The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus

SCENE II. Rome. The palace

Enter AARON, DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, at one door; and at the other door,

YOUNG LUCIUS and another with a bundle of weapons, and verses writ upon them

  CHIRON. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius;    He hath some message to deliver us.  AARON. Ay, some mad message from his mad grandfather.  BOY. My lords, with all the humbleness I may,    I greet your honours from Andronicus-    [Aside] And pray the Roman gods confound you both!  DEMETRIUS. Gramercy, lovely Lucius. What's the news?  BOY. [Aside] That you are both decipher'd, that's the news,    For villains mark'd with rape. – May it please you,    My grandsire, well advis'd, hath sent by me    The goodliest weapons of his armoury    To gratify your honourable youth,    The hope of Rome; for so he bid me say;    And so I do, and with his gifts present    Your lordships, that, whenever you have need,    You may be armed and appointed well.    And so I leave you both- [Aside] like bloody villains.Exeunt YOUNG LUCIUS and attendant  DEMETRIUS. What's here? A scroll, and written round about.    Let's see:    [Reads] 'Integer vitae, scelerisque purus,    Non eget Mauri iaculis, nec arcu.'  CHIRON. O, 'tis a verse in Horace, I know it well;    I read it in the grammar long ago.  AARON. Ay, just- a verse in Horace. Right, you have it.    [Aside] Now, what a thing it is to be an ass!    Here's no sound jest! The old man hath found their guilt,    And sends them weapons wrapp'd about with lines    That wound, beyond their feeling, to the quick.    But were our witty Empress well afoot,    She would applaud Andronicus' conceit.    But let her rest in her unrest awhile-    And now, young lords, was't not a happy star    Led us to Rome, strangers, and more than so,    Captives, to be advanced to this height?    It did me good before the palace gate    To brave the Tribune in his brother's hearing.  DEMETRIUS. But me more good to see so great a lord    Basely insinuate and send us gifts.  AARON. Had he not reason, Lord Demetrius?    Did you not use his daughter very friendly?  DEMETRIUS. I would we had a thousand Roman dames    At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust.  CHIRON. A charitable wish and full of love.  AARON. Here lacks but your mother for to say amen.  CHIRON. And that would she for twenty thousand more.  DEMETRIUS. Come, let us go and pray to all the gods    For our beloved mother in her pains.  AARON. [Aside] Pray to the devils; the gods have given usover.[Trumpets sound]  DEMETRIUS. Why do the Emperor's trumpets flourish thus?  CHIRON. Belike, for joy the Emperor hath a son.  DEMETRIUS. Soft! who comes here?

Enter NURSE, with a blackamoor CHILD

  NURSE. Good morrow, lords.    O, tell me, did you see Aaron the Moor?  AARON. Well, more or less, or ne'er a whit at all,    Here Aaron is; and what with Aaron now?  NURSE. O gentle Aaron, we are all undone!    Now help, or woe betide thee evermore!  AARON. Why, what a caterwauling dost thou keep!    What dost thou wrap and fumble in thy arms?  NURSE. O, that which I would hide from heaven's eye:    Our Empress' shame and stately Rome's disgrace!    She is delivered, lord; she is delivered.  AARON. To whom?  NURSE. I mean she is brought a-bed.  AARON. Well, God give her good rest! What hath he sent her?  NURSE. A devil.  AARON. Why, then she is the devil's dam;    A joyful issue.  NURSE. A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful issue!    Here is the babe, as loathsome as a toad    Amongst the fair-fac'd breeders of our clime;    The Empress sends it thee, thy stamp, thy seal,    And bids thee christen it with thy dagger's point.  AARON. Zounds, ye whore! Is black so base a hue?    Sweet blowse, you are a beauteous blossom sure.  DEMETRIUS. Villain, what hast thou done?  AARON. That which thou canst not undo.  CHIRON. Thou hast undone our mother.  AARON. Villain, I have done thy mother.  DEMETRIUS. And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone her.    Woe to her chance, and damn'd her loathed choice!    Accurs'd the offspring of so foul a fiend!  CHIRON. It shall not live.  AARON. It shall not die.  NURSE. Aaron, it must; the mother wills it so.  AARON. What, must it, nurse? Then let no man but I    Do execution on my flesh and blood.  DEMETRIUS. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point.    Nurse, give it me; my sword shall soon dispatch it.  AARON. Sooner this sword shall plough thy bowels up.[Takes the CHILD from the NURSE, and draws]    Stay, murderous villains, will you kill your brother!    Now, by the burning tapers of the sky    That shone so brightly when this boy was got,    He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point    That touches this my first-born son and heir.    I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus,    With all his threat'ning band of Typhon's brood,    Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war,    Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands.    What, what, ye sanguine, shallow-hearted boys!    Ye white-lim'd walls! ye alehouse painted signs!    Coal-black is better than another hue    In that it scorns to bear another hue;    For all the water in the ocean    Can never turn the swan's black legs to white,    Although she lave them hourly in the flood.    Tell the Empress from me I am of age    To keep mine own- excuse it how she can.  DEMETRIUS. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus?  AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,    The vigour and the picture of my youth.    This before all the world do I prefer;    This maugre all the world will I keep safe,    Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.  DEMETRIUS. By this our mother is for ever sham'd.  CHIRON. Rome will despise her for this foul escape.  NURSE. The Emperor in his rage will doom her death.  CHIRON. I blush to think upon this ignomy.  AARON. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears:    Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing    The close enacts and counsels of thy heart!    Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer.    Look how the black slave smiles upon the father,    As who should say 'Old lad, I am thine own.'    He is your brother, lords, sensibly fed    Of that self-blood that first gave life to you;    And from your womb where you imprisoned were    He is enfranchised and come to light.    Nay, he is your brother by the surer side,    Although my seal be stamped in his face.  NURSE. Aaron, what shall I say unto the Empress?  DEMETRIUS. Advise thee, Aaron, what is to be done,    And we will all subscribe to thy advice.    Save thou the child, so we may all be safe.  AARON. Then sit we down and let us all consult.    My son and I will have the wind of you:    Keep there; now talk at pleasure of your safety.[They sit]  DEMETRIUS. How many women saw this child of his?  AARON. Why, so, brave lords! When we join in league    I am a lamb; but if you brave the Moor,    The chafed boar, the mountain lioness,    The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms.    But say, again, how many saw the child?  NURSE. Cornelia the midwife and myself;    And no one else but the delivered Empress.  AARON. The Emperess, the midwife, and yourself.    Two may keep counsel when the third's away:    Go to the Empress, tell her this I said. [He kills her]    Weeke weeke!    So cries a pig prepared to the spit.  DEMETRIUS. What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst thou this?  AARON. O Lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy.    Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours-    A long-tongu'd babbling gossip? No, lords, no.    And now be it known to you my full intent:    Not far, one Muliteus, my countryman-    His wife but yesternight was brought to bed;    His child is like to her, fair as you are.    Go pack with him, and give the mother gold,    And tell them both the circumstance of all,    And how by this their child shall be advanc'd,    And be received for the Emperor's heir    And substituted in the place of mine,    To calm this tempest whirling in the court;    And let the Emperor dandle him for his own.    Hark ye, lords. You see I have given her physic,[Pointing to the NURSE]    And you must needs bestow her funeral;    The fields are near, and you are gallant grooms.    This done, see that you take no longer days,    But send the midwife presently to me.    The midwife and the nurse well made away,    Then let the ladies tattle what they please.  CHIRON. Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air    With secrets.  DEMETRIUS. For this care of Tamora,    Herself and hers are highly bound to thee.

Exeunt DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, bearing off the dead NURSE

  AARON. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies,    There to dispose this treasure in mine arms,    And secretly to greet the Empress' friends.    Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave, I'll bear you hence;    For it is you that puts us to our shifts.    I'll make you feed on berries and on roots,    And feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat,    And cabin in a cave, and bring you up    To be a warrior and command a camp.Exit with the CHILD

SCENE III. Rome. A public place

Enter TITUS, bearing arrows with letters on the ends of them; with him MARCUS, YOUNG LUCIUS, and other gentlemen, PUBLIUS, SEMPRONIUS, and CAIUS, with bows

  TITUS. Come, Marcus, come; kinsmen, this is the way.    Sir boy, let me see your archery;    Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight.    Terras Astrea reliquit,    Be you rememb'red, Marcus; she's gone, she's fled.    Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall    Go sound the ocean and cast your nets;    Happily you may catch her in the sea;    Yet there's as little justice as at land.    No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it;    'Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade,    And pierce the inmost centre of the earth;    Then, when you come to Pluto's region,    I pray you deliver him this petition.    Tell him it is for justice and for aid,    And that it comes from old Andronicus,    Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.    Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable    What time I threw the people's suffrages    On him that thus doth tyrannize o'er me.    Go get you gone; and pray be careful all,    And leave you not a man-of-war unsearch'd.    This wicked Emperor may have shipp'd her hence;    And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.  MARCUS. O Publius, is not this a heavy case,    To see thy noble uncle thus distract?  PUBLIUS. Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns    By day and night t' attend him carefully,    And feed his humour kindly as we may    Till time beget some careful remedy.  MARCUS. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy.    Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war    Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude,    And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.  TITUS. Publius, how now? How now, my masters?    What, have you met with her?  PUBLIUS. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word,    If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall.    Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd,    He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else,    So that perforce you must needs stay a time.  TITUS. He doth me wrong to feed me with delays.    I'll dive into the burning lake below    And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.    Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we,    No big-bon'd men fram'd of the Cyclops' size;    But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back,    Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can bear;    And, sith there's no justice in earth nor hell,    We will solicit heaven, and move the gods    To send down justice for to wreak our wrongs.    Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus.[He gives them the arrows]    'Ad Jovem' that's for you; here 'Ad Apollinem.'    'Ad Martem' that's for myself.    Here, boy, 'To Pallas'; here 'To Mercury.'    'To Saturn,' Caius- not to Saturnine:    You were as good to shoot against the wind.    To it, boy. Marcus, loose when I bid.    Of my word, I have written to effect;    There's not a god left unsolicited.  MARCUS. Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court;    We will afflict the Emperor in his pride.  TITUS. Now, masters, draw. [They shoot] O, well said, Lucius!    Good boy, in Virgo's lap! Give it Pallas.  MARCUS. My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon;    Your letter is with Jupiter by this.  TITUS. Ha! ha!    Publius, Publius, hast thou done?    See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns.  MARCUS. This was the sport, my lord: when Publius shot,    The Bull, being gall'd, gave Aries such a knock    That down fell both the Ram's horns in the court;    And who should find them but the Empress' villain?    She laugh'd, and told the Moor he should not choose    But give them to his master for a present.  TITUS. Why, there it goes! God give his lordship joy!

Enter the CLOWN, with a basket and two pigeons in it

    News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is come.    Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters?    Shall I have justice? What says Jupiter?  CLOWN. Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that he hath taken themdown    again, for the man must not be hang'd till the next week.  TITUS. But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?  CLOWN. Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never drank with him inall    my life.  TITUS. Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?  CLOWN. Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.  TITUS. Why, didst thou not come from heaven?  CLOWN. From heaven! Alas, sir, I never came there. God forbid I    should be so bold to press to heaven in my young days. Why, Iam    going with my pigeons to the Tribunal Plebs, to take up amatter    of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal's men.  MARCUS. Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to serve for your    oration; and let him deliver the pigeons to the Emperor fromyou.  TITUS. Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor witha    grace?  CLOWN. Nay, truly, sir, I could never say grace in all my life.  TITUS. Sirrah, come hither. Make no more ado,    But give your pigeons to the Emperor;    By me thou shalt have justice at his hands.    Hold, hold! Meanwhile here's money for thy charges.    Give me pen and ink. Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver upa    supplication?  CLOWN. Ay, sir.  TITUS. Then here is a supplication for you. And when you cometo    him, at the first approach you must kneel; then kiss hisfoot;    then deliver up your pigeons; and then look for your reward.I'll    be at hand, sir; see you do it bravely.  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;    For thou hast made it like a 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.  TITUS. Come, Marcus, let us go. Publius, follow me. Exeunt

SCENE IV. Rome. Before the palace

Enter the EMPEROR, and the EMPRESS and her two sons, DEMETRIUS and CHIRON;

LORDS and others. 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 egal justice, us'd in such contempt?    My lords, you know, as know the mightful gods,    However these disturbers of our peace    Buzz in the people's ears, there nought hath pass'd    But even with law against the wilful sons    Of old Andronicus. And what an if    His sorrows have so overwhelm'd his wits,    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'-    Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome!    What's this but libelling against the Senate,    And blazoning our unjustice every where?    A goodly humour, is it not, my lords?    As who would say in Rome no justice were.    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 he in fury shall    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    Whose loss hath pierc'd him deep and scarr'd 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 with all.    But, Titus, I have touch'd 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. Yes, forsooth, an your mistriship be Emperial.  TAMORA. Empress I am, but yonder sits the Emperor.  CLOWN. 'Tis he. – God and Saint Stephen give you godden. 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.  CLOWN. How much money must I have?  TAMORA. Come, sirrah, you must be hang'd.  CLOWN. Hang'd! by'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to afair    end. [Exit guarded]  SATURNINUS. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs!    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?    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.

Enter NUNTIUS AEMILIUS

    What news with thee, Aemilius?  AEMILIUS. 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    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    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-    That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,    And they have wish'd 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.  TAMORA. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name!    Is the sun dimm'd, 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    He can at pleasure stint their melody;    Even so mayest 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,    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;    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 AEMILIUS] Go thou before to be our ambassador;    Say that the Emperor requests a parley    Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting    Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus.  SATURNINUS. Aemilius, do this message honourably;    And if he stand on hostage for his safety,    Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.  AEMILIUS. 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.    And now, sweet Emperor, be blithe again,    And bury all thy fear in my devices.  SATURNINUS. Then go successantly, and plead to him.Exeunt

ACT V. SCENE I. Plains near Rome

Enter LUCIUS with an army of GOTHS with drums and colours

  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, 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 satisfaction.  FIRST GOTH. Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus,    Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,    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 flow'red fields,    And be aveng'd on cursed Tamora.  ALL THE 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 AARON with his CHILD in his arms

  SECOND GOTH. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd    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    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;    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 sake.'    With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,    Surpris'd him suddenly, and brought him hither    To use as you think needful of the man.  LUCIUS. O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil    That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;    This is the pearl that pleas'd your Empress' eye;    And here's the base fruit of her burning lust.    Say, wall-ey'd slave, whither wouldst thou convey    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.  AARON. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.  LUCIUS. Too 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 climb]  AARON. Lucius, save the child,    And bear it from me to the Emperess.    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!'  LUCIUS. Say on; an if it please me which thou speak'st,    Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd.  AARON. An 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, treason, villainies,    Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd;    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.  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,    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,    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 nourish and bring him up;    Or else I will discover nought to thee.  LUCIUS. Even by my god I swear to thee I will.  AARON. First know thou, I begot him on the Empress.  LUCIUS. O most insatiate and luxurious woman!  AARON. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity    To that which thou shalt hear of me anon.    'Twas her two sons that murdered Bassianus;    They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her,    And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou sawest.  LUCIUS. O detestable villain! Call'st thou that trimming?  AARON. Why, she was wash'd, and cut, and trimm'd, and 'twas    Trim sport for them which had the doing of it.  LUCIUS. O barbarous beastly villains like thyself!  AARON. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them.    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.    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 that letter mention'd,    Confederate with the Queen and her two sons;    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.    I pried 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,    She swooned almost at my pleasing tale,    And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses.  GOTH. What, canst thou say all this and never blush?  AARON. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is.  LUCIUS. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds?  AARON. Ay, 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;    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,    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' door    Even when their sorrows almost was forgot,    And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,    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 indeed    But that I cannot do ten thousand more.  LUCIUS. Bring down the devil, for he must not die    So sweet a death as hanging presently.  AARON. If there be devils, would I were a devil,    To live and burn in everlasting fire,    So I might have your company in hell    But to torment you with my bitter tongue!  LUCIUS. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more.

Enter AEMILIUS