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 stint their melody;

Even fo may'ft 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 fheep,
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 smooth, 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 embaffador,

[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 stand on hoftage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.
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.

[Exit.

Sat. Then go fuccessfully and plead to him. [Exeunt.

ACT

ACT

V.

SCENE I.

A Camp, at a small distance from Rome.

Enter Lucius with Goths, with Drum and Soldiers.

LUCIUS.

Approved warriors, and

Pproved warriors, and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome,

Which fignifie 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 scath,
Let him make treble fatisfaction.

Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus,
Whofe 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 hottest fummer's day,
Led by their master to the flower'd fields;
And be aveng'd on curfed Tamora.

all.

Omn. And as he faith, fo fay we all with him.
Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank
But who comes here led by a lufty Goth?

you

E II.

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 earnestly did fix mine eye
Upon the wafted building, fuddenly

VOL. V.

Ff

I heard

I heard a child cry underneath a wall;

I made unto the noife, when foon I heard
The crying babe controul'd with this difcourfe :
Peace, tawny flave, half me and half thy dam,
Did not thy hue bewray whofe 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 coal-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 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 bafe fruit of his burning luft.
Say, wall-ey'd flave, whither would'ft 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.

Aar. Lucius, fave the child,`

And bear it from me to the Emperefs;

If thou do this, I'll fhew 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!

6 Aar. Get me a ladder, Lucius, fave the child, &c. Theob. emend.

Luc.

..old edit.

Luc. Say on, and if it pleafe me which thou speak'st,
Thy child fhall live, and I will fee it nourish'd.

Aar. And if it please thee? why, affure thee, Lucius,
'Twill vex thy foul to hear what I fhall speak:
For I muft talk of murthers, rapes, and maffacres,
Acts of black night, abominable deeds,
Complots of mifchief, treafon, villainies,
Ruthful to hear, yet piteoufly perform'd:
And this fhall all be buried by my death,
Unless thou swear 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't no God.
That granted, how can't 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 popifh tricks and ceremonies
Which I have feen thee careful to obferve:
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)

[Afide

therefore thou shalt vow By that fame God, what God foe'er it be

That thou ador'ft and haft in reverence,
To fave my boy, nourish and bring him up,
Or elfe I will discover nought to thee.

Luc. Even by my God I fwear to thee, I will.
Aar. Firft know thou, I begot him on the Emprefs.
Luc. O moft 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 trimm'd her as thou faw'ft.
Luc. 7'Oh moft deteftable villain! call' thou that
Trimming?

Ff2

Aar.

7 Oh, deteftable

Aar. Why, fhe was wafh'd, and cut, and trimm'd;
And 'twas trim fport for them that had the doing of't.
Luc. Oh barb'rous beaftly villains like thy felf!
Aar. Indeed, I was their tutor to inftruct them:
That codding fpirit 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 witness 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's elfe done that thou haft cause to rue,
Wherein I had no ftroke of mifchief in't?

I plaid the cheater for thy father's hand,
And when I had it, drew my self apart,
And almost broke my heart with extream laughter.
I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall,
When for his hand he had his two fons heads,
Beheld his tears, and laugh'd fo heartily
That both mine eyes were rainy like to his :
And when I told the Empress of this sport,
She fwooned almoft at my pleafing tale,
And for my tidings gave me twenty kiffes.
Goth. What, can't thou fay all this, and never blush?
Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the faying is.
Luc. Art thou not forry for these heinous deeds?
Aar. Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.
Ev'n now I curfe the day (and yet I think
Few come within the compafs of my curfe)
Wherein I did not fome notorious ill,
As kill a man, or elfe devife his death,
Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it,
Accufe fome innocent, and then forfwear`
My felf, fet deadly enmity between

Two