Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain, [She takes the Staff in her Mouth, and guides it 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 hateful bloody deed? Tit. Magne Dominator Poli, Tam lentus audis scelera? tam lentus vides? Mar. O, calm thee, gentle lord! although, I know, My lord, kneel down with me ;-Lavinia, kneel ;— And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back, And, with a gad of steel, will write these words, And lay it by the angry northern wind Will blow these sands, like Sybil's leaves, abroad, Come, come; thou'lt do thy message, wilt thou not? Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we'll be waited on. [Exeunt TITUS, LAVINIA, and Boy. Mar. O heavens, can you hear a good man groan, That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart, [Exit. SCENE II.-The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter AARON, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, at one Door; at another Door, young Lucius, and an Attendant, with a Bundle of Weapons, and Verses writ upon Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius; He hath some message to deliver to us. them. Aar. Ay, some mad message from his mad grandfather. Boy. My lords, with all the humbleness I may, I greet your honours from Andronicus ;— And pray the Roman gods confound you both! [Aside. Dem. Gramercy, lovely Lucius: What's the news? Boy. That you are both decypher'd, that's the news, For villains, mark'd with rape. [Aside.]—May it please you, My grandsire, well advis'd, hath sent by me To gratify your honourable youth, The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say, Your lordships, that, whenever you have need, And so I leave you both, [Aside.] like bloody villains. [Exeunt Boy and Attendant. Dem. What's here? a scroll; and written round about? Let's see : Integer vita, 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! Here's no sound jest! the old man hath found their guilt, And sends the weapons wrapp'd about with lines, That wound, beyond their feeling, to the quick. But, were our witty empress well a-foot, Aside. Aar. Had he not reason, lord Demetrius? Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love. Aar. Pray to the devils; the gods have given us o'er. [Aside. Flourish. Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish thus? Chi. Belike, for joy the emperor hath a son. Dem. Soft; who comes here? Enter Nurse, with a Black-a-Moor Child in her Arms. Nur. Good-morrow, lords: O, tell me, did you see Aaron the Moor? Aar. Well, more, or less, or ne'er a whit at all, Here Aaron is; and what with Aaron now? Nur. O, gentle Aaron, we are all undone! Now help, or woe betide thee evermore! Aar. Why, what a caterwauling dost thou keep? What dost thou wrap and fumble in thine arms? Nur. O, that which I would hide from heaven's eye, Our empress' shame, and stately Rome's disgrace!— She is deliver'd, lords, she is deliver'd. Aar. To whom? Nur. I mean, she is brought to 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. The empress' sends it thee, thy stamp, thy seal, Aar. Out, out, you whore! is black so base a hue?— Aar. Done! That which thou Canst not undo. Chi. Thou hast undone our mother. Aar. Villain, I have done thy mother. |