Knowing, that with the shadow of his wings
He can at pleasure stint their melody:
Even fo may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy spirit: for know, thou emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus

With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous,
Then baits to fish, or honey-stalks' to sheep;
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious feed.

Sat. But he will not entreat his fon for us.
Tam. If Tamora entreat him, then he will:
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promises; that were his heart
Almoft impregnable, his old ears deaf,

5

Go thou before, be our embassador: [To Æmilius.
Say, that the emperor requests a parley

Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Æmilius, do this meffage honourably:
And if he ftand on hostage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will please him beft.
Emil. Your bidding shall I do effectually. [Ex.
Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus;
And temper him with all the art I have,

Ic To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.
And now, fweet emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices,

Yet thould both ear and heart obey my tongue.-15|

Sat. Then go fuccessfully, and plead to him.
[Exeunt.

I have received letters from great Rome,
Which fignify, what hate they bear their emperor,
And how defirous of our fight they are.
Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witnefs,
Imperious, and impatient of your wrongs;
And, wherein Rome hath done you any fcathe,
Let him make treble fatisfaction.

Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great An-
dronicus,

Whofe name was once our terror, now our comfort;
Whofe high exploits, and honourable deeds,
Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,
Be bold in us: we'll follow where thou lead'ft,---
Like ftinging bees in hottest fummer's day,
Led by their mafter to the flower'd fields,---
And be aveng`d on curfed Tamora.

25

V.

They never do beget a coal-black calf.
Peace, villain, peace!"---even thus he rates the
babe,---

For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth;
"Who,when he knows thou art the emperefs' babe,
"Will nold thee dearly for thy mother's fake."
With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,
30 Surpriz'd him fuddenly; and brought him hither,
To ufe as you think needful of the man.

[vil,

Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate de-
That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand :
This is the pearl that pleas'd your emperefs' eye;
35 And here's the bafe fruit of his burning luft.---
Say, wall-ey'd flave, whither would'st thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
Why doft not speak? What! deaf? No! not a
word?

40A halter, foldiers; hang him on this tree,
And by his fide his fruit of baftardy.

Omn. And, as he faith, fo fay we all, with him. 45
Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all.
But who comes here, led by a lufty Goth?
Enter a Goth, leading Aaron, with his child in his

arms.

[ftray'd

Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops 150 To gaze upon a ruinous monaftery; And as I earneftly did fix mine eye Upon the wafted building, fuddenly 1 heard a child cry underneath a wall: I made unto the noife; when foon I heard The crying babe controul'd with this difcourfe : "Peace, tawny flave; half pe, and half thy dam! "Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art, "Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look, "Villain, thou might'ft have been an emperor: "But where the bull and cow are both milk-white,

1

Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.
Luc. Too like the fire for ever being good.---
Firft, hang the child, that he may fee it sprawl;
A fight to vex the father's foul withal.
Get me a ladder 2.

Aar. Lucius, fave the child;
And bear it from me to the emperefs.

If thou do this, I'll fhow thee wond'rous things,
That highly may advantage thee to hear:
If thou wilt not, befall what may befall,
I'll speak no more; But vengeance rot you all!
Luc. Say on; and, if it please me which thou
fpcak'ft,

55 Thy child thall live, and I will fee it nourish'd.
Aar. An if it please thee? why, affure thee,
Lucius,

Twill vex thy foul to hear what I shall speak; For I muft talk of murders, rapes, and matfacres, 60 Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mifclief, treason; villainies

Honey-ftalks are clover-flowers, which contain a sweet juice. It is common for cattle to overcharge themfelves with clover, and die. 2 Get me a ladder, has been in moft of the editions given to Aaron,

and properly, as meaning bang me.

Ruthful

That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, 40 And, for he understands you are in arms,

Where the dead corps of Baffianus lay:
I wrote the letter that thy father found,
And hid the gold within the letter mention'd,
Confederate with the queen, and her two fons:
And what not done, that thou haft cause to rue,
Wherein I had no ftroke of mischief in it?
I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand;
And, when I had it, drew myself apart,
And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter.
I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall,
When, for his hand, he had his two ions' heads;
Beheld his tears, and laugh'd fo heartily,
That both mine eyes were rainy like to his;
And when I told the emperefs of this fport,

She fwooned almoft at my pleafing tale,
And, for my tidings, gave me twenty kiffes.

Enter Tamora, Chiron, and Demetrius, disguis'd.
Tam. Thus, in this ftrange and fad habiliment
I will encounter with Andronicus;

55 And fay, I am Revenge, fent from below,
To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs.
Knock at his ftudy, where, they say, he keeps,
To ruminate ftrange plots of dire revenge;
Tell him, Revenge is come to join with him,

Goth. What! canft thou fay all this, and never 60 And work confufion on his enemies.
blush?

1i. e. that love of bed-fports. Cod is a word fill used in Yorkshire for a pillow. here obferves, that it appears, from thefe words, that the audience were entertained with part of the apparatus of an execution, and that Aaron was mounted on a ladder, as ready to be turned off.

312

Tam. This clofing with him fits his lunacy :
Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-fick fits,
5 Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches.
For now he firmly takes me for Revenge;
And, being credulous in this mad thought,
I'll make him fend for Lucius, his fon;
And, whilft I at a banquet hold him fure,
10 I'll find fome cunning practice out of hand,
To fcatter and disperse the giddy Goths,
Or, at the leaft, make them his enemies.
See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme.
Enter Titus.

Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woeful houfe;Rapine, and Murder, you are welcome too :How like the emperefs and her fons you are! Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor :Could not all hell afford you such a devil?— For, well I wot, the emperefs never wags, But in her company there is a Moor; And, would you reprefent our queen aright, It were convenient you had fuch a devil: 25 But welcome, as you are. What shall we do?

I pray thee, do on them fome violent death, They have been violent to me and mine. Tam. Well haft thou leffon'd us; this fhall we 45 But would it please thee, good Andronicus, To fend for Lucius, thy thrice valiant fon, Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike Goths, And bid him come and banquet at thy house: When he is here, even at thy folemn feast, 501 will bring in the emperefs and her fons,

The emperor himself, and all thy foes;
And at thy mercy fhall they stoop and kneel,
And on them fhalt thou ease thy angry heart.
What fays Andronicus to this device?

Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis fad Titus calls.
Enter Marcus.

Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius; Thou shalt enquire him out among the Goths: 60 Bid him repair to me, and bring with him

Some of the chiefeft princes of the Goths;
Bid him encamp his foldiers where they are:
Tell him, the emperor and the emperefs too
Feast at my house; and he shall feast with them.

4

This do thou for my love; and fo let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.

Mar. This will I do, and foon return again.

[Exit.

Tam. Now will I hence about thy business,
And take my minifters along with me. [me;
Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder ftay with
Or else I'll call my brother back again,
And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

5

Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you.
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats;
Whilft that Lavinia 'twixt her ftumps doth hold
The bafon, that receives your guilty blood.
You know, your mother means to feaft with me,
And calls herfelf Revenge, and thinks me mad,—
Hark, villains; I will grind your bones to duft,
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste;
And of the pafte a coffin I will I rear,

Tam. [to ber fons.] What say you, boys? will 1o And make two pafties of your shameful heads;

you abide with him,

Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor,

How I have govern'd our determin'd jest?

Yield to his humour, smooth and speak him fair,
And tarry with him 'till I come again.

[mad;

Tit. I know them all, though they fuppofe me
And will o'er-reach them in their own devices,
A pair of curfed hell-hounds, and their dam.

15

[Afide. Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. 20 Tam. Farewel, Andronicus: Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [Exit Tamora. Tit. I know, thou doft; and, sweet Revenge, farewel. [ploy'd? Chi. Tell us, old man, how fhall we be em-25 Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine! Enter Publius, and Servants.

And bid that ftrumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth, fwallow her own increase.
This is the feaft that I have bid her to,

And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you us'd my daughter,
And worfe than Progne I will be reveng'd:
And now prepare your throats.-Lavinia, come,
Receive the blood: and, when that they are dead,

Let me go grind their bones to powder small,
And with this hateful liquor temper it;
And in that paste let their vile heads be bak'd.
Come, come, be every one officious

To make this banquet; which I wish might prove
More ftern and bloody than the Centaur's feaft.
[He cuts their throats.

So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook,
And fee them ready 'gainst their mother comes.
[Exeunt.

SCENE JII.

30 Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Goths, with Aaron prifener.

35

[Exit Titus. 40 Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the emperefs' fons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded.

Stop clofe their mouths, let them not speak a word:
Is he fure bound? look, that you bind them faft. 45
Re-enter Titus Andronicus with a knife, and Lavinia
with a bafon.

Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are
bound :-

[mud;

55

Sirs, ftop their mouths, let them not speak to me 350
But let them hear what fearful words I utter.--
O villains, Chiron and Demetrius !
Here ftands the spring whom you have stain'd with
This goodly fummer with your winter mix'd.
You kill'd her husband; and, for that vile fault,
Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death:
My hand cut off, and made a merry jeft: [dear]
Both her fweet hands, her tongue, and that, more
Than hands or tongue, her fpotless chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you constrain'd and forc'd.
What would you fay, if I should let you speak?
Villains, for fhame you could not beg for grace.

Luc. Uncle Marcus, fince it is my father's mind,
That I repair to Rome, I am content. [will.
Goth. And ours with thine, befall what fortune
Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous
This ravenous tiger, this accurfed devil; [Moor,
Let him receive no fuftenance, fetter him,
'Till he be brought unto the emperor's face,
For teftimony of these foul proceedings:
And see the ambush of our friends be ftrong ;
I fear the emperor means no good to us.

Aar. Some devil whisper curfes in mine ear,
And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth
The venomous malice of my fwelling heart!
Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd flave!
[Exeunt Geths, with Aaren.
Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.— [Flurish.
The trumpets fhew the emperor is at hand.
Sound trumpets. Enter Saturninus and Tamura, with

Thefe quarrels must be quietly debated.
The feaft is ready, which the careful Titus
Hath ordain'd to an honourable end,

For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome: 60 Pleafe you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your places.

Sat. Marcus, we will.

A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raifed pye. he breaks his mind.

313

[Hautboys.

2 i. e. begin the parley. We yet fay, A table

A table brought in. Enter Titus, like a cook, placing| the meat on the table, and Lavinia, with a veil over ber face.

Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome,
dread queen;
Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius;
And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor,
"Twill fill your ftomachs; please you eat of it.
Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus?
Tit. Because I would be fure to have all well,
To entertain your highness, and your emperefs.
Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus.
Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you

Sat. Because the girl thould not furvive her And by her prefence ftill renew his forrows.

5

Do fhameful execution on herself.
Mar. But if my frosty signs and chaps of age,
Grave witneffes of true experience,
Cannot induce you to attend my words,-
Speak, Rome's dear friend; as erft our ancestor,
[To Lucia
When with his folemn tongue he did difcourfe,
To love-fick Dido's fad attending ear,
The ftory of that baleful burning night,
IC When fubtle Greeks furpriz'd king Priam's Troy;
Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears,
Or who hath brought the fatal engine in,
That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound.--
My heart is not compact of flint, nor steel;
15 Nor can I utter all our bitter grief,

But floods of tears will drown my oratory,
And break my very utterance; even in the time
When it should move you to attend me most,
Lending your kind commiferation:

20 Here is a captain, let him tell the tale;
Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him fpeak.

Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to you,
That curfed Chiron and Demetrius
Were they that murdered our emperor's brother;
25 And they it was, that ravished our fifter:
For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded;
Our father's tears despis'd; and basely cozen`d
Of that true hand, that fought Rome's quarrel out,
And fent her enemies unto the grave.

Tit. A reafon mighty, ftrong, and effectual;
A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant,
For me moft wretched to perform the like:-
Die, die, Lavinia, and thy fhame with thee;
And, with thy fhame, thy father's forrow die!
[He kilis ber.
Sat. What haft thou done, unnatural, and un-
kind?
[me blind. 30
Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made
I am as woeful as Virginius was:
And have a thousand times more caufe than he
To do this outrage; and it is now done.

Sat. What, was the ravifhed? tell who did the
deed,
[highness feed
Tit. Will't please you eat? will't pleafe your
Tam. Why haft thou flain thine only daughter
thus?

Tit. Not I; 'twas Chiron, and Demetrius :
They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue,
And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong.
Sat. Go fetch them hither to us presently.
Tit, Why, there they are both, baked in that

Pye;

Laftly, myself unkindly banished,

The gates fhut on me, and turn'd weeping out,
To beg relief among Rome's enemies;
Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears,
And op'd their arms to embrace me as a friend:
35 And I am the turn'd-forth, be it known to you,
That have preferv'd her welfare in my blood;
And from her bofom took the enemy's point,
Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas! you know, I am no vaunter, I;
49 My fears can witness, dumb although they are,
That my report is juft, and full of truth.
But, foft, methinks, I do digrefs too much,
Citing my worthlefs praife: O, pardon me;
For when no friends are by, men praise themselves.
Mar. Now is my turn to speak; Behold this
child,

45

Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,
Eating the flesh that the herself hath bred,
Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's fharp point.
[He ftabs Tamora.
Sat. Die, frantick wretch, for this accurfed deed. 50
[He ftabs Titus.

Luc. Can the fon's eye behold his father bleed?
There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed.

[Lucius fabs Saturninus.

Of this was Tamora delivered;
The iffue of an irreligious Moor,
Chief architect and plotter of these woes;
The villain is alive in Titus' house,
And as he is, to witnefs this is true.

Now judge, what caufe had Titus to revenge-
Thefe wrongs, unspeakable, past patience,
Or more than any living man could bear.

Mar. You fad-fac'd men, people and fons of 55 Now you have heard the truth, what fay you,

Rome,

By uproar fever'd, like a flight of fowl
Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gufts,
O, let me teach you how to knit again
This fcatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf,
Thefe broken limbs again into one body.

Goth. Let Rome herfelf be bane unto herfelf;
And the, whom mighty kingdoms curtly to,
Like a forlorn and desperate caft-away,