Read Online Complete Plays, The by William Shakespeare - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: William Shakespeare
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us.
Tamora
If Tamora entreat him, then he will:For I can smooth and fill his aged earWith golden promises; that, were his heartAlmost impregnable, his old ears deaf,Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.
To Aemilius
Go thou before, be our ambassador:Say that the emperor requests a parleyOf warlike Lucius, and appoint the meetingEven 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
A CT V
S CENE I. P LAINS NEAR R OME .
Enter Lucius with an army of Goths, with drum and colours
Lucius
Approved warriors, and my faithful friends,I have received letters from great Rome,Which signify what hate they bear their emperorAnd 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 deedsIngrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,Be bold in us: we’ll follow where thou lead’st,Like stinging bees in hottest summer’s dayLed by their master to the flowered fields,And be avenged 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’dTo gaze upon a ruinous monastery;And, as I earnestly did fix mine eyeUpon the wasted building, suddenlyI heard a child cry underneath a wall.I made unto the noise; when soon I heardThe 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,Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither,To use as you think needful of the man.
Lucius
O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devilThat robb’d Andronicus of his good hand;This is the pearl that pleased your empress’ eye,And here’s the base fruit of his burning lust.Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou conveyThis 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 ascend
Aaron
Lucius, save the child,And bear it from me to the empress.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’stThy 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,
Tamora
If Tamora entreat him, then he will:For I can smooth and fill his aged earWith golden promises; that, were his heartAlmost impregnable, his old ears deaf,Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.
To Aemilius
Go thou before, be our ambassador:Say that the emperor requests a parleyOf warlike Lucius, and appoint the meetingEven 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
A CT V
S CENE I. P LAINS NEAR R OME .
Enter Lucius with an army of Goths, with drum and colours
Lucius
Approved warriors, and my faithful friends,I have received letters from great Rome,Which signify what hate they bear their emperorAnd 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 deedsIngrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,Be bold in us: we’ll follow where thou lead’st,Like stinging bees in hottest summer’s dayLed by their master to the flowered fields,And be avenged 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’dTo gaze upon a ruinous monastery;And, as I earnestly did fix mine eyeUpon the wasted building, suddenlyI heard a child cry underneath a wall.I made unto the noise; when soon I heardThe 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,Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither,To use as you think needful of the man.
Lucius
O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devilThat robb’d Andronicus of his good hand;This is the pearl that pleased your empress’ eye,And here’s the base fruit of his burning lust.Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou conveyThis 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 ascend
Aaron
Lucius, save the child,And bear it from me to the empress.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’stThy 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,
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