Clown. How much money muft I have? Tam. Come, firrah, thou must be hang'd. Clown. Hang'd! by'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end. Sat. Defpightful and intolerable wrongs! Shall I endure this monftrous villany? [Exit. I know, from whence this fame device proceeds: Enter Æmilius. (15) Sat. What news with thee, Æmilius ? [caufe; Æmil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more The Goths have gather'd head, and with a Power Of high-refolved men, bent to the spoil, They hither march amain, under the Conduct Who threats in courfe of his revenge to do As much as ever Coriolanus did. Sat. Is warlike Lucius General of the Goths? (15) Enter Nuntius Æmilius.] Thus the old Books have defcrib'd this Character: and, I believe, I can account for the Formality, from the Ignorance of the Editors. In the Author's Manufcript, I prefume, 'twas writ, Enter Nuntius; and they obferving, that he is immediately call'd Æmilius, thought proper to give him his whole Title, and fo clapp'd in Enter Nuntius Æmilius. Mr. Pope has very critically follow'd them; and ought, methinks, to have given his new-adopted Citizen Nuntius a place in the Dramatis Perfona. If this Gentleman has discover'd any Roman Family, that had the Prenomen of Nuntius; it is a Secret, I dare fay, more than Carifius, Diomedes Grammaticus, or the Fafti Capitolini, were ever acquainted withal. Shakespeare meant no more than, Enter Æmilius as a Messenger. Thefe Thefe Tidings nip me, and I hang the head And they have wifh'd, that Lucius were their Emperor. Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name. And is not careful what they mean thereby, With words more fweet, and yet more dangerous, Sat. But he will not intreat his fon for us. [To Æmilius. Say, that the Emperor requests a parley Bid him demand what pledge will please him beft. And temper him, with all the art I have, [Exit. L-5 And: And now, fweet Emperor, be blith again, Sat. Then go fuccessfully, and plead to him. [Exe. A C T V. SCENE, A Camp, at a small distance from Rome. Enter Lucius with Goths, with drum and soldiers. A LUCIUS. PPROVED warriors, and my faithful friends, Which fignifie, what hate they bear their Em- And how defirous of our fight they are. Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness, And wherein Rome hath done you any scathe, Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicas, (Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,) Whofe high exploits and honourable deeds Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt, Omn. And, as he faith, fo fay we all with him. Enter a Goth leading Aaron, with his child in bis Arms. Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I ftray'd To To gaze upon a ruinous monaftery: 66 "Peace, villain, peace! (ev'n thus he rates the babe) "For I must bear thee to a trufty Goth; "Who, when he knows thou art the Emprefs' babe, "Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's fake." With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him, . Surpriz'd him fuddenly, and brought him hither, To ufe as you think needful of the man. Luc. O worthy Goth, this is th' incarnate Devil, Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. First, hang the child, that he may fee it fprawl, Aar. (16) Aar. Get me a Ladder. Lucius, fave the Child.] All the printed Editions have given this whole Verfe to Aaron. Bus why fhould the Moor here ask for a Ladder, who earnestly wanted to have his Child fav'd? Unless the Poet is fuppos'd to mean for Aaron, that, if they would get him a Ladder, he would resolutely hang himself out of the way, so they would Spare Aar. Lucius, fave the child, And bear it from me to the Emperess; If thou do this, I'll fhew thee wond'rous things, I'll speak no more; but Vengeance rot you all! Aar. An if it please thee? why, affure thee, Lucius, That granted, how can't thou believe an oath ? And haft a thing within thee called Confcience, And keeps the oath, which by that God he fwears, By that fame God, what God foe'er it be, That thou ador'ft and haft in reverence, Luc. Even by my God I fwear to thee, I will. fpare the Child. But, I much rather fufpect, there is an old Error in prefixing the Names of the Perfons; and that Lucius ought to call for the Ladder, and then Aaron very properly eatreats of Lucius to fave the Child. Aar. |