Online Library of Liberty: The Works of Christopher Marlowe vol. 1 Portable Library of Liberty

EnterTechelles, Theridamas, and their train.
T
HER
.
Thus have we marched northward from Tamburlaine,
Unto the frontier point
3
of Syria;
And this is Balsora, their chiefest hold,
Wherein is all the treasure of the land.
T
ECH
.
Then let us bring our light artillery,
Minions,
4
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 [or] not?
S
OLD
.
Yes, my lord, yes; come, let's about it.
T
HER
.
But stay awhile; summon a parle, drum.
It may be they will yield it quietly,
Knowing two kings, the friends
1
to Tamburlaine,
Stand at the walls with such a mighty power.
A parle sounded.—Captainappears on the walls, withOlympiahis Wife, and
Son.
C
APT
.
What require you, my masters?
T
HER
.
Captain, that thou yield up thy hold to us.
C
APT
.
To you! Why, do you
2
think me weary of it?
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30
40
T
ECH
.
Nay, captain, thou art weary of thy life,
If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlaine!
T
HER
.
These pioners of Argier in Africa,
Even in the cannon's face, shall raise a hill
Of earth and faggots higher than the fort,
And over thy argins and covered 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
Shall ransom thee, thy wife, and family.
T
ECH
.
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.
C
APT
.
Were you, that are the friends of Tamburlaine,
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,
1
Yet I am resolute, and so farewell.
[Captain, Olympia, and their Son retire from the walls.
T
HER
.
Pioners, away! and where I stuck the stake,
Intrench with those dimensions I prescribed.
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.
P
IO
.
We will, my lord.
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50
60
[Exeunt Pioners.
T
ECH
.
A hundred horse shall scout about the plains
To spy what force comes to relieve the hold.
Both we, Theridamas, will entrench 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.
T
HER
.
Then see the bringing of our ordnance
Along the trench into the battery,
Where we will have gabions
2
of six feet broad
To save our cannoniers 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 soldier's cry,
Make deaf the ear and dim the crystal sky.
T
ECH
.
Trumpets and drums, alarum presently;
And, soldiers, play the men; the hold
1
is yours.