Even from Hyperion's rising in the east,
Until his very downfall in the sea.
And day by day I'll do this heavy task,
So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there."

Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me.
Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they calla ?
Tam. Rapine, and Murder ; therefore called so,
'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men.

Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they are !
And you, the empress ! But we worldly men
Have miserable, mad, mistaking eyes.
O sweet 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 closing with bim fits his lunacy :
Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-sick fits,
Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches.
For now he firmly takes me for Revenge ;
And, being credulous in this mad thought,
I'll make him send for Lucius, his son ;
And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure,
I'll find some cunning practice out of hand,
To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths,
Or, at the least, make them his enemies.
See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme.

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 sons you are !
Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor :-
Could not all hell afford you such a devil ?
For, well I wot, the empress never wags,
But in her company there is a Moor ;
And, would you represent our queen aright,
It were convenient you had such a devil :
But welcome, as you are.

What shall we do?
Tam. What wouldst thou have us do, Andronicus ?
Dem. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with him.

1

a

a

. (5) I do not know of any instance that can be brought to prove that rape and rapine were ever used as synonymous terms. The word rapine has always been em. ployed for a less fatal kind of blunder, and means the violent act of deprivation of any good, the bonour bere alluded to being always excepted. STEEVENS.

a

Chi. Show me a villain, that has done a rape, And I am sent to be reveng'd on him.

Tam. Show me a thousand, that bath 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 thyself,
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 is 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,
For up and down she doth resemble thee;
I pray thee, do on them some violent death,
They have been violent to me and mine.

Tam. Well hast thou lesson'd us ; this shall we do.
But would it please thee, good Andronicus,
To send for Lucius, thy thrice valiant son,
Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike Goths,
And bid him come and banquet at thy house :
When he is here, even at thy solemn feast,
I will bring in the empress and her sons,
The emperor himself, and all thy foes ;
And at thy mercy shall they stoop and kneel,
And on them shalt thou ease thy angry heart.
What says Andronicus to this device?
Tit. Marcus, my brother !—'tis sad Titus calls.

Enter MARCUS.
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 chiefest princes of the Goths ;
Bid bim encamp his soldiers where they are :

the

emperor and the empress too
Feast at my house : and he shall feast with them.
This do thou for my love ; and so let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.

Mar. This will I do, and soon return again. [Exit.

Tam. Now will I hence about thy business, And take my ministers along with me.

Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me ; Or else I'll call my brother back again,

Tell him,

And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

Tam. What say you, boys ? will you abide with him,
Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor,

I
How I have governd our determin’d jest ?
Yield to his humour, smooth and speak him fair, [Aside.
And tarry with him, till I come again.

Tit. I know them all, though they suppose me mad;
And will o'er-reach them in their own devices,
A pair of cursed hell-hounds, and their dam. [.Aside.

Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here.

Tam. Farewell, Andronicus ; Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes.

[Exit Tam. Tit. I know, thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. Chi. Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ'd !

Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.
Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine !

Enter Publius, and Others.
Pub. What's your will ?
Tit. Know you these two ?

Pub. Th' empress’ sons,
I take them, Chiron and Demetrius.

Tit. Fye, Publius, fye! thou art too much deceivid;
The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name:
And therefore bind them, gentle Publius ;
Caius, and Valentine, lay hands on them :
Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour,
And now I find it ; therefore bind them sure ;
And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry.
[Exit Titus. - Publius, fc. lay hold on

,
CHIRON and DEMETRIUS.
Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the empress’ sons.

Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded.
Stop close their mouths, let them not speak a word :
Is he sure bound ? look, that you bind them fast.
Re-enter Titus ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA ; she bearing a

Basin, and he a Knife.
Tit. Come, come, Lavinia ; look, thy foes are bound ;
-Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me ;
But let them hear what fearful words I utter.-
O villains, Chiron and Demetrius !
Here stands the spring whom you have stain’d with mud ;
This goodly summer with your winter mix’d.

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6

1

You kill'd her husband ; and, for that vile fault,
Two of her brothers were condemned to death :
My hand cut off, and made a merry jest:
Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, more dear
Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you constrain’d and forc'd.
What would you say, if I should let you speak ?
Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace.
Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you.
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats ;
Whilst that Lavinia 'tween her stumps doth hold
The basin that receives your guilty blood.
You know your mother means to feast with me,
And calls herself, Revenge, and thinks me mad,
Hark, villains ; I will grind your bones to dụst,
And with your blood and it, I'll make a paste ;
And of the paste a coffin I will rear,
And make two pasties of your shameful heads i
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth, swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you us’d my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be reveng'd :
And now prepare your throats.-Lavinia, come,

[He cuts their throats.
Receive the blood : and, when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder small,
And with this hateful liquor temper it:
And in that paste let their vile heads be bak’d.
Come, come,

be

every one officious
To make this banquet; which I wish may prove
More stern and bloody than the Centaurs' feast.
So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook,
And see them ready 'gainst their mother comes.

(Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies.

SCENE III.
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.
[6] A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye. JOHNSON

The same.

1 Goth. And ours, with thine, befall what fortune will. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil ; Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him, Till he be brought unto the empress' face, For testimony of her foul proceedings : And see the ambush of our friends be strong : I fear, the emperor means no good to us.

Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth The venomous malice of my swelling heart !

Lue. 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 Hath ordain'd to an honourable end, 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. Titus places the dishes on the
Table.
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.

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. [7] i.e. Begin the parley. We yet say, “ he breaks his mind." JOHNSON 21 You. VIII.

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