And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold In pleasing smiles fuch murderous tyranny. SAT. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him handsomely,— Sweet buntfman, Baffianus 'tis, we mean,— Do thou fo much as dig the grave for him; Thou know'ft our meaning: Look for thy reward Which overshades the mouth of that fame pit, AAR. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. Have here bereft my brother of his life :. [kind, Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison; Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them. TAM. What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing! How eafily murder is difcovered! TIT. High emperor, upon my feeble knee you? TAM. Andronicus himself did take it up. TIT. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail: To answer their fufpicion with their lives. SAT. Thou fhalt not bail them; fee, thou follow me, Some bring the murder'd body, fome the murderers: Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain; For, by my foul, were there worse end than death, That end upon them fhould be executed. TAM. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; Fear not thy fons, they fhall do well enough. TIT. Come, Lucius, come; ftay not to talk with them. [Exeunt feverally. SCENE V. The fame. Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravish'd; her hands cut off, and her tongue cut out. DEM. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, Who 'twas that cut thy tongue, and ravish'd thee. CHI. Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning fo; And, if thy ftumps will let thee, play the scribe. DEM. See, how with figns and tokens fhe can fcowl. CHI. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands. DEM. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash; And fo let's leave her to her filent walks. CHI. An 'twere my cafe, I should go hang myself. DEM. If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. [Exeunt DEMETRIUS and CHIRON. Enter MARCUS. MAR. Who's this,-my niece, that flies away fo fast? Coufin, a word; Where is your husband? If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me! Speak, gentle niece, what ftern ungentle hands Have lopp'd, and hew'd, and made thy body bare Of her two branches? those sweet ornaments, As half thy love? Why doft not speak to me?— Like to a bubbling fountain ftirr'd with wind, And make the silken ftrings delight to kiss them; Which that fweet tongue hath made, He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell asleep, As Cerberus at the Thracian poet's feet. One hour's storm will drown the fragrant meads; ACT III. SCENE 1. Rome. A Street. [Exeunt. Enter Senators, Tribunes, and Officers of justice, with MARTIUS and QUINTUS, bound, paffing on to the place of execution; TITUS going before, pleading. TIT. Hear me, grave fathers! noble tribunes, stay! Whose fouls are not corrupted as 'tis thought! [Throwing himself on the ground. [Exeunt Senators, Tribunes, &c. with the prisoners. O earth! I will befriend thee more with rain, That shall diftil from these two ancient urns, Than youthful April fhall with all his showers : Luc. O, noble father, you lament in vain; TIT. Ah, Lucius, for thy brothers let me plead : Grave tribunes, once more I entreat of you. Luc. My gracious lord, no tribune hears you speak. Receive my tears, and feem to weep with me; Rome could afford no tribune like to these. A ftone is foft as wax, tribunes more hard than ftones: A ftone is filent, and offendeth not; And tribunes with their tongues doom men to death, But wherefore ftand'st thou with thy weapon drawn? Luc. To refcue my two brothers from their death: For which attempt, the judges have pronounc'd |