And then they call'd me foul adulteress,
Lafcivious Goib, and all the bitterest terms
That ever ear did hear to fuch effect.

And had you not by wond'rous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed:
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not from henceforth call'd my children.
Dem. This is a witness that I am thy fon.

[Stabs Baffianus. Chi. And this for me, ftruck home to fhew my strength. [Stabs bim. Lav. 'Ay, come, Semiramis-nay, barbarous Tamora, For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

Tam. Give me thy poniard, you fhall know, my boys, Your mother's hand fhall right your mother's wrong.

Dem. Stay, Madam, here is more belongs to her; First, thrash the corn, then after burn the straw: This minion ftood upon her chastity,

Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that painted +'cope' fhe braves your mightiness;
And fhall the carry this unto her grave?

Chi. An if the do, I would I were an eunuch.
Drag hence her husband to fome fecret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our luft.
Tam. But when you have the hony you defire,
Let not this wafp out-live, us both to fting.
Chi. I warrant, Madam, we will make that fure;
Come, miftrefs, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preferved honefty of yours.

Lav. O Tamora, thou bear'ft a woman's face-
Tam. I will not hear her fpeak; away with her!
Lav. Sweet Lords, intreat her hear me but a word-
Dem. Liften, fair Madam, let it be your glory
To see her tears; but be your heart to them,

As unrelenting flints to drops of rain.

Lav. When did the tyger's young ones teach the dam? O do not teach her wrath, fhe taught it thee.

The

The milk thou fuck'ft from her did turn to marble;
Even at thy teat thou hadft thy tyranny.
Yet every mother breeds not fons alike;
Do thou intreat her, fhew a woman pity.

[baftard?

Chi. What! would'ft thou have me prove my self a Lav. 'Tis true, the raven doth not hatch a lark: Yet have I heard, (O could I find it now!) The lion, mov'd with pity, did endure To have his princely paws par'd all away. Some fay, that ravens fofter forlorn children, The whilft their own birds famifh in their nefts: Oh be to me, tho' thy hard heart fay no, Nothing fo kind, but fomething pitiful.

Tam. I know not what it means; away with her.
Lav. Oh let me teach thee for my father's fake,
(That gave thee life, when well he might have flain thee)
Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

Tam. Hadft thou in perfon ne'er offended me,
Even for his fake am I now pitiless:
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To fave your brother from the facrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent:
Therefore 'away and ufe her as you will,
The worse to her, the better lov'd of me.

Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle Queen,
And with thine own hands kill me in this place:
For 'tis not life that I have begg'd fo long;

Poor I was flain when Baffianus dy❜d.

Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go. Lav. 'Tis prefent death I beg, and one thing more,

That womanhood denies my tongue to tell :

O keep me from their worfe-than-killing luft,
And tumble me into fome loathfome pit,
Where never man's eye may behold my body:
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

Tam. So fhould I rob my fweet fons of their fee.
No; let them fatisfie their luft on thee.

5 away with her, and

Dem

Dem. Away! for thou haft ftaid us here too long.
Lav. No grace? no womanhood? ah beaftly creature!
The blot and enemy of our general name!

Confufion fall

Chi. Nay, then I'll ftop your mouth

her husband:

bring thou [Dragging off Lavinia. [Exeunt.

This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

Tam. Farewel, my fons; fee that ye make her fure.

Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed, 'Till all th' Andronici be made away.

Now will I hence to feek my lovely Moor,
And let my fpleenful fons this trull deflour.

Enter Aaron with Quintus and Marcus.

Aar. Come on, my Lords, the better foot before; Strait will I bring you to the loathfome pit,

Where I efpied the Panther fast asleep.

Quin. My fight is very dull, whate'er it bodes.

[Exit.

Mar. And mine, I promife you; were't not for fhame,

Well could I leave our sport to fleep a while.

[Marcus falls into the pit.

Quin. What, art thou fall'n? what fubtle hole is this,

Whofe mouth is cover'd with rude-growing briars,
Upon whofe leaves are drops of new-fhed blood,
As fresh as morning dew diftill'd on flowers?
A very fatal place it feems to me:

Speak, brother, haft thou hurt thee with the fall?
Mar. O brother, with the difmallest object
That ever eye, with fight, made heart lament.

Aar. Now will I fetch the King to find them here,
That he thereby may have a likely guefs,
How these were they that made away his brother.
[Exit Aaron.

SCENE

Mar. Why doft not comfort me, and help me out From this unhallow'd and blood-ftained hole?

Quin. I am furprized with an uncouth fear;
A killing fweat o'er-runs my trembling joints;
My heart fufpects more than mine eye can fee.
Mar. To prove thou haft a true divining heart,
Aaron and thou, look down into the den,
And fee a fearful fight of blood and death.
Quin. Aaron is gone, and my compaffionate heart
Will not permit mine eyes once to behold
The thing whereat it trembles by furmife:
O tell me how it is; for ne'er 'till now
Was I a child to fear I know not what.
Mar. Lord Baffianus lyes embrewed here,
All on a heap, like to a flaughter'd lamb,
In this detefted, dark, blood-drinking pit.
Quin. If it be dark, how doft thou know 'tis he?
Mar. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear
A precious ring, that lightens all the hole:
Which like a taper in fome monument,
Doth fhine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks,
And fhews the ragged intrails of this pit.
So pale did fhine the moon on Pyramus,
When he by night lay bath'd 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.

Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out; Or wanting ftrength to do thee fo much good,

I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb

Of this deep pit, poor Baffianus' grave.

I have no ftrength to pluck thee to the brink.

Mar. And I no ftrength to climb without thy help. Quin. Thy hand once more I will not lofe again,

'Till

'Till thou art here aloft, or I below.

Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee.

[Falls in.

Sat. Along with me, I'll fee what hole is here,
And what he is that now is leap'd into't.
Say, who art thou that lately didft defcend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth?
Mar. Th' unhappy fon of old Andronicus,
Brought hither in a most unlucky hour,
To find thy brother Baffianus dead.

Sat. My brother dead? I know thou doft but jest:
He and his Lady both are at the lodge,

Upon the north-fide of this pleasant chase ; 'Tis not an hour fince I left him there.

Mar. We know not where you left him all alive, But out, alas, here have we found him dead.

Enter Tamora, Andronicus, and Lucius.

Tam. Where is my Lord the King?

Sat. Here, Tamora, though griev'd with killing grief. Tam. Where is thy brother Baffianus ?

Sat. Now to the bottom doft thou fearch my wound; Poor Baffianus here lyes murthered.

Tam. 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 pleafing fmiles fuch murderous tyranny.

[She gives Saturninus a letter..

Saturninus reads the letter.

An if we mifs to meet him bandsomely,
Sweet buntfman, Baffianus 'tis we mean,
Do thou fo much as dig the grave for him,
Thou know'st our meaning: look for thy reward
Among the nettles at the elder-tree

VOL. V.

Dd

Which