Than this Lavinia, Baffianus' love;
A speedier course than lingring languishment
Muft we purfue, and I have found the path.
My lords. a folemn hunting is in hand,
There will the lovely Roman ladies troop:
The foreft-walks are wide and fpacious,
And many unfrequented Plots there are,
Fitted by kind for rape and villany:
Single you thither then this dainty doe,
And ftrike her home by force, if not by words :
This way, or not at all, ftand you in hope.
Come, come, our Emprefs with her facred wit
To Villany and vengeance confecrate.
We will acquaint with all that we intend;
And the fhall file our engines with advice,
That will not fuffer you to fquare yourselves,
But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The Emperor's Court is like the House of Fame,
The Palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf and dull:
There speak, and ftrike, brave boys, and take your
There ferve your lufts, shadow'd from heaven's
And revel in Lavinia's Treasury.
Chi. Thy counfel, lad, fmells of no cowardice.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, 'till I find the ftream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits,
Per Styga, per Manes vehor.-
Enter Titus Andronicus and his three Sons, with hounds and horns, and Marcus.
HE Hunt is up, the morn is bright and
The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green:
Uncouple here, and let us make a Bay :
And wake the Emperor and his lovely Bride,
And rouze the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal,
That all the Court may echo with the noise.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To tend the Emperor's perfon carefully:
I have been troubled in my fleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.
Here a cry of hounds, and wind horns in a peal: then enter Saturninus, Tamora, Baffianus, Lavinia, Chiron, Demetrius and their Attendants.
Tit. Many good-morrows to your Majefty:
Madam, to you as many and as good.
I promised your Grace a hunter's peal.
Sat. And you have rung it luftily, my lords,
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Baf. Lavinia, how say you?
I have been broad awake two hours and more.
Sat. Come on then, horse and chariots let us have, And to our sport: Madam, now ye fhall fee Our Roman Hunting.
Mar. I have dogs, my lord,
Will roufe the proudeft Panther in the chase,
And climb the higheft promontory-top.
Tit. And I have horfe will follow, where the game Makes way, and run like fwallows o'er the plain. Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horfe nor hound;
But hope to pluck a dainty Doe to ground. [Exeunt.
Changes to a defart part of the Foreft.
Enter Aaron alone.
Aar. HE, that had wit, would think, that I had
To bury fo much gold under à tree;
And never after to inherit it.
Let him, that thinks of me so abjectly,
Know, that this gold muft coin a ftratagem;
Which, cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villany;
And fo repofe, fweet gold, for their unreft,
That have their alms out of the Emprefs' cheft.
Enter Tamora.
Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'ft thou fad,
When every thing doth make a gleeful boaft?
The birds chaunt melody on every bush,
The fnake lies rolled in the chearful fun,
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd fhadow on the ground:
Under their fweet fhade, Aaron, let us fit,
And whilft the babling Echo mocks the hounds,
Replying fhrilly to the well tun'd horns,
As if a double Hunt were heard at once,
Let us fit down and mark their yelling noise:
And after conflict, fuch as was fuppos'd
The wandring Prince and Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy ftorm they were furpriz'd,
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave;
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
(Our paftimes done) poffefs a golden flumber;
Whilft hounds and horns, and sweet melodious birds
Be unto us, as is a nurfe's fong
Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.
Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your defires, Saturn is dominator over mine:
What fignifies my deadly-standing eye,
My filence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls,
Even as an adder, when fhe doth unrowl
To do fome fatal execution?
No, Madam, thefe are no venereal figns;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand;
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, (the Empress of my foul,
Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee)
This is the day of doom for Baffianus;
His Philomel must lose her tongue to day;
Thy fons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Baffianus' blood.
Seeft thou this letter, take it up, I pray thee,
And give the King this fatal-plotted scroll;
Now question me no more, we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dread not yet their lives' destruction.
Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, fweeter to me than life.
Aar. No more, great Emprefs, Baffianus comes;
Be cross with him, and I'll go fetch thy fons
To back thy quarrels, whatfoe'er they be.
Enter Baffianus and Lavinia.
Baf.HOM have we here? Rome's royal Emperefs?
Unfurnish'd of her well-befeeming troops?
Or is it Dian, habited like her,
Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To fee the general Hunting in this foreft?
Tam. Saucy controuller of our private steps
Had I the power, that, fome fay, Dian had,
Thy temples fhould be planted presently
With horns, as was Acteon's; and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,
Unmannerly Intruder as thou art!
Lav. Under your patience, gentle Emperess,
'Tis thought, you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are fingled forth to try experiments:
Jove hields your husband from his hounds to day! VOL. VII.
'Tis pity they should take him for a ftag.
Baf. Believe me, Queen, your fwarth Cimmerian Doth make your honour of his body's hue, Spotted, detefted, and abominable.
Why are you fequeftred from all your train?
Difmounted from your fnow-white goodly fteed,
And wandred hither to an obfcure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul defire had not conducted you?
Lav. And being intercepted in your sport,
Great reafon, that my noble lord be rated
For faucinefs.- -I pray you, let us hence.
And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose paffing well.
Baf. The King my brother fhall have note of this. Lav. Ay, for these flips have made him noted long. Good King, to be fo mightily abused.
Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this?
Enter Chiron and Demetrius.
Dem. How now, dear Sovereign and our gracious
Mother,
Why does your Highnefs look fo pale and wan?
Tam. Have I not reafon, think you, to look pale?
Thefe two have tic'd me hither to this place,
A barren and detefted vale, you fee, it is.
The trees, tho' fummer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with mofs, and baleful miffelto.
Here never fhines the fun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven,
And when they fhew'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night,
A thoufand fiends, a thoufand hiffing fnakes,
Ten thoufand fwelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make fuch fearful and confufed cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,
Should ftraight fall mad, or else die fuddenly.
No fooner had they told this hellish tale,
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