What Roman lord it was durst do the deed:
Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst,

That left the camp to sin in Lucrece' bed?

Mar. Sit down, sweet niece :-brother, sit down by me.

Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury,

Inspire me, that I may this treason find!—

My lord, look here ;-look here, Lavinia:

[He writes his Name with his Staff, and guides it with his Feet and Mouth.

This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou can`st, 70 This after me, when I have writ my name

Without the help of any hand at all.

Curs'd be that heart, that forc'd us to this shift!— Write thou, good niece; and here display at last, What God will have discover'd for revenge: Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain, That we may know the traitors, and the truth!

[She takes the Staff in her Mouth, and guides it

with her Stumps, and writes.

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?

81

Mar. O, calm thee, gentle lord! although, I know, There is enough written upon this earth, To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts, And arm the minds of infants to exclaims.

My

My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel;
And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope;
And swear with me,as with the woeful feere,
And father, of that chaste dishonour'd dame,
Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucréce' rape,—
That we will prosecute, by good advice,
Mortal revenge upon these traiterous Goths,
And see their blood, or die with this reproach.
Tit. 'Tis sure enough, an you knew how.
But if you hurt these bear-whelps, then beware:
The dam will wake; and, if she wind you once,
She's with the lion deeply still in league,
And lulls him while she playeth on her back,
And, when he sleeps, will she do what she list.
You're a young huntsman, Marcus; let it alone;
And, come, I will go get a leaf of brass,

And with a gad of steel will write these words,

And lay it by the angry northern wind

:

90

100

Will blow these sands, like Sybil's leaves, abroad,
And where's your lesson then?-Boy, what say you?
Boy. I say, my lord, that if I were a man,
Their mother's bed-chamber should not be safe
For these bad bond-men to the yoke of Rome.
Mar. Ay, that's my boy! thy father hath full oft

For this ungrateful country done the like.
Boy. And, uncle, so will I, an if I live.
Tit. Come, go with me into my armoury;
Lucius, I'll fit thee; and withal, my boy
Shall carry from me to the emperéss' sons
Presents, that I intend to send them both :

110

Come,

Come, come; thou'lt do my message, wilt thou

not?

Boy. Ay, with my dagger in their bosom, grand

sire.

Tit. No, no, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another

course.

Lavinia, come :-Marcus, look to my house;
Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court;

Ay, marry, will we, sir; and we'll be waited on.

120

[Exeunt.
Mar. O heavens, can you hear a good man groan,
And not relent, or not compassionate him?
Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy;

That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart,
Than foe-men's marks upon his batter'd shield:
But yet so just, that he will not revenge :-
Revenge the heavens for old Andronicus!

130

DEMETRIUS, at one Door: and at another Door, young Lucius, and another, with a Bundle of Weapons, and Verses writ upon them.

Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius ;

He hath some message to deliver to us.

Aar.

I

Aar. Ay, some mad message from his mad grand

father.

Boy. My lords, with all the humbleness I may, greet your honours from Andronicus ;

And pray the Roman gods, confound you both.

1

[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
The goodliest weapons of his armoury,
To gratify your honourable youth, I

The hope of Rome; for so he bade me say;
And so I do, and with his gifts present
Your lordships, that whenever you have need,
You may be armed and appointed well :

140

And so I leave you both, [Aside.] like bloody villains.

[Exit. Dem. What's here? a scroll; and written round

Let's see;

about?

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.

150

Aar. Ay, just;-a verse in Horace ;-right, you

have it.

Now,

Now, what a thing it is to be an ass!

Here's no fond 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.

[Aside.

But were our witty emperess well a-foot,
She would applaud Andronicus' conceit.
But let her rest in her unrest a while.—
And now, young lords, was't not a happy star
Led us to Rome, strangers, and, more than so,
Captives, to be advanced to this height?

It did me good, before the palace gate

To brave the tribune in his brother's hearing,
Dem. But me more good, to see so great a lord
Basely insinuate, and send us gifts.

Aar. Had he not reason, lord Demetrius ? Did you not use his daughter very friendly?

Dem. I would we had a thousand Roman dames

At such a bay, by turn to serve our lust.

Chi. A charitable wish, and full of love.

170

Aar. Here lacketh but your mother to say amen. Chi. And that would she for twenty thousand more. Dem. Come, let us go; and pray to all the gods For our beloved mother in her pains. Aar. Pray to the devils; the gods have given us [Aside. Flourish. Dem. Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish

o'er.

thus?