Titus Andronicus

Andronicus;
And let it be mine honour, good my lord,
That I have reconciled your friends and you.
For you, Prince Bassianus, I have pass’d
My word and promise to the emperor,
That you will be more mild and tractable.
And fear not, lords, and you, Lavinia;
By my advice, all humbled on your knees,
You shall ask pardon of his majesty. Lucius

We do, and vow to heaven and to his highness,
That what we did was mildly as we might,
Tendering our sister’s honour and our own.

Marcus That, on mine honour, here I do protest. Saturninus Away, and talk not; trouble us no more. Tamora

Nay, nay, sweet emperor, we must all be friends:
The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace;
I will not be denied: sweet heart, look back.

Saturninus

Marcus, for thy sake and thy brother’s here,
And at my lovely Tamora’s entreats,
I do remit these young men’s heinous faults:
Stand up.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend, and sure as death I swore
I would not part a bachelor from the priest.
Come, if the emperor’s court can feast two brides,
You are my guest, Lavinia, and your friends.
This day shall be a love-day, Tamora.

Titus

To-morrow, an it please your majesty
To hunt the panther and the hart with me,
With horn and hound we’ll give your grace bonjour.

Saturninus Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too. Flourish. Exeunt.

Act II

Scene I

Rome. Before the palace.

	Enter Aaron.
Aaron	Now climbeth Tamora Olympus’ top, Safe out of fortune’s shot; and sits aloft, Secure of thunder’s crack or lightning flash; Advanced above pale envy’s threatening reach. As when the golden sun salutes the morn, And, having gilt the ocean with his beams, Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach, And overlooks the highest-peering hills; So Tamora: Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait, And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown. Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts, To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress, And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long Hast prisoner held, fetter’d in amorous chains And faster bound to Aaron’s charming eyes Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus. Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts! I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold, To wait upon this new-made empress. To wait, said I? to wanton with this queen, This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph, This siren, that will charm Rome’s Saturnine, And see his shipwreck and his commonweal’s. Holloa! what storm is this?
	Enter Demetrius and Chiron, braving.
Demetrius	Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge, And manners, to intrude where I am graced; And may, for aught thou know’st, affected be.
Chiron	Demetrius, thou dost over-ween in all; And so in this, to bear me down with braves. ’Tis not the difference of a year or two Makes me less gracious or thee more fortunate: I am as able and as fit as thou To serve, and to deserve my mistress’ grace; And that my sword upon thee shall approve, And plead my passions for Lavinia’s love.
Aaron	Aside. Clubs, clubs! these lovers will not keep the peace.
Demetrius	Why, boy, although our mother, unadvised, Gave you a dancing-rapier by your side, Are you so desperate grown, to threat your friends? Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath Till you know better how to handle it.
Chiron	Meanwhile, sir, with the little skill I have, Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Demetrius	Ay, boy, grow ye so brave? They draw.
Aaron	Coming forward. Why, how now, lords! So near the emperor’s palace dare you draw, And maintain such a quarrel openly? Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge: I would not for a million of gold The cause were known to them it most concerns; Nor would your noble mother for much more Be so dishonour’d in the court of Rome. For shame, put up.
Demetrius	Not I, till I have sheathed My rapier in his bosom and withal Thrust these reproachful speeches down his throat That he hath breathed in my dishonour here.
Chiron	For that I am prepared and full resolved. Foul-spoken coward, that thunder’st with thy tongue, And with thy weapon nothing darest perform!
Aaron	Away, I say! Now, by the gods that warlike Goths adore, This petty brabble will undo us all. Why, lords, and think you not how dangerous It is to jet upon a prince’s right? What, is Lavinia then become so loose, Or Bassianus so degenerate, That for her love such quarrels may be broach’d Without controlment, justice, or revenge? Young lords, beware! and should the empress know This discord’s ground, the music would not please.
Chiron	I care not, I, knew she and all the world: I love Lavinia more than all the world.
Demetrius	Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner choice: Lavinia is thine elder brother’s hope.
Aaron	Why, are ye mad? or know ye not, in Rome How furious and impatient they be, And cannot brook competitors in love? I tell you, lords, you do but plot your deaths By this device.
Chiron	Aaron, a thousand deaths Would I propose to achieve her whom I love.
Aaron	To achieve her! how?
Demetrius	Why makest thou it so strange? She is a woman, therefore may be woo’d; She is a woman, therefore may be won; She is Lavinia, therefore must be loved. What, man! more water glideth by the mill Than wots the miller of; and easy it is Of a cut loaf to steal a shive, we know: Though Bassianus be the emperor’s brother, Better than he have worn Vulcan’s badge.
Aaron	Aside. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.
Demetrius	Then why should he despair that knows to court it With words, fair looks and liberality? What, hast not thou full often struck a doe, And borne her cleanly by the keeper’s nose?
Aaron	Why, then, it seems, some certain snatch or so Would serve your turns.
Chiron	Ay, so the turn were served.
Demetrius	Aaron, thou hast hit it.
Aaron	Would you had hit it too! Then should not we be tired with this ado. Why, hark ye, hark ye! and are you such fools To square for this? would it offend you, then, That both should speed?
Chiron	Faith, not me.
Demetrius	Nor me, so I were one.
Aaron	For shame, be friends, and join for that you jar: ’Tis policy and stratagem must do That you affect; and so must you resolve, That