Re-enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA; she bearing a Bason, and he a Knife. Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me; Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with, mud; This goodly summer with your winter mix'd. Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, more dear Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, And make two pasties of your shameful heads; • And of the paste a coffin-] A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye. her own increase.] i. e. her own produce. 7 And this the banquet she shall surfeit on; To make this banquet; which I wish may prove [Exeunt, bearing the dead Bodies. 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 for- Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; 8 And ours with thine,] And our content runs parallel with thine, be the consequence of our coming to Rome what it may. Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth The venomous malice of my swelling heart! Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave! Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.— [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 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. Dishes on the Table. TITUS places the Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread queen ; Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor, "Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. 9 break the parle ;] That is, begin the parley. We yet say, he breaks his mind. 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 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 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 Steps before TITUS's House. 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; But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, 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, When subtle Greeks surpriz'd king Priam's Troy; That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound.— |