Aar. What if I do not? as, indeed, I do not;[4702]
Yet, for I know thou art religious
And hast a thing within thee called conscience, 75
With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies,
Which I have seen thee careful to observe,
Therefore I urge thy oath; for that I know[4703]
An idiot holds his bauble for a god,[4703]
And keeps the oath which by that god he swears,[4703] 80
To that I'll urge him: therefore thou shalt vow[4703]
By that same god, what god soe'er it be,
That thou adorest and hast in reverence,
To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up;[4704]
Or else I will discover nought to thee.[4705] 85
Luc. Even by my god I swear to thee I will.[4706]
Aar. First know thou, I begot him on the empress.[4707]
Luc. O most insatiate, and luxurious woman![4708]
Aar. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity
To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. 90
'Twas her two sons that murder'd Bassianus;[4709]
They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her,
And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou saw'st.[4710]
Luc. O detestable villain! call'st thou that trimming?[4711][4712]
Aar. Why, she was wash'd and cut and trimm'd, and 'twas[4711] 95
Trim sport for them that had the doing of it.[4711][4713]
Luc. O barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself!
Aar. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them:
That codding spirit had they from their mother,
As sure a card as ever won the set; 100
That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me,
As true a dog as ever fought at head.
Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth.
I train'd thy brethren to that guileful hole,
Where the dead corpse of Bassianus lay: 105
I wrote the letter that thy father found,
And hid the gold within the letter mention'd,
Confederate with the queen and her two sons:
And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue,
Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it?[4714] 110
I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand;
And, when I had it, drew myself apart,[4715]
And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter:
I pried me through the crevice of a wall[4716]
When for his hand he had his two sons' heads; 115
Beheld his tears and laugh'd so heartily,
That both mine eyes were rainy like to his:
And when I told the empress of this sport,
She swounded almost at my pleasing tale,[4717]
And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses. 120
First Goth. What, canst thou say all this, and never blush?[4679]