High-witted Tamora to gloze with all: [Aside. But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick, How now, good fellow? would'st thou speak Clo. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be imperial. Tam. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. Clo. 'Tis he.-God, and saint Stephen, give you good den:-I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons here. [SATURNINUS reads the Letter. Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him presently. Clo. How much money must I have? man; Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; more cause! What news with thee, Æmilius? Sat. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths? storms. Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach: emperor. Tum. Why should you fear? is not your city Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius; Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it? *Flatter. lead'st, Led by their master to the flower'd fields,— Goths. And, as he saith, so say we all with Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth? 2 Goth. Renowned Lucius, from your troops + Stop. * Harm. For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth; Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil, That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the pearl that pleas'd your empress' eye And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.Say, wall-ey'd slave, whither would'st thou A halter, soldiers; hang him on this tree, Aur. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. [A Ladder brought, which AARON is obliged to ascend. Aar. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the emperess. If thou do this, I'll show thee wondrous things, That highly may advantage thee to hear: If thou wilt not, befall what may befall, I'll speak no more; But vengeance rot you all! Luc. Say on; and, if it please me which thou speak'st, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. Aar. An if it please thee? why, assure thee, Lucius, "Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; For I must talk of murders, rapes, and mas sacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, shall live. Aar. Swear, that he shall, and then I will begin. Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st no god; That granted, how canst thou believe an oath? Aar. What if I do not? as indeed, I do not: Yet, for I know thou art religious, [science, And hast a thing within thee, called conWith twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, Which I have seen thee careful to observe,Therefore I urge thy oath;-For that, I know, An idiot holds his bauble for a god, [swears; And keeps the oath, which by that god he To that I'll urge him:-Therefore, thou shalt them; That codding spirit had they from their mother, Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it? I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall, When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads; 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, And, for my tidings, gave me twenty kisses. Goth. What! canst thou say all this, and never blush? Even now I curse the day, (and yet, I think, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; So sweet a death, as hanging presently. Aar. If there be devils, 'would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire; So I might have your company in hell, But to torment you with my bitter tongue! Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the The Roman emperor greets you all by me: his Unto my father and my uncle Marcus, Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habili- Enter TITUS, above. [They knock. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Tum. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Tit. No; not a word: How can I grace my Wanting a hand to give it action? [talk, Thou hast the odds of me, therefore no more. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou would'st talk with me. Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough: [lines; Witness this wretched stump, these crimson Witness these trenches, made by grief and Tam. I am; therefore come down, and wel come me. Tit. Do me some service, ere I come to thec. Lo, by thy side where Rape, and Murder, stands; Now give some 'surance that thou art Revenge, And day by day I'll do this heavy task, me. Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they call'd? Tum. Rapine, and Murder; therefore called So, [men. 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they are! And you the empress! But we worldly men I will embrace thee in it by and by. [Exit TITUS, from above. Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy: Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-sick fits, Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches. For now he firmly takes me for Revenge; And, being credulous in this mad thought, I'll make him send for Lucius, his son; And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure, I'll find some cunning practice out of hand, To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Or, at the least, make them his enemies. See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme. Enter TITUS. Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house;- And, would you represent our queen aright, dronicus? Well may'st thou know her by thy own pro- And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry. portion, For up and down she doth resemble thee; Tam. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall we do. But would it please thee, good Andronicus, And bid him come and banquet at thy house: Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls. Tam. Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [goes [Exit TAMORA. Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. Chi. Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ'd? Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine! Enter PUBLIUS, and others. Pub. What's your will? I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceiv'd; The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name: And therefore bind them, gentle Publius; Caius, and Valentine, lay hands on them: Exit TITUS.-PUBLIUS, &c. lay hold on Chi. Villains, forbear: we are the empress' sons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded. [word : Stop close their mouths, let them not speak a Is he sure bound? look, that you bind them fast. Re-enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA; she bearing a Basin, and he a Knife. Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound ; [me; Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to But let them hear what fearful words I utter.O villains, Chiron and Demetrius! Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with mud; This goodly summer with your winter mix'd. You kill'd her husband; and, for that vile fault, Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death: Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, My hand cut off, and made a merry jest: more dear Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, hold mad, Hark, villains; I will grind your bones to dust, And make two pasties of your shameful heads; come, Receive the blood: and, when that they are [He cuts their Throats. dead, And with this hateful liquor temper it; feast. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour, Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him, And now I find it; therefore bind them sure; * Crust of a raised pye. Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.— [Exeunt GOTHS, with AARON. Flourish. The trumpets show, the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes, Senators, and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one? Luc. What boots it thee, to call thyself a sun? Mar. Rome's emperor, and nephew, breakt the parle; These quarrels must be quietly debated. The Company sit down Sat. Marcus, we will. [Hautboys sound. at Table. Enter TITUS, dressed like a Cook, LAVINIA, veiled, young LUCIUS, and others. TITUS places the Dishes on the Table. Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord: welcome, dread queen; Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor, "Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus? Tit. Because I would be sure to have all well, To entertain your highness, and your empress. Tam. We are beholden to you, good An dronicus. Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this; Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reason, mighty lord! Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daugh ter thus? Tit. Not I; 'twas Chiron, and Demetrius : They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue, And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong. Sat. Go, fetch them hither to us presently. Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pye; Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUS. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? [deed. There's meed for meed, death for a deadly [Kills SATURNINUS. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans ascend the Steps before TITUS' House. Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself; And she, whom mighty kingdoms court'sy to, Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears, wound. My heart is not compact of flint, nor steel; And break my very utterance; even i'the time Sat. Because the girl should not survive her Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows. unkind? Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made me blind. speak. Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to Were they that murdered our emperor's broThat cursed Chiron and Demetrius [you, ther; [out, And they it were that ravished our sister: |