The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 6 of 9]

Lav. Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous Tamora,[4209]
For no name fits thy nature but thy own!

Tam. Give me the poniard; you shall know, my boys,[4210] 120
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, 125
And with that painted hope braves your mightiness:[4211][4212]
And shall she carry this unto her grave?[4212][4213]

Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch.[4214]
Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust.[4215] 130

Tam. But when ye have the honey ye desire,[4216]
Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting.[4217]

Chi. I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.[4218]
Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preserved honesty of yours.[4219] 135

Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face—[4220]

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 140
As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.[4221]

Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam?[4222]
O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee;[4223]
The milk thou suck'dst from her did turn to marble;[4224]
Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.[4225] 145
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike:
[To Chiron] Do thou entreat her show a woman pity.[4226]

Chi. What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard?[4227]

Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark:[4227][4228]
Yet have I heard,—O, could I find it now!— 150
The lion, moved with pity, did endure
To have his princely paws pared all away:[4229]
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, 155
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.[4230] 160

Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I pitiless.[4231]
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To save your brother from the sacrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent: 165
Therefore, away with her, and use her as you will;[4232]
The worse to her, the better loved of me.

Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen,[4233]
And with thine own hands kill me in this place!
For 'tis not life that I have begg'd so long; 170
Poor I was slain when Bassianus died.[4234]

Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go.[4235]

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, 175
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. 180

Dem. Away! for thou hast stay'd us here too long.[4236]

Lav. No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature![4236][4237]
The blot and enemy to our general name![4238]
Confusion fall—[4239]

Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth. Bring thou her husband:[4240]185
This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

[Demetrius throws the body of Bassianus into the pit; then exeunt Demetrius and Chiron, dragging off Lavinia.[4241]

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.[4242]
Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor, 190
And let my spleenful sons this trull deflower. [Exit.

Aar. Come on, my lords, the better foot before:[4244]
Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit [4245]
Where I espied the panther fast asleep.

Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. 195

Mart. And mine, I promise you; were it not for shame,[4246]
Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile.

Quin. What, art thou fall'n? What subtle hole is this,[4248]
Whose mouth is cover'd with rude-growing briers,[4249]
Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood 200
As fresh as morning dew distill'd on flowers?[4250]
A very fatal place it seems to me.
Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall?

Mart. O brother, with the dismal'st object hurt [4251]
That ever eye with sight made heart lament! 205

Aar. [Aside] Now will I fetch the king to find them here,[4252]
That he thereby may have a likely guess [4253]
How these were they that made away his brother. [Exit.[4254]

Mart. Why dost not comfort me, and help me out [4255]
From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole?[4256] 210

Quin. I am surprised with an uncouth fear;[4257]
A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints;[4258]
My heart suspects more than mine eye can see.

Mart. To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,[4259]
Aaron and thou look down into this den,[4260] 215
And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart [4261]
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 [4262] 220
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,[4263]
In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit.

Quin. If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he?[4264] 225

Mart. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear
A precious ring, that lightens all the hole,[4265]
Which, like a taper in some monument,
Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks,[4266]
And shows the ragged entrails of the pit:[4267] 230
So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus
When he by night lay bathed in maiden blood.
0 brother, help me with thy fainting hand—
If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath—[4268]
Out of this fell devouring receptacle,[4269] 235
As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth.[4270]

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. 240
I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink.

Mart. Nor I no strength to climb without thy help.[4271]

Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again,[4272]
Till thou art here aloft, or I below:
Thou canst not come to me: I come to thee. [Falls in. 245

Sat. Along with me: I'll see what hole is here,[4274]
And what he is that now is leap'd into it.[4275]
Say, who art thou that lately didst descend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth?[4276]

Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus; 250
Brought hither 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; 255
'Tis not an hour since I left them there.[4277]

Mart. We know not where you left them all alive;[4278]
But, out, alas! here have we found him dead.

Tam. Where is my lord the king?

Sat. Here, Tamora; though grieved with killing grief.[4280] 260

Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus?

Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound:
Poor Bassianus here lies murdered.

Tam. [Giving a letter] Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,[4281]
The complot of this timeless tragedy; 265
And wonder greatly that man's face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.

Sat. [Reads] 'An if we miss to meet him handsomely—[4282]
Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis we mean—
Do thou so much as dig the grave for him: 270
Thou know'st our meaning. Look for thy reward [4283]
Among the nettles at the elder-tree
Which overshades the mouth of that same pit
Where we decreed to bury Bassianus.
Do this and purchase us thy lasting friends.' 275
O Tamora! was ever heard the like?[4284]
This is the pit, and this the elder-tree.
Look, sirs, if you can find the huntsman out
That should have murder'd Bassianus here.[4285]

Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold.[4286] 280

Sat. [To Titus] Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind,[4287]
Have here bereft my brother of his life.
Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison:
There let them bide until we have devised
Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them.[4288] 285

Tam. What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing![4289]
How easily murder is discovered!

Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee
I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed,
That this fell fault of my accursed sons, 290
Accursed, if the fault be proved in them—[4290]

Sat. If it be proved! you see it is apparent.
Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you?

Tam. Andronicus himself did take it up.

Tit. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail;[4291] 295
For, by my fathers' reverend tomb, I vow [4292]
They shall be ready at your highness' will
To answer their suspicion with their lives.[4293]

Sat. Thou shalt not bail them: see thou follow me.
Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers:[4294] 300
Let them not speak a word; the guilt is plain;[4295]
For, by my soul, were there worse end than death,
That end upon them should be executed.[4296]

Tam. Andronicus, I will entreat the king:
Fear not thy sons; they shall do well enough.[4297] 305

Tit. Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with them.

Scene IV. Another part of the forest.

Enter Demetrius and Chiron, with Lavinia, ravished; her hands cut off, and her tongue cut out.[4299]

Dem. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak,[4300]
Who 'twas that cut thy tongue and ravish'd thee.[4301]

Chi. Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning so,
An if thy stumps will let thee play the scribe.[4302]

Dem. See, how with signs and tokens she can scrowl.[4303] 5

Chi. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands.[4304]

Dem. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash;
And so let's leave her to her silent walks.

Chi. An 'twere my case, I should go hang myself.[4305]

Dem. If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. 10

Mar. Who is this? my niece, that flies away so fast![4307]
Cousin, a word; where is your husband?[4308]
If I do dream, would all my wealth would wake me!
If I do wake, some planet strike me down,
That I may slumber in eternal sleep! 15
Speak, gentle niece, what stern ungentle hands [4309]
Have lopp'd and hew'd and made thy body bare[4309]
Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments,
Whose circling shadows kings have sought to sleep in,
And might not gain so great a happiness 20
As have thy love? Why dost not speak to me?[4310]
Alas, a crimson river of warm blood,
Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind,
Doth rise and fall between thy rosed lips,[4311]
Coming and going with thy honey breath. 25
But, sure, some Tereus hath deflowered thee,
And, lest thou shouldst detect him, cut thy tongue.[4312]
Ah, now thou turn'st away thy face for shame!
And, notwithstanding all this loss of blood,
As from a conduit with three issuing spouts,[4313] 30
Yet do thy cheeks look red as Titan's face
Blushing to be encounter'd with a cloud.
Shall I speak for thee? shall I say 'tis so?[4314]
O, that I knew thy heart; and knew the beast,[4315]
That I might rail at him, to ease my mind! 35
Sorrow concealed, like an oven stopp'd,
Doth burn the heart to cinders where it is.
Fair Philomel, why she but lost her tongue,[4316]
And in a tedious sampler sew'd her mind:[4317]
But, lovely niece, that mean is cut from thee; 40
A craftier Tereus, cousin, hast thou met,[4318]
And he hath cut those pretty fingers off,
That could have better sew'd than Philomel.[4319]
O, had the monster seen those lily hands
Tremble, like aspen-leaves, upon a lute, 45
And make the silken strings delight to kiss them,
He would not then have touch'd them for his life!
Or, had he heard the heavenly harmony
Which that sweet tongue hath made,[4320]
He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell asleep [4321] 50
As Cerberus at the Thracian poet's feet.
Come, let us go and make thy father blind;
For such a sight will blind a father's eye:
One hour's storm will drown the fragrant meads;
What will whole months of tears thy father's eyes? 55
Do not draw back, for we will mourn with thee:
O, could our mourning ease thy misery! [Exeunt.[4322]

Scene IV. Another part of the forest.