51

Lo, by thy side where Rape and Murder stands ;
Now give some surance that thou art Revenge,
Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels;
And then I'll come and be thy waggoner,
And whirl along with thee about the globes.
Provide thee two proper palfreys, black as jet,
To hale thy vengeful waggon swift away,
And find out murderers in their guilty caves;
And when thy car is loaden with their heads,
I will dismount, and by the waggon-wheel
Trot, like a servile footman, all day long,
Even from Hyperion's rising in the east
Until his very downfall in the sea;
And day by day I'll do this heavy task,
So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there.
Tam. These are my ministers, and come with

me.

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I will embrace thee in it by and by.

78

[Exit above.] Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy. Whate'er I forge to feed his brain-sick fits, 71 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 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, Or, at the least, make them his enemies. See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme. [Enter TITUS below.]

Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee.

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85

Welcome, dread Fury, to my woeful house;
Rapine and Murder, you are welcome too.
How like the Empress and her sons 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 Empress never wags
But in her company there is a Moor;
And, would you represent our queen aright,
It were convenient you had such a devil.
But welcome, as you are. What shall we do?
Tam. What wouldst thou have us do, An-
dronicus?

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[Exeunt [bearing the dead bodies].

[SCENE III. Court of Titus's house.] Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and GOTHS [with AARON prisoner].

Luc. Uncle Marcus, since 't is my father's mind

That I repair to Rome, I am content.

[1.] Goth. And ours with thine, befall what fortune will.

Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous
Moor,

This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil;
Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him,
Till he be brought unto the Empress' face,
For testimony of her foul proceedings.
And see the ambush of our friends be strong;
I fear the Emperor means no good to us.

5

10

Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear,

And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth

The venomous malice of my swelling heart! Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallowed

slave!

Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.

15

[Exeunt Goths, with Aaron.] Flourish [within].

The trumpets show the Emperor is at hand. Sound trumpets. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with [EMILIUS,] Tribunes, [Senators] and others.

Sat. What, hath the firmament moe suns than one?

Luc. What boots it thee to call thyself a sun?

Marc. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle ;

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

20

For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome.

Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your places.

Sat. Marcus, we will.

25

[Hautboys. A table brought in. [The company sit down.]

Sound trumpets. Enter TITUS like a cook, placing the meat on the table; Lavinia with a veil over her face; [young Lucius and others].

Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread queen;

Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; And welcome, all! Although the cheer be poor,

"T will fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus? Tit. Because I would be sure to have all well,

31

To entertain your Highness and your empress. Tam. We are beholding to you, good Andronicus.

Tit. An if your Highness knew my heart,

Sat. It was, Andronicus.

Tit. Your reason, mighty lord?

40

Sat. Because the girl should not survive her shame,

And by her presence still renew his sorrows.
Tit. A reason mighty, strong, and effectual;
A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant
For me, most wretched, to perform the like. 45
Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee;
And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die!
[Kills Lavinia.

Sat. What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind?

Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made me blind.

I am as woeful as Virginius was,

50

And have a thousand times more cause than he To do this outrage; and it now is done.

Sat. What, was she ravish'd? Tell who did the deed.

Tit. Will 't please you eat? Will 't please your Highness feed?

Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus ?

55

Marc. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Rome,

70

By uproars sever'd, as a flight of fowl
Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts,
O, let me teach you how to knit again
This scatt'red corn into one mutual sheaf,
These broken limbs again into one body;
Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself,
And she whom mighty kingdoms curtsy to,
Like a forlorn and desperate castaway,
Do shameful execution on herself.
But if my frosty signs and chaps of age,
Grave witnesses of true experience,
Cannot induce you to attend my words,
[To Lucius.] Speak, Rome's dear friend, as

erst our ancestor,

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80

Our father's tears despis'd, and basely cozen'd Of that true hand that fought Rome's quarrel out

106

And sent her enemies unto the grave.
Lastly, myself unkindly banished,
The gates shut 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.
I am the turned forth, be it known to you,
That have preserv'd her welfare in my blood;
And from her bosom took the enemy's point, u
Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas, you know I am no vaunter, I;

115

My scars can witness, dumb although they are,
That my report is just and full of truth.
But, soft! methinks I do digress too much,
Citing my worthless praise. O, pardon me;
For when no friends are by, men praise them-
selves.

Marc. Now is my turn to speak. Behold the child:

[Pointing to the Child in the arms of an Attendant.]

Marc. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house, [To Attendants.] And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudg'd some direful slaught'ring death, As punishment for his most wicked life. [Exeunt Attendants.]

145

LUCIUS, MARCUS, and the others descend. [All.] Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious governor!

Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; may I govern

So,

To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe!

130

But, gentle people, give me aim a while,
For nature puts me to a heavy task.
Stand all aloof, but, uncle, draw you near,
To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk.
O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips,
[Kissing Titus.]
These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd
face,

The last true duties of thy noble son!

155

Marc. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips. O, were the sum of these that I should pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them! Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us

150

Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave; Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.

170

Young Luc. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all my heart

Would I were dead, so you did live again!
O Lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping;
My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth. 175

[Re-enter Attendants with AARON.]

A Roman. You sad Andronici, have done with woes.

Give sentence on this execrable wretch
That hath been breeder of these dire events.
Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and fam-
ish him;

There let him stand and rave and cry for food.

If any one relieves or pities him,

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For the offence he dies. This is our doom.
Some stay to see him fast'ned in the earth.
Aar. Ah, why should wrath be mute, and
fury dumb?

I am no baby, I, that with base prayers
I should repent the evils I have done.

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my will.

Ten thousand worse than ever yet I did
Would I perform, if I might have
If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul.
Luc. Some loving friends convey the Em-
peror hence,

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195

And give him burial in his father's grave.
My father and Lavinia shall forthwith
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that ravenous tiger, Tamora,
No funeral rite, nor man in mourning weeds;
No mournful bell shall ring her burial;
But throw her forth to beasts and birds to
prey.

Her life was beastly, and devoid of pity;
And, being so, shall have like want of pity. 200
See justice done on Aaron, that damn'd Moor,
By whom our heavy haps had their begin-

ning.

Then, afterwards, to order well the state, That like events may ne'er it ruinate.

[Exeunt.