The trumpets show the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with ÆMILIUS, Tribunes, Sat. What, hath the firmament moe suns than one? Marc. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle; The feast is ready, which the careful Titus Hath ordain'd to an honourable end, For peace, for love, for league and good to Rome: [Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at table. Enter TITUS, like a Cook, placing the meat on the table, and LAVINIA Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread queen ; Sat. Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus? Tam. We are beholding to you, good Andronicus. 20 25 30 My lord the emperor, resolve me this: Was it well done of rash Virginius To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Because she was enforced, stain'd, and deflower'd? Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reason, mighty lord? Sat. Because the girl should not survive her shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows. Tit. A reason mighty, strong and effectual, A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, [Kills Lavinia. Sat. What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind? I am as woful as Virginius was, And have a thousand times more cause than he Sat. What, was she ravish'd? tell who did the deed. feed? Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus? They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue; Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pie; 35 40 45 50 55 60 Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, [Kills Tamora. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed! [Kills Titus. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? [Kills Saturninus. A great tumult. Lucius, Marcus, and others go up into the balcony. Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, O, let me teach you how to knit again This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf, 65 70 These broken limbs again into one body; Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself, And she whom mighty kingdoms court'sy to, 75 Do shameful execution on herself. But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, Grave witnesses of true experience, Cannot induce you to attend my words,- [To Lucius] Speak, Rome's dear friend: as erst our ancestor, To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear 80 The story of that baleful burning night When subtle Greeks surprised King Priam's Troy; Or who hath brought the fatal engine in That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound. My heart is not compact of flint nor steel; Nor can I utter all our bitter grief, But floods of tears will drown my oratory, And break my utterance, even in the time When it should move you to attend me most, Here is a captain, let him tell the tale; Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded, The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, 83. baleful burning] baleful-burning S. Walker conj. 91. my] Q. my very Q2Ff. in the] i' the Capell, reading my very with Q2Ff. 93. kind] Qq. kind hand Ff. 94. a captain] our captain S. Walker conj. 96. Then] Qq. This Ff. 98. murdered] Rowe. QqFf. murdred 99. they it were] they they were Hanmer. they it was Capell. 103. unto] into Rowe. 109. I am the turned forth] Q.. And I am the turned forth Q2. And I am turned forth F,F2F3. And I am turn'd forth F4. And I am the turn'd forth Capell. And I'm thus turned forth S. Walker conj. And I am turn'd forth thus Keightley. 105 IIO Sheathing the steel in my adventurous body. My scars can witness, dumb although they are, For when no friends are by, men praise themselves. Of this was Tamora delivered; The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes: And as he is, to witness this is true. Now judge what cause had Titus to revenge Attendant. 115 120 125 Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Romans? Have we done aught amiss, show us wherein, And, from the place where you behold us now, 130 The poor remainder of Andronici Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, And bring our emperor gently in thy hand, 119. turn] tongue Rowe, a misprint, corrected first by Capell. the] Q this Q2Ff. [Pointing...] Shewing it... Capell. Omitted in QqFf. is, to] Ff. is to Qq. 125. cause] F4. course QqF,F2F3. revenge] revenge. Qr 129. amiss,] amisse, Q. amisse? Q2Ff. 131. Andronici] F1.. Andronicie Qq. Andronicus FF3F4. the An- 132. Will] We'll Rowe (ed. 2). 137. Come, come......Rome]. Come reverend] Rowe. F4 reverent QqF2F2Fз. Anon. conj. 2 reveren'd reverendest 135 |