Our empress' shame, and stately Rome's disgrace!— Aar. To whom? Nur. I mean, she is brought a-bed. Aar. Well, God give her good rest! What hath he sent her? Nur. A devil. Aar. Why, then she is the devil's dam; a joyful issue. Nur. A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful issue: Here is the babe, as loathsome as a toad Amongst the fairest breeders of our clime: Aar. Villain, I have done thy mother. Dem. And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone. Woe to her chance, and damn'd her loathed choice! Accurs'd the offspring of so foul a fiend! Chi. It shall not live. Aar. It shall not die. Nur. Aaron, it must; the mother wills it so. Do execution on my flesh and blood. Dem. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point:— Aar. Sooner this sword shall plough thy bowels up. Stay, murderous villains! will you kill your brother? That shone so brightly when this boy was got, He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point That touches this my first-born son and heir! I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus, With all his threatening band of Typhon's brood, Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war, Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. In that it scorns to bear another hue; Can never turn the swan's black legs to white, Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus ? This maugre all the world will I keep safe, Dem. By this our mother is for ever sham'd. Aar. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears: Fie, treacherous hue, that will betray with blushing The close enacts and counsels of the heart! Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer: Of that self-blood that first gave life to you; Nay, he is your brother by the surer side, Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress? And we will all subscribe to thy advice: Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. Keep there: now talk at pleasure of your safety. Dem. How many women saw this child of his? [They sit. Aar. Why, so, brave lords! when we (67) join in league, I am a lamb: but if you brave the Moor, Nur. Cornelia the midwife and myself; Aar. The empress, the midwife, and yourself:- [He stabs her, and she dies. Weke, weke !—so cries a pig prepar'd to the spit. Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? wherefore didst thou this? Aar. O Lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy [Pointing to the Nurse. And you must needs bestow her funeral; Chi. Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air With secrets. Dem. For this care of Tamora, Herself and hers are highly bound to thee. [Exeunt Dem. and Chi. bearing off the dead Nurse. Aar. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies; There to dispose this treasure in mine arms, And secretly to greet the empress' friends.— Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave, I'll bear you hence; For it is you that puts us to our shifts: I'll make you feed on berries and on roots, And feed (69) on curds and whey, and suck the goat, To be a warrior, and command a camp. [Exit. SCENE III. The same. A public place. Enter TITUS, bearing arrows with letters at the ends of them; with him, MARCUS, young LUCIUS, and other Gentlemen, with bows. Tit. Come, Marcus, come :-kinsmen, this is the way. Sir boy,(70) let me see your archery; Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight.— Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled.-— And that it comes from old Andronicus, Ah, Rome!-Well, well; I made thee miserable On him that thus doth tyrannize o'er me.- Pub. Therefore, my lord,(72) it highly us concerns And feed his humour kindly as we may, Till time beget some careful remedy. Marc. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Tit. Publius, how now! how now, my masters! Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word, He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, So that perforce you must needs stay a time. Tit. He doth me wrong to feed me with delays. And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.- Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can bear: Ad Jovem, that's for you :-here, ad Apollinem:— Here, boy, to Pallas :-here, to Mercury :- |