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. Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus. Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this; 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. [He kills LAVINIA. And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die! Sat. What hast thou done, unnatural, and un kind? Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made me blind. I am as woful as Virginius was: And have a thousand times more cause than he To do this outrage;—and it is now done. 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? 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, frantick 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. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans ascend the Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto 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, The story of that baleful burning night, That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound. My heart is not compact of flint, nor steel; But floods of tears will drown my oratory, Here is a captain, let him tell the tale; Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to you, That cursed Chiron and Demetrius Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded; Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, The issue of an irreligious Moor, and basely cozen'd-] i. e. and he basely cozened. Chief architect and plotter of these woes; mans? Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein, Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, 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 gracious governor! Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern so, To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,For nature puts me to a heavy task ;Stand all aloof;-but, uncle, draw you near, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk:- [Kisses TITUS. These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd face, Mar. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee well: Shed yet some small drops from thy tender spring, Friends should associate friends in grief and woe: Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave; Do him that kindness, and take leave of him. Boy. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all my heart 'Would I were dead, so you did live again!-O lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping; My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth. Enter Attendants, with AARON. 1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes; Give sentence on this execrable wretch, That hath been breeder of these dire events. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him; There let him stand, and rave and cry for food: For the offence he dies. This is our doom: |