Curs'd be that heart, that forc'd us to this shift !— Write thou, good niece; and here display, at last, What God will have discover'd for revenge: Heaven guide thy pen to write thy sorrows plain, That we may know the traitors, and the truth!

[She takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it with her stumps, and writes. Tit. O, do you read, my lord, what she hath writ? Stuprum-Chiron-Demetrius.

Mar. What, what!-the lustful sons of Tamora Performers of this heinous, bloody deed? Tit. Magne Dominator poli,

Tam lentus audis scelera? tum lentus vides?

Mar. O, calm thee, gentle lord! although I know, There is enough written upon this earth, To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts, And arm the minds of infants to exclaims. My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel; And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope; And swear with me,-as with the woful feere, And father, of that chaste dishonour'd dame, Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucrece' rape,-That we will prosecute, by good advice, Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths, And see their blood, or die with this reproach. Tit. "Tis sure enough, an you knew how, But if you hurt these bear whelps, then beware: The dam will wake; and, if she wind you once, She's with the lion deeply still in league, And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back, And, when he sleeps, will she do what she list. You're a young huntsman, Marcus; let it alone And, come, I will go get a leaf of brass,

:

And with a gad of steel will write these words,
And lay it by the angry northern wind
Will blow these sands, like Sybil's leaves, abroad,
And where's your lesson then?-Boy, what say you?
Boy. I say, my lord, that if I were a man,
Their mother's bed-chamber should not be safe
For these bad-bondmen to the yoke of Rome.

Mar. Ay, that's my boy! thy father hath full oft For this ungrateful country done the like.

Boy. And uncle, so will I, an if I live. Tit. Come, go with me into mine armoury; Lucius, I'll fit thee; and withal, my boy Shall carry from me to the empress' sons Presents, that I intend to send them both : Come, come; thou'lt do thy message, wilt thou not?

Boy. Ay, with my dagger in their bosoms, grandsire. Tit. No, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another course. Lavinia, come:- -Marcus, look to my house; Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court; Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we'll be waited on.

[Exeunt TITUS, LAVINIA, and Boy. Mar. O heavens, can you hear a good man groan, And not relent, or not compassion him? Marcus, attend him in his ecstacy; That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart, Than foe-men's marks upon his batter'd shield: But yet so just, that he will not revenge :Revenge the heavens for old Andronicus!

[Exit.

SCENE II.-The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter AARON, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, at one door; at another door, young Lucius, and an Attendant, with a bundle of weapons, and verses writ upon them. Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius; He hath some message to deliver to us. [father. Aar. Ay, some mad message from his mad grandBoy. My lords, with all the humbleness I may,

I greet your honours from Andronicus ;-
And pray the Roman gods, confound you both. [Aside.
Dem. Gramercy, lovely Lucius: What's the news?
Boy. That you are both decipher'd, that's the news,
For villains mark'd with rape. [Aside.] May it please
My grandsire, well advis'd, hath sent by me [you,
The goodliest weapons of his armoury,
To gratify your honourable youth.
The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say;
And so I do, and with his gifts present
Your lordships, that whenever you have need,
You may be armed and appointed well:
And so I leave you both, [Aside.] like bloody villains.
[Exeunt Boy and Attendant.
Dem. What's here? A scroll; and written round
Let's see;
[about?

Integer vita, scelerisque purus,

Non eget Mauri jaculis, nec arcu.

Chi. O, 'tis a verse in Horace; I know it well: I read it in the grammar long ago.

Aar. Ay, just!-a verse in Horace;-right, you
have it.

Now, what a thing it is to be an ass!
Here's no sound jest! the old man hath found
their guilt;

And sends the weapons wrapp'd about with
lines,

[quick. Aside.

That wound, beyond their feeling, to the
But, were our witty empress well a-foot,
She would applaud Andronicus' conceit.
But let her rest in her unrest awhile.-
And now, young lords, was't not a happy star
Led us to Rome, strangers, and more than so,
Captives, to be advanced to this height?
It did me good, before the palace gate
To brave the tribune in his brother's hearing.
Dem. But me more good, to see so great a lord
Basely insinuate, and send us gifts.

Aar. Had he not reason, lord Demetrius ?
Did you not use his daughter very friendly?
Dem. I would, we had a thousand Roman dames
At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust.

Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love. Aar. Here lacks but your mother for to say amen. Chi. And that would she for twenty thousand more. Dem. Come, let us go; and pray to all the gods, For our beloved mother in her pains.

Aar. Pray to the devils; the gods have given us o'er. [Aside. Flourish, Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish thus ? Chi. Belike, for joy the emperor hath a son. Dem. Soft; who comes here?

Enter a Nurse, with a black-a-moor child in her arms.
Nur.
Good morrow,
lords:

O, tell me, did you see Aaron the Moor.
Aar. Well, more or less, or ne'er a whit at all,
Here Aaron is; and what with Aaron now?
Nur. O gentle Aaron, we are all undone !
Now help, or woe betide thee evermore !

Aar. Why, what a caterwauling dost thou keep? What dost thou wrap and fumble in thine arms?

Nur. O, that which I would hide from heaven's eye, Our empress' shame and stately Rome's disgrace ;She is deliver'd, lords, she is deliver'd.

Aar. To whom? Nur. I mean, she's brought to bed. Aar. Well, God Give her good rest! What hath he sent her? Nur. A devil. Aar. Why, then she's the devil's dam; a joyful Nur. A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful issue:

[issue.

Nur. Aaron, it must: the mother wills it so. Aar. What, must it, nurse? then let no man, but I, Do execution on my flesh and blood.

Dem. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point; Nurse, give it me; my sword shall soon despatch it. Aur. Sooner this sword shall plow thy bowels up. [Takes the child from the Nurse, and draws. Stay, murderous villains! will you kill your brother? Now, by the burning tapers of the sky

That shone so brightly when this boy was got,
He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point,
That touches this iny first-born son and heir!
tell you, younglings, not Enceladus,
With all his threat'ning band of Typhon's brood,
Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war,
Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands.
What, what; ye sanguine, shallow-hearted boys!
Ye white-lim'd walls! ye alehouse painted signs!
Coal-black is better than another hue

In that it scorns to bear another hue:
For all the water in the ocean

Can never turn a swan's black legs to white,
Although she lave them hourly in the flood.
Tell the emperess from me, I am of age
To keep mine own; excuse it how she can.

Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus ?
Aar. My mistress is my mistress; this, myself:
The vigour, and the picture of my youth:
This, before all the world, do I prefer ;
This, maugre all the world, will I keep safe,
Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.

Dem. By this our mother is for ever sham'd.
Chi. Rome will despise her for this foul escape.
Nur. The emperor, in his rage, will doom her death.
Chi. I blush to think upon this ignomy.

Aar. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears:
Fye, treacherous hue! that will betray with blushing
The close enacts and counsels of the heart!
Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer :
Look, how the black slave smiles upon the father;
As who should say, Old lad, I am thine own.
He is your brother, lords, sensibly fed
Of that self-blood that first gave life to you;
And, from that womb, where you imprison'd were,
He is enfranchised and come to light:
Nay, he's your brother by the surer side,
Although my seal be stamped in his face.

Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress? Dem. Advise thee, Aaron, what is to be done, And we will all subscribe to thy advice; Save thou the child, so we may all be safe.

Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. My son and I will have the wind of you: Keep there: Now talk at pleasure of your safety. [They sit on the ground. Dem. How many women saw this child of his?

Aar. Why, so, brave lords; When we all join in I am a lamb but if you brave the Moor, [league, The chafed boar, the mountain lioness, The ocean swells not so as Aaron storms.But, say again, how many saw the child? Nur. Cornelia the midwife, and myself, And no one else, but the deliver'd empress.

Aar. The empress, the midwife, and yourself: Two may keep counsel, when the third's away: Go to the empress; tell her, this I said :

[Stabbing her. Weke, weke !-so cries a pig, prepar'd to the spit. Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst Aar. O, lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy: [thou this? Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours? A long-tongu'd babbling gossip? no, lords, no. And now be it known to you my full intent. Not far, one Muliteus lives, my countryman, His wife but yesternight was brought to bed; His child is like to her, fair as you are: Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, And tell them both the circumstance of all; And how by this their child shall be advanc'd, And be received for the emperor's heir, And substituted in the place of mine, To calm this tempest whirling in the court; And let the emperor dandle him for his own. Hark ye, lords; ye see, that I have given her physic, [Pointing to the Nurse. And you must needs bestow her funeral ; The fields are near, and you are gallant grooms: This done, see that you take no longer days, But send the midwife presently to me. The midwife, and the nurse, well made away, Then let the ladies tattle what they please. Chi. Aaron, I see, thou wilt not trust the air With secrets. Dem. For this care of Tamora, Herself, and hers, are highly bound to thee.

[Exeunt DEM. and CHI. bearing off the Nurse. Aar. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies; There to dispose the treasure in mine arms, And secretly to greet the empress' friends.Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave, I'll bear you hence; For it is you that puts us to our shifts: I'll make you feed on berries, and on roots, And feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat, And cabin in a cave; and bring you up To be a warrior, and command a camp.

[Exit.

SCENE III.-The same. A public Place. Enter TITUs, bearing arrows, with letters at the ends of them; with him MARCUS, young Lucius, 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 Astraa reliquit :

Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled.
Sir, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall
Go sound the ocean, and cast your nets;
Happily you may find her in the sea;
Yet there 's as little justice as at land :-
No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it;
"Tis you must dig with mattock, and with spade,
And pierce the inmost center of the earth:
Then, when you come to Pluto's region,
I pray you, deliver him this petition:
Tell him, it is for justice, and for aid:
And that it comes from old Andronicus,
Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.--

Ah, Rome! Well, well; I made thee miserable,
What time I threw the people's suffrages
On him that doth tyrannize o'er me.-
Go, get you gone; and pray be careful all,
And leave you not a man of war unsearch'd;
This wicked emperor may have shipp'd her hence,
And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.

Mar. O, Publius, is not this a heavy case,
To see thy noble uncle thus distract?

Pub. Therefore, my lord, it highly us concerns, By day and night to attend him carefully; And feed his humour kindly as we may, Till time beget some careful remedy.

Mar. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Join with the Goths; and with revengeful war Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. [What, Tit. Publius, how now? how now, my masters? Have you met with her?

Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word If you will have revenge from hell, you shall: Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd,

He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, 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 pull her out of Acheron by the heels.— Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we; No big-bon'd men, fram'd of the Cyclops' size: But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back; Yet wrung with wrongs, more than our backs can bear: And, sith there is no justice in earth or hell, We will solicit heaven; and move the gods, 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: To Saturn, Caius, not to Saturnine,You were as good to shoot against the wind.To it, boy. Marcus, loose when I bid: O'my word, I have written to effect; There's not a god left unsolicited.

Mar. Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court: We will afflict the emperor in his pride. Tit. Now, masters, draw. [They shoot.] O, well said, Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas. [Lucius! Mar. My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon; Your letter is with Jupiter by this.

Tit. Ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done! See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns. Mar. This was the sport, my lord: when Publius shot,

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 your lordship joy.
Enter a Clown, with a basket, and two pigeons.
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is come.
Sirrah, what tidings, have you any letters?
Shall I have justice? what says Jupiter?

Clo. Ho! 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. 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.

Mar. 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 all my life.

Tit. Sirrah, come hither: make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the emperor: By me thou shalt have justice at his hands. Hold, hold;-mean while, here's money for thy Give me a pen and ink.— [charges. 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 to the emperor, Knock at my door, and tell me what he says. Clo. God be with you, sir; I will.

Tit. Come, Marcus, let's go :-Publius, follow me. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-The same. Before the Palace. Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, Lords, and others: SATURNINUS, with the arrows in his hand that TITUS shot.

[seen

Sat. Why, lords, what wrongs are these? Was ever An emperor of Rome thus overborne, Troubled, confronted thus; and, for the extent Of egal justice, us'd in such contempt? My lords, you know, as do 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 Of old Andronicus. And what an if His sorrows have so overwhelm'd his wits, Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks, 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 every where ? A goodly humour, is it not, my lords? As who would say, in Rome no justice were. But, if I live, his feigned ecstacies 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,

[Aside.

Than prosecute the meanest, or the best,
For these contempts. Why, thus it shall become
High-witted Tamora to gloze with all:
But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick,
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, would'st thou speak with us? Clo. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be imperial. 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?

Tam. Come, sirrah, you must be hang'd. Clo. Hang'd! By'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end. [Exit, guarded. 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, Æmilius?

[cause!
Emil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more
The Goths have gather'd head; and with a power
Of high-resolved men bent to the spoil,
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 over-heard them say,
(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
Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it? [name,
The eagle suffers little birds to sing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby ;
Knowing that, with the shadow of his wings,
He can at pleasure stint their melody:
Even so may'st 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;
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious feed.

Sat. But he will not entreat his son for us.
Tum. 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 embassador: [To

MILIUS.

Say, that the emperor requests a parley

SCENE I.-Plains near Rome.

Enter LUCIUS and 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.

[nicus, 1 Goth. Brave slip, sprung from the great AndroWhose 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
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 might'st 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,
Surpriz'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-ey'd slave, whither would'st thou convey
This growing image of thy fiend-like face?
Why dost not speak? What! deaf? No; not a word?
A halter, soldier; hang him on this tree,
And by his side his fruit of bastardy.

Aar. Touch not the boy, he is of royal blood.
Luc. Too like the sire for ever being good.-