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This do thou for my love; and so let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.

Marc. This will I do, and soon return again.

[Exit.
5

Tam. Now will I hence about thy business, And take my ministers along with me.

[me;

Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with
Or else I'll call my brother back again,
And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you.
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats;
Whilst that Lavinia 'twixt her stumps doth hold
The bason, that receives your guilty blood.
You know, your mother means to feast with me,
And cal's herself Revenge, and thinks me mad,-
Hark, villains; I will grind your bones to dust,
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste;
And of the paste a coffin will I rear,

Tam. [to her sons.] What say you, boys? will 10And make two pasties of your shameful heads;

you abide with him,

Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor,

How I have govern'd our determin'd jest?
Yield to his humour, smooth and speak him fair,
And tarry with him 'till I come again.

[mad; 15
Tit. I ́know them all, though they suppose me
And will o'er-reach them in their own devices,
A pair of cursed hell-hounds, and their dam!

[Aside.

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Tit. Fye, Publius, fye! thou art too much de-
The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name :
And therefore bind them, gentle Publius;
Caius, and Valentine, lay hands on them:
Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour,
And now I find it: therefore bind them sure;
And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry.

And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth, swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you us'd my daughter,
And worse than Prognè I will be reveng'd:
And now prepare your throats.-Lavinia, come,
Receive the blood: and, when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder small,
And with this hateful liquor temper it;
And in that paste let their vile heads be bak'd.
Come, come, be every one officious
To make this banquet; which I wish might prove
More stern and bloody than the Centaur's feast.
[He cuts their throats.
So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook.
And see them ready 'gainst their mother comes.
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

30 Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Go.hs, with Aaron prisoner.

35

[Exit Titus. 40 Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the em'press' sons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded.—

Stop close their mouths, let them not speak a word:
Is he sure bound? look, that you bind them fast.
Re-enter Fitus Andronicus with a knife,and Lavinia
with a bason.

Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are
bound:-

[mud;

45

Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me ; 50
But let them hear what fearful words I utter.-
O villains, Chiron and Demetrius !
Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with
This goodly summer with your winter mix'd.
You kill'd her husband; and, for that vile fault, 55
Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death;)
My hand cut off, and made a merry jest; [dear]
Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, more
Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you constrain'd and forc'd.
What would you say, if I should let you speak?
Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace.

Luc. Uncle Marcus, since it is my father's mind, That I repair to Rome, I am content.

[will.

Goth. And ours with thine, befall what fortune
Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous
This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; [Moor,
Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him,
Till he be brought unto the emperor's face,
For testimony of these foul proceedings:
And see the ambush of our friends be strong;
I fear the emperor means no good to us.

Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear,
And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth
The venomous malice of my swelling heart!
Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave!--
[Exeunt Goths, with Aaron.
Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.-[Flourish.
The trumpets shew the emperor is at hand.
Sound trumpets. Enter Saturninus and Tamora,
with Tribunes and others.

Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than
one?

Luc. What boots it thee to call thyself a sun?
Marc. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the
parle ;

These quarrels must be quietly debated.
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: 60 Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your. places.

Sat. Marcus, we will.

A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye. he breaks his mind. 313

[Hautboys.

2i, e. begin the parley.-We yet say

A table

Atable brought in. Enter Titus, like a cook, placing the meat on the table, and Lavinia, with a veil over her face.

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 emperess.
Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus.
Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you

were,

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 enforc'd, stain'd, and deflower'd?
Sat. It was, Andronicus.

Do shameful execution on herself.
Marc. But if my frosty signs and chaps of age,
Grave witnesses of true experience,

Cannot induce you to attend my words,-
5 Speak, Rome's dear friend; as er our ancestor,
[To Lucius.
When with his solemn tongue he did discourse,
To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear,
The story of that baleful burning night,
When subtle Greeks surpriz'd king Priam's Troy;
Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our cars,
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;
15 Nor can I utter all our bitter grief,

10

[shame, 20

Tit. Your reason, mighty lord?
Sat. Because the girl should not survive her
And by her presence still renew his sorrows.

25

Tit. A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me most wretched to perform the like: Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die! [He kills her. Sat. What hast thou done, unnatural, and unkind? [me blind. 30 Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made I am as woeful as Virginius was: And have a thousand times more cause than he To do this outrage ;—and it is now done. Sat. What, was she ravished? tell, who did the deed? [highness feed?| Tit. Will't please you eat? will 't please your Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter

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 knite's sharp point.
[He stabs Tamora.

35

40

45

Sat. Die,frantick wretch, for this accursed deed. 50
[He stabs Titus.
Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed?
There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed.
[Lucius stabs Saturninus.

Marc. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of 55
Rome,

By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl
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,
These broken limbs again into one body.'

Goth. Let Rome herself be bane unto herself:
And she, whom mighty kingdoms curtsy to,
Like a forlorn and desperate cast-away,

But floods of tears will drown my oratory,
And break my very utterance; even in the time
When it should move you to attend me most,
Lending your kind commiseration:

Here is a captain, let him tell the tale;
Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak,
Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to you,
That cursed Chiron and Demetrius

Were they that murdered our emperor's brother;
And they it was, that ravished our sister:

For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded;
Our father's tears despis'd; and basely cozen'd
Of that true hand, that fought Rome's quarrel out,
And sent her enemies unto the grave.
Lastly, myself unkindly banished,
The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out.
To beg relief among Rome's enemies;
Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears,
And op'd their arms to embrace me as a friend:
And I am the turn'd-forth, be it known to you,
That have preşery'd her welfare in my blood:
And from her bosom took the enemy's point,
Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas! you know, I am no vaunter, I;

My scars can witness, dumb although they are,
That my report is just, and full of truth.
But, soft, methinks, I do digress too much,
Citing my worthless praise : O, pardon me;
For when no friends are by,men praise themselves.
Marc. Now is my turn to speak; Behold this
child,

Of this was Tamora delivered;
The issue of an irreligious Moor,
Chief architect and plotter of these woes:
The villain is alive in Titus' house,
And as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge
These wrongs, unspeakable, past patience,
Or more than any living man could bear,
Now you have heard the truth, what say you,
Romans?

Have we done ought amiss? Shew us wherein,
And, from the place where you behold us now,
The poor remainder of Andronici

60 Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down,
And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains,
And make a mutual closure of our house.
Speak, Romans, speak: and if you say we shall,
Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.

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Em. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome,
And bring our emperor gently in thy hand,
Lucius our emperor; for, well I know,
The common voice do cry, it shall be so.
Marc. Lucius, all hail; Rome's royal emperor! 5
Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house;
And hither hale that misbelieving Moor,
To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering death,
As punishment for his most wicked life.
Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious governor!

Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern so,
To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe!
But, gentle people, give me aim a while,~-
For nature puts me to a heavy task ;—
Stand all aloof;-but, uncle, draw you near,
To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk :-
O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips,
[Kisses Titus.
These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd face,
The last true duties of thy noble son!

'Would I were dead, so you did live again!-
O Lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping;
My tears will choak me, if I ope my mouth.
Enter Romans, with Aaron.

Rom, You sad Andronici, have done with woes;
Give sentence on this execrable wretch,
That hath been breeder of these dire events.

Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish
him;

10 There let him stand, and rave and cry for food: If any one relieves or pities him,

15

For the offence he dies. This is our doom:
Some stay to see him fasten'd in the earth.

Aar. O, why should wrath be mute, and fury

dumb?

I am no baby, I, that, with base prayers,
I should repent the evils I have done;
Ten thousand, worse than ever yet I did,
Would I perform, if I might have my will:
120If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul.

Marc. Ay, tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss,
Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips:
O, were the sum of these that I should pay
Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!
Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn 25
of us

Tomelt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee well:
Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee,
Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;
Many a matter hath he told to thee,
Meet, and agreeing with thine infancy;
In that respect then, like a loving child,

Shed yet some small drops from thy tenderspring,
Because kind nature doth require it so:

Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor
hence,

And give him burial in his father's grave:
My father, and Lavinia, shall forthwith
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that heinous tyger, Tamora,

No funeral rites, por man in mournful weeds,
No mournful bell shall ring her burial;

30 But throw her forth to beasts, and birds of prey?
Her life was beast-like, and devoid of pity;
And, being so, shall have like want of pity.
See justice done on Aaron, that damn'd Moor,
From whom our heavy haps had their beginning:

Friends should associate friends in grief and woe: 35 Then, afterwards, to order well the state;

Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave;
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him. [heart
Boy, O grandsire, grandsire! eyen with all my

That like events may ne'er it ruinate.

[Exeunt omnes,

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INFroy, there lies the scene. From isles of Greece
The princes orgillous, their high blood chaf'd,
Have to the port of Athens sent their ships
Fraught with the ministers and instruments
Of cruel war: Sixty and nine, tha wore
Their crownets regal, from the Athenian bay
Put forth towards Phrygia: and their cow is made
To ransack Troy; within whose strong immures
The ravish'd Helen, Menelaus' queen,
With wanton Paris skeps: And that's the quarrel.
To Tenedos they come ;

And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge
Their warlike fraughtage: Now on Dardan plains
The fresh and yet unbruised Greeks do pitch
Their brave pavilions: Priam's six-gated city
(Dardan, and Thymbria, Ilias, Chetus, Troyan,

Troi.

SCENE I.

Troy. Priam's Palace.

Enter Pandarus and Troilus.

And Antenoridas) with massy staples,
And corresponsive and fulfilling 3 bolts,
Sperrs up the sons of Troy.-

Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits,
5 On one and other side, Trojan and Greek,
Sets all on hazard:-And hither am I come
A prologue arm'd,—but not in confidence
Of author's pen, or actor's voice; but suited
In like conditions as our argument,-
10 To tell you, fair beholders, that our play
Leaps o'er the vaunt and firstlings of those broils,
'Ginning in the middle; starting thence away
To what may be digested in a play.

Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are; 15 Now good, or bad, 'tis but the chance of war.

АСТ

CALL here my varlet, I'll unarm again: 25
Why should I war without the walls

of Troy,

I.

(That find such cruel battle here within?
Each Trojan, that is master of his heart,
Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none.
Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mendéd?
Troi. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to
their strength,

1 Mr. Pope (after Dryden) informs us, that the story of Troilus and Cressida was originally the work of one Lollius, a Lombard: but Dryden goes yet further; he declares it to have been written in Latin verse, and that Chaucer translated it.--Lollius was a historiographer of Urbino in Italy.Shakspeare received the greatest part of his materials for the structure of this play from the Troy Boke of Lydgate, printed in 1513.-Lydgate was not much more than a translator of Guido of Columpna, who was of Messina in Sicily, and wrote his History of Troy in Latin, after Dictys Cretensis, and Dares Phrygius, in 1287. On these, as Mr. Warton observes, he engrafted many new romantic inventions, which the taste of his age dictated, and which the connection between Grecian and Gothic fiction easily admitted; at the same time comprehending in his plan the Theban and Argonautic stories from Ovid, Statius, and Valerius Flaccus. 2 i. e. proud, disdainful. 3 To fulfill in this place means to fill till there be no room for more. To sperre, or spar, from the old Teutonic word speren, signifies to shut up, defend by bars, &c. 'i. e. the acant, what went before. This word anciently signified a servant or footinan to a knight or warrior,

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