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The moore I caused to strike it off with speede,

Whereat I grieved not to see it bleed,

But for my sonnes would willingly impart,

And for their ransome send my bleeding heart.

But as my life did linger thus in paine,

They sent to me my bootlesse hand againe,

And therewithal the heades of my three sonnes,

Which filld my dying heart with fresher moanes.

Then past reliefe I upp and downe did goe,

And with my teares writ in the dust my woe:

I shot my arrowes towards heaven hie,

And for revenge to hell often did crye.

The empresse then, thinking that I was mad,

Like Furies she and both her sonnes were clad,

(She nam'd Revenge, and Rape and Murder they)

To undermine and heare what I would say.

I fed their foolish veines a certaine space,

Untill my friendes did find a secret place,

Where both her sonnes unto a post were bound,

And just revenge in cruell sort was found.

I cut their throates, my daughter held the pan

Betwixt her stumpes, wherein the bloud it ran:

And then I ground their bones to powder small,

And made a paste for pyes streight therewithall.

Then withe their fleshe I made two mighty pyes,

And at a banquet served in stately wise:

Before the empresse set this lothsome meat;

So of her sonnes own flesh she well did eat.

Myself bereav'd my daughter then of life,

The empresse then I slewe with bloudy knife,

And stabb'd the emperour immediatelie,

And then myself; even soe did Titus die.