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Titus Andronicus (Folio, 1623)
2110with Drum and Souldiers.
2111Luci. Approued warriours, and my faithfull Friends,
2112I haue receiued Letters from great Rome,
2115Therefore great Lords, be as your Titles witnesse,
2116Imperious and impatient of your wrongs,
2117And wherein Rome hath done you any scathe,
2120Whose name was once our terrour, now our comfort,
2121Whose high exploits, and honourable Deeds,
2122Ingratefull Rome requites with foule contempt:
2123Behold in vs, weele follow where thou lead'st,
2126And be aueng'd on cursed Tamora:
2128Luci. I humbly thanke him, and I thanke you all.
2129But who comes heere, led by a lusty Goth?
2130Enter a Goth leading of Aaron with his child
2131in his armes.
2133To gaze vpon a ruinous Monasterie,
And
48The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus.
2136I heard a childe cry vnderneath a wall:
2139Peace Tawny slaue, halfe me, and halfe thy Dam,
2140Did not thy Hue bewray whose brat thou art?
2141Had nature lent thee, but thy Mothers looke,
2142Villaine thou might'st haue bene an Emperour.
2143But where the Bull and Cow are both milk-white,
2144They neuer do beget a cole-blacke-Calfe:
2145Peace, villaine peace, euen thus he rates the babe,
2147Who when he knowes thou art the Empresse babe,
2148Will hold thee dearely for thy Mothers sake.
2149With this, my weapon drawne I rusht vpon him,
2150Surpriz'd him suddainely, and brought him hither
2151To vse, as you thinke neeedefull of the man.
2152Luci. Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill,
2153That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand:
2157This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
2159A halter Souldiers, hang him on this Tree,
2161Aron. Touch not the Boy, he is of Royall blood.
2162Luci. Too like the Syre for euer being good.
2166And beare it from me to the Empresse:
2167If thou do this, Ile shew thee wondrous things,
2168That highly may aduantage thee to heare;
2169If thou wilt not, befall what may befall,
2170Ile speake no more: but vengeance rot you all.
2176Acts of Blacke-night, abhominable Deeds,
2178Ruthfull to heare, yet pittiously preform'd,
2179And this shall all be buried by my death,
2181Luci. Tell on thy minde,
2185Thou beleeuest no God,
2186That graunted, how can'st thou beleeue an oath?
2187Aron. What if I do not, as indeed I do not,
2188Yet for I know thou art Religious,
2190With twenty Popish trickes and Ceremonies,
2192Therefore I vrge thy oath, for that I know
2193An Ideot holds his Bauble for a God,
2194And keepes the oath which by that God he sweares,
2195To that Ile vrge him: therefore thou shalt vow
2202I begot him on the Empresse.
2205To that which thou shalt heare of me anon,
2206'Twas her two Sonnes that murdered Bassianus,
2210Call'st thou that Trimming?
2212And 'twas trim sport for them that had the doing of it.
2215That Codding spirit had they from their Mother,
2216As sure a Card as euer wonne the Set:
2217That bloody minde I thinke they learn'd of me,
2218As true a Dog as euer fought at head.
2219Well, let my Deeds be witnesse of my worth:
2220I trayn'd thy Bretheren to that guilefull Hole,
2222I wrote the Letter, that thy Father found,
2223And hid the Gold within the Letter mention'd.
2224Confederate with the Queene, and her two Sonnes,
2227I play'd the Cheater for thy Fathers hand,
2228And when I had it, drew myselfe apart,
2230I pried me through the Creuice of a Wall,
2231When for his hand, he had his two Sonnes heads,
2232Beheld his teares, and laught so hartily,
2233That both mine eyes were rainie like to his:
2236And for my tydings, gaue me twenty kisses.
2241Euen now I curse the day, and yet I thinke
2243Wherein I did not some Notorious ill,
2245Rauish a Maid, or plot the way to do it,
2247Set deadly Enmity betweene two Friends,
2248Make poore mens Cattell breake their neckes,
2250And bid the Owners quench them with the teares:
2251Oft haue I dig'd vp dead men from their graues,
2252And set them vpright at their deere Friends doore,
2254And on their skinnes, as on the Barke of Trees,
2255Haue with my knife carued in Romaine Letters,
2256Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.
2257Tut, I haue done a thousand dreadfull things
2258As willingly, as one would kill a Fly,
2259And nothing greeues me hartily indeede,
2260But that I cannot doe ten thousand more.
2263Aron. If there be diuels, would I were a deuill,
2265So I might haue your company in hell,
But
The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus. 49
2266But to torment you with my bitter tongue.
2268Enter Emillius.
2271Luc. Let him come neere.
2272Welcome Emillius, what the newes from Rome?
2274The Romaine Emperour greetes you all by me,
2275And for he vnderstands you are in Armes,
2276He craues a parly at your Fathers house
2277Willing you to demand your Hostages,
2278And they shall be immediately deliuered.
2282And we will come: march away. Exeunt.