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For this proud mock I'll be thy flaughter-man;
Sly frantic wretch, that holp'ft to make me great,
In hope thyfelf should govern Rome and me.

Enter Emilius.

Sat. What news with thee, Æmilius?

Emil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more caufe;

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?
These tidings nip me, and I hang the head
As flowers with frost, or grass beat down with ftorms.
Ay, now begin our forrows to approach;
'Tis he, the common people love so much:
Myself 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 fhould you 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;
Ev'n 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-stalks to sheep:

When

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 promises; 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 Emilius.
Say, that the Emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Emilius, do this meffage honourably;
And if he ftand on hostage for his fafety,

Bid him demand that pledge will pleafe him beft.
Emil. Your bidding fhall I do effectually. [Exit.
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.

A C T V.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

A Camp at a small diftance from Rome.

Enter Lucius with Goths, with drum and foldiers.

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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 witness,
Imperious and impatient of your wrongs;

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

* hath done you any Scathe,] Scathe, Harm.

Mr. Pope.

Goth.

Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus, (Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort.) Whofe high exploits and honourable deeds Ingtateful Rome requites with foul contempt, Be bold in us; we'll follow, where thou lead'ft: Like ftinging bees in hottest summer's day, Led by their mafter to the flower'd fields, And be aveng'd on curfed Tamora.

Omnes. And, as he faith, so say we all with him. Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here, led by a lufty Goth?

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Enter a Goth leading Aaron, with his child in his Arms. Goth.

RENOWNED Lucius, from our troops

To gaze upon a ruinous monaftery:
And as I earnestly 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 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 beget a cole-black calf;

Peace, villain, peace! (ev'n thus he rates the babe)
For I must bear thee to a trufty Goth;

Who, when he knows thou art the Empress' 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.
First, hang the child, that he may fee it fprawl,
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 Empress;

If thou do this, I'll fhew thee wond'rous things,
That highly may advantage thee to hear;
If thou wilt not, befal what may befal,
I'll fpeak 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. An if it please thee? why, affure thee, Lucius, 'Twill vex thy foul to hear what I fhall fpeak: For I must talk of murders, rapes and massacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mifchief, treafon, villanies, Ruthful to hear, yet piteously 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 canft 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 seen thee careful to observe :*

Therefore

Therefore I urge thy oath; (for that, I know,

An idiot holds his bauble for a God,

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'st and haft in reverence,

To fave my boy, nourish and bring him up;
Or elfe I would difcover nought to thee.

Luc. Even by my God I fwear to thee, I will.
Aar. First, know thou, I begot him on the Empress.
Luc. O most 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 trim'd her as thou faw'ft. Luc. Oh, deteftable villain! call'ft thou that triming?

Aar. Why, he was wafhed, and cut, and trim'd;
And 'twas trim fport for them that had the doing of't.
Luc. Oh, barb'rous beafly villains like thyself!
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 witnefs 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 not done, that thou haft cause to rue,
Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in't!

I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand,
And when I had it, drew myself apart,

And almoft broke my heart with extreme laughter.
I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall,

When

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