Dem. Advise thee, Aaron, what is to be done, And we will all subscribe to thy advice: Save thou the child, so we may all be safe. Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. My son and I will have the wind of you: I am a lamb but if you brave the Moor, And pierce the inmost centre of the earth: Pub. Therefore, my lord, it highly us concerns, By day and night to attend him carefully; Nur. Cornelia the midwife, and myself, And no one else, but the delivered empress. Aar. The emperess, the midwife, and yourself: Two may keep counsel, when the third's away: Go to the empress; tell her, this I said :[Stabbing her. Weke, weke !-so cries a pig prepar'd to the spit.,Join with the Goths; and with revengeful war Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. didst thou this? Aar. O lord, Sir, 'tis a deed of policy: Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours? A long-tongu'd babbling gossip? no, lords, no. And now be it known to you my full intent. Not far, one Muliteus lives, my countryman, His wife but yesternight was brought to bed, His child is like to her, fair as you are: Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, And tell them both the circumstance of all; And how by this their child shall be advanc'd And be received for the emperor's heir, And substituted in the place of mine, To calm this tempest whirling in the court; And let the emperor dandle him for his own, Hlark ye, lords, ye see, that I have given her physic, [Pointing to the NURSE. And you must needs bestow her funeral; The fields are near and you are gallant grooms: This done, see that you take no longer days, But send the midwife presently to me. The midwife, and the nurse, well made away, Then let the ladies tattle what they please. Chi. Aaron, I see, thou wilt not trust the air With secrets. Dem. For this care of Tamora, Herself, and her's, are highly bound to thee. [Exeunt DEM. and CHI. bearing off the NURSE. He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere And sith there is no justice in earth nor hell, court: We will afflict the emperor in his pride. Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas. Tit. Ha! Publius, Publius what hast thou done! See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns, court; Tit. Come, Marcus, come; Kinsmen, this is And who should find them but the empress' She laugh'd, and told the Moor, he should not the way : Sir boy, now let me see your archery: Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. Sir, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall • Bargain with. 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 ? Clo. Ay, of my pigeons, Sir; nothing else. 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. Mar. Why, Sir, that is as fit as serve for your oration; and let him pigeons to the emperor from you. Tit. Tell me, can you deliver an the emperor with a grace? can be, to deliver the oration to Clo. Nay, truly, Sir, I could never say grace in all my life. Tit. Sirrah, come hither: make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the emperor: By me thou shalt have justice at his hands. Hold, hold-mean while, here's money for thy charges. Give me a pen and ink. Clo. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be imperial. Tam. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. Clo. 'Tis he.-God and saint Stephen give you good den:-I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons here. [tion ? Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a supplica-up Clo. Ay, Sir. Tit. Then here is a supplication for you. And when you come to him, at the first approach, you must kneel; then kiss his foot; then deliver up your pigeons; and then look for your reward; I'll be at hand, Sir: see you do it bravely. Clo. I warrant you, Sir; let me alone. ant : And when thou hast given it to the emperor, Knock at my door, and tell me what he says. Clo. God be with you, Sir; I will. Tit. Come, Marcus, let's go :-Publius, follow me. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The same.-Before the Palace. Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, CHIRON. DEME TRIUS, LORDS, and others: SATURNINUS with the arrows in his hand, that TITUS shot. Sat. Why, lords, what wrongs are these? Was ever seen An emperor of Rome thus overborne, But even with law, against the wilful sons And now he writes to heaven for his redress : Tam. My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine, lord of my life, commander of my thoughts, Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age, The Clown means to say plebeian tribune, i. e. tribune of the people. ↑ Equal. [SATURNINUS reads the Letter. Sat. Go, take him away, and hang hin presently. Clo. How much money must I have? Tam. Come, Sirrah, you must be hang'd. Clo. Hang'd! by'r lady, then I have brought a neck to a fair end. [Exit guarded Sat. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs! Shall I endure this monstrous villany? know from whence this same device proceeds: May this be borne ?-as if his traitorous sons, That died by law for murder of our brother, Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully.Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; Nor age, nor honour, shall shape privilege :For this proud mock, I'll be thy slaughterman; Sly frantic wretch, that holp'st to make me great, In hope thyself should govern Rome and me. Enter EMILIUS. What news with thee, Æmilius ? Emil. Arm, arm, my lord; Rome never had more cause! The Goths have gather'd head; and with a power Of high-resolved men, bent to the spoil, They hither march amain, under the conduct Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus; Who threats, in course of this revenge, to do As much as ever Coriolanus did. Sat. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths? These tidings nip me; and I hang the head As flowers with frost, or grass beat down with storms. Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach: 'Tis he the common people love so much; Myself hath often over-heard them say, (When I have walked like a private man,) That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully, And they have wish'd that Lucius were their emperor. Tam. Why should you fear? is not your city strong? Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius; And will revolt from me, to succour him. Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious, † like thy name. Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it? Sat. But he will not entreat his son for us. For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear [TO EMILIUS. Sat. Then go successfully, and plead to him. ACT V. [Exeunt. Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the pearl that pleas'd your empress' eye; * And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.— Say, wall-ey'd slave, whither would'st thou con vey This growing image of thy fiend-like face? A halter, soldiers; hang him on this tree, Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood [A ladder brought, which AARON is obliged to ascend. Aar. Lucius, save the child; And bear it from me to the emperess. Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourish'd. Lucius, 'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak ; For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, live. Aar. Swear that he shall, and then I will begin. Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st That granted, how canst thou believe an oath? no god: Aar. What if I do not? as indeed, I do not: Yet, for I know thou art religious, And hast a thing within thee, called conscience, With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, Which I have seen thee careful to observe,Therefore I urge thy oath ;-For that, I know, An idiot holds his bauble for a god, And keeps the oath, which by that god he swears; To that I'll urge him :-Therefore, thou shalt VOW By that same god, what god soe'er it be, 2 Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I That thou ador'st and hast in reverence, stray'd, To gaze upon a ruinous monastery; I heard a child cry underneath a wall: I made unto the noise; when soon I heard Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art, They never do beget a coal-black calf. babe, For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth; babe, Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake. With this my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him, Surpris'd him suddenly, and brought him hither, To use as you think needful of the man. • Harm. That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, ter. I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall, Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? Aar, 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 barus and hay-stacks 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' doors, 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 banging presently. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. talk with me. Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough : Witness this wretched stump, these crimson lines; Witness these trenches, made by grief and care; Witness the tiring day, and heavy night; Witness all sorrow, that I know thee well For our proud empress, mighty Tamora: Is not thy coming for my other hand? Tam. Know thou, sad man, I am not TaShe is thy enemy, and I thy friend: [mora; I am Revenge, sent from the infernal kingdom, Confer with me of murder and of death, Where bloody murder, or detested rape, come me. Tit. Do me some service, ere I come to thee. Lo, by thy side where Rape and Murder stand; Now give some 'surance that thou art Revenge : Aar. If there be devils, 'would I were a devil, Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot wheels; To live and burn in everlasting fire; no more. Enter a GOTH. And then I'll come, and be thy waggoner, Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Trot, like a servile footman, all day long! Rome, Desires to be admitted to your presence. Luc. Let him come near. Enter EMILIUS. Welcome Æmilius, what's the news from Rome ? Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths, The Roman emperor greets you all by me: [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Rome.-Before TITUS' House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, disguised. E'en from Hyperion's rising in the east, And day by day I'll do this heavy task, And you the empress! But we worldly men [Exit TITUS from above. Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, And being credulous in this mad thought, I will encounter with Andronicus; • Perhaps this is a stage direction, crept into the text. 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, Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house ;- Dem. Show me a murderer, 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 hath done And I will be revenged on them all. [thee wrong, Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome, And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself, For up and down she doth resemble thee: But would it please thee, good Andronicus, Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls. Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius ! Mur. This will I do, and soon return again. [Exit. Tum. Now will I hence about thy business, And take my ministers along with me. Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with Or else I'll call my brother back again, [me; And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. Tam. What shy you, boys? will you abide Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor, [with him, How I have govern'd 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 TAMORA. 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? I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name : [Exit TITUS.-PUBLIUS, &c. lay hold on manded. she bearing a basin, and he a knije. 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. Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, And make two pasties of your shameful heads; Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and Gотнs, with • Crust of a raised pye. |