734Aron. He that had wit, would thinke that I had none,

735To bury so much Gold vnder a Tree,

736And neuer after to inherit it.

737Let him that thinks of me so abiectly,

738Know that this Gold must coine a stratageme,

739Which cunningly effected, will beget

740A very excellent peece of villany:

741And so repose sweet Gold for their vnrest,

742That haue their Almes out of the Empresse Chest.

744Tamo. My louely Aaron,

745Wherefore look'st thou sad,

746When euerything doth make a Gleefull boast?

747The Birds chaunt melody on euery bush,

748The Snake lies rolled in the chearefull Sunne,

749The greene leaues quiuer.with the cooling winde,

750And make a cheker'd shadow on the ground:

751Vnder their sweete shade, Aaron let vs sit,

752And whil'st the babling Eccho mock's the Hounds,

753Replying shrilly to the well tun'd-Hornes,

754Asif a double hunt were heard at once,

755Let vs sit downe, and marke their yelping noyse:

756And after conflict, such as was suppos'd.

757The wandring Prince and Dido once enioy'd,

758When with a happy storme they were surpris'd,

759And Curtain'd with a Counsaile-keeping Caue,

760We may each wreathed in the others armes,

761(Our pastimes done) possesse a Golden slumber,

762Whiles Hounds and Hornes, and sweet Melodious Birds

763Be vnto vs, as is a Nurses Song

764Of Lullabie, to bring her Babe asleepe.

765Aron. Madame,

766Though Venus gouerne your desires,

767Saturne is Dominator ouer mine:

768What signifies my deadly standing eye,

769My silence, and my Cloudy Melancholie,

770My fleece of Woolly haire, that now vncurles,

771Euen as an Adder when she doth vnrowle

772To do some fatall execution?

773No Madam, these are no Veneriall signes,

774Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,

775Blood, and reuenge, are Hammering in my head.

776Harke Tamora, the Empresse of my Soule,

777Which neuer hopes more heauen, then rests in thee,

778This is the day of Doome for Bassianus;

779His Philomel must loose her tongue today,

780Thy Sonnes make Pillage of her Chastity,

781And wash their hands in Bassianus blood.

782Seest thou this Letter, take it vp I pray thee,

783And giue the King this fatall plotted Scrowle,

784Now question me no more, we are espied,

785Heere comes a parcell of our hopefull Booty,

786Which dreads not yet their liues destruction.

788Tamo. Ah my sweet Moore:

789Sweeter to me then life.

790Aron. No more great Empresse, Bassianus comes,

791Be crosse with him, and Ile goe fetch thy Sonnes

792To backe thy quarrell what so ere they be.

793Bassi. Whom haue we heere?

794Romes Royall Empresse,

795Vnfurnisht of our well beseeming troope?

796Or is it Dian habited like her,

797Who hath abandoned her holy Groues,

798To see the generall Hunting in this Forrest?

799Tamo. Sawcie controuler of our priuate steps:

800Had I the power, that some say Dian had,

801Thy Temples should be planted presently.

802With Hornes, as was Acteons, and the Hounds

803Should driue vpon his new transformed limbes,

804Vnmannerly Intruder as thou art.

805Laui. Vnder your patience gentle Empresse,

806'Tis thought you haue a goodly gift in Horning,

807And to be doubted, that your Moore and you

808Are singled forth to try experiments:

809Ioue sheild your husband from his Hounds to day,

810'Tis pitty they should take him for a Stag.

811Bassi. Beleeue me Queene, your swarth Cymerion,

812Doth make your Honour of his bodies Hue,

813Spotted, detested, and abhominable.

814Why are you sequestred from all your traine?

815Dismounted from your Snow-white goodly Steed,

816And wandred hither to an obscure plot,

817Accompanied with a barbarous Moore,

818If foule desire had not conducted you?

819Laui. And being intercepted in your sport,

820Great reason that my Noble Lord, be rated

821For Saucinesse, I pray you let vs hence,

822And let her ioy her Rauen coloured loue,

823This valley fits the purpose passing well.

824Bassi. The King my Brother shall haue notice of this.

825Laui. I, for these slips haue made him noted long,

826Good King, to be so mightily abused.

827Tamora. Why I haue patience to endure all this?

829Dem. How now deere Soueraigne

830And our gracious Mother,

831Why doth your Highnes looke so pale and wan?

832Tamo. Haue I not reason thinke you to looke pale.

833These two haue tic'd me hither to this place,

834A barren, detested vale you see it is.

835The Trees though Sommer, yet forlorne and leane,

836Ore-come with Mosse, and balefull Misselto.

837Heere neuer shines the Sunne, heere nothing breeds,

838Vnlesse the nightly Owle, or fatall Rauen:

839And when they shew'd me this abhorred pit,

840They told me heere at dead time of the night,

841A thousand Fiends, a thousand hissing Snakes,

842Ten thousand swelling Toades, as many Vrchins,

843Would make such fearefull and confused cries,

844As any mortall body hearing it,

845Should straite fall mad, or else die suddenly.

846No sooner had they told this hellish tale,

847But strait they told me they would binde me heere,

848Vnto the body of a dismall yew,

849And leaue me to this miserable death.

850And then they call'd me foule Adulteresse,

851Lasciuious Goth, and all the bitterest tearmes

852That euer eare did heare to such effect.

853And had you not by wondrous fortune come,

854This vengeance on me had they executed:

855Reuenge it, as you loue your Mothers life,

856Or be ye not henceforth cal'd my Children.

857Dem. This is a witnesse that I am thy Sonne. stab him.

858Chi. And this for me,

859Strook home to shew my strength.

860Laui. I come Semeramis, nay Barbarous Tamora.

dd For

38The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus.

861For no name fits thy nature but thy owne.

862Tam. Giue me thy poyniard, you shal know my boyes

863Your Mothers hand shall right your Mothers wrong.

864Deme. Stay Madam heere is more belongs to her,

865First thrash the Corne, then after burne the straw:

866This Minion stood vpon her chastity,

867Vpon her Nuptiall vow, her loyaltie.

868And with that painted hope, braues your Mightinesse,

869And shall she carry this vnto her graue?

870Chi. And if she doe,

871I would I were an Eunuch,

872Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,

873And make his dead Trunke-Pillow to our lust.

874Tamo. But when ye haue the hony we desire,

875Let not this Waspe out-liue vs both to sting.

876Chir. I warrant you Madam we will make that sure:

877Come Mistris, now perforce we will enioy,

878That nice-preserued honesty of yours.

879Laui. Oh Tamora, thou bear'st a woman face.

880Tamo. I will not heare her speake, away with her.

881Laui. Sweet Lords intreat her heare me but a word.

882Demet. Listen faire Madam, let it be your glory

883To see her teares, but be your hart to them,

884As vnrelenting flint to drops of raine.

885Laui. When did the Tigers young-ones teach the dam?

886O doe not learne her wrath, she taught it thee,

887The milke thou suck'st from her did turne to Marble,

888Euen at thy Teat thou had'st thy Tyranny,

889Yet euery Mother breeds not Sonnes alike,

890Do thou intreat her shew a woman pitty.

891Chiro. What,

892Would'st thou haue me proue myselfe a bastard?

893Laui. 'Tis true,

894The Rauen doth not hatch a Larke,

895Yet haue I heard, Oh could I finde it now,

896The Lion mou'd with pitty, did indure

897To haue his Princely pawes par'd all away.

898Some say, that Rauens foster forlorne children,

899The whil'st their owne birds famish in their nests:

900Oh be to me though thy hard hart say no,

901Nothing so kind but something pittifull.

902Tamo. I know not what it meanes, away with her.

903Lauin. Oh let me teach thee for my Fathers sake,

904That gaue thee life when well he might haue slaine thee:

905Be not obdurate, open thy deafe eares.

906Tamo. Had'st thou in person nere offended me.

907Euen for his sake am I pittilesse:

908Remember Boyes I powr'd forth teares in vaine,

909To saue your brother from the sacrifice,

910But fierce Andronicus would not relent,

911Therefore away with her, and vse her as you will,

912The worse to her, the better lou'd of me.

913Laui. Oh Tamora,

914Be call'd a gentle Queene,

915And with thine owne hands kill me in this place,

916For 'tis not life that I haue beg'd so long,

917Poore I was slaine, when Bassianus dy'd.

918Tam. What beg'st thou then? fond woman let me go?

919Laui. 'Tis present death I beg, and one thing more,

920That womanhood denies my tongue to tell:

921Oh keepe me from their worse then killing lust,

922And tumble me into some loathsome pit,

923Where neuer mans eye may behold my body,

924Doe this, and be a charitable murderer.

925Tam. So should I rob my sweet Sonnes of their fee,

926No let them satisfie their lust on thee.

927Deme. Away,

928For thou hast staid vs heere too long.

929Lauinia. No Garace,

930No womanhood? Ah beastly creature,

931The blot and enemy to our generall name,

932Confusion fall---

933Chi. Nay then Ile stop your mouth

934Bring thou her husband,

935This is the Hole where Aaron bid vs hide him.

936Tam. Farewell my Sonnes, see that you make her sure,

937Nere let my heart know merry cheere indeed,

938Till all the Andronici be made away:

939Now will I hence to seeke my louely Moore,

940And let my spleenefull Sonnes this Trull defloure. Exit.

942Aron. Come on my Lords, the better foote before,

943Straight will I bring you to the lothsome pit,

944Where I espied the Panther fast asleepe.

945Quin. My sight is very dull what ere it bodes.

946Marti. And mine I promise you, were it not for shame,

947Well could I leaue our sport to sleepe a while.

948Quin. What art thou fallen?

949What subtile Hole is this,

950Whose mouth is couered with Rude growing Briers,

951Vpon whose leaues are drops of new-shed-blood,

952As fresh as mornings dew distil'd on flowers,

953A very fatall place it seemes to me:

954Speake Brother hast thou hurt thee with the fall?

955Martius. Oh Brother,

956With the dismal'st obiect

957That euer eye with sight made heart lament.

958Aron. Now will I fetch the King to finde them heere,

959That he thereby may haue a likely gesse,

960How these were they that made away his Brother.

962Marti. Why dost not comfort me and helpe me out,

963From this vnhallow'd and blood-stained Hole?

964Quintus. I am surprised with an vncouth feare,

965A chilling sweat ore-runs my trembling ioynts,

966My heart suspects more then mine eie can see.

967Marti. To proue thou hast a true diuining heart,

968Aaron and thou looke downe into this den,

969And see a fearefull sight of blood and death.

970Quintus. Aaron is gone,

971And my compassionate heart

972Will not permit mine eyes once to behold

973The thing whereat it trembles by surmise:

974Oh tell me how it is, for nere till now

975Was I a child, to feare I know not what.

976Marti. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed heere,

977All on a heape like to the slaughtred Lambe,

978In this detested, darke, blood-drinking pit.

979Quin. If it be darke, how doost thou know 'tis he?

980Mart. Vpon his bloody finger he doth weare

981A precious Ring, that lightens all the Hole:

982Which like a Taper in some Monument,

983Doth shine vpon the dead mans earthly cheekes,

984And shewes the ragged intrailes of the pit:

985So pale did shine the Moone on Piramus,

986When he by night lay bath'd in Maiden blood:

987O Brother helpe me with thy fainting hand.

988If feare hath made thee faint, as mee it hath,

989Out of this fell deuouring receptacle,

990As hatefull as Ocitus mistie mouth.

991Quint. Reach me thy hand, that I may helpe thee out,

The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus. 39

992Or wanting strength to doe thee so much good,

993I may be pluckt into the swallowing wombe,

994Of this deepe pit, poore Bassianus graue:

995I haue no strength to plucke thee to the brinke.

996Martius. Nor I no strength to clime without thy help.

997Quin. Thy hand once more, I will not loose againe,

998Till thou art heere aloft, or I below,

999Thou can'st not come to me, I come to thee. Boths fall in.

1001Satur. Along with me, Ile see what hole is heere,

1002And what he is that now is leapt into it.

1003Say, who art thou that lately did'st descend,

1004Into this gaping hollow of the earth?

1005Marti. The vnhappie sonne of old Andronicus,

1006Brought hither in a most vnluckie houre,

1007To finde thy brother Bassianus dead.

1008Satur. My brother dead? I know thou dost but iest,

1009He and his Lady both are at the Lodge,

1010Vpon the North-side of this pleasant Chase,

1011'Tis not an houre since I left him there.

1012Marti. We know not where you left him all aliue,

1013But out alas, heere haue we found him dead.

1015Tamo. Where is my Lord the King?

1016King. Heere Tamora, though grieu'd with killing griefe.

1017Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus?

1018King. Now to the bottome dost thou search my wound,

1019Poore Bassianus heere lies murthered.

1020Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatall writ,

1021The complot of this timelesse Tragedie,

1022And wonder greatly that mans face can fold,

1023In pleasing smiles such murderous Tyrannie.

1034King. Oh Tamora, was euer heard the like?

1035This is the pit, and this the Elder tree,

1036Looke sirs, if you can finde the huntsman out,

1037That should haue murthered Bassianus heere.

1038Aron. My gracious Lord heere is the bag of Gold.

1039King. Two of thy whelpes, fell Curs of bloody kind

1040Haue heere bereft my brother of his life:

1041Sirs drag them from the pit vnto the prison,

1042There let them bide vntill we haue deuis'd

1043Some neuer heard-of tortering paine for them.

1044Tamo. What are they in this pit,

1045Oh wondrous thing!

1046How easily murder is discouered?

1047Tit. High Emperour, vpon my feeble knee,

1048I beg this boone, with teares, not lightly shed,

1049That this fell fault of my accursed Sonnes,

1050Accursed, if the faults be prou'd in them.

1051King. If it be prou'd? you see it is apparant,

1052Who found this Letter, Tamora was it you?

1053Tamora. Andronicus himselfe did take it vp.

1054Tit. I did my Lord,

1055Yet let me be their baile,

1056For by my Fathers reuerent Tombe I vow

1057They shall be ready at yout Highnes will,

1058To answere their suspition with their liues.

1059King. Thou shalt not baile them, see thou follow me:

1060Some bring the murthered body, some the murtherers,

1061Let them not speake a word, the guilt is plaine,

1062For by my soule, were there worse end then death,

1063That end vpon them should be executed.

1064Tamo. Andronicus I will entreat the King,

1065Feare not thy Sonnes, they shall do well enough.

1066Tit. Come Lucius come,

1067Stay not to talke with them. Exeunt.