Luc. Oh worthy Goth, this 18 the incarnate devil. That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand: Aaron. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood. Aaron. Get me a ladder! Lucius, save the child, And bear it from me to the empress: If thou do this, I'll show thee wond'rous things, That highly may advantage thee to hear; If thou wilt not, befall what may befall, I'll speak no more, but vengeance rot you all. Luc. Say on, and if it please me which thou speak'st, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. "Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; Aaron. Swear that he shall, and then I will begin. Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st no God; That granted, how canst thou believe an oath ? And keeps the oath which by that God he swears: Luc. Even by my God I swear to thee I will. Aaron. First know thou, I begot him on the empress. Luc. Oh most insatiate, luxurious woman! As true a dog as ever fought at head: Aaron. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? Aaron. Ay, that I had not done a thousand more Even now I curse the day, and yet I think Few come within the compass of my curse.Wherein I did not some notorious ill : As kill a man, or else devise his death; Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it; Accuse some innocent, and forswear myself; Set deadly enmity between two friends; Make poor men's cattle break their necks; Set fire on barns and haystacks in the night, And bid the owners quench them with their tears: Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves, And set them upright at their dear friends' door, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; And on their skins, as on the bark of trees, Have with my knife carved in Roman letters, "Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.” Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things As willingly as one would kill a fly; And nothing grieves me heartily indeed, But that I cannot do ten thousand more. Luc. Bring down the devil, for he must not die So sweet a death as hanging presently. Aaron. If there be devils, would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire, So I might have your company in hell, But to torment you with my bitter tongue! Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Enter a Goth. Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome Aaron. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of Desires to be admitted to your presence. charity, To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. "Twas her two sons that murther'd Bassianus; They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her, And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou sawest. Luc. Oh, detestable villain! call'st thou that trimming? Aaron. Why, she was wash'd, and cut, and trimm'd, And 'twas trim sport for them that had the doing of it. Luc. Oh, barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! Aaron. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them: That codding spirit had they from their mother, As sure a card as ever won the set: That bloody mind I think they learn'd of me, Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they SCENE II.-Before Titus's House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, disguised. Tam. Thus in this strange and sad habiliment I will encounter with Andronicus, And say I am Revenge, sent from below, To join with him and right his heinous wrongs. Knock at his study, where they say he keeps, To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge: Tell him Revenge is come to join with him, And work confusion on his enemies. [They Knock, and TITUS opens his Study door. You are deceiv'd, for what I mean to do Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Thou hast the odds of me; therefore no more. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with me. Tit. I am not mad: I know thee well enough. Witness this wretched stump, witness these crimson lines, Witness these trenches made by grief and care, Tam. Know thou, sad man, I am not Tamora; She is thy enemy, and I thy friend. I am Revenge, sent from the infernal kingdom, To ease the gnawing vulture of thy mind, By working wreakful vengeance on thy foes: Come down, and welcome me to this world's light; Confer with me of murther and of death. Where bloody Murther, or detested Rape, Tam. I am; therefore come down, and welcome me. lit. Do me some service, ere I come to thee. Lo, by thy side where Rape and Murther stands! Now give some 'surance that thou art Revenge; Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels; And then I'll come and be thy waggoner, And whirl along with thee about the globes. Provide thee two proper palfreys, as black as jet, To hale thy vengeful waggon swift away, And find out murtherers in their guilty caves. And when thy car is loaden with their heads, I will dismount, and by the waggon-wheel Trot like a servile footman all day long, 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 Murther there. Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me. Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they call'd? Tam. Rape and Murther; therefore called so, Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. are, And you the empress! but we worldly men Oh, sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee, [TITUS closes his door. Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee. Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house; Rapine and Murther, 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? Demet. Show me a murtherer: I'll deal with him. Chi. Show me a villain that hath done a rape, And I am sent to be reveng'd on him. Tam. Show me a thousand, that have 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, pray thee do on them some violent death: They have been violent to me and mine. Tum. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall we do. But would it please thee, good Andronicus, Enter MARCUS. Tit. Marcus, my brother, 'tis sad Titus calls. 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 him encamp his soldiers where they are. Marc. 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 Murther stay with me, Or else I'll call my brother back again, And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you. And make two pasties of your shameful heads, Tam. What say you, boys? will you bide with And this the banquet she shall surfeit on: him, Whiles I tell my lord the emperor, How I have govern'd our determin'd jest? And will o'erreach them in their own devices: [Aside. Demet. 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 is your will? Tit. Fie, Publius, fie; thou art too much deceiv'd: Chi. Villains, forbear! we are the empress' sons. Stop close their mouths; let them not speak a Is he sure bound? look that you bind them fast. 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 mora Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, For worse than Philomel you used my daughter SCENE III.-Titus's House. A Pavilion. Luc. Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's mind That I repair to Rome, I am content. Goth. And ours, with thine; befall what fortune will Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Aaron. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, Luc. Away, inhuman dog, unhallow'd slave! [Flourish. Sound trumpets. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than Luc. What boots it thee to call thyself a sun? parle! These quarrels must be quietly debated. For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome : Sat. Marcus, we will. [Hautboys. Enter TITUS, like a cook, placing the meat on the table; LAVINIA, with a veil over her face; young LUCIUS, and others. 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 al well, To entertain your highness, and your empress. Tam. We are beholding to you, good Andro nicus. 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. Tit. A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; [He kills her. 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. Wilt please you eat, will't please your highness feed? Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter? 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 pie, Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred, 'Tis true, 'tis true, witness my knife's sharp point. [He stabs TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accurs'd deed! [He kills TITUS. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed; death for a deadly deed. [He kills SATURNINUS. The people disperse in terror. When subtle Greeks surpris'd King Priam's Troy Here is a captain; let him tell the tale; Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to you, That cursed Chiron and Demetrius Were they that murthered our emperor's brother, The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, Marc. Now is my turn to speak: behold this Of this was Tamora delivered, Have we done aught amiss? show us wherein, Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome Marc. Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal emperor! Go, go, into old Titus' sorrowful house, And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering death, As punishment for his most wicked life. [To Attendants. Lucius, all hail to 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, Give sentence on this execrable wretch, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk. Marc. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, To melt in showers. Thy grandsire lov'd thee Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee, Would I were dead, so you did live again! Enter Attendants, with AARON. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish There let him stand, and rave, and cry for food: For the offence he dies; this is our doom. I am no baby, I, that with base prayers Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor And give him burial in his father's grave. Roman. You sad Andronici, have done with That like events may ne'er it ruinate. woes! [Exeunt |