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> Chi. What! would'At thou have me prove myself

a bastard ?
Lav. 'Tis true, the raven doth not hatch the lark:
Yet have I heard, oh could I find it now!
The lion mov'd with pity did endure
To have his princely paws par'd all away.
Some say that ravens fofter forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests :
Oh, be to me, though thy hard heart say no,
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful.

Tam. I know not what it means. Away with her.

Lav. Oh, let me teach thee. For my father's sake,
That gave thee life, when well he might have Nain thee,
Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

Tam. Hadft thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his fake am I now pitiless.
Remember, boys, I pour’d forth tears in vain,
To save your brother from the sacrifice,
But fierce Andronicus would not relent;
Therefore away with her, use her as you will;
The worse to her, the better lov'd of me.
Lav. [Laying hold on Tamora.] O Tamora, be

call'd a gentle queen,
And with thine own hands kill me in this place;
For 'tis not life, that I have begg'd so long;
Poor I was sain, when Bassianus dy'd.
Tam. What begg'st thou then? Fond woman, let

me go.
Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more,
That womanhood denies my tongue to tell;
O, keep me from their worse than killing lust,
And tumble me into some loathsome pit;
Where never man's eye may behold my body :
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee.
No; let them fatisfy their'luft on thee.
Dem. Away! for thou hast staid us here too long,
VOL, VIII.
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Lav.

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Lav. No grace ? no womanhood ? ah beafi

creature! The blot and enemy of our general name! Confusion fallChi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth—bring thou

her husband; [Dragging off Lavinia. This is the hole, where Aaron bid us hide him,

[ Exeant. Tem. Farewell, my sons. See, that you make her

sure. Ne'er let my heart know merry chear indeed, Till all the Andronici be made away. Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor, And let my spleenful fons this trull deflow'r. [Exit.

SCENE IV.

Enler Aaron, with Quintus and Marcus. Aar. Come on, my lords, the better foot before; Strait will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espied the panther fast asleep.

Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes.

Mar. And mine, I promise you; wer't not for shame, Well could I leave our sport to seep awhile.

[Marcus falls into the pit. Quin. What, art thou fallen? what subtle hole is

this, Whose mouth is cover'd with rude-growing briars, Upon whose leaves are drops of new-Ihed blood, As fresh as morning dew distillid on flowers ?

fatal place it seems to me: Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall ?

Mar. O brother, with the dismallest object That ever eye, with sight, made heart lament. Aar. [Aside.] Now will I fetch the king to find

them here;

A very

That

That he thereby may have a likely guess,
How these were they, that made away his brother.

[Exit Aaron! Mar. Why doft not comfort me and help me out From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole ?

Quin. I am surprized with an uncouth fear;
A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints ;
Mine heart suspects more than mine eye can see.

Mar. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,
Aaron and thou, look down into the den,
And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compaflionate heart
Will not permit my eyes once to behold
The thing whereat it trembles by surmise.
O, tell me how it is; for ne'er till now
Was I a child, to fear I know not what.

Mar. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here,
All on a heap, like to a Naughter'd lamb,
In this detested, dark, blooddrinking pit.

Quin. If it be dark, how doit thou know 'tis he?

Mar. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear
4 A precious ring, that lightens all the hole,
Which, like a taper in some monument,
Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks,
And shews the ragged entrails of this pit.
So pale did Mine the moon on Pyramus,
When he by night lay bath'd in maiden blood.
O brother, help me with thy fainting hand,
(If fear hath made thee faint, as me ic hath)
Out of this fell devouring receptacle,
· As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth.

Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out,
Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good,

* A precions ring] There is supposed to be a gem called a carbuncle, which emits not reflected but native light. Mr. Boyle believes the reality of its existence.

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I may

I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb
Of this deep pit, poor Baffianus' grave,
-I have no ftrength to pluck thee to the brink.

Mar. And I no strength to climb without thy help:

Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not lose again,
Till thou art here aloft, or I below.
Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee.

[Falls in.
Enter the Emperor and Aaron.
Sat. Along with me.--I'll see what hole is here,
And what he is, that now is leap'd into it.
Say, who art thou, that lately didst descend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth ?

Mar. The unhappy son of old Andronicus,
Brought hither in a most unlucky hour,
To find thy brother Ballianus dead.

Sat. My brother dead? I know, thou dost but jest,
He and his lady both are at the lodge,
Upon the north side of this pleasant chase;
?Tis not an hour since I left him there.

Mar. We know not where you left him all alive,
But out, alas ! here have we found him dead.
Enter Tamora, witb Attendants; Andronicus, and

Lucius.
Tam. Where is my lord, the king ?
Sat. Here, Tamora ; though griev'd with killing

grief.

Tam. Where is thy brother Baffianus ?

Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound;
Poor Bassianus here lies murdered.

Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,
The complot of this timeless tragedy :
And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.
[Sbe giveth Saturninus a letter.

Sature

Saturninus reads the letter."
And if we miss to meet him handsomely,
Sweet huntsman-Baffianus 'tis we mean';
Do thou so much as dig the grave for him.
Tbou know'st our meaning. Look for thy reward
Among the nettles at the elder tree,
Which over-shades the mouth of that same pit,
Where we decreed to bury Basianus.

Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends.
Oh, Tamora ! was ever heard the like?
This is the pit, and this the elder tree:
Look, firs, if you can find the huntsman out,
That should have murder'd Ballianus' here.
Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold.

(Shewing it. Sat. Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind, Have here bereft my brother of his life. [To Titus, Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison ; There let them 'bide, until we have devis'd Some never heard of torturing pain for them. Tam. What, are they in this pit ? oh wond'rous

thing! How easily murder is discovered ?

Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed, That this fell fault of mine accursed fons, Accursed, if the fault be prov'd in them

Sat. If it be prov'd! You see, it is apparent, Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you?

Tam. Andronicus himself did take it up.

Tit. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail ;
For by my father's reverend tomb, I vow,
They shall be ready at your highness' will,
To answer their suspicion with their lives.

Sala

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