ale-house painted 100 signs!
Coal-black is better than another hue
In that it scorns to bear another hue,
For all the water in the ocean
Can never turn the swan’s black legs to white,
Although she lave them hourly in the flood. 105
Tell the empress from me, I am of age
To keep mine own, excuse it how she can.
DEMETRIUS Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus?
AARON My mistress is my mistress, this 109 myself,
The vigour and the picture of my youth:
This before all the world do I prefer,
This maugre 112 all the world will I keep safe,
Or some of you shall smoke 113 for it in Rome.
DEMETRIUS By this our mother is forever shamed.
CHIRON Rome will despise her for this foul escape. 115
NURSE The emperor, in his rage, will doom her death.
CHIRON I blush to think upon this ignomy. 117
AARON Why, there’s the privilege your beauty bears:
Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing
The close enacts 120 and counsels of the heart.
Here’s a young lad framed of another leer: 121
Look how the black slave 122 smiles upon the father,
As who should say 123 ‘Old lad, I am thine own.’
He is your brother, lords, sensibly 124 fed
Of that self-blood 125 that first gave life to you,
And from that womb where you imprisoned were
He is enfranchisèd 127 and come to light.
Nay, he is your brother by the surer 128 side,
Although my seal be stampèd in his face.
NURSE Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress?
DEMETRIUS Advise thee 131 , Aaron, what is to be done,
And we will all subscribe to thy advice.
Save thou the child, so 133 we may all be safe.
AARON Then sit we down, and let us all consult.
My son and I will have the wind of 135 you.
They sit
Keep there: now talk at pleasure of your safety.
To the Nurse
DEMETRIUS How many women saw this child of his?
AARON Why, so, brave lords, when we join in league
I am a lamb: but if you brave the Moor,
The chafèd 140 boar, the mountain lioness,
The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms.—
To the Nurse
But say again, how many saw the child?
NURSE Cornelia the midwife and myself,
And none else but the delivered empress.
AARON The empress, the midwife, and yourself:
Two may keep counsel when the third’s away.
Go to the empress, tell her this I said.
He kills her
Weke, weke! 148 So cries a pig preparèd to th’spit.
They all stand up
DEMETRIUS What mean’st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst thou this?
AARON O Lord, sir, ’tis a deed of policy: 150
Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours,
A long-tongued 152 babbling gossip? No, lords, no:
And now be it known to you my full intent.
Not far, one Muly lives, my countryman:
His wife but yesternight was brought to bed:
His child is like to her 156 , fair as you are.
Go pack 157 with him, and give the mother gold,
And tell them both the circumstance 158 of all,
And how by this their child shall be advanced,
And be receivèd for the emperor’s heir,
And substituted in the place of mine,
To calm this tempest whirling in the court,
And let the emperor dandle him for his own.
Hark ye, lords, ye see I have given her physic, 164
And you must needs bestow 165 her funeral:
The fields are near and you are gallant grooms. 166
This done, see that you take no longer days, 167
But send the midwife presently 168 to me.
The midwife and the nurse well made away,
Then let the ladies tattle what they please.
CHIRON Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air
With secrets.
DEMETRIUS For this care of Tamora,
Herself and hers are highly bound to thee.
Exeunt
[
Demetrius and Chiron with the body
]
AARON Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies,
There to dispose this treasure in mine arms,
And secretly to greet the empress’ friends.
Come on, you thick-lipped
Coal-black is better than another hue
In that it scorns to bear another hue,
For all the water in the ocean
Can never turn the swan’s black legs to white,
Although she lave them hourly in the flood. 105
Tell the empress from me, I am of age
To keep mine own, excuse it how she can.
DEMETRIUS Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus?
AARON My mistress is my mistress, this 109 myself,
The vigour and the picture of my youth:
This before all the world do I prefer,
This maugre 112 all the world will I keep safe,
Or some of you shall smoke 113 for it in Rome.
DEMETRIUS By this our mother is forever shamed.
CHIRON Rome will despise her for this foul escape. 115
NURSE The emperor, in his rage, will doom her death.
CHIRON I blush to think upon this ignomy. 117
AARON Why, there’s the privilege your beauty bears:
Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing
The close enacts 120 and counsels of the heart.
Here’s a young lad framed of another leer: 121
Look how the black slave 122 smiles upon the father,
As who should say 123 ‘Old lad, I am thine own.’
He is your brother, lords, sensibly 124 fed
Of that self-blood 125 that first gave life to you,
And from that womb where you imprisoned were
He is enfranchisèd 127 and come to light.
Nay, he is your brother by the surer 128 side,
Although my seal be stampèd in his face.
NURSE Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress?
DEMETRIUS Advise thee 131 , Aaron, what is to be done,
And we will all subscribe to thy advice.
Save thou the child, so 133 we may all be safe.
AARON Then sit we down, and let us all consult.
My son and I will have the wind of 135 you.
They sit
Keep there: now talk at pleasure of your safety.
To the Nurse
DEMETRIUS How many women saw this child of his?
AARON Why, so, brave lords, when we join in league
I am a lamb: but if you brave the Moor,
The chafèd 140 boar, the mountain lioness,
The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms.—
To the Nurse
But say again, how many saw the child?
NURSE Cornelia the midwife and myself,
And none else but the delivered empress.
AARON The empress, the midwife, and yourself:
Two may keep counsel when the third’s away.
Go to the empress, tell her this I said.
He kills her
Weke, weke! 148 So cries a pig preparèd to th’spit.
They all stand up
DEMETRIUS What mean’st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst thou this?
AARON O Lord, sir, ’tis a deed of policy: 150
Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours,
A long-tongued 152 babbling gossip? No, lords, no:
And now be it known to you my full intent.
Not far, one Muly lives, my countryman:
His wife but yesternight was brought to bed:
His child is like to her 156 , fair as you are.
Go pack 157 with him, and give the mother gold,
And tell them both the circumstance 158 of all,
And how by this their child shall be advanced,
And be receivèd for the emperor’s heir,
And substituted in the place of mine,
To calm this tempest whirling in the court,
And let the emperor dandle him for his own.
Hark ye, lords, ye see I have given her physic, 164
And you must needs bestow 165 her funeral:
The fields are near and you are gallant grooms. 166
This done, see that you take no longer days, 167
But send the midwife presently 168 to me.
The midwife and the nurse well made away,
Then let the ladies tattle what they please.
CHIRON Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air
With secrets.
DEMETRIUS For this care of Tamora,
Herself and hers are highly bound to thee.
Exeunt
[
Demetrius and Chiron with the body
]
AARON Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies,
There to dispose this treasure in mine arms,
And secretly to greet the empress’ friends.
Come on, you thick-lipped
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