24972361Lucius. Vnckle Marcus, since tis my Fathers minde,

24982362That I repaire to Rome I am content.

24992363Got. And ours with thine, befall what Fortune will.

25002364Luci. Good Vnckle take you in this barberous Moore,

25012365This rauenous tiger, this accursed diuell,

25022366Let him receaue no sustnance, fetter him,

25032367Till he be brought vnto the Empresse face,

25042368For testemonie of her foule proceedings,

25052369And see the Ambush of our friends be strong,

25062370I feare the Emperour meanes no good to vs.

25072371Moore. Some diuell whisper curses in my eare,

25082372And prompt me that my tongue may vtter forth,

25092373The venemous mallice of my swelling hart.

25102374Lucius. Away inhumane dogge vnhallowed slaue.

25112375Sirs help our vnckle to conuay him in,

25122376The trumpets shewe the Emperour is at hand.

25152379King. What hath the firmament mo sunnes than one?

25162380Lucius, What boots it thee to call thyselfe a sunne?

25172381Mar. Romes Emperour and Nephew break the Parle,

25182382These quarrels must be quietly debated,

25192383The feast is ready which the carefull Titus,

25202384Hath ordainde to an honorable end,

25212385For peace, for loue, for league and good to Rome,

25222386Please you therefore, draw nie and take your places.

25232387King. Marcus we will.

25272390Titus. Welcome my Lord, welcome dread Queene,

K2 welcome

25292391Welcome yee warlike Gothes, welcome Lucius,

25302392And welcome all although the cheare be poore,

25312393Twill fill your stomacks, please you eate of it.

25322394King. Why art thou thus attired Andronicus?

25332395Titus. Because I would be sure to haue all well,

25342396To entertaine your highnes and your Empresse.

25352397Tamora. We are beholding to you good Andronicus,

25362398Titus. And if your highnes knew my hart you were,

25372399My Lord the Emperour resolue me this,

25382400Was it well done of rash Viginius

25392401To slay his daughter with his owne right hand

25402402Because she was enforst, stainde, and deflowrde?

25412403King. It was Andronicus.

25422404Titus. Your reason mighty Lord.

25432405King. Because the girle should not suruiue her shame,

25442406And by her presence still renewe his sorrowes.

25452407Titus. A reason mighty, strong, and effectuall,

25462408A patterne president, and liuelie warrant,

25472409For me most wretched to performe the like,

25482410Die, die, Lauinia and thy shame wirh thee,

25492411And with thy shame thy Fathers sorrow die.

25512412King. What hast thou done, vnnaturall and vnkinde.

25522413Tit. Kild her for whom my teares haue made me blind.

25532414I am as woefull as Virginius was,

25542415And haue a thousand times more cause than he,

25552416To doe this outrage, and it now is done.

25562417King. What was she rauisht, tell who did the deede.

25572418T. Wilt please you eate, wilt please your highnes feed.

25582419Tam. Why hast thou slaine thine only Daughter thus?

25592420Titus. Not I, twas Chiron, and Demetrius,

25602421They Rauisht her and cut away her tongue,

25612422And they, twas they, that did her all this wrong.

25622423King, Goe fetch them hither to vs presently.

25632424Titus. Why there they are both baked in this Pie.

25642425Whereof their Mother daintilie hath fed,

25652426Eating the flesh that shee herselfe hath bred,

25662427Tis true, tis true, witnes my kniues sharpe point.

25682429Emperour. Die franticke wretch for this accursed deede,

25692430Lucius. Can the sonnes eie behold his father bleede?

25702431Ther's meede for meede, death for a deadly deede.

25712432Marcus. You sad facde men, people and sons of Rome

25722433By vprores seuerd as a flight of fowle,

25732434Scatterd by winds and high tempestuous gusts,

25742435Oh let me teach you how to knit againe,

25752436This scattered corne into one mutuall sheaffe,

25762437These broken limbs againe into one bodie.

25772438Romane Lord. Let Rome herselfe bee bane vnto her(selfe.

25782439And shee whome mightie kingdomes cursie too,

25792440Like a forlorne and desperate castaway,

25802441Doe shamefull execution on herselfe.

25812442But if my frostie signes and chappes of age,

25822443Graue witnesses of true experience,

25832444Cannot induce you to attend my words,

25842445Speake Roomes deare friend as erst our Ancestor,

25852446when with his solemne tongue he did discourse

25862447To louesicke Didoes sad attending eare,

25872448The storie of that balefull burning night,

25882449When subtile Greekes surprizd King Priams Troy.

25892450Tell vs what Sinon hath bewicht our eares,

25902451Or who hath brought the fatall engine in

25912452That giues our Troy, our Rome the ciuill wound.

25922453My hart is not compact of flint nor steele,

25932454Nor can I vtter all our bitter greefe,

25942455But flouds of teares will drowne my Oratorie,

25952456And breake my vttrance euen in the time,

25962457When it should moue yee to attend me most,

25972458And force you to commiseration,

25982459Her's Romes young Captaine let him tell the tale,

25992460While I stand by and weepe to heare him speake.

26002461Lucius. Then gratious auditorie be it knowne to you,

26012462That Chiron and the damn'd Demetrius,

K₃ were

26022463Were they that murdred our Emperours brother,

26032464And they it were that rauished our sister,

26042465For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded,

26052466Our Fathers teares dispisde, and basely cousend,

26062467Of that true hand that fought Romes quarrell out,

26072468And sent her enemies vnto the graue.

26082469Lastly myselfe vnkindely banished,

26092470The gates shut on me and turnd weeping out,

26102471To beg reliefe among Romes enemies,

26112472Who drownd their enmetie in my true teares,

26122473And opt their armes to imbrace me as a friend,

26132474I am the turned forth be it knowne to you,

26142475That haue preserude her welfare in my blood,

26152476And from her bosome tooke the enemies point,

26162477Sheathing the steele in my aduentrous body.

26172478Alas you know I am no vaunter I,

26182479My scars can witnes dumb although they are,

26192480That my report is iust and full of truth,

26202481But soft, methinkes I doe digresse too much,

26212482Cyting my worthles praise, Oh pardon me

26222483For when no friends are by, men praise themselues.

26232484Marcus. Now is my turne to speake, behold the child,

26242485Of this was Tamora deliuered,

26252486The issue of an irreligious Moore,

26262487Chiefe architect and plotter of these woes,

26272488The villaine is aliue in Titus house,

26282489And as he is to witnes this is true,

26292490Now iudge what course had Titus to reuenge.

26302491These wrongs vnspeakeable past patience,

26312492Or more than any liuing man could beare,

26322493Now haue you heard the truth, what say you Romaines?

26332494Haue we done ought amisse, shew vs wherein,

26342495And from the place where you behold vs pleading,

26352496The poore remainder of Andronicie,

26362497Will hand in hand, all headlong hurle ourselues,

26372498And on the ragged stones beat forth our soules,

26382499And make a mutuall closure of our house,

26392500Speake Romans speake, and if you say wee Shall,

26402501Lo hand in hand Lucius and I will fall.

26412502Emillius. Come come thou reuerent man of Rome,

26422503And bring our Emperour gently in thy hand,

26432504Lucius our Emperour for well I know,

26442505The common voice doe cry it shall be so.

26452506Marcus. Lucius, all haile Romes royall Emperour.

26462507Goe goe into old Titus sorrowfull house,

26472508And hither hale that misbelieuing Moore,

26482509To be adiudge some dyrefull slaughtring death,

26492510As punishment for his most wicked life.

26502511Lucius all haile Romes gratious gouernour.

26512512Lucius. Thankes gentle Romanes may I gouerne so,

26522513To heale Romes harmes, and wipe away her woe,

26532514But gentle people giue me ayme a while,

26542515For nature puts me to a heauie taske,

26552516Stand all aloofe but vnckle draw you neare,

26562517To shed obsequious teares vpon this trunke,

+

26572518Oh take this warme kisse on thy pale cold lips,

26582519These sorrowfull drops vpon thy blood slaine face,

26592520The last true duties of thy noble sonne.

26602521Marcus. Teare for teare, and louing kisse for kisse,

26612522Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips,

26622523Oh were the summe of these that I should pay,

26632524Countlesse and infinite, yet would I pay them.

26642525Lucius. Come hither boy come, come and learne of vs

26652526To melt in showers, thy Grandsire lou'd thee well,

26662527Many a time hee daunst thee on his knee,

26672528Song thee asleepe his louing brest thy pillow,

26682529Many a storie hath he told to thee,

26692530And bid thee bare his prettie tales in minde,

26702531And talke of them when he was dead and gone.

26712532Marcus. How manie thousand times hath these poore(lips,

26722533When they were liuing warmd themselues on thine,

26732534Oh now sweete boy giue them their latest kisse,

26742535Bid him farewell commit him to the graue,

26752536Doe them that kindnes and take leaue of them.

26762537Puer. Oh Grandsire, Grandsire, eu'n with all my hart,

26772538Would I were dead so you did liue againe,

26782539O Lord I cannot speake to him for weeping,

26792540My teares will choacke me if I ope my mouth.

26802541Romane. You sad Andronicie haue done with woes,

26812542Giue sentence on this execrable wretch,

26822543That hath bin breeder of these dyre euents.

26832544Lucius. Set him brest deepe in earth and famish him,

26842545There let him stand and raue and crie for foode.

26852546If anyone releeues or pitties him,

26862547For the offence he dies, this is our doome,

26872548Some stay to see him fastned in the earth.

26882549Aron. Ah why should wrath be mute and furie dumb,

26892550I am no babie I, that with base prayers

26902551I should repent the euils I haue done,

26912552Ten thousand worse than euer yet I did

26922553Would I performe if I might haue my will,

26932554If one good deed in all my life I did

26942555I doe repent it from my verie soule.

26952556Lu. Some louing friends conuay the Emperour hence,

26962557And giue him buriall in his fathers graue,

26972558My Father and Lauinia shall forthwith,

26982559Be closed in our housholds monument,

26992560As for that rauinous tiger Tamora,

27002561No funerall right, nor man in mourning weede,

27012562No mournefull bell shall ring her buriall

27022563But throw her forth to beasts and birds to pray,

27032564Her life was beastlie and deuoide of pittie,

27042565And being dead let birds on her take pittie.