Page:Titus Andronicus (1926) Yale.djvu/90

76

'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak;

For I must talk of murthers, 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 by my death,

Unless thou swear to me my child shall live.

Luc. Tell on thy mind: I say, thy child shall live.

Aar. Swear that he shall, and then I will begin.

Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st no god:

That granted, how canst thou believe an oath?

Aar. 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 ador'st and hast in reverence,

To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up:

Or else I will discover nought to thee.

Luc. Even by my god I swear to thee I will.

Aar. First, know thou, I begot him on the empress.

Luc. O most insatiate, luxurious woman!

Aar. Tut! Lucius, this was but a deed of charity

To that which thou shalt hear of me anon.

'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.

 66 piteously: pitiably

74 for: because

78 urge: insist upon

79 idiot bauble; cf. n.

88 luxurious: lustful

