Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out; Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave. I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink. Mart. Nor I no strength to climb without thy help. Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not loose again, Till thou art here aloft, or I below : Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee. Enter SATURNINUS and AARON. [Falls in. Sat. Along with me:-) -I'll see what hole is here. And what he is, that now is leap'd into it. Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus; Sat. My brother dead? I know thou dost but jest: He and his lady both are at the lodge, Upon the north side of this pleasant chase; 'Tis not an hour since I left him there. Mart. We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas! here have we found him dead. Enter TAMORA, with Attendants; TITUS ANDRONICUS, and LUCIUS. Tam. Where is my lord the king? Sat. Here, Tamora; though griev'd with killing grief. Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus? Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound; Poor Bassianus here lies murdered. Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, [Giving a Letter. The complot of this timeless' tragedy; And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold Sat. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him hand- Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean, Which overshades the mouth of that same pit, Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. [Showing it. Sat. Two of thy whelps, [To TIT.] fell curs of bloody kind, Have here bereft my brother of his life: How easily murder is discovered! Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee Sat. If it be prov'd! you see, it is apparent. 7 Untimely. For by my father's reverend tomb, I vow, Sat. Thou shalt not bail them: see, thou follow me. Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers: Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain: Tam. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; them. SCENE V. The same. Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravished; her Hands cut off, and her Tongue cut out. Dem. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, Who 't was that cut thy tongue, and ravish'd thee. Chi. Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning so; And, if thy stumps will let thee, play the scribe. Dem. See, how with signs and tokens she can scowl. Chi. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands. Dem. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash; And so let's leave her to her silent walks. Chi. An 'twere my case, I should go hang myself. Dem. If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. [Excunt DEMETRIUS and CHIRON. Enter MARCUS. Marc. Who's this, my niece, that flies away so fast? Cousin, a word; Where is your hushand? If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me! - If I do wake, some planet strike me down, in; And might not gain so great a happiness, As half thy love? Why dost not speak to me? Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind, A craftier Tereus hast thou met withal, 8 He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell asleep. ACT THE THIRD. SCENE I. Rome. A Street. Enter Senators, Tribunes, and Officers of Justice, with MARTIUS and QUINTUS, bound, passing on to the Place of Execution: TITUS going before, pleading. Tit. Hear me, grave fathers! noble tribunes, stay! For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent ୫ * Orpheus. |