Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS,
Lords and Others: SATURNINUS with the arrows in bis
SAT. Why, lords, what wrongs are these? Was ever seen
An emperor of Rome thus overborne,
Troubled, confronted thus; and, for the extent
Of egal juftice, us'd in fuch contempt ?
My lords, you know, as do the mightful gods,
However these disturbers of our peace
Buz in the people's ears, there nought hath pafs'd,
But even with law, against the wilful fons
Of old Andronicus. And what an if
His forrows have fo overwhelm'd 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 fcrolls to fly about the ftreets of Rome!
What's this, but libelling against the senate,
And blazoning our injustice every where?
A goodly humour, is it not, my lords?
As who would fay, in Rome no justice were,
But, if I live, his feigned ecftacies
Shall be no fhelter to these outrages :
But he and his fhall know, that justice lives
In Saturninus' health; whom, if she sleep,
He'll fo awake, as fhe in fury fhall
Cut off the proud'ft confpirator that lives.
TAM. My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine,
Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts,
Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age,
The effects of forrow for his valiant fons,
Whofe lofs hath pierc'd him deep, and scarr'd his heart;
And rather comfort his diftreffed plight,
Than profecute the meaneft, or the best,
For these contempts. Why, thus it fhall become
High-witted Tamora to gloze with all:
But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick,
Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wife,
Then is all fafe, the anchor's in the port.-
Enter CLOWN.
How now, good fellow? would'st thou speak with us? CLO. Yes, forfooth, an your mistership be emperial. TAM. Empress I am, but yonder fits the emperor. CLO. 'Tis he.-God, and faint Stephen, give you good den: I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons here. [SATURNINUS reads the letter. SAT. Go, take him away, and hang him presently. CLO. How much money must I have?
TAM. Come, firrah, you must be hang'd.
CLO. Hang'd! By'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end.
SAT. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs!
Shall I endure this monftrous villainy?
I know from whence this fame device proceeds;
May this be borne ?-as if his traitorous fons,
That died by law for murder of our brother,
Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully.-
Go, drag the villain hither by the hair;
Nor age, nor honour, shall shape privilege :-
For this proud mock, I'll be thy slaughter-man ;
Sly frantick wretch, that holp'ft to make me great,
In hope thyself should govern Rome and me.
Enter EMILIUS.
What news with thee, Æmilius?
EMIL. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more
The Goths have gather'd head; and with a power
Of high-refolved men, bent to the spoil,
They hither march amain, under condúct
Of Lucius, fon to old Andronicus ;
Who threats, in course of this revenge, to do
As much as ever Coriolanus did.
SAT. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths?
Thefe tidings nip me; and I hang the head
As flowers with froft, or grafs beat down with ftorms.
Ay, now begin our forrows to approach:
'Tis he, the common people love fo much;
Myself hath often over-heard them say,
(When I have walked like a private man,)
That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,
And they have wifh'd that Lucius were their emperor.
TAM. Why should you fear? is not your city ftrong?
SAT. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius;
And will revolt from me, to fuccour him.
TAM. King, be thy thoughts imperious, like thy name.
Is the fun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle fuffers little birds to fing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby;
Knowing, that with the fhadow of his wings,
He can at pleasure stint their melody:
Even fo may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy fpirit: for know, thou emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus,
With words more fweet, and yet more dangerous,
Then baits to fish, or honey-ftalks to sheep;
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious feed.
SAT. But he will not entreat his fon for us.
TAM. If Tamora entreat him, then he will:
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promises; that were his heart
Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.—
Go thou before, be our embassador:
Say, that the emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
SAT. Æmilius, do this message honourably :
And if he stand on hostage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.
EMIL. Your bidding fhall I do effectually.
TAM. 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, fweet emperor, be blithe again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.
SAT. Then go fuccessfully, and plead to him. [Exeunt.
SCENE I. Plains near Rome.
Enter LUCIUS, and GOTHS, with drum and colours.
Luc. Approved warriors, and my faithful friends,, I have received letters from great Rome,
Which fignify, what hate they bear their emperor,
And how defirous of our fight they are.
Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness,
Imperious, and impatient of your wrongs;
And, wherein Rome hath done you any scath,
Let him make treble fatisfaction..
I GOTH. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus, Whofe name was once our terror, now our comfort; Whofe high exploits, and honourable deeds, Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt, Be bold in us: We'll follow where thou lead'ft,— Like ftinging bees in hottest fummer's day, Led by their mafter to the flower'd fields,— And be aveng'd on curfed Tamora.
GOTHS. And, as he faith, fo fay we all with him. Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all. But who comes here, led by a lusty Goth?
Enter a GOTH, leading AARON, with his child in his arms. 2 GOTH. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I ftray'd, To gaze upon a ruinous monaftery;
And as I earnestly did fix mine eye
Upon the wafted building, fuddenly
I heard a child cry underneath a wall:
I made unto the noise; when foon I heard
The crying babe controll'd with this discourse :
Peace, tawny flave; half me, and half thy dam!
Did not thy bue bewray whofe brat thou art,
Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look,
Villain, thou might'ft 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 fake.
With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,
Surpriz'd him fuddenly; and brought him hither,
To use as you think needful of the man.
Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil,
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