High-witted Tamora to gloze with all: [Aside. But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick, Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wise, Then is all safe, the anchor's in the port.Enter CLOWN. How now, good fellow? would'st thou speak with us? Clo. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be imperial. Tam. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. Clo. "Tis he.-God, and saint Stephen, give you good den:-I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons here. [SATURNINUS reads the Letter. Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him presently. Clo. How much money must I have? Tam. Come, Sirrah, you must be hang'd. Clo. Hang'd! By'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end. [Exit, guarded. Sat. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs! Shall I endure this monstrous villany? I know from whence this same device proceeds; May this be borne?-as if his traitorous sons, That died by law for murder of our brother, Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully. Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; Nor age, nor honour, shall shape privilege :For this proud mock, I'll be thy slaughterman; [great, Sly frantic wretch, that holp'st to make me In hope thyself should govern Rome and me. Enter EMILIUS. more cause! What news with thee, Æmilius? Sat. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths? These tidings nip me; and I hang the head As flowers with frost, or grass beat down with storms. Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach: "Tis he the common people love so much; Myself hath often over-heard them say, (When I have walked like a private man,) That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully, And they have wish'd that Lucius were their emperor. Tum. Why should you fear? is not your city strong? Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius; Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it? Sat. But he will not entreat his son for us. Tam. If Tamora entreat him, then he will: For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear With golden promises; that were his heart Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf, Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue. Go thou before, be our ambassador; [To ÆMILIUS. Say, that the emperor requests a parley Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting, Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus. Sat. Emilius, do this message honourably: And if he stand on hostage for his safety, Bid him demand what pledge will please him best. Emil. Your bidding shall I do effectually. [Exit AMILIUs. Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus; And temper him, with all the art I have, To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths. And now, sweet emperor, be blithe again, And bury all thy fear in my devices. Sat. Then go successfully, and plead to him [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I-Plains near Rome. Enter LUCIUS, and GOTHS, with Drum ana Colours. Luc. Approved warriors, and my faithful friends, I have received letters from great Rome, Which signify, what hate they bear their em peror, And how desirous of our sight they are. [ness, 1 Goth. Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus, [comfort; Whose name was once our terror, now our Whose high exploits, and honourable deeds, Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt, Be bold in us: we'll follow where thou lead'st, Led by their master to the flower'd fields,- Goths. And, as he saith, so say we all with Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth? Enter a GOTH, leading AARON, with his Child in his Arms. 2 Goth. Renowned Lucius, from your troops I stray'd, To gaze upon a ruinous monastery; This growing image of thy fiend-like face? Why dost not speak? What! deaf? No; not a That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, word? A halter, soldiers; hang him on this tree, Aur. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. [A Ladder brought, which AARON is obliged to ascend. Aar. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the emperess. If thou do this, I'll show thee wondrous things, That highly may advantage thee to hear: If thou wilt not, befall what may befall, I'll speak no more; But vengeance rot you all! Luc. Say on; and, if it please me which thou speak'st, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. Aur. An if it please thee? why, assure thee, Lucius, "Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; For I must talk of murders, rapes, and mas sacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, shall live. Aar. Swear, that he shall, and then I will begin. Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st no god; That granted, how canst thou believe an oath? Aar. What if I do not? as indeed, I do not: Yet, for I know thou art religious, [science, And hast a thing within thee, called conWith twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, Which I have seen thee careful to observe,Therefore I urge thy oath;-For that, I know, An idiot holds his bauble for a god, [swears; And keeps the oath, which by that god he To that I'll urge hini:-Therefore, thou shalt As true a dog as ever fought at head.- rue, Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it? I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall, Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily, never blush? Even now I curse the day, (and yet, I think, tears. Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; Luc. Bring down the devil; for he must not die So sweet a death, as hanging presently. Aar. If there be devils, 'would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire; So I might have your company in hell, But to torment you with my bitter tongue! Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the The Roman emperor greets you all by me: Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his Unto my father and my uncle Marcus, Tum. Thus, in this strange and sad habili- Enter TITUS, above. [They knock. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough: [lines; Witness this wretched stump, these crimson Witness these trenches, made by grief and light; Confer with me of murder and of death: Perhaps this is a stage direction, crept into the text. Tam. I am; therefore come down, and wel come me. Tit. Do me some service, ere I come to thee. Lo, by thy side where Rape, and Murder, stands; Now give some 'surance that thou art Revenge And day by day I'll do this heavy task, And you the empress! But we worldly men I will embrace thee in it by and by. [Exit TITUS, from above. Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy: Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-sick fits, Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches. For now he firmly takes me for Revenge; And, being credulous in this mad thought, I'll make him send for Lucius, his son; And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure, I'll find some cunning practice out of hand, To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Or, at the least, make them his enemies. See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme Enter TITUS. Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house;— And, would you represent our queen aright, dronicus? Dem. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with him. Chi. Show me a villain, that hath done a And I am sent to be reveng'd on him. [rape. Tam. Show me a thousand, that hath done Well may'st thou know her by thy own pro- | And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry. portion, For up and down she doth resemble thee; Tum. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall we do. But would it please thee, good Andronicus, And bid him come and banquet at thy house: Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls. with me; Or else I'll call my brother back again, Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor, And tarry with him, till I come again. Tit. I know them all, though they suppose me mad; And will o'er-reach them in their own devices, A pair of cursed hell-hounds, and their dam. [Aside. Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. Tam. Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [goes [Exit TAMORA. Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. Chi. Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ'd? Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine! Enter PUBLIUS, and others. Pub. What's your will? I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceiv'd; The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name: [Exit TITUS.-PUBLIUS, &c. lay hold on CHIRON and DEMETRIUS. Chi. Villains, forbear: we are the empress' This goodly summer with your winter mix'd. You kill'd her husband; and, for that vile fault, Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death: Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, My hand cut off, and made a merry jest: more dear Hark, villains; I will grind your bones to dust, And make two pasties of your shameful heads; come, Let me go grind their bones to powder small, So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook, Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and GOTHS, with Luc. Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's That I repair to Rome, I am content. [mind. 1 Goth. And ours, with thine, befall what fortune will. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Crust of a raised pye. Till he be brought unto the empress' face, Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may uiter forth The venomous malice of my swelling heart! [Exeunt GOTHS, with AARON. Flourish. The trumpets show, the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes, Senators, and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one? Luc. What boots it thee, to call thyself a sun? Mar. Rome's emperor, and nephew, breakt the parle; These quarrels must be quietly debated. Sat. Marcus, we will. [Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at Table. Enter TITUS, dressed like a Cook, LAVINIA, veiled, young LUCIUS, and others. TITUS places the Dishes on the Table. 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 empress. Tum. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus. Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this; Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reason, mighty lord! Sat. Because the girl should not survive her shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows. unkind? Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daugh ter 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 knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUS. behold his father [deed. There's meed for meed, death for a deadly [Kills SATURNINUS. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans ascend the Steps before TITUS' House. Luc. Can the son's eye blced? Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto her self; And she, whom mighty kingdoms court'sy to, Troy; wound. My heart is not compact of flint, nor steel; And break my very utterance; even i'the time Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to That cursed Chiron and Demetrius [you, Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; [out, [out, And they it were that ravished our sister: |