths " : the 4to " Baieths." 
 
 || jtarle] So the 8vo. — Here the 4to "parley," hut before, 
 repeatedlv, " parle."
 
 SC. I.J TAMBURXAINE THE GREAT. 1*27 
 
 Fred. And we from Europe, to the same intent.;* 
 Which if your general refuse or scorn, 
 Our tents are pitch 'd, our men stand f in array, 
 Ready to charge you ere you stir your feet. 
 
 Orc. So prest I are we ; but yet, if Sigismund 
 Speak as a friend, and stand not upon terms, 
 Here is his sword ; let peace be ratified 
 On these conditions, specified before, 
 Drawn with advice of our ambassadors. 
 
 Sic Then here I sheathe it, and give thee my hand, 
 Never to draw it out, or§ manage arms 
 Against thyself or thy confederates, 
 But, whilst I live, will be at truce with thee. 
 
 Orc. But, Sigismund, confirm it with an oath, 
 And swear in sight of Heaven and by thy Christ. 
 
 Sig. By Him that made the world and sav'd my 
 soul, 
 The Son of God and issue of a maid, 
 Sweet Jesus Christ, I solemnly protest 
 And vow to keep this peace inviolable ! 
 
 Orc. By sacred Mahomet, the friend of God, 
 Whose holy alcoran remains with us, 
 Whose glorious body, when he left the world, 
 Clos'd in a coffin mounted up the air, 
 
 * Fred. And we from, Europe, to the same intent] So the 8vo. 
 —The 4to, which gives this line in an earlier part of the scene 
 (see note, p. 124), omits it here. 
 
 t stand] So the 8vo.— The 4to " are." 
 
 + prest] i. e. ready. 
 
 j or] So the 8vo.— The 4to " and."
 
 128 THE SECOND PART OK [ACT I. 
 
 
 And hung on stately Mecca's temple-roof, 
 
 I swear to keep this truce inviolable ! 
 
 Of whose condition and our solemn oaths, 
 
 Sign'd with our hands, each shall retain a scroll, 
 
 As memorable witness of our league. 
 
 Now, Sigismund, if any Christian king 
 
 Encroach upon the confines of thy realm, 
 
 Send word, Orcanes of Natolia 
 
 Confirm'df this league beyond Danubius' stream, 
 
 And they will, trembling, sound a quick retreat; 
 
 So am I fear'd among all nations. 
 
 Sig. If any heathen potentate or king 
 Invade Natolia, Sigismund will send 
 A hundred thousand horse train'd to the war, 
 And back'd by§ stout lanciers of Germany, 
 The strength and sinews of the Imperial seat. 
 
 Okc I thank thee, Sigismund; but, when I war, 
 All Asia Minor, Africa, and Greece, 
 Follow my standard and my thundering drums. 
 Come, let us go and banquet in our tents : 
 I will despatch chief of my army hence 
 To fair Natolia and to Trebizon, 
 To stay my coming 'gainst proud Tamburlaine : 
 Friend Sigismund, and peers of Hungary, 
 Come, banquet and carouse with us a while, 
 And then depart we to our territories. [Exeunt. 
 
 
 t Confirrnd] So the 4to. — The 8vo " Confirme. 
 § by] So the 8vo.— The 4to " with." 

 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 129 
 
 Scene II. 
 Enter Callapine, and Almeda his keeper. 
 
 Call. Sweet Almeda, pity the ruthful plight 
 Of Callapine, the son of Bajazeth, 
 Born to be monarch of the western world, 
 Yet here detain'd by cruel Tamburlaine. 
 
 Alm. My lord, I pity it, and with my heart 
 Wish your release; but he whose wrath is death, 
 My sovereign lord, renowmed* Tamburlaine, 
 Forbids you further liberty than this. 
 
 Call. Ah, were I now but half so eloquent 
 To paint in words what I'll perform in deeds, 
 I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me ! 
 
 Alm. Not for all Afric : therefore move me not. 
 
 Call. Yet hear me speak, my gentle Almeda. 
 
 Alm. No speech to that end, by your favour, sir. 
 
 Call. By Cairo § runs — 
 
 Alm. No talk of running, I tell you, sir. 
 
 Call. A little further, gentle Almeda. 
 
 Alm. Well, sir, what of this? 
 
 Call. By Cairo runs to Alexandria-bay 
 Darotes' streams, wherein atj anchor lies 
 A Turkish galley of my royal fleet, 
 Waiting my coming to the river-side, 
 Hoping by some means I shall be releas'd ; 
 
 * renowmed] See note, p. 27. (Here the old eds. agree.) 
 § Cairo] Old eds. " Cario " : see note, p. 123. 
 t at] So the 4to.— The 8vo " an." 
 VOL. I. K
 
 130 Till SECOND PART OF [-ACT I. 
 
 Which, when I come aboard, will hoist up sail, 
 And soon put forth into the Terrene f sea, 
 Where*, 'twixt the isles of Cyprus and of Crete, 
 We quickly may in Turkish seas arrive. 
 Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more, 
 Upon their knees, all hid me welcome home. 
 Amongst so many crowns of burnish 'd gold, 
 Choose which thou wilt, all are at thy command : 
 A thousand galleys, mann'd with Christian slaves, 
 I freely give thee, which shall cut the Straits, 
 And hring armados, from§ the coasts of Spain, 
 Fraughted with gold of rich America : 
 The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee, 
 Skilful in music and in amorous lays, 
 As fair as was Pygmalion's ivory girl, 
 Or lovely Io metamorphosed: 
 With naked negroes shall thy coach be drawn, 
 And, as thou rid'st in triumph through the streets, 
 The pavement underneath thy chariot-wheels 
 With Turkey-carpets shall be covered, 
 
 t Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean. 
 
 * Where] Altered by tbe modern editors to " Whence," — an 
 alteration made by one of them also in a speech at p. 1 40, which 
 may be compared with the present one, — 
 
 " Therefore I took my course to Manico, 
 II here, unresisted, 1 remov'd mv camp ; 
 And, by the coast," &c. 
 
 § from] So the 4to.— The 8vo " to." 

 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 131 
 
 And cloth of arras hung about the walls, 
 
 Fit objects for thy princely eye to pierce : 
 
 A hundred bassoes, cloth'd in crimson silk, 
 
 Shall ride before thee on Barbarian steeds ; 
 
 And, when thou goest, a golden canopy 
 
 Enchas'd with precious stones, which shine as bright 
 
 As that fair veil that covers all the world, 
 
 When Phoebus, leaping from his hemisphere, 
 
 Descendeth downward to the Antipodes : — 
 
 And more than this, for all I cannot tell. 
 
 Alm. How far hence lies the galley, say you ? 
 
 Call. Sweet Almeda, scarce half a league from 
 hence. 
 
 Alm. But need* we not be spied going aboard? 
 
 Call. Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill, 
 And crooked bending of a craggy rock, 
 The sails wrapt up, the mast and tacklings down, 
 She lies so close that none can find her out. 
 
 Alm. I like that well : but, tell me, my lord, if I 
 should let you go, would you be as good as your 
 word ? shall I be made a king for my labour ? 
 
 Call. As I am Callapine, the emperor, 
 And by the hand of Mahomet I swear 
 Thou shalt be crown'd a king, and be my mate ! 
 
 Alm. Then here I swear, as I am Almeda, 
 Your keeper under Tamburlaine the Great, 
 (For that's the style and title I have yet,) 
 
 * need] i. e. must.
 
 132 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Although he sent a thousand armed men 
 To intercept this haughty enterprize, 
 Yet would I venture to conduct your grace, 
 And die before I brought you back again ! 
 
 Call. Thanks, gentle Almeda : then let us haste, 
 Lest time be past, and lingering let* us both. 
 
 Alm. When you will, my lord; I am ready. 
 
 Call. Even straight: and farewell, cursed Tam- 
 burlaine ! 
 Now go I to revenge my father's death. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, Zenocrate, and their three 
 sons, Calyphas, Amyras, and Celebin us, with 
 drums and trumpets. 
 
 Tamb. Now, bright Zenocrate, the world's fair eye, 
 Whose beams illuminate the lamps of heaven, 
 Whose cheerful looks do clear the cloudy air, 
 And clothe it in a crystal livery, 
 Now rest thee here on fair Larissa-plains, 
 Where Egypt and the Turkish empire parts, 
 Between thy sons, that shall be emperors, 
 And every one commander of a world. 
 
 Zeno. Sweet Tamburlaine, when wilt thou leave 
 these arms, 
 And save thy sacred person free from scathe, 
 And dangerous chances of the wrathful war ? 
 
 * ti't] i. p. hinder.
 
 SC. 111.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 133 
 
 Tamb. When heaven shall cease to move on both 
 the poles, 
 And when the ground, whereon my soldiers march, 
 Shall rise aloft and touch the horned moon ; 
 And not before, my sweet Zenocrate. 
 Sit up, and rest thee like a lovely queen. 
 So ; now she sits in pomp and majesty, 
 When these, my sons, more precious in mine eyes 
 Than all the wealthy kingdoms I subdu'd, 
 Plac'd by her side, look on their mother's face. 
 But yet methinks their looks are amorous, 
 Not martial as the sons of Tamburlaine : 
 Water and air, being symboliz'd in one, 
 Argue their want of courage and of wit ; 
 Their hair as white as milk, and soft as clown, 
 (Which should be like the quills of porcupines, 
 As black as jet, and hard as iron or steel,) 
 Bewrays they are too dainty for the wars ; 
 Their fingers made to quaver on a lute, 
 Their arms to hang about a lady's neck, 
 Their legs to dance and caper in the air, 
 Would make me think them bastards, not my sons, 
 But that 1 know they issu'd from thy womb, 
 That never look'd on man but Tamburlaine. 
 
 Zeno. My gracious lord, they have their mother's 
 looks, 
 But, when they list, their conquering father's heart. 
 This lovely boy, the youngest of the three, 
 Not long ago bestrid a Scythian steed, 
 Trotting the ring, and tilting at a glove,
 
 134 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 Which when he tainted* with his slender rod, 
 He rein'd him straight, and made him so curvet, 
 As I cried out for fear he should have fain. 
 
 Tamb. Well done, my boy ! thou shalthave shield 
 and lance, 
 Armour of proof, horse, helm, and curtle-axe, 
 And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe, 
 And harmless run among the deadly pikes. 
 If thou wilt love the wars and follow me, 
 Thou shalt be made a king and reign with me, 
 Keeping in iron cages emperors. 
 If thou exceed thy elder brothers' worth, 
 And shine in complete virtue more than they, 
 Thou shalt be king before them, and thy seed 
 Shall issue crowned from their mother's womb. 
 
 Cel. Yes, father ; you shall see me, if I live, 
 Have under me as many kings as you, 
 And march with such a multitude of men, 
 As all the world shall f tranble at their view. 
 
 Tamb. These words assure me, boy, thou art my 
 son. 
 When I am old and cannot manage arms, 
 Be thou the scourge and terror of the world. 
 
 Amy. Why may not I, my lord, as well as he, 
 Be term'd the scourge and terror oft the world? 
 
 » tainted] i. e. touched, struck lightly : see "Richardson's 
 Diet, in v. 
 
 t shall] So the 8vo.— The 4to " should.'' 
 \ of] So the 8vo.— The Ito " to."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. I 3f> 
 
 Tamb. Be all a scourge and terror to% the world, 
 Or else you are not sons of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Caly. But, while my brothers follow arms, my lord, 
 Let me accompany my gracious mother ; 
 They are enough to conquer all the world, 
 And you have won enough for me to keep. 
 
 Tamb. Bastardly boy, sprungf from some coward's 
 loins, 
 And not the issue of great Tamburlaine ! 
 Of all the provinces I have subdu'd 
 Thou shalt not have a foot, unless thou bear 
 A mind courageous and invincible ; 
 For he shall wear the crown of Persia 
 Whose head hath deepest scars, whose breast most 
 
 w r ounds, 
 Which, being wroth, sends lightning from his eyes, 
 And in the furrows of his frowning brows 
 Harbours revenge, war, death, and cruelty ; 
 For in a field, whose superficies* 
 Is cover'd with a liquid purple veil, 
 And sprinkled with the brains of slaughter'd men, 
 My royal chair of state shall be advanc'd ; 
 And he that means to place himself therein, 
 Must armed wade up to the chin in blood. 
 
 Zeno. My lord, such speeches to our princely sons 
 
 § to] So the 8vo.— The 4to " of." 
 
 t spning] So the 8vo. — The 4to " sprong". — See note, p. 36. 
 * superficies'] Old eds. " superfluities." — (In act iii. sc. 4, 
 we have, 
 
 " the concave superficies 
 Of Jove's vast palace.")
 
 136 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT 1. 
 
 Dismay f their minds before they come to prove 
 The wounding troubles angry war affords. 
 
 Cel. No, madam, these are speeches fit for us; 
 For, if his chair were in a sea of blood, 
 I would prepare a ship and sail to it, 
 Ere I would lose the title of a king. 
 
 Amy. And I would strive to swim through]; pools 
 of blood, 
 Or make a bridge of murder'd carcasses §, 
 Whose arche? should be fram'd with bones of Turks, 
 Ere I would lose the title of a king. 
 
 Tamb. Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both, 
 Stretching your conquering arms from east to west : — 
 And, sirrah, if you mean to wear a crown, 
 When we|| shall meet the Turkish deputy 
 And all his viceroys, snatch it from his head, 
 And cleave his pericranion with thy sword. 
 
 Caly. If any man will hold him, I will strike, 
 And cleave him to the channel * with my sword. 
 
 Tame. Hold him, and cleave him too, or I'll cleave 
 thee; 
 For we will march against them presently. 
 Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane 
 Promis'd to meet me on Larissa-plains, 
 With hosts a-piece against this Turkish crew ; 
 
 t Dismay'] Old eds. " Dismaies " and" Dismay^.' 
 t through] So the 4to.— The 8vo " thoiw." 
 $ carcasses] So the 8ro. — The 4to " carkasse.'* 
 || ice] So the 8vo.— The 4to " yon (you)." 
 * channel] i. p. collar, neck, — collar-hone.
 
 SC. 111.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 137 
 
 For I have sworn by sacred Mahomet 
 
 To make it parcel of* my empery. 
 
 The trumpets sound ; Zenocrate, they come. 
 
 Enter Theridamas, and his train, with drums and 
 
 trumpets. 
 Welcome, Theridamas, king of Argier. 
 
 Ther. My lord, the great and mighty Tamburlaine, 
 Arch-monarch of the world, I offer here 
 My crown, myself, and all the power I have, 
 In all affection at thy kingly feet. 
 
 Tamb. Thanks, good Theridamas. 
 
 Ther. Under my colours march ten thousand 
 Greeks, 
 And of Argier and Afric's frontier towns 
 Twice twenty thousand valiant men at arms; 
 All which have sworn to sack Natolia. 
 Five hundred brigandines are under sail, 
 Meet for your service on the sea, my lord, 
 That, launching from Argier to Tripoly, 
 Will quickly ride before Natolia, 
 And batter down the castles on the shore. 
 
 Tamb. Well said, Argier ! receive thy crown again. 
 
 Enter Usumcasane and Techeeles. 
 Kings of Morocco* and of Fez, welcome. 
 
 Usum. Magnificent and peerless Tamburlaine, 
 
 * Morocco] The old eds. here, and in the next speech, " Mo- 
 rocus": but see nolo, p. fi3.
 
 138 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT I. 
 
 I and my neighbour king of Fez have brought, 
 
 To aid thee in this Turkish expedition, 
 
 A hundred thousand expert soldiers ; 
 
 From Azamor to Tunis near the sea 
 
 Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake, 
 
 And all the men in armour under me, 
 
 Which with my crown I gladly offer thee. 
 
 Tamb. Thanks, king of Morocco : take your crown 
 again. 
 
 Tech. And, mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly god, 
 Whose looks make this inferior world to quake, 
 I here present thee with the crown of Fez, 
 And with an host of Moors train'd to the war,* 
 Whose coal-black faces make their foes retire, 
 And quake for fear, as if infernal f Jove, 
 Meaning to aid thee I in these § Turkish arms, 
 Should pierce the black circumference of hell, 
 With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags, 
 And millions of his strong tormenting spirits : 
 From strong Tesella unto Biledull 
 All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake. 
 
 Tamb. Thanks, king of Fez : take here thy crown 
 
 again. 
 
 Your presence, loving friends and fellow-kings, 
 
 Makes me to surfeit in conceiving joy. 
 
 If all the crystal gates of Jove's high court 
 
 * war] So the 8vo. — The 4to " warres." 
 
 f if infernal'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " if the infernall." 
 
 * thee] Old eds. " them." 
 
 <$ these] So the 4to The 8»o " this."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 139 
 
 Were open'd wide, and I might enter in 
 
 To see the state and majesty of heaven, 
 
 It could not more delight me than your sight. 
 
 Now will we banquet on these plains a while, 
 
 And after march to Turkey with our camp, 
 
 In number more than are the drops that fall 
 
 When Boreas rents a thousand swelling clouds ; 
 
 And proud Orcanes of Natolia 
 
 With all his viceroys shall be so afraid, 
 
 That, though the stones, as at Deucalion's flood, 
 
 Were turn'd to men, he should be overcome. 
 
 Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood, 
 
 That Jove shall send his winged messenger 
 
 To bid me sheathe my sword and leave the field ; 
 
 The sun, unable to sustain the sight, 
 
 Shall hide his head in Thetis' watery lap, 
 
 And leave his steeds to fair Bootes'* charge : 
 
 For half the world shall perish in this fight. 
 
 But now, my friends, let me examine ye ; 
 
 How have ye spent your absent time from me ? 
 
 Usum. My lord, our men of Barbary have march 'd 
 Four hundred miles with armour on their backs, 
 And lain in leaguer fifteen months and more; 
 For, since we left you at the Soldan's Court, 
 We have subdu'd the southern Guallatia, 
 And all the land unto the coast of Spain ; 
 We kept the narrow Strait of Gibralter, 
 And made Canaria call us kings and lords ; 
 
 * Bootes'] So the 4to.— The 8vo " Boetes."
 
 140 TIIF, SECOND PART OF [.ACT I. 
 
 Yet never did they recreate themselves, 
 Or cease one day from war and hot alarms, 
 And therefore let them rest a while, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. They shall, Casane, and 'tis time, i'faith. 
 
 Tech. And I have march'd along the river Nile 
 To Machda, where the mighty Christian priest, 
 Call'd John the Great*, sits in a milk-white robe, 
 Whose triple mitre I did take by force, 
 And made him swear obedience to my crown. 
 From thence unto Cazates did I march, 
 Where Amazonians met me in the field, 
 With whom, being women, I vouchsafed a league, 
 And with my power did march to Zanzibar, 
 The western part of Afric, where I view'd 
 The Ethiopian sea, rivers and lakes, 
 But neither man nor child in all the land ; 
 Therefore I took my course to Manico, 
 Where f, unresisted, I remov'd my camp ; 
 And, by the coast of Byather§, at last 
 I came to Cubar, where the negroes dwell, 
 And, conquering that, made haste to Nubia. 
 There, having sack'd Borno, the kingly seat, 
 
 * tl,e migltty Christian Priest, 
 
 Call'd John the Great] Concerning- the fabulous personage, 
 Prester John, see Nares's Glass, in v. 
 
 t Where] See note, p. 130. 
 
 (5 Byather] The Editor of 182G printed " Biafar": but it 
 is very doubtful if Marlowe wrote the names of places cor- 
 rectlvr.
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 141 
 
 I took the king and led him bound in chains 
 Unto Damascus]:, where I stay'd before. 
 
 Tamb. Well done, Techelles !— What saith Theri- 
 damas ? 
 
 Ther. I left the confines and the bounds of Afric, 
 And made* a voyage into Europe, 
 Where, by the river Tyras, I subdu'd 
 Stoka, Podolia, and Codemia ; 
 Then cross'd the sea and came to Oblia, 
 And Nigra Silva, where the devils dance, 
 Which, in despite of them, I set on fire. 
 From thence I cross'd the gulf call'd by the name 
 Mare Majore of the inhabitants. 
 Yet shall my soldiers make no period 
 Until Natolia kneel before your feet. 
 
 Tamb. Then will we triumph, banquet and carouse; 
 Cooks shall have pensions to provide us cates, 
 And glut us with the dainties of the world ; 
 Lachryma Christi and Calabrian wines 
 Shall common soldiers drink in quaffing bowls, 
 Ay, liquid gold, when we have conquer'd him, § 
 Mingled with coral and with orientf pearl. 
 Come, let us banquet and carouse the whiles. 
 
 [Exetuit. 
 
 f Damascus] Here the old eds. " Damasco." See note, 
 p. 91. 
 
 * And made, &c] A word dropt out from this line. 
 
 § him] i. e. the king of Natolia. 
 
 t orient] Old eds. " orientall " and " oriental.'' — In the first 
 act of Faustus we have " orient pearl."
 
 I-}'.' THE SECOND PAUT Ol [ACT II. 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 ScEXE I. 
 
 Enter Sigismund, Frederick, and Baldwin, with 
 their train. 
 
 Sig. Now say, my lords of Buda and Bohemia, 
 What motion is it that inflames your thoughts, 
 And stirs your valours to such sudden arms? 
 
 Fred. Your majesty remembers, I am sure, 
 What cruel slaughter of our Christian bloods 
 These heathenish Turks and pagans lately made 
 Betwixt the city Zula and Danubius ; 
 How through the midst of Varna and Bulgaria, 
 And almost to the very walls of Rome, 
 They have, not long since, massacred our camp. 
 It resteth now, then, that your majesty 
 Take all advantages of time and power, 
 And work revenge upon these infidels. 
 Your highness knows, for Tamburlaine's repair, 
 That strikes a terror to all Turkish hearts, 
 Natolia hath dismiss'd the greatest part 
 Of all his army, pitch'd against our power, 
 Betwixt Cutheia and Orminius' mount, 
 And sent them marching up to Belgasar, 
 Acantha, Antioch, and Caesarea, 
 To aid the kinsrs of Soria* and Jerusalem. 
 
 ■^ 
 
 Soria] See note, p. 124.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE TIIF GREAT. 143 
 
 Now, then, my lord, advantage take thereof,! 
 And issue suddenly upon the rest ; 
 That, fn the fortune of their overthrow, 
 We may discourage all the pagan troop, 
 That dare attempt to war with Christians. 
 
 Sig. But calls not, then, your grace to memory 
 The league we lately made with king Orcanes, 
 Confirm 'd by oath and articles of peace, 
 And calling Christ for record of our truths ? 
 This should be treachery and violence 
 Against the grace of our profession. 
 
 Bald. No whit, my lord ; for with such infidels, 
 In whom no faith nor true religion rests, 
 We are not bound to those accomplishments 
 The holy laws of Christendom enjoin ; 
 But, as the faith which they profanely plight 
 Is not by necessary policy 
 To be esteem'd assurance for ourselves, 
 So that we vow]: to them should not infringe 
 Our liberty of arms and victory. 
 
 Sig . Though I confess the oaths they undertake 
 Breed little strength to our security, 
 Yet those infirmities that thus defame 
 Their faiths §, their honours, and religion ||, 
 
 t thereof] So the 8vo.— The 4to " heereof." 
 
 $ that we vow] i. e. that which we vow. So the 8vo. — The 
 4to " what we vow" Neither of the modern editors under- 
 standing the passage, they printed " we that vow." 
 
 § faiths] So the 8vo. — The 4to " tame." 
 
 || and religion] Old eds. " and their religion."
 
 144 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 Should not give us presumption to the like. 
 Our faiths are sound, and must be continuate}-, 
 Religious, righteous, and inviolate. 
 
 Fred. Assure your grace, 'tis superstition 
 To stand so strictly on dispensive faith ; 
 And, should we lose the opportunity 
 That God hath given to'venge our Christians' death, 
 And scourge their foul blasphemous paganism, 
 As fell to Saul, to Balaam, and the rest, 
 That would not kill and curse at God's command, 
 So surely will the vengeance of the Highest, 
 And jealous anger of his fearful arm, 
 Be pour'd with rigour on our sinful heads, 
 If we neglect this ofTer'd victory. 
 
 Sig. Then arm, my lords, and issue suddenly, 
 Giving commandment to our general host, 
 With expedition to assail the pagan, 
 And take the victory our God hath given. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter Orcanes, Gazellus, and Uribassa, with 
 their train. 
 
 Orc Gazellus, Uribassa, and the rest, 
 Now will we march from proud Orminius' mount . 
 To fair Natolia, where our neighbour kings 
 
 t continuate] So the modern editors, — a word which occurs 
 in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, " an untirable and continuate 
 goodness", act i. sc. 1.), but which perhaps 13 not the right 
 reading in the present passage. — Old eds. " consinuate". — The 
 Revd. J. Mitford proposes '' continent", in the sense of— res- 
 training from violence. — I once conjectured " consummate ".
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 14,0 
 
 Expect our power and our royal presence, 
 T encounter with the cruel Tamburlaine, 
 That nigh Larissa sways a mighty host, 
 And with the thunder of his martial* tools 
 Makes earthquakes in the hearts of men and heaven. 
 Gaz. And now come we to make his sinews shake, 
 With greater power than erst his pride hath felt. 
 An hundred kings, by scores, will bid him arms, 
 And hundred thousands subjects to each score, 
 Which, if a shower of wounding thunderbolts 
 Should break out of the bowels of the clouds, 
 And fall as thick as hail upon our heads, 
 In partial aid of that proud Scythian, 
 Yet should our courages and steeled crests, 
 And numbers, more than infinite, of men, 
 Be able to withstand and conquer him. 
 
 Uri. Methinks I see how glad the Christian king 
 Is made for joy of our f admitted truce, 
 That could not but before be terrified 
 With I unacquainted power of our host. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. Arm, dread sovereign, and my noble lords! 
 The treacherous army of the Christians, 
 Taking advantage of your slender power, 
 Comes marching on us, and determines straight 
 To bid us battle for our dearest lives. 
 
 * martial] So the 4to. — The 8vo " materiall." 
 t ottr] So the 4to. — The Ri-o " your." 
 t With] So the 4to.— The 8vo " Which." 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 THE SECOND PART OF [ ACT II. 
 
 One. Traitors, villains, damned Christians ! 
 Have 1 not here the articles of peace 
 And solemn covenants we have both confirm'd, 
 He by his Christ, and I by Mahomet? 
 
 Gaz. Hell and confusion light upon their heads, 
 That with such treason seek our overthrow, 
 And care§ so little for their prophet Christ! 
 
 Orc. Can there be such deceit in Christians, 
 Or treason in the fleshly heart of man, 
 Whose shape is figure of the highest God ? 
 Then, if there be a Christ, as Christians say, 
 But in their deeds deny him for their Christ, 
 If he be son to everliving Jove, 
 And hath the power of his outstretched arm. 
 If he be jealous of his name and honour, 
 As is our holy prophet Mahomet, 
 Take here these papers as our sacrifice 
 And witness of thy servants' perjury ! 
 
 [He tears to pieces the articles of peace. 
 Open, thou shining veil of Cynthia, 
 And make a passage from th' empyreal heaven, 
 That he that sits on high and never sleeps, 
 Nor in one place is circumscriptible, 
 But every where fills every continent 
 With strange infusion of his sacred vigour, 
 May, in his endless power and purity, 
 Behold and 'venge this traitor's || perjury ! 
 Thou, Christ, that art esteem'd omnipotent, 
 
 § fore] Old eds. " cares." 
 || this traitor's] He means Sigismund. So a few lines after, 
 " this traitor's soul."
 
 SC. II.] TAMB0RLAINE THE GREAT. 14' 
 
 If thou wilt prove thyself a perfect God, 
 
 Worthy the worship of all faithful hearts, 
 
 Be now reveng'd upon this traitor's soul, 
 
 And make the power I have left behind 
 
 (Too little to defend our guiltless lives) 
 
 Sufficient to discomfort]: and confound 
 
 The trustless force of those false Christians ! — 
 
 To arms, my lords* ! on Christ still let us cry : 
 
 If there be Christ, we shall have victory. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Alarms of battle within. Enter Stgismund 
 wounded. 
 
 Sig. Discomfited is all the Christian f host, 
 And God hath thunder'd vengeance from on high, 
 For my accurs'd and hateful perjury. 
 O just and dreadful punisher of sin, 
 Let the dishonour of the pains I feel 
 In this my mortal well-deserved wound 
 End all my penance in my sudden death ! 
 And let this death, wherein to sin 1 die, 
 Conceive a second life in endless mercy ! [Dies. 
 
 Enter Orcanes, Gazellus, Urieassa, with others. 
 
 Org. Now lie the Christiansbathing in their bloods, 
 And Christ or Mahomet hath been my friend. 
 
 X discomfort] Qy. " discomfit"'! compare the first line of the 
 next scene. 
 
 * lords] So the 8vo. — The 4to " lord." 
 
 t Christian] So the 8 vo.— The 4to " Christians."
 
 148 THE SECOND TAUT OF [ACT II. 
 
 Gaz. See, here the perjur'd traitor Hungary, 
 Bloody and breathless for his villany ! 
 
 Orc. Now shall his barbarous body be a prey 
 To beasts and fowls, and all the winds shall breathe, 
 Through shady leaves of every senseless tree, 
 Murmurs and hisses for his heinous sin. 
 Now scalds his soul in the Tartarian streams, 
 And feeds upon the baneful tree of hell, 
 That Zoacum*, that fruit of bitterness, 
 That in the midst of fire is ingrafT'd, 
 Yet flourisheth as Flora in her pride, 
 With apples like the heads of damned fiends. 
 The devils there, in chains of quenchless flame, 
 Shall lead his soul, through Orcus' burning gulf, 
 From pain to pain, whose change shall never end. 
 What say'st thou yet, Gazellus, to his foil, 
 Which we referr'd to justice of his Christ, 
 And to his power, which here appears as full 
 As rays of Cynthia to the clearest sight ? 
 
 Gaz. 'Tis but the fortune of the wars, my lord, 
 Whose power is often prov'd a miracle. 
 
 Ouc. Yet in my thoughts shall Christ be honoured, 
 Not doing Mahomet ant injury, 
 Whose power had share in this our victory; 
 And, since this miscreant hath disgrac'd his faith, 
 And died a traitor both to heaven and earth, 
 
 * Zoacum] " Or Zakkum. — The description of this tree is 
 taken from a fable in the Koran, chap. 37." Ed. 1826. 
 t u«] So the 8vo. — The 4to " any."
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 149 
 
 We will both watch and ward shall keep his trunk J 
 Amidst these plains for fowls to prey upon. 
 Go, Uribassa, give§ it straight in charge. 
 
 Uri. I will, my lord. [Exit. 
 
 Orc. And now, Gazellus, let us haste and meet 
 Our army, and our brother of Jerusalem, 
 Of Soria}, Trebizon, and Amasia, 
 And happily, with full Natolian bowls 
 Of Greekish wine, now let us celebrate 
 Our happy conquest and his angry fate. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 The arras is drawn, and Zenocrate is discovered 
 lying in her bed of state ; Tamburlaine silting 
 by her; three Physicians about her bed, tem- 
 pering potions ; the three so7is, Calyphas, Amy- 
 ras, and Celebinus ; Theridamas, Techelles, 
 and Usumcasane. 
 
 Tamb. Black is the beauty of the brightest day ; 
 The golden ball of heaven's eternal fire, 
 That danc'd with glory on the silver waves, 
 Now wants the fuel that inflam'd his beams; 
 And all with faintness, and for foul disgrace, 
 
 t We will both watch and ward shidl keep his trunk] i. e. We 
 will tbat both watch, &c. So the 4to. — The 8vo has " and 
 keepe. ' 
 
 § Uribassa, give'] So the 8vo. — The 4fo " (Vi/m.s.sa, ami 
 giiie." 
 
 X Soria~\ See note, p. 124.
 
 150 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 He binds his temples with a frowning cloud, 
 
 Ready to darken earth with endless night. 
 
 Zenocrate, that gave him light and life, 
 
 Whose eyes shot fire from their* ivory brows t, 
 
 And temper'd every soul with lively heat, 
 
 Now by the malice of the angry skies, 
 
 Whose jealousy admits no second mate, 
 
 Draws in the comfort of her latest breath, 
 
 All dazzled with the hellish mists of death. 
 
 Now walk the angels on the walls of heaven, 
 
 As sentinels to warn th' immortal souls 
 
 To entertain divine Zenocrate : 
 
 Apollo, Cynthia, and the ceaseless lamps 
 
 That gently look'd upon this I loathsome earth, 
 
 Shine downwards now no more, but deck the heavens 
 
 To entertain divine Zenocrate : 
 
 The crystal springs, whose taste illuminates 
 
 Refined eyes with an eternal sight, 
 
 Like tried silver run § through Paradise 
 
 To entertain divine Zenocrate : 
 
 The cherubins and holy seraphins, 
 
 That sing and play before the King of Kings, 
 
 Use all their voices and their instruments 
 
 To entertain divine Zenocrate ; 
 
 And, in this sweet and curious harmony, 
 
 The God that tunes this music to our souls, 
 
 ' their] So the 4to. — Not in die 8vo. 
 t droits] Old eds. " bowei\>." 
 
 lis] So the Bvo.— The 4to " ih^ 
 i run] Old eds. " runs."
 
 SC. IV.] TAMBURLAIXE THE GREAT. 1 5 1 
 
 Holds out his hand in highest majesty 
 
 To entertain divine Zenocrate. 
 
 Then let some holy trance convey my thoughts 
 
 Up to the palace of th' empyreal heaven, 
 
 That this my life may be as short to me 
 
 As are the days of sweet Zenocrate. — 
 
 Physicians, will no* physic do her good? 
 
 First Phys. My lord, your majesty shall soon 
 perceive, 
 And if she pass this fit, the worst is past. 
 
 Tamb. Tell me, how fares my fair Zenocrate ? 
 
 Zeno. I fare, my lord, as other empresses, 
 That, when this frail andf transitory flesh 
 Hath suck'd the measure of that vital air 
 That feeds the body with his dated health, 
 Wane| with enforc'd and necessary change. 
 
 Tamb. May never such a change transform my love 
 In whose sweet being I repose my life, 
 Whose heavenly presence, beautified with health, 
 Gives light to Phoebus and the fixed stars ! 
 Whose absence makes § the sun and moon as dark 
 As when, oppos'd in one diameter, 
 Their spheres are mounted on the serpent's head, 
 Or else descended to his winding train. 
 Live still, my love, and so conserve my life, 
 Or, dying, be the author || of my death. 
 
 * no] So the 4to.— The8vo"nor." 
 t find] So the 4to. — The 8vo " a." 
 \ Wane] Old eds. " Wanes." 
 § makes] So the 4to. — -The 8vo " make." 
 
 || nuthnr] So the 4to. — The 8vo " anchor."
 
 152 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT II. 
 
 Zeno. Live still, my lord; oh, let my sovereign live! 
 And sooner let the fiery element 
 Dissolve, and make your kingdom in the sky, 
 Than this base earth should shroud your majesty; 
 For, should I but suspect your death by mine, 
 The comfort of my future happiness, 
 And hope to meet your highness in the heavens, 
 Turn'd to despair, would break my wretched breast, 
 And fury would confound my present rest. 
 But let me die, my love ; yes,* let me die ; 
 With love and patience let your true love die : 
 Your grief and fury hurts my second life. 
 Yet let me kiss my lord before I die, 
 And let me die with kissing of my lord. 
 But, since my life is lengthen 'd yet a while, 
 Let me take leave of these my loving sons, 
 And of my lords, whose true nobility 
 Have merited my latest memory. 
 Sweet sons, farewell ! in death resemble me, 
 And in your lives your father's excellence f. 
 Some music, and my fit will cease, my lord. 
 
 [They call for music. 
 Tamb. Proud fury, and intolerable fit, 
 That dares torment the body of my love, 
 And scourge the scourge of the immortal God ! 
 Now are those spheres, where Cupid us'd to sit, 
 Wounding the world with wonder and with love, 
 
 * ves] Oldeds. " yet." 
 
 I . rci //• nee] So the ito. — The 8vo " excellency." 

 
 SC. IV.] TAMUURLAINE TI!E GUEAT. 153 
 
 Sadly supplied with pale and ghastly death, 
 Whose darts do pierce the centre of my soul. 
 Her sacred beauty hath enchanted heaven ; 
 And, had she liv'd before the siege of Troy, 
 Helen, whose beauty suminon'd Greece to arms, 
 And drew a thousand ships to Tenedos, 
 Had not been nam'd in Homer's Iliads, — 
 Her name had been in every line he wrote ; 
 Or, had those wanton poets, for whose birth 
 Old Rome was proud, but gaz'd a while on her, 
 Nor Lesbia nor Corinna had been nam'd, — 
 Zenocrate had been the argument 
 Of every epigram or elegy. 
 
 [The music sounds. — Zenocrate dies. 
 What, is she dead ? Techelles, draw thy sword, 
 And wound the earth, that it may cleave in twain, 
 And we descend into the infernal vaults, 
 To hale the Fatal Sisters by the hair, 
 And throw them in the triple moat of hell, 
 For taking hence my fair Zenocrate. 
 Casane and Theridainas, to arms ! 
 Raise cavalieros* higher than the clouds, 
 And with the cannon break the frame of heaven ; 
 Batter the shining palace of the sun, 
 And shiver all the starry firmament, 
 For amorous Jove hath snatch'd my love from hence, 
 Meaning to make her stately queen of heaven. 
 
 • cavalieros] 1. e. mounds, or elevations of earth, to lod<re 
 cannon.
 
 154 THE SECOND TAUT OF [ACT II. 
 
 What god soever holds thee in his arms, 
 Giving thee nectar and ambrosia, 
 Behold me here, divine Zenocrate, 
 Raving, impatient, desperate, and mad, 
 Breaking my steeled lance, with which I burst 
 The rusty beams of Janus' temple-doors, 
 Letting out Death and tyrannizing War, 
 To march with me under this bloody flag ! 
 And, if thou pitiest Tamburlaine the Great, 
 Come down from heaven, and live with me again ! 
 
 Ther. Ah, good my lord, be patient! she is dead, 
 And all this raging cannot make her live. 
 If words might serve, our voice hath rent the air ; 
 If tears, our eyes have water'd all the earth ; 
 If grief, our murder'd hearts have strain'd forth blood : 
 Nothing prevails, for she is dead, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. For she is dead! thy words do pierce my 
 soul : 
 Ah, sweet Theridamas, say so no more ! 
 Though she be dead, yet let me think she lives, 
 And feed my mind that dies for want of her. 
 Where'er her soul be, thou [ To the body] shalt stay 
 
 with me, 
 Embalm 'd with cassia, ambergris, and myrrh, 
 Not lapt in lead, but in a sheet of gold, 
 And, till I die, thou shalt not be interr'd. 
 Then in as rich a tomb as Mausolus' 
 We both will rest, and have one* epitaph 
 
 • one] So the 8vo (" on").— The 4to " our.''
 
 SC. IV,] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 155 
 
 Writ in as many several languages 
 
 As I have conquer'd kingdoms with my sword. 
 
 This cursed town will I consume with fire, 
 
 Because this place bereft me of my love ; 
 
 The houses, burnt, will look as if they mourn'd ; 
 
 And here will I set up her stature f, 
 
 And march about it with my mourning camp, 
 
 Drooping and pining for Zenocrate. 
 
 [The arras is drawn. 
 
 ACT III. 
 Scene I. 
 
 Enter the Kings of Tuebizon and Soria}, one 
 bringing a sword and the other a sceptre ; next, 
 Orcanes king of Natolia, and the King of 
 Jerusalem, with the imperial crown ; after, 
 Callapine; and, after him, other Lords and 
 Almeda. Orcanes and the King a/Jerusalem 
 crown Callapine, and the others give him the 
 sceptre. 
 
 Orc. Callapinus Cyricelibes, otherwise Cybelius, 
 son and successive heir to the late mighty emperor 
 Bajazeth, by the aid of God and his friend Mahomet, 
 
 t stature] See note, p. 80. — So the 8vo.— The 4to " statue." 
 Here the metre would be assisted by reading " statua," which 
 is frequently found in our early writers: see my Remarks on 
 Mr. Collier's and Mr. Knight's editions of Shakespeare, p. 186. 
 
 t Soria] See note, p. 124.
 
 156 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Emperor of Natol ia, Jerusalem , Trebizon, Soria, Ama- 
 sia, Thracia, Ilyria, Carmonia, and all the hundred 
 and thirty kingdoms late contributory to his mighty 
 father,— long live Callapinus, Emperor of Turkey ! 
 
 Call. Thrice-worthy kings of Natolia, and the rest, 
 I will requite your royal gratitudes 
 With all the benefits my empire yields; 
 And, were the sinews of the imperial seat 
 So knit and strengthen'd as when Bajazeth, 
 My royal lord and father, fill'd the throne, 
 Whose cursed fate * hath so dismember'd it, 
 Then should you see this thief of Scythia, 
 This proud usurping king of Persia, 
 Do us such honour and supremacy, 
 Bearing the vengeance of our father's wrongs, 
 As all the world should blot hisf dignities 
 Out of the book of base-born infamies. 
 And now I doubt not but your royal cares 
 Have| so provided for this cursed foe, 
 That, since the heir of mighty Bajazeth 
 (An emperor so honour'd for his virtues) 
 Revives the spirits of all § true Turkish hearts, 
 In grievous memory of his father's shame, 
 We shall not need to nourish any doubt, 
 But. that proud Fortune, who hath follow'd long 
 The martial sword of mighty Tamburlaine, 
 
 * fate] So the 8vo.— The 4to " fates." 
 t his] Old eds. " our." 
 
 * Ha tc] Old eds. " Hath." 
 jS all] So the 8vo.— Omitted in the 4to.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 15' 
 
 Will now retain her old inconstancy, 
 And raise our honours || to as high a pitch, 
 In this our strong and fortunate encounter; 
 For so hath Heaven provided my escape 
 From all the cruelty my soul sustain'd, 
 By this my friendly keeper's happy means, 
 That Jove, surcharg'd with pity of our wrongs, 
 Will pour it down in showers on our heads, 
 Scourging the pride of cursed Tamburlaine. 
 
 Orc. I have a hundred thousand men in arms; 
 Some that, in conquest* of the perjur'd Christian, 
 Being a handful to a mighty host, 
 Think them in number yet sufficient 
 To drink the river Nile or Euphrates, 
 And for their power enow to win the world. 
 
 K. of Jer. And I as many from Jerusalem, 
 Judseaf, Gaza, and Sclavonic's J bounds, 
 That on mount Sinai, with their ensigns spread, 
 Look like the parti-colour'd clouds of heaven 
 That shew fair weather to the neighbour morn. 
 
 K. of Treb. And I as many bring from Trebizon , 
 Chio, Famastro, and Amasia, 
 All bordering on the Mare-Major-sea, 
 Riso, Sancina, and the bordering towns 
 That touch the end of famous Euphrates, 
 Whose courages are kindled with the flames 
 
 *&' 
 
 || honours] So the 8vo. — The 4to " honour." 
 
 * in conquest] So the 4to. — The 8vo " in the conquest." 
 
 t Jud&a] So the 8vo.— The 4 to " Juda." 
 
 X Sclnvonia's] Old eds. " Scalonians" and " Sclauonians."
 
 158 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 The cursed Scythian sets on all their towns, 
 And vow to burn the villain's cruel heart. 
 
 K. of Sor. From Soria^ with seventy thousand 
 strong, 
 Ta'en from Aleppo, Soldino, Tripoly, 
 And so unto my city of Damascus |], 
 I march to meet and aid my neighbour kings ; 
 All which will join against this Tamburlaine, 
 And bring him captive to your highness' feet. 
 
 Orc Our battle, then, in martial manner pitch 'd, 
 According to our ancient use, shall bear 
 The figure of the semicircled moon, 
 Whose horns shall sprinkle through the tainted air 
 The poison'd brains of this proud Scythian. 
 
 Call. Well, then, my noble lords, for this my 
 friend 
 That freed me from the bondage of my foe, 
 I think it requisite and honourable 
 To keep my promise and to make him king, 
 That is a gentleman, I know, at least. 
 
 Alm. That's no matter*, sir, for being a king; 
 for Tamburlaine came up of nothing. 
 
 K. of Ji.r. Your majesty may choose some 'pointed 
 time, 
 Performing all your promise to the full ; 
 'Tis nought for your majesty to give a kingdom. 
 
 § x 1 1 ?• ia ] See uote, p. 1:24. 
 
 || Damascus] Here the old eds. " Damasco." See note, p. 
 91. 
 
 * That's no matter, &c] So previously (p. 131) Almeda 
 speaks in prose, " T like that well," &c.
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 159 
 
 Call. Then will I shortly keep my promise, 
 
 Almeda. 
 Alm. Why, I thank your majesty. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaixe and his three sons, Calyphas, 
 Amyras, and Celebixus; Usumcasaxe ; four 
 attendants bearing the hearse of Zcnocrate, and 
 the drums sounding a doleful march ; the town 
 burning. 
 
 Tamb. So burn the turrets of this cursed town, 
 Flame to the highest region of the air, 
 And kindle heaps of exhalations, 
 That, being fiery meteors, may presage 
 Death and destruction to the inhabitants ! 
 Over my zenith hang a blazing star, 
 That may endure till heaven be dissolv'd, 
 Fed with the fresh supply of earthly dregs, 
 Threatening a dearth * and famine to this land ! 
 Flying dragons, lightning, fearful thunder-claps, 
 Singe these fair plains, and make them seem as 
 
 black 
 As is the island where the Furies mask, 
 Compass'd with Lethe, Styx, and Phlegethon, 
 Because my dear Zenocrate is dead ! 
 
 Caly. This pillar, plac'd in memory of her, 
 Where in Arabian, Hebrew, Greek, is writ, 
 This town, being burnt by Tamburlaine the Great, 
 
 * dearth] Old eds. *< death."
 
 
 THE SECOND PART OV [aCT III. 
 
 Forbids the world to build it tip again. 
 
 Amy. And here this mournful streamer shall be 
 plac'd, 
 
 Wrought with the Persian and the \ Egyptian arms, 
 
 To signify she was a princess born, 
 
 And wife unto the monarch of the East. 
 Cel. And here this table as a register 
 
 Of all her virtues and perfections. 
 
 Tamb. And here the picture of Zenocrate, 
 
 To shew her beauty which the world admir'd ; 
 
 Sweet picture of divine Zenocrate, 
 
 That, hanging here, will draw the gods from heaven, 
 
 And cause the stars fix'd in the southern arc, 
 
 (Whose lovely faces never any view'd 
 
 That have not pass'd the centre's latitude,) 
 
 As pilgrims travel to our hemisphere, 
 
 Only to gaze upon Zenocrate. 
 
 Thou shalt not beautify Larissa-plains, 
 
 But keep within the circle of mine arms : 
 
 At every town and castle I besiege, 
 
 Thou shalt be set upon my royal tent; 
 
 And, when I meet an army in the field, 
 
 Those f looks will shed such influence in my camp, 
 
 As if Bellona, goddess of the war, 
 
 Threw naked swords and sulphur-balls of fire 
 
 Upon the heads of all our enemies. — 
 
 And now, my lords, advance your spears again ; 
 
 Sorrow no more, my sweet Casaue, now : 
 
 % the] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 + Those] Old eds. " Whose." 

 
 SC. IT.] TAMBUKI.AINE THE GREAT, 
 
 Boys, leave to mourn ; this town shall ever mourn, 
 
 Being- burnt to cinders for your mother's death. 
 Caly. If I had wept a sea of tears for her, 
 
 It would not ease the sorrows § I sustain. 
 
 Amy. As is that town, so is my heart consum'd 
 
 With grief and sorrow for my mother's death. 
 Cel. My mother's death hath mortified my mind, 
 
 And sorrow stops the passage of my speech. 
 
 Tamb. But now, my boys, leave off, and list to me, 
 That mean to teach you rudiments of war. 
 I'll have you learn to sleep upon the ground, 
 March in your armour thorough watery fens, 
 Sustain the scorching heat and freezing cold, 
 Hunger and thirst||, right adjuncts of the war; 
 And, after this, to scale a castle-wall, 
 Besiege a fort, to undermine a town, 
 And make whole cities caper in the air : 
 Then next, the way to fortify your men ; 
 In champion* grounds what figure serves you best, 
 For which f the quinque-angle form is meet, 
 Because the corners there may fall more flat 
 Whereas J the fort may fittest be assail'd, 
 And sharpest where th' assault is desperate ; 
 The ditches must be deep ; thelf counterscarps 
 
 § sorrows'] So the 8ro. — The 4to " sorrow." 
 || thirst] So the 4to.— The 8vo " colde." 
 * champion] i. e. champaign. 
 t which] Old eds. " with." 
 $ Whereas] i. e. Where. 
 f the] So the 8vo.— The 4to " and." 
 VOL. I. M
 
 16'2 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Narrow and steep ; the walls made high and broad ; 
 
 The bulwarks and the rampires large and strong, 
 
 With cavalieros|| and thick counterforts, 
 
 And room within to lodge six thousand men ; 
 
 It must have privy ditches, countermines, 
 
 And secret issuings to defend the ditch ; 
 
 It must have high arginsf and cover'd ways 
 
 To keep the bulwark- fronts from battery, 
 
 And parapets to hide the musketeers, 
 
 Casemates to place the great X artillery, 
 
 And store of ordnance, that from every flank 
 
 May scour the outward curtains of the fort, 
 
 Dismount the cannon of the adverse part, 
 
 Murder the foe, and save the§ walls from breach. 
 
 When this is learn'd for service on the land, 
 
 By plain and easy demonstration 
 
 I'll teach you how to make the water mount, 
 
 That you may dry-foot march through lakes and pools, 
 
 Deep rivers, havens, creeks, and little seas, 
 
 And make a fortress in the raging waves, 
 
 Fenc'd with the concave of a monstrous rock, 
 
 Invincible by nature* of the place. 
 
 When this is done, then are ye soldiers, 
 
 And worthy sons of Tamburlaine the Great. 
 
 Caly. My lord, but this is dangerous to be done ; 
 
 || cavalieros'] See note, p. 153. 
 
 t argins] " Argine, Ital. An embankment, a rampart." Ed. 
 
 1826. 
 
 t great] So the 8vo.— The 4to " greatst." 
 
 § the] Old eds. " their." 
 
 » by nature] So the 8vo. — The 4to " by the nature." 

 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAIWE THE GREAT. 163 
 
 We may be slain or wounded ere we learn. 
 
 Tamb. Villain, art thou the son of Tamburlaine, 
 And fear'st to die, or with at curtle-axe 
 To hew thy flesh, and make a gaping wound? 
 Hast thou beheld a peal of ordnance strike 
 A ring of pikes, mingled with shot and horseU", 
 Whose shatter 'd limbs, being toss'd as high as heaven, 
 Hang in the air as thick as sunny motes, 
 And canst thou, coward, stand in fear of death? 
 Hast thou not seen my horsemen charge the foe, 
 Shot through the arms, cut overthwart the hands, 
 Dying their lances with their streaming blood, 
 And yet at night carouse within my tent, 
 Filling their empty veins with airy wine, 
 That, being concocted, turns to crimson blood, 
 And wilt thou shun the field for fear of wounds ? 
 View me, thy father, that hath conquer'd kings, 
 And, with his* host, march'd+ round about the earth, 
 Quite void of scars and clear from any wound, 
 That by the wars lost not a drop§ of blood, 
 And see him lance || his flesh to teach you all. 
 
 [He cuts his arm. 
 
 i a] So the 4to.— The 8vo " the." 
 
 If A ring of pikes, mingled with shot and horse] Qy. " foot" 
 instead of " shot" ? (hut the " ring of pikes" is " foot").— The 
 Revd. J. Mitford proposes to read, " A ring of pikes and horse, 
 mangled with shot." 
 
 * his] So the 8vo.— The 4to " this." 
 
 t march' d] So the 4to. — The 8vo " martch." 
 
 § drop] So the 8vo.— The 4to " dram." 
 
 || lance] So the 4to. — Here the 8vo " lanch" : hut after- 
 wards more than once it has " lance."
 
 164 THE SECOND PART ol [ACT III. 
 
 A wound is nothing, be it ne'er so deep ; 
 
 Blood is the god of war's rich livery. 
 
 Now look I like a soldier, and this wound 
 
 As great a grace and majesty to me, 
 
 As if a chair of gold enamelled, 
 
 Enchas'd with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, 
 
 And fairest pearl of wealthy India, 
 
 Were mounted here under a canopy, 
 
 And I sat down, cloth'd with a massy robe 
 
 That late adorn'd the Afric potentate, 
 
 Whom I brought bound unto Damascus' walls. 
 
 Come, boys, and with your fingers search my wound, 
 
 And in my blood wash all your hands at once, 
 
 While I sit smiling to behold the sight. 
 
 Now, my boys, what think ye of a wound ? 
 
 Caly. I know not§ what I should think of it; me- 
 thinks 'tis a pitiful sight. 
 
 Cel. 'Tis* nothing. — Give me a wound, father. 
 
 Amy. And me another, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. Come, sirrah, give me your arm. 
 
 Cel. Here, father, cut it bravely, as you did your 
 own. 
 
 Tamb. It shall suffice thou dar'st abide a wound ; 
 My boy, thou shalt not lose a drop of blood 
 Before we meet the army of the Turk ; 
 But then run desperate through the thickest throngs, 
 Dreadless of blows, of bloody wounds, and death ; 
 And let the burning: of Larissa-walls. 
 
 *» 
 
 § 7 know not, \c] This and the next four speeches are evi- 
 dently prose, as are several other portions of this plav. 
 • Tis] So the 4to.— The 8vo " This."
 
 SC. II.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 
 
 My speech of war, and this my wound you see, 
 Teach you, my boys, to bear courageous minds, 
 Fit for the followers of great Tamburlaine. — 
 Usumcasane, now come, let us march 
 Towards Techelles and Theridamas, 
 That we have sent before to fire the towns, 
 The towers and cities of these hateful Turks, 
 And hunt that coward faint-heart runaway, 
 With that accursed f traitor Almeda, 
 Till fire and sword have found them at a bay. 
 
 Usum. I long to pierce his J bowels with my sword, 
 That hath betray'd my gracious sovereign, — 
 That curs'd and damned traitor Almeda. 
 
 Tamb. Then let us see if coward Callapine 
 Dare levy arms against our puissance, 
 That we may tread upon his captive neck, 
 And treble all his father's slaveries. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 Enter Techelles, Theridamas, and their train. 
 
 Tiier. Thus have we march'd northward from 
 Tamburlaine, 
 Unto the frontier point* of Soria || ; 
 And this is Balsera, their chiefest hold, 
 Wherein is all the treasure of the land. 
 
 Tech. Then let us bring our light artillery, 
 
 t accursed'] So the 4to. — The 8vo " cursed." 
 t his] So the 4to.— The 8vo " the." 
 * point] So the 8vo.— The 4to " port." 
 || Soria] ^pp nMe, p. 124.
 
 1 66 THE SECOND PART 01? [.\CT III. 
 
 Minions, falc'nets, and sakers*, to the trench, 
 Filling the ditches with the walls' wide breach, 
 And enter in to seize upon the gold. — 
 How say you, soldiers, shall we not? 
 
 Soldiers. Yes, ray lord, yes ; come, let's about it 
 
 Ther. But stay a while; summon a parle, drum. 
 It may be they will yield it quietly ||, 
 Knowing two kings, the friends \ to Tamburlaine, 
 Stand at the walls with such a mighty power. 
 
 [A parley sounded. — Captain appears on the 
 walls, with Olympia his wife, and his son. 
 
 Capt. What require you, my masters ? 
 
 Ther. Captain, that thou yield up thy hold to us. 
 
 Capt. To you ! why, do you § think me weary of it ? 
 
 Tech. Nay, captain, thou art weary of thy life, 
 If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Ther. These pioneers of Argier in Africa, 
 Even inf the cannon's face, shall raise a hill 
 Of earth and faggots higher than thy fort, 
 And, over thy arginstT and cover'd ways, 
 Shall play upon the bulwarks of thy hold 
 Volleys of ordnance, till the breach be made 
 That with his ruin fills up all the trench ; 
 And, when we enter in, not Heaven itself 
 
 * Minions, t'alc'nets, and sakers] ." All small pieces of ord- 
 nance." Ed. 1826. 
 
 || quietly] So the 8vo. — The 4to " quickely." 
 t friends] So the 4to.— The 8vo " friend.'' 
 § you] So the 4to. — The 8vo " thou." 
 t in] So the 8vo.— The 4to " to." 
 
 * argins] See note. p. 162.
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 167 
 
 Shall ransom thee, thy wife, and family. 
 
 Tech. Captain, these Moors shall cut the leaden 
 
 pipes 
 That bring fresh water to thy men and thee, 
 And lie in trench before thy castle-walls, 
 That no supply of victual shall come in, 
 Nor [any] issue forth but they shall die ; 
 And, therefore, captain, yield it quietly f. 
 
 Capt. Were you, that are the friends of Tambur- 
 
 laine,J 
 Brothers of * holy Mahomet himself, 
 I would not yield it ; therefore do your worst : 
 Raise mounts, batter, intrench, and undermine, 
 Cut off the water, all convoys that can§, 
 Yet I am || resolute: and so, farewell. 
 
 [Captain, Olympia, and son, retire from the 
 walls. 
 Ther. Pioneers, away ! and where I stuck the 
 
 stake, 
 Intrench with those dimensions I prescrib'd ; 
 Cast up the earth towards the castle-wall, 
 Which, till it may defend you, labour low, 
 And few or none shall perish by their shot. 
 
 t quietly'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " quickely." 
 
 + Were you, that are the friends of Tamburlaine~\ So the 8vo. 
 — The 4to " Were all you that are friends of Tamburlaine." 
 
 * of] So the 8vo.— The 4to " to." 
 
 § all convoys that can] i. e. (1 believe) all convoys (convey- 
 ances) that can be cut oft". The modern editors alter " can " to 
 " come." 
 
 || I am] So the 8vo.— The 4to " am /."
 
 168 THE SECOND PART OF [ ACT III. 
 
 Pioneers. We will, my lord. [Exeunt Pioneers. 
 
 Tech. A hundred horse shall scout about the 
 plains, 
 To spy what force comes to relieve the hold. 
 Both we, Theridamas, will intrench our men, 
 And with the Jacob's staff measure the height 
 And distance of the castle from the trench, 
 That we may know if our artillery 
 Will carry full point-blank unto their walls. 
 
 Ther. Then see the bringing of our ordnance 
 Along the trench into* the battery, 
 Where we will have gallions of six foot broad, 
 To save our cannoneers from musket-shot ; 
 Betwixt which shall our ordnance thunder forth, 
 And with the breach's fall, smoke, fire, and dust, 
 The crack, the echo, and the soldiers' cry, 
 Make deaf the air and dim the crystal sky. 
 
 Tech. Trumpets and drums, alarum presently ! 
 And, soldiers, play the men; the holdf is yours! 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 Alarms, wit hin. Enter the Captain, with 
 OiYMPiA„and his Son. 
 Olym. Come, good my lord, and let us haste 
 from hence, 
 Along the cave that leads beyond the foe : 
 
 • into] So the 8vo.— The 4(o " vnto." 
 \ hold] So the 4to. — The 8vo " holds."
 
 SO. IV.] TAMBURXAINE THE GREAT. 169 
 
 No hope is left to save this conquer'd hold. 
 
 Capt. A deadly bullet, gliding through my side, 
 Lies heavy on my heart; I cannot live : 
 I feel my liver pierc'd, and all my veins, 
 That there begin and nourish every part, 
 Mangled and torn, and all my entrails bath'd 
 In blood that strainethj from their orifex. 
 Farewell, sweet wife ! sweet son, farewell ! I die. 
 
 [Dies. 
 
 Olym. Death, whither art thou gone, that both 
 we live ? 
 Come back again, sweet Death, and strike us both ! 
 One minute end our days, and one sepulchre 
 Contain our bodies ! Death, why com'st thou not? 
 Well, this must be the messenger for thee : 
 
 [Drawing a dagger. 
 Now, ugly Death, stretch out thy sable wings, 
 And carry both our souls where his remains. — 
 Tell me, sweet boy, art thou content to die? 
 These barbarous Scythians, full of cruelty, 
 And Moors, in whom was never pity found, 
 Will hew us piecemeal, put us to the wheel, 
 Or else invent some torture worse than that ; 
 Therefore die by thy loving mother's hand, 
 Who gently now will lance thy ivory throat, 
 And quickly rid thee both of pain and life. 
 
 Son. Mother, despatch me, or I'll kill myself; 
 For think you I can live and see liim dead ? 
 
 ; straineth] So 'hp 4m. — Thp flvo " staineih."
 
 170 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 Give me your knife, good mother, or strike home* : 
 The Scythians shall not tyrannize on me : 
 Sweet mother, strike, that I may meet my father. 
 
 [She stabs him, and he dies. 
 Olym. Ah, sacred Mahomet, if this be sin, 
 Entreat a pardon of the God of heaven, 
 And purge my soul before it come to thee ! 
 
 [She burns the bodies of her husband and son, 
 and then attempts to kill herself. 
 
 Enter Theridamas, Techelles, and all their 
 train. 
 
 Ther. How now, madam ! what are you doing? 
 
 Olym. Killing myself, as I have done my son, 
 Whose body, with his father's, I have burnt, 
 Lest cruel Scythians should dismember him. 
 
 Tech. Twas bravely done, and like a soldier's wife. 
 Thou shalt with us to Tamburlaine the Great, 
 Who, when he hears how resolute thou wertf, 
 Will match thee with a viceroy or a king. 
 
 Olym. My lord deceas'd was dearer unto me 
 Than any viceroy, king, or emperor ; 
 And for his sake here will I end my days. 
 
 Ther. But, lady, go with us to Tamburlaine, 
 And thou shalt see a man greater than Mahomet, 
 Tn whose high looks is much more majesty, 
 Than from the concave superficies 
 
 • home] So the 8vo.~ The 4to " haue." 
 t wert] So the 8vo.— The 4to " art."
 
 SC. IV.] TAMBURI.AINE THE GREAT. 
 
 Of Jove's vast palace, the empyreal orb, 
 
 Unto the shining bower where Cynthia sits, 
 
 Like lovely Thetis, in a crystal robe ; 
 
 That treadeth Fortune underneath his feet, 
 
 And makes the mighty god of arms his slave ; 
 
 On whom Death and the Fatal Sisters wait 
 
 With naked swords and scarlet liveries ; 
 
 Before whom, mounted on a lion's back, 
 
 Rhamnusia bears a helmet full of blood, 
 
 And strows the way with brains of slaughter'd men ; 
 
 By whose proud side the ugly Furies run, 
 
 Hearkening when he shall bid them plague the world ; 
 
 Over whose zenith, cloth'd in windy air, 
 
 And eagle's wings join'd* to her feather 'd breast, 
 
 Fame hovereth, sounding off her golden trump, 
 
 That to the adverse poles of that straight line 
 
 Which measureth the glorious frame of heaven 
 
 The name of mighty Tamburlaine is spread ; 
 
 And him, fair lady, shall thy eyes behold. 
 
 Come. 
 
 Olym. Take pity of a lady's ruthful tears, 
 That humbly craves upon her knees to stay, 
 And cast her body in the burning flame 
 That feeds upon her sou's and husband's flesh. 
 
 Tech. Madam, sooner shall fire consume us both, 
 Than scorch a face so beautiful as this, 
 In frame of which Nature hath shew'd more skill 
 
 ' join'd] So the 4to. — The 8vo " inioin'd.' 
 i of] So the 870.— The 4to '• in."
 
 172 Tin: second pakt Of [act hi. 
 
 Than when she gave eternal chaos form, 
 Drawing from it the shining lamps of heaven. 
 
 Ther. Madam, I am so far in love with you, 
 That you must go with us ; no remedy. 
 
 Olym. Then carry me, I care not, where you will, 
 And let the end of this my fatal journey 
 Be likewise end to my accursed life. 
 
 Tech. No, madam, but the|| beginning of your 
 
 j°y : 
 
 Come willingly therefore. 
 
 Theu. Soldiers, now let us meet the general, 
 Who by this time is at Natolia, 
 Ready to charge the army of the Turk. 
 The gold and* silver, and the pearl, ye got, 
 Rifling this fort, divide in equal shares : 
 This lady shall have twice so much again 
 Out of the coffers of our treasury. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 Enter Callapine, Orcanes, the Kings of Jeru- 
 salem, Trebizox, and Soria, with their train, 
 Almeda, and a Messenger. 
 
 Mes. Renowmedf emperor, mighty J Callapine, 
 God's great lieutenant over all the world, 
 
 || the] Added perhaps by a mistake of the transcriber or 
 printer. 
 
 * and] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the." 
 
 f Renotomed] See note, p. 27. So the 8ro. — The 4to " Re- 
 nowned." 
 
 I emperor, mighty] So ihe firo. — The 4to " cmperoiir, and 
 mishiie"
 
 SC. V.J TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 173 
 
 Here at Aleppo, with an host of men, 
 
 Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persia, 
 
 (In number more than are thef quivering leaves 
 
 Of Ida's forest, where your highness' hounds 
 
 With open cry pursue]: the wounded stag,) 
 
 Who means to girt Natolia's walls with siege, 
 
 Fire the town, and over-run the land. 
 
 Call. My royal army is as great as his, 
 That, from the bounds of Phrygia to the sea 
 Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves, 
 Covers the hills, the valleys, and the plains. 
 Viceroys and peers of Turkey, play the men ; 
 Whet all your § swords to mangle Tamburlaine, 
 His sons, his captains, and his followers : 
 By Mahomet, not one of them shall live ! 
 The field wherein this battle shall be fought 
 For ever term || the Persians' sepulchre, 
 In memory of this our victory. 
 
 Orc. Now he that calls himself the* scourge of 
 Jove, 
 The emperor of the world, and earthly god, 
 Shall end the warlike progress he intends, 
 And travel headlong to the lake of hell, 
 Where legions of devils (knowing he must die 
 
 t the] So the 4to.— The 8vo " this." 
 
 % pursue] Old eds. " pursues." 
 
 § your] So the 8vo. — The 4to " our." 
 
 || term] Qy. " term'd " 1 
 
 * the] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo.
 
 '74 THE SECOND PART OF [aCTIII. 
 
 Here in Natolia by your§ highness' hands), 
 All brandishing their || brands of quenchless fire, 
 Stretching their monstrous paws, grin with* their 
 
 teeth , 
 And guard the gates to entertain his soul. 
 
 Call. Tell me, viceroys, the number of your men, 
 And what our army royal is esteem'd. 
 
 K. of Jer. From Palestina and Jerusalem, 
 Of Hebrews three score thousand fighting men 
 Are come, since last we shevv'd yourf majesty. 
 
 Orc. So from Arabia desert, and the bounds 
 Of that sweet land whose brave metropolis 
 Re-edified the fair Semiramis, 
 Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse, 
 Since last we number'd to your majesty. 
 
 K. of Tree. From Trebizon in Asia the Less, 
 Naturaliz'd Turks and stout Bithynians 
 Came to my bands, full fifty thousand more, 
 (That, fighting, know J not what retreat doth mean, 
 Nor e'er return but with the victory,) 
 Since last we number'd to your majesty. 
 
 K. of Sor. Of Sorians§ from Halla is repair'd||, 
 
 § your] So the 8vo.— The 4to " our." 
 
 || brandishing their] So the 4to. — The 8vo " brandishing in 
 their." 
 
 * with] So the 4to. — Omitted in the 8vo. 
 
 t shew'd your] So the 8vo. — The 4to " shewed to your." 
 
 J know] Old eds. " knowes." 
 
 § Sorians] See note, p. 124. 
 
 || repair'd] So the 8vo.— The 4to " prepar'd."
 
 SC. V.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. ] 7.j 
 
 And neighbour cities of your highness' land§, 
 Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot, 
 Since last we number'd to your majesty; 
 So that the army royal is esteem'd 
 Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men. 
 Call. Then welcome, Tamburlaine, unto thy 
 death ! — 
 Come, puissant viceroys, let us to the field 
 (The Persians' sepulchre), and sacrifice 
 Mountains of breathless men to Mahomet, 
 Who now, with Jove, opens the firmament 
 To see the slaughter of our enemies. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine with his three sons, Calyphas, 
 Amyras, and Celeeinus ; Usumcasane, and 
 others. 
 
 Tamb. How now, Casane? see, a knot of kings, 
 Sitting as if they were a-telling riddles ! 
 
 Usum. My lord, your presence makes them pale 
 and wan : 
 Poor souls, they look as if their deaths were near. 
 
 Tamb. Why, so he|| is, Casane ; I am here : 
 But yet I'll save their lives, and make them slaves.— 
 Ye petty kings of Turkey, I am come, 
 As Hector did into the Grecian camp, 
 To overdare the pride of Grsecia, 
 
 § And neighbour cities of your highness' land] So the 8vu. — 
 Omitted in the 4to. 
 
 || he] i. e. Death. So the 8vo.— The 4lo " it."
 
 176 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III 
 
 And set his warlike person to the view 
 
 Of fierce Achilles, rival of his fame : 
 
 I do you honour in the simile ; 
 
 For, if I should, as Hector did Achilles, 
 
 (The worthiest knight that ever brandish'd sword,) 
 
 Challenge in combat any of you all, 
 
 I see how fearfully ye would refuse, 
 
 And fly my glove as from a scorpion. 
 
 Orc. Now thou art fearful of thy army's strength, 
 Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight : 
 But, shepherd's issue, base-born Tamburlaine, 
 Think of thy end ; this sword shall lance thy throat. 
 
 Tamb. Villain, the shepherd's issue (at whose, 
 birth 
 Heaven did afford a gracious aspect, 
 And join'd those stars that shall be opposite 
 Even till the dissolution of the world, 
 And never meant to make a conqueror 
 So famous as is* mighty Tamburlaine) 
 Shall so torment thee, and that Callapine, 
 That, like a roguish runaway, suborn'd 
 That villain there, that slave, that Turkish dog, 
 To false his service to his sovereign, 
 As ye shall curse the birth of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Call. Rail not, proud Scythian : I shall now re- 
 venge 
 My father's vile abuses, and mine own. 
 
 K. of Jf.r. By Mahomet, he shall be tied in chains, 
 
 * is] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the " 

 
 SC. V.] TAMBURT.AINE THE GREAT. 177 
 
 Rowing with Christians in a brigandine 
 About the Grecian isles to rob and spoil, 
 And turn him to his ancient trade again : 
 Methinks the slave should make a lusty thief. 
 
 Call. Nay, when the battle ends, all we will meet, 
 And sit in council to invent some pain 
 That most may vex his body and his soul. 
 
 Tamb. Sirrah Callapine, I'll hang a clog about 
 your neck for running away again : you shall not 
 trouble me thus to come and fetch you. — 
 But as for you, viceroy[s], you shall have bits, 
 And, harness'd* like my horses, draw my coach ; 
 And, when ye stay, be lash'd with whips of wire : 
 I'll have you learn to feed onf provender, 
 And in a stable lie upon the planks. 
 
 Orc. But, Tamburlaine, first thou shaltt kneel to 
 us, 
 And humbly crave a pardon for thy life. 
 
 K. ofTreb. The common soldiers of our mighty host 
 Shall bring thee bound unto the§ general's tent. 
 
 K. of Sor. And all have jointly sworn thy cruel 
 death, 
 Or bind thee in eternal torments' wrath. 
 
 Tamb. Well, sirs, diet yourselves; you know I 
 shall have occasion shortly to journey you. 
 
 * harness'd'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " harnesse." 
 t on] So the 4to. — The 8vo " with " (the compositor having 
 caught the word from the preceding line). 
 
 t thou shali] So the 8vo. — The 4to " shnlt thou." 
 § the] So the 8vo.— The 4to " our.'" 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 178 THE SECOND FART OF [ ACT III. 
 
 Cel. See, father, how Almeda the jailor looks 
 upon us ! 
 
 Tamb. Villain, traitor, damned fugitive, 
 I'll make thee wish the earth had swallow'd thee ! 
 See'st thou not death within my wrathful looks ? 
 Go, villain, cast thee headlong from a rock, 
 Or rip thy bowels, and rent * out thy heart, 
 T appease my wrath ; or else I'll torture thee, 
 Searing thy hateful flesh with burning irons 
 And drops of scalding lead, while all thy joints 
 Be rack'd and beat asunder with the wheel ; 
 For, if thou liv'st, not any element 
 Shall shroud thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Call. Well, in despite of thee, he shall be king. — 
 Come, Almeda ; receive this crown of me : 
 I here invest thee king of Ariadan, 
 Bordering on Mare Roso, near to Mecca. 
 
 Orc. What ! take it, man. 
 
 Alm. Good my lord, let me take it. 
 
 Call. Dost thou ask him leave ? here ; take it. 
 
 Tamb. Go to, sirrah f ! take your crown, and make 
 up the half dozen. So, sirrah, now you are a king, 
 you must give arms J. 
 
 One. So he shall, and wear thy head in his 
 scutcheon. 
 
 * atul rent'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " or rend." 
 
 t Go to, sirrah] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Goesirrha." 
 
 | give arms] An heraldic expression, meaning- — sliew armo- 
 rial bearings (used, of course, with a quibble).
 
 SC. V.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 179 
 
 Tamb. No§; let him hang a bunch of keys on his 
 standard, to put him in remembrance he was a jailor, 
 that, when I take him, I may knock out his brains 
 with them, and lock you in the stable, when you 
 shall come sweating from my chariot. 
 
 K. of Treb. Away ! let us to the field, that the 
 villain may be slain. 
 
 Tamb. Sirrah, prepare whips, and bring my 
 chariot to my tent ; for, as soon as the battle is done, 
 I'll ride in triumph through the camp. 
 
 Enter Theridamas, Techelles, and their train. 
 
 How now, ye petty kings? Io, here are bugs|| 
 Will make the hair stand upright on your heads, 
 And cast your crowns in slavery at their feet ! — 
 Welcome, Theridamas and Techelles, both : 
 See ye this rout*, and know ye this same king? 
 
 Ther. Ay, my lord ; he was Callapine's keeper. 
 
 Tamb. Well, now ye see he is a king. Look to 
 him, Theridamas, when we are fighting, lest he hide 
 his crown as the foolish king of Persia did -f . 
 
 K. of Sor. No, Tamburlaine ; he shall not be put 
 to that exigent, I warrant thee. 
 
 Tamb. You know not, sir. — 
 But now, my followers and my loving friends, 
 Fight as you ever did, like conquerors, 
 
 § No] So the 4to.— The 3vo " Go." 
 
 || bugs'] i. e. bugbears, objects to strike you with terror. 
 
 * rout] i. e. crew, rabble. 
 
 t as the foolish king of Persia did] See p. 40.
 
 180 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT III. 
 
 The glory of this happy day is yours. 
 My stern aspectf shall make fair Victory, 
 Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me, 
 Loaden with laurel-wreaths to crown us all. 
 
 Tech. I smile to think how, when this field is fought 
 And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat 
 With carrying pearl and treasure on their backs. 
 
 Tamb. You shall be princes all, immediately. — 
 Come, fight, ye Turks, or yield us victory. 
 
 Orc No; we will meet thee, slavish Tambur- 
 laine. [Exeunt severally. 
 
 ACT IV. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 A larms within. Am yras and Celebin us issue from 
 the tent where Calyphas sits asleep.% 
 
 Amy. Now in their glories shine the golden crowns 
 Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns 
 That half dismay the majesty of heaven. 
 Now, brother, follow we our father's sword, 
 That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts, 
 And cuts down armies with his conquering wings. 
 
 Cel. Call forth our lazy brother from the tent, 
 For, if my father miss him in the field, 
 Wrath, kindled in the furnace of his breast, 
 
 t aspect] So the 8vo.— The 4to " aspects." 
 % sits asleep'] At the back of the stage, which was supposed 
 to represent the interior of the tent.
 
 SC. I.] TAMBUULAINE THE GREAT. 181 
 
 Will send a deadly lightning to his heart. 
 
 Amy. Brother, ho ! what, given so much to sleep, 
 You cannot§ leave it, when our enemies' drums 
 And rattling cannons thunder in our ears 
 Our proper ruin and our father's foil ? 
 
 Caly. Away, ye fools ! my father needs not me, 
 Nor you, in faith, but that you will be thought 
 More childish-valourous than manly-wise. 
 If half our camp should sit and sleep with me, 
 My father were enough to scare* the foe : 
 You do dishonour to his majesty, 
 To think our helps will do him any good. 
 
 Amy. What, dar'st thou, then, be absent from the 
 fight, 
 Knowing my father hates thy cowardice, 
 And oft hath warn'd thee to be still in field, 
 When he himself amidst the thickest troops 
 Beats down our foes, to flesh our taintless swords ? 
 
 Caly. I know, sir, what it is to kill a man ; 
 It works remorse of conscience in me : 
 I take no pleasure to be murderous, 
 Nor care for blood when wine will quench my thirst. 
 
 Cel. O cowardly boy ! fie, for shame, come forth ! 
 Thou dost dishonour manhood and thy house. 
 
 Caly. Go, go, tallf stripling, fight you for us both, 
 And take my other toward brother here, 
 
 § You cannot] So the 8vo. — The 4to " Can you not," 
 * scare] So the 8vo. — The 4to " scarce." 
 t tall] i. e. hold, brave.
 
 182 HIE SECOND PART OF [act p 
 
 For person like to prove a second Mars. 
 'Twill please my mind as well to hear, both you* 
 Have won a heap of honour in the field, 
 And left your slender carcasses behind, 
 As if I lay with you for company. 
 Amy. You will not go, then ? 
 Caly. You say true. 
 
 Amy. Were all the lofty mounts of Zona Mundi 
 That fill the midst of farthest Tartary 
 Turn'd into pearl and proffer'd for my stay, 
 I would not bide the fury of my father, 
 When, made a victor in these haughty arms, 
 He comes and finds his sons have had no shares 
 In all the honours he propos'd for us. 
 
 Caly. Take you the honour, I will take my ease ; 
 My wisdom shall excuse my cowardice : 
 I go into the field before I need ! 
 
 [Alarms within. Amyras and Celebinus run out. 
 The bullets fly at random where they list ; 
 And, should If go, and kill a thousand men, 
 I were as soon rewarded with a shot, 
 And sooner far than he that never fights; 
 And, should I go, and do no harm nor good, 
 I might have harm, which all the good I have, 
 .Join'd with my father's crown, would never cure. 
 I'll to cards. — Perdicas ! 
 
 Enter Perdicas. 
 Peiid. Here, my lord. 
 
 • both you] So the 8vo.— The 4m " you both." 
 '•' [ ^o the 8vo. -The 4to " / should." 
 

 
 SC. I.J TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 183 
 
 Caly. Come, thou and I will go to cards to drive 
 away the time. 
 
 Perd. Content, my lord: but what shall we play 
 for? 
 
 Caly. Who shall kiss the fairest of the Turks' con- 
 cubines first, when my father hath conquered them. 
 
 Perd. Agreed, i'faith. [They play. 
 
 Caly. They say I am a coward, Perdicas, and 1 
 fear as little their taratantaras, their swords, or their 
 cannons as I do a naked lady in a net of gold, and, 
 tor fear I should be afraid, would put it off and come 
 to bed with me. 
 
 Perd. Such a fear, my lord, would never make 
 you retire. 
 
 Caly. I would my father would let me be put in 
 the front of such a battle once, to try my valour ! 
 [Alarms tuithin.] What a coil they keep! I believe 
 there will be some hurt done anon amongst them. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Techelles, 
 Usumcasane ; Amyras and Celebinus leading 
 in Orcanes, and the Kings of Jerusalem, Tre- 
 zon, and Soria ; and Soldiers. 
 
 Tamb. See now, yef slaves, my children stoop 
 your pride t, 
 And lead || your bodies* sheep-like to the sword ! — 
 
 t ye] So the 8vo.— The 4to " my." 
 
 } stoop your pride] i. e. make your pride to stoop. — Old eds. 
 " stoops" and " stoopes." 
 
 || lead] Old eds. " leads" and " leades." 
 * bodies] So the 8vo. — The 4to " slories."
 
 184 THE SECOND PART OF [.ACT IV. 
 
 Bring them, my boys, and tell me if the wars 
 Be not a life that may illustrate gods, 
 And tickle not your spirits with desire 
 Still to be train'd in arms and chivalry ? 
 
 Amy. Shall we let go these kings again, my lord, 
 To gather greater numbers 'gainst f our power, 
 That they may say, it is not chance doth this, 
 But matchless strength and magnanimity ? 
 
 Tamb. No, no, Amyras ; tempt not Fortune so : 
 Cherish thy valour still with fresh supplies, 
 And glut it not with stale and daunted foes. 
 But where's this coward villain, not ray son, 
 But traitor to my name and majesty ? 
 
 [He goes in and brings Calyphas out. 
 Image of sloth, and picture of a slave, 
 The obloquy and scorn of my renown ! 
 How may my heart, thus fired with mine I eyes, 
 Wounded with shame and kill'd with discontent, 
 Shroud any thought may § hold my striving hands 
 From martial justice on thy wretched soul ? 
 
 Tiier. Yet pardon him, I pray your majesty. 
 
 Tech. and Usum. Let all of us entreat your high- 
 ness' pardon. 
 
 Tamb. Stand up||, ye base, unworthy soldiers! 
 
 t 'gainst] So the 8vo. — The 4to " against." 
 
 t mine] So the 4to. — The 8vo " my." 
 
 § may] So the 4to. — The 8vo '* nay." 
 
 || up] The modern editors alter this word to " by," not un- 
 derstanding the passage. Tamburlaine means— Do not kneel to 
 me for his pardon.
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 185 
 
 Know ye not yet the argument of arms ? 
 
 Amy. Good my lord, let him be forgiven for once*, 
 And we will force him to the field hereafter. 
 
 Tamb. Stand up, my boys, and I will teach ye 
 arms, 
 And what the jealousy of wars must do. — 
 O Samarcanda, where I breathed first, 
 And joy'd the fire of this martial f flesh, 
 Blush, blush, fair city, at thine]: honour's foil, 
 And shame of nature, which § Jaertis' || stream, 
 Embracing thee with deepest of his love, 
 Can never wash from thy distained brows ! — 
 Here, Jove, receive his fainting soul again ; 
 A form not meet to give that subject essence 
 Whose matter is the flesh of Tamburlaine, 
 Wherein an incorporeal 1F spirit moves, 
 Made of the mould whereof thyself consists, 
 Which makes me valiant, proud, ambitious, 
 Ready to levy power against thy throne, 
 That I might move the turning spheres of heaven, 
 For earth and all this airy region 
 Cannot contain the state of Tamburlaine. 
 
 [Stabs Calyphas. 
 
 * once] So the 4to.— The 8vo " one." 
 
 t martial] So the 8vo— The 4to " materiall." (In this line 
 "fire" is a dissyllable.") 
 
 $ thine] So the 8vo.— The 4to " thy." 
 
 § which] Old eds. " with." 
 
 || Jaertis'] So the 8vo.— The Ito " Laertis." By " Jaertis'" 
 must be meant — Jaxartes'. 
 
 1F incorporeal] So the Hvo. — The 4to " incorporall."
 
 186 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT 
 
 l\ 
 
 By Mahomet, thy mighty friend, I swear, 
 In sending to my issue such a soul, 
 Created of the massy dregs of earth, 
 The scum and tartar of the elements, 
 Wherein was neither courage, strength, or wit, 
 But folly, sloth, and damned idleness, 
 Thou hast procur'd a greater enemy 
 Than he that darted mountains at thy head, 
 Shaking the burden mighty Atlas bears, 
 Whereat thou trembling hid'st thee in the air, 
 Cloth'd with a pitchy cloud for being seen§. — 
 And now, ye canker'd curs of Asia, 
 That will not see the strength of Tamburlaine, 
 Although it shine as brightly as the sun, 
 Now you shall* feel the strength of Tamburlaine, 
 And, by the state of his supremacy, 
 Approve f the difference 'twixt himself and you. 
 Orc. Thou shew'st the difference 'twixt ourselves 
 and thee, 
 In this thy barbarous damned tyranny. 
 
 K. of Jer. Thy victories are grown so violent, 
 That shortly heaven, fill'd with the meteors 
 Of blood and fire thy tyrannies have made, 
 Will pour down blood and fire on thy head, 
 Whose scalding drops will pierce thy seething brains, 
 
 § for being seen] i. e. " that thou mayest not be seen." F.d. 
 1 826. See Richardson's Diet, in v. For. 
 
 • you shall] So the 8vo. — The 4t.o " shall ue." 
 t Approve] i. e. prove, experience 

 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 187 
 
 And, with our bloods, revenge our bloods { on thee. 
 Tamb. Villains, these terrors, and these tyrannies 
 (If tyrannies war's justice ye repute), 
 I execute, enjoin'd me from above, 
 To scourge the pride of such as Heaven abhors ; 
 Nor am I made arch-monarch of the world, 
 Crown'd and invested by the hand of Jove, 
 For deeds of bounty or nobility ; 
 But, since I exercise a greater name, 
 The scourge of God and terror of the world, 
 I must apply myself to fit those terms, 
 In war, in blood, in death, in cruelty, 
 And plague such peasants § as resist in* me 
 The power of Heaven's eternal majesty. — 
 Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane[|, 
 Ransack the tents and the pavilions 
 Of these proud Turks, and take their concubines, 
 Making them bury this effeminate brat ; 
 For not a common soldier shall defile 
 His manly fingers with so faint a boy : 
 Then bring those Turkish harlots to my tent, 
 And I'll dispose them as it likes me best. — 
 Meanwhile, take him in. 
 
 Soldiers. We will, my lord. 
 
 [Exeunt with the body o/'Cai.yhias. 
 
 X bloods] So the 4to.— The 8vo " blood." 
 
 § peasants'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " parsants 
 
 ' resist in] Old eds. " resisting." 
 
 i| Casane] So the 4to. — The 8vo " Vsum Cusane."
 
 188 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT IV. 
 
 K. of Jeh. O damned monster! nay, a fiend of 
 hell, 
 Whose cruelties are not so harsh as thine, 
 Nor yet hnpos'd with such a bitter hate ! 
 
 Orc. Revenge itf, Rhadamanth and iEacus, 
 And let your hates, extended in his pains, 
 Excel X the hate wherewith he pains our souls ! 
 
 K. of Treb. May never day give virtue to his eyes, 
 Whose sight, compos'd of fury and of fire, 
 Doth send such stern affections to his heart ! 
 
 K. of Sor. May never spirit, vein, or artier §, feed 
 The cursed substance of that cruel heart ; 
 But, wanting moisture and remorseful || blood, 
 Dry up with anger, and consume with heat ! 
 
 Tamb. Well, bark, ye dogs: I'll bridle all your 
 tongues, 
 And bind them close with bits of burnish'd steel, 
 Down to the channels of your hateful throats ; 
 And, with the pains my rigour shall inflict, 
 I'll make ye roar, that earth may echo forth 
 The far-resounding torments ye sustain ; 
 As when an herd of lusty Cimbrian bulls 
 Run mourning round about the females' miss*, 
 
 t it] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 t Excel] Old eds. " Expell " and " Expel." 
 § artier'] See note, p. 49. 
 || remorseful] i. e. compassionate. 
 
 * miss] i.e. loss, want. The construction is— Hun round 
 about, mourning the miss of the females.
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 189 
 
 And, stung with fury of their following, 
 
 Fill all the air with troublous bellowing. 
 
 I will, with engines never exercis'd, 
 
 Conquer, sack, and utterly consume 
 
 Your cities and your golden palaces, 
 
 And, with the flames that beat against the clouds, 
 
 Incense the heavens, and make the stars to melt, 
 
 As if they were the tears of Mahomet 
 
 For hot consumption of his country's pride ; 
 
 And, till by vision or by speech I hear 
 
 Immortal Jove say " Cease, my Tamburlaine," 
 
 I will persist a terror to the world, 
 
 Making the meteors (that, like armed men, 
 
 Are seen to march upon the towers of heaven) 
 
 Run tilting round about the firmament, 
 
 And break their burning lances in the air, 
 
 For honour of my wondrous victories. — 
 
 Come, bring them in to our pavilion. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 Enter Olympia. 
 
 Olym. Distress'd Olympia, whose weeping eyes, 
 Since thy arrival here, behold f no sun, 
 But, clos'd within the compass of a§ tent, 
 Have || stain'd thy cheeks, and made thee look like 
 death, 
 
 t behold] Qy "beheld"? 
 
 § a] So the 4to.— The 8vo " the." 
 
 || Have] Old ods. " Hath."
 
 [90 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT IV 
 
 Devise some means to rid thee of thy life, 
 Rather than yield to his detested suit, 
 Whose drift is only to dishonour thee ; 
 And, since this earth, dew'd with thy brinish tears, 
 Affords no herbs whose taste may poison thee, 
 Nor yet this air, beat often with thy sighs, 
 Contagious smells and vapours to infect thee, 
 Nor thy close cave a sword to murder thee, 
 Let this invention be the instrument. 
 
 Enter Theridamas. 
 
 Ther. Well met, Olympia : I sought thee in my 
 tent, 
 But, when I saw the place obscure and dark, 
 Which with thy beauty thou wast wont to light, 
 Enrag'd, I ran about the fields for thee, 
 Supposing amorous Jove had sent his son, 
 The winged Hermes, to convey thee hence ; 
 But now I find thee, and that fear is past, 
 Tell me, Olympia, wilt thou grant my suit? 
 
 Olym. My lord and husband's death, with my 
 sweet son's, 
 (With whom I buried all affections 
 Save grief and sorrow, which torment my heart) 
 Forbids my mind to entertain a thought 
 That tends to love, but meditate on death, 
 A fitter subject for a pensive soul. 
 
 Ther. Olympia, pity him in whom thy looks 
 Have greater operation and more force 
 Than Cynthia's in the watery wilderness;
 
 SC.1I.] I'AMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 191 
 
 For with thy view my joys are at the full, 
 And ebb again as thou depart'st from me. 
 
 Olym. Ah, pity me, my lord, and draw your 
 sword, 
 Making a passage for my troubled soul, 
 Which beats against this prison to get out, 
 And meet my husband and my loving son ! 
 
 Ther. Nothing but still thy husband and thy son''' 
 Leave this, my love, and listen more to me : 
 Thou shalt be stately queen of fair Argier ; 
 And, cloth'd in costly cloth of massy gold, 
 Upon the marble turrets of my court 
 Sit like to Venus in her chair of state, 
 Commanding all thy princely eye desires ; 
 And I will cast off arms to sit with thee, 
 Spending my life in sweet discourse of love. 
 
 Olym. No such discourse is pleasant in J mine ears, 
 But that where every period ends with death, 
 And every line begins with death again : 
 I cannot love, to be an emperess. 
 
 Tuer. Nay, lady, then, if nothing will prevail, 
 I'll use some other means to make you yield : 
 Such is the sudden fury of my love, 
 I must and will be pleas'd, and you shall yield : 
 Come to the tent again. 
 
 Olym. Stay now, my lord ; and, will you§ save 
 my honour, 
 
 t in] So the 8vo.— The 4to " to." 
 
 § and, will yon] So the 8vo. — The 4to " if you will."
 
 19'2 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT IV. 
 
 I'll give your grace a present of such price, 
 As all the world can not afford the like. 
 
 Ther. What is it? 
 
 Olym. An ointment which a cunning alchymist 
 Distilled from the purest balsamum 
 And simplest extracts of all minerals, 
 In which the essential form of marble stone, 
 Temper'd by science metaphysical, 
 And spells of magic from the mouths* of spirits, 
 With which if you but 'noint your tender skin, 
 Nor pistol, sword, nor lance, can pierce your flesh. 
 
 Ther. Why, madam, think you to mock me thus 
 palpably ? 
 
 Olym. To prove it, I will 'noint my naked throat, 
 Which when you stab, look on your weapon's point, 
 And you shall see't rebated f with the blow. 
 
 Ther. Why gave you not your husband some of 
 it, 
 If you lov'd him, and it so precious ? 
 
 Olym. My purpose was, my lord, to spend it so, 
 But was prevented by his sudden end ; 
 And for a present easy proof thereof, 
 That I dissemble not, try it on me. 
 
 Ther. I will, Olympia, and will} keep it for 
 The richest present of this eastern world. 
 
 [She anoints her throat k. 
 
 * mouths] So the 4to. — The 8vo " mother." 
 
 t rebated] i. e. blunted. 
 
 i and will] So the 4to.— The 8vo " and I wil." 
 
 i She anoints her throat] This incident, as Mr. Collier ob-
 
 SC. 11.] 1AMRURLAINE THE GREAT. 19i 
 
 Olym. Now stab, my lord, and mark your wea- 
 pon's point, 
 That will be blunted if the blow be great. 
 
 Ther. Here, then, Olympia. — [Stabs her. 
 
 What, have I slain her? Villain, stab thyself! 
 Cut off this arm that murdered my* love, 
 In whom the learned Rabbis of this age 
 Might find as many wondrous miracles 
 As in the theoria of the world ! 
 Now hell is fairer than Elysium f ; 
 A greater lamp than that bright eye of heaven, 
 From whence the stars do borrow]; all their light, 
 Wanders about the black circumference ; 
 And now the damned souls are free from pain, 
 For every Fury gazeth on her looks ; 
 Infernal Dis is courting of my love, 
 Inventing masques and stately shows for her, 
 Opening the doors of his rich treasury 
 To entertain this queen of chastity ; 
 
 serves (Hist, of Eng. Dram. Poet., iii. 119) is borrowed from 
 Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, B. xxix, " where Isabella, to save 
 herself from the lawless passion of Rodomont, anoints her neck 
 with a decoction of herbs, which she pretends will render it 
 invulnerable : she then presents her throat to the Pagan, who, 
 believing her assertion, aims a blow and strikes off her head." 
 
 * wy] Altered bv the modern editors to " thy," — unneces- 
 sarily. 
 
 t Elysium] Old eds. '* Elisian " and " Elizian." 
 X do borrow'] So the 4to. — The 8vo " bnrow doo." 
 VOL. I. O
 
 194 THE SECOND PART 01' [ACT IV. 
 
 Whose body shall be tomb'd with all the pomp 
 The treasure of my§ kingdom may afford. 
 
 [Exit with the body 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, drawn in his chariot by the 
 Kings of Trebizon and Soriaf, with bits in their 
 mouths, reins in his I left hand, and in his right 
 hand a whip with which he scourgeth them ; 
 Amyras, Celebinus, Techelles, Theridamas, 
 Usumcasane ; Orcanes king of Natolia, and the 
 King of Jerusalem, led by five \\ or six common 
 Soldiers ; and other Soldiers. 
 
 Tamb. Holla, ye pamper'd jades of Asia* ! 
 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 H, 
 
 § my] So the 4to (Theridamas is King of Argier). — The 8vo 
 " thy.'' 
 
 t Soria] See note, p. 124. 
 
 t his] So the 4to.— The 8vo " their." 
 
 || ted by five] So the 4to. — The 8vo " led by [i. e. beside] with 
 Jim." 
 
 * Holla, ye pamper djades of Asia, &c] The ridicule showered 
 on this passage by a long series of poets, will be found noticed 
 in the Account of Marlowe and Ins Writings. 
 
 If And blow tln> morning from their nostrils] Here " nostrils "
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 195 
 
 Making their fiery gait above the clouds, 
 
 Are not so honour'd in J their governor, 
 
 As you, ye slaves, in mighty Tamburlaine. 
 
 The headstrong jades of Thrace Alcides tam'cl, 
 
 That King iEgeus 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 appetite, 
 
 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 § clouds ; 
 
 If not, then die like beasts, and fit for nought 
 
 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 ! 
 
 is to be read us a trisyllable, — and indeed is spelt in the 4to 
 " nosterils." — Mr. Collier (Hist, of Eng. Dram. Poet., iii. 124) 
 remarks that this has been borrowed from Marlowe by the ano- 
 nymous author of the tragedy of C<csar and Pompey, 1607 (and 
 he might have compared also Chapman's Hymnus in Cynthiam, 
 —The Shadow of Night, &c. 1594, sig. D 3): but, after all, it 
 is only a translation ; 
 
 " cum primum alto se gurgite tollunt 
 Solis equi, lucemqne elatis varibus efflant." 
 
 Mn. xii. 114 (Virgil being indebted to 
 Ennius and Lucilius). 
 % in] So the 8vo. — The 4to " as." 
 
 § racking] i. e. moving like smoke or vapour : see Richard- 
 son's Diet, in v.
 
 196 THE SECOND PARI 01 [ACT IV. 
 
 Amy. Let me have coach §, my lord, tliat 1 may 
 ride, 
 And thus be drawn by|| these two idle kings. 
 
 Tamb. Thy youth forbids such ease, my kingly boy : 
 They shall to-morrow draw my chariot, 
 While these their fellow-kings may be refresh 'd. 
 
 Orc. 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*, 
 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 hell ! 
 
 Ther. 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 pass their fixed bounds exceedingly. 
 
 Tech. Nay, we will break the hedges of their 
 mouths, 
 And pull their kicking colts [ out of their pastures. 
 
 § hare roach'] So the 8vo. — The 4to " huue a coach." 
 || by J So the 4to.— The 8vo " with." 
 * garden-plot | So the 4to. — The 8vo " garded plot." 
 t cits] i. e. (with a quibble) colts'-teeth.
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 197 
 
 Usum. Your majesty already hath devis'd 
 A mean, as fit as may be, to restrain 
 These coltish coach-horse tongues from blasphemy. 
 
 Cel. How like you that, sir king ? why speak you 
 not? 
 
 K. of Jer. Ah, cruel brat, sprung from a tyrant's 
 loins ! 
 How like his cursed father he begins 
 To practice taunts and bitter tyrannies ! 
 
 Tamb. Ay, Turk, I tell thee, this same§ 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 J the fair Aldeboran, 
 Above 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. 
 
 Tamb. Hold ye, tall || soldiers, take ye queens a- 
 piece, — 
 I mean such queens as were kings' concubines ; 
 
 § mine] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 J match] So the 8vo. — The 4to " march." 
 || tall] i. e. bold, I>pp\ i
 
 198 THE SECOND PART OF [ ACT IV, 
 
 Take them ; divide them, and their* jewels too, 
 And let them equally serve all your turns. 
 Soldiers. We thank your majesty. 
 Tamb. Brawl not, I warn you, for your lechery ; 
 For every man that so offends shall die. 
 
 Orc. Injurious tyrant, wilt thou so defame 
 The hateful fortunes of thy victory, 
 To exercise upon such guiltless darnes 
 The violence of thy common soldiers' lust ? 
 
 Tamb. Live continent^, then, ye slaves, and meet 
 not me 
 With troops of harlots at your slothful heels. 
 Concubines. Oh, pity us, my lord, and save our 
 
 honours ! 
 Tamb. Are ye not gone, ye villains, with your 
 spoils ? 
 [The Soldiers run away with the Concubines 
 K. of Jeu. Oh, merciless, infernal cruelty ! 
 Tamb. Save your honours ! 'twere but time in- 
 deed, 
 Lost long before ye knew what honour meant. 
 
 Ther. It seems they meant to conquer us, my lord, 
 And make us jesting pageants for their trulls. 
 Tamb. And now themselves shall make our pa- 
 geant, 
 And common soldiers jest + with all their trulls. 
 
 • their] So the 4to.— Omitted in the 8vo. 
 
 i continent] Old eds. " content." 
 
 t jest] A quibble — which will be understood by those readers 
 who recollect the double sense of jape (jest) in our earliesf 
 writers. 

 
 SC. 111.] T.YUBURLAINE THE GREAT. 199 
 
 Let them take pleasure soundly in their spoils, 
 Till we prepare our march to Babylon, 
 Whither we next make expedition. 
 
 Tech. Let us not be idle, then, my lord, 
 But presently be prest* to conquer it. 
 
 Tamb. 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, f west; the Caspian, north north-east ; 
 And on the south, Sinus Arabicus ; 
 Shall all J 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'§ stream, 
 The pride and beauty of her princely seat, 
 Be famous through the furthest^ 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 || the streets, with troops of conquer'd kings, 
 
 * prest~\ i. e. ready, 
 t Terrene] i. e. Mediterranean. 
 t all] So the 8vo.— Omitted in the 4to. 
 § Jaertis'] See note, p. 185. So the 8vo. — The 4to " La- 
 ertes." 
 
 %% furthest] So the 4to. — The 8vo '* l'urthiest." 
 | Thorough] So the 8vo.— The ito " Through."
 
 200 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT IV. 
 
 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 f y-mounted J high 
 
 t Like to an almond-tree, &c] This simile is borrowed from 
 Spenser's Faerie Queene, B. i. C. vii. st. 32 ; 
 " Upon the top of all his loftie crest, 
 A bounch of heares discolourd diversly, 
 With sprincled pearle and gold full richly dre.st, 
 Did shake, and seemd to daunce for iollity ; 
 Like to an almond tree ymounted hye 
 On top of greene Selinis all alone, 
 With blossoms brave bedecked daintily ; 
 Whose tender locks do tremble every one 
 At everie little breath that under heaven is blowne.' 
 
 The first three books of The Faerie Queene were originally printeii 
 in 1590, the year in which the present play was first given to 
 the press : but Spenser's poem, according to the fashion of the 
 times, had doubtless been circulated in manuscript, and had 
 obtained many readers, before its publication. In Abraham 
 Fraunce's Arcadian Rhetorike, 1588, some lines of the Second 
 IJook of The Faerie Queene are accurately cited. And see mv 
 Ace. of Peele and his Writings, p. xxxiv, Works, ed. 1829. 
 
 | u -mounted'] So both the old eds. — The modern editors print 
 " mounted"; and the Editor of 1826 even remarks in a note t 
 that the dramatist, " finding in the fifth line of Spenser's stanza 
 the word ' y-mounted, ' and, probably considering it to be too 
 obsolete for the stage, dropped the initial letter, leaving only 
 nine syllables and an unrythmical line " ! ! ! In the First I'm i 
 of this play (p. 65) we have, — 
 
 " Their limbs more large, and of a bigger size, 
 Than all the brats y-sprung from Typhon's loins :" 
 
 but we need not wonder that the Editor just cited did not re- 
 collect the passage, for ho had printed, like his predecessor. 
 " ere sprung.''
 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 201 
 
 Upon the lofty and celestial mount 
 
 Of ever-green Selinus^, quaintly deck'd 
 
 With blooms more white than Erycina's|| brows, * 
 
 Whose tender blossoms tremble every one 
 
 At every little breath that thorough heaven f is blown. 
 
 Then in my coach, like Saturn's royal son 
 
 Mounted his shining chariot | 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. 
 
 SCF.NE I. 
 
 Enter the Governor of Babylon, Maximus, and 
 others, upon the walls. 
 
 Gov. What saith Maximus? 
 Max. My lord, the breach the enemy hath made 
 Gives such assurance of our overthrow, 
 
 § ever-green Selinus] Old eds. " euery greene Selinus" and 
 " euerie greene," &c. — I may notice that one of the modern edi 
 tors silently alters "Selinus" to (Spenser's) " Selinis ;" but, 
 in fact, the former is the correct spelling. 
 
 || Erycina's] Old eds. " Hericinas." 
 
 * brows'] So the 4to. — The 8vo " bowes." 
 
 t breath thai thorough heaicn] So the 8vo. — The Uu " breath 
 from heauen." 
 
 } chariot] Old eds," chariots."
 
 '202 THE SECOND IWIIT OV [ACT 
 
 That little hope is left to save our lives, 
 
 Or hold our city from the conqueror's hands. 
 
 Then hang out§ 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. 
 
 Gov. Villain, respect'st thou || more thy slavish life 
 Than honour of thy country or thy name ? 
 Is not my life and state as dear to me, 
 The city and my native country's weal, 
 As any thing of* price with thy conceit ? 
 Have we not hope, for all our batter'd walls, 
 To live secure and keep his forces out, 
 When this our famous lake of Limnasphaltis 
 Makes walls a-fresh with every thing that falls 
 Into the liquid substance of his stream, 
 More strong than are the gates of death or hell ? 
 What faintness should dismay our courages, 
 When we are thus defenc'd against our foe, 
 And have no terror but his threatening looks ? 
 
 Enter, above, a Citizen, who kneels to the 
 Governor. 
 
 Cit. My lord, if ever you did deed of ruth, 
 And now will work a refuge to our lives, 
 Offer submission, hang up flags of truce, 
 
 § out] Old eds. " our." 
 
 || respect'st thou] Old eds. " respects thou :" but afterwards, 
 in this scene, the 8vo has, " Why send'st thou not," and " thou 
 sit'st." 
 
 * of] So the 8ro.— The 4to " in." 

 
 SC. I.J TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 203 
 
 That Tamburlaine may pity our distress, 
 
 And use us like a loving conqueror. 
 
 Though this be held his last day's dreadful siege, 
 
 Wherein he spareth neither man nor child, 
 
 Yet are there Christians of Georgia here, 
 
 Whose state wasf ever pitied and reliev'd, 
 
 Will get his pardon, if your grace would send. 
 
 Gov. How is my soul environed J ! 
 And this eterniz'd§ city Babylon 
 Fill'd with a pack of faint-heart fugitives 
 That thus entreat their shame and servitude ! 
 
 Enter, above, a Second Citizen. 
 
 Sec. Cit. My lord, if ever you will win our hearts, 
 Yield up the town, and|| save our wives and children ; 
 For I will cast myself from off these walls, 
 Or die some death of quickest violence, 
 Before I bide the wrath of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Gov. Villains, cowards, traitors to our state ! 
 Fall to the earth, and pierce the pit of hell, 
 That legions of tormenting spirits may vex 
 Your slavish bosoms with continual pains! 
 I care not, nor the town will never yield 
 As long as any life is in my breast. 
 
 Enter Theridamas and Tec helles, with Soldiers. 
 
 Ther. Thou desperate governor of Babylon, 
 
 t was] So the 8vo.— The 4to " he." 
 
 I environed] Qy. " environed with grief"? 
 
 § etemiz'd ] So the 4to. — The 8vo " entemisde." 
 
 || nnd] So the <!to.~ -Omitted in the 8ro.
 
 204 THE SECOND PART 01 [ ACT \ . 
 
 To save thy life, and us a little labour, 
 Yield speedily the city to our hands, 
 Or else be sure thou shalt be forc'd with pains 
 More exquisite than ever traitor felt. 
 
 Gov. Tyrant, I turn the traitor in thy throat, 
 And will defend it in despite of thee. — 
 Call up the soldiers to defend these walls. 
 
 Tech. Yield, foolish governor; we ofFer more 
 Than ever yet we did to such proud slaves 
 As durst resist us till our third day's siege. 
 Thou seest us prest* to give the last assault, 
 And that shall bide no more regard of parlef. 
 
 Gov. Assault and spare not; we will never yield. 
 [Alarms : and they scale the walls. 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine, drawn in his chariot (as be- 
 fore) by the Kings of Trebizon and Soria ; 
 Amyras, Celebinus, Usumcasane; Orcanes 
 king of Natolia, and the King of Jerusalem, led 
 by soldier s\ ; and others. 
 Tamb. The stately buildings of fair Babylon, 
 Whose lofty pillars, higher than the clouds, 
 Were wont to guide the seaman in the deep, 
 
 * prest] i. e. ready. 
 
 t parte] Here the old eds. " parlie": but repeatedly before 
 they liave" parle" (which is used more than once by Shakespeare). 
 
 | Orcanes Ling of Natolia, and the King of Jerusalem, led by 
 soldiers] Old eds. (which have here a very imperfect Slag( - 
 direction) "the two spare kings",— " spare " moaning— not 
 then wanted to draw the chariot of Tamburlaine,
 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 205 
 
 Being carried thither by the cannon's force, 
 Now fill the month of Limnasphaltis' lake, 
 And make a bridge unto the batter'd walls. 
 Where Belus, Ninus, and great Alexander 
 Have rode in triumph, triumphs Tamburlaine, 
 Whose chariot-wheels have burst § th' Assyrians' 
 
 bones, 
 Drawn with these kings on heaps of carcasses. 
 Now in the place, where fair Semiramis, 
 Courted by kings and peers of Asia, 
 Hath trod the measures ||, do my soldiers march; 
 And in the streets, where brave Assyrian dames 
 Have rid in pomp like rich Saturnia, 
 With furious words and frowning visages 
 My horsemen brandish their unruly blades. 
 
 Re-enter Theridamas and Techelles, bringing 
 in the Governor of Babylon. 
 
 Who have ye there, my lords ? 
 
 Tiier. The sturdy governor of Babylon, 
 That made us all the labour for the town, 
 And us'd such slender reckoning of 11 your majesty. 
 
 Tamb. Go, bind the villain; he shall hang in chains 
 Upon the ruins of this conquer'd town. — 
 Sirrah, the view of our vermilion tents 
 (Which threaten'd more than if the region 
 
 § burst] i. e. broken, bruised. 
 
 || the measures] i. e. the dance (properly, — solemn, stately 
 dances, with slow and measured steps). 
 f of] So the 8vo.— The 4to " for."
 
 206 III! SECOND TART OF I .U'T V 
 
 L' 
 
 Next underneath the element of fire 
 
 Were full of comets and of blazing stars, 
 
 Whose flaming trains should reach down to the earth) 
 
 Could not affright you ; no, nor I myself, 
 
 The wrathful messenger of mighty Jove, 
 
 That with his sword hath quail'd all earthly kings, 
 
 Could not persuade you to submission, 
 
 But still the ports* were shut: villain, I say, 
 
 Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell, 
 
 The triple-headed Cerberus would howl, 
 
 And wakef black Jove to crouch and kneel to me ; 
 
 But I have sent volleys of shot to you, 
 
 Yet could not enter till the breach was made. 
 
 Gov. Nor, if my body could have stopt the breach, 
 Shouldst thou have enter'd, cruel Tamburlaine. 
 Tis not thy bloody tents can make me yield, 
 Nor yet thyself, the anger of the Highest ; 
 For, though thy cannon shook the city- walls I, 
 My heart did never quake, or courage faint. 
 
 Tamb. Well, now I'll make it quake. — Go draw 
 him§ up, 
 Hang him up || in chains upon the city-walls, 
 And let my soldiers shoot the slave to death. 
 
 Gov. Vile monster, born of some infernal hae, 
 
 * ports'] i. e. gates. 
 
 t wake] So the 8vo.— The 4to " make." 
 $ the city-walls] So the 8vo.— The 4to " the walles." 
 § him] So the 4to.— The 8vo " it." 
 
 || up] Perhaps inserted by mistake,— the transcriber or printer 
 having caught it from the preceding line. 

 
 SCI.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. "207 
 
 And sent from hell to tyrannize on earth, 
 Do all thy worst ; nor death, nor Tamburlaine, 
 Torture, or pain, can daunt my dreadless mind. 
 Tamb. Up with him, then ! his body shall be 
 
 scar'd *. 
 Gov. But, Tamburlaine, in Limnasphaltis' lake 
 There lies more gold than Babylon is worth, 
 Which, when the city was besieg'd, I hid : 
 Save but my life, and I will give it thee. 
 
 Tame. Then, for all your valour, you would save 
 your life ? 
 Whereabout lies it ? 
 
 Gov. Under a hollow bank, right opposite 
 Against the western gate of Babylon. 
 
 Tamb. Go thither, some of you, and take his gold :— 
 
 [Exeunt some Attendants. 
 The rest forward with execution. 
 Away with him hence, let him speak no more. — 
 I think I make your courage something quail. — 
 
 [Exeunt Attendants with the Governor of 
 Babylon. 
 When this is done, we'll march from Babylon, 
 And make our greatest haste to Persia. 
 These jades are broken-winded and half-tir'd ; 
 Unharness them, and let me have fresh horse. 
 
 [Attendants unharness the Kings of Tre- 
 bizon and Soria. 
 
 * scar'd] So the 8vo ; and, it would seem, rightly ; Tambur- 
 laine making an attempt at a bitter jest, in reply to what the 
 Governor has just said. — The 4to " sear'd."
 
 208 CHE SECOND PART OF [ACT V. 
 
 So ; now their best is done to honour me, 
 Take them and hang them both up presently. 
 K. of Treb. Vild || tyrant ! barbarous bloody Tarn 
 
 burlaine ! 
 Tamb. Take them away, Theridamas ; see them 
 
 despatch 'd. 
 Ther. I will, my lord. 
 
 [Exit with the Kings of Trebizon and Soria. 
 Tamb. Come, Asian viceroys; to your tasks a 
 while, 
 And take such fortune as your fellows felt. 
 
 Orc First let thy Scythian horse tear both our 
 limbs, 
 Rather than we should draw thy chariot, 
 And, like base slaves, abject our princely minds 
 To vile and ignominious servitude. 
 
 K. of Jer. Rather lend me thy weapon, Tambur- 
 laine, 
 That I may sheathe it in this breast of mine. 
 A thousand deaths could not torment our hearts 
 More than the thought of this doth vex our souls. 
 Amy. They will talk still, my lord, if you do not 
 
 bridle them. 
 Tamb. Bridle them, and let me to my coach. 
 [Attendants bridle Orcanes king of Natolia, 
 and the King of Jerusalem, and harness 
 them to the chariot. — The Governor of Baby- 
 lon appears- hung in chains on the walls. — 
 Re-enter Theridamas. 
 
 || Vild] i. e. vile. So the 8vo.— The 4to " Wild." 

 
 SC. I.j TAMBURLAINE Till GREAT. 209 
 
 Amy. See, now, my lord, how brave the captain 
 hangs ! 
 
 Tamb. Tis brave indeed, my boy : — well done ! — 
 Shoot first, my lord, and then the rest shall follow. 
 
 Tiier. Then have at him, to begin withal. 
 
 [Thcridamas shoots at the Governor. 
 
 Gov. Yet save my life, and let this wound appease 
 The mortal fury of great Tamburlaine ! 
 
 Tamb. No, though Asphaltis' lake were liquid gold , 
 And offer'd me as ransom for thy life, 
 Yet shouldst thou die. — Shoot at him all at once. 
 
 [They shoot 
 So, now he hangs like Bagdet's* governor, 
 Having as many bullets in his flesh 
 As there be breaches in her batter'd wall. 
 Go now, and bind the burghers hand and foot, 
 And cast them headlong in the city's lake. 
 Tartars and Persians shall inhabit there ; 
 And, to command the city, I will build 
 A citadel + , that all Africa, 
 Which hath been subject to the Persian king, 
 Shall pay me tribute for in Babylon. 
 
 Tech. What shall be done with their wives and 
 children, my lord? 
 
 Tamb. Techelles, drown them all, man, woman, 
 and child ; 
 Leave not a Babylonian in the town. 
 
 * Bagdet's] So the 8vo.— Tbe 4to " Badgets." 
 t A citadel, &c] Some words have dropt out from this line 
 VOL. I. P
 
 '210 1 HE SECOND PAKT OF [ACT V 
 
 Tech. 1 will about it straight. — Come, soldiers. 
 
 [Exit with Soldiers. 
 
 Tamb. Now, Casane, where's the Turkish Alcoran , 
 And all the heaps of superstitious books 
 Found in the temples of that Mahomet 
 Whom I have thought a god? they shall be burnt. 
 
 Usum. Here they are, my lord. 
 
 Tamb. Well said J ! let there be a fire presently. 
 
 [They light afire. 
 In vain, I see, men worship Mahomet: 
 My s\vor.d hath sent millions of Turks to hell, 
 Slew all his priests, his kinsmen, and his friends, 
 And yet I live untouch'd by Mahomet. 
 There is a God, full of revenging wrath, 
 From whom the thunder and the lightning breaks, 
 Whose scourge I am, and him will I§ obey. 
 So, Casane ; fling them in the fire. — 
 
 [They burn the books. 
 Now, Mahomet, if thou have any power, 
 Come down thyself and work a miracle : 
 Thou art not worthy to be worshipped 
 That suffer'st|| flames of fire to burn the writ 
 Wherein the sum of thy religion rests : 
 Why send'stH thou not a furious whirlwind down, 
 
 t Well said] Equivalent to — Well done ! as appears from in- 
 numerable passages of our early writers: see, for instances, 
 my ed. of Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, vol. i. 328, vol. ii. 
 445, vol. viii. '254. 
 
 § will I] So the 8vo. — The 4to " J mil." 
 
 || suffer'st] Old eds. " suffers": but see tbe two following 
 notes. 
 
 f send'st] So the 8vo.— The 4to " sends." 

 
 SCI.] TAMKUltLAINE THE GttEAT. 21 
 
 To blow thy Alcoran up to thy throne, 
 Where men report thou sit'st* by God himself? 
 Or vengeance on the head f of Tamburlaine, 
 That shakes his sword against thy majesty, 
 And spurns the abstracts of thy foolish laws ? — 
 Well, soldiers, Mahomet remains in hell ; 
 He cannot hear the voice of Tamburlaine : 
 Seek out another godhead to adore ; 
 The God that sits in heaven, if any god, 
 For he is God alone, and none but he. 
 
 Re-enter Techelles. 
 
 Tech. I have fulfill'd your highness' will, my 
 lord : 
 Thousands of men, drown'd in Asphaltis' lake, 
 Have made the water swell above the banks, 
 And fishes, fed{ by human carcasses, 
 Amaz'd, swim up and down upon§ the waves, 
 As when they swallow assafoetida, 
 Which makes them fleet || aloft and gapelT for air. 
 
 Tamb. Well, then, my friendly lords, what now 
 remains, 
 But that we leave sufficient garrison, 
 And presently depart to Persia, 
 To triumph after all our victories ? 
 
 * 
 
 sit'st] So the 8vo.— The 4to " sits." 
 t head] So the 8vo. — The 4to " blood." 
 tfed] Old eds. " feede." 
 § upon'] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 || fleet] i. e. float. 
 If gape] So the 8vo.— The 4to " gaspe."
 
 212 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT V 
 
 Tiier. Ay, good my lord, let us inf haste to 
 Persia ; 
 And let this captain be remov'd the walls 
 To some high hill about the city here. 
 
 Tamb. Let it be so; — about it, soldiers; — ■ 
 But stay; I feel myself distemper'd suddenly. 
 
 Tech. What is it dares distemper Tamburlaine? 
 
 Tamb. Something, Techelles ; but I know not 
 what. — 
 But, forth, ye vassals I ! whatsoe'er^ it be, 
 Sickness or death can never conquer me. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Enter Callapine, King of Amasia, and their train, 
 with drums and trumpets. 
 
 Call. King of Amasia, now our mighty host 
 Marcheth in Asia Major, where the streams 
 Of Euphrates and Tigris swiftly run|| ; 
 And here may we* behold great Babylon, 
 Circled about with Limnasphaltis' lake, 
 Where Tamburlaine with all his army lies, 
 Which being faint and weary with the siege, 
 We may lie ready to encounter him 
 
 t in] So the 8vo. — Omitted in the 4to. 
 
 $ forth, ye vassals] Spoken, of course, to the two kings wlio 
 draw his chariot. 
 
 § whatsoe'er] So the 8vo. — The 4to " whatsoeuer." 
 
 || run] Old eds. " runs." 
 
 * may ire] So the 8vo. — The 4t0 " we may." 

 
 SC.U.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 213 
 
 Before his host be full from Babylon, 
 And so revenge our latest grievous loss, 
 If God or Mahomet send any aid. 
 
 K. of Ama. Doubt not, my lord, but we shall 
 conquer him : 
 The monster that hath drunk a sea of blood, 
 And yet gapes still for more to quench his thirst, 
 Our Turkish swords shall headlong send to hell ; 
 And that vile carcase, drawn by warlike kings, 
 The fowls shall eat ; for never sepulchre 
 Shall grace this f base-born tyrant Tamburlaine. 
 
 Call. When I record I my parents' slavish life, 
 Their cruel death, mine own captivity, 
 My viceroys' bondage under Tamburlaine, 
 Methinks I could sustain a thousand deaths, 
 To be reveng'd of all his villany. — 
 Ah, sacred Mahomet, thou that hast seen 
 Millions of Turks perish by Tamburlaine, 
 Kingdoms made waste, brave cities sack'd and burnt, 
 And but one host is left to honour thee, 
 Aid§ thy obedient servant Callapine, 
 And make him, after all these overthrows, 
 To triumph over cursed Tamburlaine ! 
 
 K. of Ama. Fear not, my lord : I see great Mahomet, 
 Clothed in purple clouds, and on his head 
 A chaplet brighter than Apollo's crown, 
 
 t this] So the 8vo. — The 4to " that" (but in the next 
 page, the same person speaking-, it has " this Tamburlaine"). 
 { record] i. e. call to mind. 
 <S A id J So the 8 vo.— The Ito " U-: '
 
 !]4 III K SECOND PART or [ACT V. 
 
 Marching about the air with armed men, 
 To join with you against this Tamburlaine. 
 Renowmed* general, mighty Callapine, 
 Though God himself and holy Mahomet 
 Should come in person to resist your power, 
 Yet might your mighty host encounter all, 
 And pull proud Tamburlaine upon his knees 
 To sue tor mercy at your highness' feet. 
 
 Call. Captain, the force of Tamburlaine is great, 
 His fortune greater, and the victories 
 Wherewith he hath so sore dismay'd the world 
 Are greatest to discourage all our drifts ; 
 Yet, when the pride of Cynthia is at full, 
 She wanes again ; and so shall his, I hope ; 
 For we have here the chief selected men 
 Of twenty several kingdoms at the least; 
 Nor ploughman, priest, nor merchant, stays at home ; 
 All Turkey is in arms with Callapine; 
 And never will we sunder camps and arms 
 Before himself or his be conquered : 
 This is the time that must eternize me 
 For conquering the tyrant of the world. 
 Come, soldiers, let us lie in wait for him, 
 And, if we find him absent from his camp, 
 Or that it be rejoin'd again at full, 
 Assail it, and be sure of victory. [Exeunt. 
 
 ' Renov ned] See note, p. 27. So the 8vo. — The 4to " Re- 
 nowned.'' 

 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 215 
 
 Scene III. 
 Enter Theridamas, Techelles, and Usumcasane. 
 
 Ther. Weep, heavens, and vanish into liquid 
 tears ! 
 Fall, stars, that govern his nativity, 
 And summon all the shining lamps of heaven 
 To cast their bootless fires to the earth, 
 And shed their feeble influence in the air ; 
 Muffle your beauties with eternal clouds ; 
 For Hell and Darkness pitch their pitchy tents, 
 And Death, with armies of Cimmerian spirits, 
 Gives battle 'gainst the heart of Tamburlaine ! 
 Now, in defiance of that wonted love 
 Your sacred virtues pour'd upon his throne, 
 And made his state an honour to the heavens, 
 These cowards invisibly f assail his soul, 
 And threaten conquest on our sovereign ; 
 But, if he die, your glories are disgrac'd, 
 Earth droops, and says that hell in heaven is plac'd ! 
 
 Tech. O, then, ye powers that sway eternal seats, 
 And guide this massy substance of the earth, 
 If you retain desert of holiness, 
 
 t invisibly] So the 4to. — The 8vo " inuincible." This pas- 
 sage (among many others) might convince the modern editors 
 of Shakespeare that they only retain an absurd misprint, when 
 they make Falstaff say, " he was so forlorn, that his dimensions 
 to any thick sight wore invincible," Sec. Part of King Henru 
 IV, act iii. sc. 2.
 
 216 THE SECOND PART Of [ACT 
 
 As your supreme estates instruct our thoughts, 
 Be not inconstant, careless of your fame, 
 Bear not the burden of your enemies' joys, 
 Triumphing in his fall whom you advanc'd ; 
 But, as his birth, life, health, and majesty 
 Were strangely blest and governed by heaven, 
 So honour, heaven, (till heaven dissolved be,) 
 His birth, his life, his health, and majesty! 
 
 Usum. Blush, heaven, to lose the honour of thy 
 name, 
 To see thy footstool set upon thy head ; 
 And let no baseness in thy haughty breast 
 Sustain a shame of such inexcellencej, 
 To see the devils mount in angels' thrones, 
 And angels dive into the pools of hell ! 
 And, though they think their painful date is out, 
 And that their power is puissant as Jove's, 
 Which makes them manage arms against thy state, 
 Yet make them feel the strength of Tamburlaine 
 (Thy instrument and note of majesty) 
 Is greater far than they can thus subdue ; 
 For, if he die, thy glory is disgrac'd, 
 Earth droops, and says that hell in heaven is plac'd ! 
 
 Enter Tamburlaine §, drawn in his chariot (as 
 
 before) by Orcanes king of Natolia and the 
 
 King of Jerusalem ; Amyras, Celebinus, and 
 Physicians. 
 
 Tamb. What daring god torments my body thus, 
 
 } inexcellenct | So the 4to.--The 8vo " inexcellencip.'* 
 
 j Enter Tamburlaine, K-c.l Fferp the nM pr|.«. have no stasre- 

 
 SC. III.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. 217 
 
 And seeks to conquer mighty Tamburlaine ? 
 Shall sickness prove me now to be a man, 
 That have been term'd the terror of the world ? 
 Techelles and the rest, come, take your swords, 
 And threaten him whose hand afflicts my soul : 
 Come, let us march against the powers of heaven, 
 And set black streamers in the firmament, 
 To signify the slaughter of the gods. 
 Ah, friends, what shall I do ? I cannot stand. 
 Come, carry me to war against the gods, 
 That thus envy the health of Tamburlaine. 
 
 Ther. Ah, good my lord, leave these impatient 
 words, 
 Which add much danger to your malady ! 
 
 Tamb. Why, shall I sit and languish in this pain ? 
 No, strike the drums, and, in revenge of this, 
 Come, let us charge our spears, and pierce his breast 
 Whose shoulders bear the axis of the world, 
 That, if I perish, heaven and earth may fade. 
 Theridamas, haste to the court of Jove; 
 Will him to send Apollo hither straight, 
 To cure me, or I'll fetch him down myself. 
 
 Tech. Sit still, my gracious lord; this grief will 
 cease ||, 
 And cannot last, it is so violent. 
 
 direction ; and perhaps the poet intended that Tamburlaine 
 should enter at the commencement of this scene. That he is 
 drawn in his chariot by the two captive kings, appears from 
 his exclamation at p. 220, " Draw, you slaves !" 
 || rrase] So the 8vo. — The 4to " case."
 
 218 THE SECOND I' ART OF [ACT V. 
 
 Tamb. Not last, Techelles ! no, for I shall die. 
 See, where my slave, the ugly monster Death, 
 Shaking and quivering, pale and wan for fear, 
 Stands aiming at me with his murdering dart, 
 Who flies away at every glance I give, 
 And, when I look away, comes stealing on ! — 
 Villain, away, and hie thee to the field ! 
 I and mine army come to load thy back 
 With souls of thousand mangled carcasses. — 
 Look, where he goes ! but, see, he comes again, 
 Because I stay ! Techelles, let us march, 
 And weary Death with bearing souls to hell. 
 
 First Phy. Pleaseth your majesty to drink this 
 potion, 
 Which will abate the fury of your fit, 
 And cause some milder spirits govern you. 
 
 Tamb. Tell me what think you of my sickness 
 now? 
 
 First Phy. I view'd your urine, and the hypos- 
 tasis*, 
 Thick and obscure, doth make your danger great : 
 Your veins are full of accidental heat, 
 Whereby the moisture of your blood is dried : 
 The humidum and calor, which some hold 
 Is not a parcel of the elements, 
 But of a substance more divine and pure, 
 Is almost clean extinguished and spent ; 
 Which, being the cause of life, imports your death : 
 
 * hypostasis] Old eds. " Hipostates." 

 
 SC. in.] TAMBUBXAINE THE GREAT. *219 
 
 Besides, my lord, this day is critical, 
 Dangerous to those whose crisis is as yours : 
 Your artiers*, which alongst the veins convey 
 The lively spirits which the heart engenders, 
 Are parch'd and void of spirit, that the soul, 
 Wanting those organons by which it moves, 
 Cannot endure, by argument of art. 
 Yet, if your majesty may escape this day, 
 No doubt but you shall soon recover all. 
 
 Tamb. Then will I comfort all my vital parts, 
 And live, in spite of death, above a day. 
 
 [Alarms within. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mes. My lord, young Callapine, that lately fled 
 from your majesty, hath now gathered a fresh army, 
 and, hearing your absence in the field, offers to set 
 uponf us presently. 
 
 Tamb. See, my physicians, now, how Jove hath 
 sent 
 A present medicine to recure my pain ! 
 My looks shall make them fly ; and, might I follow, 
 There should not one of all the villain's power 
 Live to give offer of another fight. 
 
 Usum. I joy, my lord, your highness is so strong, 
 That can endure so well your royal presence, 
 Which only will dismay the enemy. 
 
 artiers] See note, p. 49. 
 1 upon"] So the 4to. — The 8vo " on.*'
 
 220 Tilt PART SECOND OK [ACT V. 
 
 Tamb. I know it will, Casane. — Draw, you slaves! 
 In spite of death, I will go shew my face. 
 
 [Alarms. Exit Tamburlaine with all the rest 
 {except the Physicians), and re-enter pre- 
 sently. 
 Tamb. Thus are the villains, cowards]:, fled for 
 fear, 
 Like summer's vapours vanish'd by the sun ; 
 And, could I but a while pursue the field, 
 That Callapine should be my slave again. 
 But I perceive my martial strength is spent : 
 In vain I strive and rail against those powers 
 That mean to invest me in a higher throne, 
 As much too high for this disdainful earth. 
 Give me a map ; then let me see how much 
 Is left for me to conquer all the world, 
 That these, my boys, may finish all my wants. 
 
 [One brings a map. 
 Here I began to march towards Persia, 
 Along Armenia and the Caspian Sea, 
 And thence unto§ Bithynia, where I took 
 The Turk and his great empress prisoners. 
 Then march'd I into Egypt and Arabia; 
 And here, not far from Alexandria, 
 
 % villains, cowards] Silently altered to " villain cowards'' by 
 the modern editors ; and so, perhaps, the author wrote : but we 
 have already had (p. 203) " Villains, coirards, traitors to our 
 state !" 
 
 $ unto'] ^o the 8vo.— The Ito " to." 

 
 SC. III.] TAMBUttLAINE THE GREAT, "221 
 
 Whereas || the TerrenelF and the Red Sea meet, 
 
 Being distant less than full a hundred leagues, 
 
 I meant to cut a channel to them both, 
 
 That men might quickly sail to India. 
 
 From thence to Nubia near Borno-lake, 
 
 And so along the ^Ethiopian sea, 
 
 Cutting the tropic line of Capricorn, 
 
 I conquer'd all as far as Zanzibar. 
 
 Then, by the northern part of Africa, 
 
 I came at last to Grsecia, and from thence 
 
 To Asia, where I stay against my will ; 
 
 Which is from Scythia, where I first began,* 
 
 Backward[s] and forwards near five thousand leagues, 
 
 Look here, my boys ; see, what a world of ground 
 
 Lies westward from the midst of Cancer's line 
 
 Unto the rising of thisf earthly globe, 
 
 Whereas the sun, declining- from our sisdit. 
 
 Begins the day with our Antipodes ! 
 
 And shall I die, and this unconquered ? 
 
 Lo, here, my sons, are all the golden mines, 
 
 Inestimable drugs and precious stones, 
 
 More worth than Asia and the world beside ; 
 
 And from th' Antarctic Pole eastward behold 
 
 As much more land, which never was descried, 
 
 Wherein are rocks of pearl that shine as bright 
 
 As all the lamps that beautify the sky ! 
 
 || Whereas] i. e. Where. 
 
 If Terrene'] i. e. Mediterranean. 
 
 * began] So the 8vo. — The 4to " begun." 
 
 \ this] So the 8vo. — The 4to " the."
 
 222 THE SECOND PART OF [ACT V 
 
 And shall I die, and this unconquered ? 
 Here, lovely boys; what death forbids my life, 
 That let your lives command in spite of death. 
 
 Amy. Alas, my lord, how should our bleeding 
 hearts, 
 Wounded and broken with your highness' grief, 
 Retain a thought of joy or spark of life? 
 Your soul gives essence to our wretched subjects, 
 Whose matter is incorporate in your flesh. 
 
 Cel. Your pains do pierce our souls; no hope 
 survives, 
 For by your life we entertain our lives. 
 
 Tamb. But, sons, this subject, not of force enough 
 To hold the fiery spirit it contains, 
 Must part, imparting his impressions 
 By equal portions into}: both your breasts ; 
 My flesh, divided in your precious shapes, 
 Shall still retain my spirit, though I die, 
 And live in all your§ seeds immortally. — 
 Then now remove me, that I may resign 
 My place and proper title to my son. — 
 First, take my scourge and my imperial crown, 
 And mount my royal chariot of estate, 
 That I may see thee crown'd before I die. — 
 Help me, my lords, to make my last remove. 
 
 [ They assist Tamburlaine to descend from 
 the chariot. 
 
 \ into] So the 8vo.— The 4to " vnto." 
 § your] So the 8vo.— The 4to *' our." 

 
 SC. 111.] TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT. '2-2,'j 
 
 Ther. A woful change, my lord, that daunts our 
 thoughts 
 More than the ruin of our proper souls ! 
 
 Tamb. Sit up, my son, [and] let me see how well 
 Thou wilt become thy father's majesty. 
 
 Amy. With what a flinty bosom should I joy 
 The breath of life and burden of my soul, 
 If not resolv'd into resolved pains, 
 My body's mortified lineaments § 
 Should exercise the motions of my heart, 
 Pierc'd with the joy of any dignity! 
 O father, if the unrelenting ears 
 Of Death and Hell be shut against my prayers, 
 And that the spiteful influence of Heaven 
 Deny my soul fruition of her joy, 
 How should I step, or stir my hateful feet 
 Against the inward powers of my heart, 
 Leading a life that only strives to die, 
 And plead in vain unpleasing sovereignty ? 
 
 Tamb.. Let not thy love exceed thine honour, 
 son, 
 Nor bar thy mind that magnanimity 
 That nobly must admit necessity. 
 Sit up, my boy, and with these f silken reins 
 Bridle the steeled stomachs of these} jades. 
 
 § lineaments] So the 8vo. — The 4to " laments." — The Editor 
 of 1826 remarks, that this passage " is too obscure for ordinary 
 comprehension :" in fact, it is corrupted. 
 
 t these] So the 4to.— 'Die 8vo " those." 
 
 t these] So the 4to.— The 8vo " those."
 
 224 i in: second part 01 Tact v. 
 
 Ther. My lord, you must obey his majesty, 
 Since fate commands and proud necessity. 
 
 Amy. Heavens witness me with what a broken 
 heart [Mounting the chariot. 
 
 And damned § spirit I ascend this seat, 
 And send my soul, before my father die, 
 His anguish and his burning agony ! 
 
 [They crown Amyras. 
 
 Tamb. Now fetch the hearse of fair Zenocrate ; 
 Let it be plac'd by this my fatal chair, 
 And serve as parcel of my funeral. 
 
 Usum. Then feels your majesty no sovereign ease, 
 Nor may our hearts, all drown'd in tears of blood, 
 Joy any hope of your recovery ? 
 
 Tamb. Casane, no ; the monarch of the earth, 
 And eyeless monster that torments my soul, 
 Cannot behold the tears ye shed for me, 
 And therefore still augments his cruelty. 
 
 Tech. Then let some god oppose his holy power 
 Against the wrath and tyranny of Death, 
 That his tear-thirsty and unquenched hate 
 May be upon himself reverberate ! 
 
 [They bring in the hearse of Zenocrate. 
 
 Tamb. Now, eyes, enjoy your latest benefit, 
 And, when my soul hath virtue of your sight, 
 Pierce through the coffin and the sheet of gold, 
 And glut your longings with a heaven of joy. 
 
 § damned'] i. p. doomed, — sorrowful.
 
 SC. IV.] TAMBUBXAINE THE GREAT. 225 
 
 So, reign, my son ; scourge and control those slaves, 
 
 Guiding thy chariot with thy father's hand. 
 
 As precious is the charge thou undertak'st 
 
 As that which Clymene's|j brain-sick son did guide, 
 
 When wandering Phoebe's* ivory cheeks were 
 
 scorch'd, 
 And all the earth, like iEtna, breathing fire : 
 Be warn'd by him, then ; learn with awful eye 
 To sway a throne as dangerous as his ; 
 For, if thy body thrive not full of thoughts 
 As pure and fiery as Phyteus'f beams, 
 The nature of these proud rebelling jades 
 Will take occasion by the slenderest hair, 
 And draw thee I piecemeal, like Hippolytus, 
 Through rocks more steep and sharp than Caspian 
 
 cliffs §: 
 The nature of thy chariot will not bear 
 A guide of baser temper than myself, 
 More than heaven's coach the pride of Phaeton. 
 Farewell, my boys ! my dearest friends, farewell ! 
 
 || Clymene's] So the 8vo.— The 4to " Clymeus." 
 * Phabes~] So the 8vo.— The 4to" Phoebus." 
 t Phyteus'] Meant perhaps for " Pythius' ", according to 
 the usage of much earlier poets : 
 
 " And of PhyUm [i. e. Python] that Phebus made thus fine 
 Came Phetonysses," &c. 
 
 Lydgate's Warres of Troy, B. ii. Sig. K vi. ed. 1555. 
 
 Here the modern editors print " Phoebus' ". 
 
 t thee] So the 8vo.— The 4to " me." 
 
 § cliffs] Here the old eds. "clifts" and "cliftes": but see 
 p. 27. 
 
 VOL. i. q
 
 226 
 
 TAMIH'RL.UNE THE GREAT. 
 
 [ACT V 
 
 My body feels, my soul doth weep to see 
 Your sweet desires depriv'd my company, 
 For Tamburlaine, the scourge of God, must die. 
 
 [Dies. 
 Amy. Meet heaven and earth, and here let all 
 things end, 
 For earth hath spent the pride of all her fruit, 
 And heaven consum'd his choicest living fire. 
 Let earth and heaven his timeless death deplore, 
 For both their worths will equal him no more. 
 

 
 THE 
 
 JEW OF MALTA.
 
 
 
 The Famous Tragedy of The Rich lew of Malta. As it was 
 playd before the King and Qveene, in His Majesties Theatre at 
 White-Hall, by her Majesties Servants at the Cock-pit. Written 
 by Christopher Mario. London ; Printed by LB. for Nicholas 
 Vavasour, and are to be sold at his Shop in the Inner-Temple, 
 neere the Church. 1633. 4to. 

 
 TO MY WORTHY FRIEND, 
 
 MASTER THOMAS HAMMON, 
 
 of gray's inn, etc. 
 
 This play, composed by so worthy an author as 
 Master Marlowe, and the part of the Jew presented 
 by so unimitable an actor as Master Alleyn, being 
 in this later age commended to the stage ; as I 
 ushered it unto the court, and presented it to the 
 Cock-pit, with these prologues and epilogues here 
 inserted, so now being newly brought to the press, 
 I was loath it should be published without the orna- 
 ment of an Epistle; making choice of you unto 
 whom to devote it; than whom (of all those gentle- 
 men and acquaintance within the compass of my 
 long knowledge) there is none more able to tax igno- 
 rance, or attribute right to merit. Sir, you have 
 been pleased to grace some of mine own works with 
 your courteous patronage : I hope this will not be 
 the worse accepted, because commended by me; 
 over whom none can claim more power or privilege 
 than yourself. I had no better a new-year's gift to 
 present you with ; receive it therefore as a continu- 
 ance of that inviolable obligement, by which he rests 
 still engaged, who, as he ever hath, shall always 
 remain, 
 
 Tuissimus, 
 
 Tiio. Heywood*. 
 
 * Tho. Heywood] The well-known dramatist.
 
 THE PROLOGUE SPOKEN AT COURT 
 
 Gracious and great, that we so boldly dare 
 
 ('Mongst other plays that now in fashion are) 
 
 To present this, writ many years agone, 
 
 And in that age thought second unto none, 
 
 We humbly crave your pardon. We pursue 
 
 The story of a rich and famous Jew 
 
 Who liv'd in Malta: you shall find him still, 
 
 In all his projects, a sound Machiavel ; 
 
 And that's his character. He that hath past 
 
 So many censures* is now come at last 
 
 To have your princely ears ; grace you him ; then 
 
 You crown the action, and renown the pen. 
 
 
 EPILOGUE SPOKEN AT COURT. 
 
 It is our fear, dread sovereign, we have binf 
 Too tedious ; neither can't be less than sin 
 To wrong your princely patience : if we have, 
 Thus low dejected, we your pardon crave; 
 And, if aught here offend your ear or sight, 
 We only act and speak what others write. 
 
 * censures] i.e. judgments, 
 t bin] i. e. been.
 
 THE PROLOGUE TO THE STAGE, 
 
 AT THE COCK-VIT. 
 
 We know not how our play may pass this stage, 
 But by the best of poets* in that age 
 The Malta-Jew had being and was made ; 
 And he then by the best of actors f play'd : 
 In Hero and Leander% one did gain 
 A lasting memory ; in Tamburlaine, 
 This Jew, with others many, th' other wan 
 The attribute of peerless, being a man 
 
 * best of poets] " Mario." Marg. note in old ed. 
 
 t best of actors'] " Allin." Marg. note in old ed.— Any ac- 
 count of this celebrated actor would be superfluous here. 
 
 $ In Hero and Leander, &c] The meaning is — The one 
 (Marlowe) gained a lasting memory by being the author of Hero 
 and Leander; while the other (Alleyn) wan the attribute of 
 peerless by playing the parts of Tamburlaine, the Jew of Malta, 
 &c. — The passage happens to be mispointed in the old ed. thus, 
 
 " In Hero and Leander, one did gaine 
 
 A lasting memorie : in Tamberlaine, 
 
 This Jew, with others many : th' other wan," &c. 
 
 and hence Mr. Collier, in his Hist, of Eng. Dram. Poet. iii. 14, 
 understood the words, 
 
 " in Tamburlaine, 
 This Jew, with others many," 
 
 as applying to Marlowe : he afterwards, however, in his Me- 
 moirs of Alleyn, p. 9, suspected that the punctuation of the old 
 ed. might be wrong, — which it doubtless is.
 
 232 
 
 PUOLOGUE. 
 
 Whom we may rank with (doing no one wrong) 
 Proteus for shapes, and Roscius for a tongue, 
 So could he speak, so vary ; nor is't hate 
 To merit in him § who doth personate 
 Our Jew this day ; nor is it his ambition 
 To exceed or equal, being of condition 
 More modest : this is all that he intends, 
 (And that too at the urgence of some friends,) 
 To prove his best, and, if none here gainsay it, 
 The part he hath studied, and intends to play it. 
 
 EPILOGUE TO THE STAGE, 
 
 AT THE COCK-PIT. 
 
 In graving with Pygmalion to contend, 
 Or painting with Apelles, doubtless the end 
 Must be disgrace : our actor did not so, 
 He only aim'd to go, but. not out-go. 
 
 % him'] " Perkins." Marg. note in old ed. — "This was Richard 
 Perkins, one of the performers belonging to the Cock-pit theatre 
 in Drurv-Lane. His name is printed among those who acted 
 in Hannibal and Scipio by N abbes, The Wedding by Shirley, 
 and The Fair Maid of the West by Ileywood. After the play, 
 houses were shut up on account of the confusion arising from 
 the civil wars, Perkins and Sumner, who belonged to the same 
 house, lived together at Clerkenwell, where they died and were 
 buried. They both died some years before the Restoration. 
 See The Dialogtt on Plays end Players [Dodsley's Old Plays, 
 1. clii., last ed.]." HtiiD (apud Dodsley's 0. P.).
 
 EPILOGUE. 233 
 
 Nor think that this day any prize was play'd* ; 
 Here were no bets at all, no wagers laidf : 
 All the ambition that his mind doth swell, 
 Is but to hear from you (by me) 'twas well. 
 
 * prize was play'd] This expression (so frequent in our early 
 writers) is properly applied to fencing 1 : see Steevens's note on 
 Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, act. i. sc. 1. 
 
 t no wagers laid] " Wagers as to the comparative merits of 
 rival actors in particular parts were not unfrequent of old," &c. 
 Collier (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). See my Peele's Works, i. x. 
 ed. 1829; and Collier's Memoirs of Alley n, p. 11.
 
 Jacomo, 
 
 frtars. 
 
 DRAMATIS PERSONS. 
 
 Ferneze, governor of Malta. 
 
 Lodowick, his son. 
 
 Selim Calymatii, son to the Grand Seignior 
 
 Martin Del Bosco, vice-admiral of Spain. 
 
 Mathias, a gentleman 
 
 }f 
 
 Barnardine, 3 
 Barabas, a wealthy Jew. 
 Ithamore, a slave. 
 
 Pilia-Borza, a bully, attendant to Bellamira. 
 Two Merchants. 
 Three Jews. 
 
 Knights, Bassoes, Officers, Guard, Slaves, Messen 
 ger, and Carpenters. 
 
 Katherine, mother to Mathias. 
 Abigail, daughter to Barabas. 
 Bellamira, a courtezan. 
 Abbess. 
 
 Nun. 
 
 Maciiiavel as Prologue-speaker. 
 Scene, Malta.
 
 THE 
 
 JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Enter Machiavei,. 
 
 Mach. Albeit the world think Machiavei is dead, 
 Yet was his soul but flown beyond the Alps ; 
 And, now the Guise* is dead, is come from France, 
 To view this land, and frolic with his friends. 
 To some perhaps my name is odious ; 
 But such as love me, guard me from their tongues, 
 And let them know that I am Machiavei, 
 And weigh not men, and therefore not men's words. 
 Admir'd I am of those that hate me most : 
 Though some speak openly against my books, 
 Yet will they read me, and thereby attain 
 To Peter's chair ; and, when they cast me off, 
 Are poison'd by my climbing followers. 
 I count religion but a childish toy, 
 And hold there is no sin but ignorance. 
 Birds of the air will tell of murders past ! 
 I am asham'd to hear such fooleries. 
 Many will talk of title to a crown : 
 What right had Csesar to the empery f ? 
 
 * the Guise~] " i. e. the Dulie of Guise, who had heen the prin- 
 cipal contriver and actor in the horrid massacre of St. Bartho- 
 lomew's day, 1572. He met witli his deserved fate, being as- 
 sassinated, by order of the French lung, in 1583." Reed (apud 
 Dodsley's 0. P.). 
 
 t empery] Old ed. " Empire" : but compare p. 16. 1. 10, p. 
 21. 1.6, p. 137.1.2., &c.
 
 236 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT. I. 
 
 Might first made kings, and laws were then most sure 
 
 When, like the Draco's f, they were writ in blood. 
 
 Hence comes it, that a strong-built citadel 
 
 Commands much more than letters can import : 
 
 Which maxim had J Phalaris observ'd, 
 
 H'ad never bellow'd, in a brazen bull, 
 
 Of great ones' envy : o' the poor petty wights 
 
 Let me be envied and not pitied. 
 
 But whither am I bound ? I come not, I, 
 
 To read a lecture here in Britain, 
 
 But to present the tragedy of a Jew, 
 
 Who smiles to see how full his bags are cramm'd ; 
 
 Which money was not got without my means. 
 
 I crave but this, — grace him as he deserves, 
 
 And let him not be entertain'd the worse 
 
 Because he favours me. [Exit. 
 
 ACT I.§ 
 
 Baiiabas discovered in his counting-house, with heaps 
 of gold before him. 
 
 Baha. So that of thus much that return was made ; 
 And of the third part of the Persian ships 
 
 t the Draco's] " i. e. the severe lawgiver of Athens ; ' whose 
 statutes,' said Demades, ' were not written with ink, but blood.' " 
 Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) — Old ed. " the Drancus." 
 
 * had] Qy. " had but '"! 
 
 § Act I.] The Scenes of this play are not marked in the old 
 ed.; nor in the present edition, — because occasionally (where 
 the audience were to suppose a change of place) it was impos- 
 sible to mark them.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 There was the venture summ'd and satisfied. 
 
 As for those Samnites*, and the men of Uz, 
 
 That bought my Spanish oils and wines of Greece, 
 
 Here have I purs'd their paltry silverlingsf. 
 
 Fie, what a trouble 'tis to count this trash i 
 
 Well fare the Arabians, who so richly pay 
 
 The things they traffic for with wedge of gold, 
 
 Whereof a man may easily in a day 
 
 Tell J that which may maintain him all his life. 
 
 The needy groom, that never finger'd groat, 
 
 Would make a miracle of thus much coin ; 
 
 But he whose steel-barr'd coffers are cramm'd full, 
 
 And all his life-time hath been tired, 
 
 Wearying his fingers' ends with telling it, 
 
 Would in his age be loath to labour so, 
 
 And for a pound to sweat himself to death. 
 
 Give me the merchants of the Indian mines, 
 
 That trade in metal of the purest mould ; 
 
 The wealthy Moor, that in the eastern rocks 
 
 Without control can pick his riches up, 
 
 And in his house heap pearl like pebble-stones, 
 
 Receive them free, and sell them by the weight ; 
 
 Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts, 
 
 Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds, 
 
 * Samnites] Old ed. " Saniintes." 
 
 t silverlings] When Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) called 
 this " a diminutive, to express the Jew's contempt of a metal 
 inferior in value to gold," he did not know that the word 
 occurs in Scripture: " a thousand vines at a thousand si/i*r- 
 lings." Isaiah, vii. 23. — Old ed. " siluerhings." 
 
 $ Tell] i. e. counf.
 
 
 238 THF. JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds, 
 
 And seld-seen | costly stones of so great price, 
 
 As one of them, indifferently rated, 
 
 And of a caract of this quantity, 
 
 May serve, in peril of calamity, 
 
 To ransom great kings from captivity. 
 
 This is the ware wherein consists my wealth ; 
 
 And thus methinks should men of judgment frame 
 
 Their means of traffic from the vulgar trade, 
 
 And, as their wealth increaseth, so inclose 
 
 Infinite riches in a little room. 
 
 But now how stands the wind ? 
 
 Into what corner peers my halcyon's bill* ? 
 
 Ha ! to the east ? yes : see how stand f the vanes — 
 
 East and by south : why, then, I hope my ships 
 
 I sent for Egypt and the bordering isles 
 
 Are gotten up by Nilus' winding banks ; 
 
 Mine argosy from Alexandria, 
 
 Loaden with spice and silks, now under sail, 
 
 Are smoothly gliding down by Candy-shore 
 
 t seld-seen] i. e. seldom-seen. 
 
 * Into what corner peers mu halcyon's hill] " It was anciently 
 believed that this bird (the king-fisher), if hung up, would vary 
 with the wind, and by that means shew from what quarter it 
 blew. Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.), — who refers to the 
 note on the following passage of Shakespeare's King Lear, 
 act ii. sc. 2 ; 
 
 " Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon heaks 
 With every gale and vary of their masters," &c. 
 
 f stand] Old ed. "stands."
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 To Malta, through our Mediterranean sea. 
 But who comes here ? 
 
 Enter a Merchant. 
 
 How now ? 
 
 Merch. Barabas, thy ships are safe, 
 Ftiding- in Malta-road ; and all the merchants 
 With other merchandise are safe arriv'd, 
 And have sent me to know whether yourself 
 Will come and custom them *. 
 
 Bara. The ships are safe thou say'st, and richly 
 fraught ? 
 
 Merch. They are. 
 
 Bara. Why, then, go bid them come ashore, 
 And bring with them their bills of entry : 
 I hope our credit in the custom-house 
 Will serve as well as I were present there. 
 Go send 'em threescore camels, thirty mules, 
 And twenty waggons, to bring up the ware. 
 But art thou master in a ship of mine, 
 And is thy credit not enough for that ? 
 
 Merch. The very custom barely comes to more 
 Than many merchants of the town are worth, 
 And therefore far exceeds my credit, sir. 
 
 Bara. Go tell 'em the Jew of Malta sent thee, man : 
 Tush, who amongst 'em knows not Barabas? 
 
 Merch. I go. 
 
 * custom them'] " i. e. enter the goods they contain at the 
 custom-house." Steevens (apud Uodsley's 0. P.).
 
 240 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Bara. So, then, there's somewhat come. — 
 Sirrah, which of my ships art thou master of? 
 
 Merch. Of the Speranza, sir. 
 
 Baka. And saw'st thou not 
 Mine argosy at Alexandria ? 
 Thou couldst not come from Egypt, or by Caire, 
 But at the entry there into the sea, 
 Where Nilus pays his tribute to the main, 
 Thou needs must sail by Alexandria. 
 
 Merch. I neither saw them, nor inquir'd of them : 
 But this we heard some of our seamen say, 
 They wonder'd how you durst with so much wealth 
 Trust such a crazed vessel, and so far. 
 
 Bara. Tush, they are wise! I know her and her 
 strength. 
 But go, go thou thy ways, discharge thy ship, 
 And bid my factor bring his loading in. [Exit Merch. 
 And yet I wonder at this argosy. 
 
 Enter a Second Merchant. 
 
 Sec. Merch. Thine argosy from Alexandria, 
 Know, Barabas, doth ride in Malta-road, 
 Laden with riches, and exceeding store 
 Of Persian silks, of gold, and orient pearl. 
 
 Bara. How chance you came not with those other 
 ships 
 That sail'd by Egypt ? 
 
 Sec Merch. Sir, we saw 'em not. 
 
 Bara. Belike they coasted round by Candy-shore 
 About their oils or other businesses.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 241 
 
 But 'twas ill done of you to come so far 
 Without the aid or conduct of their ships. 
 
 Sec. Merch. Sir, we were wafted by a Spanish 
 fleet, 
 That never left us till within a league, 
 That had the galleys of the Turk in chase. 
 
 Bara. Oh, they were going up to Sicily. Well, go, 
 And bid the merchants and my men despatch, 
 And come ashore, and see the fraught* discharged. 
 
 Sec. Merch. I go. [Exit. 
 
 Bara. Thus trowls our fortune in by land and sea, 
 And thus are we on every side enrich'd : 
 These are the blessings promis'd to the Jews, 
 And herein was old Abraham's happiness : 
 What more may Heaven do for earthly man 
 Than thus to pour out plenty in their laps, 
 Ripping the bowels of the earth for them, 
 Making the sea[s] their servants, and the winds 
 To drive their substance with successful blasts? 
 Who hateth me but for my happiness ? 
 Or who is honour'd now but for his wealth ? 
 Rather had I, a Jew, be hated thus, 
 Than pitied in a Christian poverty ; 
 For I can see no fruits in all their faith, 
 But malice, falsehood, and excessive pride, 
 Which methinks fits not their profession. 
 Haply some hapless man hath conscience, 
 And for his conscience lives in beggary. 
 
 * fraug} (] i.e. freight. 
 VOL. I. R
 
 242 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I 
 
 1 
 
 They say we are a scatter'd nation : 
 
 I cannot tell ; but we have scambled * up 
 
 More wealth by far than those that brag of faitl 
 
 There's Kirriah Jairim, the great Jew of Greece, 
 
 Obed in Bairseth, Nones in Portugal, 
 
 Myself in Malta, some in Italy, 
 
 Many in France, and wealthy every one ; 
 
 Ay, wealthier far than any Christian. 
 
 I must confess we come not to be kings : 
 
 That's not our fault : alas, our number's few ! 
 
 And crowns come either by succession, 
 
 Or urg'd by force ; and nothing violent, 
 
 Oft have I heard tell, can be permanent. 
 
 Give us a peaceful rule ; make Christians kings, 
 
 That thirst so much for principality. 
 
 I have no charge, nor many children, 
 
 But one sole daughter, whom I hold as dear 
 
 As Agamemnon did his Iphigen; 
 
 And all I have is hers. But who comes here? 
 
 Enter three Jewst- 
 
 First Jew. Tush, tell not me ; 'twas done of policy. 
 
 Sec. Jew. Come, therefore let us go to Barabas ; 
 For he can counsel best in these affairs ; 
 And here he comes. 
 
 Bara. Why, how now, countrymen ? 
 
 * scambled] i. e. scrambled. (Coles gives in his Diet. " To 
 scumble, certatim arripere " ; and afterwards renders " To 
 scramble " by the very same Latin words.) 
 
 t Enter three Jews] A change of scene is supposed here,— to 
 a streel or to the exchange: see note, p. 236.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 243 
 
 Why flock you thus to me in multitudes ? 
 What accident's betided to the Jews? 
 
 First Jew. A fleet of warlike galleys, Barabas, 
 Are come from Turkey, and lie in our road : 
 And they this day sit in the council-house 
 To entertain them and their embassy. 
 
 Bara. Why, let 'em come, so they come not to 
 war; 
 Or let 'em war, so we be conquerors. — 
 Nay, let 'em combat, conquer, and kill all, 
 So they spare me, my daughter, and my wealth. 
 
 [Aside. 
 First Jew. Were it for confirmation of a league, 
 They would not come in warlike manner thus. 
 Sec. Jew. I fear their coming will afflict us all. 
 Bara. Fond* men, what dream you of their mul- 
 titudes ? 
 What need they treat of peace that are in league ? 
 The Turks and those of Malta are in league : 
 Tut, tut, there is some other matter in't. 
 
 First Jew. Why, Barabas, they come for peace 
 
 or war. 
 Bara. Haply for neither, but to pass along 
 Towards Venice, by the Adriatic sea, 
 With whom they have attempted many times, 
 But never could effect their strata°:em. 
 
 Third Jew. And very wisely said ; it may be so. 
 Sec. Jew. But there's a meeting in the senate- 
 house, 
 
 * Fund] i.e. Foolish.
 
 244 THE JEW 01 MALTA. [aCT I- 
 
 And all the Jews in Malta must be there. 
 
 Bara. Hum ; all the Jews in Malta must be there ! 
 Ay, like enough : why, then, let every man 
 Provide him, and be there for fashion-sake. 
 If any thing shall there concern our state, 
 Assure yourselves I'll look — unto myself. [Aside*. 
 First Jew. I know you will. — Well, brethren, let 
 
 us go. 
 Sec. Jew. Let's take our leaves. — Farewell, good 
 
 Barabas. 
 Bara. Dosof: farewell, Zaareth; farewell, Te- 
 
 mainte. [Exeunt Jews. 
 
 And, Barabas, now search this secret out; 
 Summon thy senses, call thy wits together : 
 These silly men mistake the matter clean. 
 Long to the Turk did Malta contribute; 
 Which tribute all in policy, I fear, 
 The Turk has J let increase to such a sum, 
 As all the wealth of Malta cannot pay ; 
 And now by that advantage thinks, belike, 
 To seize upon the town ; ay, that he seeks. 
 Howe'er the world go, I'll make sure for one, 
 And seek in time to intercept the worst, 
 
 * Aside] Mr. Collier (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) mistaking the 
 purport of this stage-direction (which, of course, applies only 
 to the words " unto mtjs If"), proposed an alteration of the text. 
 
 t Do su] Is not this a stage-direction which has crept into 
 the text, and which was intended to signify that the Jews do 
 " take their leaves " of Barabas? what renders this more pro- 
 bable is that the old ed. has no Eieunt here. 
 
 X Turk has] So (he Editor of 1826.- Old ed. " Turkes haue" : 
 but see w hal follow . .
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 245 
 
 Warily guarding that which I ha' got : 
 
 Ego mihimet sum semper proximus* : 
 
 Why, let 'em enter, let 'em take the town. [Exit f. 
 
 Enter Ferneze governor of Malta, Knights, and 
 Officers; met by Calymatii, and Bassoes of the 
 Turk. 
 
 Fern. Now, bassoes {, what demand you at our 
 hands? 
 
 First B as. Know, knights of Malta, that we came 
 from Rhodes, 
 From Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles 
 That lie betwixt the Mediterranean seas. 
 
 Fern. What's Cyprus, Candy, and those other 
 isles 
 To us or Malta? what at our hands demand ye ? 
 
 Cal. The ten years' tribute that remains unpaid. 
 
 Fern. Alas, my lord, the sum is over-great ! 
 I hope your highness will consider us. 
 
 Cal. I wish, grave governor §, 'twere in my power 
 To favour you ; but 'tis my father's cause, 
 Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally. 
 
 Fern. Then give us leave, great Selim Calymath. 
 
 * Ego mihimet sum semper proximus] The words of Terence 
 are " Proximus sum egomet mini." Andria, iv. 1. 12. 
 
 t Exit] The scene is now supposed to be changed to the in- 
 terior of the Council-house. 
 
 X bassoes] i.e. bashaws (as repeatedly in the preceding play). 
 
 § governor] Old ed. " Gouernours" here, and several times 
 after, in this scene.
 
 '246 THE JEW OF MALTA. ! ACT I. 
 
 Cal. Stand all aside*, and let the knights deter- 
 mine ; 
 And send to keep our galleys under sail, 
 For hapily we shall not tarry here. — 
 Now, governor, how are you resolv'd ? 
 
 Fern. Thus ; since your hard conditions are such 
 That you will needs have ten years' tribute past, 
 We may have time to make collection 
 Amongst the inhabitants of Malta for't. 
 
 First Bas. That's more than is in our commis- 
 sion. 
 
 Cal. What, Callapine ! a little courtesy : 
 Let's know their time ; perhaps it. is not long; 
 And 'tis more kingly to obtain by peace 
 Than to enforce conditions by constraint. — 
 What respite ask you, governor? 
 
 Fern. But a month. 
 
 Cal. W T e grant a month; but see you keep your 
 promise. 
 Now launch our galleys back again to sea, 
 Where we'll attend the respite you have la'en, 
 And for the money send our messenger. 
 Farewell, great governor, and brave knights of Malta. 
 
 Ferx. And all good fortune wait on Calymath ! 
 
 [Exeunt Calymath and Bassoes. 
 Go one and call those Jews of Malta hither: 
 
 * Cal. Stand nil aside, &c] " The Governor and the Maltese 
 knights here consult apart, while Calymath gives these direc- 
 tions." Cot.i.iek (apud Dodsley's ('. P.).
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 247 
 
 Were they not summon'd to appear to-day ? 
 First Off. They were, my lord, and here they 
 come. 
 
 Enter Barabas and three Jews. 
 
 First Knight. Have you determin'd what to say 
 to them ? 
 
 Fern. Yes; give me leave: — and, Hebrews, now 
 come near. 
 From the Emperor of Turkey is arriv'd 
 Great Selim Calymath, his highness' son, 
 To levy of us ten years' tribute past : 
 Now, then, here know that it concerneth us. 
 
 Bara. Then, good my lord, to keep your quiet still, 
 Your lordship shall do well to let them have it. 
 
 Fern. Soft, Barabas ; there's more 'longs to 't 
 than so. 
 To what this ten years' tribute will amount, 
 That we have cast, but cannot compass it 
 By reason of the wars, that robb'd our store ; 
 And therefore are we to request your aid. 
 
 Bara. Alas, my lord, we are no soldiers ! 
 And what's our aid against so great a prince ? 
 
 First Knight. Tut, Jew, we know thou art no 
 soldier : 
 Thou art a merchant, and a money 'd man, 
 And 'tis thy money, Barabas, we seek. 
 
 Bara. How, my lord ! my money ! 
 
 Fern. Thine and the rest ; 
 For, to be short, amongst you 't must be had.
 
 248 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 First Jew. Alas, my lord, the most of us are 
 poor ! 
 
 Fern. Then let the rich increase your portions. 
 
 Bara. Are strangers with your tribute to be tax'd? 
 
 Sec. Knight. Have strangers leave with us to get 
 their wealth ? 
 Then let them with us contribute. 
 
 Bara. How ? equally ? 
 
 Fern. No, Jew, like infidels ; 
 For through our sufferance of your hateful lives, 
 Who stand accursed in the sight of Heaven, 
 These taxes and afflictions are befallen, 
 And therefore thus we are determined. — 
 Read there the articles of our decrees. 
 
 Officer.* [reads] First, the tribute -money of the 
 Turks shall all be levied amongst the Jews, arid 
 each of them to pay one half of his estate. 
 
 Bara. How ! half his estate ! — I hope you mean 
 not mine. [Aside. 
 
 Fern. Read on. 
 
 Officer, [reads] Secondly, he that denies \ to 
 pay, shall straight become a Christian. 
 
 Bara. How ! a Christian! — Hum, what's here to 
 do? [Aside. 
 
 Officer, [reads] Lastly, he that denies this, shall 
 absolutely lose all he has. 
 
 Three Jews. Oh, my lord, we will give half! 
 
 • Officer] Old ed. " Reader." 
 t denies] i. e. refuses.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. "i49 
 
 Bara. Oh, earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews 
 born ! 
 And will you basely thus submit yourselves 
 To leave your goods to their arbitrement ? 
 
 Fern. Why, Barabas, wilt thou be christened? 
 
 Bara. No, governor, I will be no convertite*. 
 
 Fern. Then pay thy half. 
 
 Bara. Why, know you what you did by this device? 
 Half of my substance is a city's wealth. 
 Governor, it was not got so easily ; 
 Nor will I part so slightly therewithal. 
 
 Fern. Sir, half is the penalty of our decree; 
 Either pay that, or we will seize on all. 
 
 Bara. Corpo di Dio ! stay : you shall have half; 
 Let me be us'd but as my brethren are. 
 
 Fern. No, Jew, thou hast denied the articles, 
 And now it cannot be recall'd. 
 
 [Exeunt Officers, on a sign from Ferneze. 
 
 Bara. Will you, then, steal my goods ? 
 Is theft the ground of your religion ? 
 
 Fern. No, Jew ; we take particularly thine, 
 To save the ruin of a multitude : 
 And better one want for a common good, 
 Than many perish for a private man : 
 Yet, Barabas, we will not banish thee, 
 But here in Malta, where thou gott'st thy wealth, 
 Live still ; and, if thou canst, get more. 
 
 * convertite] "i.e. convert, as in Shakespeare's King John, 
 act v. sc. 1." Stklvens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.).
 
 250 THE JEW OF MALTA. [aCT r. 
 
 Bara. Christians, what or how can I multiply? 
 Of nought is nothing made. 
 
 First Knight. From nought at first thou cam'st 
 
 to little wealth, 
 From little unto more, from more to most : 
 If your first curse fall heavy on thy head, 
 And make thee poor and scorn'd of all the world, 
 Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin. 
 
 Bara. What ! bring you Scripture to confirm your 
 
 wrongs ? 
 Preach me not out of my possessions. 
 Some Jews are wicked, as all Christians arc : 
 But say the tribe that I descended of 
 Were all in general cast away for sin, 
 Shall I be tried by their transgression ? 
 The man that dealeth righteously shall live ; 
 And which of you can charge me otherwise ? 
 
 Fern. Out, wretched Barabas ! 
 Sham'st thou not thus to justify thyself, 
 As if we knew not thy profession ? 
 If thou rely upon thy righteousness, 
 Be patient, and thy riches will increase. 
 Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness ; 
 And covetousness, oh, 'tis a monstrous sin ! 
 
 Bara. Ay, but theft is worse: tush! take not from 
 
 me, then, 
 For that is theft ; and, if you rob me thus, 
 I must be forc'd to steal, and compass more. 
 First Knight. Grave governor, list not to his 
 
 exclaims : 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA, ■}.')[ 
 
 Convert his mansion to a nunnery ; 
 His house will harbour many holy nuns. 
 Fern. It shall be so. 
 
 Re-enter Officers. 
 
 Now, officers, have you done ? 
 
 First Off. Ay, my lord, we have seiz'd upon the 
 goods 
 And wares of Barabas, which, being valu'd, 
 Amount to more than all the wealth in Malta : 
 And of the other we have seized half. 
 
 Fern. Then we'll take* order for the residue. 
 
 Bara. Well, then, my lord, say, are you satisfied ? 
 You have my goods, my money, and my wealth, 
 My ships, my store, and all that I enjoy 'd ; 
 And, having all, you can request no more, 
 Unless your unrelenting flinty hearts 
 Suppress all pity in your stony breasts, 
 And now shall move you to bereave my life. 
 
 Fern. No, Barabas ; to stain our hands with blood 
 Is far from us and our profession. 
 
 Bara. Why, I esteem the injury far less, 
 To take the lives of miserable men 
 Than be the causers of their misery. 
 You have my wealth, the labour of my life, 
 The comfort of mine age, my children's hope ; 
 And therefore ne'er distinguish of the wrong. 
 
 * Then loe'll take, &c] In the old ed. tbis line forms a portion 
 of the preceding speech.
 
 252 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Fern. Content thee, Barabas; thou hast nought 
 
 but right. 
 Bara. Your extreme right does me exceeding 
 wrong : 
 But take it to you, i' the devil's name ! 
 
 Fern. Come, let us in, and gather of these goods 
 The money for this tribute of the Turk. 
 
 First Knight. 'Tis necessary that be look'd unto ; 
 For, if we break our day, we break the league, 
 And that will prove but simple policy. 
 
 [Exeunt all except Bara. and the three Jews. 
 
 Bara. Ay, policy ! that's their profession, 
 And not simplicity, as they suggest. — 
 The plagues of Egypt, and the curse of Heaven, 
 Earth's barrenness, and all men's hatred, 
 Inflict upon them, thou great Primus Motor ! 
 And here upon my knees, striking the earth, 
 I ban their souls to everlasting pains, 
 And extreme tortures of the fiery deep, 
 That thus have dealt with me in my distress! 
 
 First Jew. Oh, yet be patient, gentle Barabas ! 
 
 Bara. Oh, silly brethren, born to see this day, 
 Why stand you thus unmov'd with my laments? 
 Why weep you not to think upon my wrongs ? 
 Why pine not I, and die in this distress? 
 
 First Jew. Why, Barabas, as hardly can we brook 
 The cruel handling of ourselves in this : 
 Thou seest they have taken half our goods. 
 
 Bara. Why did you yield to their extortion ? 
 You were a multitude, and I but one ;
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 253 
 
 And of me only have they taken all. 
 
 First Jew. Yet, brother Barabas, remember Job. 
 
 Bara. What tell you me of Job ? I wot his wealth 
 Was written thus ; he had seven thousand sheep, 
 Three thousand camels, and two hundred yoke 
 Of labouring oxen, and five hundred 
 She-asses : but for every one of those, 
 Had they been valu'd at indifferent rate, 
 I had at home, and in mine argosy, 
 And other ships that came from Egypt last, 
 As much as would have bought his beasts and him, 
 And yet have kept enough to live upon ; 
 So that not he, but I, may curse the day, 
 Thy fatal birth-day, forlorn Barabas ; 
 And henceforth wish for an eternal night, 
 That clouds of darkness may inclose my flesh, 
 And hide these extreme sorrows from mine eyes ; 
 For only I have toil'd to inherit here 
 The months of vanity, and loss of time, 
 And painful nights, have been appointed me. 
 
 Sec Jew. Good Barabas, be patient. 
 Bara. Ay, I pray, leave me in my patience. 
 You, that were ne'er possess'd of wealth, are pleas'd 
 
 with want ; 
 But give him liberty at least to mourn, 
 That, in a field amidst his enemies, 
 Doth see his soldiers slain, himself disarm'd, 
 And knows no means of his recovery : 
 Ay, let me sorrow for this sudden chance; 
 'Tis in the trouble of my spirit I speak :
 
 254 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Great injuries are not so soon forgot. 
 
 First Jew. Come, let us leave him ; in his ireful 
 mood 
 Our words will but increase his ecstasy*. 
 
 Sec. Jew. On, then : but, trust me, 'tis a misery 
 To see a man in such affliction. — 
 Farewell, Barabas. 
 
 Bara. Ay, fare you well. [Exeunt three Jews f. 
 See the simplicity of these base slaves, 
 Who, for the villains have no wit themselves, 
 Think me to be a senseless lump of clay, 
 That will with every water wash to dirt ! 
 No, Barabas is born to better chance, 
 And fram'd of finer mould than common men, 
 That measure nought but by the present time. 
 A reaching thought will search his deepest wits, 
 And cast with cunning for the time to come ; 
 For evils are apt to happen every day. 
 
 Enter Abigail. 
 But whither wends my beauteous Abigail ? 
 Oh, what has made my lovely daughter sad ? 
 What, woman ! moan not for a little loss ; 
 Thy father has enough in store for thee. 
 
 Abig. Not for myself, but aged Barabas, 
 Father, for thee lamenteth Abigail : 
 
 * ecstasy] Equivalent here to — violent emotion. "The word 
 was anciently used to signify some degree of alienation of 
 mind." Collier (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). 
 
 t Exeunt three Jews] On their departure, the scene is sup- 
 posed to l)e changed to a street near the hoitee of Barabas : see 
 note, p. 236.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 But 1 will learn to leave these fruitless tears ; 
 And, urg'd thereto with my afflictions, 
 With fierce exclaims run to the senate-house, 
 And in the senate reprehend them all, 
 And rent their hearts with tearing of my hair, 
 Till they reduce the wrongs done to my father. 
 
 Baiia. No, Abigail ; things past recovery 
 Are hardly cur'd with exclamations : 
 Be silent, daughter ; sufferance breeds ease, 
 And time may yield us an occasion, 
 Which on the sudden cannot serve the turn. 
 Besides, my girl, think me not all so fond* 
 As negligently to forego so much 
 Without provision for thyself and me : 
 Ten thousand portaguesf, besides great pearls, 
 Rich costly jewels, and stones infinite, 
 Fearing the worst of this before it fell, 
 I closely hid. 
 
 Abig. Where, father? 
 
 Bara. In my house, my girl. 
 
 Abig. Then shall they ne'er be seen of Barabas ; 
 For they have seiz'd upon thy house and wares. 
 
 Baka. But they will give me leave once more, I 
 trow, 
 To go into my house. 
 
 Abig. That may they not ; 
 For there I left the governor placing nuns, 
 Displacing me ; and of thy house they mean 
 
 * fond] " i. e. foolish." Reed (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). 
 t portagws] Portuguese gold coins, so called.
 
 256 THE JEW 01' MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 To make a nunnery, where none but their own sect* 
 Must enter in ; men generally barr'd. 
 
 Bara. My gold, my gold, and all my wealth is 
 gone ! — 
 You partial Heavens, have I deserv'd this plague ? 
 What, will you thus oppose me, luckless stars, 
 To make me desperate in my poverty ? 
 And, knowing me impatient in distress, 
 Think me so mad as I will hang myself, 
 That I may vanish o'er the earth in air, 
 And leave no memory that e'er I was ? 
 No, I will live ; nor loathe I this my life : 
 And, since you leave me in the ocean thus 
 To sink or swim, and put me to my shifts, 
 I'll rouse my senses, and awake myself. — 
 Daughter, I have it : thou perceiv'st the plight 
 Wherein these Christians have oppressed me : 
 Be rul'd by me, for in extremity 
 We ought to make bar of no policy. 
 
 Abig. Father, whate'er it be, to injure them 
 That have so manifestly wronged us, 
 What will not Abigail attempt ? 
 
 Bara. Why, so. 
 Then thus : thou told'st me they have turn'd my 
 
 house 
 Into a nunnery, and some nuns are there? 
 
 Abig. I did. 
 
 Bara. Then, Abigail, there must my girl 
 
 * sect] " i.e. sex. Sect an(Ts?i were, in our ancient dramatic 
 writers, used synonymously." Reed (apud Dodsley's 0. P.).
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Entreat the abbess to be entertain'd. 
 
 Akig. How, as a nun? 
 
 Bara. Ay, daughter ; for religion 
 Hides many mischiefs from suspicion. 
 
 Abig. Ay, but, father, they will suspect me 
 there. 
 
 Bara. Let 'em suspect; but be thou so precise 
 As they may think it done of holiness : 
 Entreat 'em fair, and give them friendly speech, 
 And seem to them as if thy sins were great, 
 Till thou hast gotten to be entertain'd. 
 
 Abig. Thus, father, shall I much dissemble. 
 
 Bara. Tush! 
 As good dissemble that thou never mean'st, 
 As first mean truth and then dissemble it : 
 A counterfeit profession is better 
 Than unseen hypocrisy. 
 
 Abig. Well, father, say I be entertain'd, 
 What then shall follow ? 
 
 Bara. This shall follow then. 
 There have I hid, close underneath the plank 
 That runs along the upper-chamber floor, 
 The gold and jewels which I kept for thee : — 
 But here they come : be cunning, Abigail. 
 
 Abig. Then, father, go with me. 
 
 Bara. No, Abigail, in this 
 It is not necessary I be seen ; 
 For I will seem offended with thee for't : 
 Be close, my girl, for this must fetch my gold. 
 
 [ They retire. 
 
 VOL. I. S
 
 -58 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Enter Friar Jacomo*, Friar Barnaudim., 
 Abbess, and a Nu?i. 
 
 Friar Jac. Sisters, 
 We now are almost at the new-made nunnery. 
 
 ABBf. The better; for we love not to be seen : 
 Tis thirty winters long since some of us 
 Did stray so far amongst the multitude. 
 
 Friar Jac. But, madam, this house 
 And waters of this new-made nunnerv 
 Will much delight you. 
 
 Abb. It may be so. But who comes here? 
 
 [Abigail comes forward . 
 
 Abig. Grave abbess, and you, happy virgins' guide. 
 Pity the state of a distressed maid ! 
 
 Abb. What art thou, daughter ? 
 
 Abig. The hopeless daughter of a hapless Jew, 
 The Jew of Malta, wretched Barabas, 
 Sometimes % the owner of a goodly house, 
 Which they have now turn'd to a nunnery. 
 
 Abb. Well, daughter, say, what is thy suit with us ? 
 
 Abig. Fearing the afflictions which my father feels 
 Proceed from sin or w r ant of faith in us, 
 
 ■' Enter Friar Jacomo, &c] Old ed. " Enter three Fiyars 
 and two Nuns:" but assuredly only tico Friars figure in this 
 play. 
 
 t Abb.] In the old ed. the prefix to this speech is " 1 Nun," 
 and to the next speech but one " Nun." That both speeches 
 belong to the Abbess is quite evident. 
 
 J Sometimes'] Equivalent here (as frequently in our earlv 
 writers) to — Sometime.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. "259 
 
 I'd pass away my life in penitence, 
 
 And be a novice in your nunnery, 
 
 To make atonement for my labouring soul. 
 
 Friar J ac. No doubt, brother, but this proceedeth 
 of the spirit. 
 
 Friar Barn. Ay, and of a moving spirit too, 
 brother : but come, 
 Let us entreat she may be entertain 'd. 
 
 Abb. Well, daughter, we admit you for a nun. 
 
 Abig. First let me as a novice learn to frame 
 My solitary life to your strait laws, 
 And let me lodge where I was wont to lie : 
 I do not doubt, by your divine precepts 
 And mine own industry, but to profit much. 
 
 Bara. As much, I hope, as all I hid is worth. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Abb. Come, daughter, follow us. 
 
 Bara. [coming forward] Why, how now, Abigail ! 
 What mak'st thou amongst these hateful Christians? 
 
 Friar Jac Hinder her not, thou man of little 
 faith, 
 For she has mortified herself. 
 
 Bara. How ! mortified ! 
 
 Friar Jac. And is admitted to the sisterhood. 
 
 Bara. Child of perdition, and thy father's shame! 
 What wilt thou do among these hateful fiends ? 
 I charge thee on my blessing that thou leave 
 These devils and their damned heresy ! 
 
 Abig. Father, forgive me — * 
 
 * forgive me — ] Old ed. " giue me — "
 
 '260 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I. 
 
 Bara. Nay, back, Abigail, 
 And think upon the jewels and the gold ; 
 The board is marked thus that covers it. — 
 
 [Aside to Abigail in a whisper. 
 Away, accursed, from thy father's sight ! 
 
 Friar Jac. Barabas, although thou art in misbe- 
 lief, 
 And wilt not see thine own afflictions, 
 Yet let thy daughter be no longer blind. 
 
 Bara. Blind friar, I reck not thy persuasions, — 
 The board is marked thus* that covers it — 
 
 [Aside to Abu/ail in a zvhisper. 
 For I had rather die than see her thus. — 
 Wilt thou forsake me too in my distress, 
 Seduced daughter ? — Go, forget not. — 
 
 [Aside to her in a whisper. 
 Becomes it Jews to be so credulous ? — 
 To-morrow early I'll be at the door. — 
 
 [Aside to her in a whisper. 
 No, come not at me ; if thou wilt be damn'd, 
 Forget me, see me not ; and so, begone ! — 
 Farewell ; remember to-morrow morning. — 
 
 [Aside to her in a whisjier. 
 Out, out, thou wretch ! 
 
 [Exit, on one side, Barabas. Exeunt, on the 
 other side, Friars, Abbess, and Nun : and, as 
 they are going out, 
 
 * thus] After this word the old ed. has " t ", — to signify, 
 perhaps, the motion which Barabas was to make here with his 
 band.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Enter Matiiias. 
 
 Math. Who's this? fair Abigail, the rich Jew's 
 daughter, 
 Become a nun ! her father's sudden fall 
 Has humbled her, and brought her down to this : 
 Tut, she were fitter for a tale of love, 
 Than to be tired out with orisons ; 
 And better would she far become a bed, 
 Embraced in a friendly lover's arms, 
 Than rise at midnight to a solemn mass. 
 
 Enter Lodowick. 
 
 Lod. Why, how now, Don Mathias? in a dump? 
 
 Math. Believe me, noble Lodowick, I have seen 
 The strangest sight, in my opinion, 
 That ever I beheld. 
 
 Lod. What was't, I prithee? 
 
 Math. A fair young maid, scarce fourteen years 
 of age, 
 The sweetest flower in Cythersea's field, 
 Cropt from the pleasures of the fruitful earth, 
 And strangely metamorphos'd [to a] nun. 
 
 Lod. But say, what was she? 
 
 Math. Why, the rich Jew's daughter. 
 
 Lod. What, Barabas, whose goods were lately 
 seiz'd ? 
 Is she so fair ? 
 
 Math. And matchless beautiful, 
 As, had you seen her, 'twould have mov'd your heart.
 
 262 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT I- 
 
 Though countermin'd with walls of brass, to love, 
 Or, at the least, to pity. 
 
 Lod. And if she be so fair as you report, 
 'Twere time well spent to go and visit her : 
 How say you ? shall we ? 
 
 Math. I must and will, sir; there's no remedy. 
 
 Lod. And so will I too, or it shall go hard. 
 Farewell, Mathias. 
 
 Math. Farewell, Lodovvick. [Exeunt severally. 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 Enter Barabas, with a light*. 
 
 Bara. Thus, like the sad presaging raven, that 
 tolls 
 The sick man's passport in her hollow beakf, 
 And in the shadow of the silent night 
 Doth shake contagion from her sable wings, 
 
 * Enter Barabas, with a light] The scene is now before the 
 house of Barabas, which has been turned into a nunnery. 
 
 t Thus, like the sad presaging raven, that tolls 
 
 The sick man's passport in her hollow beak] Mr. Collier 
 (Hist, of Eng. Dram. Poet. iii. 1 36) remarks that these lines 
 are cited (with some variation, and from memory, as the pre- 
 sent play was not printed till 1633) in an epigram on T. Delo- 
 ney, in the anonymous collection of epigrams and satires, en- 
 titled Skialetheia or the Shadowe of Truth, 1598, — 
 
 " Like to the fatall ominous Raven, which tolls 
 Hie sick nam's dirge, within liis hollow beuke, 
 So every paper-clothed post in Poules 
 To thee, Deloney, mourningly doth speake, ' &c.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 263 
 
 Vex'd and tormented runs poor Barabas 
 
 With fatal curses towards these Christians. 
 
 The incertain pleasures of swift-footed time 
 
 Have ta'en their flight, and left me in despair ; 
 
 And of my former riches rests no more 
 
 But bare remembrance ; like a soldier's scar, 
 
 That has no further comfort for his maim. — 
 
 O Thou, that with a fiery pillar led'st 
 
 The sons of Israel through the dismal shades, 
 
 Light Abraham's offspring ; and direct the hand 
 
 Of Abigail this night ! or let the day 
 
 Turn to eternal darkness after this ! — 
 
 No sleep can fasten on my watchful eyes, 
 
 Nor quiet enter my distemper'd thoughts, 
 
 Till I have answer of my Abigail. 
 
 Enter Abigail above. 
 
 Abig. Now have I happily espied a time 
 To search the plank my father did appoint; 
 And here, behold, unseen, where I have found 
 The gold, the pearls, and jewels, which he hid. 
 
 Baua. Now I remember those old women's words, 
 Who in my wealth would tell me winter's tales, 
 And speak of spirits and ghosts that glide by night 
 About the place where treasure hath been hid : 
 And now methinks that I am one of those ; 
 For, whilst I live, here lives my soul's sole hope, 
 And, when I die, here shall my spirit walk. 
 
 Abig. Now that my father's fortune were so good 
 As but to be about this happy place !
 
 264 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 Tis not so happy : yet, when we parted last, 
 He said he would attend me in the morn. 
 Then, gentle Sleep, where'er his body rests, 
 Give charge to Morpheus that he may dream 
 A golden dream, and of* the sudden wakef, 
 Come and receive the treasure I have found. 
 
 Bara. Bueno para todos mi ganado no era\ : 
 As good go on, as sit so sadly thus. 
 But stay : what star shines yonder in the east§ ? 
 The loadstar of my life, if Abigail. — 
 Who's there? 
 
 Abig. Who's that ? 
 
 Bara. Peace, Abigail ! 'tis I. 
 
 Abig. Then, father, here receive thy happiness. 
 
 Bara. Hast thou't? 
 
 Abig. Here, [throws down bags] Hast thou't ? 
 There's more, and more, and more. 
 
 Bara. Oh, my girl, 
 My gold, my fortune, my felicity, 
 Strength to my soul, death to mine enemy ; 
 Welcome the first beginner of my bliss ! 
 
 * of] i. e. on. 
 
 t wake] Old ed. " walke." 
 
 $ Bueno para todos mi ganado no era] Old ed. " Birn para 
 todos, my ganada no er." 
 
 $ But stav: what star shines yonder in the east, &c] Shake- 
 speare, it would seem, recollected this passage, when he 
 wrote, — 
 
 " But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? 
 It is the east, and .1 ulicl is the sun !" 
 
 Romeo and Juliet, act ii. sc. 2.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 265 
 
 Oh, Abigail, Abigail, that I had thee here too ! 
 Then my desires were fully satisfied : 
 But I will practice thy enlargement thence: 
 Oh, girl, oh, gold, oh, beauty, oh, my bliss ! 
 
 [Hugs the bags. 
 
 Abig. Father, it draweth towards midnight now, 
 And 'bout this time the nuns begin to wake; 
 To shun suspicion, therefore, let us part. 
 
 Bara. Farewell, my joy, and by my fingers take 
 A kiss from him that sends it from his soul. 
 
 [Exit Abigail above. 
 Now, Phoebus, ope the eye-lids of the day, 
 And, for the raven, wake the morning lark, 
 That I may hover with her in the air, 
 Singing o'er these, as she does o'er her young. 
 Hermoso placer de los dineros*. [Exit. 
 
 Enter Ferneze-J-, Martin del Bosco, Knights, 
 and Officers. 
 
 Fern. Now, captain, tell us whither thou art bound ? 
 Whence is thy ship that anchors in our road? 
 And why thou cam'st ashore without our leave ? 
 
 Bosco. Governor of Malta, hither am I bound ; 
 My ship, the Flying Dragon, is of Spain, 
 And so am I ; Del Bosco is my name, 
 Vice-admiral unto the Catholic King. 
 
 * Hermoso placer de lus dinercs] Old ed. " Hormoso Piarer, 
 de les Denirch." 
 
 t Enter Femeze, &c] The scene is the interior of the Council- 
 house.
 
 266 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 First Knight. Tis true, my lord ; therefore en- 
 treat * him well. 
 
 Bosco. Our fraught is Grecians, Turks, and Afrie 
 Moors ; 
 For late upon the coast of Corsica, 
 Because we vail'd not f to the Turkish I fleet, 
 Their creeping galleys had us in the chase : 
 But suddenly the wind began to rise, 
 And then we luff'd and tack'dS, and fought at ease : 
 Some have we fir'd, and many have we sunk ; 
 But one amongst the rest became our prize : 
 The captain's slain, the rest remain our slaves, 
 Of whom we would make sale in Malta here. 
 
 Fern. Martin Del Bosco, I have heard of thee : 
 Welcome to Malta, and to all of us ! 
 But to admit a sale of these thy Turks, 
 We may not, nay, we dare not give consent, 
 By reason of a tributary league. 
 
 First Knight. Del Bosco, as thou lov'st and 
 honour'st us, 
 Persuade our governor against the Turk : 
 This truce we have is but in hope of gold, 
 And with that sum he craves might we wage war. 
 
 Bosco. Will knights of Malta be in league with 
 Turks, 
 And buy it basely too for sums of gold ? 
 
 * entreat'] i. e. treat. 
 
 t vail'd not] " i. e. did not strike or lower our flags." Stee- 
 vens (apud Dodsley's O. P.). 
 ; Turkish] Old ed. " Spanish." 
 « luff'd mid tack'd] Old ed. "left and tooke."
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 My lord, remember that, to Europe's shame, 
 The Christian Isle of Rhodes, from whence you came, 
 Was lately lost, and you were stated* here 
 To be at deadly enmity with Turks. 
 
 Fehn. Captain, we know it ; but our force is small. 
 
 Bosco. What is the sum that Calymath requires ? 
 
 Fern. A hundred thousand crowns. 
 
 Bosco. My lord and king hath title to this isle, 
 And he means quickly to expel you hence ; 
 Therefore be rul'd by me, and keep the gold : 
 I'll write unto his majesty for aid, 
 And not depart until I see you free. 
 
 Fern. On this condition shall thy Turks be sold. — 
 Go, officers, and set them straight in shew. — 
 
 [Exeunt Officers. 
 Bosco, thou shalt be Malta's general ; 
 We and our warlike knights v/ill follow thee 
 Against these barbarous misbelieving 1 Turks. 
 
 Bosco. So shall you imitate those you succeed ; 
 For, when their hideous force environ'd Rhodes, 
 Small though the number was that kept the town, 
 They fought it out, and not a man surviv'd 
 To bring the hapless news to Christendom. 
 
 Fern. So will we fight it out: come, let's away. 
 Proud daring Calymath, instead of gold, 
 We'll send thee bullets wrapt in smoke and fire : 
 Claim tribute where thou wilt, we are resolv'd ; 
 Honour is bought with blood, and not with gold. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 tailed] i. e. estated, established, stationed.
 
 '2(38 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ ACT II. 
 
 Enter Officers *, with Ithamore and other Slaves. 
 
 First Off. This is the market-place ; here let 'em 
 stand : 
 Fear not their sale, for they'll be quickly bought. 
 
 Sec. Off. Every one's price is written on his back, 
 And so much must they yield, or not be sold. 
 First Off. Here comes the Jew : had not his 
 goods been seiz'd, 
 He'd give us present money for them all. 
 
 Enter Barabas. 
 
 Bara. In spite of these swine-eating Christians, 
 (Unchosen nation, never ctrcumcis'd, 
 Poor villains, such as weref ne'er thought upon 
 Till Titus and Vespasian conquer'd us,) 
 Am I become as wealthy as I was. 
 They hop'd my daughter would ha' been a nun ; 
 But she's at home, and I have bought a house 
 As great and fair as is the governor's : 
 And there, in spite of Malta, will I dwell, 
 Having Ferneze"s hand ; whose heart I'll have, 
 Ay, and his son's too, or it shall go hard. 
 I am not of the tribe of Levi, I, 
 That can so soon forget an injury. 
 We Jews can fawn like spaniels when we please; 
 
 * 'Enter Officers, &c] The scene being- the market-place. 
 t Poor villains, such as were] Old ed. " Such as poore vil- 
 laines were", &c.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 269 
 
 And when we grin we bite ; yet are our looks 
 
 As innocent and harmless as a lamb's. 
 
 I learn'd in Florence how to kiss my hand, 
 
 Heave up my shoulders when they call me dog, 
 
 And duck as low as any bare- foot friar ; 
 
 Hoping to see them starve upon a stall, 
 
 Or else be gather'd for in our synagogue, 
 
 That, when the offering-basin comes to me, 
 
 Even for charity I may spit into't. 
 
 Here comes Don Lodowick, the governor's son, 
 
 One that I love for his °;ood father's sake. 
 
 z> 
 
 Enter Lodowick. 
 
 Lod. I hear the wealthy Jew walked this way : 
 I'll seek him out, and so insinuate, 
 That I may have a sight of Abigail, 
 For Don Mathias tells me she is fair. 
 
 Bara. Now will I shew myself to have more of 
 the serpent than the dove ; that is, more knave than 
 fool. [Aside. 
 
 Lod. Yond' walks the Jew : now for fair Abigail. 
 
 Bara. Ay, ay, no doubt but she's at your com- 
 mand. [Aside. 
 
 Lod. Barabas, thou know'st I am the governor's 
 son. 
 
 Baka. I would you were his father too, sir ! that's 
 all the harm I wish you. — The slave looks like a 
 hog's cheek new-singed. [Aside . 
 
 Lod. Whither walk'st thou, Barabas? 
 
 Bara. No further : 'tis a custom held with us,
 
 270 HIE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 That when we speak with Gentiles like to you, 
 We turn unto * the air to purge ourselves ; 
 For unto us the promise doth belong. 
 
 Loo. Well, Barabas, canst help me to a diamond ? 
 
 Bara. Oh, sir, your father had my diamonds : 
 Yet I have one left that will serve your turn. — 
 I mean my daughter ; but, ere he shall have her, 
 I'll sacrifice her on a pile of wood : 
 I ha' the poison of the city f for him, 
 And the white leprosy. [Aside. 
 
 Lod. What sparkle does it give without a foil ? 
 
 Bara. The diamond that I talk of ne'er was 
 foil'd :— 
 But, when he touches it, it will be foil'd. — [Aside. 
 Lord Lodowick, it sparkles bright and fair. 
 
 Lod. Is it square or pointed ? pray, let me know. 
 
 Bara. Pointed it is, good sir,— but not for you. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Lod. I like it much the better. 
 
 Bara. So do I too. 
 
 Lod. How shews it by night? 
 
 Bara. Outshines Cynthia's rays : — 
 You'll like it better far a-nights than days. [Aside. 
 
 Lod. And what's the price ? 
 
 Bara. Your life, and if you have it [Aside]. — Oh, 
 my lord, 
 
 * unto] Old ed. " into." 
 
 t city'] The preceding editors have not questioned the word : 
 but is it right'!
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 We will not jar about the price: come to my house, 
 And I will give't your honour — with a vengeance. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Lod. No, Barabas, I will deserve it first. 
 
 Bar a. Good sir, 
 Your father has deserv'd it at my hands, 
 Who, of mere charity and Christian ruth, 
 To bring me to religious purity, 
 And, as it were, in catechising sort, 
 To make me mindful of my mortal sins, 
 Against my will, and whether I would or no, 
 Seiz'd all I had, and thrust me out a-doors, 
 And made my house a place for nuns most chaste. 
 
 Lod. No doubt your soul shall reap the fruit of it. 
 
 Bar a. Ay, but, my lord, the harvest is far off: 
 And yet I know the prayers of those nuns 
 And holy friars, having money for their pains, 
 Are wondrous ; — and indeed do no man good ; — - 
 
 [Aside. 
 And, seeing they are not idle, but still doing, 
 'Tis likely they in time may reap some fruit, 
 1 mean, in fulness of perfection. 
 
 Lod. Good Barabas, glance not at our holy nuns. 
 
 Bara. No, but I do it through a burning zeal, — 
 Hoping ere long to set the house a-fire ; 
 For, though they do a while increase and multiply, 
 I'll have a saying to that nunnery.* — 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 * I'll have (i saying to that nunnery] Compare Barnaby 
 vol. I.
 
 272 THE JEW OK MALTA. [ACT 11. 
 
 As for the diamond, sir, I told you of, 
 
 Come home, and there's no price shall make us part, 
 
 Even for your honourable father's sake, — 
 
 It shall go hard but I will see your death. — [Aside. 
 
 But now I must be gone to buy a slave. 
 
 Lod. And, Barabas, I'll bear thee company. 
 
 Bara. Come, then; here's the market-place. — 
 What's the price of this slave ? two hundred crowns ! 
 do the Turks weigh so much ? 
 
 First Off. Sir, that's his price. 
 
 Bara. What, can he steal, that you demand so 
 much? 
 Belike he has some new trick for a purse ; 
 And if he has, he is worth three hundred plates,* 
 So that, being bought, the town-seal might be got 
 To keep him for his life-time from the gallows : 
 The sessions-day is critical to thieves, 
 And few or none scape but by being purg'd. 
 
 Barnes's Divils Charter, 1607 ; 
 
 " Before I do this seruice, lie there, peece ; 
 For I must haue a saying to those bottels. He drinh th. 
 True stingo ; stingo, by mine honour. * » * 
 
 I must haue a saying to you, sir, 1 must, though you be pro- 
 uided for his Holines owne mouth ; 1 will be bould to be the 
 Popes taster by his leaue." Sig. K 3. 
 
 * plates] " i. e. pieces of" silver money." Steevens (apud 
 Dodsley's O. P.). — Old ed. " plats."
 
 THE JF.W OF MALTA. 273 
 
 Lor>. Rat'st thou this Moor but at two hundred 
 plates ? 
 
 First Off. No more, my lord. 
 
 Bara. Why should this Turk be dearer than that 
 Moor? 
 
 First Off. Because he is youn g, and has more 
 qualities. 
 
 Bara. What, hast the philosopher's stone ? an 
 thou hast, break my head with it, I'll forgive thee. 
 
 Slave*. No, sir; I can cut and shave. 
 
 Bara. Let me see, sirrah ; are you not an old 
 shaver ? 
 
 Slave. Alas, sir, I am a very youth ! 
 
 Bara. A youth ! I'll buy you, and marry you to 
 Lady Vanity f, if you do well. 
 
 Slave. I will serve vou, sir. 
 
 Bara. Some wicked trick or other : it may be, 
 under colour of shaving, thou'lt cut my throat for my 
 goods. Tell me, hast thou thy health well? 
 
 Slave. Ay, passing well. 
 
 Bara. So much the worse : I must have one that's 
 sickly, an't be but for sparing victuals : 'tis not a 
 stone of beef a-day will maintain you in these chops. 
 — Let me see one that's somewhat leaner. 
 
 First Off. Here's a leaner ; how like you him ? 
 
 Bara. Where was thou born ? 
 
 * Stave] To the speeches of this Slave, the old ed. prefixes 
 " Itha." and " Ith.", confounding him with Ithamore, 
 
 f Lady Vanity"] An allusion to the character so named in 
 some of the early Moralities or Moral-Plays. 
 
 vol. I. T
 
 274 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 Itiia. In Thrace; brought up in Arabia. 
 
 Bara. So much the better; thou art for my turn. 
 An hundred crowns ? I'll have him ; there's the coin. 
 
 [ Gives money. 
 
 First Off. Then mark him, sir, and take him 
 hence. 
 
 Bara. Ay, mark him, you were best ; for this is he 
 That by my help shall do much villany. — [Aside. 
 My lord, farewell.— Come, sirrah ; you are mine. — 
 As for the diamond, it shall be yours : 
 f pray, sir, be no stranger at my house ; 
 All that I have shall be at your command. 
 
 Enter Math 1 as and Katherine*. 
 
 Math. What makes the Jew and Lodowick so 
 private ? 
 I fear me 'tis about fair Abigail. [Aside. 
 
 Bara . Yonder comes Don Mathias ; let us stay f : 
 He loves my daughter, and she holds him dear; 
 But I have sworn to frustrate both their hopes, 
 And be reveng'd upon the — governor. [Aside. 
 
 [Exit Lodowick. 
 Katii. This Moor is comeliest, is he not? speak, 
 
 son. 
 Math. No, this is the better, mother, view this 
 well. 
 
 * Katherine] Old ed. " Mater." — The name of Mathias's mo- 
 ther was, as we afterwards learn, Katherine. 
 
 t ttaii] i.e. forbear, hreak off our conversation. 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 275 
 
 Bara. Seem not to know me here before your 
 mother, 
 Lest she mistrust the match that is in hand : 
 When you have brought her home, come to my house ; 
 Think of me as thy father : son, farewell. 
 
 Math. But wherefore talk'd Don Lodowick with 
 you? 
 
 Bara. Tush, man ! we talk'd of diamonds, not of 
 Abigail. 
 
 Kath. Tell me, Mathias, is not that the Jew ? 
 
 Bara. As for the comment on the Maccabees, 
 I have it, sir, and 'tis at your command. 
 
 Math. Yes, madam, and my talk with him was* 
 About the borrowing of a book or two. 
 
 Kath. Converse not with him ; he is cast off from 
 Heaven. — 
 Thou hast thy crowns, fellow. — Come, let's away. 
 
 Math. Sirrah Jew, remember the book. 
 
 Bara. Marry, will I, sir. 
 
 [Exeunt Katherine and Mathias. 
 
 First Off. Come, I have made a reasonable mar- 
 ket ; let's away. [Exeunt Officers with Slaves. 
 
 Bara. Now let me know thy name, and therewithal 
 Thy birth, condition, and profession. 
 
 Itha. Faith, sir, my birth is but mean; my name's 
 Ithamore ; my profession what you please. 
 
 Bara. Hast thou no trade? then listen to my words, 
 And I will teach [thee] that shall stick by thee : 
 
 * was] Qy. " was but"?
 
 276 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 First, be thou void of these affections, 
 Compassion, love, vain hope, and heartless fear; 
 Be mov'd at nothing, see thou pity none, 
 But to thyself smile when the Christians moan. 
 
 Itiia. Oh, brave, master* ! I worship your nosef 
 for this. 
 
 Bara. As for myself, I walk abroad a-nights, 
 And kill sick people groaning under walls : 
 Sometimes I go about and poison wells ; 
 And now and then, to cherish Christian thieves, 
 I am content to lose some of my crowns, 
 That I may, walking in my gallery, 
 See 'em go pinion'd along by my door. 
 Being young, I studied physic, and began 
 To practice first upon the Italian ; 
 There I enrich'd the priests with burials, 
 And always kept the sexton's arms in urel 
 With digging graves and ringing dead men's knells: 
 And, after that, was I an engineer, 
 And in the wars 'twixt France and Germany, 
 Under pretence of helping Charles the Fifth, 
 Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems : 
 Then, after that, was I an usurer, 
 
 * Oh, brave, 7naster~\ The modern editors strike out the comma 
 after "brave", understanding that word as an epithet to 
 " master " : but compare what Ithamore says to Barabas in 
 act iv ; " That's brave, master." p. 304. 
 
 t your nose] An allusion to the large artificial nose, with 
 which Barabas was represented on the stage. See the passage 
 cited from W. Rowley's Search for Monet/, 1609, in the Account 
 of Marlowe and his Writings. 
 
 J urc] i- e. use, practice.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 277 
 
 And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting, 
 
 And tricks belonging unto brokery, 
 
 I fill'd the jails with bankrouts * in a year, 
 
 And with young orphans planted hospitals ; 
 
 And every moon made some or other mad, 
 
 And now and then one hang himself for grief, 
 
 Pinning upon his breast a long great scroll 
 
 How I with interest tormented him. 
 
 But mark how I am blest for plaguing them ; — 
 
 I have as much coin as will buy the town. 
 
 But tell me now, how hast thou spent thy time ? 
 
 Itha. Faith, master, in setting Christian villages 
 on fire, 
 Chaining of eunuchs, binding galley-slaves. 
 One time I was an hostler in an inn, 
 And in the night-time secretly would I steal 
 To travellers' chambers, and there cut their throats : 
 Once at Jerusalem, where the pilgrims kneel'd, 
 I strowed powder on the marble stones, 
 And therewithal their knees would rankle so, 
 That I have langh'd a-goodf to see the cripples 
 Go limping home to Christendom on stilts. 
 
 Bara. Why, this is something: make account of 
 me 
 As of thy fellow ; we are villains both ; 
 Both circumcised ; we hate Christians both : 
 Be true and secret ; thou shalt want no gold. 
 But stand aside ; here comes Don Lodowick. 
 
 * bankrouts] i. e. bankrupts. 
 
 t a-good] " i. e. in good earnest. Tout rfe bon." TIeed (apud 
 Dodsley's 0. P.)
 
 278 THE JEW OF MALTA. [_ACT II. 
 
 Enter Lodowick*. 
 
 Lod. Oh, Barabas, well met ; 
 Where is the diamond you told me of? 
 
 Bar a. I have it for you, sir : please you walk in 
 with me. — 
 What, ho, Abigail ! open the door, I say ! 
 
 Enter Abicail, with letters. 
 
 Abig. In good time, father ; here are letters come 
 From Ormus, and the post stays here within. 
 
 Bara. Give me the letters. — Daughter, do you 
 hear ? 
 Entertain Lodowick, the governor's son, 
 With all the courtesy you can afford, 
 Provided that you keep your maidenhead : 
 Use him as if he were a Philistine ; 
 Dissemble, swear, protest, vow to love him f : 
 He is not of the seed of Abraham. — [Aside to her. 
 I am a little busy, sir; pray, pardon me. — 
 Abigail, bid him welcome for my sake. 
 
 Abig. For your sake and his own he's welcome 
 hither. 
 
 Bara. Daughter, a word more : kiss him, speak 
 him fair, 
 And like a cunning Jew so cast about, 
 
 * Enter Lodowick] A change of scene supposed here, — to the 
 outside of Barabas's house. 
 
 f vow to love liim | Qy. " imv lore to him " ? compare " she 
 vows love to him " in the next page.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 That ye be both made sure* ere you come out. 
 
 [Aside to her. 
 
 Abig. Oh, father, Don Mathias is my love ! 
 
 Bara. I know it: yet, I say, make love to him; 
 Do, it is requisite it should be so. — [Aside to her. 
 Nay, on my life, it is my factor's hand ; 
 But go you in, I'll think upon the account. 
 
 [Exeunt Abigail and Lodowick into the house. 
 The account is made, for Lodovicof dies. 
 My factor sends me word a merchant's fled 
 That owes me for a hundred tun of wine : 
 I weigh it thus much [snapping his fingers'] ! I have 
 
 wealth enough ; 
 For now by this has he kiss'd Abigail, 
 And she vows love to him, and he to her. 
 As sure as Heaven rain'd manna for the Jews, 
 So sure shall he and Don Mathias die : 
 His father was my chiefest enemy. 
 
 Enter Mathias. 
 
 Whither goes Don Mathias? stay a while. 
 
 Math. Whither, but to my fair love Abigail ? 
 
 Bara. Thou know'st, and Heaven can witness it 
 is true, 
 That I intend my daughter shall be thine. 
 
 * made sure] i. e. affianced. 
 
 t Lodovieo] Old ed. " Lodowicke." — In act iii. we have, 
 
 " I fear she knows ('tis so) ot my device 
 
 In Don Mathias' and Loduvico's deaths." p. 294.
 
 280 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 Math. Ay, Barabas, or else thou wrong'st me 
 much. 
 
 Bara. Oh, Heaven forbid I should have such a 
 thought ! 
 Pardon me though I weep : the governor's son 
 Will, whether I will or no, have Abigail ; 
 He sends her letters, bracelets, jewels, rings. 
 
 Math. Does she receive them ? 
 
 Bara. She ! no, Mathias, no, but sends them 
 back ; 
 And, when he conies, she locks herself up fast; 
 Yet through the key-hole will he talk to her, 
 While she runs to the window, looking out 
 When you should come and hale hiin from the door. 
 
 Math. Oh, treacherous Lodowick ! 
 
 Bara. Even now as I came home, he slipt me in, 
 And I am sure he is with Abigail. 
 
 Math. I'll rouse him thence. 
 
 Bara. Not for all Malta ; therefore sheathe your 
 sword ; 
 If you love me, no quarrels in my house ; 
 But steal you in, and seem to see him not : 
 I'll give him such a warning ere he goes, 
 As he shall have small hopes of Abigail. 
 Away, for here they come. 
 
 Re-enter Lodowick and Abigail. 
 
 Math. What, hand in hand ! I cannot suffer 
 
 this. 
 Bara. Mathias, as thou lov'st me, not a word.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 281 
 
 Math. Well, let it pass ; another time shall serve. 
 
 [Exit into the house. 
 Lod. Barabas, is not that the widow's son ? 
 Bara. Ay, and take heed, for he hath sworn your 
 
 death. 
 Lod. My death ! what, is the base-born peasant 
 
 mad? 
 Bara. No, no ; but hapily he stands in fear 
 Of that which you, I think, ne'er dream upon, — 
 My daughter here, a paltry silly girl. 
 Loo. Why, loves she Don Mathias? 
 Bara. Doth she not with her smiling answer you ? 
 Abig. He has my heart; I smile against my will. 
 
 [Aside. 
 Lod. Barabas, thou know'st I have lov'd thy 
 
 daughter long. 
 Bara. And so has she done you, even from a 
 
 child. 
 Lod. And now I can no longer hold my mind. 
 Bara. Nor I the affection that I bear to you. 
 Lod. This is thy diamond ; tell me, shall I have 
 
 it? 
 Bara. Win it, and wear it; it is yet unsoiPd*. 
 
 * unsoiVd] "Perhaps we ought to read ' unfoil'd', consis- 
 tently with what Barabas said of her before under the figure 
 of a jewel — 
 
 ' The diamond that I talk of ne'er wasfoil'd '." 
 
 Collier (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) But in that passage (see p. 
 270) Barabas seems to use "foil'd," with a quibble,-- Jil'rf, 
 defiled.
 
 282 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II, 
 
 Oh, but I know your lordship would disdain 
 To marry with the daughter of a Jew : 
 And yet I'll give her many a golden cross* 
 With Christian posies round about the ring. 
 
 Lod. 'Tis not thy wealth, but her that I esteem ; 
 Yet crave I thy consent. 
 
 Baha. And mine you have ; yet let me talk to 
 her. — 
 This offspring of Cain, this Jebusite, 
 That never tasted of the Passover, 
 Nor e'er shall see the land of Canaan, 
 Nor our Messias that is yet to come ; 
 This gentle maggot, Lodowick, I mean, 
 Must be deluded : let him have thy hand, 
 But keep thy heart till Don Mathias comes. 
 
 [Aside to her. 
 
 Abig. What, shall I be betroth 'd to Lodowick ? 
 
 Bara. It's no sin to deceive a Christian; 
 For they themselves hold it a principle, 
 Faith is not to be held with heretics : 
 But all are heretics that are not Jews; 
 This follows well, and therefore, daughter, fear 
 not. — [Aside to her. 
 
 I have entreated her, and she will grant. 
 
 Lod. Then, gentle Abigail, plight thy faith tome. 
 
 Abig. I cannot choose, seeing my father bids : 
 Nothing but death shall part my love and me. 
 
 * cross] i. e. piece of money (many coins being marked with 
 ti cross on one side). 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Lod. Now have I that for which my soul hath 
 long'd. 
 
 Bara. So have not I ; but yet I hope I shall. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Abig. Oh, wretched Abigail, what hast thou* done? 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Lod. Why on the sudden is your colour chang'd ? 
 
 Abig. I know not : but farewell ; I must be gone. 
 
 Bara. Stay her, but let her not speak one word 
 more. 
 
 Lod. Mute o' the sudden ! here's a sudden change. 
 
 Bara. Oh, muse not at it ; 'tis the Hebrew's guise, 
 That maidens new-betroth'd should weep a while : 
 Trouble her not; sweet Lodowick, depart: 
 She is thy wife, and thou shaft be mine heir. 
 
 Lod. Oh, is't the custom 1 then I am resolv'd f : 
 But rather let the brightsome heavens be dim, 
 And nature's beauty choke with stifling clouds, 
 Than my fair Abigail should frown on me. 
 There comes the villain ; now I'll be reveng'd. 
 
 Re-enter Matiiias. 
 
 Bara. Be quiet, Lodowick ; it is enough 
 That I have made thee sure to Abigail. 
 
 Lod. Well, let him go. [Exit. 
 
 Bara. Well, but for me, as you went in at doors 
 You had been stabb'd : but not a word on't now ; 
 
 * thru] Old ed. " thee." 
 
 t resolv'd] " i. e. satisfied." Gilchhist (apud Dodsley's 
 0. P.)
 
 284 TNT. JEW OF MALTA. [ACT II. 
 
 Here must no speeches pass, nor swords be drawn. 
 
 Math. Suffer me, Barahas, but to follow him. 
 
 Bara. No ; so shall 1, if any hurt be done, 
 Be made an accessary of your deeds : 
 Revenge it on him when you meet him next. 
 
 Math. For this I'll have his heart. 
 
 Bara. Do so. Lo, here I give thee Abigail ! 
 
 Math. What greater gift can poor Mathias have ? 
 Shall Lodowick rob me of so fair a love ? 
 My life is not so dear as Abigail. 
 
 Bara. My heart misgives me, that, to cross your 
 love, 
 He's with your mother ; therefore after him. 
 
 Math. What, is he gone unto my mother? 
 
 Bara. Nay, if you will, stay till she comes herself. 
 
 Math. I cannot stay; for, if my mother come, 
 She'll die with grief. [Exit. 
 
 Abig. I cannot take my leave of him for tears. 
 Father, why have you thus incens'd them both ? 
 
 Bara. What's that to thee ? 
 
 Abig. I'll make 'em friends a°;ain. 
 
 Bara. You'll make 'em friends ! are there not 
 Jews enow in Malta, 
 But thou must dote upon a Christian ? 
 
 Abig. I will have Don Mathias ; he is my love. 
 
 Bara. Yes, you shall have him. — Go, put her in. 
 
 Itha. Ay, I'll put her in. [Puts in Abigail. 
 
 Bara. Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this ? 
 
 Itha. Faith, master, I think by this 
 You purchase both their lives : is it not so?
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 285 
 
 Baua. True ; and it shall be cunningly perform'd. 
 
 Itha. Oh, master, that I might have a hand in 
 this! 
 
 Bara. Ay, so thou shalt; 'tis thou must do the 
 deed: 
 Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight, 
 
 [Giving a letter. 
 And tell him that it comes from Lodowick. 
 
 Itha. Tis poison'd, is it not? 
 
 Bara. No, no ; and yet it might be done that way : 
 It is a challenge feign'd from Lodowick. 
 
 Itha. Fear not ; I will so set his heart a-fire, 
 That he shall verily think it comes from him. 
 
 Bara. I cannot choose but like thy readiness: 
 Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly. 
 
 Itha. As I behave myself in this, employ me here- 
 after. 
 
 Bara. Away, then ! [Exit Ithamore. 
 
 So ; now will I go unto* Lodowick, 
 And, like a cunning spirit, feign some lie, 
 Till I have set 'em both at enmity. [Exit. 
 
 * unto] Old ed. " in to."
 
 286 THE JEW OV MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 ACT III. 
 
 Enter Bellamira f. 
 
 Bell. Since this town was besieg'd, my gain grows 
 cold : 
 The time has been, that but for one bare night 
 A hundred ducats have been freely given ; 
 But now against my will I must be chaste : 
 And yet I know my beauty doth not fail. 
 From Venice merchants, and from Padua 
 Were wont to come rare-witted gentlemen, 
 Scholars I mean, learned and liberal ; 
 And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none, 
 And he is very seldom from my house ; 
 And here he comes. 
 
 Enter Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Pilia. Hold thee, wench, there's something for 
 thee to spend. [Shewi?ig a bag of silver. 
 
 Bell. 'Tis silver ; I disdain it. 
 
 Pilia. Ay, but the Jew has gold, 
 And I will have it, or it shall go hard. 
 
 Bell. Tell me, how cam'st thou by this ? 
 
 Pilia. Faith, walking the back-lanes, through 
 the gardens, I chanced to cast mine eye up to the 
 
 t Enter Bellamira] She appears, we may suppose, in a ve- 
 randa or open portico of her house (that the scene is not the 
 interior of the house, is proved by what follows).
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 287 
 
 Jew's counting-house, where I saw some bags of 
 money, and in the night I clambered up with my 
 hooks ; and, as I was taking my choice, I heard a 
 rumbling in the house ; so I took only this, and run 
 my way. But here's the Jew's man. 
 Bell. Hide the bag. 
 
 Enter Ithamore. 
 
 Pilia. Look not towards him, let's away. Zoons, 
 
 what a looking thou keepest ! thou'lt betray's anon. 
 
 [Exeunt Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Itha. Oh, the sweetest face that ever I beheld ! I 
 
 know she is a courtezan by her attire : now would I 
 
 give a hundred of the Jew's crowns that I had such 
 
 a concubine. 
 
 Well, I have deliver'd the challenge in such sort, 
 
 As meet they will, and fighting die, — brave sport ! 
 
 [Exit. 
 Enter Matiiias. 
 
 Math. This is the place*: now Abigail shall see 
 Whether Mathias holds her dear or no. 
 
 Enter Lodowick. 
 
 What, dares the villain write in such base terms ? 
 
 [Looking at a letter. 
 Lod. I did it ; and revenge it, if thou dar'st ! 
 
 [They fight. 
 
 * Enter Matiiias. 
 
 Math. This • u | &c] The scene is some part of the-
 
 288 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III 
 
 Enter Barabas above. 
 
 Bara. Oh, bravely fought ! and yet they thrust 
 not home. 
 
 Now, Lodovico* ! now, Mathias ! — So ; {Both fall. 
 
 So, now they have shew'd themselves to be tallf fel- 
 lows. 
 
 town, as Barabas appears " above," — in the balcony of a house. 
 (He stood, of course, on what was termed the upper-stage.) 
 Old ed. thus ; 
 
 " Enter Mathias. 
 Math. This is the place, now Abigail shall see 
 \Y hetber Mathias holds her deare or no. 
 
 Enter Lodow. reading. 
 Math. What, dares the villain write in such base terms "i 
 Led. I did it, and reuenge it if thou dar'st." 
 
 Mr. Collier (apud Dodsley's O. P.) remarks ; " The challenge 
 was from Lodowick to Mathias ; Mathias ought therefore to 
 enter reading, aud the line, 
 
 ' What, dares the villain write in such base terms? ' 
 
 is consistent with this regulation ". At p. 285, indeed, Bara- 
 bas delivers to Ithamore a letter for Mathias — " a challenge 
 feign'd from Lodowick" : but, according to Ithamore's account 
 in the next scene, p. 291, it appears that he carried a challenge 
 to both parties; " Why, the devil invented a challenge, my 
 master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, and im- 
 primis to Mathias." — I have deviated from the old copy only 
 in giving the stage-direction " reading " [" Looking at a letter "] 
 to Mathias. 
 
 * Lodovico] Old ed. " Lodowicke." — See note, p. -279. 
 
 t tall] i.e. bold, brave.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 [Cries within] Part 'em, part 'em ! 
 Bara. Ay, part 'em now they are dead. Farewell, 
 farewell ! [Exit above. 
 
 Enter Ferneze, Katherine, and Attendants. 
 
 Fern. What sight is this? my Lodovico* slain ! 
 These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre f. 
 Kath. Who is this? my son Mathias slain ! 
 Fern. Oh, Lodowick, hadst thou perish'd by the 
 
 Turk, 
 Wretched Ferneze might have 'veng'd thy death ! 
 Kath. Thy son slew mine, and I'll revenge his 
 
 death. 
 Fern. Look, Katherine, look ! thy son gave mine 
 
 these wounds. 
 Kath. Oh, leave to grieve me! I am griev'd 
 
 enough. 
 Fern. Oh, that my sighs could turn to lively 
 
 breath , 
 And these my tears to blood, that he might live ! 
 Kath. Who made them enemies? 
 Fern. I know not; and that grieves me most of all. 
 
 * Lodovico'] Old ed. " Lodowicke". — See note, p. 279. 
 
 t These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre'] So in Shake- 
 speare's Third Part of King Henry VI., act ii. sc. 5, the Father 
 says to the dead son whom lie had killed in battle, 
 
 " These arms of mine shall be thy winding-sheet; 
 My heart, sweet boy, shall be thy sepulchre," — 
 
 lines, be it observed, which are not found in The True Tragedie 
 of Richard Duke of Yorke. 
 
 VOL. I U
 
 290 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 Katii. My son lov'd thine. 
 
 Fern. And so did Loclowick him. 
 
 Katii. Lend me that weapon that did kill my son, 
 And it shall murder me. 
 
 Fern. Nay, madam, stay ; that weapon was my 
 son's, 
 And on that rather should Ferneze die. 
 
 Kath. Hold ; let's inquire the causers of their 
 deaths, 
 That we may 'venge their blood upon their heads. 
 
 Fern. Then take them up, and let them be interr'd 
 Within one sacred monument of stone ; 
 Upon which altar I will offer up 
 My daily sacrifice of sighs and tears, 
 And with my prayers pierce impartial Heavens, 
 Till they [reveal] the causers of our smarts, 
 Which forc'd their hands divide united hearts. 
 Come, Katherine* ; our losses equal are ; 
 Then of true grief let us take equal share. 
 
 [Exeunt with the bodies. 
 
 Enter Ithamoret. 
 
 Itiia. Why, was there ever seen such villany, 
 So neatly plotted, and so well perform'd ? 
 Both held in hand]:, and flatly both beguil'd? 
 
 * Katherine] Old ed. " Katherina." 
 
 t Enter Ithamore] The scene a room in the house of Barabas. 
 
 £ held in fcnwrf] i. e. kept in expectation, having their hopes 
 Battered. 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 291 
 
 Enter Abigail. 
 
 Abig. Why, how now, Ithamore ? why laugh 'st 
 thou so ? 
 
 Itha. Oh, mistress ! ha, ha, ha ! 
 
 Abig. Why, what ail'st thou ? 
 
 Itha. Oh, my master ! 
 
 Abig. Ha! 
 
 Itha. Oh, mistress, I have the bravest, gravest, 
 secret, subtle, bottle-nosed * knave to my master, that 
 ever gentleman had ! 
 
 Abig. Say, knave, why rail'st upon my father 
 thus? 
 
 Itha. Oh, my master has the bravest policy ! 
 
 Abig. Wherein ? 
 
 Itha. Why, know you not? 
 
 Abig. Why, no. 
 
 Itha. Know you not of Mathia[s'] and Don Lodo- 
 wick['s] disaster? 
 
 Abig. No : what was it? 
 
 Itha. Why, the devil invented a challenge, my 
 master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, 
 and imprimis to Mathia[s] ; 
 And then they met, [and], as the story says, 
 In doleful wise they ended both their clays. 
 
 Abig. And was my father furtherer of their 
 deaths? 
 
 Itha. Am I Ithamore? 
 
 * boitle-wised] See note, p. 216.
 
 292 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 Abig. Yes. 
 
 Itiia. So sure did your father write, and I carry 
 the challenge. 
 
 Abig. Well, Ithamore, let me request thee this ; 
 Go to the new-made nunnery, and inquire 
 For any of the friars of St. Jaques*, 
 And say, I pray them come and speak with me. 
 
 Itiia. I pray, mistress, will you answer me to one 
 question ? 
 
 Amo. Well, sirrah, what is't? 
 
 Itiia. A very feeling one : have not the nuns fine 
 sport with the friars now and then ? 
 
 Abig. Go to, sirrah Sauce ! is this your question? 
 get you gone. 
 
 Itiia. I will, forsooth, mistress. [Exit. 
 
 Abig. Hard-hearted father, unkind Barabas ! 
 Was this the pursuit of thy policy, 
 To make me shew them favour severally, 
 That by my favour they should both be slain ? 
 Admit thou lov'd'st not Lodowick for his siref, 
 Yet Don Mathias ne'er offended thee : 
 But thou wert set upon extreme revenge, 
 Because the prior dispossess'd thee once, 
 And couldst not 'venge it, but upon his son ; 
 Nor on his son, but by Mathias' means; 
 
 * Jaques] Old ed. " Iaynes." 
 
 t sire] Old ed. " sinne " (which, modernised to " sin", the 
 editors retain, among- many otlier equally obvious errors of the 
 old copy).
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. -U,'i 
 
 Nor on Mathias, but by murdering me: 
 But I perceive there is no love on earth, 
 Pity iu Jews, nor piety in Turks. 
 But here comes cursed Ithamore with the friar. 
 
 Re-enter Ithamore with Friar Jacomo. 
 
 Friar Jac. Virgo, salve. 
 
 Ii ha. When duck you ? 
 
 Abig. Welcome, grave friar. — Ithamore, begone. 
 
 [Exit Ithamore. 
 Know, holy sir, I am bold to solicit thee. 
 
 Friar Jac. Wherein ? 
 
 Abig. To get me be admitted for a nun. 
 
 Friar Jac. Why, Abigail, it is not yet long since 
 That I did labour thy admission, 
 And then thou didst not like that holy life. 
 
 Abig. Then were my thoughts so frail and uncon- 
 firm'd, 
 And I was chain'd to follies of the world : 
 But now experience, purchased with grief, 
 Has made me see the difference of things. 
 My sinful soul, alas, hath pac'd too long 
 The fatal labyrinth of misbelief, 
 Far from the Son that gives eternal life ! 
 
 Friar Jac Who taught thee this ? 
 
 Abig. The abbess of the house, 
 Whose zealous admonition I embrace : 
 Oh, therefore, Jacomo*, let me be one, 
 
 * Jacomo'] Old ed. " Iaconii."
 
 294 THE JEW OF MALTA. [a< l III. 
 
 Although unworthy, of that sisterhood ! 
 
 Friar Jac. Abigail, I will : but see thou change 
 no more, 
 For that will be most heavy to thy soul. 
 
 Abig. That was my father's fault. 
 
 Friar Jac. Thy father's ! how? 
 
 Abig. Nay, you shall pardon me. — Oh, Barabas, 
 Though thou deservest hardly at my hands, 
 Yet never shall these lips bewray thy life. [Aside. 
 
 Friar Jac. Come, shall we go? 
 
 Abig. My duty waits on you. [Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Barabas*, reading a letter. 
 
 Bara. What, Abigail become a nun again ! 
 False and unkind ! what, hast thou lost thy father? 
 And, all unknown and unconstrain'd of me, 
 Art thou again got to the nunnery ? 
 Now here she writes, and wills me to repent : 
 Repentance! Spurca ! what pretendethf this? 
 I fear she knows ('tis so) of my device 
 In Don Mathias' and Lodovico's deaths : 
 If so, 'tis time that it be seen into ; 
 For she that varies from me in belief, 
 Gives great presumption that she loves me not, 
 Or, loving, doth dislike of something done. 
 But who comes here ? 
 
 * "Enter B irabas] The scene is still within the house of Ba- 
 rabas; but some tune is supposed to have elapsed since the 
 preceding conference between Abigail and Friar Jacomo. 
 
 t prelendeth] i.e. intendeth, designeth.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 295 
 
 Enter Ithamore. 
 
 Oh, Ithamore, come near ; 
 Come near, my love; come near, thy master's life, 
 My trusty servant, nay, my second life*; 
 For I have now no hope but even in thee, 
 And on that hope my happiness is built. 
 When saw'st thou Abigail ? 
 
 Itha. To-day. 
 
 Baiia. With whom ? 
 
 Itiia. A friar. 
 
 Baiia. A friar ! false villain, he hath done the deed. 
 
 Itha. How, sir? 
 
 Bara. Why, made mine Abigail a nun. 
 
 Itha. That's no lie; for she sent me for him. 
 
 Bara. Oh, unhappy day ! 
 False, credulous, inconstant Abigail ! 
 But let 'em go: and, Ithamore, from hence 
 Ne'er shall she grieve me more with her disgrace ; 
 Ne'er shall she live to inherit aught of mine, 
 Be blest of me, nor come within my gates, 
 But perish underneath my bitter curse, 
 Like Cain by Adam for his brother's death. 
 
 Itha. Oh, master — 
 
 Bara. Ithamore, entreat not for her ; I am mov'd, 
 And she is hateful to my soul and me : 
 And, 'lessf thou yield to this that I entreat, 
 
 * life] Qy. " self" (the compositor's eye Laving caught 
 " life " in the preceding line) 1 
 t 'less] Old ed. " least."
 
 296 
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. [aCT lit. 
 
 I cannot think but that thou hat'st my life. 
 
 Itha. Who, I, master? why, I'll run to some rock, 
 And throw myself headlong into the sea ; 
 Why, I'll do any thing for your sweet sake. 
 
 Bara. Oh, trusty Ithamore ! no servant, but my 
 friend ! 
 I here adopt thee for mine only heir : 
 All that I have is thine when I am dead ; 
 And, whilst I live, use half; spend as myself; 
 Here take my keys, — I'll give 'em thee anon ; 
 Go buy thee garments ; but thou shalt not want : 
 Only know this, that thus thou art to do- 
 But first go fetch me in the pot of rice 
 That for our supper stands upon the fire. 
 
 Itha. I hold my head, my master's hungry 
 [Aside].— I go, sir. [Exit. 
 
 Bara. Thus every villain ambles after wealth, 
 Although he ne'er be richer than in hope : — 
 But hush't ! 
 
 Re-enter Ithamore with the pot. 
 
 Itha. Here 'tis, master. 
 
 Bara. Well said*, Ithamore! What, hast thou 
 brought 
 The ladle with thee too? 
 
 Itha. Yes, sir; the proverb saysf, he that eats 
 
 * Well said] See note, p. 210. 
 
 t the proverb says, &c] A proverb as old as Chaucer's time : 
 see the Squieres Tal , v. 10916, ed. Tyrwhitt.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 297 
 
 with the devil had need of a long spoon ; I have 
 brought you a ladle. 
 
 Bara. Very well, Ithamore ; then now be secret; 
 And, for thy sake, whom I so dearly love, 
 Now shalt thou see the death of Abigail, 
 That thou mayst freely live to be my heir. 
 
 Itha. Why, master, will you poison her with a 
 mess of rice-porridge ? that will preserve life, make 
 her round and plump, and batten* more than you 
 are aware. 
 
 Bara. Ay, but, Ithamore, seest thou this? 
 It is a precious powder that I bought 
 Of an Italian, in Ancona, once, 
 Whose operation is to bind, infect, 
 And poison deeply, yet not appear 
 In forty hours after it is ta'en. 
 
 Itha. How, master? 
 
 Bara. Thus, Ithamore: 
 This even they use in Malta here, — 'tis call'd 
 Saint Jaques' Even, — and then, I say, they use 
 To send their alms unto the nunneries : 
 Among the rest, bear this, and set it there : 
 There's a dark entry where they take it in, 
 Where they must neither see the messenger, 
 Nor make inquiry who hath sent it them. 
 
 Itha. How so ? 
 
 Bara. Belike there is some ceremony in't. 
 There, Ithamore, must thou go place this potf : 
 
 * batten] i.e. fatten. f pot~\ Old ed. " plot."
 
 298 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 Stay ; let me spice it first. 
 
 Itha. Pray, do, and let me help you, master. 
 Pray, let me taste first. 
 
 Bara. Prithee, do. [Ithamore tastes.] What 
 say'st thou now ? 
 
 Itha. Troth, master, I'm loath such a pot of pot- 
 tage should be spoiled. 
 
 Bara. Peace, Ithamore ! 'tis better so than spar'd. 
 [Puts the powder into the pot. 
 Assure thyself thou shalt have broth by the eyef : 
 My purse, my coffer, and myself is thine. 
 
 Itha. Well, master, I go. 
 
 Bara. Stay ; first let me stir it, Ithamore. 
 As fatal be it to her as the draught 
 Of which great Alexander drunk, and died ; 
 And with her let it work like Borgia's wine, 
 Whereof his sire the pope was poisoned ! 
 In few J, the blood of Hydra, Lerna's bane, 
 The juice of hebon*, and Cocytus' breath, 
 
 t thou shalt hare broth by the eye] " Perhaps he means — thou 
 shalt see how the broth that is designed for thee is made, that 
 no mischievous ingredients enter its composition. The passage 
 is, however, obscure." Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) — 
 " By the cut- " seems to be equivalent to — in abundance. Com- 
 pare Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pestle, 
 act ii. sc. 2 ; " here's money and gold by th' eye, my boy." In 
 1'letcher's Beggar's Bush, act iii. sc. 1, is a similar expression; 
 " Come, English beer, hostess, English beer by the belly ! " 
 
 I in few] i.e. in a few words, ,in short. 
 
 * hebon] i.e. ebony, which was formerly supposed to be a 
 deadly poison.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 299 
 
 And all the poisons of the Stygian pool, 
 Break from the fiery kingdom, and in this 
 Vomit your venom, and envenom her 
 That, like a fiend, hath left her father thus ! 
 
 Itha. What a blessing has he giv'n't ! was ever 
 pot of rice-porridge so sauced? [Aside]. — What 
 shall I do with it ? 
 
 Bara. Oh, my sweet Ithamore, go set it clown ; 
 And come again so soon as thou hast done, 
 For I have other business for thee. 
 
 Itha. Here's a drench to poison a whole stable of 
 Flanders mares : I'll carry 't to the nuns with a powder. 
 
 Bara. And the horse-pestilence to boot ; away ! 
 
 Itha. I am gone : 
 Pay me my wages, for my work is done. 
 
 [Exit ivith the pot. 
 
 Bara. I'll pay thee with a vengeance, Ithamore! 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 Enter Ferneze+, Martin Del Bosco, Knights, 
 and Basso. 
 
 Fern. Welcome, great basso \ : how fares Caly- 
 math ? 
 
 t Enter Ferneze, &c] The scene is the interior of the 
 Council-house. 
 
 i basso] Old ed. " Bashaws" (the printer having added an s 
 by mistake), and in the preceding stage-direction, and in the 
 fifth speech of this scene, " Bashaw " : but in an earlier scene 
 (see, p. 245) we have " bassoes ", and in the preceding play, 
 " basso" and " bassoes" repeatedly.
 
 100 
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 What wind drives you thus into Malta-road? 
 
 Bas. The wind that bloweth all the world besides, 
 Desire of gold. 
 
 Ferx. Desire of gold, great sir! 
 That's to be gotten in the Western Inde : 
 In Malta are no golden minerals. 
 
 Bas. To you of Malta thus saith Calymath : 
 The time you took for respite is at hand 
 For the performance of your promise past ; 
 And for the tribute-money I am sent. 
 
 Ferx. Basso, in brief, shalt have no tribute here, 
 Nor shall the heathens live upon our spoil : 
 First will we raze the city-walls ourselves, 
 Lay waste the island, hew the temples down, 
 And, shipping off our goods to Sicilv, 
 Open an entrance for the wasteful sea, 
 Whose billows, beating the resistless banks*, 
 Shall overflow it with their refluence. 
 
 Bas. Well, governor, since thou hast broke the 
 league 
 By flat denial of the promis'd tribute, 
 Talk not of razing down your city-walls; 
 You shall not need trouble yourselves so far, 
 For Selim Calymath shall come himself, 
 And with brass bullets batter down your towers, 
 And turn proud Malta to a wilderness, 
 For these intolerable wrongs of yours : 
 And so, farewell. 
 
 Ferx. Farewell. [Exit Basso. 
 
 * the resistless banks] 1. e. the banks not able to resist.
 
 Till". JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 And now, you men of Malta, look about, 
 
 And let's provide to welcome Calymath : 
 
 Close your port-cullis, charge your basilisks*, 
 
 And, as you profitably take up arms, 
 
 So now courageously encounter them, 
 
 For by this answer broken is the league, 
 
 And nought is to be look'd for now but wars, 
 
 And nought to us more welcome is than wars. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Friar Jacomo f and Friar Barxaiuhne. 
 
 Friar Jac. Oh, brother, brother, all the nuns 
 are sick, 
 And physic will not help them ! they must die. 
 Friar Barn. The abbess sent for me to be con- 
 fess'd : 
 Oh, what a sad confession will there be! 
 
 Friar Jac. And so did fair Maria send for me : 
 I'll to her lodging; hereabouts she lies. [Exit. 
 
 Enter Abigail. 
 
 Friar Barx. What, all dead, save only Abigail ! 
 Abig. And I shall die too, for I feel death coming. 
 Where is the friar that convers'd with me J? 
 
 Friar Barn. Oh, he is gone to see the other nuns. 
 Abig. I sent for him ; but, seeing you are come, 
 
 * basilisks'] See note, p. 72. 
 
 t Enter Friar Jacomo, &c] Scene, the interior of the Nun- 
 nery. 
 
 X convers'd with me] She alludes to her conversation with 
 Jacomo, p. 293.
 
 302 Till. JEW OF MALTA. [ACT III. 
 
 Be you my ghostly father : and first know, 
 That in this house I liv'd religiously, 
 Chaste, and devout, much sorrowing for my sins ; 
 But, ere I came — 
 
 Friar Barn. What then ? 
 
 Abig. I did offend high Heaven so grievously, 
 As I am almost desperate for my sins ; 
 And one offence torments me more than all. 
 You knew Mathias and Don Lodowick ? 
 
 Friar Barn. Yes; what of them ? 
 
 Abig. My father did contract me to 'em both ; 
 First to Don Lodowick : him I never lov'd ; 
 Mathias was the man that I held dear, 
 And for his sake did I become a nun. 
 
 Friar Barn. So : say how was their end ? 
 
 Abig. Both, jealous of my love, envied* each other; 
 And by my father's practice f, which is there 
 
 [Gives writiny . 
 Set down at large, the gallants were both slain. 
 
 Friar Barn. Oh, monstrous villany ! 
 
 Abig. To work my peace, this I confess to thee : 
 Reveal it not; for then my father dies. 
 
 Friar Barn. Know that confession must not be 
 reveal'd ; 
 The canon-law forbids it, and the priest 
 That makes it known, being degraded first, 
 Shall be condemn'd, and then sent to the fire. 
 
 * envied] i.e. bated. 
 
 t practice] i. p. -artful contrivance, strata
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Abig. So I have heard; pray, therefore, keep it 
 close. 
 Death seizeth on my heart : ah, gentle friar, 
 Convert my father that he may be sav'd, 
 And witness that I die a Christian ! [Dies. 
 
 Friar Barn. Ay, and a virgin too; that grieves 
 me most. 
 But I must to the Jew, and exclaim on him, 
 And make him stand in fear of me. 
 
 Re-enter Friar Jacomo. 
 
 Friar Jac. Oh, brother, all the nuns are dead ! 
 
 let's bury them. 
 Friar Barn. First help to bury this ; then go 
 with me, 
 And help me to exclaim against the Jew. 
 Friar Jac. Why, what has he done ? 
 Friar Barn. A thing that makes me tremble to 
 
 unfold. 
 Friar Jac. What, has he crucified a child* ? 
 Friar Barn. No, but a worse thing : 'twas told 
 me in shrift ; 
 Thou know'st 'tis death, an if it be reveal'd. 
 Come, let's away. [Exeunt 
 
 * crucified a child'] A crime with which the Jews were often 
 charged. "Tovey, in his Angiia Judaica, has given the several 
 instances which are upon record, of those charges against I 
 Jews ; which he observes they were never accused of, but at 
 such times as the king was manifestly in great want of money." 
 Reed (apud Dodsley's O. P.).
 
 304 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 ACT IV. 
 
 Enter Barabas* and Ithamore. Bells within. 
 
 Bara. There is no music tof a Christian's knell: 
 How sweet the bells ring-, now the nuns are dead, 
 That sound at other times like tinkers' pans ! 
 I was afraid the poison had not wrought, 
 Or, though it wrought, it would have done no good, 
 For every year they swell, and yet they live : 
 Now all are dead, not one remains alive. 
 
 Itha. That's brave, master: but think you it will 
 not be known ? 
 
 Bara. How can it, if we two be secret? 
 
 Itha. For my part, fear you not. 
 
 Bara. I'd cut thy throat, if I did. 
 
 Itha. And reason too : 
 But here's a royal monastery hard by; 
 Good master, let me poison all the monks. 
 
 Bara. Thou shalt not need ; for, now the nuns 
 are dead, 
 They'll die with grief. 
 
 Itha. Do you not sorrow for your daughter's 
 death ? 
 
 Bara. No, but I grieve because she liv'd so long, 
 
 * Enter Barabas, &c] Scene a street. 
 
 t to] Which the Editor of ?826 deliberately altered to "like," 
 means — compared to, in comparison of.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 305 
 
 An Hebrew born, and would become a Christian. 
 Cazzo*, diabolo ! 
 
 Enter Friar Jacomo and Friar Barnardine. 
 
 Itiia. Look, look, master ; here come two religious 
 caterpillars. 
 
 Bara. I smelt 'em ere they came. 
 
 Itiia. God-a-mercy, nose f ! Come, let's begone. 
 
 Friar Barn. Stay, wicked Jew ; repent, I say, 
 
 and stay. 
 Friar Jac Thou hast offended, therefore must 
 
 be damn'd. 
 Bara. I fear they know we sent the poison'd broth. 
 Itha. And so do I, master; therefore speak 'em 
 
 fair. 
 
 Friar Barn. Barabas, thou hast 
 
 Friar Jac. Ay, that thou hast 
 
 Bara. True, I have money ; what though I have? 
 Friar Barn. Thou art a 
 
 Friar Jac Ay, that thou art, a 
 
 Bara. What needs all this ? I know I am a Jew. 
 
 Friar Barn. Thy daughter 
 
 Friar Jac. Ay, thy daughter- 
 
 Bara. Oh, speak not of her ! then I die with grief. 
 Friar Barn. Remember that 
 
 * Cazzo] Old ed. " Catho. "—See Florio's Worlde of Wonles 
 (Ital. and Engl. Diet.), ed. 1598, in v.—" A petty oath, a cant 
 exclamation, generally expressive, among the Italian populace, 
 who have it constantly in their mouth, of defiance or con- 
 tempt." Gifford'.s note on Jonson's Works, ii. 48. 
 
 t nose] See note, p. 276. 
 
 VOL. I. X
 
 306 THE JEW OF MALT 1. [ACT IV. 
 
 Friar Jac. Ay, remember that- 
 
 Bara. I must needs say that I have been a great 
 usurer. 
 
 Friar Barn. Thou hast committed 
 
 Bara. Fornication : but that was in another 
 country ; 
 And besides, the wench is dead. 
 
 Friar Barn. Ay, but, Barabas, 
 Remember Mathias and Don Lodowick. 
 
 Bara. Why, what of them? 
 
 Friar Barn. I will not say that by a forged dial 
 lenge they met. 
 
 Bara. She has confess'd, and we are both undone, 
 My bosom inmate* ! but I must dissemble. — 
 
 [Aside to Ithamore. 
 Oh, holy friars, the burden of my sins 
 Lie heavy f on my soul ! then, pray you, tell me, 
 Is't not too late now to turn Christian ? 
 I have been zealous in the Jewish faith, 
 Hard-hearted to the poor, a covetous wretch, 
 That would for lucre's sake have sold my soul; 
 A hundred for a hundred I have ta'en ; 
 And now for store of wealth may I compare 
 With all the Jews in Malta : but what is wealth ? 
 1 am a Jew, and therefore am I lost. 
 
 * inmate'] Old ed. " inmates." 
 
 t the burden uftny sins 
 
 Lie henry, live.] One of the modern editors altered " Lie" to 
 " Lies " : but examples of similar phraseology are common in 
 our early writers ; see notes on Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, 
 vol. v. 7, 94, vol. ix. 185, ed. Dyce.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 307 
 
 Would penance serve [to atone] for this my sin, 
 I could afford to whip myself to death — 
 
 Itha. And so could I ; but penance will not serve. 
 
 Bara. To fast, to pray, and wear a shirt of hair, 
 And on my knees creep to Jerusalem. 
 Cellars of wine, and sollers * full of wheat, 
 Warehouses stuft with spices and with drugs, 
 Whole chests of gold, in bullion and in coin, 
 Besides, I know not how much weight in pearl, 
 Orient and round, have I within my house ; 
 At Alexandria, merchandize untold f; 
 But yesterday two ships went from this town, 
 Their voyage will be worth ten thousand crowns ; 
 In Florence, Venice, Antwerp, London, Seville, 
 Frankfort, Lubeck, Moscow, and where not, 
 Have I debts owing ; and, in most of these, 
 Great sums of money lying in the banco; 
 All this I'll give to some religious house, 
 So I may be baptiz'd, and live therein. 
 
 Friar Jac Oh, good Barabas, come to our house ! 
 
 Friar Barn. Oh, no, good Barabas, come to our 
 house ! 
 And, Barabas, you know — 
 
 Bara. I know that I have highly sinn'd : 
 You shall convert me, you shall have all my wealth. 
 
 Friar Jac Oh, Barabas, their laws are strict ! 
 
 Bara. I know they are; and I will be with you. 
 
 * sailers'] Or sollars — " i.e. lofts, garrets." Stfevens (apud 
 Dodsley's O.P.). 
 
 t untold] i.e. uncounted. — Old ed. " vnsold."
 
 308 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT V. 
 
 Fiu a r Barn. They wear no shirts, and they go 
 bare-foot too. 
 
 Bara. Then 'tis not for me; and I am resolv'd 
 You shall confess me, and have all my goods. 
 
 Friar Jac. Good Barabas, come to me. 
 
 Bara. You see I answer him, and yet he stays ; 
 Rid him away, and go you home with me. 
 
 Friar Jac. I'll be with you to-night. 
 
 Bara. Come to my house at one o'clock this night. 
 
 Friar Jac. You hear your answer, and you may 
 be gone. 
 
 Friar Barn. Why, go, get you away. 
 
 Friar Jac. I will not go for thee. 
 
 Friar Barn. Not! then, I'll make thee go. 
 
 Friar Jac How ! dost call me rogue? 
 
 [They f git. 
 
 Itiia. Part 'em, master, part 'em. 
 
 Bara. This is mere frailty : brethren, be content.— 
 Friar Barnardine, go you with Ithamore : 
 You know my mind ; let me alone with him. 
 
 Friar Jac. Why does he go to thy house? let 
 him beg-one*. 
 
 -© v 
 
 * Bara. This is mere frailty : brethren, be content. — 
 Friar Barnardine, go uou with Ithamore: 
 You kriaw my mind ; let me alone with him. 
 
 Friar Jac. Why does he go to thy house? let him begone'] Old 
 ed. thus ; 
 
 " Bur. This is meere frailty, brethren, be content, 
 Fryar Barnardine goe you with Ithimore. 
 
 Ith. You know my mind, let me alone with him ; 
 Why does he goe to thy house, let him begone." 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 309 
 
 Bara. I'll give ]iim something, and so stop his 
 mouth. 
 
 [Exit Ithamore with Friar Barnardine. 
 I never heard of any man but he 
 Malign'd the order of the Jacobines : 
 But do you think that I believe his words ? 
 Why, brother, you converted Abigail ; 
 And I am bound in charity to requite it, 
 And so I will. Oh, Jacomo, fail not, but come. 
 
 Fkiar Jac. But, Barabas, who shall be your god- 
 fathers ? 
 For presently you shall be shriv'd. 
 
 Bara. Marry, the Turk* shall be one of my god- 
 fathers, 
 But not a word to any of your covent+. 
 
 Friar Jac. I warrant thee, Barabas. [Exit. 
 
 Bara. So, now the fear is past, and I am safe ; 
 For he that shriv'd her is within my house : 
 What, if I murder'd him ere Jacomo comes? 
 Now I have such a plot for both their lives, 
 As never Jew nor Christian knew the like : 
 One turn'd my daughter, therefore he shall die ; 
 The other knows enough to have my life, 
 Therefore 'tis not requisite he should live J. 
 
 * the Turk'] " Meaning Ithamore." Collier (apud Dods- 
 ley's 0. P.). Compare the last line but one of Barabas's next 
 speech. 
 
 t covent] i. e. convent. 
 
 J Therefore 'tis not requisite he should live] Lest the reader 
 should suspect that the author wrote, 
 
 " Therefore 'tis requisite he should not live,"
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 But are not both these wise men, to suppose 
 
 That I will leave my house, my goods, and all, 
 
 To fast and be well whipt? I'll none of that. 
 
 Now, Friar Barnardine, I come to you : 
 
 I'll feast you, lodge you, give you fair words, 
 
 And, after that, I and my trusty Turk — 
 
 No more, but so : it must and shall be done*. 
 
 Enter Ithamore. 
 Ithamore, tell me, is the friar asleep ? 
 
 I ni a. Yes; and I know not what the reason is, 
 Do what I can, he will not strip himself, 
 Nor go to bed, but sleeps in his own clothes : 
 I fear me he mistrusts what we intend. 
 
 Bar v. No; 'tis an order which the friars use: 
 Yet, if he knew our meanings, could he scape ? 
 
 Itha. No, none can hear him, cry he ne'er so loud. 
 
 Bara. Why, true; therefore did I place him 
 there : 
 The other chambers open towards the street. 
 
 It 11 a. You loiter, master ; wherefore stay we thus? 
 Oh, how I long to see him shake his heels ! 
 
 Bara. Come on, sirrah : 
 
 I may observe that we have had before (p. 25?) a similar form 
 of expression, — 
 
 " It is not necessary 1 be seen." 
 
 * shall be done] Here a change of scene is supposed, to the 
 
 interior of Barabas's liuuae.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 31 1 
 
 Off with your girdle ; make a handsome noose. — 
 [Ithamore takes off his girdle, and ties a noose 
 on it. 
 Friar, awake*! 
 
 [They put the noose round the Friar s neck. 
 Fhiar Barn. What, do you mean to strangle me? 
 Itha. Yes, 'cause you use to confess. 
 Bara. Blame not us, but the proverb, — Confess 
 and be hanged. — Pull hard. 
 
 Friar Barn. What, will you havef my life? 
 Bara. Pull hard, I say. — You would have had my 
 
 goods. 
 Itha. Ay, and our lives too: — therefore pull amain. 
 
 [They strangle the Friar. 
 Tis neatly done, sir ; here's no print at all. 
 
 Bara. Then is it as it should be. Take him up. 
 Itha. Nay, master, be ruled by me a little. 
 [Takes the body, sets it upright against the wall, 
 and puts a staff in its hand.] So, let him lean upon 
 his staff; excellent ! he stands as if he were begging 
 of bacon. 
 
 Bara. Who would not think but that this friar 
 liv'd? 
 What time o' night is't now, sweet Ithamore ? 
 Itha. Towards one. 
 
 Bara. Then will not Jacomo be long from hence. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 * Friar, awake] Here, most probably, Burabas drew a curtain, 
 and discovered tbe sleeping Friar, 
 t have] Old ed. " saue."
 
 312 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 Enter Fhiar Jacomo*. 
 
 Friar Jac. This is the hour wherein I shall pro- 
 ceed f ; 
 Oh, happy hour, wherein I shall convert 
 An infidel, and bring- his gold into our treasury ! 
 But soft; is not this Barnardine ? it is; 
 And, understanding I should come this way, 
 Stands here a' purpose, meaning me some wrong, 
 And intercept my going to the Jew. — 
 Barnardine ! 
 
 Wilt thou not speak? thou think'st I see thee not; 
 Away, I'd wish thee, and let me go by: 
 No, wilt thou not? nay, then, I'll force my way ; 
 And, see, a staff" stands ready for the purpose. 
 As thou lik'st that, stop me another time ! 
 
 [Takes the staff, and strikes down the body. 
 
 Enter Barabas and Ithamore. 
 
 Bara. Why, how now, Jacomo ! what hast thou 
 
 done ? 
 Friar Jac Why, stricken him that would have 
 
 stroke]: at me. 
 
 * Enter Friar Jacomo] The scene is now before Barabas's 
 house, — the audience having had to suppose that the body of 
 Barnardine, which Ithamore had set upright, was standing out- 
 side the door. 
 
 t proceed] Seems to be used here as equivalent to — succeed. 
 
 [ stroke] i. e. struck.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 Baiia. Who is it? Barnardine! now, out, alas, he 
 is slain ! 
 
 Itha. Ay, master, he's slain; look how his Drains 
 drop out on's* nose. 
 
 Friar Jac. Good sirs, I have done't : but nobody 
 knows it but you two ; I may escape. 
 
 Bara. So might my man and I hang with you for 
 company. 
 
 Itha. No; let us bear him to the magistrates. 
 
 Friar Jac. Good Barabas, let me go. 
 
 Bara. No, pardon me; the law must have his 
 course : 
 I must be forc'd to give in evidence, 
 That, being importun'd by this Barnardine 
 To be a Christian, I shut him out, 
 And there he sate : now I, to keep my word, 
 And give my goods and substance to your house, 
 Was up thus early, with intent to go 
 Unto your friary, because you stay'd. 
 
 Itha. Fie upon 'em ! master, will you turn Chris- 
 tian, when holy friars turn devils, and murder one 
 another? 
 
 Bara. No; for this example I'll remain a Jew : 
 Heaven bless me ! what, a friar a murderer ! 
 When shall you see a Jew commit the like ? 
 
 Itha. Why, a Turk could ha' done no more. 
 
 Bara. To-morrow is the sessions ; you shall to 
 it.— 
 
 * on's] i.e. of bis.
 
 314 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 Come, Ithamore, let's help to take him hence. 
 Friar Jac. Villains, I am a sacred person ; touch 
 
 me not. 
 Bar a. The law shall touch you ; we'll but lead you , 
 we : 
 'Las, I could weep at your calamity ! — 
 Take in the staff too, for that must be shown : 
 Law wills that each particular be known. [Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Bellamira* mid Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Bell. Pilia-Borza, didst thou meet with Ithamore? 
 
 Pilia. I did. 
 
 Bell. And didst thou deliver my letter ? 
 
 Pilia. I did. 
 
 Bell. And what think'st thou ? will he come ? 
 
 Pilia. I think so : and yet I cannot tell ; for, at 
 the reading of the letter, he looked like a man of 
 another world. 
 
 Bell. Why so ? 
 
 Pilia. That such a base slave as he should be 
 saluted by such a tallf man as I am, from such a 
 beautiful dame as you. 
 
 Bell. And what said he ? 
 
 Pilia. Not a wise word ; only gave me a nod, as 
 who should say, is it even so? and so I left him, 
 
 * Enter Bellamira, Cxc.J The scene, as at p. 286, a verandaor 
 open portico of Bellamira's house. 
 
 t tall] Which mir early dramatists generally use in the sense 
 of — bold, brave (see note, p. 2t!8), is here perhaps equivalent 
 to — handsome. («* Tall or semely." Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.)
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 315 
 
 being driven to a non-plus at the critical aspect of 
 my terrible countenance. 
 
 Bell. And where didst meet him ? 
 
 Pilia. Upon mine own free-hold, within forty 
 foot of the gallows, conning his neck-verse*, I take 
 it, looking off a friar's execution, whom I saluted 
 with an old hempen proverb, Hodie tibi, eras mihi, 
 and so I left him to the mercy of the hangman : but, 
 the exercise I being done, see where he comes. 
 
 Enter Ithamore. 
 
 Itha. I never knew a man take his death so 
 patiently as this friar; he was ready to leap off ere 
 the halter was about his neck ; and, when the hang- 
 man had put on his hempen tippet, he made such 
 haste to his prayers, as if he had had another cure 
 to serve. Well, go whither he will, I'll be none of 
 his followers in haste: and, now I think on't, going 
 to the execution, a fellow met me with a muschatoes § 
 
 * neck-verse] i.e. the verse (generally the beginning of the 
 51 st Psalm, Miserere mei, &c.) read by a criminal to entitle him 
 to benefit of clergy. 
 
 t of] i. e. on. 
 
 X exercise] i.e. sermon, preaching. 
 
 § with a muschatoes] i.e. with a pair of mustachios. The 
 modern editors print " with mustachios," and "with a musta- 
 chios " : but compare, 
 
 " My Tuskes more stiffe than are a Cats muschatoes." 
 
 S. Rowley's Noble Spanish Soldier, 1634, sig. C. 
 
 " His crow-black muchatoes." 
 The Black Book,— Middleton's Works, v. 516, ed. Dyce,
 
 316 THE JEW Or MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 like a raven's wing, and a dagger with a hilt like a 
 warming-pan ; and he gave me a letter from one 
 Madam Bellamira, saluting me in such sort as if he 
 had meant to make clean my boots with his lips ; 
 the effect was, that I should come to her house : I 
 wonder what the reason is ; it may be she sees more 
 in me than I can find in myself; for she writes fur- 
 ther, that she loves me ever since she saw me; and 
 who would not requite such love ? Here's her house; 
 and here she comes ; and now would I were gone ! 
 I am not worthy to look upon her. 
 
 Pilia. This is the gentleman you writ to. 
 
 Itha. Gentleman ! he flouts me: what gentry can 
 be in a poor Turk of tenpence* ? I'll be gone. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Bell. Is't npt a sweet-faced youth, Pilia? 
 
 Itua. Again sweet youth! [Aside.] — Did not 
 you, sir, bring the sweet youth a letter? 
 
 Pilia. I did, sir, and from this gentlewoman, who, 
 as myself and the rest of the family, stand or fall at 
 your service. 
 
 Bell. Though woman's modesty should hale me 
 back, 
 I can withhold no longer : welcome, sweet love. 
 
 * Turk of tenpence] An expression not unfrequently used by 
 our early writers. So Taylor in some verses on Coriat; 
 
 " That if be bad a Turks of tenpence bin," &c. 
 
 Workes, p. 82. ed. 1630. 
 
 And see note on Middleton's Works, iii. 489, ed. Dyce.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 317 
 
 Itiia. Now am I clean, or rather foully, out of the 
 way. [Aside. 
 
 Bell. Whither so soon ? 
 
 Itha. I'll go steal some money from my master 
 to make me handsome [Aside]. — Pray, pardon me ; 
 I must go see a ship discharged. 
 
 Bell. Canst thou be so unkind to leave me thus ? 
 
 Pilia. An you did but know how she loves you, 
 sir ! 
 
 Itha. Nay, I care not how much she loves me. — 
 Sweet Bellamira, would I had my master's wealth 
 for thy sake ! 
 
 Pilia. And you can have it, sir, an if you please. 
 
 Itiia. If 'twere above ground, I could, and would 
 have it ; but he hides and buries it up, as partridges 
 do their eggs, under the earth. 
 
 Pilia. And is't not possible to find it out ? 
 
 Itha. By no means possible. 
 
 Bell. What shall we do with this base villain, 
 then? [Aside to Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Pilia. Let me alone; do but you speak him 
 fair. — [Aside to her. 
 
 But you know* some secrets of the Jew, 
 Which, if they were reveal'd, would do him harm. 
 
 Itha. Ay, and such as — go to, no more ! I'll 
 make him f send me half he has, and glad he scapes 
 
 * you know] Qy. " you know, sir,'"? 
 t I'll make him, &c] Old ed. thus ; 
 
 " lie make him send me half he has, § glad he scapes so loo.
 
 318 TUT. JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 so too : I'll write unto him ; we'll have money 
 straight. 
 
 Pilia. Send for a hundred crowns at least. 
 
 Itha. Ten hundred thousand crowns. — [Writing] 
 Master Barabas — 
 
 Pilia. Write not so submissively, but threatening 
 him. 
 
 Itha. [Writing] Sirrah Barabas, send me a hun- 
 dred croivns. 
 
 Pilia. Put in two hundred at least. 
 
 Itha. [ Writing] I charge thee send me three hun- 
 dred by this bearer, and this shall be your warrant : 
 if you do not — no more, but so. 
 
 Pilia. Tell him you will confess. 
 
 Itha. [Writing] Otherwise Til confess all. — 
 Vanish, and return in a twinkle. 
 
 Pilia. Let me alone ; I'll use him in his kind. 
 
 Itha. Hang him, Jew ! 
 
 [Exit Pilia- Borza with the letter. 
 
 Bell. Now, gentle Ithamore, lie in my lap. — 
 Where are my maids*? provide a running banquet; 
 Send to the merchant, bid him bring me silks ; 
 Shall Ithamore, my love, go in such rags ? 
 
 Pen and Inke : 
 
 Vie write vnto him, wele haue many strait." 
 
 There can be no doubt that the words '• Pen and inke " were a 
 direction to the property-man to have those articles on the 
 stage. 
 
 * Where are wiy maids, &c] It is evident that the Maids do 
 not enter : they are supposed to hear their mistress' orders 
 within.
 
 HIE JEW OF MALTA. 319 
 
 Itha. And bid the jeweller come hither too. 
 
 Bell. I have no husband ; sweet, I'll marry thee. 
 
 Itha. Content: but we will leave this paltry land, 
 And sail from hence to Greece, to lovely Greece ;- 
 I'll be thy Jason, thou my golden fleece ; — 
 Where painted carpets o'er the meads are hurl'd, 
 And Bacchus' vineyards overspread the world ; 
 Where woods and forests go in goodly green ; — 
 I'll be Adonis, thou shalt be Love's Queen ; — 
 The meads, the orchards, and the primrose-lanes, 
 Instead of sedge and reed, bear sugar-canes : 
 Thou in those groves, by Dis above, 
 Shalt live with me, and be my love*. 
 
 Bell. Whither will I not go with gentle Itha- 
 more? 
 
 Re-enter Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Itha. How now? hast thou the gold? 
 
 Pilia. Yes. 
 
 Itha. But came it freely ? did the cow give down 
 her milk freely ? 
 
 Pilia. At reading of the letter, he stared and 
 stamped, and turned aside : I took him by the beard f , 
 and looked upon him thus ; told him he were best to 
 send it : then he hugged and embraced me. 
 
 Itha. Rather for fear than love. 
 
 * Shalt live with me, and he my love'] A line, slightly varied, 
 of Marlowe's well-known song. In the preceding line, the 
 absurdity of " by Dis above" is, of course, intentional. 
 
 t heard'] Old ed. " sterd."
 
 ^20 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 Pilia. Then, like a Jew, he laughed and jeered, 
 and told me he loved me for your sake, and said 
 what a faithful servant you had been. 
 
 Itiia. The more villain he to keep me thus : here's 
 goodly 'parel, is there riot? 
 
 Pilia. To conclude, he gave me ten crowns. 
 
 [Delivers the money to Ithamore. 
 
 Itiia. But ten? I'll not leave him worth a grey 
 groat. Give me a ream of paper: we'll have a 
 kingdom of gold for't*. 
 
 Pilia. Write for five hundred crowns. 
 
 Itiia. [Writing] Sirrah Jew, as you love your 
 life, send me Jive hundred crowns, and give the 
 bearer a hundred. — Tell him I must have't. 
 
 * Give me a ream of pyper : we'll have a kingdom of gold for't] 
 A quibble. Bedim was frequently written ream ; and fre- 
 quently (as the following' passages shew), even when the 
 former spelling was given, the l was not sounded ; 
 
 " Vpon the siluer bosome of the streame 
 First gan faire Themis shake her amber locks, 
 "Whom all the Niinphs that waight on Neptunes realme 
 Attended from the hollowe of the rocks." 
 
 Lodge's Scillaes Metamorphosis, &c. 1589, Sig. A 2. 
 
 " How he may surest stablish his new conquerd realme, 
 How of his glorie fardest to deriue the streame." 
 
 A Herings Tayle, &c. 1598, Sig. D 3. 
 
 " Learchus slew his brolher for the crowne ■ 
 So did Cambyses fearing much the dreame ; 
 Antiochus of infamous renowne 
 His brother slew, to rule alone the realme." 
 
 Mirourfor Magistrates, p. 78, ed. 1610.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 321 
 
 Pilia. I warrant, your worship shall have't. 
 
 Itiia. And, if he ask why I demand so much, tell 
 him, I scorn to write a line under a hundred crowns. 
 
 Pilia. You'd make a rich poet, sir. I am gone. 
 
 [Exit with the letter. 
 
 Itha. Take thou the money ; spend it for my sake. 
 
 Bell. Tis not thy money, but thyself I weigh : 
 Thus Bellamira esteems of gold; [Throws it aside. 
 But thus of thee. [Kisses him. 
 
 Itiia. That kiss again ! — she runs division* of my 
 lips. What an eye she casts on me ! it twinkles 
 like a star. [Aside. 
 
 Bell. Come, my dear love, let's in and sleep to- 
 gether. 
 
 Itiia. Oh, that ten thousand nights were put in 
 one, that we might sleep seven years together afore 
 we wake ! 
 
 Bell. Come, amorous wag, first banquet, and 
 then sleep. [Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Barabas f, reading a letter. 
 
 Bara. Barabas, send me three hundred crowns ; — 
 Plain Barabas ! oh, that wicked courtezan ! 
 He was not wont to call me Barabas ; — 
 
 * runs division] " A musical term [of very common occur- 
 rence]." Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). 
 
 t Enter Barabas] The scene certainly seems to be now the 
 interior of Barabas's house, notwithstanding what he presently 
 says to Pilia-Borza (p. 324), " Pray, when, sir, shall I see you 
 at my house ? 
 
 VOL. I. i
 
 322 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT1V 
 
 Or else I will confess ; — ay, there it goes : 
 
 But, if I get him, coupe dc tjorcje for that. 
 
 He sent a shaggy, totter'df, staring slave, 
 
 That, when he speaks, draws out his grisly beard, 
 
 And winds it twice or thrice about his ear-; 
 
 Whose face has been a grind-stone for men's swords ; 
 
 His hands are hack'd, some fingers cut quite off; 
 
 Who, when he speaks, grunts like a hog, and looks 
 
 Like one that is employ'd in catzeriej 
 
 And cross-biting § ; such a rogue 
 
 As is the husband to a hundred whores ; 
 
 And I by him must send three hundred crowns. 
 
 Wei!, my hope is, he will not stay there still ; 
 
 And, when he comes — Oh, that he were but here ! 
 
 Enter Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Pilia. Jew, I must ha' more gold. 
 
 Bara. Why, want'st thou any of thy tale* ? 
 
 Pilia. No; but three hundred will not serve his 
 
 turn. 
 Bara. Not serve his turn, sir ! 
 Pilia. No, sir; and therefore I must have five 
 hundred more. 
 
 t tottcr'd] " i.e. tattered." Reed (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). 
 
 I calzerie] i.e. cheating-, roguery. It is formed from catso 
 (coeso, see note, p. 305), which our early writers used, not 
 only as an exclamation, but as an opprobrious term. 
 
 v: cross-biting] i.e. swindling (a cant term). — Something has 
 dropt out here. 
 
 * tale] i. c. reckoning.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 323 
 
 Bah a. I'll rather 
 
 Pima. Oh, good words, sir, and send it you were 
 best! see, there's his letter. [Gives letter. 
 
 Bara. Might he not as well come as send ? pray, 
 bid him come and fetch it : what he writes for youf, 
 you shall have straight. 
 
 Pilia. Ay, and the rest too, or else 
 
 Bara. I must make this villain away [Aside]. — 
 Please you dine with me, sir — and you shall be most 
 heartily poisoned. [Aside. 
 
 Pilia. No, God-a-mercy. Shall 1 have these 
 crowns ? 
 
 Bara. I cannot do it ; I have lost my keys. 
 
 Pilia. Oh, if that be all, I can pick ope your 
 locks. 
 
 Bara. Or climb up to my counting-house win- 
 dow : you know my meaning. 
 
 Pilia. I know enough, and therefore talk not to 
 me of your counting-house. The gold ! or know, 
 Jew, it is in my power to hang thee. 
 
 Bara. I am betray 'd. — [Aside. 
 
 Tis not five hundred crowns that I esteem ; 
 I am not mov'd at that : this angers me, 
 That he, who knows I love him as myself, 
 Should write in this imperious vein. Why, sir, 
 You know I have no child, and unto whom 
 Should I leave all, but unto Ithamore? 
 
 t what he twites for you~\ i.e. the hundred crowns to be 
 given to the bearer : see p. 320.
 
 324 THE JEW OF MALTA. [aCTIV 
 
 Pii.ia. Here's many words, but no crowns: the 
 crowns ! 
 
 Bara. Commend me to him, sir, most humbly, 
 And unto your good mistress, as unknown. 
 
 Pilia. Speak, shall I have 'em, sir? 
 
 Bara. Sir, here they are. — [Gives money. 
 
 Oh, that I should part* with so much gold ! — [Aside. 
 
 Here, take 'em, fellow, with as good a will 
 
 As I would see thee hang'd [Aside]. — Oh, love stops 
 
 my breath ! 
 Never lov'd man servant as I do Ithamore. 
 
 Pilia. I know it, sir. 
 
 Bara. Pray, when, sir, shall I see you at my house? 
 
 Pilia. Soon enough to your cost, sir. Fare you 
 well. ** [Exit. 
 
 Bara. Nay, to thine own cost, villain, if thou 
 com'st ! 
 Was ever Jew tormented as I am ? 
 To have a shag-rag knave to come [and force from 
 
 me] 
 Three hundred crowns, and then fivehundred crowns ! 
 Well ; I must seek a means to rid f 'em all, 
 And presently ; for in his villany 
 He will tell all he knows, and I shall die for't. 
 I have it : 
 
 I will in some disguise go see the slave, 
 And how the villain revels with my gold. [Exit. 
 
 * I should part'] Qy. " J e'er should part " ? 
 t rid] i.e. despatch, destroy.
 
 THE Jl'.W OF MALTA. 325 
 
 Enter Bellamiraj, Ithamore, and Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Bell. I'll pledge thee, love, and therefore drink 
 
 it off. 
 Itha. Say 'st thou me so ? have at it ! and, do you 
 hear ? [ Whispers to her. 
 
 Bell. Go to, it shall be so. 
 Itha. Of that condition I will drink it up : 
 Here's to thee. 
 
 Bei.l*. Nay, I'll have all or none. 
 Itha. There, if thou lov'st me, do not leave a drop. 
 Bell. Love thee ! fill me three glasses. 
 Itha. Three and fifty dozen : I'll pledge thee. 
 Pilia. Knavely spoke, and like a knight at arms. 
 Itha. Hey, Rivo Castiliano X ! a man's a man. 
 
 t Enter Bellnmira, &c] They are supposed to be sitting in 
 a veranda or open portico of Bellumira's house : see notes, p. 
 286, 314. 
 
 * Bell.'] Old ed. " Pil." 
 
 J Rivo Castiliano'] The origin of this Bacchanalian exclama- 
 tion lias not been discovered. Rivo generally is used alone ; 
 but, among passages parallel to that of our text, is the following 
 one (which has been often cited), — 
 
 " And Ryuo will he cry and Castile too." 
 
 Locke about You, 1600, sig. L 4. 
 
 A writer in The Westminster Review, vol. xliii. 53, thinks that 
 it " is a misprint for Rico-castellano, meaning a Spaniard be- 
 longing to the class of ricos-hombres, and the phrase therefore is — 
 
 ' Hey, noble Castilian, a man's a man ! ' 
 ' I can pledge like a man and drink like a man, my worthy Tro- 
 jan ; as some of our farce-writers would say." But the fre- 
 quent occurrence of Rit:o in various authors proves that it is 
 not a misprint
 
 326 THE .JEW 01' MALTA. [ ACT IV, 
 
 Bell. Now to the Jew. 
 
 Itha. Ha ! to the Jew ; and send me money you 
 
 were best. 
 Pilia. What wouldst thou do, if he should send 
 
 thee none ? 
 Itha. Do nothing: but I know what I know; 
 he's a murderer. 
 
 Bell. I had not thought he had been so brave a 
 
 man. 
 Itiia. You knew Mathias and the governor's son ; 
 he and I killed 'em both, and yet never touched 'em. 
 Pilia. Oh, bravely done ! 
 
 Itha. I carried the broth that poisoned the nuns; 
 and he and I, snicle hand too fast, strangled a friar*. 
 Bell. You two alone? 
 
 Itha. We two ; and 'twas never known, nor never 
 shall be for me. 
 
 Pilia. This shall with me unto the governor. 
 
 [Aside to Bellamira. 
 
 * and he and I, snicle hand toofast, strangled a friar] There is 
 surely some corruption here. Steevens (apud Dodsley's O. P.) 
 proposes to read." hand to fist". Gilchrist (ibid.) observes, 
 " a snicle is a north-country word for a noose, and when a per- 
 son is hanged, they say he is snicled." See too, in v. Snickle, 
 Forby's Vac. of East Anglia, and the Craven Dialect. — The 
 Rev. J. Mitford proposes the following (very violent) altera- 
 tion of this passage ; 
 
 " Itha. I carried the broth that poisoned the nuns ; and he 
 and I — 
 
 Pilia. Two hands snickle-fast — 
 Itha. Strangled a friar."
 
 in; JEW OF MALTA. 32' 
 
 Bell. And fit it should: but first let's ha' more 
 gold. — [Aside to Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Come, gentle Ithamore, lie in my lap. 
 
 Itha. Love me little, love me long : let music 
 rumble, 
 
 Whilst I in thy incony* lap do tumble. 
 
 Enter Bakabas, disguised as a French musician, 
 with a lute, and a nosegay in his hat. 
 
 Bell. A French musician ! — Come, let's hear 
 your skill. 
 
 Bara. Must tuna my lute for sound, twang, twang, 
 first. 
 
 Itha. Wilt drink, Frenchman ? here's to thee with 
 a Pox on this drunken hiccup ! 
 
 Bara. Gramercy, monsieur. 
 
 Bell. Prithee, Pilia-Borza, bid the fiddler give 
 me the posy in his hat there. 
 
 Pilia. Sirrah, you must give my mistress your 
 posy. 
 
 Baiia. A votre commandement, madame. 
 
 [Giving nosegay. 
 
 Bell. Howsweet, my Ithamore, the flowers smell ! 
 
 Itha. Like thy breath, sweetheart ; no violet like 
 'em. 
 
 Pilia. Foh ! methinks they stink like a holly- 
 hock f. 
 
 * incony] i.e. fine, pretty, delicate. — Old ed. " incoomy." 
 t they stink like a hollyhock'] " This flower, however, has no 
 
 offensive smell." Steevens (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). It's 
 
 odour resembles that oi' the poppy.
 
 328 THE JEW <>r MALTA. [ACT IV. 
 
 Baiia. So, now I am reveng'd upon 'em all : 
 The scent thereof was death ; I poison'd it. [Aside. 
 
 Itha. Play, fiddler, or I'll cut your cat's guts into 
 chitterlings. 
 
 Bara. Pardonnez moi, be no in tune yet : so, 
 now, now all be in. 
 
 Itha. Give him a crown, and fill me out more 
 wine. 
 
 Pilia. There's two crowns for thee : play. 
 
 [Giving money. 
 
 Bara. How liberally the villain gives me mine 
 own gold ! [Aside, and then plays. 
 
 Pilia. Methinks he fingers very well. 
 
 Bara. So did you when you stole my gold. [Aside. 
 
 Pilia. How swift he runs ! 
 
 Bara. You run swifter when you threw my gold 
 out of my window. [Aside. 
 
 Bell. Musician, hast been in Malta long? 
 
 Bara. Two, three, four month, madam. 
 
 Itha. Dost not know a Jew, one Barabas? 
 
 Bara. Very mush : monsieur, you no be his man ? 
 
 Pilia. His man ! 
 
 Itiia. I scorn the peasant: tell him so. 
 
 Bara. He knows it already. [Aside. 
 
 Itha. Tis a strange thing of that Jew, he lives 
 upon pickled grasshoppers and sauced mushrooms. 
 
 Bara. What a slave's this ! the governor feeds 
 not as I do. [Aside. 
 
 Itha. He never put on clean shirt since he was 
 circumcised.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 329 
 
 Bara. Oh, rascal! I change myself twice a-day. 
 
 [Aside. 
 
 Itha. The hat he wears, Judas left under the elder 
 when he hanged himself*. 
 
 Bara. 'Twas sent me for a present from the Great 
 Cham. [Aside. 
 
 Pilia. A nasty f slave he is. — Whither now, fid- 
 dler? 
 
 Bara. Pardonnez moi, monsieur; met he no 
 well. 
 
 Pilia. Farewell, fiddler [Exit Barabas]. One 
 letter more to the Jew. 
 
 Bell. Prithee, sweet love, one more, and write it 
 sharp. 
 
 Itha. No, I'll send by word of mouth now. — Bid 
 him deliver thee a thousand crowns, by the same 
 token, that the nuns loved rice, that Friar Barnar- 
 dine slept in his own clothes; any of 'em will do it. 
 
 Pilia. Let me alone to urge it, now I know the 
 meaning. 
 
 Itha. The meaning has a meaning. Come, let's in : 
 To undo a Jew is charity, and not sin. [Exeunt. 
 
 * wider the elder when he hanged himself] That Judas hanged 
 himself on an elder-tree, was a popular legend. Nay, the very 
 tree was exhibited to the curious in Sir John Mandeville's 
 days : " And faste by, is zit the Tree of Eldre, that Judas 
 henge him self upon, for desp<vyt that he hadde, whan he solde 
 and betrayed oure Lord." Voiage and Travaile, &c. p. 112. 
 ed. 1725. 
 
 t nasty"] Old ed. " masty." 
 
 } me] Old ed. " we."
 
 330 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 ACT V. 
 
 Enter Ferneze*, Knights, Martin Del Bosco, 
 and Officers. 
 
 Fern. Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms, 
 And see that Malta be well fortified ; 
 And it behoves you to be resolute ; 
 For Calymath, having hover'd here so long, 
 Will win the town, or die before the walls. 
 
 First Knight. And die he shall; for we will 
 never yield. 
 
 Enter Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Bell. Oh, bring us to the governor ! 
 
 Fern. Away with her ! she is a courtezan. 
 
 Bell. Whate'er I am, yet, governor, hear me 
 speak : 
 I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain : 
 Mathias did it not ; it was the Jew. 
 
 Pilia, Who, besides the slaughter of these gen- 
 tlemen, 
 Poisoned his own daughter and the nuns, 
 Strangled a friar, and I know not what 
 Mischief beside. 
 
 Fern. Had we but proof of this 
 
 * Enter Ferneze, &c] Scene, the interior of the Council- 
 house.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 331 
 
 Bell. Strong proof, my lord : his man's now at 
 my lodging, 
 That was his agent; he'll confess it all. 
 
 Fern. Go fetch him straight [Exeunt Officers]. 
 I always fear'd that Jew. 
 
 Re-enter Officers with Barabas and Ithamore. 
 
 Bara. I'll go alone ; dogs, do not hale me thus. 
 Itha. Nor me neither; I cannot out-run you, 
 constable. — Oh, my belly ! 
 
 Bara. One dram of powder more had made all 
 sure : 
 What a damn'd slave was I ! [Aside. 
 
 Fern. Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be 
 
 fetch'd. 
 First Knight. Nay, stay, my lord; 't may be 
 
 he will confess. 
 Bara. Confess ! what mean you, lords ? who 
 
 should confess ? 
 Fern. Thou and thy Turk ; 'twas you tliat slew 
 
 my son. 
 Itha. Guilty, my lord, I confess. Your son and 
 Mathias were both contracted unto Abigail : [he] 
 forged a counterfeit challenge. 
 
 Bara. Who carried that challenge? 
 Itha. I carried it, 1 confess; but who writ it? 
 marry, even he that strangled Barnardine, poisoned 
 the nuns and his own daughter. 
 
 Fern. Away with him ! his sight is death to me.
 
 332 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT V. 
 
 Bara. For what, you men of Malta? hear me 
 speak. 
 She is a courtezan, and he a thief, 
 And he my bondman : let me have law ; 
 For none of this can prejudice my life. 
 
 Fern. Once more, away with him! — You shall 
 
 have law. 
 Bara. Devils, do your worst. ! — I['ll] live in spite 
 of you. — [Aside. 
 
 As these have spoke, so be it to their souls ! — 
 I hope the poison'd flowers will work anon. [Aside. 
 [Exeunt Officers with Barabas ; Ithamore, Bel- 
 lamira, and Pilia-Borza. 
 
 Enter Katherine. 
 
 Katii. Was my Mathias rnurder'd by the Jew ? 
 Ferneze, 'twas thy son that rnurder'd him. 
 
 Fern. Be patient, gentle madam : it was he ; 
 He forg'd the daring challenge made them fight. 
 
 Katii. Where is the Jew ? where is that murderer ? 
 
 Fern. In prison, till the law has pass'd on him. 
 
 Re-enter First Officer. 
 
 First Off. My lord, the courtezan and her man 
 are dead ; 
 So is the Turk and Barabas the Jew. 
 Fern. Dead ! 
 First Off. Dead, my lord, and here they bring 
 
 his body. 
 Bosco. This sudden death of his is very strange.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 333 
 
 Re-enter Officers carrying Barabas as dead. 
 
 Fern. Wonder not at it, sir ; the Heavens arejust ; 
 Their deaths were like their lives ; then think not of 
 
 'em. — 
 Since they are dead, let them be buried : 
 For the Jew's body, throw that o'er the walls, 
 To be a prey for vultures and wild beasts. — 
 So, now away and fortify the town. 
 
 [Exeunt all, leaving Barabas on the floor*. 
 
 Bara. [rising] What, all alone ! well fare, sleepy 
 drink ! 
 I'll be reveng'd on this accursed town ; 
 For by my means Calymath shall enter in : 
 I'll help to slay their children and their wives, 
 To fire the churches, pull their houses down, 
 Take my goods too, and seize upon my lands. 
 I hope to see the governor a slave, 
 And, rowing in a galley, whipt to death. 
 
 Enter Calymath, Bassoest, and Turks. 
 
 Caly. Whom have we there? a spy? 
 Bara. Yes, my good lord, one that can spy a place 
 Where you may enter, and surprize the town: 
 
 * Exeunt all, laving Barabas on the floor] Here the audience 
 were to suppose that Barabas had been thrown over the walls, 
 and that the stage now represented the outside of the city. 
 
 t Bassoes] Here old ed. " Bashawes ". See note, p. 299.
 
 334 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ ACT V. 
 
 My name is Barabas ; I am a Jew. 
 
 Caly. Art thou that Jew whose goods we heard 
 were sold 
 For tribute-money ? 
 
 Bara. The very same, my lord : 
 And since that time they have hir'd a slave, my man, 
 To accuse me of a thousand villanies : 
 I was imprisoned, but scap'd their hands. 
 
 Caly. Didst break prison ? 
 
 Bara. No, no : 
 I drank of poppy and cold mandrake juice ; 
 And being asleep, belike they thought me dead, 
 And threw me o'er the walls : so, or how else, 
 The Jew is here, and rests at your command. 
 
 Caly. 'Twas bravely done: but tell me, Barabas, 
 Canst thou, as thou report'st, make Malta ours? 
 
 Bara. Fear not, my lord ; for here, against the 
 trench*, 
 The rock is hollow, and of purpose digg'd, 
 To make a passage for the running streams 
 And common channels of the city. 
 Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls, 
 I'll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault, 
 And rise with them i' the middle of the town, 
 Open the gates for you to enter in ; 
 And by this means the city is your own. 
 
 * trench'] Old ed. " Truce." — " Query ' sluice ' ? ' truce ' 
 seems unintelligible." Collieii (apud Dodsley's O. P.). — 
 The Rev. J. Mitford proposes " turret " or " tower."
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 335 
 
 Caly. If this be true, I'll make thee governor. 
 Baha. And, if it be not true, then let me die. 
 Caly. Thou'st doom'd thyself. — Assault it pre- 
 sently. [Exeunt. 
 
 Alarums within. Enter Calymath*, Bassoes, 
 
 Turks, and Barabas ; with Ferneze 
 
 and Knights prisoners. 
 
 Caly. Now vail f your pride, you captive Chris- 
 tians, 
 And kneel for mercy to your conquering foe : 
 Now where's the hope you had of haughty Spain ? 
 Ferneze, speak ; had it not been much better 
 To kept | thy promise than be thus surpris'd ? 
 
 Fern. What should I say ? we are captives, and 
 must yield. 
 
 Caly. Ay, villains, you must yield, and under 
 Turkish yokes 
 Shall groaning bear the burden of our ire : — 
 And Barabas, as erst we promis'd thee, 
 For thy desert we make thee governor ; 
 Use them at thy discretion. 
 
 Bara. Thanks, my lord. 
 
 Fern. Oh, fatal day, to fall into the hands 
 Of such a traitor and unhallow'd Jew ! 
 What greater misery could Heaven inflict? 
 
 * Enter Calymath, &c] Scene, an open place in the city, 
 f vail] i. e. lower, stoop : see note, p. 266. 
 J To kept] i. e. To have kept.
 
 336 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT V 
 
 Caly.TIs our command : — and, Barabas, we give 
 To guard thy person, these our janizaries : 
 Entreat § them well, as we have used thee. — 
 And now, brave bassoes||, come; we'll walk about 
 The ruin'd town, and see the wrack we made. — 
 Farewell, brave Jew, farewell, great Barabas! 
 
 Bara. May all good fortune follow Calymath ! 
 
 [Exeunt Calymath and Bassoes. 
 And now, as entrance to our safety, 
 To prison with the governor and these 
 Captains, his consorts and confederates. 
 
 Fern. Oh, villain ! Heaven will be reveng'd on 
 thee. 
 
 Bara. Away ! no more ; let him not trouble me. 
 [Exeunt Turks with Ferneze and Knights. 
 Thus hast thou gotten *, by thy policy, 
 No simple place, no small authority : 
 I now am governor of Malta ; true: 
 But Malta hates me, and, in hating me, 
 My life's in danger, and what boots it thee, 
 Poor Barabas, to be the governor, 
 When asf thy life shedl be at their command ? 
 No, Barabas, this must be look'd into ; 
 And, since by wrong thou gott'st authority, 
 Maintain it bravely by firm policy ; 
 
 § Entreat] i. e. Treat. 
 
 || bassoes'] Here old ed. " Bashawes." See note, p. 299. 
 * Thus hast thou gotten, &c] A change of scene is supposed 
 here — to the Citadel, the residence of Barabas as governor. 
 t When as] i. e. When.
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 337 
 
 At least, unprofitably lose it not ; 
 
 For he that liveth in authority, 
 
 And neither gets hirh friends nor fills his bags, 
 
 Lives like the ass that yEsop speaketh of, 
 
 That labours with a load of bread and wine, 
 
 And leaves it off to snap on thistle-tops : 
 
 But Barabas will be more circumspect. 
 
 Begin betimes ; Occasion's bald behind : 
 
 Slip not thine opportunity, for fear too late 
 
 Thou seek'st for much, but canst not compass it. — 
 
 Within here* ! 
 
 Enter Ferneze, with a guard. 
 Fern. My lord ? 
 
 Bara. Ay, lord; thus slaves will learn. 
 Now, governor, — stand by there, wait within, — 
 
 [Exeunt Guard. 
 This is the reason that I sent for thee; 
 Thou seest thy life and Malta's happiness 
 Are at my arbitrement ; and Barabas 
 At his discretion may dispose of both : 
 Now tell me, governor, and plainly too, 
 What think'st thou shall become of it and thee ? 
 Fern. This, Barabas; since things are in thy 
 power, 
 I see no reason but of Malta's wrack, 
 Nor hope of thee but extreme cruelty : 
 Nor fear I death, nor will I flatter thee. 
 
 * Within here] The usual exclamation is '* Within there !" 
 but compare The Hogge hath lost his Pearle(by R, Tailor), 1614 ; 
 " What, ho! within here!" Si"g. E 2. 
 
 VOL. I. z
 
 338 THE JEW OF MALTA, [ACT 
 
 Bara. Governor, good words ; be not so furious ; 
 'Tis not thy life which can avail me aught ; 
 Yet you do live, and live for me you shall : 
 And as for Malta's ruin, think you not 
 Twere slender policy for Barabas 
 To dispossess himself of such a place ? 
 For sith I, as once you said, within this isle, 
 In Malta here, that I have got my goods, 
 And in this city still have had success, 
 And now at length am grown your governor, 
 Yourselves shall see it shall not be forgot ; 
 For, as a friend not known but in distress, 
 I'll rear up Malta, now remediless. 
 
 Fern. Will Barabas recover Malta's loss ^ 
 Will Barabas be good to Christians? 
 
 Bara. What wilt thou give me, governor, to pro- 
 cure 
 A dissolution of the slavish bands 
 Wherein the Turk hath yok'd your land and you ? 
 What will you give me if I render you 
 The life of Calymath, surprise his men, 
 And in an out-house of the city shut 
 His soldiers, till I have consum'd 'em all with fire ? 
 What will you give him that procureth this ? 
 
 Fern. Do but bring this to pass which thou pre- 
 tendest, 
 Deal truly with us as thou intimatest, 
 And I will send amongst the citizens, 
 And by my letters privately procure 
 f sith] i. e. since. 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 339 
 
 Great sums of money for thy recompense : 
 Nay, more, do this, and live thou governor still. 
 
 Bara. Nay, do thou this, Ferneze, and be free : 
 Governor, I enlarge thee ; live with me ; 
 Go walk about the city, see thy friends : 
 Tush, send not letters to 'em ; go thyself, 
 And let me see what money thou canst make : 
 Here is my hand that I'll set Malta free; 
 And thus we cast || it : to a solemn feast 
 I will invite young Selim Calymath, 
 Where be thou present, only to perform 
 One stratagem that I'll impart to thee, 
 Wherein no danger shall betide thy life, 
 And I will warrant Malta free for ever. 
 
 Fern. Here is my hand ; believe me, Barabas, 
 I will be there, and do as thou desirest. 
 When is the time ? 
 
 Bara. Governor, presently ; 
 For Calymath, when he hath view'd the town, 
 Will take his leave, and sail toward Ottoman. 
 
 Fern. Then will I, Barabas, about this coin, 
 And bring it with me to thee in the evening. 
 
 Bara. Do so ; but fail not : now farewell, Fer- 
 neze : — [Exit Ferneze. 
 And thus far roundly goes the business : 
 Thus, loving neither, will I live with both, 
 Making a profit of my policy ; 
 And he from whom my most advantage comes, 
 
 || rust] i. e. plot, contrive.
 
 340 THE JEW OF MALTA. [act V 
 
 Shall be my friend. 
 
 This is the life we Jews are us'd to lead ; 
 
 And reason too, for Christians do the like. 
 
 Well, now about effecting this device ; 
 
 First, to surprise great Selim's soldiers, 
 
 And then to make provision for the feast, 
 
 That at one instant all things may be done : 
 
 My policy detests prevention. 
 
 To what event my secret purpose drives, 
 
 I know; and they shall witness with their lives. [Exit. 
 
 Enter Calymath and Bassoes *. 
 
 Caly. Thus have we view'd the city, seen the 
 sack, 
 And caus'd the ruins to be new-repair 'd, 
 Which with our bombards' shot and basilisk[s] | 
 We rent in sunder at our entry : 
 And, now I see the situation, 
 And how secure this conquer'd island stands, 
 Environ'd with the Mediterranean sea, 
 Strong-countermin'd with other petty isles, 
 And, toward Calabria §, back'd by Sicily 
 
 * Bassoes] Here and afterwards old ed. " Bashawes." See 
 note, p. 299. — Scene, outside the walls of tlie city. 
 
 t basilisks] See note, p. 72. 
 
 § And, toward Calabria, &c] So the Editor of 1826.— Old 
 ed. thus; 
 
 " And toward Calabria back'd by Sicily, 
 Two lofty Turrets that command the Towne. 
 When Siracusian Dionisius reign'd ; 
 I wonder how it could be conquer'd thus?"
 
 Till. JEW OF .MALTA. 34 
 
 (Where Syracusian Dionysius reign'd), 
 Two lofty turrets that command the town, 
 I wonder how it could be conquer'd thus. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. From Barabas, Malta's governor, I bring 
 A message unto mighty Calymath : 
 Hearing his sovereign was bound for sea, 
 To sail to Turkey, to great Ottoman, 
 He humbly would entreat your majesty 
 To come and see his homely citadel, 
 And banquet with him ere thou leav'st the isle. 
 
 Caly. To banquet with him in his citadel ! 
 I fear me, messenger, to feast my train 
 Within a town of war so lately pillag'd, 
 Will be too costly and too troublesome : 
 Yet would I gladly visit Barabas, 
 For well has Barabas deserv'd of us. 
 
 Mess. Selim, for that, thus saith the governor, — 
 That he hath in store a pearl so big, 
 So precious, and withal so orient, 
 As, be it valu'd but indifferently, 
 The price thereof will serve to entertain 
 Selim and all his soldiers for a month ; 
 Therefore he humbly would entreat your highness 
 Not to depart till he has feasted you. 
 
 Caly. I cannot feast my men in Malta-walls, 
 Except he place his tables in the streets. 
 
 Mess. Know, Selim, that there is a monastery 
 Which standeth as an out-house to the town ;
 
 342 riir. JEW OF MALTA. [,\C'l \. 
 
 There will he banquet them ; but thee at home, 
 With all thy bassoes and brave followers. 
 
 Caly. Well, tell the governor we grant his suit ; 
 We'll in this summer-evening feast with him. 
 
 Mess. I shall, my lord. [Exit. 
 
 Caly. And now, bold bassoes, let us to our tents, 
 And meditate how we may grace us best, 
 To solemnize our governor's great feast. [Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Ferneze*, Knights, and Martin Del 
 Bosco. 
 
 Fern. In this, my countrymen, be rul'd by me : 
 Have special care that no man sally forth 
 Till you shall hear a culverin discharg'd 
 By him that bears the linstock f, kindled thus ; 
 Then issue out and come to rescue me, 
 For hapily I shall be in distress, 
 Or you released of this servitude. 
 
 First Knight. Rather than thus to live as Turkish 
 thralls, 
 What will we not adventure ? 
 
 Fern. On, then ; begone. 
 
 Knights. Farewell, grave governor. 
 
 [Exeunt, on one side, Knights and Martin Del 
 Bosco; on the other, Ferneze. 
 
 * Enter Ferneze, &c] Scene, a street. 
 
 t Unstuck] " i. e. the long; match with whicli cannon are 
 fired." Steevens (apud Dodslev's 0. P.).
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 343 
 
 Enter, above \, Barabas, with a hammer, very 
 busy ; and Carpenters. 
 
 Bara. How stand the cords ? how hang these 
 hinges? fast? 
 Are all the cranes and pulleys sure ? 
 First Carp*. All fast. 
 
 Bara. Leave nothing loose, all levell'd to my mind. 
 Why, now I see that you have art, indeed : 
 There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you ; 
 
 [Giving money. 
 Go, swill in bowls of sack and muscadine; 
 Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines. 
 
 First Carp. We shall, my lord, and thank you. 
 
 [Exeunt Carpenters. 
 Bara. And, if you like them, drink your fill and 
 die; 
 For, so I live, perish may all the world ! 
 Now, Selim Calymath, return me word 
 That thou wilt come, and I am satisfied. 
 
 Enter Messenger. 
 
 Now, sirrah ; what, will he come? 
 
 Mess. He will; and has commanded all his men 
 To come ashore, and march through Malta-streets, 
 That thou mayst feast them in thy citadel. 
 
 % Enter, above, &c] Scene, a hall in the Citadel, with a gal- 
 lery, 
 
 * First Carp.] Old ed. here " Serv. " ; but it gives " Carp." 
 as the prefix to the second speech after this.
 
 344 
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 
 
 [act v. 
 
 Bara. Then now are all things as my wish would 
 have 'em ; 
 There wanteth nothing but the governor's pelf; 
 And see, he brings it. 
 
 Enter Ferneze. 
 
 Now, governor, the sum ? 
 
 Fern. With free consent, a hundred thousand 
 pounds. 
 
 Bara. Pounds say 'st thou, governor ? well, since 
 it is no more, 
 I'll satisfy myself with that; nay, keep it still, 
 For, if I keep not promise, trust not me : 
 And, governor, now partake my policy. 
 First, for his army, they are sent before, 
 Enter'd the monastery, and underneath 
 In several places are field-pieces pitch'd, 
 Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder, 
 That on the sudden shall dissever if, 
 And batter all the stones about their ears, 
 Whence none can possibly escape alive : 
 Now, as for Calymath and his consorts, 
 Here have I made a dainty gallery, 
 The floor whereof, this cable being cut, 
 Doth fall asunder, so that it doth sink 
 Into a deep pit past recovery. 
 Here, hold that knife ; audj when thou seest he 
 
 comes, [Throivs down a knife. 
 
 And witli his bassoes shall be blithely set,
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 345 
 
 A warning-piece shall be shot off J from the tower, 
 To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord, 
 And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave? 
 
 Fern. Oh, excellent ! here, hold thee, Barabas ; 
 I trust thy word ; take what I promis'd thee. 
 
 Bara. No, governor; I'll satisfy thee first; 
 Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing. 
 Stand close, for here they come. [Ferneze retires. 
 
 Why, is not this 
 A kingly kind of trade, to purchase towns 
 By treachery, and sell 'em by deceit ? 
 Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sun* 
 If greater falsehood ever has been done? 
 
 Enter Calymath and Bassoes. 
 
 Caly. Come, my companion-bassoes : see, I pray, 
 How busy Barabas is there above 
 To entertain us in his gallery : 
 Let us salute him. — Save thee, Barabas ! 
 
 Bara. Welcome, great Calymath ! 
 
 Fern. How the slave jeers at him ! [Aside. 
 
 Bara. Will't please thee, mighty Selim Calymath, 
 To ascend our homely stairs? 
 
 Caly. Ay, Barabas. — Come, bassoes, ascend f. 
 
 Fern, [coming forward] Stay, Calymath; 
 For I will shew thee greater courtesy 
 
 \ off] An interpolation perhaps. 
 * sun] Old ed. " summe." 
 t ascend'] Old ed. "attend."
 
 346 THE JEW OF MALTA. [ACT V. 
 
 Than Barabas would have afforded thee. 
 Knight, [within] Sound a charge there ! 
 [A charge sounded within : Ferneze cuts the 
 cord ; the floor of the gallery gives way, and 
 Barabas falls into a caldron placed in a pit. 
 
 Enter Knights and Martin Dee BoscoJ. 
 
 Caly. How now ! what means this? 
 
 Bara. Help, help me, Christians, help ! 
 
 Fern. See, Calymath ! this was devis'd for thee. 
 
 Caly. Treason, treason ! bassoes, fly ! 
 
 Fern. No, Selim, do not fly : 
 See his end first, and fly then if thou canst. 
 
 Bara. Oh, help me, Selim! help me, Christians! 
 Governor, why stand you all so pitiless ? 
 
 Fern. Should I in pity of thy plaints or thee, 
 Accursed Barabas, base Jew, relent? 
 No, thus I'll see thy treachery repaid, 
 But wish thou hadst behav'd thee otherwise. 
 
 Bara. You will not help me, then ? 
 
 Fern. No, villain, no. 
 
 Bara. And, villains, know you cannot help me 
 now. — 
 Then, Barabas, breathe forth thy latest fate, 
 
 \ A charge sounded within : Ferneze cuts the cord; the floor 
 of the gallery gives way, and Barabas falls into a caldron placed 
 in a pit. 
 
 Enter Knights and Martin Del Bosco] Old ed. has 
 merely " A charge, the cable cut, A Caldron discovered." 
 
 

 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 347 
 
 And in the fury of thy torments strive 
 To end thy life with resolution. — 
 Know, governor, 'twas I that slew thy son, — 
 I fram'd the challenge that did make them meet : 
 Know, Calymath, I aim'd thy overthrow : 
 And, had I but escap'd this stratagem, 
 I would have brought confusion on you all, 
 Damn'd Christian J dogs, and Turkish infidels ! 
 But now begins the extremity of heat 
 To pinch me with intolerable pangs : 
 Die, life ! fly, soul ! tongue, curse thy fill, and die ! 
 
 [Dies. 
 Caly. Tell me, you Christians, what doth this 
 
 portend ? 
 Fern. This train* he laid to have entrapp'd thy 
 
 life; 
 Now, Selim, note the unhallow'd deeds of Jews ; 
 Thus he determin'd to have handled thee, 
 But I have rather chose to save thy life. 
 
 Caly. Was this the banquet he prepar'd for us ? 
 Let's hence, lest further mischief be pretended f. 
 Fern. Nay, Selim, stay ; for, since we have thee 
 
 here, 
 We will not let thee part so suddenly : 
 Besides, if we should let thee go, all's one, 
 
 t Christian] Old ed. " Christians." 
 * train] i. e. stratagem. 
 
 t pretended] i.e. intended.
 
 348 
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. [aCT 
 
 For with thy galleys couklst thou not get hence, 
 Without fresh men to rig- and furnish them. 
 Caly. Tush, governor, take thou no care for 
 that; 
 My men are all aboard, 
 And do attend my coming there by this. 
 
 Fern. Why, heard'st thou not the trumpet sound 
 
 a charge ? 
 Caly. Yes, what of that ? 
 Fern. Why, then the house was fir'd, 
 Blown up, and all thy soldiers massacred. 
 Caly. Oh, monstrous treason ! 
 Fern. A Jew's courtesy ; 
 For he that did by treason work our fall, 
 By treason hath deliver'd thee to us : 
 Know, therefore, till thy father hath made good 
 The ruins done to Malta and to us, 
 Thou canst not part; for Malta shall be freed, 
 Or Selim ne'er return to Ottoman. 
 
 Caly. Nay, rather, Christians, let me go to 
 Turkey, 
 In person there to mediate * your peace : 
 To keep me here will nought advantage you. 
 Fern. Content thee, Calymath', here thou must 
 stay, 
 And live in Malta prisoner ; for, come all f the world 
 
 * mediate] Old ed " meditate." 
 t all] Old ed. " call."
 
 THE JEW OF MALTA. 349 
 
 To rescue thee, so will we guard us now, 
 As sooner shall they drink the ocean dry, 
 Than conquer Malta, or endanger us. 
 So, march away ; and let due praise be given 
 Neither to Fate nor Fortune, but to Heaven. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 END OK VOL. I. 
 
 C Wbittingham, *2!, Tookes Court, Chancery Lane.

 
 University of California Library 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 r\ / 
 
 3UN I 
 
 ewa 
 918
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 I 
 
 AA 000 628 083 8 
 
 "* UNIVERSITY OFCA.. RIVERSIDE L 
 
 BRARY , 
 
 3 1210 01210 3055