by are you sequester'd from all your train? Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed, And wander'd hither to an obscure plot, Lav. And, being interrupted in your sport, Lar. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long: Good king! to be so mightily abus'd! Chi. I warrant you, madam; we will make that sure. Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy That nice-preserved honesty of yours. Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face, Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her. Lav. Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. Dem. Listen, fair madam: Let it be your glory To see her tears: but be your heart to them, As unrelenting flint to drops of rain. Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam ? Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this? O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS. Dem. How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious mother, Why doth your highness look so pale and wan? Tam. Have I not reason, think you, to look pale? These two have 'tic'd me hither to this place, Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven. Would make such fearful and confused cries, [here Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly. For no name fits thy nature but thy own! And shall she carry this unto her grave? Chi. An if she do, I would I were a eunuch. Drag hence her husband to some secret hole, And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust. Tam. But when you have the honey you de sire, Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting. thee: The milk, thou suck'dst from her, did turn to marble; Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.Yet every mother breeds not sons alike; Do thou entreat her show a woman's pity. [To CHIRON. Chi. What! would'st thou have me prove myself a bastard? Lav. "Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark: Yet I have heard, (O) could I find it now!) Lav. O, let me teach thee: for my father's sake, That gave thee life, when well he might have slain thee, Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears. Tam. Had thou in person ne'er offended me, The worse to her, the better lov'd of me. For 'tis not life, that I have begg'd so long ; Tam. What begg'st thou then; fond woman, let me go. Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more, That womanhood denies my tongue to tell : Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee: No, let them satisfy their lust on thee. Dem. Away, for thou hast staid us here too long. Lav. No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature! The blot and enemy to our general name ' Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth:- [Dragging of LAVINIA, This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. [Exeunt. Tam. Farewell, my sons: see that you make her sure: Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed, SCENE IV.-The same. Enter AARON, with QUINTUS and MARTIUS. Aar. Come on, my lords; the better foot before: Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espy'd the panther fast asleep. Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. Mart. And mine, I promise you; wer't not for shame, Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile. [MARTIUS falls into the Pit. Quin. What art thou fallen? What subtle hole is this, [briers; Whose mouth is cover'd with rude-growing Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood, As fresh as morning's dew distill'd on flowers? A very fatal place it seems to me:- [fall? Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the Mart. O, brother, with the dismallest object That ever eye, with sight, made heart lament. Aar. [Aside.] Now will I fetch the king to find them here; Enter SATURNINUS and AARON. Sat. Along with me:-I'll see what hole is here, And what he is, that now is leap'd into it. Say, who art thou, that lately didst descend Into this gaping hollow of the earth? Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus; Brought thither in a most unlucky hour, To find thy brother Bassianus dead. Sat. My brother dead? I know, thou dost but jest: He and his lady both are at the lodge, Upon the north side of this pleasant chase; "Tis not an hour since I left him there. Mart. We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas! here have we found him dead. Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus? Tum. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, That he thereby may give a likely guess, [Giving a Letter. How these were they that made away his bro-The complot of this timeless tragedy; [Exit. And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny. ther. Mart. Why dost not comfort me, and help me out From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole? Quin. I am surprised with an uncouth fear: A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints; My heart suspects more than mine eye can see. Mart. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart, Aaron and thou look down into this den, heart Will not permit mine eyes once to behold Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here, he? Mart. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear A precious ring, that lightens all the hole, Which, like a taper in some monument, Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, And shows the ragged entrails of this pit: So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus, When he by night lay bath'd in maiden blood. O brother, help me with thy fainting hand,If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath,Out of this fell devouring receptacle, As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth. Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out; Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, Sat. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him handsomely,Sweet huntsman, Bussianus 'tis, we mean,Do thou so much as dig the grave for him; Thou know'st our meaning: Look for thy reward Which overshades the mouth of that same pit, Among the nettles at the elder tree, Where we decreed to bury Bassianus. Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends. O, Tamora! was ever heard the like? This is the pit, and this the elder tree: Look, Sirs, if you can find the huntsman out, That should have murder'd Bassianus here. Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of [Showing it. gold. Sat. Two of thy whelps, [To Tir.] fell curs of bloody kind, Have here bereft my brother of his life:- Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee rent. Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? * Untimely Sut. Thou shalt not bail them: see, thou fol- | And make the silken strings delight to kiss low me. [derers: Some bring the murder'd body, some the murLet them not speak a word, the guilt is plain; For, by my soul, were there worse end than death, That end upon them should be executed. Tam. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; Fear not thy sons, they shall do well enough. Tit. Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with them. [Exeunt severally. SCENE V.-The same. Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravished; her Hunds cut off, and her Tongue cut out. Dem. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, [thee. Who 'twas that cut thy tongue, and ravish'd Chi. Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning so; [scribe. And, if thy stumps will let thee, play the Dem. See, how with signs and tokens she can scowl. Chi. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands. Dem. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash; And so let's leave her to her silent walks. Chi. An 'twere my case, I should go hang myself. Dem. If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. [Exeunt DEMETRIUS and CHIRON. Enter MARCUS. Mur. Who's this,-my niece, that flies away so fast? Cousin, a word; Where is your husband?If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me! If I do wake, some planet strike me down, Of her two branches? those sweet ornaments, Whose circling shadows kings have sought to sleep in ; And might not gain so great a happiness, Ah, now thou turn'st away thy face for shame! them; [life: He would not then have touch'd them for his Or, had he heard the heavenly harmony, Which that sweet tongue hath made, [asleep, He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell As Cerberus at the Thracian poet's* fect. Come, let us go, and make thy father blind: For such a sight will blind a father's eye: One hour's storm will drown the fragrant meads; (eyes? What will whole months of tears thy father's Do not draw back, for we will mourn with thee; O, could our mourning ease thy misery! ACT III. SCENE 1.-Rome.-A Street. [Exeunt. Enter SENATORS, TRIBUNES, and Officers of Justice, with MARTIUS and QUINTUS, bound, passing on to the Place of Execution: Tirus going before, pleading. Tit. Hear me, grave fathers! noble tribunes, stay! For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent tears. Let my tears stanch the earth's dry appetite; My sons' sweet blood will make it shame and biush. [Exeunt SENATORS, TRIBUNES, &c. O earth, I will befriend thee more with rain, Enter LUCIUS, with his Sword drawn. Luc. O, noble father, you lament in vain ; The tribunes hear you not, no man is by, And you recount your sorrows to a stone. Tit. Ah, Lucius, for thy brothers let me plead: Grave tribunes, once more I entreat of you. Luc. My gracious lord, no tribune hears you speak. Tit. Why, 'tis no matter, man: if they did hear, They would not mark me; or if they did mark, All bootless to them, they'd not pity me. Therefore I tell my sorrows to the stones; Who, though they cannot answer my distress, Yet in some sort they're better than the tr bunes, For that they will not intercept my tale: * Orpheus. When I do weep, they humbly at my feet A stone is silent, and offendeth not; [death. Luc. To rescue my two brothers from their death: For which attempt, the judges have pronounc'd My everlasting doom of banishment. Tit. O happy man! they have befriended thee. Why, foolish Lucius, dost thou not perceive, That Rome is but a wilderness of tigers? Tigers must prey; and Rome affords no prey, But me and mine: How happy art thou then, From these devourers to be banished? But who comes with our brother Marcus here? Enter MARCUS and LAVINIA. Mar. Titus, prepare thy noble eyes to weep; Or, if not so, thy noble heart to break; I bring consuming sorrow to thine age. Tit. Will it consume me? let me see it then. Mar. This was thy daughter. Tit. Why, Marcus, so she is. Luc. Ah me! this object kills me! Tit. Faint-hearted boy, arise, and look upon her: Speak, my Lavinia, what accursed hand Mar. O, that delightful engine of her thoughts, [quence, That blabb'd them with such pleasing eloIs torn from forth that pretty hollow cage: Where, like a sweet melodious bird, it sung Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear! Luc. O, say thou for her, who hath done this deed? Mar. O, thus I found her, straying in the park, Seeking to hide herself, as doth the deer, It would have madded me; What shall I do Look, Marcus! ah, son Lucius, look on her! tears Stood on her cheeks; as doth the honey dew Upon a gather'd lily almost wither'd. Mar. Perchance, she weeps because they kill'd her husband: Perchance, because she knows them innocent. Tit. If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful, Because the law hath ta'en revenge on them.No, no, they would not do so foul a deed; Witness the sorrow that their sister makes.Gentle Lavinia, let me kiss thy lips; Or make some sign how I may do thee ease: Shall thy good uncle, and thy brother Lucius, And thou, and I, sit round about some fountain; Looking all downwards, to behold thy cheeks How they are stain'd; like meadows, yet not dry With miry slime left on them by a flood? shows sons, Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyself old Titus, Tit. O, gracious emperor! O, gentle Aaron! Good Aaron, wilt thou help to chop it off? Luc. Stay, father; for that noble hand of thine, That hath thrown down so many enemies, Shall not be sent: my hand will serve the turn: My youth can better spare my blood than you; And therefore mine shall save my brother's lives. Mar. Which of your hands hath not defended And rear'd aloft the bloody battle-axe, Aar. Nay, come agree, whose hand shall go along, For fear they die before their pardon come. Luc. By heaven, it shall not go. Tit. Sirs, strive no more; such wither'd herbs as these Are meet for plucking up, and therefore mine. Luc. Sweet father, if I shall be thought thy son, Let me redeem my brothers both from death. Mar. And, for our father's sake, and mother's care, Now let me show a brother's love to thee. Luc. Then I'll go fetch an axe. [Exeunt LUCIUS and MARCUS. Tit. Come hither, Aaron; I'll deceive them both; Lend me thy hand, and I will give thee mine. Aar. If that be call'd deceit, I will be honest, And never, whilst I live, deceive men so:But I'll deceive you in another sort, [Aside. And that you'll say, ere half an hour can pass. [He cuts off TITUS' Hand. Enter LUCIUS and MARCUS. Tit. Now, stay your strife; what shall be, is despatch'd. Good Aaron, give his majesty my hand: And bow this feeble ruin to the earth: Then into limits could I bind my woes: Mess. Worthy Andronicus, ill art thou repaid For that good hand thou sent'st the emperor. Here are the heads of thy two noble sons; And here's thy hand, in scorn to thee sent back; Thy griefs their sports, thy resolution mock'd: Mar. Now let hot Etna cool in Sicily, a wound, And yet detested life not shrink thereat! Mar. Alas, poor heart, that kiss is comfortAs frozen water to a starved snake. [less, Tit. When will this fearful slumber have an end? Mar. Now, farewell, flattery: Die, Andronicus; [heads; Thou dost not slumber: see, thy two sons' Thy warlike hand; thy mangled daughter here; Thy other banish'd son, with this dear sight Struck pale and bloodless; and thy brother, I, Even like a stony image, cold and numb. Ah! now no more will I control thy griefs: Rent off thy silver hair, thy other hand [sight Gnawing with thy teeth; and be this dismal The closing up of our most wretched eyes! Now is a time to storm; why art thou still? Tit. Ha, ha, ha! Mar. Why dost thou laugh? it fits not with this hour. Besides this sorrow is an enemy, And would usurp upon my watery eyes, * Stir, bustle. |