:57:02
And this shall all be buried in my death
:57:05
unless thou swear to me
my child shall live.
:57:08
Tell on thy mind.
I say thy child shall live.
:57:09
Swear that he shall.
Then I will begin.
:57:11
Who should I swear by?
Thou believest no god.
:57:14
What if I do not?
:57:17
As indeed I do not.
:57:20
Yet--for I know
thou art religious
:57:22
and hast a thing within thee
called conscience--
:57:26
therefore thou shalt vow
by that same god,
:57:29
what god soe'er it be,
to save my boy--
:57:32
to nourish and bring him up...
:57:37
or else I will discover naught to thee.
:57:44
Even by my god,
:57:46
I swear to thee I will.
:58:04
First know thou...
:58:07
I begot him on the empress.
:58:09
Oh, most insatiate
and luxurious woman!
:58:17
Tut, Lucius,
this was but a deed of charity
:58:21
to that which thou
shalt hear of me anon.
:58:24
'Twas her two sons
that murdered Bassianus.
:58:27
They...
:58:29
cut thy sister's tongue
and ravished her,
:58:32
and cut her hands
and trimmed her as thou sawest.
:58:46
Detestable villain!
:58:48
Callest thou that trimming?
:58:49
Why, she was washed...
and cut...and trimmed,
:58:54
and 'twas trim sport for them
that had the doing of it.
:58:57
Oh, barbarous, beastly villains,
:58:59
like thyself!.