Enter PUBLIUS and others. Pub. What is your will? Tit. Know you these two? Pub. The empress' sons, I take them,-Chiron and Demetrius. Tit. Fie, Publius, fle! thou art too much deceived; 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, &c., 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 ANDRONICES, 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! [mud; Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that more dear And make two pasties of your shameful heads; To make this banquet; which I wish may prove SCENE III.-The same. A Pavilion, with tables, dc. 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 fortune will. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him, Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave!- [Exeunt Goths, with AARON. The trumpets shew the emperor is at hand. Flourish. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with ÆMILIUS. Tribunes, Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one? Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; [queen; And welcome, all; although the cheer be poor, 'Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Sat. Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus? 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; A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, most wretched, to perform the like:Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; [He kills LAVINIA. Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus? They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue: 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. [Killing TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed! [Killing Tirus. 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 house. Mar. You sad-faced men, people and sons of Rome, By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, O, let me teach you how to knit agam This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf, These broken limbs again into one body. Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself, Do shameful execution on herself. Cannot induce you to attend my words, [To Luo.] Speak, Rome's dear friend: as erst our ancestor, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse, To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear, The story of that baleful burning night, Or who hath brought the fatal engine in, But floods of tears will drown my oratory, Here is a captain, let him tell the tale; Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, My scars can witness, dumb although they are, For when no friends are by, men praise themselves. The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes: Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true. Now judge what cause had Titus to revenge Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Romans? The poor remainder of Andronici Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, [emperor! Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail! Rome's royal LUCIUS, &c., descend. Mar. [To Attendants.] Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house, And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudged some direful slaughtering death, Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans: may I govern so, Stand all aloof;-but, uncle, draw you near, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk.O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips, [Kisses TITUS. O, were the sum of these that I should pay Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers: thy grandsire loved thee well: Many a time he danced thee on his knee, Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow; Meet and agreeing with thine infancy; In that respect then, like a loving child, Friends should associate friends in grief and woe: 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. Re-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: If any one relieves or pities him, For the offence he dies. This is our doom: Some stay to see him fasten'd in the earth. Aar. O, why should wrath be mute, and fury dumb? I am no baby, I, that with base prayers I should repent the evils I have done: Ten thousand worse than ever yet I did I do repent it from my very soul. Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence, No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds, [Exeunt FRIAR JOHN, of the same Order. BALTHAZAR, Servant to ROMEO. SAMPSON, GREGORY, Servants to CAPULET. ABRAM, Servant to MONTAGUR. Boy, Page to PARIS. LADY MONTAGUE, Wife to MONTAGUE. Citizens of Verona; male and female Relations to both Houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and attendants. SCENE, During the greater Part of the Play, in VERONA: once, in the fifth Act, at MANTUA. PROLOGUE. Chor. Two households, both alike in dignity, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Do, with their death, bury their parents' strife. Which, but their children's end, naught could remove, ACT I SCENE I-A Public Place. Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, armed with swords and bucklers. Sam. Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals. Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. Gre. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar. Sam. I strike quickly, being moved. Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Gre. To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand to it: therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away. Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's. Gre. That shews thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall. Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall:-therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men. Som. 'Tis all one, I will shew myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the meu, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads. Gre. The heads of the maids? Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel it. Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand: and 'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh. Gre. 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John.-Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues. Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I will back thee. Gre. How? turn thy back and run? Sam. Fear me not. Gre. No, marry: I fear thee! Sem. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin. Gre. I will frown as I pass by; and let them take it as they list. Enter several partisans of both Houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs." 1 Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down! Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues! Enter CAPULET, in his gown; and LADY CAPULET. Cap. What noise is this?-Give me my long sword. [sword? La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch!--Why call you for a Cap. My sword, I say!-Old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me. ho! Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE. Mon. Thou villain Capulet!-Hold me not, let me go. La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foc. Enter PRINCE, with Attendants. Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,Will they not hear?-what ho! you men, you beasts, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage With purple fountains issuing from your veins,On pain of torture, from those bloody hands Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground, And hear the sentence of your moved prince.Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets; And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, [Exeunt PRINCE and Attendants; CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, TYBALT, Citizens, and Servants. Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?-Speak, nephew, were you by when it began? Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary, La. Mon. O, where is Romeo?-saw you him to-day? Right glad I am he was not at this fray. sun Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen. Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause? But to himself so secret and so close, So far from sounding and discovery, As is the bud bit with an envious worm, Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, Enter ROMEO, at a distance. Ben. See where he comes: so please you, step aside: I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. Mon. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay. To hear true shrift.-Come, Madam, let's away. [Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY. Ben. Good morrow, cousin. O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!- This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh? Ben. No, coz, I rather weep. Rom. Good heart, at what? Ben. At thy good heart's oppression. Rom. Why, such is love's transgression.Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast; Which thou wilt propagate, to have it press'd With more of thine: this love that thou hast shewn Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears: What is it else? a madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.Farewell, my coz. Ben. Soft! I will go along; [Go`ng. An if you leave me so, you do me wrong. Ben. Tell me in sadness who she is you love. But sadly tell me who. Rom. Bid a sick man in sadness make his will,Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill! In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. Ben. I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved. Rom. A right good marksman!-And she's fair I love. Ben. A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. Rom. Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit With Cupid's arrow, she hath Dian's wit; And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd. From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd. She will not stay the siege of loving terins, Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold: O, she is rich in beauty; ouly poor. That, when she dies, with beauty dies her store. Ben. Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge For beauty, starved with her severity, [waste; Cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair, To merit bliss by making me despair: She hath forsworn to love; and in that voW Do I live dead, that live to tell it now. Ben. Be ruled by me, forget to think of her Rom. O, teach me how I should forget to think. Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes; Examine other beauties. Rom. 'Tis the way To call hers, exquisite, in question more: SCENE II.-A Street. Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and Servant. Par. Younger than she are happy mothers made. Whereto I have invited many a guest, And like her most, whose merit most shall be: My house and welcome on their pleasure stay. Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO. Ben. Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning, One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish ; Turn giddy, and be hoip by backward turning; One desperate grief cures with another's languish: Take thou some new infection to thy eye, And the rank poison of the old will die. Rom. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that. Rom. For your broken shin. Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad? Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipp'd and tormented, and--Good-e'en, good fellow. [Reads. "Signior Martino, and his wife and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena." A fair assembly: [Gives back the note.] whither should Serv. Up. Rom. Whither? Serv. To supper; to our house. Rom. Whose house? Serv. My master's. [they come? Rom. Indeed, I should have asked you that before. Serv. Now I'll tell you without asking: my master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry! Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's [Exit. Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires! And these,-who, often drown'd, could never die,Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun And she shall scant shew well, that now shews best. [Exeunt. Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year I bade her come.-What, lamb what, lady-bird! fold, | God forbid!-where's this girl?-what, Juliet! Enter JULIET. Jul. How now, who calls? Nurse. Your mother. Jul. Madam, I am here. What is your will? [a while. La. Cap. This is the matter,-Nurse, give leave Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Nurse I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,- And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four,— La. Cap. A fortnight and odd days. To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug. And since that time it is eleven years; For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood, I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it: "Wilt thou not, Jule?” quoth And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said- Ay." [he; La. Cap. Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse. Yes, Madam; yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say-" Ay:" And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow A bump as big as a young cockrel's stone; A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly. Yea," quoth my husband, "fall'st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou com'st to age; Wilt thou not, Jule?" it stinted, and said-“Ay." Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed: [grace! An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish, La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of -tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married? Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I'd say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, I was your mother much upon these years [you, [man? La. Cap.. Verona's summer hath not such a flower. Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower. La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentleThis night you shall behold him at our feast: Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face, And find delight writ there with beauty's pen; Examine every married lineament, And see how one another lends content; And what obscured in this fair volume lies, Find written in the margin of his eyes. |