diff --git "a/res/titus_andronicus.txt" "b/res/titus_andronicus.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/titus_andronicus.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,4029 @@ +Titus Andronicus +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +TITUS ANDRONICUS, a noble Roman general +LAVINIA, his daughter +His sons: + LUCIUS + MUTIUS + MARTIUS + QUINTUS +YOUNG LUCIUS, his grandson +MARCUS ANDRONICUS, Titus's brother, a Roman tribune +PUBLIUS, his son +Titus's kinsmen: + SEMPRONIUS + CAIUS + VALENTINE +SATURNINUS, elder son of the former Roman emperor, later emperor +BASSIANUS, younger son of the former emperor +TAMORA, Queen of the Goths, later empress +AARON the Moor, Tamora's lover +Tamora's sons: + ALARBUS + DEMETRIUS + CHIRON +AEMILIUS, A Roman nobleman +MESSENGER +NURSE +A Roman CAPTAIN +COUNTRY FELLOW +FIRST GOTH +SECOND GOTH +Tribunes, Senators, Romans, Goths, Drummers, Trumpeters, Soldiers, Guards, Attendants, a black Child + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Flourish. Enter the Tribunes (including Marcus +Andronicus) and Senators aloft. And then enter, below, +Saturninus and his followers at one door, and +Bassianus and his followers at another door, with +other Romans, Drums, and Trumpets.] + + +SATURNINUS +Noble patricians, patrons of my right, +Defend the justice of my cause with arms. +And countrymen, my loving followers, +Plead my successive title with your swords. +I am his firstborn son that was the last +That wore the imperial diadem of Rome. +Then let my father's honors live in me, +Nor wrong mine age with this indignity. + +BASSIANUS +Romans, friends, followers, favorers of my right, +If ever Bassianus, Caesar's son, +Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome, +Keep, then, this passage to the Capitol, +And suffer not dishonor to approach +The imperial seat, to virtue consecrate, +To justice, continence, and nobility; +But let desert in pure election shine, +And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice. + +MARCUS, [aloft, stepping forward and holding up the +crown] +Princes that strive by factions and by friends +Ambitiously for rule and empery, +Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand +A special party, have by common voice, +In election for the Roman empery, +Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius +For many good and great deserts to Rome. +A nobler man, a braver warrior, +Lives not this day within the city walls. +He by the Senate is accited home +From weary wars against the barbarous Goths, +That with his sons, a terror to our foes, +Hath yoked a nation strong, trained up in arms. +Ten years are spent since first he undertook +This cause of Rome, and chastised with arms +Our enemies' pride. Five times he hath returned +Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant sons +In coffins from the field. +And now at last, laden with honor's spoils, +Returns the good Andronicus to Rome, +Renowned Titus flourishing in arms. +Let us entreat, by honor of his name +Whom worthily you would have now succeed, +And in the Capitol and Senate's right, +Whom you pretend to honor and adore, +That you withdraw you and abate your strength, +Dismiss your followers and, as suitors should, +Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness. + +SATURNINUS +How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts! + +BASSIANUS +Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy +In thy uprightness and integrity, +And so I love and honor thee and thine, +Thy noble brother Titus and his sons, +And her to whom my thoughts are humbled all, +Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament, +That I will here dismiss my loving friends, +And to my fortunes and the people's favor +Commit my cause in balance to be weighed. +[Bassianus' Soldiers exit.] + +SATURNINUS +Friends that have been thus forward in my right, +I thank you all and here dismiss you all, +And to the love and favor of my country +Commit myself, my person, and the cause. +[Saturninus' Soldiers exit.] +Rome, be as just and gracious unto me +As I am confident and kind to thee. +Open the gates and let me in. + +BASSIANUS +Tribunes, and me, a poor competitor. +[Flourish. They exit to go up into the Senate House. +The Tribunes and Senators exit from the upper stage.] + +[Enter a Captain.] + + +CAPTAIN +Romans, make way! The good Andronicus, +Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion, +Successful in the battles that he fights, +With honor and with fortune is returned +From where he circumscribed with his sword +And brought to yoke the enemies of Rome. + +[Sound drums and trumpets, and then enter two of Titus' +sons (Lucius and Mutius) and then two men bearing a +coffin covered with black, then two other sons (Martius +and Quintus), then Titus Andronicus, and then Tamora +the Queen of Goths and her sons Alarbus, Chiron and +Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor, and others as many as +can be, then set down the coffin, and Titus speaks.] + + +TITUS +Hail Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds! +Lo, as the bark that hath discharged his fraught +Returns with precious lading to the bay +From whence at first she weighed her anchorage, +Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs, +To resalute his country with his tears, +Tears of true joy for his return to Rome. +Thou great defender of this Capitol, +Stand gracious to the rites that we intend. +Romans, of five-and-twenty valiant sons, +Half of the number that King Priam had, +Behold the poor remains alive and dead. +These that survive let Rome reward with love; +These that I bring unto their latest home, +With burial amongst their ancestors. +Here Goths have given me leave to sheathe my sword. +Titus, unkind and careless of thine own, +Why suffer'st thou thy sons unburied yet +To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx? +Make way to lay them by their brethren. +[They open the tomb.] +There greet in silence, as the dead are wont, +And sleep in peace, slain in your country's wars. +O sacred receptacle of my joys, +Sweet cell of virtue and nobility, +How many sons hast thou of mine in store +That thou wilt never render to me more? + +LUCIUS +Give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths, +That we may hew his limbs and on a pile, +Ad manes fratrum, sacrifice his flesh +Before this earthy prison of their bones, +That so the shadows be not unappeased, +Nor we disturbed with prodigies on Earth. + +TITUS +I give him you, the noblest that survives, +The eldest son of this distressed queen. + +TAMORA +Stay, Roman brethren!--Gracious conqueror, +Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed, +A mother's tears in passion for her son. +And if thy sons were ever dear to thee, +O think my son to be as dear to me. +Sufficeth not that we are brought to Rome +To beautify thy triumphs and return +Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke, +But must my sons be slaughtered in the streets +For valiant doings in their country's cause? +O, if to fight for king and commonweal +Were piety in thine, it is in these! +[She kneels.] +Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood. +Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods? +Draw near them then in being merciful. +Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. +Thrice-noble Titus, spare my first-born son. + +TITUS +Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me. +These are their brethren whom your Goths beheld +Alive and dead, and for their brethren slain +Religiously they ask a sacrifice. +To this your son is marked, and die he must, +T' appease their groaning shadows that are gone. + +LUCIUS +Away with him, and make a fire straight, +And with our swords upon a pile of wood +Let's hew his limbs till they be clean consumed. +[Exit Titus' sons with Alarbus.] + +TAMORA, [rising and speaking aside to her sons] +O cruel, irreligious piety! + +CHIRON, [aside to Tamora and Demetrius] +Was never Scythia half so barbarous! + +DEMETRIUS, [aside to Tamora and Chiron] +Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome! +Alarbus goes to rest and we survive +To tremble under Titus' threat'ning look. +Then, madam, stand resolved, but hope withal +The selfsame gods that armed the Queen of Troy +With opportunity of sharp revenge +Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent +May favor Tamora the Queen of Goths +(When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was queen) +To quit the bloody wrongs upon her foes. + +[Enter the sons of Andronicus again with bloody swords.] + + +LUCIUS +See, lord and father, how we have performed +Our Roman rites. Alarbus' limbs are lopped, +And entrails feed the sacrificing fire, +Whose smoke like incense doth perfume the sky. +Remaineth naught but to inter our brethren, +And with loud larums welcome them to Rome. + +TITUS +Let it be so. And let Andronicus +Make this his latest farewell to their souls. +[Sound trumpets, and lay the coffin in the tomb.] +In peace and honor rest you here, my sons, +Rome's readiest champions, repose you here in rest, +Secure from worldly chances and mishaps. +Here lurks no treason, here no envy swells, +Here grow no damned drugs; here are no storms, +No noise, but silence and eternal sleep. +In peace and honor rest you here, my sons. + +[Enter Lavinia.] + + +LAVINIA +In peace and honor live Lord Titus long; +My noble lord and father, live in fame. +[She kneels.] +Lo, at this tomb my tributary tears +I render for my brethren's obsequies, +And at thy feet I kneel, with tears of joy +Shed on this earth for thy return to Rome. +O bless me here with thy victorious hand, +Whose fortunes Rome's best citizens applaud. + +TITUS +Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reserved +The cordial of mine age to glad my heart!-- +Lavinia, live, outlive thy father's days +And fame's eternal date, for virtue's praise. +[Lavinia rises.] + +[Enter Marcus Andronicus, carrying a white robe. +Enter aloft Saturninus, Bassianus, Tribunes, Senators, +and Guards.] + + +MARCUS +Long live Lord Titus, my beloved brother, +Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome. + +TITUS +Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus. + +MARCUS +And welcome, nephews, from successful wars-- +You that survive, and you that sleep in fame. +Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all, +That in your country's service drew your swords; +But safer triumph is this funeral pomp, +That hath aspired to Solon's happiness, +And triumphs over chance in honor's bed.-- +Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome, +Whose friend in justice thou hast ever been, +Send thee by me, their tribune and their trust, +This palliament of white and spotless hue, +And name thee in election for the empire +With these our late deceased emperor's sons. +Be candidatus, then, and put it on +And help to set a head on headless Rome. + +TITUS +A better head her glorious body fits +Than his that shakes for age and feebleness. +[To Tribunes and Senators aloft.] What, should I don +this robe and trouble you? +Be chosen with proclamations today, +Tomorrow yield up rule, resign my life, +And set abroad new business for you all? +Rome, I have been thy soldier forty years, +And led my country's strength successfully, +And buried one and twenty valiant sons, +Knighted in field, slain manfully in arms, +In right and service of their noble country. +Give me a staff of honor for mine age, +But not a scepter to control the world. +Upright he held it, lords, that held it last. + +MARCUS +Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery. + +SATURNINUS +Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell? + +TITUS Patience, Prince Saturninus. + +SATURNINUS Romans, do me right. +Patricians, draw your swords and sheathe them not +Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor.-- +Andronicus, would thou were shipped to hell +Rather than rob me of the people's hearts. + +LUCIUS +Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good +That noble-minded Titus means to thee. + +TITUS +Content thee, prince. I will restore to thee +The people's hearts and wean them from themselves. + +BASSIANUS +Andronicus, I do not flatter thee, +But honor thee, and will do till I die. +My faction if thou strengthen with thy friends, +I will most thankful be, and thanks, to men +Of noble minds, is honorable meed. + +TITUS +People of Rome, and people's tribunes here, +I ask your voices and your suffrages. +Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus? + +TRIBUNES +To gratify the good Andronicus +And gratulate his safe return to Rome, +The people will accept whom he admits. + +TITUS +Tribunes, I thank you, and this suit I make: +That you create our emperor's eldest son, +Lord Saturnine, whose virtues will, I hope, +Reflect on Rome as Titan's rays on Earth +And ripen justice in this commonweal. +Then, if you will elect by my advice, +Crown him and say "Long live our emperor." + +MARCUS +With voices and applause of every sort, +Patricians and plebeians, we create +Lord Saturninus Rome's great emperor, +And say "Long live our Emperor Saturnine." +[A long flourish till Saturninus, Bassianus, +and Guards come down.] + +SATURNINUS +Titus Andronicus, for thy favors done +To us in our election this day, +I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts, +And will with deeds requite thy gentleness. +And for an onset, Titus, to advance +Thy name and honorable family, +Lavinia will I make my empress, +Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart, +And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse. +Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee? + +TITUS +It doth, my worthy lord, and in this match +I hold me highly honored of your Grace; +And here in sight of Rome to Saturnine, +King and commander of our commonweal, +The wide world's emperor, do I consecrate +My sword, my chariot, and my prisoners, +Presents well worthy Rome's imperious lord. +Receive them, then, the tribute that I owe, +Mine honor's ensigns humbled at thy feet. + +SATURNINUS +Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life. +How proud I am of thee and of thy gifts +Rome shall record.--And when I do forget +The least of these unspeakable deserts, +Romans, forget your fealty to me. + +TITUS, [to Tamora] +Now, madam, are you prisoner to an emperor, +To him that for your honor and your state +Will use you nobly, and your followers. + +SATURNINUS, [aside] +A goodly lady, trust me, of the hue +That I would choose, were I to choose anew.-- +Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance. +Though chance of war hath wrought this change +of cheer, +Thou com'st not to be made a scorn in Rome. +Princely shall be thy usage every way. +Rest on my word, and let not discontent +Daunt all your hopes. Madam, he comforts you +Can make you greater than the Queen of Goths.-- +Lavinia, you are not displeased with this? + +LAVINIA +Not I, my lord, sith true nobility +Warrants these words in princely courtesy. + +SATURNINUS +Thanks, sweet Lavinia.--Romans, let us go. +Ransomless here we set our prisoners free. +Proclaim our honors, lords, with trump and drum. +[Flourish. Saturninus and his Guards exit, with Drums +and Trumpets. Tribunes and Senators exit aloft.] + +BASSIANUS +Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine. + +TITUS +How, sir? Are you in earnest then, my lord? + +BASSIANUS +Ay, noble Titus, and resolved withal +To do myself this reason and this right. +[Bassianus takes Lavinia by the arm.] + +MARCUS +Suum cuique is our Roman justice. +This prince in justice seizeth but his own. + +LUCIUS +And that he will and shall, if Lucius live! + +TITUS +Traitors, avaunt! Where is the Emperor's guard? + +[Enter Saturninus and his Guards.] + +Treason, my lord. Lavinia is surprised. + +SATURNINUS +Surprised? By whom? + +BASSIANUS By him that justly may +Bear his betrothed from all the world away. + +MUTIUS +Brothers, help to convey her hence away, +And with my sword I'll keep this door safe. +[Bassianus, Lavinia, Marcus, Lucius, +Quintus, and Martius exit.] + +TITUS, [to Saturninus] +Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back. +[Saturninus, Tamora, Demetrius, Chiron, +Aaron, and Guards exit.] + +MUTIUS +My lord, you pass not here. + +TITUS What, villain boy, +Barr'st me my way in Rome? +[He stabs Mutius.] + +MUTIUS Help, Lucius, help! +[Mutius dies.] + +[Enter Lucius.] + + +LUCIUS +My lord, you are unjust, and more than so! +In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son. + +TITUS +Nor thou nor he are any sons of mine. +My sons would never so dishonor me. +Traitor, restore Lavinia to the Emperor. + +[Enter aloft the Emperor Saturninus with Tamora +and her two sons and Aaron the Moor.] + + +LUCIUS +Dead if you will, but not to be his wife +That is another's lawful promised love. [He exits.] + +SATURNINUS +No, Titus, no, the Emperor needs her not, +Nor her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock. +I'll trust by leisure him that mocks me once, +Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty sons, +Confederates all thus to dishonor me. +Was none in Rome to make a stale +But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus, +Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine +That said'st I begged the empire at thy hands. + +TITUS +O monstrous! What reproachful words are these? + +SATURNINUS +But go thy ways. Go give that changing piece +To him that flourished for her with his sword. +A valiant son-in-law thou shalt enjoy, +One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons, +To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome. + +TITUS +These words are razors to my wounded heart. + +SATURNINUS +And therefore, lovely Tamora, Queen of Goths, +That like the stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs +Dost overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome, +If thou be pleased with this my sudden choice, +Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride, +And will create thee Emperess of Rome. +Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my +choice? +And here I swear by all the Roman gods, +Sith priest and holy water are so near, +And tapers burn so bright, and everything +In readiness for Hymenaeus stand, +I will not resalute the streets of Rome +Or climb my palace till from forth this place +I lead espoused my bride along with me. + +TAMORA +And here in sight of heaven to Rome I swear, +If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths, +She will a handmaid be to his desires, +A loving nurse, a mother to his youth. + +SATURNINUS +Ascend, fair queen, to Pantheon.--Lords, accompany +Your noble emperor and his lovely bride, +Sent by the heavens for Prince Saturnine, +Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered. +There shall we consummate our spousal rites. +[All but Titus exit.] + +TITUS +I am not bid to wait upon this bride. +Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone, +Dishonored thus and challenged of wrongs? + +[Enter Marcus and Titus' sons Lucius, Martius, +and Quintus.] + + +MARCUS +O Titus, see! O, see what thou hast done! +In a bad quarrel slain a virtuous son. + +TITUS +No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine, +Nor thou, nor these confederates in the deed +That hath dishonored all our family. +Unworthy brother and unworthy sons! + +LUCIUS +But let us give him burial as becomes, +Give Mutius burial with our brethren. + +TITUS +Traitors, away! He rests not in this tomb. +This monument five hundred years hath stood, +Which I have sumptuously reedified. +Here none but soldiers and Rome's servitors +Repose in fame, none basely slain in brawls. +Bury him where you can. He comes not here. + +MARCUS +My lord, this is impiety in you. +My nephew Mutius' deeds do plead for him. +He must be buried with his brethren. + +MARTIUS +And shall, or him we will accompany. + +TITUS +"And shall"? What villain was it spake that word? + +MARTIUS +He that would vouch it in any place but here. + +TITUS +What, would you bury him in my despite? + +MARCUS +No, noble Titus, but entreat of thee +To pardon Mutius and to bury him. + +TITUS +Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest, +And with these boys mine honor thou hast wounded. +My foes I do repute you every one. +So trouble me no more, but get you gone. + +QUINTUS +He is not with himself; let us withdraw. + +MARTIUS +Not I, till Mutius' bones be buried. +[The brother (Marcus) and the sons +(Lucius, Martius, and Quintus) kneel.] + +MARCUS +Brother, for in that name doth nature plead-- + +MARTIUS +Father, and in that name doth nature speak-- + +TITUS +Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed. + +MARCUS +Renowned Titus, more than half my soul-- + +LUCIUS +Dear father, soul and substance of us all-- + +MARCUS +Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter +His noble nephew here in virtue's nest, +That died in honor and Lavinia's cause. +Thou art a Roman; be not barbarous. +The Greeks upon advice did bury Ajax, +That slew himself, and wise Laertes' son +Did graciously plead for his funerals. +Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joy, +Be barred his entrance here. + +TITUS Rise, Marcus, rise. +[They rise.] +The dismall'st day is this that e'er I saw, +To be dishonored by my sons in Rome. +Well, bury him, and bury me the next. +[They put Mutius in the tomb.] + +LUCIUS +There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with thy friends', +Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb. +[They all except Titus kneel and say:] + +No man shed tears for noble Mutius. +He lives in fame, that died in virtue's cause. +[All but Marcus and Titus exit.] + +MARCUS +My lord, to step out of these dreary dumps, +How comes it that the subtle Queen of Goths +Is of a sudden thus advanced in Rome? + +TITUS +I know not, Marcus, but I know it is. +Whether by device or no, the heavens can tell. +Is she not then beholding to the man +That brought her for this high good turn so far? +Yes, and will nobly him remunerate. + +[Flourish. Enter the Emperor Saturninus, Tamora +and her two sons, with Aaron the Moor, Drums and +Trumpets, at one door. Enter at the other door +Bassianus and Lavinia, with Lucius, Martius, and +Quintus, and others.] + + +SATURNINUS +So, Bassianus, you have played your prize. +God give you joy, sir, of your gallant bride. + +BASSIANUS +And you of yours, my lord. I say no more, +Nor wish no less, and so I take my leave. + +SATURNINUS +Traitor, if Rome have law or we have power, +Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape. + +BASSIANUS +"Rape" call you it, my lord, to seize my own, +My true betrothed love and now my wife? +But let the laws of Rome determine all. +Meanwhile am I possessed of that is mine. + +SATURNINUS +'Tis good, sir, you are very short with us. +But if we live, we'll be as sharp with you. + +BASSIANUS +My lord, what I have done, as best I may, +Answer I must, and shall do with my life. +Only thus much I give your Grace to know: +By all the duties that I owe to Rome, +This noble gentleman, Lord Titus here, +Is in opinion and in honor wronged, +That in the rescue of Lavinia +With his own hand did slay his youngest son, +In zeal to you, and highly moved to wrath +To be controlled in that he frankly gave. +Receive him then to favor, Saturnine, +That hath expressed himself in all his deeds +A father and a friend to thee and Rome. + +TITUS +Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my deeds. +'Tis thou, and those, that have dishonored me. +Rome and the righteous heavens be my judge +How I have loved and honored Saturnine. [He kneels.] + +TAMORA, [to Saturninus] +My worthy lord, if ever Tamora +Were gracious in those princely eyes of thine, +Then hear me speak indifferently for all, +And at my suit, sweet, pardon what is past. + +SATURNINUS +What, madam, be dishonored openly, +And basely put it up without revenge? + +TAMORA +Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome forfend +I should be author to dishonor you. +But on mine honor dare I undertake +For good Lord Titus' innocence in all, +Whose fury not dissembled speaks his griefs. +Then at my suit look graciously on him. +Lose not so noble a friend on vain suppose, +Nor with sour looks afflict his gentle heart. +[Aside to Saturninus.] My lord, be ruled by me; be +won at last. +Dissemble all your griefs and discontents. +You are but newly planted in your throne. +Lest, then, the people, and patricians too, +Upon a just survey take Titus' part +And so supplant you for ingratitude, +Which Rome reputes to be a heinous sin. +Yield at entreats, and then let me alone. +I'll find a day to massacre them all +And raze their faction and their family, +The cruel father and his traitorous sons, +To whom I sued for my dear son's life, +And make them know what 'tis to let a queen +Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain. +[Aloud.] Come, come, sweet emperor.--Come, +Andronicus.-- +Take up this good old man, and cheer the heart +That dies in tempest of thy angry frown. + +SATURNINUS +Rise, Titus, rise. My empress hath prevailed. + +TITUS, [rising] +I thank your Majesty and her, my lord. +These words, these looks, infuse new life in me. + +TAMORA +Titus, I am incorporate in Rome, +A Roman now adopted happily, +And must advise the Emperor for his good. +This day all quarrels die, Andronicus.-- +And let it be mine honor, good my lord, +That I have reconciled your friends and you.-- +For you, Prince Bassianus, I have passed +My word and promise to the Emperor +That you will be more mild and tractable.-- +And fear not, lords--and you, Lavinia. +By my advice, all humbled on your knees, +You shall ask pardon of his Majesty. +[Marcus, Lavinia, Lucius, Martius, and Quintus kneel.] + +LUCIUS +We do, and vow to heaven and to his Highness +That what we did was mildly as we might, +Tend'ring our sister's honor and our own. + +MARCUS +That on mine honor here do I protest. + +SATURNINUS +Away, and talk not; trouble us no more. + +TAMORA +Nay, nay, sweet emperor, we must all be friends. +The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace. +I will not be denied. Sweetheart, look back. + +SATURNINUS +Marcus, for thy sake, and thy brother's here, +And at my lovely Tamora's entreats, +I do remit these young men's heinous faults. +Stand up. [They rise.] +Lavinia, though you left me like a churl, +I found a friend, and sure as death I swore +I would not part a bachelor from the priest. +Come, if the Emperor's court can feast two brides, +You are my guest, Lavinia, and your friends.-- +This day shall be a love-day, Tamora. + +TITUS +Tomorrow, an it please your Majesty +To hunt the panther and the hart with me, +With horn and hound we'll give your Grace bonjour. + +SATURNINUS +Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too. +[Sound trumpets. All but Aaron exit.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= + +AARON +Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, +Safe out of Fortune's shot, and sits aloft, +Secure of thunder's crack or lightning flash, +Advanced above pale Envy's threat'ning reach. +As when the golden sun salutes the morn +And, having gilt the ocean with his beams, +Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach +And overlooks the highest-peering hills, +So Tamora. +Upon her wit doth earthly honor wait, +And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown. +Then, Aaron, arm thy heart and fit thy thoughts +To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress, +And mount her pitch whom thou in triumph long +Hast prisoner held, fettered in amorous chains +And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes +Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus. +Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts! +I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold +To wait upon this new-made emperess. +To wait, said I? To wanton with this queen, +This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph, +This siren that will charm Rome's Saturnine +And see his shipwrack and his commonweal's. +Holla! What storm is this? + +[Enter Chiron and Demetrius, braving.] + + +DEMETRIUS +Chiron, thy years wants wit, thy wits wants edge +And manners, to intrude where I am graced, +And may, for aught thou knowest, affected be. + +CHIRON +Demetrius, thou dost overween in all, +And so in this, to bear me down with braves. +'Tis not the difference of a year or two +Makes me less gracious or thee more fortunate. +I am as able and as fit as thou +To serve and to deserve my mistress' grace, +And that my sword upon thee shall approve +And plead my passions for Lavinia's love. + +AARON, [aside] +Clubs, clubs! These lovers will not keep the peace. + +DEMETRIUS, [to Chiron] +Why, boy, although our mother, unadvised, +Gave you a dancing rapier by your side, +Are you so desperate grown to threat your friends? +Go to. Have your lath glued within your sheath +Till you know better how to handle it. + +CHIRON +Meanwhile, sir, with the little skill I have, +Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare. + +DEMETRIUS +Ay, boy, grow you so brave? [They draw.] + +AARON Why, how now, lords? +So near the Emperor's palace dare you draw +And maintain such a quarrel openly? +Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge. +I would not for a million of gold +The cause were known to them it most concerns, +Nor would your noble mother for much more +Be so dishonored in the court of Rome. +For shame, put up. + +DEMETRIUS Not I, till I have sheathed +My rapier in his bosom, and withal +Thrust those reproachful speeches down his throat +That he hath breathed in my dishonor here. + +CHIRON +For that I am prepared and full resolved, +Foul-spoken coward, that thund'rest with thy tongue +And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform. + +AARON Away, I say! +Now by the gods that warlike Goths adore, +This petty brabble will undo us all. +Why, lords, and think you not how dangerous +It is to jet upon a prince's right? +What, is Lavinia then become so loose +Or Bassianus so degenerate +That for her love such quarrels may be broached +Without controlment, justice, or revenge? +Young lords, beware! And should the Empress know +This discord's ground, the music would not please. + +CHIRON +I care not, I, knew she and all the world. +I love Lavinia more than all the world. + +DEMETRIUS +Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner choice. +Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope. + +AARON +Why, are you mad? Or know you not in Rome +How furious and impatient they be, +And cannot brook competitors in love? +I tell you, lords, you do but plot your deaths +By this device. + +CHIRON Aaron, a thousand deaths +Would I propose to achieve her whom I love. + +AARON +To achieve her how? + +DEMETRIUS Why makes thou it so strange? +She is a woman, therefore may be wooed; +She is a woman, therefore may be won; +She is Lavinia, therefore must be loved. +What, man, more water glideth by the mill +Than wots the miller of, and easy it is +Of a cut loaf to steal a shive, we know. +Though Bassianus be the Emperor's brother, +Better than he have worn Vulcan's badge. + +AARON, [aside] +Ay, and as good as Saturninus may. + +DEMETRIUS +Then why should he despair that knows to court it +With words, fair looks, and liberality? +What, hast not thou full often struck a doe +And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose? + +AARON +Why, then, it seems some certain snatch or so +Would serve your turns. + +CHIRON Ay, so the turn were served. + +DEMETRIUS Aaron, thou hast hit it. + +AARON Would you had hit it too! +Then should not we be tired with this ado. +Why, hark you, hark you! And are you such fools +To square for this? Would it offend you then +That both should speed? + +CHIRON +Faith, not me. + +DEMETRIUS Nor me, so I were one. + +AARON +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. +A speedier course than ling'ring 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, +And 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 withal what 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, and ears; +The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull. +There speak and strike, brave boys, and take your +turns. +There serve your lust, shadowed from heaven's eye, +And revel in Lavinia's treasury. + +CHIRON +Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice. + +DEMETRIUS +Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream +To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits, +Per Stygia, per manes vehor. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Titus Andronicus and his three sons, and +Marcus, making a noise with hounds and horns.] + + +TITUS +The hunt is up, the moon is bright and gray, +The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green. +Uncouple here, and let us make a bay +And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride, +And 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 attend the Emperor's person carefully. +I have been troubled in my sleep this night, +But dawning day new comfort hath inspired. + +[Here a cry of hounds, and wind horns in a peal. Then +enter Saturninus, Tamora, Bassianus, Lavinia, Chiron, +Demetrius, and their Attendants.] + + +TITUS +Many good morrows to your Majesty;-- +Madam, to you as many, and as good.-- +I promised your Grace a hunter's peal. + +SATURNINUS +And you have rung it lustily, my lords-- +Somewhat too early for new-married ladies. + +BASSIANUS +Lavinia, how say you? + +LAVINIA I say no. +I have been broad awake two hours and more. + +SATURNINUS +Come on, then. Horse and chariots let us have, +And to our sport. [(To Tamora)] Madam, now shall +you see +Our Roman hunting. + +MARCUS I have dogs, my lord, +Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase +And climb the highest promontory top. + +TITUS +And I have horse will follow where the game +Makes way and runs like swallows o'er the plain. + +DEMETRIUS, [aside to Chiron] +Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound, +But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Aaron, alone, carrying a bag of gold.] + + +AARON +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, cunningly effected, will beget +A very excellent piece of villainy. [He hides the bag.] +And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest +That have their alms out of the Empress' chest. + +[Enter Tamora alone to Aaron the Moor.] + + +TAMORA +My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad, +When everything doth make a gleeful boast? +The birds chant melody on every bush, +The snakes lies rolled in the cheerful sun, +The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind +And make a checkered shadow on the ground. +Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit, +And whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds, +Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns, +As if a double hunt were heard at once, +Let us sit down and mark their yellowing noise. +And after conflict such as was supposed +The wand'ring prince and Dido once enjoyed +When with a happy storm they were surprised, +And curtained with a counsel-keeping cave, +We may, each wreathed in the other's arms, +Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber, +Whiles hounds and horns and sweet melodious birds +Be unto us as is a nurse's song +Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep. + +AARON +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 today, +Thy sons make pillage of her chastity +And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood. +[He takes out a paper.] +Seest thou this letter? Take it up, I pray thee, +And give the King this fatal-plotted scroll. +[He hands her the paper.] +Now, question me no more. We are espied. +Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty, +Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction. + +[Enter Bassianus and Lavinia.] + + +TAMORA +Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! + +AARON +No more, great empress. Bassianus comes. +Be cross with him, and I'll go fetch thy sons +To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. +[He exits.] + +BASSIANUS +Who have we here? Rome's royal empress, +Unfurnished 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? + +TAMORA +Saucy controller of my private steps, +Had I the power that some say Dian had, +Thy temples should be planted presently +With horns, as was Acteon's, and the hounds +Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs, +Unmannerly intruder as thou art. + +LAVINIA +Under your patience, gentle empress, +'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 today! +'Tis pity they should take him for a stag. + +BASSIANUS +Believe me, queen, your swarthy Cimmerian +Doth make your honor of his body's hue, +Spotted, detested, and abominable. +Why are you sequestered from all your train, +Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed, +And wandered hither to an obscure plot, +Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor, +If foul desire had not conducted you? + +LAVINIA +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-colored love. +This valley fits the purpose passing well. + +BASSIANUS +The King my brother shall have notice of this. + +LAVINIA +Ay, for these slips have made him noted long. +Good king to be so mightily abused! + +TAMORA +Why, I have patience to endure all this. + +[Enter Chiron and Demetrius.] + + +DEMETRIUS +How now, dear sovereign and our gracious mother, +Why doth your Highness look so pale and wan? + +TAMORA +Have I not reason, think you, to look pale? +These two have ticed me hither to this place, +A barren, detested vale you see it is; +The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean, +Overcome with moss and baleful mistletoe. +Here never shines the sun, here nothing breeds, +Unless the nightly owl or fatal raven. +And when they showed 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 called 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 you not henceforth called my children. + +DEMETRIUS, [drawing his dagger] +This is a witness that I am thy son. + +CHIRON, [drawing his dagger] +And this for me, struck home to show my strength. +[They stab Bassianus.] + +LAVINIA +Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous Tamora, +For no name fits thy nature but thy own! + +TAMORA +Give me the poniard! You shall know, my boys, +Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong. + +DEMETRIUS +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? + +CHIRON +And 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. + +TAMORA +But when you have the honey you desire, +Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting. + +CHIRON +I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.-- +Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy +That nice-preserved honesty of yours. + +LAVINIA +O Tamora, thou bearest a woman's face-- + +TAMORA +I will not hear her speak. Away with her. + +LAVINIA +Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. + +DEMETRIUS, [to Tamora] +Listen, fair madam. Let it be your glory +To see her tears, but be your heart to them +As unrelenting flint to drops of rain. + +LAVINIA +When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam? +O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee. +The milk thou suck'st from her did turn to marble. +Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny. +Yet every mother breeds not sons alike. +[To Chiron.] Do thou entreat her show a woman's pity. + +CHIRON +What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard? + +LAVINIA +'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark. +Yet have I heard--O, could I find it now!-- +The lion, moved with pity, did endure +To have his princely paws pared 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. + +TAMORA +I know not what it means.--Away with her. + +LAVINIA +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. + +TAMORA +Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me, +Even for his sake am I pitiless.-- +Remember, boys, I poured 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 loved of me. + +LAVINIA +O Tamora, be called a gentle queen, +And with thine own hands kill me in this place! +For 'tis not life that I have begged so long; +Poor I was slain when Bassianus died. + +TAMORA +What begg'st thou, then? Fond woman, let me go! + +LAVINIA +'Tis present death I beg, and one thing more +That womanhood denies my tongue to tell. +O, 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. + +TAMORA +So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee. +No, let them satisfy their lust on thee. + +DEMETRIUS, [to Lavinia] +Away, for thou hast stayed us here too long! + +LAVINIA, [to Tamora] +No grace, no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature, +The blot and enemy to our general name, +Confusion fall-- + +CHIRON +Nay, then, I'll stop your mouth.--Bring thou her +husband. +This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. +[They put Bassianus' body in the pit and +exit, carrying off Lavinia.] + +TAMORA +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, +And let my spleenful sons this trull deflower. +[She exits.] + +[Enter Aaron with two of Titus' sons, +Quintus and Martius.] + + +AARON +Come on, my lords, the better foot before. +Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit +Where I espied the panther fast asleep. + +QUINTUS +My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. + +MARTIUS +And mine, I promise you. Were it not for shame, +Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile. +[He falls into the pit.] + +QUINTUS +What, art thou fallen? What subtle hole is this, +Whose mouth is covered with rude-growing briers +Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood +As fresh as morning dew distilled on flowers? +A very fatal place it seems to me. +Speak, brother! Hast thou hurt thee with the fall? + +MARTIUS +O, brother, with the dismal'st object hurt +That ever eye with sight made heart lament! + +AARON, [aside] +Now will I fetch the King to find them here, +That he thereby may have a likely guess +How these were they that made away his brother. +[He exits.] + +MARTIUS +Why dost not comfort me and help me out +From this unhallowed and bloodstained hole? + +QUINTUS +I am surprised with an uncouth fear. +A chilling sweat o'erruns my trembling joints. +My heart suspects more than mine eye can see. + +MARTIUS +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. + +QUINTUS +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 who it is, for ne'er till now +Was I a child to fear I know not what. + +MARTIUS +Lord Bassianus lies berayed in blood, +All on a heap, like to a slaughtered lamb, +In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. + +QUINTUS +If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he? + +MARTIUS +Upon his bloody finger he doth wear +A precious ring that lightens all this 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 on Pyramus +When he by night lay bathed 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. + +QUINTUS, [reaching into the pit] +Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out, +Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, +I may be plucked into the swallowing womb +Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave. +[He pulls Martius' hand.] +I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink. + +MARTIUS +Nor I no strength to climb without thy help. + +QUINTUS +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. +[He falls in.] + +[Enter the Emperor Saturninus, with Attendants, +and Aaron the Moor.] + + +SATURNINUS +Along with me! I'll see what hole is here +And what he is that now is leapt into it.-- +Say, who art thou that lately didst descend +Into this gaping hollow of the earth? + +MARTIUS +The unhappy sons of old Andronicus, +Brought hither in a most unlucky hour +To find thy brother Bassianus dead. + +SATURNINUS +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 them there. + +MARTIUS +We know not where you left them all alive, +But, out alas, here have we found him dead. + +[Enter Tamora, Titus Andronicus, and Lucius.] + + +TAMORA Where is my lord the King? + +SATURNINUS +Here, Tamora, though grieved with killing grief. + +TAMORA +Where is thy brother Bassianus? + +SATURNINUS +Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound. +Poor Bassianus here lies murdered. + +TAMORA +Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, +The complot of this timeless tragedy, +And wonder greatly that man's face can fold +In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny. +[She giveth Saturnine a letter.] + +SATURNINUS [(reads the letter):] +An if we miss to meet him handsomely, +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 +Which overshades the mouth of that same pit +Where we decreed to bury Bassianus. +Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends. +O 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 murdered Bassianus here. + +AARON +My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. + +SATURNINUS, [to Titus] +Two of thy whelps, 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 devised +Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them. + +TAMORA +What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing! +How easily murder is discovered. +[Attendants pull Quintus, Martius, and +the body of Bassianus from the pit.] + +TITUS, [kneeling] +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 faults be proved in them-- + +SATURNINUS +If it be proved! You see it is apparent. +Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? + +TAMORA +Andronicus himself did take it up. + +TITUS +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. + +SATURNINUS +Thou shalt not bail them. See thou follow me.-- +Some bring the murdered 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. + +TAMORA +Andronicus, I will entreat the King. +Fear not thy sons; they shall do well enough. + +TITUS, [rising] +Come, Lucius, come. Stay not to talk with them. +[They exit, with Attendants leading Martius and +Quintus and bearing the body of Bassianus.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter the Empress' sons, Demetrius and Chiron, +with Lavinia, her hands cut off, and her tongue cut out, +and ravished.] + + +DEMETRIUS +So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, +Who 'twas that cut thy tongue and ravished thee. + +CHIRON +Write down thy mind; bewray thy meaning so, +An if thy stumps will let thee play the scribe. + +DEMETRIUS +See how with signs and tokens she can scrowl. + +CHIRON, [to Lavinia] +Go home. Call for sweet water; wash thy hands. + +DEMETRIUS +She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash; +And so let's leave her to her silent walks. + +CHIRON +An 'twere my cause, I should go hang myself. + +DEMETRIUS +If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. +[Chiron and Demetrius exit.] + +[Enter Marcus from hunting.] + + +MARCUS +Who is this? My niece, that flies away so fast?-- +Cousin, a word. Where is your husband? +If I do dream, would all my wealth would wake me. +If I do wake, some planet strike me down +That I may slumber an eternal sleep. +Speak, gentle niece. What stern ungentle hands +Hath lopped and hewed and made thy body bare +Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments +Whose circling shadows kings have sought to sleep in, +And might not gain so great a happiness +As half thy love? Why dost not speak to me? +Alas, a crimson river of warm blood, +Like to a bubbling fountain stirred with wind, +Doth rise and fall between thy rosed lips, +Coming and going with thy honey breath. +But sure some Tereus hath deflowered thee, +And lest thou shouldst detect him cut thy tongue. +Ah, now thou turn'st away thy face for shame, +And notwithstanding all this loss of blood, +As from a conduit with three issuing spouts, +Yet do thy cheeks look red as Titan's face, +Blushing to be encountered with a cloud. +Shall I speak for thee, shall I say 'tis so? +O, that I knew thy heart, and knew the beast, +That I might rail at him to ease my mind. +Sorrow concealed, like an oven stopped, +Doth burn the heart to cinders where it is. +Fair Philomela, why she but lost her tongue, +And in a tedious sampler sewed her mind; +But, lovely niece, that mean is cut from thee. +A craftier Tereus, cousin, hast thou met, +And he hath cut those pretty fingers off +That could have better sewed than Philomel. +O, had the monster seen those lily hands +Tremble like aspen leaves upon a lute +And make the silken strings delight to kiss them, +He would not then have touched them for his life. +Or had he heard the heavenly harmony +Which that sweet tongue hath made, +He would have dropped his knife and fell asleep, +As Cerberus at the Thracian poet's feet. +Come, let us go and make thy father blind, +For such a sight will blind a father's eye. +One hour's storm will drown the fragrant meads; +What will whole months of tears thy father's eyes? +Do not draw back, for we will mourn with thee. +O, could our mourning ease thy misery! +[They exit.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter the Judges and Senators with Titus' two sons +(Quintus and Martius) bound, passing on the stage to +the place of execution, and Titus going before, pleading.] + + +TITUS +Hear me, grave fathers; noble tribunes, stay. +For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent +In dangerous wars whilst you securely slept; +For all my blood in Rome's great quarrel shed, +For all the frosty nights that I have watched, +And for these bitter tears which now you see, +Filling the aged wrinkles in my cheeks, +Be pitiful to my condemned sons, +Whose souls is not corrupted as 'tis thought. +For two-and-twenty sons I never wept +Because they died in honor's lofty bed. +[Andronicus lieth down, and the Judges pass by him.] +[They exit with the prisoners as Titus continues speaking.] +For these, tribunes, in the dust I write +My heart's deep languor and my soul's sad tears. +Let my tears stanch the earth's dry appetite. +My sons' sweet blood will make it shame and blush. +O Earth, I will befriend thee more with rain +That shall distil from these two ancient ruins +Than youthful April shall with all his showers. +In summer's drought I'll drop upon thee still; +In winter with warm tears I'll melt the snow +And keep eternal springtime on thy face, +So thou refuse to drink my dear sons' blood. + +[Enter Lucius with his weapon drawn.] + +O reverend tribunes, O gentle aged men, +Unbind my sons, reverse the doom of death, +And let me say, that never wept before, +My tears are now prevailing orators. + +LUCIUS +O noble father, you lament in vain. +The Tribunes hear you not; no man is by, +And you recount your sorrows to a stone. + +TITUS +Ah, Lucius, for thy brothers let me plead.-- +Grave tribunes, once more I entreat of you-- + +LUCIUS +My gracious lord, no tribune hears you speak. + +TITUS +Why, 'tis no matter, man. If they did hear, +They would not mark me; if they did mark, +They would not pity me. Yet plead I must, +And bootless unto them. +Therefore I tell my sorrows to the stones, +Who, though they cannot answer my distress, +Yet in some sort they are better than the Tribunes, +For that they will not intercept my tale. +When I do weep, they humbly at my feet +Receive my tears and seem to weep with me, +And were they but attired in grave weeds, +Rome could afford no tribunes like to these. +A stone is soft as wax, tribunes more hard than +stones; +A stone is silent and offendeth not, +And tribunes with their tongues doom men to death. +But wherefore stand'st thou with thy weapon drawn? + +LUCIUS +To rescue my two brothers from their death, +For which attempt the Judges have pronounced +My everlasting doom of banishment. + +TITUS, [rising] +O happy man, they have befriended thee! +Why, foolish Lucius, dost thou not perceive +That Rome is but a wilderness of tigers? +Tigers must prey, and Rome affords no prey +But me and mine. How happy art thou then +From these devourers to be banished. +But who comes with our brother Marcus here? + +[Enter Marcus with Lavinia.] + + +MARCUS +Titus, prepare thy aged eyes to weep, +Or, if not so, thy noble heart to break. +I bring consuming sorrow to thine age. + +TITUS +Will it consume me? Let me see it, then. + +MARCUS +This was thy daughter. + +TITUS Why, Marcus, so she is. + +LUCIUS Ay me, this object kills me! + +TITUS +Faint-hearted boy, arise and look upon her.-- +Speak, Lavinia. What accursed hand +Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight? +What fool hath added water to the sea +Or brought a faggot to bright-burning Troy? +My grief was at the height before thou cam'st, +And now like Nilus it disdaineth bounds.-- +Give me a sword. I'll chop off my hands too, +For they have fought for Rome and all in vain; +And they have nursed this woe in feeding life; +In bootless prayer have they been held up, +And they have served me to effectless use. +Now all the service I require of them +Is that the one will help to cut the other.-- +'Tis well, Lavinia, that thou hast no hands, +For hands to do Rome service is but vain. + +LUCIUS +Speak, gentle sister. Who hath martyred thee? + +MARCUS +O, that delightful engine of her thoughts, +That blabbed them with such pleasing eloquence, +Is torn from forth that pretty hollow cage +Where, like a sweet melodious bird, it sung +Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear. + +LUCIUS +O, say thou for her who hath done this deed! + +MARCUS +O, thus I found her straying in the park, +Seeking to hide herself as doth the deer +That hath received some unrecuring wound. + +TITUS +It was my dear, and he that wounded her +Hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead. +For now I stand as one upon a rock, +Environed with a wilderness of sea, +Who marks the waxing tide grow wave by wave, +Expecting ever when some envious surge +Will in his brinish bowels swallow him. +This way to death my wretched sons are gone; +Here stands my other son a banished man, +And here my brother, weeping at my woes. +But that which gives my soul the greatest spurn +Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul. +Had I but seen thy picture in this plight +It would have madded me. What shall I do, +Now I behold thy lively body so? +Thou hast no hands to wipe away thy tears, +Nor tongue to tell me who hath martyred thee. +Thy husband he is dead, and for his death +Thy brothers are condemned, and dead by this.-- +Look, Marcus!--Ah, son Lucius, look on her! +When I did name her brothers, then fresh tears +Stood on her cheeks as doth the honeydew +Upon a gathered lily almost withered. + +MARCUS +Perchance she weeps because they killed her husband, +Perchance because she knows them innocent. + +TITUS +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 sign 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 stained 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 wondered at in time to come. + +LUCIUS +Sweet father, cease your tears, for at your grief +See how my wretched sister sobs and weeps. + +MARCUS +Patience, dear niece.--Good Titus, dry thine eyes. + +TITUS +Ah, Marcus, Marcus! Brother, well I wot +Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine, +For thou, poor man, hast drowned it with thine own. + +LUCIUS +Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks. + +TITUS +Mark, Marcus, mark. I understand her signs. +Had she a tongue to speak, now would she say +That to her brother which I said to thee. +His napkin, with his true tears all bewet, +Can do no service on her sorrowful cheeks. +O, what a sympathy of woe is this, +As far from help as limbo is from bliss. + +[Enter Aaron the Moor alone.] + + +AARON +Titus Andronicus, my lord the Emperor +Sends thee this word, that if thou love thy sons, +Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyself, old Titus, +Or any one of you, chop off your hand +And send it to the King; he for the same +Will send thee hither both thy sons alive, +And that shall be the ransom for their fault. + +TITUS +O gracious emperor! O gentle Aaron! +Did ever raven sing so like a lark, +That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise? +With all my heart I'll send the Emperor my hand. +Good Aaron, wilt thou help to chop it off? + +LUCIUS +Stay, father, for that noble hand of thine, +That hath thrown down so many enemies, +Shall not be sent. My hand will serve the turn. +My youth can better spare my blood than you, +And therefore mine shall save my brothers' lives. + +MARCUS +Which of your hands hath not defended Rome +And reared aloft the bloody battleax, +Writing destruction on the enemy's castle? +O, none of both but are of high desert. +My hand hath been but idle; let it serve +To ransom my two nephews from their death. +Then have I kept it to a worthy end. + +AARON +Nay, come, agree whose hand shall go along, +For fear they die before their pardon come. + +MARCUS +My hand shall go. + +LUCIUS By heaven, it shall not go! + +TITUS +Sirs, strive no more. Such withered herbs as these +Are meet for plucking up, and therefore mine. + +LUCIUS +Sweet father, if I shall be thought thy son, +Let me redeem my brothers both from death. + +MARCUS +And for our father's sake and mother's care, +Now let me show a brother's love to thee. + +TITUS +Agree between you. I will spare my hand. + +LUCIUS Then I'll go fetch an ax. + +MARCUS But I will use the ax. [Lucius and Marcus exit.] + +TITUS +Come hither, Aaron. I'll deceive them both. +Lend me thy hand, and I will give thee mine. + +AARON, [aside] +If that be called deceit, I will be honest +And never whilst I live deceive men so. +But I'll deceive you in another sort, +And that you'll say ere half an hour pass. +[He cuts off Titus' hand.] + +[Enter Lucius and Marcus again.] + + +TITUS +Now stay your strife. What shall be is dispatched.-- +Good Aaron, give his Majesty my hand. +Tell him it was a hand that warded him +From thousand dangers. Bid him bury it. +More hath it merited; that let it have. +As for my sons, say I account of them +As jewels purchased at an easy price, +And yet dear, too, because I bought mine own. + +AARON +I go, Andronicus, and for thy hand +Look by and by to have thy sons with thee. +[Aside.] Their heads, I mean. O, how this villainy +Doth fat me with the very thoughts of it! +Let fools do good and fair men call for grace; +Aaron will have his soul black like his face. +[He exits.] + +TITUS +O, here I lift this one hand up to heaven, +And bow this feeble ruin to the earth. [He kneels.] +If any power pities wretched tears, +To that I call. [(Lavinia kneels.)] What, wouldst thou +kneel with me? +Do, then, dear heart, for heaven shall hear our +prayers, +Or with our sighs we'll breathe the welkin dim +And stain the sun with fog, as sometime clouds +When they do hug him in their melting bosoms. + +MARCUS +O brother, speak with possibility, +And do not break into these deep extremes. + +TITUS +Is not my sorrow deep, having no bottom? +Then be my passions bottomless with them. + +MARCUS +But yet let reason govern thy lament. + +TITUS +If there were reason for these miseries, +Then into limits could I bind my woes. +When heaven doth weep, doth not the Earth o'erflow? +If the winds rage, doth not the sea wax mad, +Threat'ning the welkin with his big-swoll'n face? +And wilt thou have a reason for this coil? +I am the sea. Hark how her sighs doth flow! +She is the weeping welkin, I the Earth. +Then must my sea be moved with her sighs; +Then must my Earth with her continual tears +Become a deluge, overflowed and drowned, +Forwhy my bowels cannot hide her woes +But like a drunkard must I vomit them. +Then give me leave, for losers will have leave +To ease their stomachs with their bitter tongues. + +[Enter a Messenger with two heads and a hand.] + + +MESSENGER +Worthy Andronicus, ill art thou repaid +For that good hand thou sent'st the Emperor. +Here are the heads of thy two noble sons, +And here's thy hand in scorn to thee sent back. +Thy grief their sports, thy resolution mocked, +That woe is me to think upon thy woes +More than remembrance of my father's death. +[He exits.] + +MARCUS +Now let hot Etna cool in Sicily, +And be my heart an everburning hell! +These miseries are more than may be borne. +To weep with them that weep doth ease some deal, +But sorrow flouted at is double death. + +LUCIUS +Ah, that this sight should make so deep a wound +And yet detested life not shrink thereat! +That ever death should let life bear his name, +Where life hath no more interest but to breathe. +[Lavinia kisses Titus.] + +MARCUS +Alas, poor heart, that kiss is comfortless +As frozen water to a starved snake. + +TITUS +When will this fearful slumber have an end? + +MARCUS +Now farewell, flatt'ry; die, Andronicus. +Thou dost not slumber. See thy two sons' heads, +Thy warlike hand, thy mangled daughter here, +Thy other banished son with this dear sight +Struck pale and bloodless; and thy brother, I, +Even like a stony image cold and numb. +Ah, now no more will I control thy griefs. +Rent off thy silver hair, thy other hand, +Gnawing with thy teeth, and be this dismal sight +The closing up of our most wretched eyes. +Now is a time to storm. Why art thou still? + +TITUS Ha, ha, ha! + +MARCUS +Why dost thou laugh? It fits not with this hour. +[Titus and Lavinia rise.] + +TITUS +Why, I have not another tear to shed. +Besides, this sorrow is an enemy +And would usurp upon my wat'ry eyes +And make them blind with tributary tears. +Then which way shall I find Revenge's cave? +For these two heads do seem to speak to me +And threat me I shall never come to bliss +Till all these mischiefs be returned again +Even in their throats that hath committed them. +Come, let me see what task I have to do. +You heavy people, circle me about +That I may turn me to each one of you +And swear unto my soul to right your wrongs. +The vow is made. Come, brother, take a head, +And in this hand the other will I bear.-- +And, Lavinia, thou shalt be employed in these arms. +Bear thou my hand, sweet wench, between thy +teeth.-- +As for thee, boy, go get thee from my sight. +Thou art an exile, and thou must not stay. +Hie to the Goths and raise an army there. +And if you love me, as I think you do, +Let's kiss and part, for we have much to do. +[All but Lucius exit.] + +LUCIUS +Farewell, Andronicus, my noble father, +The woefull'st man that ever lived in Rome. +Farewell, proud Rome, till Lucius come again. +He loves his pledges dearer than his life. +Farewell, Lavinia, my noble sister. +O, would thou wert as thou tofore hast been! +But now nor Lucius nor Lavinia lives +But in oblivion and hateful griefs. +If Lucius live he will requite your wrongs +And make proud Saturnine and his empress +Beg at the gates like Tarquin and his queen. +Now will I to the Goths and raise a power +To be revenged on Rome and Saturnine. +[Lucius exits.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[A banquet. Enter Titus Andronicus, Marcus, Lavinia, +and the boy Young Lucius, with Servants.] + + +TITUS +So, so. Now sit, and look you eat no more +Than will preserve just so much strength in us +As will revenge these bitter woes of ours. +Marcus, unknit that sorrow-wreathen knot. +Thy niece and I, poor creatures, want our hands +And cannot passionate our tenfold grief +With folded arms. This poor right hand of mine +Is left to tyrannize upon my breast, +Who, when my heart, all mad with misery, +Beats in this hollow prison of my flesh, +Then thus I thump it down.-- +Thou map of woe, that thus dost talk in signs, +When thy poor heart beats with outrageous beating, +Thou canst not strike it thus to make it still. +Wound it with sighing, girl, kill it with groans; +Or get some little knife between thy teeth +And just against thy heart make thou a hole, +That all the tears that thy poor eyes let fall +May run into that sink and, soaking in, +Drown the lamenting fool in sea-salt tears. + +MARCUS +Fie, brother, fie! Teach her not thus to lay +Such violent hands upon her tender life. + +TITUS +How now! Has sorrow made thee dote already? +Why, Marcus, no man should be mad but I. +What violent hands can she lay on her life? +Ah, wherefore dost thou urge the name of hands, +To bid Aeneas tell the tale twice o'er +How Troy was burnt and he made miserable? +O, handle not the theme, to talk of hands, +Lest we remember still that we have none.-- +Fie, fie, how franticly I square my talk, +As if we should forget we had no hands +If Marcus did not name the word of hands! +Come, let's fall to, and, gentle girl, eat this. +Here is no drink!--Hark, Marcus, what she says. +I can interpret all her martyred signs. +She says she drinks no other drink but tears +Brewed with her sorrow, mashed upon her cheeks.-- +Speechless complainer, I will learn thy thought. +In thy dumb action will I be as perfect +As begging hermits in their holy prayers. +Thou shalt not sigh, nor hold thy stumps to heaven, +Nor wink, nor nod, nor kneel, nor make a sign, +But I of these will wrest an alphabet +And by still practice learn to know thy meaning. + +YOUNG LUCIUS, [weeping] +Good grandsire, leave these bitter deep laments. +Make my aunt merry with some pleasing tale. + +MARCUS +Alas, the tender boy, in passion moved, +Doth weep to see his grandsire's heaviness. + +TITUS +Peace, tender sapling. Thou art made of tears, +And tears will quickly melt thy life away. +[Marcus strikes the dish with a knife.] +What dost thou strike at, Marcus, with thy knife? + +MARCUS +At that that I have killed, my lord, a fly. + +TITUS +Out on thee, murderer! Thou kill'st my heart. +Mine eyes are cloyed with view of tyranny; +A deed of death done on the innocent +Becomes not Titus' brother. Get thee gone. +I see thou art not for my company. + +MARCUS +Alas, my lord, I have but killed a fly. + +TITUS +"But"? How if that fly had a father and mother? +How would he hang his slender gilded wings +And buzz lamenting doings in the air! +Poor harmless fly, +That, with his pretty buzzing melody, +Came here to make us merry! And thou hast killed +him. + +MARCUS +Pardon me, sir. It was a black, ill-favored fly, +Like to the Empress' Moor. Therefore I killed him. + +TITUS O, O, O! +Then pardon me for reprehending thee, +For thou hast done a charitable deed. +Give me thy knife. I will insult on him, +Flattering myself as if it were the Moor +Come hither purposely to poison me. +There's for thyself, and that's for Tamora. +Ah, sirrah! +Yet I think we are not brought so low +But that between us we can kill a fly +That comes in likeness of a coal-black Moor. + +MARCUS +Alas, poor man, grief has so wrought on him +He takes false shadows for true substances. + +TITUS +Come, take away.--Lavinia, go with me. +I'll to thy closet and go read with thee +Sad stories chanced in the times of old.-- +Come, boy, and go with me. Thy sight is young, +And thou shalt read when mine begin to dazzle. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Lucius' son and Lavinia running after him, and +the boy flies from her with his books under his arm. +Enter Titus and Marcus.] + + +YOUNG LUCIUS +Help, grandsire, help! My aunt Lavinia +Follows me everywhere, I know not why.-- +Good uncle Marcus, see how swift she comes!-- +Alas, sweet aunt, I know not what you mean. + +MARCUS +Stand by me, Lucius. Do not fear thine aunt. + +TITUS +She loves thee, boy, too well to do thee harm. + +YOUNG LUCIUS +Ay, when my father was in Rome she did. + +MARCUS +What means my niece Lavinia by these signs? + +TITUS +Fear her not, Lucius. Somewhat doth she mean. +See, Lucius, see, how much she makes of thee. +Somewhither would she have thee go with her. +Ah, boy, Cornelia never with more care +Read to her sons than she hath read to thee +Sweet poetry and Tully's Orator. + +MARCUS +Canst thou not guess wherefore she plies thee thus? + +YOUNG LUCIUS +My lord, I know not, I, nor can I guess, +Unless some fit or frenzy do possess her; +For I have heard my grandsire say full oft, +Extremity of griefs would make men mad, +And I have read that Hecuba of Troy +Ran mad for sorrow. That made me to fear, +Although, my lord, I know my noble aunt +Loves me as dear as e'er my mother did, +And would not but in fury fright my youth, +Which made me down to throw my books and fly, +Causeless, perhaps.--But pardon me, sweet aunt. +And, madam, if my uncle Marcus go, +I will most willingly attend your Ladyship. + +MARCUS Lucius, I will. + +TITUS +How now, Lavinia?--Marcus, what means this? +Some book there is that she desires to see.-- +Which is it, girl, of these?--Open them, boy.-- +[To Lavinia.] But thou art deeper read and better +skilled. +Come and take choice of all my library, +And so beguile thy sorrow till the heavens +Reveal the damned contriver of this deed.-- +Why lifts she up her arms in sequence thus? + +MARCUS +I think she means that there were more than one +Confederate in the fact. Ay, more there was, +Or else to heaven she heaves them for revenge. + +TITUS +Lucius, what book is that she tosseth so? + +YOUNG LUCIUS +Grandsire, 'tis Ovid's Metamorphosis. +My mother gave it me. + +MARCUS For love of her that's gone, +Perhaps, she culled it from among the rest. + +TITUS +Soft! So busily she turns the leaves. +Help her! What would she find?--Lavinia, shall I read? +This is the tragic tale of Philomel, +And treats of Tereus' treason and his rape. +And rape, I fear, was root of thy annoy. + +MARCUS +See, brother, see! Note how she quotes the leaves. + +TITUS +Lavinia, wert thou thus surprised, sweet girl, +Ravished and wronged as Philomela was, +Forced in the ruthless, vast, and gloomy woods? +See, see! Ay, such a place there is where we did hunt-- +O, had we never, never hunted there!-- +Patterned by that the poet here describes, +By nature made for murders and for rapes. + +MARCUS +O, why should nature build so foul a den, +Unless the gods delight in tragedies? + +TITUS +Give signs, sweet girl, for here are none but friends, +What Roman lord it was durst do the deed. +Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst, +That left the camp to sin in Lucrece' bed? + +MARCUS +Sit down, sweet niece.--Brother, sit down by me. +[They sit.] +Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury +Inspire me, that I may this treason find.-- +My lord, look here.--Look here, Lavinia. +[He writes his name with his staff and guides it +with feet and mouth.] +This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou canst, +This after me. I have writ my name +Without the help of any hand at all. +Cursed be that heart that forced us to this shift! +Write thou, good niece, and here display at last +What God will have discovered for revenge. +Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain, +That we may know the traitors and the truth. +[She takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it +with her stumps and writes.] +O, do you read, my lord, what she hath writ? + +TITUS +"Stuprum. Chiron, Demetrius." + +MARCUS +What, what! The lustful sons of Tamora +Performers of this heinous, bloody deed? + +TITUS Magni Dominator poli, +Tam lentus audis scelera, tam lentus vides? + +MARCUS +O, calm thee, gentle lord, although I know +There is enough written upon this earth +To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts +And arm the minds of infants to exclaims. +My lord, kneel down with me.--Lavinia, kneel.-- +And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope, +[They all kneel.] +And swear with me--as, with the woeful fere +And father of that chaste dishonored dame, +Lord Junius Brutus swore for Lucrece' rape-- +That we will prosecute by good advice +Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths, +And see their blood or die with this reproach. +[They rise.] + +TITUS +'Tis sure enough, an you knew how. +But if you hunt these bearwhelps, then beware; +The dam will wake an if she wind you once. +She's with the lion deeply still in league, +And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back; +And when he sleeps will she do what she list. +You are a young huntsman, Marcus; let alone. +And come, I will go get a leaf of brass, +And with a gad of steel will write these words, +And lay it by. The angry northern wind +Will blow these sands like Sibyl's leaves abroad, +And where's our lesson then?--Boy, what say you? + +YOUNG LUCIUS +I say, my lord, that if I were a man, +Their mother's bedchamber should not be safe +For these base bondmen to the yoke of Rome. + +MARCUS +Ay, that's my boy! Thy father hath full oft +For his ungrateful country done the like. + +YOUNG LUCIUS +And, uncle, so will I, an if I live. + +TITUS +Come, go with me into mine armory. +Lucius, I'll fit thee, and withal my boy +Shall carry from me to the Empress' sons +Presents that I intend to send them both. +Come, come. Thou 'lt do my message, wilt thou not? + +YOUNG LUCIUS +Ay, with my dagger in their bosoms, grandsire. + +TITUS +No, boy, not so. I'll teach thee another course.-- +Lavinia, come.--Marcus, look to my house. +Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court; +Ay, marry, will we, sir, and we'll be waited on. +[All but Marcus exit.] + +MARCUS +O heavens, can you hear a good man groan +And not relent, or not compassion him? +Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy, +That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart +Than foemen's marks upon his battered shield, +But yet so just that he will not revenge. +Revenge the heavens for old Andronicus! +[He exits.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Aaron, Chiron, and Demetrius at one door, and at +the other door young Lucius and another, with a bundle +of weapons and verses writ upon them.] + + +CHIRON +Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius. +He hath some message to deliver us. + +AARON +Ay, some mad message from his mad grandfather. + +YOUNG LUCIUS +My lords, with all the humbleness I may, +I greet your Honors from Andronicus-- +[Aside.] And pray the Roman gods confound you both. + +DEMETRIUS +Gramercy, lovely Lucius. What's the news? + +YOUNG LUCIUS, [aside] +That you are both deciphered, that's the news, +For villains marked with rape.--May it please you, +My grandsire, well advised, hath sent by me +The goodliest weapons of his armory +To gratify your honorable youth, +The hope of Rome; for so he bid me say, +And so I do, and with his gifts present +Your Lordships, that, whenever you have need, +You may be armed and appointed well, +And so I leave you both--[(aside)] like bloody villains. +[He exits, with Attendant.] + +DEMETRIUS +What's here? A scroll, and written round about. +Let's see: +[He reads:] "Integer vitae, scelerisque purus, + Non eget Mauri iaculis, nec arcu." + +CHIRON +O, 'tis a verse in Horace; I know it well. +I read it in the grammar long ago. + +AARON +Ay, just; a verse in Horace; right, you have it. +[Aside.] Now, what a thing it is to be an ass! +Here's no sound jest. The old man hath found their +guilt +And sends them weapons wrapped about with lines +That wound, beyond their feeling, to the quick. +But were our witty empress well afoot, +She would applaud Andronicus' conceit. +But let her rest in her unrest awhile.-- +And now, young lords, was 't not a happy star +Led us to Rome, strangers, and, more than so, +Captives, to be advanced to this height? +It did me good before the palace gate +To brave the tribune in his brother's hearing. + +DEMETRIUS +But me more good to see so great a lord +Basely insinuate and send us gifts. + +AARON +Had he not reason, Lord Demetrius? +Did you not use his daughter very friendly? + +DEMETRIUS +I would we had a thousand Roman dames +At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust. + +CHIRON +A charitable wish, and full of love! + +AARON +Here lacks but your mother for to say amen. + +CHIRON +And that would she, for twenty thousand more. + +DEMETRIUS +Come, let us go and pray to all the gods +For our beloved mother in her pains. + +AARON, [aside] +Pray to the devils; the gods have given us over. +[Trumpets sound offstage.] + +DEMETRIUS +Why do the Emperor's trumpets flourish thus? + +CHIRON +Belike for joy the Emperor hath a son. + +DEMETRIUS Soft, who comes here? + +[Enter Nurse, with a blackamoor child in her arms.] + + +NURSE Good morrow, lords. +O, tell me, did you see Aaron the Moor? + +AARON +Well, more or less, or ne'er a whit at all, +Here Aaron is. And what with Aaron now? + +NURSE +O, gentle Aaron, we are all undone! +Now help, or woe betide thee evermore. + +AARON +Why, what a caterwauling dost thou keep! +What dost thou wrap and fumble in thy arms? + +NURSE +O, that which I would hide from heaven's eye, +Our empress' shame and stately Rome's disgrace. +She is delivered, lords, she is delivered. + +AARON To whom? + +NURSE I mean, she is brought abed. + +AARON +Well, God give her good rest. What hath he sent her? + +NURSE A devil. + +AARON +Why, then she is the devil's dam. A joyful issue! + +NURSE +A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful issue! +Here is the babe, as loathsome as a toad +Amongst the fair-faced breeders of our clime. +The Empress sends it thee, thy stamp, thy seal, +And bids thee christen it with thy dagger's point. + +AARON +Zounds, you whore, is black so base a hue? +[To the baby.] Sweet blowse, you are a beauteous +blossom, sure. + +DEMETRIUS Villain, what hast thou done? + +AARON That which thou canst not undo. + +CHIRON Thou hast undone our mother. + +AARON Villain, I have done thy mother. + +DEMETRIUS +And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone her. +Woe to her chance, and damned her loathed choice! +Accursed the offspring of so foul a fiend! + +CHIRON It shall not live. + +AARON It shall not die. + +NURSE +Aaron, it must. The mother wills it so. + +AARON +What, must it, nurse? Then let no man but I +Do execution on my flesh and blood. + +DEMETRIUS +I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point. +Nurse, give it me. My sword shall soon dispatch it. + +AARON, [taking the baby] +Sooner this sword shall plow thy bowels up! +Stay, murderous villains, will you kill your brother? +Now, by the burning tapers of the sky +That shone so brightly when this boy was got, +He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point +That touches this my firstborn son and heir. +I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus +With all his threat'ning band of Typhon's brood, +Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war +Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. +What, what, you sanguine, shallow-hearted boys, +You white-limed walls, you alehouse painted signs! +Coal-black is better than another hue +In that it scorns to bear another hue; +For all the water in the ocean +Can never turn the swan's black legs to white, +Although she lave them hourly in the flood. +Tell the Empress from me, I am of age +To keep mine own, excuse it how she can. + +DEMETRIUS +Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus? + +AARON +My mistress is my mistress, this myself, +The vigor and the picture of my youth. +This before all the world do I prefer; +This maugre all the world will I keep safe, +Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome. + +DEMETRIUS +By this our mother is forever shamed. + +CHIRON +Rome will despise her for this foul escape. + +NURSE +The Emperor in his rage will doom her death. + +CHIRON +I blush to think upon this ignomy. + +AARON +Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears. +Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing +The close enacts and counsels of thy heart. +Here's a young lad framed of another leer. +Look how the black slave smiles upon the father, +As who should say "Old lad, I am thine own." +He is your brother, lords, sensibly fed +Of that self blood that first gave life to you, +And from that womb where you imprisoned were +He is enfranchised and come to light. +Nay, he is your brother by the surer side, +Although my seal be stamped in his face. + +NURSE +Aaron, what shall I say unto the Empress? + +DEMETRIUS +Advise thee, Aaron, what is to be done, +And we will all subscribe to thy advice. +Save thou the child, so we may all be safe. + +AARON +Then sit we down, and let us all consult. +My son and I will have the wind of you. +Keep there. Now talk at pleasure of your safety. + +DEMETRIUS, [to the Nurse] +How many women saw this child of his? + +AARON +Why, so, brave lords! When we join in league, +I am a lamb; but if you brave the Moor, +The chafed boar, the mountain lioness, +The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms. +[To the Nurse.] But say again, how many saw the +child? + +NURSE +Cornelia the midwife and myself, +And no one else but the delivered Empress. + +AARON +The Empress, the midwife, and yourself. +Two may keep counsel when the third's away. +Go to the Empress; tell her this I said. +[He kills her.] +"Wheak, wheak"! So cries a pig prepared to the spit. + +DEMETRIUS +What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst thou this? + +AARON +O Lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy. +Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours, +A long-tongued babbling gossip? No, lords, no. +And now be it known to you my full intent: +Not far one Muliteus my countryman +His wife but yesternight was brought to bed. +His child is like to her, fair as you are. +Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, +And tell them both the circumstance of all, +And how by this their child shall be advanced +And be received for the Emperor's heir, +And substituted in the place of mine, +To calm this tempest whirling in the court; +And let the Emperor dandle him for his own. +Hark you, lords, you see I have given her physic, +[indicating the Nurse] +And you must needs bestow her funeral. +The fields are near, and you are gallant grooms. +This done, see that you take no longer days, +But send the midwife presently to me. +The midwife and the nurse well made away, +Then let the ladies tattle what they please. + +CHIRON +Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air +With secrets. + +DEMETRIUS For this care of Tamora, +Herself and hers are highly bound to thee. +[Demetrius and Chiron exit, +carrying the Nurse's body.] + +AARON +Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies, +There to dispose this treasure in mine arms +And secretly to greet the Empress' friends.-- +Come on, you thick-lipped slave, I'll bear you hence, +For it is you that puts us to our shifts. +I'll make you feed on berries and on roots, +And feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat, +And cabin in a cave, and bring you up +To be a warrior and command a camp. +[He exits with the baby.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Titus, old Marcus, his son Publius, young +Lucius, and other gentlemen (Caius and Sempronius) +with bows, and Titus bears the arrows with letters on +the ends of them.] + + +TITUS +Come, Marcus, come. Kinsmen, this is the way.-- +Sir boy, let me see your archery. +Look you draw home enough and 'tis there straight.-- +Terras Astraea reliquit. +Be you remembered, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled.-- +Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall +Go sound the ocean and cast your nets; +Happily you may catch her in the sea; +Yet there's as little justice as at land. +No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it. +'Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade, +And pierce the inmost center of the Earth. +Then, when you come to Pluto's region, +I pray you, deliver him this petition. +Tell him it is for justice and for aid, +And that it comes from old Andronicus, +Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome. +Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable +What time I threw the people's suffrages +On him that thus doth tyrannize o'er me. +Go, get you gone, and pray be careful all, +And leave you not a man-of-war unsearched. +This wicked emperor may have shipped her hence, +And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice. + +MARCUS +O Publius, is not this a heavy case +To see thy noble uncle thus distract? + +PUBLIUS +Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns +By day and night t' attend him carefully, +And feed his humor kindly as we may, +Till time beget some careful remedy. + +MARCUS +Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy +But ... +Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war +Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, +And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. + +TITUS +Publius, how now? How now, my masters? +What, have you met with her? + +PUBLIUS +No, my good lord, but Pluto sends you word, +If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall. +Marry, for Justice, she is so employed, +He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, +So that perforce you must needs stay a time. + +TITUS +He doth me wrong to feed me with delays. +I'll dive into the burning lake below +And pull her out of Acheron by the heels. +Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we, +No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops' size, +But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back, +Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can +bear; +And sith there's no justice in Earth nor hell, +We will solicit heaven and move the gods +To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs. +Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus. +[He gives them the arrows.] +"Ad Jovem," that's for you;--here, "Ad Apollinem";-- +"Ad Martem," that's for myself;-- +Here, boy, "to Pallas";--here, "to Mercury";-- +"To Saturn," Caius--not to Saturnine! +You were as good to shoot against the wind. +To it, boy!--Marcus, loose when I bid. +Of my word, I have written to effect; +There's not a god left unsolicited. + +MARCUS +Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court. +We will afflict the Emperor in his pride. + +TITUS +Now, masters, draw. [(They shoot.)] O, well said, +Lucius! +Good boy, in Virgo's lap! Give it Pallas. + +MARCUS +My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon. +Your letter is with Jupiter by this. + +TITUS +Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done? +See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns! + +MARCUS +This was the sport, my lord; when Publius shot, +The Bull, being galled, gave Aries such a knock +That down fell both the Ram's horns in the court, +And who should find them but the Empress' villain? +She laughed and told the Moor he should not choose +But give them to his master for a present. + +TITUS +Why, there it goes. God give his Lordship joy! + +[Enter a country fellow with a basket and two +pigeons in it.] + +News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is +come.-- +Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters? +Shall I have Justice? What says Jupiter? + +COUNTRY FELLOW Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that +he hath taken them down again, for the man must +not be hanged till the next week. + +TITUS But what says Jupiter, I ask thee? + +COUNTRY FELLOW Alas, sir, I know not Jubiter; I never +drank with him in all my life. + +TITUS Why, villain, art not thou the carrier? + +COUNTRY FELLOW Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else. + +TITUS Why, didst thou not come from heaven? + +COUNTRY FELLOW From heaven? Alas, sir, I never +came there. God forbid I should be so bold to press +to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with +my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter +of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal's +men. + +MARCUS, [to Titus] Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to +serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons +to the Emperor from you. + +TITUS Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor +with a grace? + +COUNTRY FELLOW Nay, truly, sir, I could never say +grace in all my life. + +TITUS +Sirrah, come hither. Make no more ado, +But give your pigeons to the Emperor. +By me thou shalt have justice at his hands. +Hold, hold; meanwhile here's money for thy +charges.--Give me pen and ink.--Sirrah, can you +with a grace deliver up a supplication? +[He writes.] + +COUNTRY FELLOW Ay, sir. + +TITUS Then here is a supplication for you, and when +you come to him, at the first approach you must +kneel, then kiss his foot, then deliver up your pigeons, +and then look for your reward. I'll be at +hand, sir. See you do it bravely. +[He hands him a paper.] + +COUNTRY FELLOW I warrant you, sir. Let me alone. + +TITUS +Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.-- +[He takes the knife and gives it to Marcus.] +Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration, +For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant.-- +And when thou hast given it to the Emperor, +Knock at my door and tell me what he says. + +COUNTRY FELLOW God be with you, sir. I will. +[He exits.] + +TITUS Come, Marcus, let us go.--Publius, follow me. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Emperor Saturninus and Empress Tamora +and her two sons Chiron and Demetrius, with +Attendants. The Emperor brings the arrows in his +hand that Titus shot at him.] + + +SATURNINUS +Why, lords, what wrongs are these! Was ever seen +An emperor in Rome thus overborne, +Troubled, confronted thus, and for the extent +Of equal justice, used in such contempt? +My lords, you know, as know the mightful gods, +However these disturbers of our peace +Buzz in the people's ears, there naught hath passed +But even with law against the willful sons +Of old Andronicus. And what an if +His sorrows have so overwhelmed his wits? +Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks, +His fits, his frenzy, and his bitterness? +And now he writes to heaven for his redress! +See, here's "to Jove," and this "to Mercury," +This "to Apollo," this to the god of war. +Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome! +What's this but libeling against the Senate +And blazoning our unjustice everywhere? +A goodly humor is it not, my lords? +As who would say, in Rome no justice were. +But if I live, his feigned ecstasies +Shall be no shelter to these outrages, +But he and his shall know that justice lives +In Saturninus' health, whom, if he sleep, +He'll so awake as he in fury shall +Cut off the proud'st conspirator that lives. + +TAMORA +My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine, +Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts, +Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age, +Th' effects of sorrow for his valiant sons, +Whose loss hath pierced him deep and scarred his +heart, +And rather comfort his distressed plight +Than prosecute the meanest or the best +For these contempts. [(Aside.)] Why, thus it shall +become +High-witted Tamora to gloze with all. +But, Titus, I have touched thee to the quick. +Thy lifeblood out, if Aaron now be wise, +Then is all safe, the anchor in the port. + +[Enter Country Fellow.] + +How now, good fellow, wouldst thou speak with us? + +COUNTRY FELLOW Yea, forsooth, an your Mistresship be +emperial. + +TAMORA +Empress I am, but yonder sits the Emperor. + +COUNTRY FELLOW 'Tis he!--God and Saint Stephen +give you good e'en. I have brought you a letter and +a couple of pigeons here. +[Saturninus reads the letter.] + +SATURNINUS +Go, take him away, and hang him presently. + +COUNTRY FELLOW How much money must I have? + +TAMORA Come, sirrah, you must be hanged. + +COUNTRY FELLOW Hanged! By 'r Lady, then I have +brought up a neck to a fair end. +[He exits with Attendants.] + +SATURNINUS +Despiteful and intolerable wrongs! +Shall I endure this monstrous villainy? +I know from whence this same device proceeds. +May this be borne?--as if his traitorous sons, +That died by law for murder of our brother, +Have by my means been butchered wrongfully! +Go, drag the villain hither by the hair. +Nor age nor honor shall shape privilege. +For this proud mock, I'll be thy slaughterman, +Sly, frantic wretch, that holp'st to make me great +In hope thyself should govern Rome and me. + +[Enter nuntius, Aemilius.] + + +SATURNINUS What news with thee, Aemilius? + +AEMILIUS +Arm, my lords! Rome never had more cause. +The Goths have gathered head, and with a power +Of high-resolved men bent to the spoil, +They hither march amain under conduct +Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus, +Who threats, in course of this revenge, to do +As much as ever Coriolanus did. + +SATURNINUS +Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths? +These tidings nip me, and I hang the head +As flowers with frost or grass beat down with storms. +Ay, now begins our sorrows to approach. +'Tis he the common people love so much. +Myself hath often heard them say, +When I have walked like a private man, +That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully, +And they have wished that Lucius were their emperor. + +TAMORA +Why should you fear? Is not your city strong? + +SATURNINUS +Ay, but the citizens favor Lucius +And will revolt from me to succor him. + +TAMORA +King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name. +Is the sun dimmed that gnats do fly in it? +The eagle suffers little birds to sing +And is not careful what they mean thereby, +Knowing that with the shadow of his wings +He can at pleasure stint their melody. +Even so mayst 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 +Than baits to fish or honey-stalks to sheep, +Whenas the one is wounded with the bait, +The other rotted with delicious feed. + +SATURNINUS +But he will not entreat his son for us. + +TAMORA +If Tamora entreat him, then he will, +For I can smooth and fill his aged ears +With golden promises, that were his heart +Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf, +Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue. +[To Aemilius.] Go thou before to be our ambassador. +Say that the Emperor requests a parley +Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting +Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus. + +SATURNINUS +Aemilius, do this message honorably, +And if he stand in hostage for his safety, +Bid him demand what pledge will please him best. + +AEMILIUS +Your bidding shall I do effectually. +[He exits.] + +TAMORA +Now will I to that old Andronicus +And temper him with all the art I have +To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths. +And now, sweet emperor, be blithe again, +And bury all thy fear in my devices. + +SATURNINUS +Then go successantly, and plead to him. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Flourish. Enter Lucius with an army of Goths, with +Drums and Soldiers.] + + +LUCIUS +Approved warriors and my faithful friends, +I have received letters from great Rome +Which signifies what hate they bear their emperor +And how desirous of our sight they are. +Therefore, great lords, be as your titles witness, +Imperious, and impatient of your wrongs, +And wherein Rome hath done you any scathe, +Let him make treble satisfaction. + +FIRST GOTH +Brave slip sprung from the great Andronicus, +Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort, +Whose high exploits and honorable deeds +Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt, +Be bold in us. We'll follow where thou lead'st, +Like stinging bees in hottest summer's day +Led by their master to the flowered fields, +And be avenged on cursed Tamora. + +GOTHS +And as he saith, so say we all with him. + +LUCIUS +I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. +But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth? + +[Enter a Goth, leading of Aaron with his child in his arms.] + + +SECOND GOTH +Renowned Lucius, from our troops I strayed +To gaze upon a ruinous monastery, +And as I earnestly did fix mine eye +Upon the wasted building, suddenly +I heard a child cry underneath a wall. +I made unto the noise, when soon I heard +The crying babe controlled with this discourse: +"Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dame! +Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art, +Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look, +Villain, thou mightst have been an emperor. +But where the bull and cow are both milk white, +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 Empress' babe, +Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake." +With this, my weapon drawn, I rushed upon him, +Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither +To use as you think needful of the man. + +LUCIUS +O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil +That robbed Andronicus of his good hand; +This is the pearl that pleased your empress' eye; +And here's the base fruit of her burning lust.-- +Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou convey +This growing image of thy fiendlike face? +Why dost not speak? What, deaf? Not a word?-- +A halter, soldiers! Hang him on this tree, +And by his side his fruit of bastardy. + +AARON +Touch not the boy. He is of royal blood. + +LUCIUS +Too like the sire for ever being good. +First hang the child, that he may see it sprawl, +A sight to vex the father's soul withal. +Get me a ladder. +[A ladder is brought, which Aaron is made to climb.] + +AARON Lucius, save the child +And bear it from me to the Empress. +If thou do this, I'll show thee wondrous 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!" + +LUCIUS +Say on, and if it please me which thou speak'st, +Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourished. + +AARON +And if it please thee? Why, assure thee, Lucius, +'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; +For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, +Acts of black night, abominable deeds, +Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, +Ruthful to hear, yet piteously performed. +And this shall all be buried in my death, +Unless thou swear to me my child shall live. + +LUCIUS +Tell on thy mind. I say thy child shall live. + +AARON +Swear that he shall, and then I will begin. + +LUCIUS +Who should I swear by? Thou believest no god. +That granted, how canst thou believe an oath? + +AARON +What if I do not? As indeed I do not. +Yet, for I know thou art religious +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 naught to thee. + +LUCIUS +Even by my god I swear to thee I will. + +AARON +First know thou, I begot him on the Empress. + +LUCIUS +O, most insatiate and luxurious woman! + +AARON +Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity +To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. +'Twas her two sons that murdered Bassianus. +They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravished her, +And cut her hands, and trimmed her as thou sawest. + +LUCIUS +O detestable villain, call'st thou that trimming? + +AARON +Why, she was washed, and cut, and trimmed; and +'twas +Trim sport for them which had the doing of it. + +LUCIUS +O, barbarous beastly villains, like thyself! + +AARON +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 learned of me, +As true a dog as ever fought at head. +Well, let my deeds be witness of my worth. +I trained 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 that letter mentioned, +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? +I played the cheater for thy father's hand, +And, when I had it, drew myself apart +And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter. +I pried me through the crevice of a wall +When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads, +Beheld his tears, and laughed so heartily +That both mine eyes were rainy like to his. +And when I told the Empress of this sport, +She sounded almost at my pleasing tale, +And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses. + +GOTH +What, canst thou say all this and never blush? + +AARON +Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. + +LUCIUS +Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? + +AARON +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; +Set deadly enmity between two friends; +Make poor men's cattle break their necks; +Set fire on barns and haystalks in the night, +And bid the owners quench them with their tears. +Oft have I digged up dead men from their graves +And set them upright at their dear friends' door, +Even when their sorrows almost was 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." +But 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. + +LUCIUS +Bring down the devil, for he must not die +So sweet a death as hanging presently. +[Aaron is brought down from the ladder.] + +AARON +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. + +LUCIUS +Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. + +[Enter Aemilius.] + + +GOTH +My lord, there is a messenger from Rome +Desires to be admitted to your presence. + +LUCIUS Let him come near. [Aemilius comes forward.] +Welcome, Aemilius. What's the news from Rome? + +AEMILIUS +Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths, +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 delivered. + +GOTH What says our general? + +LUCIUS +Aemilius, let the Emperor give his pledges +Unto my father and my uncle Marcus, +And we will come. March away. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Tamora and her two sons, disguised.] + + +TAMORA +Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment +I 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. + +[They knock, and Titus (above) opens his study door.] + + +TITUS +Who doth molest my contemplation? +Is it your trick to make me ope the door, +That so my sad decrees may fly away +And all my study be to no effect? +You are deceived, for what I mean to do, +See here, in bloody lines I have set down, +And what is written shall be executed. + +TAMORA +Titus, I am come to talk with thee. + +TITUS +No, not a word. How can I grace my talk, +Wanting a hand to give it action? +Thou hast the odds of me; therefore, no more. + +TAMORA +If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with me. + +TITUS +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? + +TAMORA +Know, thou sad man, I am not Tamora. +She is thy enemy, and I thy friend. +I am Revenge, sent from th' 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. + +TITUS +Art thou Revenge? And art thou sent to me +To be a torment to mine enemies? + +TAMORA +I am. Therefore come down and welcome me. + +TITUS +Do me some service ere I come to thee. +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 wagoner, +And whirl along with thee about the globe, +Provide thee two proper palfreys, black as jet, +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 thy 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. + +TAMORA +These are my ministers and come with me. + +TITUS +Are they thy ministers? What are they called? + +TAMORA +Rape and Murder; therefore called so +'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. + +TITUS +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 if one arm's embracement will content thee, +I will embrace thee in it by and by. +[He exits above.] + +TAMORA +This closing with him fits his lunacy. +Whate'er I forge to feed his brainsick humors, +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.] + + +TITUS +Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee. +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? + +TAMORA +What wouldst thou have us do, Andronicus? + +DEMETRIUS +Show me a murderer; I'll deal with him. + +CHIRON +Show me a villain that hath done a rape, +And I am sent to be revenged on him. + +TAMORA +Show me a thousand that hath done thee wrong, +And I will be revenged on them all. + +TITUS, [to Demetrius] +Look round about the wicked streets of Rome, +And when thou findst a man that's like thyself, +Good Murder, stab him; he's a murderer. +[To Chiron.] Go thou with him, and when it is thy +hap +To find another that is like to thee, +Good Rapine, stab him; he is a ravisher. +[To Tamora.] Go thou with them; and in the +Emperor's court +There is a queen attended by a Moor. +Well shalt thou know her by thine own proportion, +For up and down she doth resemble thee. +I pray thee, do on them some violent death. +They have been violent to me and mine. + +TAMORA +Well hast thou lessoned us; this shall we do. +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? + +TITUS, [calling] +Marcus, my brother, 'tis sad Titus calls. + +[Enter Marcus.] + +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. + +MARCUS +This will I do, and soon return again. [Marcus exits.] + +TAMORA +Now will I hence about thy business +And take my ministers along with me. + +TITUS +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. + +TAMORA, [aside to Chiron and Demetrius] +What say you, boys? Will you abide with him +Whiles I go tell my lord the Emperor +How I have governed our determined jest? +Yield to his humor, smooth and speak him fair, +And tarry with him till I turn again. + +TITUS, [aside] +I knew them all, though they supposed me mad, +And will o'erreach them in their own devices-- +A pair of cursed hellhounds and their dam! + +DEMETRIUS, [aside to Tamora] +Madam, depart at pleasure. Leave us here. + +TAMORA +Farewell, Andronicus. Revenge now goes +To lay a complot to betray thy foes. + +TITUS +I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. +[Tamora exits.] + +CHIRON +Tell us, old man, how shall we be employed? + +TITUS +Tut, I have work enough for you to do.-- +Publius, come hither; Caius, and Valentine. + +[Publius, Caius, and Valentine enter.] + + +PUBLIUS What is your will? + +TITUS Know you these two? + +PUBLIUS +The Empress' sons, I take them--Chiron, Demetrius. + +TITUS +Fie, Publius, fie, thou art too much deceived. +The one is Murder, and 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, +And now I find it. Therefore bind them sure, +And stop their mouths if they begin to cry. +[Titus exits.] + +CHIRON +Villains, forbear! We are the Empress' sons. + +PUBLIUS +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. + +[Enter Titus Andronicus with a knife, and Lavinia +with a basin.] + + +TITUS +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 stained with +mud, +This goodly summer with your winter mixed. +You killed her husband, and for that vile fault +Two of her brothers were condemned 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 constrained 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. +This one hand yet is left to cut your throats, +Whiles 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, +And bid that strumpet, your unhallowed 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 Procne I will be revenged. +And now prepare your throats.--Lavinia, come, +Receive the blood. [He cuts their throats.] +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 everyone 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 against their mother comes. +[They exit, carrying the dead bodies.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Lucius, Marcus, and the Goths, with Aaron, +Guards, and an Attendant carrying the baby.] + + +LUCIUS +Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's mind +That I repair to Rome, I am content. + +FIRST GOTH +And ours with thine, befall what fortune will. + +LUCIUS +Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, +This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil. +Let him receive no sust'nance. 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. + +AARON +Some devil whisper curses in my ear +And prompt me that my tongue may utter forth +The venomous malice of my swelling heart. + +LUCIUS +Away, inhuman dog, unhallowed slave!-- +Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in. +[Sound trumpets.] +The trumpets show the Emperor is at hand. +[Guards and Aaron exit.] + +[Enter Emperor Saturninus and Empress Tamora +with Aemilius, Tribunes, Attendants, and others.] + + +SATURNINUS +What, hath the firmament more suns than one? + +LUCIUS +What boots it thee to call thyself a sun? + +MARCUS +Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle. +These quarrels must be quietly debated. +The feast is ready which the careful Titus +Hath ordained to an honorable end, +For peace, for love, for league and good to Rome. +Please you therefore draw nigh and take your places. + +SATURNINUS Marcus, we will. + +[Trumpets sounding, enter Titus like a cook, placing the +dishes, with young Lucius and others, and Lavinia +with a veil over her face.] + + +TITUS +Welcome, my lord;--welcome, dread queen;-- +Welcome, you warlike Goths;--welcome, Lucius;-- +And welcome, all. Although the cheer be poor, +'Twill fill your stomachs. Please you eat of it. +[They begin to eat.] + +SATURNINUS +Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus? + +TITUS +Because I would be sure to have all well +To entertain your Highness and your empress. + +TAMORA +We are beholding to you, good Andronicus. + +TITUS +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 enforced, stained, and deflowered? + +SATURNINUS It was, Andronicus. + +TITUS Your reason, mighty lord? + +SATURNINUS +Because the girl should not survive her shame, +And by her presence still renew his sorrows. + +TITUS +A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; +A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant +For me, most wretched, to perform the like. +Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee, +And with thy shame thy father's sorrow die. +[He kills Lavinia.] + +SATURNINUS +What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind? + +TITUS +Killed her for whom my tears have made me blind. +I am as woeful as Virginius was, +And have a thousand times more cause than he +To do this outrage, and it now is done. + +SATURNINUS +What, was she ravished? Tell who did the deed. + +TITUS +Will 't please you eat?--Will 't please your Highness +feed? + +TAMORA +Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus? + +TITUS +Not I; 'twas Chiron and Demetrius. +They ravished her and cut away her tongue, +And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong. + +SATURNINUS +Go fetch them hither to us presently. + +TITUS +Why, there they are, both baked in this pie, +Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, +Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. +'Tis true, 'tis true! Witness my knife's sharp point. +[He stabs the Empress.] + +SATURNINUS +Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. +[He kills Titus.] + +LUCIUS +Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? +[He kills Saturninus.] +There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. +[A great tumult. Lucius, Marcus, and +others go aloft to the upper stage.] + +MARCUS +You sad-faced men, people and sons of Rome, +By uproars severed as a flight of fowl +Scattered by winds and high tempestuous gusts, +O, let me teach you how to knit again +This scattered 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, +[He turns to Lucius.] +Speak, Rome's dear friend, as erst our ancestor, +When with his solemn tongue he did discourse +To lovesick Dido's sad-attending ear +The story of that baleful burning night +When subtle Greeks surprised King Priam's Troy. +Tell us what Sinon hath bewitched 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, +Nor can I utter all our bitter grief, +But floods of tears will drown my oratory +And break my utterance even in the time +When it should move you to attend me most +And force you to commiseration. +Here's Rome's young captain. Let him tell the tale, +While I stand by and weep to hear him speak. + +LUCIUS +Then, gracious auditory, be it known to you +That Chiron and the damned Demetrius +Were they that murdered our emperor's brother, +And they it were that ravished our sister. +For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded, +Our father's tears despised, and basely cozened +Of that true hand that fought Rome's quarrel out +And sent her enemies unto the grave; +Lastly, myself unkindly banished, +The gates shut on me, and turned weeping out +To beg relief among Rome's enemies, +Who drowned their enmity in my true tears +And oped their arms to embrace me as a friend. +I am the turned-forth, be it known to you, +That have preserved her welfare in my blood +And from her bosom took the enemy's point, +Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body. +Alas, you know I am no vaunter, I; +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 themselves. + +MARCUS +Now is my turn to speak. Behold the child. +Of this was Tamora delivered, +The issue of an irreligious Moor, +Chief architect and plotter of these woes. +The villain is alive in Titus' house, +And as he is to witness, this is true. +Now judge what cause had Titus to revenge +These wrongs unspeakable, past patience, +Or more than any living man could bear. +Now have you heard the truth. What say you, +Romans? +Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein, +And from the place where you behold us pleading, +The poor remainder of Andronici +Will, hand in hand, all headlong hurl ourselves, +And on the ragged stones beat forth our souls, +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. + +AEMILIUS +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. + +ROMANS +Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal emperor! + +MARCUS, [to Attendants] +Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house, +And hither hale that misbelieving Moor +To be adjudged some direful slaught'ring death +As punishment for his most wicked life. +[Attendants exit. Lucius and Marcus +come down from the upper stage.] + +ROMANS +Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious governor! + +LUCIUS +Thanks, gentle Romans. May I govern so +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. +[He kisses Titus.] +O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips, +These sorrowful drops upon thy bloodstained face, +The last true duties of thy noble son. + +MARCUS +Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, +Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips. +[He kisses Titus.] +O, were the sum of these that I should pay +Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them. + +LUCIUS, [to Young Lucius] +Come hither, boy. Come, come, and learn of us +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 story hath he told to thee, +And bid thee bear his pretty tales in mind +And talk of them when he was dead and gone. + +MARCUS +How many thousand times hath these poor lips, +When they were living, warmed themselves on thine! +O, now, sweet boy, give them their latest kiss. +Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave. +Do them that kindness, and take leave of them. + +YOUNG LUCIUS +O grandsire, grandsire, ev'n with all my heart +Would I were dead so you did live again! +[He kisses Titus.] +O Lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping. +My tears will choke me if I ope my mouth. + +[Enter Aaron with Guards.] + + +ROMAN +You sad Andronici, have done with woes. +Give sentence on this execrable wretch +That hath been breeder of these dire events. + +LUCIUS +Set him breast-deep in earth and famish him. +There let him stand and rave and cry for food. +If anyone relieves or pities him, +For the offense he dies. This is our doom. +Some stay to see him fastened in the earth. + +AARON +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. +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. +[Aaron is led off by Guards.] + +LUCIUS +Some loving friends convey the Emperor hence, +And give him burial in his fathers' 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 weed; +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 dead, let birds on her take pity. +[They exit, carrying the dead bodies.] \ No newline at end of file