That we may know the traitors and the truth! [she takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it with her stumps, and writes.

་

Tit. O, do you read, my lord, what she hath

writ?

Stuprum-Chiron-Demetrius.'

Mar. What, what!-the lustful sons of Tamora Performers of this heinous, bloody deed?

Tit. Magne Dominator poli,

Tam lentus audis scelera? tam lentus vides?

Mar. O, calm thee, gentle lord! although, I know,

There is enough written upon this earth,
To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts,
And arm the minds of infants to exclaims.
My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel;
And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope;
And swear with me,-as with the woful feere 1
And father of that chaste, dishonor'd dame,
Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucrece' rape,—
That we will prosecute, by good advice,
Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths,
And see their blood, or die with this reproach.
Tit. 'Tis sure enough, an you knew how :
But if you hurt these bear-whelps, then beware.
The dam will wake; and, if she wind you once,
She's with the lion deeply still in league,
And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back,

1 Husband.

And, when he sleeps, will she do what she list. You're a young huntsman, Marcus; let it alone ; And, come, I will go get a leaf of brass,

And with a gad of steel 1 will write these words,

And lay it by the angry northern wind

:

Will blow these sands, like Sibyl's leaves, abroad, And where's your lesson then?-Boy, what say you?

Boy. I say, my lord, that if I were a man, Their mother's bed-chamber should not be safe For these bad-bondmen to the yoke of Rome. Mar. Ay, that's my boy! thy father hath full oft For this ungrateful country done the like. Boy. And, uncle, so will I, an if I live. Tit. Come, go with me into mine armoury; Lucius, I'll fit thee; and withal, my boy Shall carry from me to the empress' sons Presents, that I intend to send them both.

Come, come; thou 'lt do thy message, wilt thou not?

Boy. Ay, with my dagger in their bosoms, grand

sire.

Tit. No, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another

course.

Lavinia, come ;- -Marcus, look to my house;
Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court;

Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we 'll be waited on.

[Exeunt Titus, Lavinia, and Boy.

1 i. e. the point of a spear.

Mar. O Heavens, can you hear a good man

groan,

And not relent, or not compassion him?
Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy;

That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart,
Than foemen's marks upon his batter'd shield:
But yet so just, that he will not revenge.
Revenge the Heavens for old Andronicus!

[Exit.

SCENE II.

The same. A room in the palace.

Enter AARON, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS at one door ; at another door, YOUNG LUCIUS, and an Attendant, with a bundle of weapons, and verses writ upon them.

Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius ;

He hath some message to deliver to us.

Aaron. Ay, some mad message from his mad grandfather.

Boy. My lords, with all the humbleness I may,

I greet your honors from Andronicus ;

And pray the Roman gods, confound you both.

[aside. Dem. Gramercy,1 lovely Lucius: what's the

news?

Boy. That you are both decipher'd, that's the

news,

1 Probably a contraction of grand merci, i. e. I thank you.

For villains mark'd with rape. [aside.] May it

please you,

My grandsire, well-advised, hath sent by me
The goodliest weapons of his armoury,

To gratify your honorable youth,

The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say,
And so I do; and with his gifts present
Your lordships, that whenever you have need,
You may be armed and appointed well:

And so I leave you both, [aside.] like bloody vil[Exeunt Boy and Attendant.

lains.

Dem. What 's here? A scroll; and written round about?

Let's see;

Integer vitæ, scelerisque purus,

Non eget Mauri jaculis, nec arcu.

Chi. O, 'tis a verse in Horace; I know it well:

I read it in the grammar long ago.

Aaron. Ay, just!—a verse in Horace ;-right;

Now, what a thing it is to be an ass!

Here's no sound jest! the old man hath found their guilt:

And sends the weapons wrapp'd about with lines,
That wound, beyond their feeling, to the quick.
But were our witty empress well a-foot,
She would applaud Andronicus' conceit.
But let her rest in her unrest awhile.

[aside.

And now, young lords, was 't not a happy star
Led us to Rome, strangers, and, more than so,
Captives, to be advanced to this height?

It did me good, before the palace gate,

To brave the tribune in his brother's hearing.
Dem. But me more good, to see so great a lord
Basely insinuate, and send us gifts.

Aaron. Had he not reason, lord Demetrius?
Did you not use his daughter very friendly?
Dem. I would, we had a thousand Roman dames
At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust.

Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love!

Aaron. Here lacks but your mother for to say Amen.

Chi. And that would she for twenty thousand

more.

Dem. Come, let us go; and pray to all the

gods

For our beloved mother in her pains.

us o'er.

Aaron. Pray to the devils: the gods have given [aside. Florish. Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets florish

thus ?

Chi. Belike, for joy the emperor hath a son.
Dem. Soft; who comes here?

Enter NURSE, with a blackamoor Child in her arms.

Nurse.

Good morrow,

lords.

O, tell me, did you see Aaron the Moor?

Aaron. Well, more or less, or neʼer a whit at all, Here Aaron is: and what with Aaron now?

Nurse. O, gentle Aaron, we are all undone.

Now help, or woe betide thee evermore!