Marlowe, Christopher -- Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2, “Prologue,” ll. 3-5 (c. 1587)

Dave — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 23:58:22 +0000

CHORUS:His Second Part,
Where Death cuts off the progress of his pomp
And murderous Fates throw all his triumphs down.

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (1564–1593) English dramatist and poet
Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2, “Prologue,” ll. 3-5 (c. 1587)
(Source)

In the Octavo copy, "triumphs;" in Quarto "triumph."

More on Timur (Tamerlane, Tamburlaine).

Marlowe, Christopher -- Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1, “Prologue” (1586-1587)

Dave — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:10:25 +0000

CHORUS: 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.

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (1564–1593) English dramatist and poet
Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1, “Prologue” (1586-1587)
(Source)

More on Timur (Tamerlane, Tamburlaine).

This prologue has the first recorded use in English of "astounding" as an adjective (as oppose to a present participle verb).

WIST Quotations

Marlowe, Christopher -- Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2, “Prologue,” ll. 3-5 (c. 1587)

Marlowe, Christopher -- Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1, “Prologue” (1586-1587)