Aar. Ay, and as good, as Saturninus may. [Aside.
Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows to
court it

With words, fair looks, and liberality?
What, hast thou not full often struck a doe,
And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose?

Aar. Why, then, it seems, some certain snatch or so And to our sport! - Madam, now shall ye see

Would serve your turns.

Chi. Ay, so the turn were serv'd.
Dem. Aaron, thou hast hit it.

Aar. 'Would you had hit it too;

Then should not we be tir'd with this ado.

Why, hark ye, hark ye, And are you such fools,
To square for this? Would it offend you then
That both should speed?

Chi. 'Faith, not me.
Dem. Nor me,

So I were one.

Aar. For shame,be friends! and join for that you jar!
'Tis policy and stratagem must do
That you affect; and so must you resolve:
That what you cannot, as you would, achieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chaste,
Than this Lavinia, Bassianus' love.

Our Roman hunting.

Mar. I have dogs, my lord,

[To Tamora.

H

T

S

Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontery top.

Tit. And I have horse will follow where the game
Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.
Dem. [Aside.] Chiron, we hunt not, we,

horse nor hound,

with

But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.A desert part of the forest.
Enter AARON, with a bag of gold.
Aar. He, that had wit, would think that I had none,
To bury so much gold under a tree,
And never after to inherit it.

Let him, that thinks of me so abjectly,
Know, that this gold must coin a stratagem;
Which, cuuningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villainy:
And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest,
That have their alms out of the empress' chest!
Hides the gold

A speedier course than lingering languishment
Must we pursue, and I have found the path.
My lords, a solemn hunting is in hand;
There will the lovely Roman ladies troop:
The forest walks are wide and spacious;
And many unfrequented plots there are,
Fitted by kind for rape and villainy:
Single you thither then this dainty doe,
Aud strike her home by force, if not by words:
This way, or not at all, stand you in hope.
Come, come, our empress, with her sacred wit,
To villainy and vengeance consecrate,
Will we acquaint with all that we intend;
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not suffer you to square yourselves,
But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The emperor's court is like the house of fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull;
There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your
turns!

There serve your last, shadow'd from heaven's eye,
And revel in Lavinia's treasury!

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits,
Per Styga, per manes vehor.

[Exeunt.

Enter TAMOra.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad,
When every thing doth make a gleeful boast?
The birds chaunt melody on every bush;
The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun;
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd shadow on the ground:
Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit,
And

SCENE II. — A forest near Rome. A lodge seen
at a distance. Horns, and cry of hounds, heard.
Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, etc. MARCUs,
LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,
The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green:
Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,

whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying shrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,-
Let us sit down, and mark their yelling noise!
And-after conflict, such as was suppos'd
The wandering prince and Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy storm they were surpriz'd,
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave,-
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber;
Whilst hounds, and horns, and sweet melodious birds,
Be unto us as is a nurse's song

Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your desires,
Saturn is dominator over mine:
What signifies my deadly-standing eye,
My silence, and my cloudy melancholy?
My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls,
Even as an adder, when she doth unroll
To do some fatal execution?
No, madam, these are no venereal signs;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand!
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, the empress of my soul,
Which never hopes more heaven, than rests in thee,
This is the day of doom for Bassianus;
His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day
Thy sons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood.
Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll!-
At-Now question me no more, we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction.
Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life!
Aar. No more, great empress, Bassianus comes!

And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,
Aud rouse the prince: and ring a hunter's peal,
That all the court may echo with the noise.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To tend the emperor's person carefully!
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.
Horns wind a peal. Enter SATURNINCS, TAMORA,
BASSIANUS, LAVINIA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and

tendunts.

Tit. Many good-morrows to your majesty!-
Madam, to you as many and as good!

I promised your grace a hunter's peal

Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy sons
To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be.

Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA.

[Exit.

Bas. Whom have we here? Rome's royal empress,
Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop?
Or is it Dian, habited like her,
Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To see the general hunting in this forest?
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps!
Had I the power, that, some say, Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently
With horns, as was Actaeon's; and the hounds,
Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments:
Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day!
'Tis pity, they should take him for a stag.

Bas. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you séquester'd from all your train?
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wander'd hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?
Lav. And, being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness. I pray you, let us hence,
And let her 'joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose passing well.
Bas. The king, my brother, shall have note of this.
Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long
Good king! to be so mightily abus'd!

Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this?
Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS.

Dem. How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious
mother,

Why does your highness look so pale and wan?
Tam. Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?
These two have 'tic'd me hither to this place,
A barren detested vale, you see, it is!
The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with moss, and baleful misletoe.
Here never shines the sun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nigthly owl, or fatal raven.
And, when they show'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me here, at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make such fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,

Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale,

But straight they told me, they would bind me here
Unto the body of a dismal yew;
And leave me to this miserable death.
And then they call'd me, foul adulteress,
Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms
That ever ear did hear to such effect.
And, had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed.
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not from henceforth call'd my children!
Dem. This is a witness that I am thy son.
[Stabs Bassianus.
Chi. And this for me, struck home to shew my
strength.
[Stabbing him likewise.
Lav. Ay come, Semiramis,-nay, barbarous Tamora!
For no name fits thy nature but thy own!
Tam. Give me thy poniard! you shall know, my boys,

:

Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong.
Dem. Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her!
First, thrash the corn, then after burn the straw:
This minion stood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty

And with that painted hope braves your mightiness:
And shall she carry this unto her grave?

Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch.
Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust.
Tam. But when you have the honey you desire,
Let not this wasp out-live, us both to sting.
Chi. I warrant you, madam! we will make that
sure!

Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preserved honesty of yours!

Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face,-
Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her!
Lav. Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word!
Dem. Listen, fair madani! Let it be your glory
To see her tears; but be your heart to them,
As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.

Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the
dam?

O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee:
The milk thou suck'dst from her, did turn to marble;
Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike;
Do thou entreat her show a woman pity.

[To Chiron. Chi. What! would'st thou have me prove myself a bastard?

Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark;
Yet have I heard, (0 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 foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests:
O, 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. O, let me teach thee! for my father's sake,
That gave thee life, when well he might have slain
thee,

Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears!

Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I 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, and use her as you will;
The worse to her, the better lov'd of me!

Lav. 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 slain, when Bassianus died!
Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman,
me go!

let

Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more,
That womanhood denies my tongue to tell:
9, 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 satisfy their lust on thee!
Dem. Away, for thou hast staid us here too long!
Lav. No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly crea-
ture!

The blot and enemy to our general name!
Confusion fall —

Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth! - Bring thou
her husband;
[Dragging off Lavinia.

This is the hole where Aaron bide us hide him.

[Exeunt.

Tam. Farewell, my sons! see, that you make her

sure!

Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed,

Till all the Andronici be made away.

Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,

Enter SATURNINUS 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?
Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus;
Brought hither in a most unlucky hour,

And let my spleenful sons this trull deflow'r. [Exit. To find thy brother Bassianus dead.

Enter AARON, with QUINTUS and MARTIUS.

Aar. Come on, my lords! the better foot before! Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espy'd the panther fast asleep.

Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes.
Mart. And mine, I promise you; wer't not for
shame,

Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile.
Martius 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-shed blood,
As fresh as morning's dew distill'd on flowers?
A very fatal place it seems to me:-
Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall?
Mart. 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;

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.
Mart. We know not where you left him all alive,
But, out alas! here have we found him dead.
Enter TAMORA, with Attendants; TITUS ANDRONI-
CUS, and LUCIUS.
Tam. Where is my lord the king?
Sat. Here, Tamora! though griev'd with killing
grief.

That he thereby may give a likely guess,
How these were they that made away his brother.
[Exit Aaron.
Mart. Why dost not comfort me, and help me out
From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole?
Quin. I am surprised with an uncouth fear:
A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints; ¡
My heart suspects more, than mine eye can see.
Mart. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,
Aaron and thou look down into this den,
And see a fearful sight of blood and death.
Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart
Will not permit mine 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.
Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here,
All on a heap, like to a slaughter'd lamb,
In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit.
Quin. If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he?
Mart. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear
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 shows the ragged entrails of this pit:
So pale did shine the moon ou 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 it hath,
Out of this fell devouring receptacle,
As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth.

Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus?
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,
[Giving a letter.
The complot of this timeless tragedy;
And wonder greatly that man's face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.
Sat. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him hand-
somely,

Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,-
Do thou so much as dig the grave for him;
Thou know'st our meaning. Look for thy reward
Among the nettles at the elder tree,
Ihich overshades the mouth of that same pit,
Where we decreed to bury Bassianus.
Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends.
0, Tamora! was ever heard the like?
This is the pit, and this the elder-tree.
Look, sirs, if you can find the huntsman out,
That should have murder'd Bassianus here.
dur. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold!

Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee

out;

Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good,
I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb
Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave.
I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink.
Mart. Nor I no strength to climb without thy help.
Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again,
Till thou art here aloft, or I below:
Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee!

[Falls in.

[Showing

Sat. Two of thy whelps, [To Tit.] fell curs of
bloody kind,

Have here bereft my brother of his life:-
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? O wondrous
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 my accursed sons,-
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.

Sat. Thou shalt not bail them; see,
thou fol-

low me!

Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers:
Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain;
For, by my soul, were there worse end than death,
That end upon them should be executed.
Tam. Andronicus, I will entreat the king;
Fear not thy sons, they shall do well enough.
Tit. Come, Lucius, come! stay not to talk with
[Exeunt several

them!

Mar. Perchance, she weeps because they kill'd her Mar. And, for our father's sake, and mother's care,

Perchance, because she knows them innocent.

Tit. If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful,
Because the law hath ta'en revenge on them. —
No, no, they would not do so foul a deed;
Witness the sorrow that their sister makes.
Gentle Lavinia, let me kiss thy lips;

Or make some signs how I may do thee ease!
Shall thy good uncle, and thy brother Lucius,
And thou, and I, sit round about some fountain;
Looking all downwards, to behold our cheeks
How they are stain'd; like meadows, yet not dry
With miry slime left on them by a flood?
And in the fountain shall we gaze so long,
Till the fresh taste be taken from that clearness,
And made a brine-pit with our bitter tears?
Or shall we cut away our hands, like thine?
Or shall we bite our tongues, and in dumb shows
Pass the remainder of our hateful days?
What shall we do? let us, that have our tongues,
Plot some device of further misery,

To make us wonder'd at in time to come.
Lue, Sweet father, cease your tears; for, at your
grief,

See, how my wretched sister sobs and weeps.
Mar. Patience, dear niece!

Good Titus, dry

Tit. Ah, Marcus, Marcus! brother, well I wot,
Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine,

For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own.
Luc. Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks.