Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here led by a lufty Goth ?

Enter a Goth leading Aaron with his child in his arms.
Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I ftray'd
Te gaze upon a ruinous monaftery,
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 noise, when foon I heard
The crying babe control'd with this discourse:
Peace, tawny flave, balf me and balf 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 he knows thou art the Emprefs' babe,
Will bold thee dearly for thy mother's fake.

With this, my weapon drawn, I rufh'd upon him,
Surpriz'd him fuddenly, and brought him hither,
To ufe as you think needful of the man.

Luc. O worthy 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'st 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 bloed.
Luc. Too like the fire for ever being good.

First hang the child, that he may fee it sprawl,
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 fhall speak: For I muft talk of murders, rapes, and maffacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, Ruthful to hear, yet piteoufly perform'd: And this fhall all be buried by my death, Unless thou fwear to me my child fhall live.

Luc. Tell on thy mind, I 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 popish tricks and ceremonies
Which I have feen thee careful to obferve:
Therefore I urge thy oath, (for that I know
An idiot holds his bauble for a God,

[Afide.

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'ft 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. First know thou, I begot him on the Empress.
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 ravish'd her,
And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou faw'ft.

F 2

Luc.

1

Luc. O moft deteftable villain! call'ft thou that

Trimming?

Aar. Why, he was wafh'd, and cut, and trimm'd; And 'twas trim sport 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 spirit 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 mischief in't?
I plaid the cheater for thy father's hand,
And when I had it, drew my felf apart,
And almoft 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 almoft at my pleafing tale,
And for my tidings gave me twenty kiffes.

Goth. What, canft thou fay all this, and never blush? Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the faying is. Luc. Art thou not forry for these hainous 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 compass 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, Accuse some innocent, and then forfwear My felf, fet deadly enmity between

Two friends, make poor mens cattle break their necks,

Set

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 fet them upright at their dear friends doors,
Ev'n when their forrow almoft was forgot,
And on their skins, 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 ne more. Enter Æmilius.

Goth. My Lord, there is a meffenger from Rome Defires to be admitted to your presence.

Luc. Let him come near.

Welcome, Æmilius; what's the news from Rome ?
Emil. 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 hoftages,
And they fhall 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 HII. 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 hainous wrongs:

F 3

Knock

Knock at the study, where they say he keeps,
To ruminate ftrange plots of dire revenge;
Tell him Revenge is come to join with him,
And work confufion on his enemies.

[They knock, and Titus appears above.
Tit. Who doth moleft my contemplation?
Is it your trick to make me ope the door,
That fo my fad decrees may fly away,
And all my study be to no effect?

་

You are deceiv'd, for what I mean to do,
See here in bloody lines I have fet down ;
And what is written, fhall be executed.

Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. -
Tit. No, not a word: how can I grace my talk,
Wanting a hand to give it that accord?
Thou haft the odds of me, therefore no more.

Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with
Tit. I am not mad, I know thee well enough;
Witness this wretched ftump, these crimson lines,
Witness these trenches, made by grief and care,
Witness the tiring day and heavy night;
Witness all forrow, that I know thee well
For our proud Emprefs, mighty Tamora:
Is not thy coming for my other hand?

Tam. Know thou, fad man, I am not Tamora ;
She is thy enemy, and I thy friend;

I am Revenge, fent from th' infernal kingdom,
To eafe the gnawing vulture of thy mind,

By working wreakful vengeance on thy foes.
Come down, and welcome me to this world's light;
Confer with me of murder and of death;
There's not a hollow cave, or lurking place,
No vaft obfcurity or mifty vale,

Where bloody Murder, or detefted Rape
Can couch for fear, but I will find them out,
And in their ears tell them my dreadful name,
Revenge, which makes the foul offenders quake.

Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou fent to me,
To be a torment to mine enemies?

me

Tam, I am; therefore come down and welcome me.