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 ? 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; And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,- Which overshades the mouth of that same pit, Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold, [Showing it. Sat. Two of thy whelps, [To TIT.] fell curs of bloody kind, Have here bereft my brother of his life:- timeless-] i. e. untimely. There let them bide, until we have devis'd 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; Tam. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; Fear not thy sons, they shall do well enough. Tit. Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with [Exeunt severally. them. SCENE V. The same. Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravished; her Hands cut off, and her Tongue cut out. Dem. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, Who 'twas that cut thy tongue, and ravish'd thee. Chi. Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning 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?— Speak, gentle niece, what stern ungentle hands And might not gain so great a happiness, As half thy love? Why dost not speak to me?- Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind, Coming and going with thy honey breath. 5 If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me!] If this be a dream, I would give all my possessions to be delivered from it by waking. JOHNSON. But, sure, some Tereus hath defloured thee; ; And make the silken strings delight to kiss them He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell asleep, • Thracian poet's-] Orpheus. ACT III. SCENE I. Rome. A Street. 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 In dangerous wars, whilst you securely slept; For all my blood in Rome's great quarrel shed; For all the frosty nights that I have watch'd; And for these bitter tears, which now you see Filling the aged wrinkles in my cheeks; Be pitiful to my condemned sons, Whose souls are not corrupted as 'tis thought! For two and twenty sons I never wept, Because they died in honour's lofty bed. For these, these tribunes, in the dust I write [Throwing himself on the Ground. My heart's deep languor, and my soul's sad tears. Let my tears stanch the earth's dry appetite; My sons' sweet blood will make it shame and blush. [Exeunt Senators, Tribunes, &c. with the Prisoners. O earth, I will befriend thee more with rain, |