mean :

Mar. What means my niece Lavinia by these This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou canst, signs ?

This after me, when I have writ my name Tit. Fear her not, Lucius :-Somewhat doth she Without the help of any hand at all.

[He writes his name with his staff, and guides it See, Lucius, see, how much she makes of thee:

with his feet and mouth. Somewhither would she have thee go with her. Curs'd be that heart, that forc'd us to this shift!Ah, boy, Cornelia never with more care

Write thou, good niece; ana here display, at last, Read to her sons, than she hath read to thee, What God will have discover'd for revenge. Sweet poetry, and Tully's Orator.

Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows n.ain, Canst thou not guess wherefore she plies thee thus ? That we may know the traitors, and the truth!

Boy. My lord, I know not, I, nor can I guess, [She takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it Unless some fit or frenzy do possess her:

with her stumps, and writes. For I have heard my grandsire say full oft,

Tit. O, do you read, my lord, what she hath writ? Extremity of griefs would make men mad; Stuprum--Chiron-Demetrius. And I have read, that Hecuba of Troy

Mar. What, what !--the lustful sons of Tamora Ran mad through sorrow: That made me to fear; Performers of this heinous, bloody deed ? Although, my lord, I know, my poble aunt

Tit. Magne Dominator poli, Loves me as dear as e'er my mother did,

Tam lentus audis scelera ? tam lentus vides ! And would not, but in fury, fright my youth: Mar. O, calm thee, gentle lord ! although, I know, Which made me down to throw my books, and fly; There is enough written upon this earth, Causeless, perhaps : But pardon me, sweet aunt: To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts, And, madam, if my uncle Marcus go,

And arm the minds of infants to exclaims. I will most willingly attend your ladyship. My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel; Mar. Lucius, I will.

And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope ; (LAVINIA turns over the books which LUCIUS And swear with me,-as with the woful feere, has let fall.

And father, of that chaste dishonour'd dame, Tit. How now, Lavinia ?-Marcus, what means Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucrece' rape, this?

That we will prosecute, by good advice, Some book there is that she desires to see :- Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths, Which is it, girl, of these ?-Open them, boy.- And see their blood, or die with this reproach. But thou art deeper read, and better skill'd;

Tit. 'Tis sure enough, an you knew how, Come, and take cboice of all my library,

But if you hurt these bear whelps, then beware : And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heavens The dam will wake; and, if she wind you once, Reveal the damn'd contriver of this deed.

She's with the lion deeply still in league, Why lifts she up her arms in sequence thus ? And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back, Mar. I think, she means, that there was more And, when he sleeps, will she do what she list. than one

You're a young huntsman, Marcus; let it alone, Confederate in the fact;-Ay, more there was :- And, come, I will go get a leaf of brass, Or else to heaven she heaves them for revenge. And with a gad of steel will write these words,

Tit. Lucius, what book is that she tosseth so ? And lay it by : the angry northern wind Boy. Grandsire, 'tis Ovid's Metamorphosis ; Will blow these sands, like Sybil's leaves, abroad, My mother gave't me.

And where's your lesson then ?--Boy, what say you ? Mar.

For love of her that's gone, Boy. I say, my lord, that if I were a man, Perhaps she culld it from among the rest.

Their mother's bed-chamber shonld not be safe Tit. Soft ! see, how busily she turns the leaves ! For these bad-bondmen to the yoke of Rome. Help her:

Mar. Ay, that's my boy! thy father hath full oft What would she find ?--Lavinia, shall I read ? For this ungrateful country done the like. This is the tragic tale of Philomel,

Boy. And uncle, so will I, an if I live. And treats of Ťereus' treason, and his rape;

Tit. Come, go with me into mine armoury; And rape, I fear, was root of thine annoy.

Lucius, I'll fit thee: and withal, my boy Mar. See, brother, see; note, how she quotes the Shall carry from me to the empress sons leaves.

Presents, that I intend to send them both : Tit. Lavinia, wert thou thus surpriz'd, sweet girl, Come, come; thou’lt do thy message, wilt thou not? Ravish'd, and wrong'd, as Philomela was,

Boy. Ay, with my dagger in their bosoms, grand. Forc'd in the ruthless, vast, and gloomy woods ?-

sire, See, see !

Tit. No, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another course Ay, such a place there is, where we did hunt, Lavinia, come :-Marcus, look to my house; (ó, had we never, never, hunted there !)

Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court; Pattern’d by that the poet here describes,

Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we'll be waited on. By nature made for murders, and for rapes.

(Exeunt Titus, LAVINIA, and Boy. Mar. 0, why should nature build so foul a den, Mar. O heavens, can you hear a good man groan, Unless the gods delight in tragedies!

And not relent, or not compassion him ? Tit. Give signs, sweet girl. --for here are none Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy, but friends,

That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart, What Roman lord it was durst do the deed : Than foe-men's marks upon his batter'd shield : Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst,

But yet so just, that he will not revenge :That left the camp to sin in Lucrece' bed ?

Revenge the heavens for old Andronicus

Esil Mar. Sit down, sweet niece;-brother, sit down

by me. hpollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury, Inspire me, that I may this treason find ! My lord, look here;-Look here, Lavinia:

upon them.

Let's see;

SCENE II.-The same. A Room in the Palace.

Aar. Well, more or less, or ne'er a whit at all,

Here Aaron is; and what with Aaron now ? Enter Aaron, Chiron, and DEMETRIUS, at one Nur. O gentle Aaron, we are all undone!

door; at another door, young Lucius, and an At- Now help, or woe betide thee evermore! tendant, with a bundle of weapons, and verses wrt Aar. Why, wbat a caterwauling dost thou keep ?

What dost thou wrap and fumble in thine arms ? Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius;

Nur. O, that which I would hide from heaven's He hath some message to deliver to us.

eye, Aar. Ay, some mad message from his mad grand-Our empress' shame, and stately Rome's disgrace. father.

She is deliver'd, lords, she is deliver'd. Boy. My lords, with all the humbleness I may,

Aar. To whom ?

Nur. I greet your honours from Audronicus ;

I mean, she's brought to bed.

Aar. And pray the Roman gods, confound you both.

Well, God | Aside. Give hër good rest! What hath he sent her? Dem. Gramercy, lovely Lucius: What's the news?

Nur.

A devil. Boy. That you are both decipher'd, that's the news,

Aar. Why, then she's the devil's dam; a joyful For villains' mark'd with rape. (Aside.) May it

issue. please you,

Nur. A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful iss} ) My grandsire, well-advis'd, hath sent by me

Here is the babe, as loathsome as a toad The goodliest weapons of his armoury,

Amongst the fairest breeders of our clime. To gratify your honourable youth,

The empress sends it thee, thy stamp, thy seal, The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say;

And bids thee christen it with thy dagger's poir. And so I do, and with his gifts present

Aar. Out, out, you whore! is black so base Your lordships, that whenever you have need,

hue ? You may be armed and appointed well:

Sweet blowse, you are a beauteous blossom, suro. And so I leave you both, Aside.] like bloody vil

Dem. Villain, what hast thou done ? lains, [Exeunt Boy and Attendant.

Aar.

Done! that which hos Dem. What's here ? A scroll; and written round Canst not undo. about?

Chi.

Thou hast undone our mother.

Aar. Villain, I have done thy mother. Integer vitæ, scelerisque purus,

Dem. And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone. Non eget Mauri jaculis, nec arcu.

Woe to her chance, and damn'd her loathed choice! Chi. O, 'tis a verse in Horace; I know it well :

Accurs'd the offspring of so foul a fiend ! I read it in the grammar long ago.

Chi. It shall not live. Aar. Ay, just! -a verse in Horace;-right, you

Aar.

It shall not die. have it.

Nur. Aaron, it must: the mother wills it so. Now, what a thing it is to be an ass !

Aar. What, must it, nurse ? then let no man, Here's no sound jest! the old man hath

but I, found their guilt;

Do execution on my flesh and blood. And sends the weapons wrapp'd about with

Dem. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point; lines,

Nurse, give it me; my sword shall soon despatch it.

Aside. That wound, beyond their feeling, to the

Aar. Sooner this sword shall plow thy bowels up. quick.

(Takes the child from the Nurse, and draus But were our witty empress well a-foot,

Stay, murderous villains ! will you kill your brother? She would applaud Andronicus' conceit.

Now, by the burning tapers of the sky
But let her rest in her unrest awhile.

That shone so brightly when this boy was got,
And now, young lords, was't not a happy star He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point,
Led us to Rome, strangers, and, more than so, That touches this my first-born son and beir!
Captives, to be advanced to this height ?

I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus,
It did me good, before the palace gate

With all his threat'ning band of Typhon's brood, To brave the tribune in his brother's hearing.

Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war, Dem. But me more good, to see so great a lord

Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. Basely insinuate, and send us gifts.

What, what; ye sanguine, shallow-hearted boys : Ant. Had he not reason, lord Demetrius ?

Ye white-lim'd walls ! ye alehouse painted signs ! Did you not use his daughter very friendly ?

Coal-black is better than another hue, Dem. I would, we had a thousand Roman dames In that it scorns to bear another bue: At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust.

For all the water in the ocean Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love.

Can never turn a swan's black legs to white, Aar. Here lacks but your mother for to say amen

Although she lave them hourly in the flood. Chi. And that would she for twenty thousand more. Tell the emperess from me, I am of age Dem. Come, let us go; and pray to all the gods, To keep mine own ; excuse it how she can. For our beloved mother in her pains.

Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus ! Aar. Pray to the devils; the gods have given us

Aar. My mistress is my mistress; this, myself; o'er.

(Aside. Flourish. The vigour, and the picture of my youth : Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish This, before all the world, do I prefer; thus ?

This, maugre all the world, will I keep safe, Chi. Belike, for joy the emperor hath a son.

Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome. Dem. Soft; who comes here?

Dem. By this our mother is for ever sham'd.

Chi. Rome will despise her for this foul escape. Enter a Nurse, with a black-a-moor child in her arms.

Nur. The emperor, in his rage, will doom bes
Good morrow,
lords :

death.
me,
did you see Aaron the Moor

Chr. I blush to think upon this ignomy.

the way :

dur. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears : Fye, treacherous bue! that will betray with blushing SCENE III.-The same. A public Place. The close enacts and counsels of the heart ! Here's a young lad fram’d of another leer :

Enter Titis, bearing arrows, urth letters at tne ends Look, how the black slave smiles upon the father; of them; with him Marcus, young Lucius, and kes who should say, Old lad, I am thine own.

other Gentlemen, with bows. He is your brother, lords; sensibly fed

Tit. Come, Marcus, come ;-Kinsmen, this is Of that self-blood that first gave life to you; And, from that womb, where you imprison'd were, Sir boy, now let me see your archery; He is enfranchised and come to light:

Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight. Nay, he's your brother by the surer side,

Terras Astræa reliquit : Although my seal be stamped in his face.

Be you rememberu, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the emperess ? Sir, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall

Dem. Advise thee, Aaron, what is to be done, Go sound the ocean, and cast your nets; And we will all subscribe to thy advice;

Happily you may find her in the sea; Save thou the child, so we may'all be safe. Yet there's as little justice as at land :

Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it; My son and I will have the wind of you :

| 'Tis you must dig with mattock, and with spade, Keep there : Now talk at pleasure of your safety. And pierce the inmost center of the earth :

į They sit on the ground. Then, when you come to Pluto's region, Dem. How many women saw this child of his ? I

pray, you, deliver him this petition: Aar. Why, so, brave lords ; When we all join in Tell him, it is for justice, and for aid : league,

And that it comes from old Andronicus, I am a lamb: but if you brave the Moor,

Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.The chafed boar, the mountain lioness,

Ah, Rome!-Well, well; I made thee miserable, The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms. What time I threw the people's suffrages But, say again, how many saw the child ?

On him that doth tyrannize o'er me.Nur. Cornelia the midwife, and myself,

Go, get you gone ; and pray be careful all, And no one else, but the deliver'd empress.

And leave you not a man of war unsearch’d; Aar. The emperess, the midwife, and yourself : This wicked emperor may have shipp'd her hence Two may keep counsel, when the third's away: And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice. Go to the emperess; tell her, this I said :

Mar. 0, Publius, is not this a heavy case,

Į Stabbing her. To see thy noble uncle thus distract? Weke, weke !--so cries a pig, prepard to the spit. Pub. Therefore, my lord, it bighly us concerns, Dem. What mean’st thou, Aaron? Wherefore By day and night to attend him carefully; didst thou this ?

And feed his humour kindly as we may, Aar. O, lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy:

Till time beget some careful remedy. Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours ?

Mar. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remcdy. A long-tongu'd babbling gossip? no, lords, no. Join with the Goths; and with revengeful war And now be it known to you my full intent. Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, Not far, one Muliteus lives, my countryman, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. His wife but yesternight was brought to bed

Tit. Publius, how now? how now, my masters ? His child is like to her, fair as you are:

What,
Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, Have you met with her?

(word And tell thein both the circumstance of all;

Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you And how by this their child shall be advanc'd, If you will have revenge froin hell, you shall: And be received for the emperor's heir,

Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd, And substituted in the place of mine,

He thinks, with Jove in beaven, or somewhere else, To calm this tempest whirling in the court; So that perforce you must needs stay a time. And let the emperor dandle him for his own. T'it. He doth me wrong, to feed me with delays. Hark ye, lords; ye see, that I have given her phy- t'i dive into the burning lake below, sick,

(Pointing to the Nurse. And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.And you must needs bestow her funeral;

Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we; The fields are near, and you are gallant grooms : No big-bon'd men, fram'd of the Cyclops' size : This done, see that you take no longer days, But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back; But send the midwife presently to me.

Yet wrung with wrongs, more than our backs can The midwife, and the nurse, well made away,

bear: Then let the ladies tattle what they please. And, sith there is no justice in earth nor hell,

Chi. Aaron, I see, thou wilt not trust the air We will solicit heaven; and move the gods,
With secrets.

To send down justice for to wreak our wrongs: Dem. For this care of Tamora,

Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus. Herself, and hers, are highly bound to thee.

(He gives them the arrow's (Exeunt Dem. and Chi. bearing off the Nurse. Ad Jovem, that's for you :-Here, ad Apollinem :Aar. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies ; Ad Martom, that's for myself :There to dispose the treasure in mine arms, Here, boy, to Pallas:-Here, to Mercury: And secretly to greet the empress' friends. To Saturn, Caius, not to Saturnine,Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave, I'll bear you hence; You were as good to shoot against the wind.For it is you that puts us to our shifts :

To it, boy. Marcus, loose when I bid :
l'il make you feed on berries, and on roots, O’my word, I have written to effect;
And feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat, There's not a god left unsolicited.
And cabin in a cave; and bring you up

Mar. Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court
To be a warrior, and command a camp.
Exit. We will afflict the emperor in his pride

men.

Tit. Now, masters, draw. (They shoot.] 0, well An emperor of Rome thus overborne, said, Lucius!

Troubled, confronted thus; and, for the extent Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas.

Of egal justice, us'd in such contempt ? Mar. My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon;

My lords, you know, as do the mightful gods, Your letter is with Jupiter by this.

However these disturbers

our peace Tit. Ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou donei Buz in the people's ears, there pought hath pass'de See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns. But even with law, against the wilful sons Mar. This was the sport, my lord: when Publius Of old Andronicus. And what an if shot,

His sorrows have so overwhelm'd his wits, The bull being gall’d, gave Aries such a knock Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks, That down feli both the ram's horns in the court; His fits, his frenzy, and his bitterness ? And who should find them but the empress' villain?

And now he writes to heaven for his redress : She laugh'd, and told the Moor, he should not See, here's to Jove, and this to Mercury; choose

This to Apollo; this to the god of war:
But give them to his master for a present. (joy. Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome

Tit. Why, there it goes: God give your lordship What's this, but libelling against the senate,
Enter a Crowu, with a basket, and two piyeons.

And blazoning our injustice every where?

A goodly humour, is it not, my lords ?
News, news, from heaven! Marcus, the post is come. As who would say, in Rome no justice were.
Sirrah, what tidings ? have you any letters ?

But, if I live, his feigned ecstacies
Shall I have justice? what says Jupiter ?

Shall be no shelter to these outrages: Clo. Ho! the gibbet-maker? he says, that he hath But he and his shall know, that justice lives taken them down again, for the man must not be In Saturninus' health; whom, if she sleep, hanged till the next week.

He'll so awake, as she in fury shall Tit. But what says Jupiter, 1 ask thee ?

Cut off the proud'st conspirator that lives. Clo. Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never drank

Tam. My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine, with him in all my life.

Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts, Tit. Why, villain, art not thou the carrier ?

Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age, Clo. Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.

The effects of sorrow for his valiant sons, Tit. Why, didst thou not come from heaven?

Whose loss hath pierc'd bim deep, and scari'd his Clo. From heaven? alas, sir, I never came there :

heart; God forbid, I should be so bold to press to heaven and rather comfort his distressed plight, in my young days. Why, I am going with my Than prosecute the meanest, or the best, pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter For these contempts. Why, thus it shall become of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperial's High-witted Tamora to gloze with all : Aside. Mar. Why, sir, that is as fit as can be, to serve Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wise,

But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick, for your oration; and iet him deliver the pigeons to Then is all safe, the anchor's in the port –, the emperor from you. Tit. Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the

Enter Clown. emperor with a grace? Ĉlo. Nay, truly, sir, I could never say grace in How now, good fellow, would'st thou speak with us ?

Clo. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be imperial. all my life.

Tam. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. Tit. Sirrah, come hither : make no more ado,

Clo. 'Tis he.-God, and saint Stephen, give you But give your pigeons to the emperor :

good den : I have brought you a letter, and a couple By me thou shalt have justice at his hands. Hold, hold ;-mean while, here's money for thy

(SATURNINUS reads the letter. of pigeons here.

Sai. Go, take him away, and hang him presently charges.

Clo. How much money must I have ? Give me a pen and ink.

Tam. Come, sirrah, you must be hang’d. Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a supplication ?

Clo. Hang'd! By'r lady, then I have brought up Clo. Ay, sir.

(Esit, guarded. when you come to him, at the first approach, you shall I endure this monstrous villainy? Tit. Then here is a supplication for you. And a neck to a fair end.

Sat. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs ! must kneel; then kiss his foot; then deliver up I know from whence this same device proceeds; your pigeons; and then look for your reward. Pil May this be borne ?-as if his traitorous sons, be at hand, sir; see you do it bravely. Clo. I warrant you, sir; let me alone.

That died by law for murder of our brother,

[it. Tit. Sirrah, hast thou a knife ? Come, let me see Go, drag the villain hither by the hair;

Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully-
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration;
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant ;- For this proud mock, I'll be thy slaughter-man ;

Nor age, nor honour, shall shape privilege:-
And when thou hast given it to the emperor,
Knock at my door, and tell me what he says.

Sly frantick wretch, that holp'st to make me great, Clo. God be with you, sir; I will.

In hupe thyself should govern Rome and me. Tit. Come, Marcus, let's go :-Publius, follow

Enter ÆMILIUS. [Ereunt.

What news with thee, Æmilius ? SCENE IV. The same.

Æmil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had Before the Palace.

more cause ! Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, The Goths have gather'd head; and with a power

Lords, and others; SATURNINUs, with the arrow's Of high-resolved men bent to the spoil, in his hand that Titus shot.

They hither march amain, under conduct Sat. Why, lords, what wrongs are these? Was Ot Lucius, son to old Andronicus;

Who threats, in course of this revenge, le los