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That dies in tempeft of thy angry frown.

Sat. Rife, Titus, rise, my Empress hath prevail'd.
Tit. I thank your Majesty, and her; my Lord,
These words, these looks, infuse new life in me.
Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,

A Roman now adopted happily:
And must advise the Emperor for his good.
This day all quarrels die, Andronicus;
And let it be my honour, good my Lord,
That I have reconcil'd your friends and you.
For you, prince Baffianus, I have past
My word and promise to the Emperor,
That you will be more mild and tractable.
And fear not, Lords; and you, Lavinia,
By my advice all humbled on your knees,
You shall ask pardon of his Majesty.

Luc. We do, and vow to heaven, and to his Highness,
That what we did was mildly, as we might,
Tend'ring our fifter's honour and our own.

Mar. That on mine honour here I do protest. Sat. Away, and talk not, trouble us no more. Tam. Nay, nay, sweet Emperor, we must all be friends, The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace, I will not be denied, sweet-heart, look back.

Sat. Marcus, for thy fake and thy brother's here,

And at my lovely Tamora's intreats,
I do remit these young men's hainous faults.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend, and sure as death I swore,
I would not part a batchelor from the priest.
Come, if the Emperor's Court can feast two brides,
You are my guest, Lavinia, and your friends;
This day shall be a love-day, Tamora.

Tit. To-morrow, an it please your Majesty

To hunt the panther and the hart with me,
With horn and hound we'll give your Grace Bon-jour.
Sat. Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too!

[Exeunt.

:

ACT

Aar.

N

ACT II. SCENE I.

ROME. Enter Aaron alone.

OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's shot, and fits aloft,

Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning-flash,
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach;
As when the golden sun salutes the morn,
And having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiack in his glift'ring coach,
And overlooks the highest peering hills :
So Tamora.

Upon her will doth earthly honour wait,
And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long
Haft prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains ;
And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes,..
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucasus.
Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperess.
To wait upon, said I? to wanton with
This Queen, this Goddess, this Semiramis;
This Siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his shipwreck, and his common-weal's.
Holla, what storm is this?

SCENE II. Enter Chiron and Demetrius.
Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd,
And may, for ought thou know'st, affected be.

Chi. Demetrius, thou dost overween in all,
And so in this, to bear me down with braves:
'Tis not the difference of a year or two.
Makes me less gracious, thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,
To serve, and to deserve my mistress grace;
And that my sword upon thee shall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love,

1

Aar.

Aar. Clubs, clubs! these lovers will not keep the peace.
Dem. Why, boy, although our mother (unadvis'd)

Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,
Are you so desperate grown to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath,
'Till you know better how to handle it.

Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye so brave?

Aar. Why, how now, Lords?

So near the Emperor's palace dare you draw?
And maintain such a quarrel openly ?
Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge.
I would not for a million of gold,

[They draw.

The cause were known to them it most concerns.
Nor would your noble mother for much more,
Be so dishonour'd in the Court of Rome,

For shame put up.

:

Chi. Not I, 'till I have sheath'd
My rapier in his bosom, and withal
Thrust these reproachful speeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.

Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full resolv'd,
Foul-spoken coward! thou thund'rest with thy tongue,
And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform.

Aar. Away, I say.

Now by the Gods that warlike Goths adore,
This petty brabble will undo us all;

Why, Lords and think you not how dangerous

It is to jet upon a Prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become so loose,

Or Baffianus so degenerate,

That for her love such quarrels may be broacht,
Without controlment, justice, or revenge?
Young Lords, beware-and should the Empress know
This discord's ground, the musick would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew she and all the world;

I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make some better choice,

Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

Aar.

Aar. Why, are ye mad? or know ye not in Rome

How furious and impatient they be,
And cannot brook competitors in love?
I tell you, Lords, you do but plot your deaths
By this device.

Dem. Aaron, a thoufand deaths
Would I propose, to atchieve her whom I love.
Aar. To atchieve her-how!

1

Dem. Why mak'st thou it so strange?
She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd;
She is a woman, therefore may be won;
She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov'd.
What, man! more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of, and eafie it is
Of a cut loaf to steal a shive, we know :
Tho' Baffianus be the Emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulean's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.
Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows to court it

With words, fair looks, and liberality?
What, haft thou not full often struck a doe,
And born her cleanly by the keeper's nose ?

A

Aar. Why then it feems some certain snatch or fo

Would serve your turns.

Chi. Ay, fo the turn were served,

Dem. Aaron, thou hast hit it.

Aar. Would you had hit it too,
Then should not we be tir'd with this ado:
Why, hark ye, hark ye-and are you such fools
To square for this? would it offend you then

That both should fpeed?

Chi. 'Faith, not me.

Dem. No, nor me.

Aar. For shame be friends, and join for that you jar,

'Tis policy and stratagem must do

That you affect, and so must you refolve,

That what you cannot as you would atchieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.

Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chaste

Than this Lavinia, Baffianus' love;

VOL. VIII,

C

:

A

A speedier course than ling'ring languishment
Must ye pursue, and I have found the path.
My Lords, a folemn hunting is in hand,
There will the lovely Roman ladies troop :
The foreft walks are wide and spacious,
And many unfrequented plots there are,
Fitted by kind for rape and villainy :
Single you thither then this dainty doe,
And strike her home by force, if not by words :
This way, or not at all, stand you in hope.
Come, come, our Empress with her facred wit
To villainy and vengeance confecrate,
We will acquaint with all that we intend,
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not fuffer you to square yourselves,
But to your wishes height advance you both.
The Emperor's Court is like the house of Fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears :
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf and dull :
There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your turns.
There serve your lufts, shadow'd from heav'ns eye,
And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardise.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, 'till I find the stream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits,
Per Styga, per Manes vebor.

SCENE III. A Forest.

[Exeunt.

Enter Titus Andronicus and bis three Sons, with bounds and borns, and Marcus.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and gay,
The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green:
Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,
And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouze the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal
That all the Court may echo with the noife.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To tend the Emperor's person carefully:
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

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