I fed their foolish veines[4] 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 blood it ran;
And then I ground their bones to powder small,
And made a paste for pyes streight therewithall.
Then with their fleshe I made two mighty pyes,
And at a banquet served in stately wise:
Before the empresse set this loathsome meat;
So of her sonnes own flesh she well did eat.
Myselfe bereav'd my daughter then of life,
The empresse then I slew with bloudy knife,
And stabb'd the emperour immediatelie,
And then myself: even soe did Titus die.
Then this revenge against the Moore was found,
Alive they sett him halfe into the ground,
Whereas he stood until such time he starv'd.
And soe God send all murderers may be serv'd.
NOTES
- Mr. Malone thinks 1591 to be the era when our author commenced a writer for the
stage. See in hisShakspearethe ingenious "attempt to ascertain the order in which the
plays of Shakspeare were written." - Since the above was written, Sbakspeare's memory has been fully vindicated from
the charge of writing the above play by the best critics.-- See what has been urged by
Steevens and Malone in their excellent editions of Shakspeare, &c. - If the ballad was written before the play, I should suppose this to be only a
metaphorical expression, taken from that in the Psalms, "They shoot out their arrows,
even bitter words."-- Ps. lxiv. 3.
4.i e.encouraged them in their foolish humours or fancies.