Say, that the emperor requests a parley Sat. Æmilius, do this message honourably : Bid him demand what pledge will please him best. [Exit. 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 bury all thy fear in my devices. Sat. Then go successfully, and plead to him. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.—Plains near Rome. Enter Lucius, and Goths, with drum and Colours. Luc. APPROVED warriors, and my faithful friends, Which signify, what hate they bear their emperor, And, wherein Rome hath done you any scath, 1 Goth. Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus, Goths. And, as he saith, so say we all with him. Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth? Enter a Goth, leading AARON, with his Child in his arms. 2 Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd, To gaze upon a ruinous monastery ; And as I earnestly did fix mine eye I made unto the noise; when soon I heard Peace, villain, peace!—even thus he rates the babe,— Who, when he knows thou art the emperess' babe, Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil, Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. Luc. Too like the sire for ever being good.First, hang the child, that he may see it sprawl; A sight to vex the father's soul withal. Get me a ladder. [A ladder brought, which AARON is obliged to ascend. Aar. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the emperess. If thou do this, I'll show thee wond'rous things, 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'st, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. Aar An if it please thee? why, assure thee, Lucius, [2] Alluding to the proverb, “A black man is a pearl in a fair woman's eye.” MALONE. "Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; Aar. What if I do not? as, indeed, I do not: And hast a thing within thee, called conscience; And keeps the oath, which by that god he swears; Luc. Even by my god, I swear to thee, I will. Aar. Tut, Lucius! this was but a deed of charity, Luc. O, barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, [2] An allusion to bull-dogs, whose generosity and courage are always shown by meeting the bull in front and seizing his nose. JOHNSON. VOL. VIII. -Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth. And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter. Goth. What! canst thou say all this, and never blush ? Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is.3 Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? Aar. Ay, that I had not done a thousand more. Even now I curse the day, (and yet, I think, Few come within the compass of my curse,) Wherein I did not some notorious ill : As kill a man, or else devise his death; Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it; Accuse some innocent, and forswear myself: Set deadly enmity between two friends; Make poor men's cattle break their necks; Set fire on barns and hay-stacks in the night, And bid the owners quench them with their tears Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves, And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; And on their skins, as on the bark of trees, Have with my knife carved in Roman letters, Let not your sorrow 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. [3] To blush like a black dog, appears from Ray, to have been proverbial. REED Luc. Bring down the devil ; for he must not die So sweet 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, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome, Enter EMILIUS Welcome, Æmilius, what's the news from Rome ? Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges And we will come.-March away. SCENE II. [Exeunt. Rome. Before TITUS's House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, disguised. Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, I will encounter with Andronicus; And say, I am Revenge, sent from below, Enter TITUs above. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Is it your trick, to make me ope the door; That so my sad decrees may fly away, [They knock. [4] It appears from these words, that the audience were entertained with part of the apparatus of an execution, and that Aaron was mounted on a ladder, as ready to be turned off. STEEVENS. |