To gaze upon a ruinous monastery; Peace, villain, peace! -even thus he rates the For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth; IVho, when he knows thou art the empress' babe, Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil, A halter, soldiers; hang him on this tree, And by his side his fruit of bastardy. Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. First, hang the child, that he may see it sprawl; A sight to vex the father's soul withal. Get me a ladder. Aar. [A ladder brought, which Aaron is obliged to ascend. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the emperess. If thou do this, I'll show thee wond'rous things, I'll speak no more; But vengeance rot you all! Luc. Say on; and, if it please me which thou speak'st, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. Aar. An if it please thee? why, assure thee, Lucius, 'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; Luc. Tell on thy mind; I say, thy child shall live. Aar. Swear, that he shall, and then I will begin Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st no god; That granted, how canst thou believe an oath? for I know thou art religious, And hast a thing within thee, called conscience; G With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, And keeps the oath, which by that god he swears; Luc. Even by my god, I swear to thee, I will. empress. Luc. O most insatiate, luxurious woman! Aar. Tut, Lucius! this was but a deed of charity, To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. 'Twas her two sons, that murder'd Bassianus: They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her, And cut her hands; and trimm'd her as thou saw'st. Luc. O, détestable villain! call'st thou that trimming? Aar. Why, she was wash'd, and cut, and trimm'd; and 'twas Trim sport for them that had the doing of it. Luc. O, barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth. I train'd thy brethren to that guileful hole, And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter. That both mine eyes were rainy like to his; She swounded almost at my pleasing tale, blush? Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? Aar. 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, Luc. Bring down the devil; for he must not die So sweet a death, as hanging presently. Aar. 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! Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Enter a Goth. Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome, Desires to be admitted to your presence. Luc. Let him come near. Enter Emilius. Welcome, Æmilius, what's the news from Rome? Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths, The Roman emperor greets you all by me: |