22842149Tamora. Thus in this strange and sad habilliament,

22852150I will encounter with Andronicus,

22862151And say I am reuenge sent from belowe,

22872152To ioyne with him and right his hainous wrongs,

22882153Knocke at his studie where they say he keepes,

22892154To ruminate strange plots of diere reuenge,

22902155Tell him reuenge is come to ioyne with him,

22912156And worke confusion on his enemies.

22932158Titus. Who doth molest my contemplation?

22942159Is it your tricke to make me ope the dore,

22952160That so my sad decrees may flie away,

22962161And all my studie be to no effect.

22972162You are deceiude, for what I meane to doe,

22982163See here in bloodie lines I haue set downe.

22992164And what is written shall be executed.

23002165Tamora. Titus, I am come to talke with thee.

23012166Titus. No not a word, how can I grace my talke,

23022167Wanting a hand to giue that accord,

23032168Thou hast the odds of me therefore no more.

23042169Tamora. If thou didst know me thou wouldst talk with(me.

23062170Titus. I am not mad, I know thee well enough,

23072171Witnes this wretched stump, witnes these crimson lines,

23092172witnes these trenches made by greefe and care,

23102173witnes the tiring day and heauie night,

23112174witnes all sorrow that I know thee well

23122175For our proud Empresse, mighty Tamora:

23132176Is not thy comming for my other hand.

23142177Tamora. Know thou sad man, I am not Tamora,

23152178Shee is thy enemie, and I thy friend,

23162179I am Reuenge sent from th'infernall Kingdome,

23172180To ease the gnawing vulture of thy minde,

23182181By working wreakfull vengeance on thy foes:

23192182Come downe and welcome me to this worlds light,

23202183Conferre with me of murder and of death,

23212184Ther's not a hollow Caue or lurking place,

I₃ No

23222185No vast obscuritie or mistie vale,

23232186Where bloodie murther or detested rape,

23242187Can couch for feare but I will finde the mout,

23252188And in their eares tell them my dreadfull name,

23262189Reuenge which makes the foule offender quake.

23272190Titus. Art thou Reuenge? and art thou sent to mee,

23282191To be a torment to mine enemies.

23292192Tamora. I am, therefore come downe and welcome mee

23302193Titus. Doe me some seruice ere I come to thee,

23312194Lo by thy side where Rape and Murder stands,

23322195Now giue some surance that thou art reuenge,

23332196Stab them, or teare them on thy Chariot wheeles,

23342197And then Ile come and be thy wagoner,

23352198And wherle along with thee about the Globes.

23362199Prouide thee two proper palfrays, black as iet,

23372200To hale thy vengefull waggon swift away,

23382201And finde out murder in their guiltie cares.

23392202And when thy Car is loaden with their heads,

23402203I will dismount and by thy waggon wheele,

23412204Trotte like a seruile footeman all day long,

23422205Euen from Epeons rising in the East,

23432206Vntill his verie downefall in the Sea.

23442207And day by day Ile do this heauie taske,

23452208So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there.

23462209Tamora. These are my ministers and come with me.

23472210Titus. Are them thy ministers, what are they calld?

23482211Tamora. Rape and Murder, therefore called so.

23492212Cause they take vengeance of such kinde of men.

23502213Tit. Good Lord how like the Empresse sonnes they are,

23512214And you the Empresse, but we wordlie men

23522215Haue miserable mad mistaking eies:

23532216Oh sweete Reuenge, now doe I come to thee,

23542217And if one armes imbracement will content thee,

23552218I will imbrace thee in it by and by.

23562219Tamora. This closing with him fits his Lunacie,

23572220What ere I forge to feede his braine-sicke humors,

23582221Doe you vphold and maintaine in your speeches,

23592222For now he firmelie takes me for Reuenge,

23602223And being credulous in this mad thought,

23612224Ile make him send for Lucius his sonne,

23622225And whilst I at a banket hold him sure,

23632226Ile finde some cunning practise out of hand,

23642227To scatter and disperse the giddie Gothes,

23652228Or at the least make them his enemies:

23662229See here he comes, and I must plie my theame.

23672230Titus. Long haue I bin forlorne and all for thee,

23682231welcome dread Furie to my woefull house,

23692232Rapine and Murther you are welcome too:

23702233How like the Empresse and her sonnes you are,

23712234well are you fitted, had you but a Moore,

23722235Could not all hell afford you such a Diuell?

23732236For well I wot the Empresse neuer wags,

23742237But in her companie there is a Moore.

23752238And would you represent our Queene aright,

23762239It were conuenient you had such a Diuell:

23772240But welcome as you are, what shall wee doe?

23782241Tamora. what wouldst thou haue vs doe Andronicus?

23792242Demet. Show me a murtherer Ile deale with him.

23802243Chi. Show me a villaine that hath done a rape,

23812244And I am sent to be reuengde on him.

23822245Tamora. Show me a thousand that hath done thee wrong,

23832246And I will be reuenged on them all.

23842247Titus. Looke round about the wicked streets of Rome,

23852248And when thou findst a man that's like thyselfe,

23862249Good murther stab him, hee's a murtherer.

23872250Goe thou with him, and when it is thy hap,

23882251To finde another that is like to thee,

23892252Good Rapine stab him, he is a rauisher.

23902253Goe thou with them, and in the Emperours Court,

23912254There is a Queene attended by a Moore,

23922255Well shalt thou know her by thine owne proportion,

23932256For vp and downe she doth resemble thee,

23942257I pray thee doe on them some violent death,

23952258They haue bin violent to me and mine.

23962259Tamora. Well hast thou lessond vs, this shall we doe,

23972260But would it please thee good Andronicus,

23982261To send for Lucius thy thrice valiant sonne,

23992262Who leades towards Rome a band of warlike Gothes,

24002263And bid him come and banquet at thy house,

24012264When he is here euen at thy solemne feast,

24022265I will bring in the Empresse and hir sonnes,

24032266The Emperour himselfe and all thy foes,

24042267And at thy mercie shall they stoope and kneele,

24052268And on them shalt thou ease thy angry hart:

24062269What sayes Andronicus to this deuise.

24082271Titus. Marcus my brother, tis sad Titus calles,

24092272Goe gentle Marcus to thy nephew Lucius,

24102273Thou shalt enquire him out among the Gothes,

24112274Bid him repaire to me and bring with him,

24122275Some of the chiefest Princes of the Gothes,

24132276Bid him encampe his Souldiers where they are.

24142277Tell him the Emperour and the Empresse too

24152278Feast at my house, and he shall feast with them,

24162279This doe thou for my loue, and so let him,

24172280As he regards his aged Fathers life.

24182281Marcus. This will I doe, and soone returne againe.

24192282Tamora. Now will I hence about thy busines,

24202283And take my ministers along with me.

24212284Titus. Nay, nay, let rape and murder stay with me,

24222285Or els Ile call my brother backe againe,

24232286And cleaue to no reuenge but Lucius.

24242287Tamora. What say you boyes will you abide with(him,

24252288Whiles I goe tell my Lord the Emperour,

24262289How I haue gouernd our determind iest,

24272290Yeeld to his humor, smooth and speake him faire,

24282291And tarrie with him till I turne againe.

24292292Titus. I knew them all though they supposd me mad,

24302293And willl orereach them in their owne deuises,

24312294A paire of cursed hellhounds and their Dame.

24322295Deme. Maddam depart at pleasure, leaue vs here.

24332296Tamora. Farewell Andronicus, Reuenge now goes,

24342297To lay a complot to betray thy foes.

24352298Titus. I know thou dost and sweet Reuenge farewell.

24362299Chiron. Tell vs old man how shall we be imploid,

24372300Titus. Tut I haue worke enough for you to doe

24382301Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine.

24392302Publius. What is your will?

24402303Titus. Know you these two.

24412304Pub. The Empresse sonnes I take them, Chiron. Deme-(trius.

24432305Titus. Fie, Publius fie, thou art too much deceaude,

24442306The one is Murder and Rape is the others name,

24452307And therefore binde them gentle Publius,

24462308Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them,

24472309Oft haue you heard me wish for such an houre,

24482310And now I finde it therefore binde them sure,

2448.12311And stop their mouthes if they begin to crie.

24492312Chiron. Villaines forbeare we are the Empresse sons.

24502313Pub. And therefore doe we what we are commanded,

24512314Stop close their mouthes let them not speak a word,

24522315Is he sure bound, looke that you bind them fast.

24552318Titus. Come, come, Lauinia looke thy foes are bound,

24562319Sirs stop their mouthes let them not speake to me,

24572320But let them heare what fearefull words I vtter.

24582321Oh villaines Chiron and Demetrius,

K Here

24592322Here stands the spring whome you haue staind with mud,

24602323This goodly sommer with your winter mixt,

24612324You kild her husband, and for that vild fault,

24622325Two of her brothers were condemnd to death,

24632326My hand cut off and made a merrie iest,

24642327Both her sweete hands, hir tongue, and that more deare

24652328Than hands or tongue, her spotlesse chastitie,

24662329Inhumane traitors you constraind and forst.

24672330What would you say if I should let you speake?

24682331Villaines for shame you could not beg for grace.

24692332Harke wretches how I meane to marter you,

24702333This one hand yet is left to cut your throats,

24712334Whiles that Lauinia tweene her stumps doth hold,

24722335The bason that receaues your guiltie blood.

24732336You know your Mother meanes to feast with me,

24742337And calles herselfe Reuenge and thinks me mad.

24752338Harke villaines I will grinde your bones to dust,

24762339And with your blood and it Ile make a paste,

24772340And of the paste a coffen I will reare,

24782341And make two pasties of your shamefull heades,

24792342And bid that strumpet your vnhallowed Dam,

24802343Like to the earth swallow her owne increase.

24812344This is the feast that I haue bid her too,

24822345And this the banket she shall surfet on,

24832346For worse than Philomell you vsde my daughter,

24842347And worse than Progne I will be reuengd.

24852348And now prepare your throats, Lauinia come,

24862349Receaue the blood, and when that they are dead,

24872350Let me goe grinde their bones to powder small,

24882351And with this hatefull liquour temper it,

24892352And in that paste let their vile heades be bakt,

24902353Come, come, be euerie one officius,

24912354To make this banket which I wish may proue

24922355More sterne and bloodie than the Centaurs feast,

24942357So now bring them in for Ile play the Cooke,

24952358And see them readie against their Mother comes,