But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick,
Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wife,
Then is all fafe, the anchor's in the port.

Enter Clown.

[Afide.

How, now, good fellow, would't thou fpeak with us?
Clow. Yea, forfooth, an your mistership be emperial,
Tam. Emprefs I am, but yonder fits the Emperor.
Clow. 'Tis he: god and St. Stephen give you good-even:
I have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here.
[He reads the letter.
Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him presently.
Clow. How much money must I have?
Tam. Come, firrah, thou must be hang'd.

Clow. Hang'd! by'r Lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end.

Sat. Defpightful and intolerable wrongs, Shall I endure this monflrous villany?

[Exit.

I know, from whence this fame device proceeds:
May this be borne? as if his traiterous fons
That dy'd by law for murder of our brother,
Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully?
Go, drag the villain hither by the hair,
Nor age nor honour fhall hape privilege.
For this proud mock I'll be thy flaughter-man;
Sly frantick wretch, that holp'ft to make me great,
In hope thyself fhould govern Rome and me.

Enter Emilius. (24)

(24) Enter Nuntius Æmilius.] Thus the old books have defcrib'd this character: and I believe, I can account for the formality, from the ignorance of the editors. In the author's manufcript, I prefume, 'twas writ, Enter Nuntius; and they obferving, that he is immediately call'd Æmilius, thought proper to give him his whole title, and fo clapp'd in Enter Nuntius Æmilius. Mr. Pope has very critically follow'd them; and ought, methinks, to have given his newadopted citizen Nuntius a place in the Dramatis Perfone. If this gen. tleman has difcover'd any Roman family, that had the Prænomen of Nuntius; it is a fecret. I dare fay, more than Carifius, Diomedes Grammaticus, or the Fafli Capatolini, were ever acquainted withal. ShakeSpeare meant no more than, Enter Æmilius as a Messenger. This fort of character is always diftinguish'd in the Greek and Roman plays by the fingle title of ayyees, and Nuntius.

Sat.

Sat. What news with thee, Æmilius?

Emil. Arm, my Lords; Rome never had more cause;
The Goths have gather'd head, and with a power
Of high-refolved men, bent to the spoil,

They hither march amain, under the conduct
Of Lucius, fon to old Andronicus:

Who threats in course of his revenge to do

As much as ever Coriolanus did.

Sat. Is warlike Lucius General of the Goths? Thefe tidings nip me, and I hang the head As flowers with froft, or grafs beat down with storms. Ay, now begin our forrows to approach; "Tis he, the common people love fo much: Myfelf hath often over-heard them say, (When I have walked like a private man) That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,

And they have wifh'd, that Lucius were their Emperor. Tam. Why should your fear? is not our city ftrong? Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,

And will revolt from me, to fuccour him.

Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name.
Is the fun dim'd, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle fuffers little birds to fing,

And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing, that with the fhadow of his wings
He can at pleasure ftint their melody;
Even fo may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy fpirit, for know, thou Emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus

With words more fweet, and yet more dangerous,
Than baits to fish, or honey-ftalks to sheep:
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious food.

Sat. But he will not intreat his fon for us.
Tam. If Tamora intreat him, then he will:
For I can fmooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promifes; that were his heart
Almoft impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet fhould both ear and heart obey my tongue.
Go thou before as our embassador;

[To Æmilius.

Say,

[Exit.

Say, that the Emperor requefts a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Æmilius, do this meffage honourably;
And if he ftand on hoftage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will pleafe him beft.
Emil. Your bidding fhall I do effectually.
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 now, fweet Emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.

Sat. Then go fuccefsfully, and plead to him. [Exit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

SCENE, A Camp, at a small distance from Rome.

Enter Lucius with Goths, with drum and Soldiers.

AP

LUCIUS.

Pproved warriors, and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome,
Which fignify, what hate they bear their Emp'ror,
And how defirous of our fight they are.

Therefore, great Lords, be, as your titles witnefs,
Imperious and impatient of your wrongs;

And wherein Rome hath done you any fcathe,
Let him make treble fatisfaction.

Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus, (Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,} Whofe high exploits and honourable deeds

Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,

Be bold in us; we'll follow, where thou lead'ft:
Like ftinging bees in hotteft fummer's day,
Led by their mafter to the flower'd fields,
And be aveng'd on curfed Tamora.

Omn. And, as he faith, fo fay we all with him.
VOL. VI.

M

Luc.

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 To 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 noife, when foon I heard The crying babe controul'd with this discourse; "Peace, tawny flave, 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 might'ft have been an Emperor: "But where the bull and cow are both milk-white, They never do béget a cole-black calf;

"Peace, villain, peace! (even thus he rates the babe) "For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth;

Who, when he knows thou art the Emprefs' babe, "Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's fake." With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'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 base fruit of his burning luft.
Say, wall-ey'd flave, whither would't thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
Why doft not fpeak? 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 blood.
Luc. Too like the fire for ever being good,

Firft, hang the child that he may fee it fprawl,
A fight to vex the father's foul withal.

Get me a ladder. (25)

Aar.

(25) Aar. Get me a ladder. Lucius, fave the child.] All the printed editions have given this whole verfe to Aaron. But why fhould the

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