Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,
"Let not your forrow die, though I am dead.”
Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things,
As willingly as one would kill a fly :
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed,
But that I cannot do ten' thousand more.
Luc. Bring down the devil; for he must not die
So fweet a death, as hanging prefently.
Aar. If there be devils, 'would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlafting fire,
So I might have your company in hell,
But to torment you with my bitter tongue!
Luc. Sirs, ftop his mouth, and let him speak no more.
Enter Emilius.
Goth. My Lord, there is a meffenger from Rome Defires to be admitted to your presence.
Luc. Let him come near.
Welcome, Æmilius; what's the news from Rome?
Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
The Roman Emperor greets you all by me;
And, for he understands you are in arms,
He craves a parley at your father's house,
Willing you to demand your hoftages,
And they fhall be immediately deliver’d.
Goth. What fays our General?
Luc. Æmilius, let the Emperor give his pledges
Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
And we will come. March away.
SCENE HII. Changes to Titus's palace in Rome.
Enter Tamora, Chiron, and Demetrius disguis'd.
Tam. Thus, in these strange and fad habiliments, I will encounter with Andronicus;
And fay, I am Revenge fent from below,
To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs:
Knock at the study, where they fay he keeps,
To ruminate ftrange plots of dire revenge;
Tell him, Revenge is come to join with him,
And work confufion on his enemies.
[They knock, and Titus appears above
Tit. Who doth moleft my contemplation!"
Is it your trick to make me ope the door,
That fo my fad decrees may fly away,
And all my study be to no effect ?
You are deceiv'd; for what I mean to do,
See here in bloody lines I have fet down ;
And what is written, fhall be executed.
Tam Titus, I am come to talk with thee.
Tit. No, not a word. How can I grace my talk,
Wanting a hand to give it that accord?
Thou haft the odds of me, therefore no more.
Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with
Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough:
Witnefs this wretched ftump, these crimson lines;
Witness these trenches made by grief and care;
Witness the tiring day and heavy night;
Witness all forrow, that I know thee well
For our proud Emprefs, mighty Tamora.
Is not thy coming for my other hand?
Tam. Know thou, fad man, I am not Tamora;
She is thy enemy, and I thy friend:
I am Revenge, fent from th' infernal kingdom,
To eafe the gnawing vulture of thy mind,
By working wreakful vengeance on thy foes.
Come down, and welcome me to this world's light;
Confer with me of murder and of death :
There's not a hollow cave, nor lurking-place,
No vaft obfcurity, or mifty vale,
Where bloody Murder or detefted Rape
Can couch for fear, but I will find them out ;
And in their ears tell them my dreadful name,
Revenge, which makes the foul offenders quake.
Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou fent to me,
To be a torment to mine enemies?
Tam. I am; therefore come down, and welcome me.
Tit. Do me fome service ere I come to thee.
Lo, by thy fide where Rape and Murder ftands;
Now give fome 'furance that thou art Revenge,
Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels;
And then I'll come and be thy waggoner,
And whirl along with thee about the globes:
T 2
Provide two proper palfries black as jet,
To hale thy vengeful waggon fwift away,
And find out murders in their guilty caves.
And when thy car is loaden with their heads,
I will difmount, and by thy waggon-wheel
Trot like a fervile footman all day long;
Even from Hyperion's rifing in the east,
Until his very downfal in the fea.
And day by day I'll do this heavy task,
So thou deftroy Rapine and Murder there.
Tam. These are my minifters, and come with me.
Tit. Are they thy minifters? what are they call'd?
Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called fo,
'Cause they take vengeance on fuch kind of men.
Tit. Good Lord, how like the Emprefs' fons they are,
And you the Emprefs! but we worldly men
Have miferable and miftaking eyes.
O fweet Revenge, now do I come to thee,
And if one arm's embracement will content thee,
I will embrace thee in it by and by.
[Exit Titus from above.
Tam. This clofing with him fits his lunacy;
Whate'er I forge to feed his brain-fick fits,
Do you uphold and maintain in your speech:
For now he firmly takes me for Revenge;
And, being credulous in this mad thought,
I'll make him fend for Lucius his fon :
And whilft I at a banquet hold him fure,
I'll find fome cunning practice out of hand,
To fcatter and difperfe the giddy Goths,
Or at the leaft make them his enemies.
See here he comes, and I must ply my theme.
SCENE IV. Enter Titus.
Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee:
Welcome, dread Fury, to my woful house;
Rapine and Murder, you are welcome too.
How like the Empress and her fons you are!
Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor;
Could not all hell afford you fuch a devil?
For, well I wot, the Emprefs never wags,
But in her company there is a Moor;
And would you reprefent our Queen aright,
It were convenient you had fuch a devil.
But welcome as you are. What shall we do?
Tam. What wouldft thou have us do, Andronicus? Dem. Shew me a murderer, I'll deal with him. Chi. Shew me a villain that has done a rape, And I am fent to be reveng'd on him.
Tam. Shew me a thousand that have done thee wrong, And I will be revenged on them all.
Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome, And when thou find'st a man that's like thyfelf,
Good Murder, stab him; he's a murderer.
Go thou with him; and when it is thy hap
To find another that is like to thee,
Good Rapine, stab him; he's a ravisher.
Go thou with them, and in the Emperor's court
There is a Queen attended by a Moor;
Well may'st thou know her by thy own proportion,
and down fhe doth refemble thee;
pray thee do on them fome violent death; They have been violent to me and mine.
Tam. Well haft thou leffon'd us, this shall we do.
But would it pleafe thee, good Andronicus,
To fend for Lucius thy thrice-valiant fon,
Who leads tow'rds Rome a band of warlike Goths,
And bid him come and banquet at thy house.
When he is here, even at thy folemn feast,
I will bring in the Emprefs and her fons,
The Emperor himself, and all thy foes;
And at thy mercy fhall they ftoop and kneel,
And on them fhalt thou ease thy angry heart..
What fays Andronicus to this device?
Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis fad Titus calls.
Enter Marcu§.
Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius;
Thou shalt inquire him out among the Goths;
Bid him repair to me; and bring with him
Some of the chiefeft princes of the Goths;
Bid him incamp his foldiers where they are;
Tell him the Emperor and the Emprefs too
Feaft at my houfe, and he shall feaft with them.
This do thou for my love, and fo let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.
Mar. This will I do, and foon return again. [Exit. Tam. Now will I hence about my business,
And take my minifters along with me.
Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me, Or elfe I'll call my brother back again,
And cleave to no Revenge but Lucius.
Tam. What fay you, boys? will you abide with him,
Whiles I go tell my Lord, the Emperor,
How I have govern'd our determin'd jeft?
Yield to his humour, fmooth and fpeak him fair,
And tarry with him till I come again.
[Afide
Tit. I know them all, tho' they suppose me mad;
And will o'er-reach them in their own devices :
A pair of curfed hell-hounds and their dam.
[Afide.. Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. Tam. Farewel, Andronicus! Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [Exit Tamora Tit. I know thou doft; and, sweet Revenge, farewel.. Chi. Tell us, old man, how fhall we be employ❜d? Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do. Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine
Enter Publius and Servants.
Pub. What is your will?
Tit. Know ye these two?
Pub. The Emprefs' fons,
I take them, Chiron, and Demetrius !
Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceiv'd'; The one is Murder, Rape is th' other's name ; And therefore bind them, gentle Publius ;. Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them. Oft have you heard me wish for fuch an hour, And now I find it, therefore bind them fure.
[Exit Tituss Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the Emprefs' fons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded. Stop close their mouths; let them not speak a word. Is he fure bound? look that ye bind them fast.
|