Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape. BASS. Rape call you it, my lord, to seize my own, My true betrothed love, and now my wife? But let the laws of Rome determine all; Meanwhile I am possess'd of that is mine. SAT. "T is good, sir; you are very short with us; But, if we live, we 'll be as sharp with you. BASS. My lord, what I have done, as best I may, Answer I must, and shall do with my life. Only thus much I give your grace to know : By all the duties that I owe to Rome, This noble gentleman, lord Titus here, Is in opinion and in honour wrong'd, That, in the rescue of Lavinia, With his own hand did slay his youngest son, In zeal to you, and highly mov'd to wrath, To be controll'd in that he frankly gave. Receive him, then, to favour, Saturnine, That hath express'd himself, in all his deeds, A father and a friend to thee and Rome. TIT. Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my deeds: "T is thou, and those, that have dishonour'd me. Rome, and the righteous heavens, be my judge, How I have lov'd and honour'd Saturnine. TAM. My worthy lord, if ever Tamora Were gracious in those princely eyes of thine, Then hear me speak, indifferently for all: And at my suit, sweet, pardon what is past. SAT. What, madam! be dishonour'd openly, And basely put it up without revenge? TAM. Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome forfend I should be author to dishonour you. But on mine honour, dare I undertake For good lord Titus' innocence in all; Whose fury not dissembled speaks his griefs: Then, at my suit, look graciously on him: Lose not so noble a friend on vain suppose; Nor with sour looks afflict his gentle heart. My lord, be rul'd by me, be won at last; Dissemble all your griefs and discontents: You are but newly planted in your throne; Lest then the people, and patricians too, Upon a just survey take Titus' part, And so supplant us for ingratitude, Which Rome reputes to be a heinous sin, That dies in tempest of thy angry frown. SAT. Rise, Titus, rise; my empress hath prevail'd. These words, these looks, infuse new life in me. TAM. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome, A Roman now adopted happily, your And must advise the emperor for his good. Luc. We do; and vow to heaven, and to his highness, I do remit these young men's heinous faults. I would not part a bachelor from the priest. your This day shall be a love-day, Tamora. a Sware, in the folio. The quarto, swore. TRAGEDIES.-VOL. II. Q Q 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. AARON. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait, And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown. And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus. a Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts! Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS, braving. DEMET. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge, And so in this, to bear me down with braves. To serve, and to deserve my mistress's grace; AARON. Clubs, clubs! these lovers will not keep the peace. Gave you a dancing rapier by your side, Are you so desperate grown to threat your friends? Why, how now, lords? Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge; I would not for a million of gold The cause were known to them it most concerns. Nor would your noble mother, for much more, For shame, put up. DEMET. Not I, till I have sheath'd My rapier in his bosom, and, withal, Thrust those reproachful speeches down his throat, That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here. a Servile, in the quarto of 1600; the folio, idle, and so the quarto of 1611. b Nymph, in the quarto of 1600; the folio, and the quarto of 1611, queen. [They draw. |