This growing image of thy fiend-like face? Why dost not speak? What! deaf? No; not a word! A halter, soldiers; hang him on this tree, Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. 29Get me a ladder. Aar. [A ladder brought, which Aaron is obliged to ascend. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the empress. 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. Lucius, "Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; And this shall all be buried by my death, Unless thou swear to me, my child shall live. Luc. Tell on thy mind; I say, thy child shall live. And keeps the oath, which by that god he swears; Luc. Even by my god, I swear to thee, I will. Aar. First, know thou, I begot him on the empress. Luc. O most insatiate, luxurious woman! Aar. Tut, Lucius ! this was but a deed of charity, To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. 'Twas her two sons, that murder'd Bassianus: They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her, And cut her hands; and trimm'd her as thou saw'st. Luc. O, détestable villain! call'st thou that trim ming? Aar. Why, she was wash'd, and cut, and trimm'd; and 'twas Trim sport for them that had the doing of it. Luc. O, barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter. That both mine eyes were rainy like to his; She swounded almost at my pleasing tale, And, for my tidings, gave me twenty kisses. Goth. What! canst thou say all this, and never blush? Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. 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 sorrows 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. 31 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. Enter a Goth. Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome, Desires to be admitted to your presence. Luc. Let him come near.— Enter EMILIUS. Welcome, Æmilius, what's the news from Rome? Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges And we will come. -March away. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rome. Before Titus's House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, disguis'd. Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, I will encounter with Andronicus; And say, I am Revenge, sent from below, To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs. |