TITUS ANDRONICUS.

V.

MARTIUS and QUINTUS being found in the pit with the body of BASSIANUS, are condemned to death as his murderers.

"TIT. High emperor, upon my feeble knee
I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed,
That this fell fault of my accursed sons—
Accursed, if the fault be proved in them-
SAT. If it be proved! you see, it is apparent.

TIT.

Yet let me be their bail,

SAT. Thou shalt not bail them; see thou follow me.
Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers:
Let them not speak a word; their guilt is plain;
For, by my soul, were there worse end than death,
That end upon them should be executed.”

ACT II. S. 4.

AARON is producing the bag of gold hid by himself, stated in a letter, forged by himself also, to be for the reward of a huntsman for the murder of BASSIANUS.

VI.

AARON pretends a message to have been sent from SATURNINUS, offering to pardon ANDRONICUS's sons, on condition of TITUS, MARCUS, or LUCIUS sending a hand as a ransom for their faults. Whilst MARCUS and LUCIUS go for an axe, TITUS asks AARON to cut his hand off.

"TIT. Come hither, Aaron; I'll deceive them both; Lend me thy hand, and I will give thee mine."

(AARON cuts off TITUS's hand.)

ACT III. S. 1.

MARTIUS and QUINTUS are seen going to execution. LAVINIA, with her hands cut off and tongue cut out, is standing near.

VII.

LAVINIA making known her sufferings.-The heads of MARTIUS and QUINTUS have been sent with TITUS's hand, returned in scorn.

"MESS. Worthy Andronicus, ill art thou repaid
For that good hand thou send'st the emperor.
Here are the heads of thy two noble sons;

And here's thy hand, in scorn to thee sent back.
Thy grief's their sport; thy resolution mock'd;
That woe is me to think upon thy woes,
More than remembrance of my father's death."

ACT III. S. 1.

LAVINIA takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it with her arms, and writes.

"TIT. O, do you read, my lord, what she hath writ? Stuprum-Chiron-Demetrius.

MAR. What, what!-the lustful sons of Tamora Performers of this heinous bloody deed?"

ACT IV. S. 1.

VIII.

The NURSE bringing a blackamoor child, the son of AARON and TAMORA.

"NURSE. O gentle Aaron, we are all undone : Now help, or woe betide thee evermore.

AAR. Why, what a caterwauling dost thou keep?
NURSE. Here is the babe, as loathsome as a toad
Amongst the fairest breeders of our clime.
The empress sends it thee, thy stamp, thy seal,
And bids thee christen it with thy dagger's point.
CHI. It shall not live.

AAR.

It shall not die.

NURSE. Aaron, it must: the mother wills it so. AAR. What, must it, nurse? Then let no man but I Do execution on my flesh and blood.

DEM. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point: Nurse, give it me; my sword shall soon despatch it. AAR. Sooner this sword shall plough thy bowels up. (Takes the child from the Nurse, and draws.) Stay, murderous villains! will you kill your brother?" ACT IV. S. 2.

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

IX.

AARON and his child brought before LUCIUS, who is become general of the Goths," and threats, in course of this revenge, to do as much as ever CORIOLANUS did."

"GOTH. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray'd, To gaze upon a ruinous monastery;

And as I earnestly did fix mine eye
Upon the wasted building, suddenly
I heard a child cry underneath a wall.
I made unto the noise; when soon I heard
The crying babe controll'd with this discourse:
Peace, tawny slave, half me and half thy dam!

For I must bear thee to a trusty Goth,

Who, when he knows thou art the empress' babe,
Will hold thee dearly for thy mother's sake.
With this, my weapon drawn, I rush'd upon him,
Surprised him suddenly, and brought him hither,
To use as you think needful of the man.

Luc. O worthy Goth! this is the incarnate devil
That robb'd Andronicus of his good hand:
This is the pearl that pleased your empress' eye;
And here's the base fruit of his burning lust.-
First hang the child, that he may see it sprawl;
A sight to vex the father's soul withal.

AAR. Lucius, save the child;

And bear it from me to the empress.

If thou do this, I'll show thee wondrous things,
That highly may advantage thee to hear:

If thou wilt not, befall what may befall,
I'll speak no more; but vengeance

rot you

all!"

ACT V. S. 1.