Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not henceforth call'd my children.
Dem. This is a witness that I am thy son.

[Stabs Bassianus. Chi. And this for me, struck home to show my strength. [Stabbing him likewise.

Lav. Ay come, Semiramis,-nay, barbarous Ta

mora!

For no name fits thy nature but thy own!

Tam. Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys,

Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong. Dem. Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her; First, thrash the corn, then after burn the straw : This minion stood upon her chastity,

Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that painted hope braves your mightiness: And shall she carry this unto her grave?

Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch. Drag hence her husband to some secret hole, And make his dread trunk pillow to our lust. Tam. But when you have the honey you desire, Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting.

Chi. I warrant you, madam; we will make that

sure.

Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preserved honesty of yours.

Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face,-
Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her.
Lav. Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word.
Dem. Listen, fair madam: Let it be your glory
To see her tears: but be your heart to them,
As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.

Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam ?

O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee: The milk, thou suck'dst from her, did turn to

marble;

Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.—

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike;

Do thou entreat her show a woman's pity.

[To Chiron. Chi. What! would'st thou have me prove myself

a bastard?

Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark: Yet I have heard, (O could I find it now!) The lion mov'd with pity, did endure To have his princely paws par'd all away. Some say that ravens foster forlorn children, The whilst their own birds famish in their nests: O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no, Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!

Tam. I know not what it means; away with her. Lav. O, let me teach thee: for my father's sake, That gave thee life, when well he might have slain thee,

Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

Tam. Had thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I pitiless :-

Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To save your brother from the sacrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent.
Therefore away with her, and use her as you will;
The worse to her, the better lov'd of me.

Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen,
And with thine own hands kill me in this place:
For 'tis not life, that I have begg'd so long;
Poor I was slain, when Bassianus died.

Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go.

Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more,

That womanhood denies my tongue to tell:

O, keep me from their worse than killing lust,
And tumble me into some loathsome pit;
Where never man's eye may behold my body:
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee :

No, let them satisfy their lust on thee.

Dem. Away, for thou hast staid us here too long.

Lav. No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature!

The blot and enemy to our general name!
Confusion fall-

Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth:-Bring thou her husband; [Dragging off Lavinia.

This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

[Exeunt.

Tam. Farewell, my sons: see that you make her

sure:

Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed,
Till all the Andronici be made away.

Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,
And let my spleenful sons this trull deflour. [Exit.

SCENE IV.

The same.

Enter Aaron, with Quintus and Martius.

Aar. Come on, my lords; the better foot before : Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espy'd the panther fast asleep.

Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. Mart. And mine, I promise you; wer't not for shame,

Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile.

[Martius falls into the pit. Quin. What, art thou fallen? What subtle hole is

this,

Whose mouth is cover'd with rude-growing briars;
Upon whose leaves are drops of new shed blood,
As fresh as morning's dew distill'd on flowers?
A very fatal place it seems to me :-

Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall?.
Mart. O, brother, with the dismallest object
That ever eye, with sight, made heart lament.
Aar. [As Now will I fetch the king to find
the... here;

VOL. IX.

That he thereby may give a likely guess,
How these were they that made away his brother.
[Exit Aaron.
Mart. Why dost not comfort me, and help me out
From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole?

Quin. I am surprised with an uncouth fear :
A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints;
My heart suspects more than mine eye can see.
Mart. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,
Aaron and thou, look down into this den,
And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart Will not permit mine eyes once to behold The thing, whereat it trembles by surmise: O, tell me how it is; for ne'er till now Was I a child, to fear I know not what. Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here, All on a heap, like to a slaughter'd lamb, In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. Quin. If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he? Mart. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear A precious ring, that lightens all the hole, Which, like a taper in some monument, Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, And shows the ragged entrails of this pit: So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus, When he by night lay bath'd in maiden blood. O brother, help me with thy fainting hand,— If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath,Out of this fell devouring receptacle,

As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth.

Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out;

Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good,
I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb
Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave.

I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink.

Mart. Nor Ino strength to climb without thy help. Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again Till thou art here aloft, or I below:

Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee.

Enter Saturninus and Aaron.

[Falls in.

Sat. Along with me :-I'll see what hole is here,
And what he is, that now is leap'd into it.
Say, who art thou, that lately didst descend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth?

Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus;
Brought thither in a most unlucky hour,
To find thy brother Bassianus dead.

Sat. My brother dead? I know, thou dost but jest:

He and his lady both are at the lodge,

Upon the north side of this pleasant chase; "Tis not an hour since I left him there.

Mart. We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas! here have we found him dead.

Enter Tamora, with Attendants; Titus Andronicus, and Lucius.

Tam. Where is my lord, the king?

Sat. Here, Tamora; though griev'd with killing grief.

Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus ?

Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound;

Poor Bassianus here lies murdered.

Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,

[Giving a letter.

The complot of this timeless* tragedy;

And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.
Sat. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him hand-
somely,-

Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,

Do thou so much as dig the grave for him;

Thou know'st our meaning: Look for thy reward

* Untimely.