Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

CLOWN. God be with

you, sir; I will.

[Exil.

TIT. Come, Marcus, let us go.-Publius, follow me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Before the Palace.

Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, Lords, and others; SATURNINUS with the arrows in his hand that TITUS shot.

SAT. Why, lords, what wrongs are these! was ever seen

An emperor in Rome thus overborne,

Troubled, confronted thus; and, for the extent

Of egal justice, us'd in such contempt?

My lords, you know, as doa the mightful gods,
However these disturbers of our peace

Buzz in the people's ears, there nought hath pass'd,
But even with law, against the wilful sons
Of old Andronicus. And what an if
His sorrows have so overwhelm'd his wits,-
Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks,b
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 libelling against the senate,
And blazoning our injustice everywhere?
A goodly humour, 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 she* sleep,
He'll so awake, as she in fury shall
Cut off the proud'st conspirator 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 sorrow for his valiant sons,

Whose loss hath pierc'd him deep, and scarr'd 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 touch'd thee to the quick,

Old copies, he.

as do-] These words are an addition by Rowe, the line in the old text reading imperfectly,

"My lords, you know the mightful gods."

↳ — his wreaks,—] Capell, and Mr. Collier's annotator, reads, freaks.

Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wise,
Then is all safe, the anchor's in the port.-

Enter Clown.

How now, good fellow! wouldst thou speak with us?
CLOWN. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be emperial.
TAM. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor.

CLOWN. "Tis he.-God and saint Stephen give you good den: I have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here.b

[SATURNINUS reads the letter.

SAT. Go, take him away, and hang him presently.

CLOWN. How much money must I have?

TAM. Come, sirrah, you must be hanged.

CLOWN. Hanged! by 'r lady then I have brought up a neck to

a fair end.

SAT. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs!

Shall I endure this monstrous villany?

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 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 frantic wretch, that holp'st to make me great,
In hope thyself should govern Rome and me.

Enter EMILIUS.

What news with thee, Emilius?

[Exit, guarded.

ÆMIL. Arm, my lords,-Rome never had more cause! The Goths have gather'd head, and with a power

Of high-resolved men, bent to the spoil,

I have touch'd thee to the quick,

Thy life-blood out:]

Touch'd means pricked: I have lanced thy life-blood out; but as she refers, it would appear, to some plot between her paramour and her, against the life of Lucius, we ought, perhaps, to point the line thus :

"Thy life-blood out, if Aaron now be wise: "

b and a couple of pigeons here.] Mr. Collier's annotator presents this and the poor Clown's subsequent speech in rhyme of the following cast:

[blocks in formation]

And this, which almost caps the memorable couplet, by the same authority, in Henry VI." Part II. Act II. Sc. 3,

[ocr errors]

"My staff! here, noble Henry, is my staff:

To think I fain would keep it, makes me laugh,”—

Mr. Collier has the barbarity to impute to Shakespeare !

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.

SAT. 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 begin our sorrows to approach:
'Tis he the common people love so much!
Myself hath often heard them say,a
(When I have walked like a private man)
That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,

And they have wish'd that Lucius were their emperor.
TAM. Why should you fear? is not your city strong?
SAT. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,

And will revolt from me to succour him.

TAM. King, be thy thoughts imperious, like thy name.
Is the sun dimm'd, 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 wing*
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.

SAT. But he will not entreat his son 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 ambassador; b

Say that the emperor requests a parley

Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting,

Even at his father's house, the old Andronicus.c
SAT. Æmilius, do this message honourably:

And if he stand on† hostage for his safety,
Bid him demand what pledge will please him best.

(*) Old text, wings.

[To EMILIUS.

(†) Old text, in.

• Myself hath often heard them say,-] A mutilated line, which Theobald rendered whole by printing,-" Myself have often overheard," &c., and Mr. Collier's annotator would perfect by reading,-" Myself hath very often heard," &c.

b-be our ambassador;] The quartos have,

The folio reads,

[ocr errors]

"Goe thou before to be our Embassadour," &c.

"Goe thou before to our Embassadour," &c.

- the old Andronicus.] A line found only in the 4to. 1600.

VOL. VI.

EMIL. Your bidding shall 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, sweet emperor, be blithe again,

And bury all thy fear in my devices.

a

SAT. Then go successantly, and plead to him.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-Plains near Rome.

Flourish. Enter LUCIUS, and an Army of Goths, with drum and colours.

Luc. Approved warriors, and my faithful friends,

I have received letters from great Rome,

Which signify 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 scath,
Let him make treble satisfaction.

1 GOTH. Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus, Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort; Whose high exploits and honourable 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 flower'd fields,—

And be aveng'd on cursed Tamora.

GOTHS. And, as he saith, so say 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 stray'd,

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

(*) First folio, for.

successantly,-] Rowe prints, successfully; and Capell, who is followed here by Mr. Collier's annotator, incessantly.

GOTHS.] The prefix being omitted in the earlier copies, this line forms part of the preceding speech there.

The crying babe controll'd with this discourse :-
Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dam!
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 rush'd upon him,
Surpris'd him suddenly, and brought him hither,
To use as you think needful of the man.

Luc. O, worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil
That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand;
This is the pearl that pleas'd your empress' eye!
And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.-
Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like 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.
LUC. 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! b

AARON.

[A ladder brought, which AARON is made to ascend. Lucius, save the child,

And bear it from me to the empress.

If thou do this, I'll show thee wond'rous 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!

LUC. 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,

'T will 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, villanies
Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:
And this shall all be buried by my death,
Unless thou swear to me my child shall live.

Luc. Tell on thy mind; I say thy child shall live.

AARON. Swear that he shall, and then I will begin.

This is the pearl-] An allusion to the old proverb,-" A black man is a pearl in a fair woman's eye."

Get me a ladder!] These words are erroneously given to Aaron in the old copies.

« AnteriorContinuar »