Enter Æmilius.[4651]
What news with thee, Æmilius?[4652]
Æmil. Arm, my lords; Rome never had more cause.[4653]
The Goths have gather'd head, and with a power[4654]
Of high-resolved men, bent to the spoil,
They hither march amain, under conduct[4655] 65
Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus;
Who threats, in course of this revenge, to do[4656]
As much as ever Coriolanus did.
Sat. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths?[4657][4658]
These tidings nip me, and I hang the head 70
As flowers with frost or grass beat down with storms:
Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach:[4659]
'Tis he the common people love so much;
Myself hath often heard them say,[4660]
When I have walked like a private man, 75
That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,
And they have wish'd that Lucius were their emperor.[4661]
Tam. Why should you fear? is not your city strong?[4662]
Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,[4657]
And will revolt from me to succour him. 80
Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious, like thy name.
Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it?[4663]
The eagle suffers little birds to sing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing that with the shadow of his wings[4664] 85
He can at pleasure stint their melody:
Even so mayst thou the giddy men of Rome.[4665]
Then cheer thy spirit: for know, thou emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus
With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous, 90
Than baits to fish, or honey-stalks to sheep;
Whenas the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious feed.[4666]
Sat. But he will not entreat his son for us.[4657][4667]
Tam. If Tamora entreat him, then he will:[4668] 95
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ears[4669]
With golden promises; that, were his heart
Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf,[4670]
Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.
[To Æmilius] Go thou before, be our ambassador:[4671] 100
Say that the emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting
Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus.[4672]
Sat. Æmilius, do this message honourably:[4657][4667]
And if he stand on hostage for his safety,[4673] 105
Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.