Tit. 0, 0, 0, Then pardon me for reprehending thee, Yet I do think we are not brought so low That comes in likeness of a coal-black Moor. Marc. Alas, poor man! grief has so wrought on him, He takes false shadows for true substances. Tit. Come, take away.-Lavinia, go with me: I'll to thy closet; and go read with thee Sad stories chanced in the times of old. Come, boy, and go with me: thy sight is young, And thou shalt read when mine begins to dazzle. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I.-ROME. Before TITUS's House. Enter TITUS and MARCUS. Then enter YOUNG LUCIUS running, with books under his arm, and LAVINIA running after him. Y. Luc. Help, grandsire, help! my aunt Lavinia Marc. Stand by me, Lucius: do not fear thine aunt. Somewhither would she have thee go with her. Read to her sons than she hath read to thee Sweet poetry and Tully's Orator. Marc. Canst thou not guess wherefore she plies thee thus? Y. Luc. My lord, I know not, I, nor can I guess, Unless some fit or frenzy do possess her: For I have heard my grandsire say full oft Extremity of griefs would make men mad; Ran mad through sorrow: that made me to fear; Loves me as dear as e'er my mother did, And would not, but in fury, fright my youth: I will most willingly attend your ladyship. Marc. Lucius, I will. [LAVINIA turns over with her stumps the books which LUCIUS has let fall. Tit. How now, Lavinia!-Marcus, what means this? Which is it, girl, of these?-Open them, boy.- Marc. I think she means that there was more than one Marc. For love of her that's gone, Tit. Soft! see how busily she turns the leaves ! Help her: What would she find?-Lavinia, shall I read? This is the tragic tale of Philomel, And treats of Tereus' treason and his rape; And rape, I fear, was root of thine annoy. Marc. See, brother, see; note how she quotes the leaves. Tit. Lavinia, wert thou thus surpris'd, sweet girl, Ravish'd, and wrong'd, as Philomela was, Forc'd in the ruthless, vast, and gloomy woods?- Ay, such a place there is where we did hunt,- Pattern'd by that the poet here describes, Marc. O, why should nature build so foul a den, Tit. Give signs, sweet girl,-for here are none but friends,— What Roman lord it was durst do the deed: Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst, That left the camp to sin in Lucrece' bed? Marc. Sit down, sweet niece:-brother, sit down by me.Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury, Inspire me, that I may this treason find!- [He writes his name with his staff, guiding it with Curs'd be that heart that forc'd us to this shift!- [She takes the staff in her mouth, guides it with her Tit. O, do ye read, my lord, what she hath writ? Stuprum-Chiron-Demetrius. Marc. What, what!-the lustful sons of Tamora Performers of this heinous, bloody deed? Tit. Magni Dominator poli, Tam lentus audis scelera? tam lentus vides? Marc. O, calm thee, gentle lord; although I know To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts, My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel; And with a gad of steel will write these words, Y. Luc. And, uncle, so will I, an if I live. Come, come; thou'lt do thy message, wilt thou not? sire. Tit. No, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another course.— Lavinia, come.-Marcus, look to my house: Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court; Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we'll be waited on. [Exeunt TIT., Lav., and Y. Luc. Marc. O heavens, can you hear a good man groan, And not relent, or not compassion him? Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy, That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart Than foemen's marks upon his batter'd shield; [Exit. SCENE II.-ROME. A Room in the Palace. Enter AARON, DEMETRIUS, and CHIRON, at one door; at another door, YOUNG LUCIUS and an Attendant, with a bundle of weapons, and verses writ upon them. Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius; He hath some message to deliver us. Aar. Ay, some mad message from his mad grandfather. Y. Luc. My lords, with all the humbleness I may, I greet your honours from Andronicus,— [A side. And pray the Roman gods confound you both! news, For villains mark'd with rape.-May it please you, To gratify your honourable youth, The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say; You may be armed and appointed well: And so I leave you both,-[aside] like bloody villains. [Reads.] Integer vitae, scelerisque purus, Non eget Mauri jaculis, nec arcu. Chi. O, 'tis a verse in Horace; I know it well: I read it in the grammar long ago. Aar. Ay, just,-a verse in Horace ;-right, you have it. Now, what a thing it is to be an ass! [Aside. Here's no sound jest! the old man hath found their guilt; And sends them weapons wrapp'd about with lines, That wound, Leyond their feeling, to the quick. But were our witty empress well a-foot, She would applaud Andronicus' conceit. -- And now, young lords, was't not a happy star Aar. Had he not reason, Lord Demetrius? Dem. I would we had a thousand Roman dames At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust. Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love. Aar. Here lacks but your mother for to say amen. For our beloved mother in her pains. Aar. [aside.] Pray to the devils; the gods have given us over. [Flourish within. Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish thus? |