Sat. But he will not intreat his fon for us.
Tam. If Tamora intreat him, then he will:
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promises, that were his heart
Almoft impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet fhould both ear and heart obey my tongue,
Go thou before as our embaffador,
Say, that the Emperor requefts a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Emilius, do this meffage honourably;
And if he stand on hostage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will please him beft.
Emil. Your bidding fhall I do effectually.
Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus,
And temper him with all the art I have,
To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.
And now, fweet Emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.
Sat. Then go fuccefsfully and plead to him. [Exeunt.
A Camp, at a fmall distance from Rome.
Enter Lucius with Goths, with Drum and Soldiers.
Pproved warriors, and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome,
Which fignifie what hate they bear their Emp'ror,
And how defirous of our fight they are.
Therefore, great Lords, be as your titles witness,
Imperious and impatient of your wrongs,
And wherein Rome hath done you any scath,
Let him make treble fatisfaction.
Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus, (Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,) Whose high exploits and honourable deeds
Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,
Be bold in us, we'll follow where thou lead'st;
Like ftinging bees in hottest fummer's day,
Led by their master to the flower'd fields;
And be aveng'd on curfed Tamora.
Omn. And as he faith, fo fay we all with him.
VOL. VIII.
Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all, But who comes here led by a luity Goth? SCENE II.
Enter a Goth leading Aaron with his Child in his arms.
Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I ftray'd
To gaze upon a ruinous monastery,
And as I earneftly did fix mine eye
Upon the wafted building, fuddenly
I heard a child cry underneath a wall;
I made unto the noife, when foon I heard
The crying babe controul'd with this difcourfe:
Peace, tarny flave, balf me and half thy dam,
Did not thy bue bewray whose brat thou art,
Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look,
Villain, thou might'ft have been an Emperor :
But where the bull and cow are both milk-white,
They never do beget a coal-black calf;
Peace, villain, peace, (even thus he rates the babe】
For I must bear thee to a trufty Goth,
Who when be knows thou art the Empress' babe,
Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's fake.
With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,
Surpriz'd him fuddenly, and brought him hither,
To ufe as you think needful of the man,
Luc. Oworthy Goth! this is th' incarnate devil
That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;
This is the pearl that pleas'd your Emprefs' eye,
And here's the bafe fruit of his burning luft.
Say, wall-ey'd flave, whither would't thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
Why doft not speak? what! deaf? no! not a word ?
A halter, foldiers; hang him on this tree,
And by his fide his fruit of baftardy.
Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.
Luc. Too like the fire for ever being good.
First hang the child, that he may fee it fprawl,
A fight to vex the father's foul withal.
Get me a ladder.
Aar. Lucius, fave the child,
And bear it from me to the Emperefs;
If thou do this, I'll fhew thee wondrous things,
That highly may advantage thee to hear;
If thou wilt not, befall what may befall,
I'll speak no more; but vengeance rot you all!
Luc. Say on, and if it please me which thou speak'ft, Thy child fhall live, and I will fee it nourish'd.
Aar. And if it please thee? why, affure thee, Lucius, "Twill vex thy foul to hear what I shall speak: For I must talk of murthers, rapes, and maffacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mifchief, treason, villainies, Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd: And this fhall all be buried by my death, Unless thou fwear to me my child shall live. Luc. Tell on thy mind, fay thy child fhall live. Aar. Swear that he fhall, and then I will begin. Luc. Who fhould I fwear by ? thou believ'ft no God. That granted, how can't thou believe an oath ?
Aar. What if I do not? as indeed I do not ;
Yet for I know thou art religious,
And haft a thing within thee called confcience,
With twenty popifh tricks and ceremonies
Which I have feen thee careful to obferve:
Therefore I urge thy oath, (for that I know
An ideot holds his bauble for a God,
And keeps the oath, which by that God he fwears,
To that I'll urge him)- therefore thou fhalt vow
By that fame God, what God foe'er it be
That thou ador'st and haft in reverence,
To fave my boy, nourish, and bring him up,
Or elfe I will difcover nought to thee.
Luc. Even by my God I swear to thee, I will.
Aar. Firft know thou, I begot him on the Emprefs.
Luc. O moft infatiate luxurious woman!
Aar. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity,
To that which thou fhalt hear of me anon.
'Twas her two fons that murder'd Baffianus,
They cut thy fifter's tongue, and ravifh'd her,
And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou faw'ft.
Luc. Oh moft deteftable villain! call'ft thou that Trimming?
Aar. Why, fhe was wafh'd, and cut, and trimm'd;
And 'twas trim fport for them that had the doing of't.
Luc. Oh barbarous beaftly villains like thy felf!
Aar. Indeed, I was their tutor to inftruct them:
That codding fpirit had they from their mother,
As fure a card, as ever won the fet ;
That bloody mind I think they learn'd of me,
As true a dog as ever fought at head;
Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth.
I train'd thy brethren to that guileful hole,
Where the dead corps of Baffianus lay:
I wrote the letter that thy father found,
And hid the gold within the letter mention'd,
Confed'rate with the Queen and her two fons.
And what's elfe done that thou haft caufe to rue,
Wherein I had no ftroke of mifchief in't?
I plaid the cheater for thy father's hand,
And when had it, drew my felf apart,
And almost broke my heart with extream laughter.
I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall,
When for his hand he had his two fons heads,
Beheld his tears, and laugh'd fo heartily
That both mine eyes were rainy like to his :
And when I told the Emprefs of this fport,
She fwooned almost at my pleafing tale,
And for my tidings gave me twenty kiffes.
Goth. What, can't thou fay all this, and never blush?
Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the faying is.
Luc. Art thou not forry for these heinous deeds?
Aar. Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.
Ev'n now I curfe the day (and yet I think
Few come within the compafs of my curfe)
Wherein I did not fome notorious ill,
As kill a man, or elfe devife his death,
Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it,
Accufe fome innocent, and then forfwear
My felf, fet deadly enmity between
Two friends, make poor mens cattle break their necks,
Set fire on barns and hay-ftacks in the night,
And bid the owners quench them with their tears:
Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves,
And fet them upright at their dear friends doors,
Ev'n when their forrow almoft was forgot,
And on their fkins, as on the bark of trees,
Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,
Let not your forrow die, though I am dead.
Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things,
As willingly as one would kill a fly;
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed,
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.
Luc. Bring down the devil, for he must not die
So fweet a death, as hanging presently.
Aar. If there be devils, would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire,
So I might have your company in hell,
But to torment you with my bitter tongue.
Luc. Sirs, ftop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Enter Æmilius.
Goth. My Lord, there is a meffenger from Rome Defires to be admitted to your prefence.
Luc. Let him come near.
Welcome, Æmilius; what's the news from Rome?
Emi. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
The Roman Emperor greets you all by me;
And, for he understands you are in arms,
He craves a parley at your father's houfe,
Willing you to demand your hostages,
And they shall be immediately deliver'd.
Goth. What fays our General ?
Luc. Emilius, let the Emperor give his pledges
Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
And we will come away! march!
[Exeunt
SCENE III. Titus's Palace in Rome.
Enter Tamora, Chiron and Demetrius, difguis'd,
Tam. Thus in thefe ftrange and fad habiliments
I will encounter with Andronicus,
And fay, I am Revenge fent from below,
To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs:
|