The Roman emperor greets you all by me; Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rome. Before Titus's House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, disguised. And say, Enter TITUS, above. [They knock. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Thou hast the odds of me, therefore no more. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with me. 1 Perhaps this is a stage direction crept into the text. Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough. Witness this wretched stump, witness these crimson lines; Witness these trenches, made by grief and care; Tam. Know thou, sad man, I am not Tamora; I am Revenge; sent from the infernal kingdom, Confer with me of murder and of death. There's not a hollow cave, or lurking-place, No vast obscurity, or misty vale, Where bloody murder, or detested rape, Can couch for fear, but I will find them out; Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent to me To be a torment to mine enemies? Tam. I am; therefore come down and welcome me. Tit. Do me some service, ere I come to thee. And day by day I'll do this heavy task, So thou destroy Rapine1 and Murder there. 2 Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me. Tit. Are them thy ministers? what are they called? Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called so, 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they are! And you the empress! But we worldly men Have miserable, mad, mistaking eyes. O sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee; And, if one arm's embracement will content thee, [Exit TITUS, from above. Enter TITUS. Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee. 1 Rape and rapine appear to have been sometimes used, anciently, as synonymous terms. 2 Similar violations of syntax, according to modern notions, are not unfrequent in our elder writers. It were convenient you had such a devil; Tam. What wouldst thou have us do, Andronicus? Dem. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with him. Chi. Show me a villain that hath done a rape, And I am sent to be revenged on him. Tam. Show me a thousand, that hath done thee wrong, And I will be revenged on them all. Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome; Well may'st thou know her by thy own proportion, I pray thee, do on them some violent death; They have been violent to me and mine. Tam. Well hast thou lessoned us; this shall we do. But would it please thee, good Andronicus, To send for Lucius, thy thrice valiant son, Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike Goths, Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls. Enter MARCUS. Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius; Bid him encamp his soldiers where they are. Mar. This will I do, and soon return again. [Exit. Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me; Or else I'll call my brother back again, And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. Tam. What say you, boys? will you abide with him, Whiles I go tell my lord, the emperor, How I have governed our determined jest? And tarry with him, till I come again, [Aside. Tit. I know them all, though they suppose me mad; And will o'erreach them in their own devices, A pair of cursed hellhounds, and their dam. [Aside. Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. Tam. Farewell, Andronicus. Revenge now goes [Exit TAMORA. Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, To lay a complot to betray thy foes. farewell. Chi. Tell us, old man, how shall we be employed? Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine! Enter PUBLIUS and others. Tit. Pub. What's your will? Know you these two? Th' empress' sons, Pub. I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceived; The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name: And therefore bind them, gentle Publius Caius, and Valentine, lay hands on them. Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour, |