Titus Andronicus

him till I turn again. Titus

Aside. I know them all, though they suppose me mad,
And will o’erreach them in their own devices:
A pair of cursed hell-hounds and their dam!

Demetrius Madam, depart at pleasure; leave us here. Tamora

Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now goes
To lay a complot to betray thy foes.

Titus I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. Exit Tamora. Chiron Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ’d? Titus

Tut, I have work enough for you to do.
Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine!

Enter Publius and others. Publius What is your will? Titus Know you these two? Publius The empress’ sons, I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. Titus

Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceived;
The one is Murder, Rape is the other’s name;
And therefore bind them, gentle Publius.
Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them.
Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour,
And now I find it; therefore bind them sure,
And stop their mouths, if they begin to cry. Exit. Publius, etc. lay hold on Chiron and Demetrius.

Chiron Villains, forbear! we are the empress’ sons. Publius

And therefore do we what we are commanded.
Stop close their mouths, let them not speak a word.
Is he sure bound? look that you bind them fast.

Re-enter Titus, with Lavinia; he bearing a knife, and she a basin. Titus

Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound.
Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me;
But let them hear what fearful words I utter.
O villains, Chiron and Demetrius!
Here stands the spring whom you have stain’d with mud,
This goodly summer with your winter mix’d.
You kill’d her husband, and for that vile fault
Two of her brothers were condemn’d to death,
My hand cut off and made a merry jest;
Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that more dear
Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you constrain’d and forced.
What would you say, if I should let you speak?
Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace.
Hark, wretches! how I mean to martyr you.
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats,
Whilst that Lavinia ’tween her stumps doth hold
The basin that receives your guilty blood.
You know your mother means to feast with me,
And calls herself Revenge, and thinks me mad:
Hark, villains! I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I’ll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads,
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow’d dam,
Like to the earth swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be revenged:
And now prepare your throats. Lavinia, come, He cuts their throats.
Receive the blood: and when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder small
And with this hateful liquor temper it;
And in that paste let their vile heads be baked.
Come, come, be every one officious
To make this banquet; which I wish may prove
More stern and bloody than the Centaurs’ feast.
So, now bring them in, for I’ll play the cook,
And see them ready ’gainst their mother comes. Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies.

Scene III

Court of Titus’s house. A banquet set out.

	Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Goths, with Aaron prisoner.
Lucius	Uncle Marcus, since it is my father’s mind That I repair to Rome, I am content.
First Goth	And ours with thine, befall what fortune will.
Lucius	Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him, Till he be brought unto the empress’ face, For testimony of her foul proceedings: And see the ambush of our friends be strong; I fear the emperor means no good to us.
Aaron	Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth The venomous malice of my swelling heart!
Lucius	Away, inhuman dog! unhallow’d slave! Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in. Exeunt Goths, with Aaron. Flourish within. The trumpets show the emperor is at hand.
	Enter Saturninus and Tamora, with Aemilius, Tribunes, Senators, and others.
Saturninus	What, hath the firmament more suns than one?
Lucius	What boots it thee to call thyself a sun?
Marcus	Rome’s emperor, and nephew, break the parle; These quarrels must be quietly debated. The feast is ready, which the careful Titus Hath ordain’d to an honourable end, For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome: Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your places.
Saturninus	Marcus, we will. Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at table.
	Enter Titus dressed like a Cook, Lavinia veiled, Young Lucius, and others. Titus places the dishes on the table.
Titus	Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread queen; Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor, ’Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it.
Saturninus	Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus?
Titus	Because I would be sure to have all well, To entertain your highness and your empress.
Tamora	We are beholding to you, good Andronicus.
Titus	An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this: Was it well done of rash Virginius To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Because she was enforced, stain’d, and deflower’d?
Saturninus	It was, Andronicus.
Titus	Your reason, mighty lord?
Saturninus	Because the girl should not survive her shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows.
Titus	A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, most wretched, to perform the like. Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; Kills Lavinia. And, with thy shame, thy father’s sorrow die!
Saturninus	What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind?
Titus	Kill’d her, for whom my tears have made me blind. I am as woeful as Virginius was, And have a thousand times more cause than he To do this outrage: and it now is done.
Saturninus	What, was she ravish’d? tell who did the deed.
Titus	Will’t please you eat? will’t please your highness feed?