a I heard a child cry underneath a wall. A halter, soldiers ! hang him on this tree, I made unto the noise ; when soon I heard And by his side his fruit of bastardy. The crying babe controllid with this discourse :- AARON. Touch not the boy,,he is of royal Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dam ! blood. Did not thy hue bewray whose brat thou art, Luc. Too like the sire for ever being good.Had nature lent thee but thy mother's look, First hang the child, that he may see it sprawl,— Villain, thou mightst have been an emperor : A sight to vex the father's soul withal.— But where the bull and cow are both milk-white, Get me a ladder! They never do beget a coal-black calf. [4 ladder brought, which AARON is made Peace, villain, peace !—even thus he rates the to ascend. babe, AARON. Lucius, save the child, For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth, And bear it from me to the empress. Who, when he knows thou art the empress' babe, If thou do this, I'll show thee wond'rous things, Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake. That bighly may advantage thee to hear : With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him, If thou wilt not, befall what may befall, Surpris'd him suddenly, and brought him hither, I'll speak no more but—vengeance rot you all! To use as you think needful of the man. Luc. Say on; and if it please me which thou Luc. O, worthy Goth, this is the incarnate speak’st, devil Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourished. That robb’d Andronicus of his good hand; AARON. And if it please thee! why, assure This is the pearl“ that pleas’d your empress' eye ! thee, Lucius, And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.- ’T will vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak ; Say, wall-eyed slave, whither wouldst thou convey For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, This growing image of thy fiend-like face? Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Why dost not speak? what, deaf? not a word ?- Complots of mischief, treason, villanies This is the pearl-) An allusion to the old proverb, -"A black man is a pearl in a fi Ir woman's eye." o Get me a ladder!) These words are erroneously given to Aaron in the old copies. Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform’d: Luc. Tell on thy mind; I say thy child shall live. begin. Luc. Who should I swear by? thou believ'st 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 Ī'll urge him :-therefore thou shalt vow By that same god, what god soe'er it be, . Aaron. First know thou, I begot him on the empress. Luc. O, most insatiate, luxurious woman! Aaron. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. ’T was her two sons that murder'd Bassianus ; They cut thy sister's tongue, and ravish'd her. And cut her hands, and trimm'd her as thou saw'st. Luc. O, détestable villain ! call'st thou that trimming ? Aaron. Why, she was wash'd, and cut, and trimm’d; no more. : And ’t was trim sport for them that had the doing Luc. Bring down the devil, for he must not die of it. So sweet a death as hanging presently. Luc. O, barbarous, beastly villains, like thy- Aaron. If there be devils, would I were a self! devil, Aaron. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct To live and burn in everlasting fire, them : So I might have your company in hell, That codding spirit had they from their mother, But to torment you with my bitter tongue ! As sure a card as ever won the set : Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak Enter a Goth. 3 Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from And hid the gold within the letter mention’d, Rome queen Desires to be admitted to your presence. Luc. Let him come near. Enter ÆMILIUS. Welcome, Æmilius : what's the news from Rome ? When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads; Æmil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily, Goths, And, for he understands you are in arms, He craves a parley at your father's house, And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses. Willing you to demand your hostages, 1 Goth. What, canst thou say all this, and And they shall be immediately deliver'd. never blush ? 1 Goth. What says our general ? Aaron. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds ? Unto my father and my uncle Marcus, Aaron. Ay, that I had not done a thousand And we will come.—March! away! [Flourish. Exeunt. 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 ; SCENE II.—Rome. Before Titus's House. Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it ; Accuse some innocent, and forswear myself ; Enter TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, and CHIRON, disSet deadly enmity between two friends ; guised. Make poor men's cattle break their necks ; * Set fire on barns and hay-stacks in the night, Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, And bid the owners quench them with their tears. I will encounter with Andronicus, Oft have I digg’d up dead men from their graves, And I am Revenge, sent from below And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, † To join with him and right his heinous wrongs. Even when their sorrows almost were forgot ; Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, And on their skins, as on the bark of trees, To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge ; Have with my knife carved in Roman letters, Tell him Revenge is come to join with him, Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead. And work confusion on his enemies. Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things [They knock. Enter Titus above." As willingly as one would kill a fly; Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation ? And nothing grieres me heartily indeed, Is it your trick to make me ope the door, But that I cannot do ten thousand more. That so my sad decrees may fly away, a more. 2 say (*) First folio, few. (1) Old text, doore. A Make poor men's cattle break their necks;] Malone proposed to supply the omission in this line by adding, -and dic: Mr. Dyce, by reading,-"stray and break their necks;" and Mr. Collier's annotator by,-"ofttimes hreak their necks."' b Enter Tirus above.) The old copies have, “ They knocke and Titus opens his studie dore." are ! the * foes. And all my study be to no effect ? Tit. Are they thy ministers ? what are they You are deceiv’d; for what I mean to do call'd? See here in bloody lines I have set down; Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called so, And what is written shall be executed. 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they Tip. No, not a word : how can I grace my talk, Wanting a hand to give it action ? And you, empress ! but we worldly mien Thou hast the odds of me; therefore no more. Have miserable, mad-mistaking eyes. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk 0, sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee; with me. And, if one arm's embracement will content thee, Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough: I will embrace thee in it by and by. [Exit above. Witness this wretched stump, witness these crim- Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy : son lines; Whate'er I forge to feed his brain-sick fits, Witness these trenches made by grief and care ; Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches ; Witness the tiring day and heavy night; For now he firmly takes me for Revenge, Witness all sorrow, that I know thee well And, being credulous in this mad thought, For our proud empress, mighty Tamora. I'll make him send for Lucius, his son ; Is not thy coming for my other hand ? And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure, Tam. Know, thou sad man, I am not Tamora ; I'll find some cunning practice out of hand, She is thy enemy, and I thy friend. To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Enter Titus, Tır. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Where bloody Murder or detested Rape Welcome, dread Fury, to my woeful house :Can couch for fear, but I will find them out ; Rapine and Murder, you are welcome too :And in their cars tell them my dreadful name,- How like the empress and her sons you are ! Revenge,—which makes the foul offenders quake. Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor :-Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent to Could not all hell afford you such a devil ?me For well I wot the empress never wags But in her company there is a Moor ; It were convenient had such a devil: What shall we do? Lo, by thy side where Rape and Murder stands ! Tam. What wouldst thou have us do, AndroNow give some surance that thou art Revenge,– nicus ? Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels; DEMET. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with And then I'll come and be thy waggoner, him. And whirl along with thee about the globes ; CHI. Show me a villain that hath done a rape, Provide thee two proper palfreys,t black as jet, And I am sent to be revengid on him. To hale thy vengeful waggon swift away, Tam. Show me a thousand, that have done thee And find out murderers I in their guilty caves : $ wrong, And when thy car is loaden with their heads, And I will be revenged on them all. I will dismount, and by the waggon-wheel Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Trot, like a servile footman, all day long, Rome, Even from Hyperion's rising in the east And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself, Until bis very downfall in the sea : Good Murder, stab him ; he's a murderer. -And day by day I'll do this heavy task, Go thou with him ; and when it is thy hap To find another that is like to thee, Go thou with them ; and in the emperor's court me, you me. (*) First folio, my. (+) First folio inserts, as. (1) Old text, murder. ($) Old text, cares. * Titus, I am come to talk with thee.) Query,—"I am here come"? • Hyperion's-) So the second folio; the quartos read, “Eptons, " and the tirst folio has, “ Epeons." c Are they thy ministers?] A correction of the second folio; the previous copies having, "Are them," &c. There is a queen attended by a Moor; Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, Well mayst thou know her by thy own proportion, farewell. [Erit TAMORA. For up and down“ she doth resemble thee. CHI. Tell us, old man, how shall we be emI pray thee, do on them some violent death : They have been violent to me and mine. Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.— Tam. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine ! ploy'd ? we do. d But would it please thee, good Andronicus, Enter PUBLIUS and others. Pub. What is your will ? Tır. Know you these two ? I will bring in the empress and her sons, Pub. The empress' sons, The emperor himself, and all thy foes, I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. And at thy mercy shall they stoop and kneel, Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much And on them shalt thou ease thy angry heart. deceiv'd, What says Andronicus to this device ? The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name ; Tit. Marcus ! my brother ! 'tis sad Titus calls. And therefore bind them, gentle Publius : Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them. Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour, Enter MARCUS. And now I find it; therefore bind them sure, And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry.“ [Exit. Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius, [PUBLIUS, &c., lay hold on CHIRON and DEMETRIUS. Thou shalt inquire him out among the Goths, Bid him repair to me, and bring with him Chi. Villains, forbear! we are the empress' sons. PUB. And therefore do we what we are comSome of the chiefest princes of the Goths ; manded. Bid him encamıp his soldiers where they are. Tell him the emperor and the empress too, Stop close their mouths ; let them not speak a word. Feast at my house, and he shall feast with them. This do thou for my love ; and so let him, Is he sure bound ? look that you bind them fast. As he regards his aged father's life. Marc. This will I do, and soon return again. Erit. Re-enter Titus, with LAVINIA, he bearing a knife Tam. Now will I hence about thy business, and she a basin. And take my ministers along with me. Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with Tit. Come, come, Lavinia ; look, thy foes are me, bound.Or else I'll call my brother back again, Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me; And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. But let them hear what fearful words I utter.Tam. [Aside to them.] What say you, boys ? O, villains, Chiron and Demetrius ! will Here stands the spring whom you have stain’d with Whiles I go lord the emperor, Two of her brothers were condemn’d to death, Tit. (Aside.] I know them all, though they My hand cut off, and made a merry jest, suppose me mad; Both her sweet hands, her tongue; and that more And will o'erreach them in their own devices, dear A pair of cursed hell-hounds, and their dam. Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, DEMET. Madam, depart at pleasure ; leave us Inhuman traitors, you constrain’d and forc'd. here. What would you say, if I should let you speak ? Tam. Farewell, Andronicus; Revenge now goes Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace. To lay a complot to betray thy foes. Hark, wretches ! how I mean to martyr you. b mud; a — up and down-). That is, thoroughly, exactly, altogether ; see note (b), p. 13, Vol. I. b Whal say you, boys ? will you abide with him,-) The early copies have, "will you bide wiih him," but the self-evident cor. rection, "abide," though attributed by Mr. Collier to his annotator as a novelty, is found in most editions of the last century. · I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. ) he conjunction, omitted in the old copies, was first restored by Theobald. d And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry.) A line not printed in the folio, 1623. |