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.Thatcodding 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
GOTH.My lord, there is a messenger from Rome Desires to be admitted to your presence.LUCIUS.Let him come near.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, 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 Unto my father and my uncle Marcus.And we will come.March away.Exeunt