This minion stood upon her chastity, And with that painted hope braves your mighti ness: 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. Tam. But when you have the honey you desire, Let not this wasp out-live, us both to sting. Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy 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. 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 :-Bring thou her husband; [Dragging off Lavinia. Dem. Listen, fair madam: Let it be your This is the hole where Aaron bide us hide him. glory To see her tears; but be your heart to them, 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.— To Chiron. 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!) 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. 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, 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; Poor I was slain, when Bassianus died. [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, Mart. Toprove thou hast a true-divining heart, Will not permit mine eyes once to behold Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here, 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, Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again, Till thou art here aloft, or I below: [Falls in. 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.- Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus; Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound; Poor Bassianus here lies murdered. Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, [Giving a letter. The complot of this timeless tragedy; Sat. [Reads. An if we miss to meet him handsomely, Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,- Showing it. Sat. Two of thy whelps, [To Tit. fell curs of bloody kind, Have here bereft my brother of his life :Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison; There let them bide, until we have devis'd Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them. Tam. What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing! How easily murder is discovered! Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed, That this fell fault of my accursed sons,Accursed, if the fault be prov'd in them,——— Sat. If it be prov'd! you see, it is apparent.Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? Tam. Andronicus himself did take it up. Tit. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail: For by my father's reverend tomb, I vow, They shall be ready at your highness' will, To answer their suspicion with their lives. Sat. Thou shalt not bail them; see, thou follow me. Some bring the murder'd body, some the mur derers: Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain; Sat. My brother dead? I know, thou dost For, by my soul, were there worse end than death, 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. Enter TAMORA, with Attendants; TITUS ANDRONICUS, and LUCIUS. Tam. Where is my lord the king? Sat. Here, Tamora; though griev'd with killing grief. Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus ? Chi. Write down thy mind, bewray thy mean- | And, lest thou shouldst detect him, cut thy ing so; And, if thy stumps will let thee, play the scribe. 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. Mar. Who's this,-my niece, that flies away so fast? Cousin, a word; where is your husband?- If I do wake, some planet strike me down, And might not gain so great a happiness, tongue. Ah! now thou turn'st away thy face for shame Or, had he heard the heavenly harmony, Do not draw back, for we will mourn with thee; [Exeunt. SCENE I.-Rome. A street. ACT III Enter Senators, Tribunes, and Officers of Justice, with MARTIUS and QUINTUS, bound, passing on to the place of execution; TITUS going before, pleading. Tit. Hear me, grave fathers! noble tribunes, stay! For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent VOL. II. [Exeunt Senators, Tribunes, &c. with 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, 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, For that they will not intercept my tale: stones: A stone is silent and offendeth not; And tribunes with their tongues doom men to death. But wherefore stand'st thou with thy weapon drawn? 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. Mar. O, that delightful engine of her thoughts, That blab'd them with such pleasing eloquence, Is 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, That hath receiv'd some unrecuring wound. Tit. It was my deer; and he, that wounded her, Hath hurt me more, than had he kill'd me dead: Thou hast no hands, to wipe away thy tears; 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.Tit. Will it consume me? let me see it then. No, no, they would not do so foul a deed; Mar. This was thy daughter. Tit. Why, Marcus, so she is. Luc. Ah me! this object kills me! Witness the sorrow that their sister makes.- Tit. Faint-hearted boy, arise, and look upon Shall thy good uncle, and thy brother Lucius, her: Speak, my Lavinia, what accursed hand And thou, and I, sit round about some fountain; Luc. Sweet father, cease your tears; for, at your grief, See, how my wretched sister sobs and weeps Mar. Patience, dear niece :-Good Titus, dry thine eyes. Tit. Ah, Marcus, Marcus! brother, well I wot, Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine, For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own. Luc. Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks. Tit. Mark, Marcus, mark! I understand her signs: Had she a tongue to speak, now would she say Enter AARON. Aar. Titus Andronicus, my lord the emperor Sends thee this word,-That if thou love thy sons, Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyself, old Titus, That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise? Good Aaron, wilt thou help to chop it off? That hath thrown down so many enemies, ed Rome, 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. 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, And that you'll say, ere half an hour can pass. [Aside. He cuts off Titus's hand. Enter LUCIUS and MARCUS. Tit. Now, stay your strife; what shall be, is despatch'd. Good Aaron, give his majesty my hand: Aside. [Exit. Tit. O, here I lift this one hand up to heaven, And bow this feeble ruin to the earth: If any power pities wretched tears, To that I call:-What, wilt thou kneel with me? [To Lavinia. Do then, dear heart; for heaven shall hear our prayers; Or with our sighs we'll breathe the welkin dim, And stain the sun with fog, as sometime clouds, When they do hug him in their melting bosoms. Mar. O brother, speak with possibilities, And do not break into these deep extremes. Tit. Is not my sorrow deep, having no bottom? If the winds rage, doth not the sea wax mad, Tit. Agree between you; I will spare my hand. Enter a Messenger, with two heads and a hand, Mess. Worthy Andronicus, ill art thou repaid |