Enter Marcus. Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius; Mar. This will I do, and foon return again. Tam. Now will I hence about my business, And take my minifters along with me. [Exit. Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder ftay with me; "Or else I'll call my brother back again, And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. [him, Tam. What fay you, boys, will you abide with Whiles I go tell my lord, the Emperor, How I have govern'd our determin'd jest! Yield to his humour, fmooth and speak him fair, And tarry with him 'till I come again. Tit. I know them all, tho' they fuppofe 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 pleafure, 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, fweet 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. Tit. Know ye these two? Pub. The Empress' 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 [Exit Titus. Chi. Villians, 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 faft. Enter Titus Andronicus with a Knife, and Lavinia with a Bafon. Tit. OME, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are Mbound; Sirs, ftop their mouths, let them not speak to me, Here ftands the fpring whom you have ftain'd with mud, This goodly fummer with your winter mixt: Both her fweet hands, her tongue, and that more dear, The The bason, that receives your guilty blood. And make two pafties of your fhameful heads; And now prepare your throats: Lavinia, come, And in that pafte let their vile heads be bak'd. To make this banquet, which I wifh might prove [He cuts their throats. So, now bring them in, for I'll play the cook, And fee them ready 'gainft the mother comes. [Exeunt. Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Goths with Aaron Prifoner. Luc. Uncle Marcus, fince it is my father's mind That I repair to Rome, I am content. Goth. And ours with thine, befal what fortune will. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Let him receive no fuftenance, fetter him, 'Till he be brought unto the Emp'ror's face, For teftimony of thefe foul proceedings; And fee, the ambush of our friends be ftrong; I fear, the Emperor means no good to us. Aar. Some devil whifper curfes in my ear, And And prompt me that my tongue may utter forth [Exeunt Goths with Aaron. Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in. SCENE VI. [Flourish. Sound trumpets. Enter Emperor and Empress, with Tri Sat. bunes and others. WHAT, hath the firmament more funs than one ? WH Luc. What boots it thee to call thyself a Sun? Mar. Rome's Emperor, and Nephew, break the parley; Thefe quarrels must be quietly debated: The feaft is ready, which the careful Titus For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome: A Table brought in. Enter Titus like a Cook, placing the meat on the Table, and Lavinia with a veil over her face. Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome dread Welcome, ye warlike Goths, welcome, Lucius, were, My lord the Emperor, refolve me this; N Was Was it well done of rash Virginius, To flay his daughter with his own right hand, Because she was enforc'd, ftain'd, and deflour'd? ¦ Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reason, mighty lord? Sat. Because the girl fhould not furvive her shame, And by her presence ftill renew his forrows. Tit. A reafon mighty, ftrong, and effectual, A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, moft wretched, to perform the like: Die, die, Lavinia, and thy fhame with thee, And with thy fhame thy father's forrow die! [He kills her. Sat. What haft thou done, unnatural and unkind? 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 fhe ravifh'd? tell, who did the deed? Tit. Will't please you eat, will't please your High nefs feed? [thus? Tam. Why haft thou flain thine only daughter Tit. Not I, 'twas Chiron and Demetrius. They ravifh'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 fhe herself hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness, my knife's fharp point. [He ftabs the Empress. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accurfed deed. [He ftabs Titus. Luc. Can the fon's eye behold the father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Lucius ftabs the Emperor. Mar. |