< Tamburlaine the Great.Who, from a Scythian Shephearde by his rare and woonderfull Conquests, became a most puissant and mightye Monarque.And (for his tyranny, and terrour in Warre) was tearmed, 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 Admyrall, 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 Tamburlaine.With his impassionate fury, for the death of his Lady and loue 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 Great.Who, from a Scythian Shepheard, by his rare and wonderfull Conquestes, became a most puissant and mightie Mornarch [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 honorable the Lord Admirall, 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 comparing 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 Shepheard in Scythia, by his rare and wonderfull Conquests, became a most puissant and mighty Monarque.
London Printed for Edward White, and are to be solde at the little North doore of Saint Paules-Church, at the signe of the Gunne, 1605.4to.
Tamburlaine the Greate.With his impassionate furie, for the death of his Lady and Loue fair Zenocrate: his forme of exhortation and discipline to his three Sonnes, and the manner of his owne death.The second part.
London Printed by E.A.for Ed.White, and are to be solde at his Shop neere the little North doore of Saint Paules 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.>
<1> the] So the 4to.--The 8vo "our."
<2> triumphs] So the 8vo.--The 4to "triumph."
<3> sad] Old eds."said."
<4> Uribassa] In this scene, but only here, the old eds.have "Upibassa."
<5> Almains, Rutters] RUTTERS are properly--German troopers, (REITER, REUTER).In the third speech after the present one this line is repeated VERBATIM: but in the first scene of our author's FAUSTUS we have,--
"Like ALMAIN RUTTERS with their horsemen's staves."
<6> ORCANES.] Omitted in the old eds.
<7> hugy] i.e.huge.
<8> cut the] So the 8vo.--The 4to "out of."
<9> champion] i.e.champaign.
<10> Terrene] i.e.Mediterranean (but the Danube falls into the Black Sea.)
<11> Cairo] Old eds."Cairon:" but they are not consistent in the spelling of this name; afterwards (p.45, sec.col.) <See note 29.> they have "Cario."
<12> Fear] i.e.frighten.
<13> Sorians] So the 4to.--Here the 8vo has "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 Jonson's FOX, act iv.sc.1;
"whether a ship, Newly 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."
<14> black] So the 8vo.--The 4to "AND black."
<15> Egyptians, Illyrians, Thracians, and Bithynians]
So the 8vo (except that by a misprint it gives "Illicians").--The 4to has,--"Egyptians, FREDERICK.And we from Europe to the same intent Illirians, Thracians, and Bithynians"; a line which belongs to a later part of the scene (see next col.) being unaccountably inserted here.<See note 21.>
<16> plage] i.e.region.So the 8vo.--The 4to "Place."
<17> viceroy] So the 8vo.--The 4to "Vice-royes."
<18> Boheme] i.e.Bohemia.
<19> Bagdet's] So the 8vo in act v.sc.1.Here it has "Badgeths": the 4to "Baieths."
<20> parle] So the 8vo.--Here the 4to "parley," but before, repeatedly, "parle."
<21> FREDERICK.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 ? preceding col.), <i.e.note 15>
omits it here.
<22> stand] So the 8vo.--The 4to "are."
<23> prest] i.e.ready.
<24> or] So the 8vo.--The 4to "and."
<25> conditions] So the 4to.--The 8vo "condition."
