Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2
by
Christopher Marlowe
Part 3 out of 3
FROM heauen."
<257> chariot] Old eds. "chariots."
<258> out] Old eds. "our."
<259> respect'st thou] Old eds. "RESPECTS thou:" but afterwards,
in this scene, the 8vo has, "Why SEND'ST thou not," and "thou
SIT'ST."
<260> of] So the 8vo.--The 4to "in."
<261> he] So the 4to.--The 8vo "was."
<262> How, &c.] A mutilated line.
<263> eterniz'd] So the 4to.--The 8vo "enternisde."
<264> and] So the 4to.--Omitted in the 8vo.
<265> prest] i.e. ready.
<266> parle] Here the old eds. "parlie": but repeatedly before
they have "parle" (which is used more than once by Shakespeare).
<267> Orcanes, king of Natolia, and the King of Jerusalem,
led by soldiers] Old eds. (which have here a very imperfect
stage-direction) "the two spare kings",--"spare" meaning--
not then wanted to draw the chariot of Tamburlaine.
<268> burst] i.e. broken, bruised.
<269> the measures] i.e. the dance (properly,--solemn,
stately dances, with slow and measured steps).
<270> of] So the 8vo.--The 4to "for."
<271> ports] i.e. gates.
<272> make] So the 4to.--The 8vo "wake."
<273> the city-walls) So the 8vo.--The 4to "the walles."
<274> him] So the 4to.--The 8vo "it."
<275> in] Old eds. "VP in,<">--the "vp" having been repeated
by mistake from the preceding line.
<276> scar'd] So the 8vo; and, it would seem, rightly;
Tamburlaine making an attempt at a bitter jest, in reply
to what the Governor has just said.--The 4to "sear'd."
<277> Vile] The 8vo "Vild"; the 4to "Wild" (Both eds.,
a little before, have "VILE monster, born of some infernal hag",
and, a few lines after, "To VILE and ignominious servitude":--
the fact is, our early writers (or rather, transcribers),
with their usual inconsistency of spelling, give now the one
form, and now the other: compare the folio SHAKESPEARE,
1623, where we sometimes find "vild" and sometimes "VILE.")
<278> Bagdet's] So the 8vo.--The 4to "Badgets."
<279> A citadel, &c.] Something has dropt out from this line.
<280> Well said] Equivalent to--Well done! as appears from
innumerable 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.
<281> will I] So the 8vo.--The 4to "I will."
<282> suffer'st] Old eds. "suffers": but see the two following
notes.
<283> send'st] So the 8vo.--The 4to "sends."
<284> sit'st] So the 8vo.--The 4to "sits."
<285> head] So the 8vo.--The 4to "blood."
<286> fed] Old eds. "feede."
<287> upon] So the 8vo.--Omitted in the 4to.
<288> fleet] i.e. float.
<289> gape] So the 8vo.--The 4to "gaspe."
<290> in] So the 8vo.--Omitted in the 4to.
<291> forth, ye vassals] Spoken, of course, to the two kings
who draw his chariot.
<292> whatsoe'er] So the 8vo.--The 4to "whatsoeuer."
<293> Euphrates] See note §, p. 36.
Great):
"Euphrates] So our old poets invariably, I believe,
accentuate this word.">
at all.>
<294> may we] So the 8vo.--The 4to "we may."
<295> this] So the 8vo.--The 4to "that" (but in the next speech
of the same person it has "THIS Tamburlaine").
<296> record] i.e. call to mind.
<297> Aid] So the 8vo.--The 4to "And."
<298> Renowmed] See note ||, p. 11. So the 8vo.--The 4to
"Renowned."--The prefix to this speech is wanting in the old eds.
Great):
"renowmed] i.e. renowned.--So the 8vo.--The 4to "renowned."
--The form "RENOWMED" (Fr. renomme) occurs repeatedly
afterwards in this play, according to the 8vo. It is
occasionally found in writers posterior to Marlowe's time.
e.g.
"Of Constantines great towne RENOUM'D in vaine."
Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling's
MONARCHICKE TRAGEDIES, ed. 1607.">
<299> invisibly] So the 4to.--The 8vo "inuincible."
<300> inexcellence] So the 4to.--The 8vo "inexcellencie."
<301> Enter Tamburlaine, &c.] Here the old eds. have no stage-
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. 72, first col. "Draw, you slaves!"
<302> cease] So the 8vo.--The 4to "case."
<303> hypostasis] Old eds. "Hipostates."
<304> artiers] See note *, p. 18.
Great):
"Artier] i.e. artery. This form occurs again in the SEC.
PART of the present play: so too in a copy of verses by
Day;
"Hid in the vaines and ARTIERS 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 arme is brused."
EVERIE WOMAN IN HER HUMOR, 1609, sig. D 4.
"And from the veines some bloud each ARTIRE draines."
Davies's MICROCOSMOS, 1611, p. 56.">
<305> upon] So the 4to.--The 8vo "on."
<306> villain cowards] Old eds. "VILLAINES, cowards" (which
is not to be defended by "VILLAINS, COWARDS, traitors to our
state", p. 67, sec. col.). Compare "But where's this COWARD
VILLAIN," &c., p. 61 sec. col.
<307> unto] So the 8vo.--The 4to "to."
<308> Whereas] i.e. Where.
<309> Terrene] i.e. Mediterranean.
<310> began] So the 8vo.--The 4to "begun."
<311> this] So the 8vo.--The 4to "the."
<312> subjects] Mr. Collier (Preface to COLERIDGE'S SEVEN
LECTURES ON SHAKESPEARE AND MILTON, p. cxviii) says that here
"subjects" is a printer's blunder for "substance": YET HE TAKES
NO NOTICE OF TAMBURLAINE'S NEXT WORDS, "But, sons, this SUBJECT
not of force enough," &c.--The old eds. are quite right in both
passages: compare, in p. 62, first col.;
"A form not meet to give that SUBJECT essence
Whose matter is the flesh of Tamburlaine," &c.
<313> into] So the 8vo.--The 4to "vnto."
<314> your seeds] So the 8vo.--The 4to "OUR seedes." (In p. 18,
first col., we have
had "Their angry SEEDS"; but in p. 47, first col.,
"thy seed":--and Marlowe probably wrote "seed" both here and in
p. 18.)
<315> lineaments] So the 8vo.--The 4to "laments."--The Editor
of 1826 remarks, that this passage "is too obscure for ordinary
comprehension."
<316> these] So the 4to.--The 8vo "those."
<317> these] So the 4to.--The 8vo "those."
<318> damned] i.e. doomed,--sorrowful.
<319> Clymene's] So the 8vo.--The 4to "Clymeus."
<320> Phoebe's] So the 8vo.--The 4to "Phoebus."
<321> Phyteus'] Meant perhaps for "Pythius'", according to the
usage of much earlier poets:
"And of PHYTON [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'".
<322> thee] So the 8vo.--The 4to "me."
<323> cliffs] Here the old eds. "clifts" and "cliftes":
but see p. 12, line 5, first col.
Great):
"Both we will walk upon the lofty cliffs;*
* cliffs] So the 8vo.--The 4to "cliftes.">
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