79

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,
That thou adorest and hast in reverence,
To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up:
Or else I will discover nought to thee.

Luc. Even by my god I swear to thee I will. Aar. First know thou, I begot him on the empress.

Luc. O most insatiate and luxurious woman! Aar. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity

90

To that which thou shalt hear of me anon.
'Twas her two sons that murder'd Bassianus:
They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her,
And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou

saw st.

Luc. O detestable villain! call'st thou that trinuming?

Aar. Why, she was wash'd and cut and trimm'd, and 'twas

Trim sport for them that had the doing of it. Luc. O barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself!

100

Aar. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them: That codding spirit had they from their mother, As sure a card as ever won the set; That bloody mind, I think, they learn'd of me, As true a dog as ever fought at head. Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth. I train'd thy brethren to that guileful hole Where the dead corpse of Bassianus 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 sons: And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue, Wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it? 110 I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand, And, when I had it, drew myself apart [ter: And almost broke my heart with extreme laughI pry'd me through the crevice of a wall When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads; Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily, That both mine eyes were rainy like to his: And when I told the empress of this sport, She swooned almost at my pleasing tale, And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses. 120 First Goth. What, canst thou say all this, and never blush?

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, 130
Set deadly enmity between two friends,
Make poor men's cattle break their necks:
Set fire on barns 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.' 149
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 hanging presently.
Aar. If there be devils, would I were a devil,
To live and burn in everlasting fire,
So I might have your company in hell,
But to torment you with my bitter tongue! 150
Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak

no more.

Enter a Goth.

Third Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from 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,

160

The Roman emperor greets you all by me:
And, for he understands you are in arms,
He craves a parley at your father's house,
Willing you to demand your hostages,
And they shall be immediately deliver'd.
First Goth. What says our general?
Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his
pledges

Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
And we will come. March away. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Rome. Before Titus's house. Enter TAMORA, Demetrius, and CHIRON, disguised.

Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, will encounter with Andronicus, And say I am Revenge, sent from below To join with him and right his heinous wrongs. Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge; Tell him Revenge is come to join with him, And work confusion on his enemies.

Enter TITUS, above.

They knock.

Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Is it your trick to make me ope the door, IC That so my sad decrees may fly away, And all my study be to no effect?

Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough: Witness this wretched stump, witness 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 Tamora;
She is thy enemy, and I thy friend:

31

I am Revenge; sent from the infernal kingdom,
To ease the gnawing vulture of thy mind,
By working wreakful vengeance on thy foes.
Come down, and welcome me to this world's light;
Confer with me of murder and of death:
There's not a hollow cave or lurking-place,
No vast obscurity or misty vale,
Where bloody murder or detested rape
Can couch for fear, but I will find them out;
And in their ears tell them my dreadful name,
Revenge, which makes the foul offender quake.
Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent
41

to me,

To be a torment to mine enemies?
Tam. I am; therefore come down, and wel-

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, Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels: And then I'll come and be thy wagoner, And whirl along with thee abou, the globe. Provide thee two proper palfreys, black as jet, 50 To hale thy vengeful wagon 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 wagon-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.

60

Tit. Are these thy ministers? what are they call'd? [so, Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. Tit. Good Lord, how like the empress' sons they are!

And you, the empress! but we worldly men
Have miserable, mad, mistaking eyes.
O sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee:
And, ifone arm's embracement will content thee,
I will embrace thee in it by and by. [Exit above.
Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy:
Whate'er I forge to feed his brain-sick fits,
Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches,
For now he firmly takes me for Revenge;

71

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: 81

Welcome, dread Fury, to my woful 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?

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 revenged on him.

Tam. Show me a thousand that have done thee wrong,

And I will be revenged on them all.

Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome:

100

And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself,
Good Murder, stab him; he's a murderer.
Go thou with him; and when it is thy hap
To find another that is like to thee,
Good Rapine, stab him; he's a ravisher.
Go thou with them; and in the emperor's court
There is a queen, attended by a Moor;
Well mayst thou know her by thy own propor-
tion,

For up and down she doth resemble thee:
I pray thee, do on them some violent death;
They have been violent to me aud mine.

Tam. Well hast thou lesson'd us: this shall we do. 110

But would it please thee, good Andronicus,
To send for Lucius, thy thrice-valiant son,
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 solemn feast,
I will bring in the empress and her sons,
The emperor himself, and all thy foes;
And at thy mercy shall they stoop and kneel,
And on them shalt thou ease thy angry heart.
What says Andronicus to this device?
Tit. Marcus, my brother! 'tis sad Titus calls.
Enter MARCUS.

120

Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius:
Thou shalt inquire him out among the Goths:
Bid him repair to me, and bring with him
Some of the chiefest princes of the Goths;
Bid him encamp his soldiers where they are:
Tell him the emperor and the empress too
Feast at my house, and he shall feast with them.
This do thou for my love; and so let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.
130
Marc. This will I do, and soon return again.
[Exil.

Tam. Now will I hence about thy business, And take my ministers along with me.

Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me:

Or else I'll call my brother back again,
And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

Tam. Asite to her sons] What say you,
boys will you bide with him,
Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor
How I have govern'd our determined jest?
Yield to his humor, smooth and speak him fair,
And tarry with him till I turn again.

141

Tit. Aside] I know them all, though they suppose me mad,

And will o'erreach them in their own devices: A pair of cursed hell-hounds and their dam! Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure; leave us here.

Tam. Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now goes

To lay a complot to betray thy foes.

Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. [Exit Tamora.

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! 151

Enter PUBLIUS and others.

Pub. What is your will?
Tit. Know ye these two?

Pub. The empress' sons, I take them, Chiron and Demetrius.

Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceived;

The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name; And therefore bind them, gentle Publius. Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them.

Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour, 160

And now I find it; therefore bind them sure, And stop their mouths if they begin to cry. | Exit. Demetrius.

[Publius, &c., lay hold on Chiron and

Chi. Villains, forbear! we are the empress'

sons.

Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded.

Stop close their mouths, let them not speak a word.

Is he sure bound? look that you bind them fast. Re-enter TITUS with LAVINIA; he bearing a knife, and she a basin.

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,

170

This goodly summer 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 jest;
Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that

more dear

Than hands or tongue her spotless chastity, Inhuman traitors, you constrain'd and forced.

| What would you say if I should let you speak?
Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace.
Hark, wretches! how I mean to martyr you. 181
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats,
Whilst that Lavinia 'tween her stumps doth hold
The basin that receives your guilty blood.
You know your mother means to feast with me,
And calls herself Revenge, and thinks me mad:
Hark, villains! I will grind your bones to dust,
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear,
And make two pasties of your shameful
heads,

190

And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on:
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be revenged:
And now prepare your throats. Lavinia, come,
He cuts their throats.
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 baked.
Come, come, be every one officious
To make this banquet; which I wish may prove
More stern and bloody than the Centaurs' feast.
So, now bring them in, for I'll play the cook,
And see them ready 'gainst their mother comes.
[Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies.

SCENE III.

200

Court of Titus' house. A banquet set out.

Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and Goths, with
AARON prisoner.

That I repair to Rome, I am content.
Luc. Uncle Marcus, since it is my father's mind

First Goth. And ours with thine, befall what
fortune will.
[Moor,
Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous
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.

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! unhallow'd slave! Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.

[Exeunt Goths, with Aaron. Flourish within. The trumpets show the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with ÆMILIUS, Tribunes, Senators, and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one?

Luc. What boots it thee to call thyself a sun? Marc. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle;

20

These quarrels must be quietly debated.
The feast is ready, which the careful Titus
Hath ordain'd to an honorable end,
For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome:

And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains, And make a mutual closure of our house. Speak, Romans, speak; and if you say we shall, Lo, hand in hand Lucius and I will fall.

Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of
Rome,

And bring our emperor gently in thy hand,
Lucius our emperor; for well I know
The common voice do cry it shall be so. 140
All. Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal emperor !
Marc. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house,
[To Attendants.

And hither hale that misbelieving Moor,
To be adjudged some direful, slaughtering death,
As punishment for his most wicked life.

or!

[Exeunt Attendants.

150

LUCIUS, MARCUS, and the others descend. All. Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious govern. [so, Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans: may I govern To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! But, gentle people, give me aim awhile, 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 The last true duties of thy noble son! [face, 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 15 To melt in showers: thy grandsire loved thee well: Many a time he danced thee on his knee, Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow; Many a matter hath he told to thee, Meet and agreeing with thine infancy; In that respect, then, like a loving child, Shed yet some small drops from thy tender spring,

Because kind nature doth require it so:
Friends should associate friends in grief and woe:
Bid him farewell; co.nmit him to the grave: 170
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.
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.

Re-enter Attendants with AARON.
Em. 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 famish
him;
179
There let him stand, and rave, and cry for food:
If any one relieves or pities him,
For the offence he dies. This is our doom:
Some stay to see him fasten'd in the earth.
Aar. O, 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:
Ten thousand worse than ever yet I did
Would I perform, if I might have my will:
If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul.

190

Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence,

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 heinous 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 of prey :
Her life was beast-like, 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 beginning:
Then, afterwards, to order well the state,
That like events may ne'er it ruinate. [Exeunt.