Tell him, the Emperor and the Emprefs too
Feaft at my houfe, and he fhall feaft with them.
This do thou for my love, and fo let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.

Mar. This will I do, and foon return again. [Exit. Tam. Now will I hence about my business, And take my minifters along with me.

Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder ftay with me; Or elfe I'll call my brother back again,

And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

Tam. [To ber fons.] What fay you, boys, will
abide with him,

Whiles I go tell my Lord, the Emperor,
How I have govern'd our determin'd jeft?

Yield to his humour, fmooth, and speak him fair,
And tarry with him till I come again.

you

Tit. I know them all, tho' they fuppofe me mad, And will o'er-reach them in their own devices, A pair of curfed hell-hounds and their dam.

Afde.

Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. Tam. Farewell, Andronicus; Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [Exit Tamora. Tit. I know, thou doft; and, fweet Revenge, fare

wel.

Chi. Tell us, old man, how fhall we be employ'd 2 Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do. Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine!

Enter Publius and Servants.

Pub. What is your will?
Tit. Know ye thefe two?
Pub. The Emprefs' fons,

I take them, Chiron and Demetrius.

Tit. Fy, Publius, fy! thou art too much deceiv'd, The one is Murder, Rape is th' other's name! And therefore bind them, gentle Publius; Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them;

A a 2

Oft

Oft have you heard me wifh for fuch an hour,
And now I find it, therefore bind them fure.

[Exit Titus. Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the Emprefs' fons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are commanded. Stop close their mouths; let them not speak a word. Is he fure bound? Look, that ye bind them fast.

Enter Titus Andronicus with a Knife, and Lavinia with a Bafon.

Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound.

-Sirs, ftop their mouths, let them not speak to me, But let them hear what fearful words I utter.

Oh, villains, Chiron and Demetrius !

Here ftands the spring whom you have ftain'd with mud,

This goodly fummer with your winter mixt,
You kill'd her husband, and for that vile fault
Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death;
My hand cut off, and made a merry jest;
Both her fweet hands, her tongue, and that more dear
Than hands or tongue, her fpotless chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you conftrain'd and forc'd.
What would ye fay, if I fhould let you speak?
Villains!-for fhame, you could not beg for grace.
Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you,
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats,
Whilft that Lavinia 'twixt her ftumps doth hold
The bafon, that receives your guilty blood.
You know, your mother means to feaft with me,
And calls herself Revenge, and thinks me mad.
Hark, villains, I will grind your bones to dust,
And with your blood and it I'll make a pafte;

And

3 And of the paste a coffin will I rear,
And make two pafties of your fhameful heads
And bid that ftrumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth, fwallow her own increase.
This is the feaft that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet fhe fhall furfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you us'd my daughter,
And worse than Procne I will be reveng'd.
And now prepare your throats. Lavinia, come,
Receive the blood; and, when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder fmall,
And with this hateful liquor temper it;

And in that paste let their vile heads be bak'd.
Come, come, be every one officious

To make this banquet, which I wifh might prove
More ftern and bloody than the Centaur's feaft.

[He cuts their throats. So, now bring them in, for I'll play the cook, And see them ready 'gainst the mother comes.

[Exeunt.

Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Goths, with Aaron Prifoner.

Luc. Uncle Marcus, fince it is my father's mind That I repair to Rome, I am content.

Goth. And ours with thine, befall what fortune will. Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tyger, this accurfed devil; Let him receive no fuftenance, fetter him, 'Till he be brought unto the Emp'ror's face, For teftimony of thefe foul proceedings; And fee, the ambush of our friends be strong; I fear, the Emperor means no good to us,

Aar. Some devil whisper curfes in my ear,

3 And of the pafle a coffin- A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye.

A a 3

And

And
prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth.
The venomous malice of my fwelling heart!
Luc. Away, inhuman dog, unhallow'd flave.

[Exeunt Goths with Aaron.

Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.
The trumpets fhew, the Emperor is at hand.

[Flourish.

Sound trumpets. Enter Emperor and Empress, with Tribunes and others.

Sat. What, hath the firmament more funs than one?
I uc. What boots it thee to call thyself a Sun?
Mar, Rome's Emperor, and Nephew,

parley;

Thefe quarrels must be quietly debated:
The feat is ready, which the careful Titus
Hath ordain'd to an honourable end,

break the

For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome:
Pleafe you therefore draw nigh and take your places.
Sat. Marcus, we will!.
[Hautboys.

A Talle brought in. Enter Titus like a Cook, placing the meat on the Table, and Lavinia, with a veil over ber face.

Tit. Welcome, my gracious Lord; welcome, dread
Queen,

Welcome, ye warlike Goths, welcome, Lucius,
And welcome, all; although the cheer be poor,
Twill fill your ftomachs, please you eat of it.
Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus?
Tit. Because I would be fure to have all well,
To entertain your Highnels, and your Empress.

4 -break the parley ;] That is, begin the parley. We yet fay, he breaks his mind.

Tam.

Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus. Tit. And if your Highnefs knew my heart, you

were.

My Lord the Emperor, resolve me this;

Was it well done of rafh Virginius,

To flay his daughter with his own right-hand,
Becaufe fhe was enforc'd, ftain'd, and deflour'd?
Sat. It was, Andronicus.

Tit. Your reafon, mighty Lord?

Sat. Because the girl fhould not furvive her shame, And by her prefence ftill renew his forrows. Tit. A reafon mighty, ftrong, and effectual, A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, moft wretched, to perform the like. Die, die, Lavinia, and thy fhame with thee, And with thy fhame thy father's forrow die!

[He kills her.

Sat. What haft thou done, unnatural and unkind? Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made me blind.

I am as woful as Virginius was,

And have a thousand times more cause than he
To do this outrage. And it is now done.

Sat. What, was fhe ravifh'd? Tell, who did the deed?

Tit. Will't please you eat, will't please your Highnefs feed?

Tam. Why haft thou flain thine only daughter thus ? Tit. Not I, 'twas Chiron and Demetrius. They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue, And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong. Sat. Go, fetch them hither to us presently.

Tit. Why, there they are both baked in that pye, Whereof their mother daintily hath fed;

Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. Tis true, 'tis true; witness, my knife's fharp point. [He ftabs the Empress.