Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war, Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. In that it scorns to bear another hue; Can never turn the swan's black legs to white, Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus ? Dem. By this our mother is for ever sham'd. Aar. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears: Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing The close enacts and counsels of the heart! Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer: He is your brother, lords; sensibly fed Nay, he is your brother by the surer side, Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress? And we will all subscribe to thy advice: Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. Keep there: now talk at pleasure of your safety. Dem. How many women saw this child of his? [They sit. Aar. Why, so, brave lords! when we (67) join in league, I am a lamb: but if you brave the Moor, Nur. Cornelia the midwife and myself; Aar. The empress, the midwife, and yourself:- : [He stabs her, and she dies. Weke, weke !—so cries a pig prepar'd to the spit. Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? wherefore didst thou this? Aar. O Lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy: [Pointing to the Nurse. And you must needs bestow her funeral; Chi. Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air With secrets. Dem. For this care of Tamora, Herself and hers are highly bound to thee. [Exeunt Dem. and Chi. bearing off the dead Nurse. Aar. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies; There to dispose this treasure in mine arms, And secretly to greet the empress' friends.Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave, I'll bear you hence; For it is you that puts us to our shifts: I'll make you feed on berries and on roots, And feed (69) on curds and whey, and suck the goat, To be a warrior, and command a camp. [Exit. SCENE III. The same. A public place. Enter TITUS, bearing arrows with letters at the ends of them; with him, MARCUS, young LUCIUS, and other Gentlemen, with bows. Tit. Come, Marcus, come :-kinsmen, this is the way.— Sir boy,(70) let me see your archery; Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight.— Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled.- And that it comes from old Andronicus, Ah, Rome!-Well, well; I made thee miserable On him that thus doth tyrannize o'er me.- Pub. Therefore, my lord,(2) it highly us concerns Till time beget some careful remedy. Marc. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Tit. Publius, how now! how now, my masters! Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word, He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, So that perforce you must needs stay a time. Tit. He doth me wrong to feed me with delays. And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.- Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can bear: Ad Jovem, that's for you :-here, ad Apollinem :- Here, boy, to Pallas :-here, to Mercury : To Saturn, Caius,(73) not to Saturnine; To it, boy.-Marcus, loose when I bid.- Marc. Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court: Tit. Now, masters, draw. [They shoot.] O, well said, Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas. Marc. My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon; Your letter is with Jupiter by this. Tit. Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done? See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns. Marc. This was the sport, my lord: when Publius shot, The Bull, being gall'd, gave Aries such a knock That down fell both the Ram's horns in the court; And who should find them but the empress' villain? She laugh'd, and told the Moor he should not choose But give them to his master for a present. Tit. Why, there it goes: God give his lordship joy! Enter a Clown, with a basket, and two pigeons in it. Clo. Ho, the gibbet-maker? he says that he hath taken them down again, for the man must not be hanged till the next week. Tit. But what says Jupiter, I ask thee? Clo. Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never drank with him in all my life. Tit. Why, villain, art not thou the carrier? Tit. Why, didst thou not come from heaven? Clo. From heaven! alas, sir, I never came there: God forbid I should be so bold to press to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperial's men. |