SCENE II.

A forest near Rome: a lodge seen at a distance. Horns and cry of hounds heard.

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, &c. MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.

"Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and

gray,

"The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green. Uncouple here; and let us make a bay,

"And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,

"And rouse the prince; and ring a hunter's peal, "That all the court may echo with the noise. "Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours, "To tend the emperor's person carefully.

I have been troubled in my sleep this night,

But dawning day new comfort hath inspired.

Horns wind a peal. Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS, LAVINIA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and Attendants.

Tit. Many good morrows to your majesty ;Madam, to you as many and as good!

I promised your grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lords, Somewhat too early for new-married ladies. Bas. Lavinia, how say you?

Lav.

I say, no;

SHAK.

X.

I have been broad awake two hours and more.

Sat. Come on then, horse and chariots let us

have,

And to our sport. Madam, now shall ye see

Our Roman hunting.

Mar.

[to Tamora.

I have dogs, my lord,

Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory top.

Tit. And I have horse will follow where the

game

Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.

Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor

hound;

But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A desert part of the forest.

Enter AARON, with a bag of gold.

Aaron. He, that had wit, would think that I

had none,

"To bury so much gold under a tree,

"And never after to inherit 1 it.

"Let him, that thinks of me so abjectly,

"

Know, that this gold must coin a stratagem,

And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest,

[hides the gold. “That have their alms out of the empress' chest.

Enter TAMORA.

"Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad,

When every thing doth make a gleeful boast? "The birds chant melody on every bush;

The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun;

"The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,

And make a checker'd shadow on the ground: "Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit;

And, whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds, Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns,

"As if a double hunt were heard at once,—

“Let us sit down, and mark their yelling noise;

66

And, after conflict, such as was supposed

The wandering prince of Dido once enjoy'd, "When with a happy storm they were surprised, " And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave ;— "We may, each wreathed in the other's arms, "Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber; Whiles hounds, and horns. and sweet melodious birds,

“ Be unto us, as is a nurse's song

"Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.

"Aaron. Madam, though Venus govern your desires,

"What signifies my deadly-standing eye,

My silence, and my cloudy melancholy?

My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls, "Even as an adder, when she doth unroll, "To do some fatal execution?

66

No, madam, these are no venereal signs: Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, Blood and revenge are hammering in my head. Hark, Tamora,-the empress of my soul,

"Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee,

"This is the day of doom for Bassianus;

His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day;

Thy sons make pillage of her chastity,

"And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood. "Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee, "And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll. "Now question me no more; we are espied :

Here comes a parcel1 of our hopeful booty, "Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction.

Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than

life!

"Aaron. No more, great empress: Bassianus

comes.

"Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy suns "To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. [Exit,

1 Part.

Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA.

Bas. Who have we here? Rome's royal emperess Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop?

Or is it Dian, habited like her,

Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To see the general hunting in this forest?
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps!
Had I the power, that, some say, Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently
With horns, as was Actæon's; and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments.

Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day! 'Tis pity, they should take him for a stag.

Bas. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honor of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you sequester'd from all your train,
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wander'd hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?

Lav. And, being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness! I pray you, let us hence,
And let her 'joy her raven-color'd love :