The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 502
CLOWN I warrant you, sir, let me alone.
TITUS Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration;
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[to the Clown] For thou must hold it like an humble suppliant,
And when thou hast given it to the emperor,
Knock at my door and tell me what he says.
CLOWN God be with you, sir. I will. Exit.
TITUS Come, Marcus, let us go; Publius, follow me.
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Exeunt.
4.4 Enter Emperor and Empress and her two sons, and attendants. The Emperor brings the arrows in his hand that Titus shot at him.
SATURNINUS
Why, lords, what wrongs are these! Was ever seen
An emperor in Rome thus overborne,
Troubled, confronted thus, and for the extent
Of equal justice used in such contempt?
My lords, you know, as know the mightful gods,
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However these disturbers of our peace
Buzz in the people’s ears, there nought hath passed
But even with law against the wilful sons
Of old Andronicus. And what and if
His sorrows have so overwhelmed his wits?
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Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks,
His fits, his frenzy and his bitterness?
And now he writes to heaven for his redress.
See, here’s ‘to Jove’, and this ‘to Mercury’,
This ‘to Apollo’, this ‘to the god of war’:
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Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome!
What’s this but libelling against the senate
And blazoning our injustice everywhere?
A goodly humour, is it not, my lords?
As who would say, in Rome no justice were.
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But if I live, his feigned ecstasies
Shall be no shelter to these outrages,
But he and his shall know that justice lives
In Saturninus’ health, whom, if she sleep,
He’ll so awake as she in fury shall
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Cut off the proud’st conspirator that lives.
TAMORA My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine,
Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts,
Calm thee and bear the faults of Titus’ age,
Th’effects of sorrow for his valiant sons
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Whose loss hath pierced him deep and scarred his heart;
And rather comfort his distressed plight
Than prosecute the meanest or the best
For these contempts.
[aside] Why, thus it shall become
High-witted Tamora to gloze withal.
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But, Titus, I have touched thee to the quick;
Thy life-blood out, if Aaron now be wise,
Then is all safe, the anchor in the port.
Enter Clown.
How now, good fellow, wouldst thou speak with us?
CLOWN
Yea, forsooth, and your mistress-ship be emperial.
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TAMORA Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor.
CLOWN ’Tis he. God and Saint Stephen give you good
e’en. I have brought you a letter and a couple of
pigeons here. [Saturninus reads the letter.]
SATURNINUS Go, take him away and hang him presently!
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CLOWN How much money must I have?
TAMORA Come, sirrah, you must be hanged.
CLOWN Hanged, by’Lady? Then I have brought up a
neck to a fair end. Exit under guard.
SATURNINUS Despiteful and intolerable wrongs!
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Shall I endure this monstrous villainy?
I know from whence this same device proceeds.
May this be borne as if his traitorous sons,
That died by law for murder of our brother,
Have by my means been butchered wrongfully?
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Go, drag the villain hither by the hair:
Nor age nor honour shall shape privilege.
For this proud mock I’ll be thy slaughterman,
Sly frantic wretch that holp’st to make me great
In hope thyself should govern Rome and me.
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Enter EMILLIUS, a messenger.
What news with thee, Emillius?
EMILLIUS
Arm, arm, my lords! Rome never had more cause:
The Goths have gathered head, and with a power
Of high-resolved men bent to the spoil
They hither march amain under conduct
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Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus,
Who threats in course of this revenge to do
As much as ever Coriolanus did.
SATURNINUS
Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths?
These tidings nip me and I hang the head
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As flowers with frost or grass beat down with storms.
Ay, now begins our sorrows to approach.
’Tis he the common people love so much;
Myself hath often heard them say,
When I have walked like a private man,
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That Lucius’ banishment was wrongfully,
And they have wished that Lucius were their emperor.
TAMORA Why should you fear? Is not your city strong?
SATURNINUS Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius
And will revolt from me to succour him.
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TAMORA
King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name.
Is the sun dimmed, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle suffers little birds to sing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing that with the shadow of his wings
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He can at pleasure stint their melody:
Even so mayst thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy spirit, for know thou, emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus
With words more sweet and yet more dangerous
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Than baits to fish or honey-stalks to sheep,
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious feed.
SATURNINUS But he will not entreat his son for us.
TAMORA If Tamora entreat him, then he will,
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For I can smooth and fill his aged ears
With golden promises that, were his heart
Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.
[to Emillius] Go thou before to be our ambassador:
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Say that the emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting
Even at his father’s house, the old Andronicus.
SATURNINUS Emillius, do this message honourably,
And if he stand in hostage for his safety,
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Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.
EMILLIUS Your bidding shall I do effectually. Exit.
TAMORA Now will I to that old Andronicus,
And temper him with all the art I have
To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.
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And now, sweet emperor, be blithe again
And bury all thy fear in my devices.
SATURNINUS Then go incessantly and plead to him.
Exeunt by different doors.
5.1 Flourish. Enter LUCIUS with an army of Goths with drums and soldiers.
LUCIUS Approved warriors and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome
Which signifies what hate they bear their emperor,
And how desirous of our sight they are.
Therefore, gre
at lords, be as your titles witness,
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Imperious, and impatient of your wrongs,
And wherein Rome hath done you any scath
Let him make treble satisfaction.
1GOTH Brave slip sprung from the great Andronicus,
Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,
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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,
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And be avenged on cursed Tamora.
ALL GOTHS And as he saith, so say we all with him.
LUCIUS I humbly thank him, and I thank you all.
But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth?
Enter a Goth, leading of AARON with his child in his arms.
2GOTH Renowned Lucius, from our troops I strayed
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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 heard
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The crying babe controlled with this discourse:
‘Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dame!
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.
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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,
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Will hold thee dearly for thy mother’s sake.’
With this my weapon drawn, I rushed upon him,
Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither
To use as you think needful of the man.
LUCIUS O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil
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That robbed Andronicus of his good hand;
This is the pearl that pleased your empress’ eye,
And here’s the base fruit of her burning lust.
[to Aaron] Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
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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.
AARON Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.
LUCIUS Too like the sire for ever being good.
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First hang the child, that he may see it sprawl:
A sight to vex the father’s soul withal.
Get me a ladder.
[A Goth brings a ladder, which Aaron is made to climb; another Goth takes the child.]
AARON Lucius, save the child,
And bear it from me to the empress.
If thou do this, I’ll show thee wondrous things
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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!’
LUCIUS
Say on, and if it please me which thou speak’st,
Thy child shall live and I will see it nourished.
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AARON And 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,
Acts of black night, abominable deeds,
Complots of mischief, treasons, villainies,
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Ruthful to hear yet piteously performed;
And this shall all be buried in my death
Unless thou swear to me my child shall live.
LUCIUS Tell on thy mind; I say thy child shall live.
AARON Swear that he shall and then I will begin.
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LUCIUS
Who should I swear by? Thou believest no god.
That granted, how canst thou believe an oath?
AARON What if I do not? as indeed I do not –
Yet for I know thou art religious
And hast a thing within thee called conscience,
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With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies
Which I have seen thee careful to observe,
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 swears,
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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,
To save my boy, to nurse and bring him up,