555Aron. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus toppe,

556Safe out of Fortunes shot, and sits aloft,

557Secure of Thunders cracke or lightning flash,

558Aduanc'd about pale enuies threatning reach:

559As when the golden Sunne salutes the morne,

560And hauing gilt the Ocean with his beames,

561Gallops the Zodiacke in his glistering Coach,

562And ouer-lookes the highest piering hills:

563So Tamora

564Vpon her wit doth earthly honour waite,

565And vertue stoopes and trembles at her frowne.

566Then Aaron arme thy hart, and fit thy thoughts,

567To mount aloft with thy Emperiall Mistris,

568And mount her pitch, whom thou in ttiumph long

569Hast prisoner held, fettred in amorous chaines,

570And faster bound to Aarons charming eyes,

571Then is Prometheus ti'de to Caucasus.

572Away with slauish weedes, and idle thoughts,

573I will be bright and shine in Pearle and Gold,

574To waite vpon this new made Empresse.

575To waite said I? To wanton with this Queene,

576This Goddesse, this Semerimis, this Queene,

577This Syren, that will charme Romes Saturnine,

578And see his shipwracke, and his Commonweales.

579Hollo, what storme is this?

581Dem. Chiron thy yeres wants wit, thy wit wants edge

582And manners to intru'd where I am grac'd,

583And may for ought thou know'st affected be.

584Chi. Demetrius, thou doo'st ouer-weene in all,

585And so in this, to beare me downe with braues,

586'Tis not the difference of a yeere or two

587Makes me lesse gracious, or thee more fortunate:

588I am as able, and as fit, as thou,

589To serue, and to deserue my Mistris grace,

590And that my sword vpon thee shall approue,

591And plead my passions for Lauinia's loue.

592Aron. Clubs, clubs, these louers will not keep the peace.

593Dem. Why Boy, although our mother (vnaduised)

594Gaue you a daunsing Rapier by your side,

595Are you so desperate growne to threat your friends?

596Goe too: haue your Lath glued within your sheath,

597Till you know better how to handle it.

598Chi. Meanewhile sir, with the little skill I haue,

599Full well shalt thou perceiue how much I dare.

600Deme. I Boy, grow ye so braue? They drawe.

601Aron. Why how now Lords?

602So nere the Emperours Pallace dare you draw,

36The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus.

603And maintaine such a quarrell openly?

604Full well I wote, the ground of all this grudge.

605I would not for a million of Gold,

606The cause were knowne to them it most concernes.

607Nor would your noble mother for much more

608Be so dishonored in the Court of Rome:

609For shame put vp.

610Deme. Not I, till I haue sheath'd

611My rapier in his bosome, and withall

612Thrust these reprochfull speeches downe his throat,

613That he hath breath'd in my dishonour heere.

614Chi. For that I am prepar'd, and full resolu'd,

615Foule spoken Coward,

616That thundrest with thy tongue,

617And with thy weapon nothing dar'st performe.

618Aron. Away I say.

619Now by the Gods that warlike Gothes adore,

620This pretty brabble will vndoo vs all:

621Why Lords, and thinke you not how dangerous

622It is to set vpon a Princes right?

623What is Lauinia then become so loose,

624Or Bassianus so degenerate,

625That for her loue such quarrels may be broacht,

626Without controulement, Iustice, or reuenge?

627Young Lords beware, and should the Empresse know,

628This discord ground, the musicke would not please.

629Chi. I care not I, knew she and all the world,

630I loue Lauinia more then all the world.

631Demet. Youngling,

632Learne thou to make some meaner choise,

633Lauinia is thine elder brothers hope.

634Aron. Why are ye mad? Or know ye not in Rome,

635How furious and impatient they be,

636And cannot brooke Competitors in loue?

637I tell you Lords, you doe but plot your deaths,

638By this deuise.

639Chi. Aaron, a thousand deaths would I propose,

640To atchieue her whom I do loue.

641Aron. To atcheiue her, how?

642Deme. Why, mak'st thou it so strange?

643Shee is a woman, therefore may be woo'd,

644Shee is a woman, therfore may be wonne,

645Shee is Lauinia therefore must be lou'd.

646What man, more water glideth by the Mill

647Then wots the Miller of, and easie it is

648Of a cut loafe to steale a shiue we know:

649Though Bassianus be the Emperours brother,

650Better then he haue worne Vulcans badge.

651Aron, I, and as good as Saturnius may.

652Deme. Then why should he dispaire that knowes to (court it

653With words, faire lookes, and liberality:

654What hast not thou full often strucke a Doe,

655And borne her cleanly by the Keepers nose?

656Aron. Why then it seemes some certaine snatch or so

657Would serue your turnes.

658Chi. I so the turne were serued.

659Deme. Aaron thou hast hit it.

660Aron. Would you had hit it too,

661Then should not we be tir'd with this adoo:

662Why harke yee, harke yee, audare you such fooles,

663To square for this? Would it offend you then?

664Chi. Faith not me.

665Deme. Nor me, so I were one.

666Aron. For shame be friends, & ioyne for that you iar:

667'Tis pollicie, and stratageme must doe

668That you affect, and so must you resolue,

669That what you cannot as you would atcheiue,

670You must perforce accomplish as you may:

671Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chast

672Then this Lauinia, Bassianus loue,

673A speedier course this lingring languishment

674Must we pursue, and I haue found the path:

675My Lords, a solemne hunting is in hand.

676There will the louely Roman Ladies troope:

677The Forrest walkes are wide and spacious,

678And many vnfrequented plots there are,

679Fitted by kinde for rape and villanie:

680Single you thither then this dainty Doe,

681And strike her home by force, if not by words:

682This way or not at all, stand you in hope.

683Come, come, our Empresse with her sacred wit

684To villainie and vengance consecrate,

685Will we acquaint with all that we intend,

686And she shall file our engines with aduise,

687That will not suffer you to square yourselues,

688But to your wishes height aduance you both.

689The Emperours Court is like the house of Fame,

690The pallace full of tongues, of eyes, of eares:

691The Woods are ruthlesse, dreadfull, deafe, and dull:

692There speake, and strike braue Boyes, & take your turnes.

693There serue your lusts, shadow'd from heauens eye,

694And reuell in Lauinia's Treasurie.

695Chi. Thy counsell Lad smells of no cowardise.

696Deme. Sij fas aut nefas, till I finde the streames,

697To coole this heat, a Charme to calme their fits,

698Per Stigia per manes Vehor. Exeunt.