SCENE III. The same. A public place. Enter TITUS, bearing arrows with letters at the ends of them; with him, MARCUS, young LUCIUS, PUBLIUS, SEMPRONIUS, CAIUS, and other Gentlemen, with bows. Tit. Come, Marcus; come, kinsmen; this is the way. Sir boy, now let me see your archery; Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight. Terras Astræa reliquit : Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall spade, And pierce the inmost centre of the earth: And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice. Pub. Therefore, my lord, it highly us He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, 40 So that perforce you must needs stay a time. Tit. He doth me wrong to feed me with delays. I'll dive into the burning lake below, And, sith there's no justice in earth nor hell, We will solicit heaven and move the gods 50 To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs. Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus; [He gives them the arrows. 'Ad Jovem,' that's for you: here, 'Ad Apollinem : 'Ad Martem,' that's for myself: Here, boy, to Pallas: here, to Mercury : We will afflict the emperor in his pride. 60 Tit. Now, masters, draw. [They shoot.] O, well said, Lucius ! Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas. moon; Your letter is with Jupiter by this. Tit. Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done? See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns. Marc. This was the sport, my lord: when Publius shot 70 The Bull, being gall'd, gave Aries such a knock That down fell both the Ram's horns in the court; And who should find them but the empress' villain ? She laugh'd, and told the Moor he should not choose But give them to his master for a present. Tit. Why, there it goes: God give his lordship joy! Enter a Clown, with a basket, and two pigeons in it. News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is come. Sirrah, what tidings? have you any letters ? Shall I have justice? what says Jupiter? 79 Clo. O, the gibbet-maker! he says that he hath taken them down again, for the man must not be hanged till the next week. Tit. But what says Jupiter, I ask thee? Clo. Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never drank with him in all my life. Tit. Why, villain, art not thou the carrier? Clo. Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else. 361019 Tit. Why,didst thou not come from heaven? Clo. From heaven! alas, sir, I never came there: God forbid I should be so bold to press to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperial's men. Marc. Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons to the emperor from you. Tit. Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the emperor with a grace? Clo. Nay, truly, sir, I could never say grace in all my life. 101 Tit. Sirrah, come hither: make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the emperor : Give me pen and ink. Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a supplication ?. Clo. Ay, sir. Tit. Then here is a supplication for you. And when you come to him, at the first approach you must kneel, then kiss his foot, then deliver up your pigeons, and then look for your reward. I'll be at hand, sir; see you do it bravely. Clo. I warrant you, sir, let me alone. Tit. Sirrah, hast thou a knife? come, let me see it. Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration; For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant. And when thou hast given it the emperor, Knock at my door, and tell me what he says. Clo. God be with you, sir; I will. 120 Tit. Come, Marcus, let us go. Publius, follow me. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The same. 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, used in such contempt My lords, you know, as know the mightful gods, However these disturbers of our peace Buz in the people's ears, there nought hath pass'd, But even with law, against the wilful sons And blazoning our injustice every where ? Cut off the proud'st conspirator that lives. Tam. My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine, Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts. And rather comfort his distressed plight High-witted Tamora to gloze with all : Enter Clown. How now, good fellow wouldst thou speak with us? Clo. Yea, forsooth, an your mistership be emperial. 40 Tam. Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. Clo. 'Tis he. God and Saint 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? [Exit,guarded. Sat. Despiteful and intolerable wrongs! 50 Shall I endure this monstrous villany? I know from whence this same device proceeds: May this be borne ?-as if his traitorous sons, Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; man; Sly frantic wretch, that holp'st to make mo great, In hope thyself should govern Rome and me. Enter EMILIUS. 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. [To Emilius] Go thou before, be our ambassador: 100 Say that the emperor requests a parley Sat. Æmilius, do this message honorably: Emil. Your bidding shall I do effectually. [Exit. 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, 111 And bury all thy fear in my devices. Sat. Then go successantly, and plead to him. [Exeunt. SCENE: Plains nedr Rome. JJJ 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 scatlı, Let him make treble satisfaction. First Goth. Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus, Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort; 10 Whose high exploits and honorable 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 flowered fields, And be avenged on cursed Tamora. All the 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. Sec. Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd 20 To gaze upon a ruinous monastery; They never do beget a coal-black calf. 'For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth; Who, when he knows thou art the empress❜ babe, 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, 80 To that I'll urge him: therefore thou shalt vow Luc. Even by my god I swear to thee I will. Aar. First know thou, I begot him on the empress. Lic. O most insatiate and luxurious woman! Aar. Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity To that which thou shalt hear of me anon. 90 'Twas 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 detestable villain! call'st thou that trimming? Aar. Why, she was wash'd and cut and trimm'd, and 'twas Trim sport for them that had the doing of it. Luc. O barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! Aar. Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them : 100 That codding spirit had they from their mother, I pry'd me through the crevice of a wall When, for his hand, he had his two sons' heads; Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily, 121 Aar. Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is Luc. Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? Aar. Ay, that I had not done a thousand more. Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves, And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; So sweet a death as hanging presently. Aar. If there be devils, would I were a devil To live and burn in everlasting fire, She is thy enemy, and I thy friend : I am Revenge sent from the infernal kingdom, 30 To ease the gnawing vulture of thy mind, Confer with me of murder and of death: 41 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. Lo, by thy side where Rape and Murder stands; Now give me some surance that thou art Revenge, Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot-wheels: Tit. Are these thy ministers? what are they call'd? Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called [Exit above. Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy: Whate'er I forge to feed his brain-sick fits, 71 Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches, For now he firmly takes me for Revenge; And, being credulous in this mad thought, I'll make him send for Lucius his son; And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure, I'll find some cunning practice out of hand, To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Or, at the least, make them his enemies. See. here he comes, and I must ply my theme. 80 |