How now good fellow, would'st thou speake with vs? Clow. Yea forsooth, and your Mistership be Emperiall
Tam. Empresse I am, but yonder sits the Emperour
Clo. 'Tis he; God & Saint Stephen giue you good den; I haue brought you a Letter, & a couple of Pigions heere.
He reads the Letter.
Satu. Goe take him away, and hang him presently
Clowne. How much money must I haue? Tam. Come sirrah you must be hang'd
Clow. Hang'd? ber Lady, then I haue brought vp a neck to a faire end. Enter.
Satu. Despightfull and intollerable wrongs, Shall I endure this monstrous villany? I know from whence this same deuise proceedes: May this be borne? As if his traytrous Sonnes, That dy'd by law for murther of our Brother, Haue by my meanes beene butcher'd wrongfully? Goe dragge the villaine hither by the haire, Nor Age, nor Honour, shall shape priuiledge: For this proud mocke, Ile be thy slaughter man: Sly franticke wretch, that holp'st to make me great, In hope thy selfe should gouerne Rome and me. Enter Nuntius Emillius.
Satur. What newes with thee Emillius? Emil. Arme my Lords, Rome neuer had more cause, The Gothes haue gather'd head, and with a power Of high resolued men, bent to the spoyle They hither march amaine, vnder conduct Of Lucius, Sonne to old Andronicus: Who threats in course of this reuenge to do As much as euer Coriolanus did
King. Is warlike Lucius Generall of the Gothes? These tydings nip me, and I hang the head As flowers with frost, or grasse beat downe with stormes: I, now begins our sorrowes to approach, 'Tis he the common people loue so much, My selfe hath often heard them say, (When I haue walked like a priuate man) That Lucius banishment was wrongfully, And they haue wisht that Lucius were their Emperour
Tam. Why should you feare? Is not our City strong? King. I, but the Cittizens fauour Lucius, And will reuolt from me, to succour him
Tam. King, be thy thoughts Imperious like thy name. Is the Sunne dim'd, that Gnats do flie in it? The Eagle suffers little Birds to sing, And is not carefull what they meane thereby, Knowing that with the shadow of his wings, He can at pleasure stint their melodie. Euen so mayest thou, the giddy men of Rome, Then cheare thy spirit, for know thou Emperour, I will enchaunt the old Andronicus, With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous Then baites to fish, or hony stalkes to sheepe, When as the one is wounded with the baite, The other rotted with delicious foode
King. But he will not entreat his Sonne for vs
Tam. If Tamora entreat him, then he will, For I can smooth and fill his aged eare, With golden promises, that were his heart Almost Impregnable, his old eares deafe, Yet should both eare and heart, obey my tongue. Goe thou before to our Embassadour, Say, that the Emperour requests a parly Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting
King. Emillius do this message Honourably, And if he stand in Hostage for his safety, Bid him demaund what pledge will please him best
Emill. Your bidding shall I do effectually. Enter.
Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus, And temper him with all the Art I haue, To plucke proud Lucius from the warlike Gothes. And now sweet Emperour be blithe againe, And bury all thy feare in my deuises
Satu. Then goe successantly and plead for him. Enter.