Chi. Villains, forbear! we are the empress' sons. Re-enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA; she bearing a Bason, and he a Knife. 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; Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that more dear And make two pasties of your shameful heads; shall surfeit on; you us'd my daughter, And worse than Progne I will be reveng'd. And now prepare your throats. Lavinia come, [He cuts their Throats. Receive the blood: and when that they are dead, To make this banquet; which I wish may prove [Exeunt, bearing the dead Bodies. SCENE III. The Same. A Pavilion, with Tables, &c. 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. This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil. Let him receive no sustenance; fetter him, Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave! Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in. [Exeunt Goths with AARON. Trumpets sound. The trumpets show the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes, Senators, and Sat. What! hath the firmament more suns than one? Mar. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle; The feast is ready, which the careful Titus Hath ordain'd to an honourable end, For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome: [Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at Table. Enter TITUS, dressed like a Cook, LAVINIA, veiled, young LUCIUS, and Others. TITUS places the Dishes on the Table. 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, To entertain your highness, and your empress. Tam. We are beholding to you, good Andronicus. Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this: Was it well done of rash Virginius, To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Because she was enforc'd, stain'd, and deflour'd? 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. And with thy shame thy father's sorrow die! [He 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 woful as Virginius was. And have a thousand times more cause than he Sat. What! was she ravish'd? tell who did the deed. Tit. Will 't please you eat? will 't please your highness feed? Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pie* 'T is true, 't is true; witness my knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUS. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Killing SATURNINUS. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans, ascend the Steps before TITUS's House. Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Rome, By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, O! let me teach you how to knit again This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf, These broken limbs again into one body. Roman Lord. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself; And she, whom mighty kingdoms court'sy to, Like a forlorn and desperate cast-away, But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, Speak, Rome's dear friend; as erst our ancestor, The story of that baleful burning night, That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound. But floods of tears will drown my oratory, And break my very utterance, even i' the time Here is a captain, let him tell the tale; Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded, Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears, |