Re-enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA; she bearing a Bason, and he a Knife. Tit. Come, come, Lavinia ; look, thy foes are bound; -Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me ; But let them hear what fearful words I utter. O villains, Chiron and Demetrius ! Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with mud; Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, more dear And make two pasties of your shameful heads; To make this banquet; which I wish may prove [Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies. [6] A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye. JOHNS. SCENE III. The same. A Pavilion, with Tables, c. Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and Goths, with AARON, Prisoner. Luc. Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's mind, That I repair to Rome, I am content. 1 Goth. And ours, with thine, befall what fortune will. Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, [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, break the parle ;? These quarrels must be quietly debated. The feast is ready, which the careful Titus Hath ordain'd to an honourable end, For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome : Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your places. 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 ;— [7] i. e. Begin the parley. We yet say, "he breaks his mind." JOHNS. "Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Was it well done of rash Virginius, To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Tit. Your reason, mighty lord! Sat. Because the girl should not survive her shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows. Tit. A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, most wretched to perform the like: Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; [He kills LAVINIA. And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die ! I am as woful as Virginius was : And have a thousand times more cause than he Sat. What, was she ravish'd? tell, who did the deed. Tit. Will't please you eat? will't please your highness feed? Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus ? They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue, 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. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Kills SATURNINUS. Agreat tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partizans ascend the steps before TITUS's house. Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Rome, By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, O, let me teach you how to knit again This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf, These broken limbs again into one body. Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself; Do shameful execution on herself. Cannot induce you to attend my words, Speak, Rome's dear friend ; [To LUCIUS.] as erst our ancestor, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse, To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear, The story of that baleful burning night, When subtle Greeks surpriz'd king Priam's Troy; Or who hath brought the fatal engine in, That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound.— Nor can I utter all our bitter grief, But floods of tears will drown my oratory, And break my very utterance; even i'the time Here is a captain, let him tell the tale ; Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, And from her bosom took the enemy's point, My scars can witness, dumb although they are, The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes ; Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true. Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge Or more than any living man could bear. Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Romans? The poor remainder of Andronici Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, And make a mutual closure of our house. Speak, Romans, speak; and, if you say, we shall, Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, Lucius our emperor; for, well I know, The common voice do cry, it shall be so. Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's royal emperor ! LUCIUS, &c. descend. Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house; [To an Attendant. And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering death, Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern so, To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! |