*

That he thereby may give a likely guess,
How these were they that made away his brother.
[Exit AARON.
MART. Why dost not comfort me, and help me

out

From this unhallow'd 3 and blood-stained hole ?

QUIN. I am surprized with an uncouth fear: A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints; My heart suspects more than mine eye can see. MART. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart, Aaron and thou look down into this den,

And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

QUIN. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate
heart

Will not permit mine eyes once to behold
The thing, whereat it trembles by surmise:
O, tell me who it is; for ne'er till now
Was I a child, to fear I know not what.

MART. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here, All on a heap, like to a slaughter'd lamb, In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. QUIN. If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he? "MART. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear "A precious ring, that lightens all the hole,

3 From this UNHALLOW'D, &c.] Edition 1600:

"From this unhallow," &c. TODD.

4 WHO it is;] So the quarto 1600. The later quarto, and the folio, read-how it is. MALONE.

5 A precious ring,] There is supposed to be a gem called à carbuncle, which emits not reflected but native light. Mr. Boyle believes the reality of its existence. JOHNSON.

So, in The Gesta Romanorum, history the sixth: "He farther beheld and saw a carbuncle in the hall that lighted all the house." Again, in Lydgate's Description of King Priam's Palace, 1. ii. : "And for most chefe all dirkeness to confound,

"A carbuncle was set as kyng of stones all, "To recomforte and gladden all the hall. "And it to enlumine in the black night "With the freshnes of his ruddy light." Again, in the Muse's Elysium, by Drayton :

"Which, like a taper in some monument, "Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, "And shows the ragged entrails of this pit: "So pale did shine the moon' on Pyramus, "When he by night lay bath'd in maiden blood. "O brother, help me with thy fainting hand,"If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath,"Out of this fell devouring receptacle, "As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth.

66

QUIN. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out;

“Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, "I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb "Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave.

"I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink. MART. Nor I no strength to climb without thy help.

QUIN. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again,

"Is that admired, mighty stone,
"The carbuncle that's named;

"Which from it such a flaming light

"And radiancy ejecteth,

"That in the very darkest night

"The eye to it directeth."

Chaucer, in the Romaunt of the Rose, attributes the same pro

perties to the carbuncle:

"Soche light ysprang out of the stone." STEEVENS. So, in King Henry VIII.:

66

a gem

"To lighten all this isle."

So also, Spenser's Fairy Queen, b. vi. c. xi. :

6

66 -like diamond of rich regard,

"In doubtful shadow of the darksome night."

MALONE.

all THE hole,] The quarto 1600 reads-all this hole.

Todd.

7 So pale did shine the moon, &c.] Lee appears to have been indebted to this image in his Massacre of Paris:

"Looks like a midnight moon upon a murder."

STEEVENS.

Till thou art here aloft, or I below:

Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee.

Enter SATURNINUS and AARON.

[Falls in.

SAT. Along with me:-I'll see what hole is here, And what he is, that now is leap'd into it.

Say, who art thou, that lately didst descend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth?

MART. The unhappy son of old Andronicus;
Brought hither in a most unlucky hour,

To find thy brother Bassianus dead.

SAT. My brother dead? I know, thou dost but jest:

He and his lady both are at the lodge,

Upon the north side of this pleasant chase; "Tis not an hour since I left him there.

MART. We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas! here have we found him dead.

Enter TAMORA, with Attendants; TITUS AndroNICUS, and LUCIUS.

TAM. Where is my lord, the king?

SAT. Here, Tamora; though griev'd with killing grief.

TAM. Where is thy brother Bassianus ?

SAT. Now to the bottom dost thou search my

wound;

Poor Bassianus here lies murdered.

TAM. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,

[Giving a Letter.

The complot of this timeless9 tragedy;

8

left HIM there.] Edition 1600 reads-left them there.

Todd. 9-timeless-] i. e. untimely. So, in King Richard II. : "The bloody office of his timeless end." STEEVens.

And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.

SAT. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him handsomely,

Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,-
Do thou so much as dig the grave for him;
Thou know'st our meaning: Look for thy reward
Among the nettles at the elder tree,

Which overshades the mouth of that same pit,
Where we decreed to bury Bassianus.
Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends:
O, Tamora! was ever heard the like?
This is the pit, and this the elder-tree :
Look, sirs, if you can find the huntsman out,
That should have murder'd Bassianus here.

AAR. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold.

[Showing it. SAT. Two of thy whelps, [To TIT.] fell curs of bloody kind,

Have here bereft my brother of his life:-
Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison;
There let them bide, until we have devis'd
Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them.
TAM. What, are they in this pit? O wondrous
thing!

How easily murder is discovered!

TIT. High emperor, upon my feeble knee I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed, That this fell fault of my accursed sons, Accursed, if the fault be prov'd in them,-— SAT. If it be prov'd! you see, it is apparent.Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? TAM. Andronicus himself did take it up. TIT. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail: For by my father's reverend tomb, I vow, They shall be ready at your highness' will, To answer their suspicion with their lives.

SAT. Thou shalt not bail them; see, thou follow

me.

Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers:

Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain; For, by my soul, were there worse end than death, That end upon them should be executed.

TAM. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; Fear not thy sons, they shall do well enough. TIT. Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with [Exeunt severally.

them.

SCENE V.

The Same.

Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravished; 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

so;

And, if thy stumps will let thee, play the scribe. DEM. See, how with signs and tokens she can

scrowl9.

CHI. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands.

DEM. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to

wash;

And so let's leave her to her silent walks.

This, I apprehend, is the true reading. TODD.