Bass. Ay, noble Titus; and resolv'd withal
To do myself this reason and this right.

She will a handmaid be to his desires,
A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.
Sat. Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon. Lords,
accompany

280

Marc. Suum cuique is our Roman justice:
This prince in justice seizeth but his own.
Luc. And that he will, and shall, if Lucius live.
Tit. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's
guard?

Treason, my lord! Lavinia is surpris'd.
Sat. Surpris'd! by whom?
Bass.
By him that justly may
Bear his betroth'd from all the world away.
Exeunt MARCUS and BASSIANUS,
with LAVINIA.
Mut. Brothers, help to convey her hence away,
And with my sword I'll keep this door safe.

Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. Tit. Follow, my lord. and I'll soon bring her back.

Mut. My lord, you pass not here.
Tit.
What! villain boy; 290
Barr'st me my way in Rome ? Stabs MUTIUS.
Mut.
Help, Lucius, help!
Dies.

Re-enter LUCIUS.

Luc. My lord, you are unjust, and more than so;
In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son.

Tit. Nor thon, nor he, are any sons of mine;
My sons would never so dishonour me.
Traitor, restore Lavinia to the emperor.

Luc. Dead, if you will; but not to be his wife
That is another's lawful promis'd love. Exit.

300

Sat. No, Titus, no; the emperor needs her not.
Nor her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock:
I'll trust, by leisure, him that mocks me once;
Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty sons,
Confederates all thus to dishonour me.

Was there none else in Rome to make a stale
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,
Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine,
That said'st I begg'd the empire at thy hands.
Tit. O monstrous! what reproachful words
are these?

Sat. But go thy ways; go, give that changing
piece

To him that flourish'd for her with his sword.
A valiant son-in-law thou shalt enjoy;
One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons,
To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.
Tit. These words are razors to my wounded
heart.

311

Sat. And therefore, lovely Tamora, Queen of
Goths,

That like the stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs
Dost overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,
If thou be pleas'd with this my sudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee Empress of Rome.
Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my
choice?

320

And here I swear by all the Roman gods,
Sith priest and holy water are so near,
And tapers burn so bright, and every thing
In readiness for Hymenæus stand,

I will not re-salute the streets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place
I lead espous'd my bride along with me.

Tam. And here, in sight of heaven, to Rome
I swear,

If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths,

330

Your noble emperor, and his lovely bride,
Sent by the heavens for Prince Saturnine,
Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered.
There shall we consummate our spousal rites.
Exeunt all but TITUS.
Tit. I am not bid to wait upon this bride.
Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone,
Dishonour'd thus, and challenged of wrongs?

Re-enter MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and
MARTIUS.

Mare. O Titus, see; O! see what thou hast done;

341

In a bad quarrel slain a virtuous son.

Tit. No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine, Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deed That hath dishonour'd all our family: Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons!

Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Give Mutins burial with our brethren.

Tit. Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb.
This monument five hundred years hath stood,
Which I have sumptuously re-edified:
Here none but soldiers and Rome's servitors
Repose in fame; none basely slain in brawls.
Bury him where you can; he comes not here.
Marc. My lord, this is impiety in you.
My nephew Mutius' deeds do plead for him;
He must be buried with his brethren.

Quint., Mart. And shall, or him we will ac-
company.
Tit. And shall!' What villain was it spake
that word?

Quint. He that would vouch it in any place
but here.

360

351

Tit. What! would you bury him in my despite? Marc. No, noble Titus; but entreat of thee To pardon Mutius, and to bury him.

Tit. Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest,

And, with these boys, mine honour thou hast
wounded:

My foes I do repute you every one;
So, trouble me no more, but get you gone.
Mart. He is not with himself; let us withdraw.
Quint. Not I, till Mutius' bones be buried.
MARCUS and the Sons of TITUS kneel.
Marc. Brother, for in that name doth nature
plead,-
Quint. Father, and in that name doth nature
speak,-

370

Tit. Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed.

Marc. Renowned Titus, more than half my soul,

And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not suffer you to square yourselves,
But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The emperor's court is like the house of Fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull;
There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take
your turns;

There serve your lusts, shadow'd from heaven's
eye,

And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

130

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice. Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits, Per Styga, per manes vehor. Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Forest.

Horns and cry of hounds heard.

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, etc.,
MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.
Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and
grey,

The fields are fragrant and the woods are green.
Uncouple here and let us make a bay,
And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouse the prince and ring a hunter's peal,
That all the court may echo with the noise.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To attend the emperor's person carefully:
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

10

A cry of hounds, and horns winded in a peal.
Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS, LA-
VINIA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and Attendants.
Many good morrows to your majesty ;
Madam, to you as many and as good:
I promised your grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lords;
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Bass. Lavinia, how say you?
Lav.
I have been broad awake two hours and more.
I say, no;
Sat. Come on then; horse and chariots let us
have,

And to our sport. To TAMORA.

shall ye see

Our Roman hunting.

Marc.

Madam, now

I have dogs, my lord, 20
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory top.
Tit. And I have horse will follow where the
game

Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.
Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor
hound,

But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground.

Exeunt.

SCENE III-A lonely Part of the Forest.

Enter AARON, with a bag of gold.

[ACT II.

Which, cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villany:
And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest
That have their alms out of the empress' chest.
Hides the gold.
Enter TAMORA.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou
sad

10

When every thing doth make a gleeful boast!
The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun,
The birds chant melody on every bush,
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd shadow on the ground.
Under their sweet shade. Aaron, let us sit,
And, whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying shrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,
The wandering prince and Dido once enjoy'd
Let us sit down and mark their yelping noise;
And after conflict, such as was suppos'd
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave,
When with a happy storm they were surpris'd,
Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber;
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
Whiles hounds and horns and sweet melodious
birds

Be unto us as is a nurse's song

Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep.

21

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your
desires,

Saturn is dominator over mine:
My silence and my cloudy melancholy,
What signifies my deadly-standing eye,
My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls

Even as an adder when she doth unroll
To do some fatal execution?

20

No, madam, these are no venereal signs:
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, the empress of my soul,
Which never hopes more heaven than rests in
thee,

This is the day of doom for Bassianus ;
Thy sons make pillage of her chastity,
His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day,
And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood.
Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll.
Now question me no more; we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction.
Tam. Ah! my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than
life.

51

Aar. No more, great empress; Bassianus

comes:

Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy sons
To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be.

Erit.

Rome's royal

Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA.
Bass. Whom have we here?
empress,
Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop!

Aar. He that had wit would think that I had Or is it Dian, habited like her,

none,

To bury so much gold under a tree,

And never after to inherit it.

Let him that thinks of me so abjectly
Know that this gold must coin a stratagem,

Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To see the general hunting in this forest?
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps!
Had I the power that some say Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently

With horns, as was Actæon's; and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

Lav. Under your patience, gentle empress,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments.
Jove shield your husband from his hounds

70

to-day! "Tis pity ey should take him for a stag. Bass. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cim

merian

Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you sequester'd from all your train,
Dismounted from your snow
now white goodly steed,
And wander'd hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?

Lav. And, being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness. I pray you, let us hence,
And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose passing well.

First thrash the corn, then after burn the straw.
This minion stood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that painted hope she braves your
mightiness:

And shall she carry this unto her grave?

Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch. Drag hence her husband to some secret hole, And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust. 130

Tam. But when ye have the honey ye desire, Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting.

Chi. I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.

80 Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy That nice-preserved honesty of yours.

Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face,

T'am. I will not hear her speak; away with her!

Bass. The king my brother shall have note of this.

Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted

long :

Tam. Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my, boys,

120

Your mother's hand shall right your mother's
wrong.
Dem. Stay, madam; here is more belongs to

her:

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?

91

These two have tic'd me hither to this place :
A barren detested vale, you see, it is ;

The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe :
Here never shines the sun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl or fatal raven :
And when they show'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here, at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make such fearful and confused cries, 102
As any mortal body hearing it
Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale,
But straight they told me they would bind me
here

Good king, to be so mightily abus'd!

Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this? As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.

Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON.

Unto the body of a dismal yew,
And leave me to this miserable death:
And then they call'd me foul adulteress,
Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms 110
That ever ear did hear to such effect;
And, had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed.
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not henceforth call'd my children.

Dem. This is a witness that I am thy son.
Stabs BASSIANUS.
Chi. And this for me, struck home to show
my strength.
Also stabs BASSIANUS,
who dies.
Lav. Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous
Tamora;

For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

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 140

Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam ?

O! do not learn her wrath; she taught it 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:

To CHIRON. Do thou entreat her show a
woman pity.

Chi. What would'st thou have me prove myself a bastard?

Lav. 'Tis true the raven doth not hatch a
lark:

Yet have I heard, O! could I find it now, 150
The lion mov'd with pity did endure
To have his princely paws par'd all away.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their

nests:

O! be to me, though thy hard heart say no,
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful.

Tam. I know not what it means; away with
her!

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.

160

Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I pitiless.
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain
To save your brother from the sacrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent:
Therefore, away with her, and use her as you
will:

The worse to her, the better lov'd of me.
Lav. O Tamora! be call'd a gentle queen,
And with thine own hands kill me in this place;
For 'tis not life that I have begg'd so long; 170
Poor I was slain when Bassianus died.