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Titus Andronicus

ACT V SCENE I Plains near Rome. 
[Enter LUCIUS with an army of Goths, with drum and colours]
LUCIUSApproved warriors, and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome,
Which signify what hate they bear their emperor
And how desirous of our sight they are.
Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness,5
Imperious and impatient of your wrongs,
And wherein Rome hath done you any scath,
Let him make treble satisfaction.
First GothBrave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus,
Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort;10
Whose high exploits and honourable deeds
Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,
Be bold in us: we'll follow where thou lead'st,
Like stinging bees in hottest summer's day
Led by their master to the flowered fields,15
And be avenged on cursed Tamora.
All the GothsAnd as he saith, so say we all with him.
LUCIUSI 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]
Second GothRenowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd20
To gaze upon a ruinous monastery;
And, as I earnestly did fix mine eye
Upon the wasted building, suddenly
I heard a child cry underneath a wall.
I made unto the noise; when soon I heard25
The crying babe controll'd with this discourse:
'Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dam!
Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art,
Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look,
Villain, thou mightst have been an emperor:30
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 trusty Goth;35
Who, when he knows thou art the empress' babe,
Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake.'
With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,
Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither,
To use as you think needful of the man.40
LUCIUSO worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil
That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;
This is the pearl that pleased your empress' eye,
And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.
Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou convey45
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
Why dost not speak? what, deaf? not a word?
A halter, soldiers! hang him on this tree.
And by his side his fruit of bastardy.
AARONTouch not the boy; he is of royal blood.50
LUCIUSToo 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 made to ascend]
AARONLucius, save the child,55
And bear it from me to the empress.
If thou do this, I'll show 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!'60
LUCIUSSay on: an if it please me which thou speak'st
Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd.
AARONAn if it please thee! why, assure thee, Lucius,
'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak;
For I must talk of murders, rapes and massacres,65
Acts of black night, abominable deeds,
Complots of mischief, treason, villanies
Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:
And this shall all be buried by my death,
Unless thou swear to me my child shall live.70
LUCIUSTell on thy mind; I say thy child shall live.
AARONSwear that he shall, and then I will begin.
LUCIUSWho should I swear by? thou believest no god:
That granted, how canst thou believe an oath?
AARONWhat if I do not? as, indeed, I do not;75
Yet, for I know thou art religious
And hast a thing within thee called conscience,
With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies,
Which I have seen thee careful to observe,
Therefore I urge thy oath; for that I know80
An idiot holds his bauble for a god
And keeps the oath which by that god he swears,
To that I'll urge him: therefore thou shalt vow
By that same god, what god soe'er it be,
That thou adorest and hast in reverence,85
To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up;
Or else I will discover nought to thee.
LUCIUSEven by my god I swear to thee I will.
AARONFirst know thou, I begot him on the empress.
LUCIUSO most insatiate and luxurious woman!90
AARONTut, 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.95
LUCIUSO detestable villain! call'st thou that trimming?
AARONWhy, she was wash'd and cut and trimm'd, and 'twas
Trim sport for them that had the doing of it.
LUCIUSO barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself!
AARONIndeed, I was their tutor to instruct them:100
That codding spirit had they from their mother,
As sure a card as ever won the set;
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.105
I train'd thy brethren to that guileful hole
Where the dead corpse of Bassianus lay:
I wrote the letter that thy father found
And hid the gold within the letter mention'd,
Confederate with the queen and her two sons:110
And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue,
Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it?
I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand,
And, when I had it, drew myself apart
And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter:115
I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall
When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads;
Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily,
That both mine eyes were rainy like to his :
And when I told the empress of this sport,120
She swooned almost at my pleasing tale,
And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses.
First GothWhat, canst thou say all this, and never blush?
AARONAy, like a black dog, as the saying is.
LUCIUSArt thou not sorry for these heinous deeds?125
AARONAy, 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,130
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,135
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,140
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 indeed145
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.
LUCIUSBring down the devil; for he must not die
So sweet a death as hanging presently.
AARONIf there be devils, would I were a devil,
To live and burn in everlasting fire,150
So I might have your company in hell,
But to torment you with my bitter tongue!
LUCIUSSirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more.
[Enter a Goth]
Third GothMy lord, there is a messenger from Rome
Desires to be admitted to your presence.155
LUCIUSLet him come near.
[Enter AEMILIUS]
Welcome, AEmilius what's the news from Rome?
AEMILIUSLord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
The Roman emperor greets you all by me;
And, for he understands you are in arms,160
He craves a parley at your father's house,
Willing you to demand your hostages,
And they shall be immediately deliver'd.
First GothWhat says our general?
LUCIUSAEmilius, let the emperor give his pledges165
Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
And we will come. March away.
[Exeunt]

Titus Andronicus, Act 5, Scene 2