Act V, Scene 1

Plains near Rome.

[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 emperor
  And how desirous of our sight they are. 2135
  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, 2140
  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 2145
  Led 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? 2150

[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 2155
  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, 2160
  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 2165
  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, 2170
  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
  That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;
  This is the pearl that pleased your empress' eye, 2175
  And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.
  Say, wall-eyed 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. 2180
  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. 2185
  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, 2190
  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. 2195

• 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, villanies 2200
  Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:
  And this shall all be buried by 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. 2205

• 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, 2210
  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, 2215
  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. 2220

• 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. 2225
  '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.

• Lucius. O detestable villain! call'st thou that trimming?

• Aaron. Why, she was wash'd and cut and trimm'd, and 'twas 2230
  Trim sport for them that 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; 2235
  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: 2240
  I wrote the letter that thy father found
  And hid the gold within the 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? 2245
  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 pry'd me through the crevice of a wall
  When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads; 2250
  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. 2255

• First 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, 2260
  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, 2265
  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, 2270
  And set them upright at their dear friends' doors,
  Even when their sorrows almost were 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.' 2275
  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 2280
  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! 2285

• Lucius. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more.

[Enter a Goth]

• Third Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome
  Desires to be admitted to your presence.

• Lucius. Let him come near. 2290
  [Enter AEMILIUS]
  Welcome, AEmilius. what's the news from Rome?

• Aemilius. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
  The Roman emperor greets you all by me;
  And, for he understands you are in arms, 2295
  He craves a parley at your father's house,
  Willing you to demand your hostages,
  And they shall be immediately deliver'd.

• First Goth. What says our general?

• Lucius. AEmilius, let the emperor give his pledges 2300
  Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
  And we will come. March away.

[Exeunt]