Lav. O let me teach thee! For my father's sake, That gave thee life when well he might have slain thee, Be not obdúrate, open thy deaf ears. Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me, Even for his sake am I pitiless.— Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain, The worse to her, the better loved of me. Lav. O, Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen, And with thine own hands kill me in this place: For 'tis not life that I have begg'd so long; Poor I was slain when Bassianus died. Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go. Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing That womanhood denies my tongue to tell : Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their No, let them satisfy their lust on thee. Demet. Away, for thou hast stay'd us here too long. Lav. No grace!-no womanhood! Ah, beastly The blot and enemy to our general name! Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth ;-bring thou her husband: [Dragging off LAVINIA. This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. Tam. Farewell, my sons; see that you make her sure: Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed, [Exit. SCENE IV.—The Forest. Enter AARON, with QUINTUS and MARTIUS. Aaron. Come on, my lords, the better foot before: Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espied the panther fast asleep. Quint. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. Mart. And mine, I promise you; were't not for shame, Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile. [MARTIUS falls into the pit. Quint. What, art thou fallen? What subtle hole is this, Whose mouth is cover'd with rude growing briers, Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood, As fresh as morning's dew distill'd on flowers? A very fatal place it seems to me : Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall? Mart. O brother, with the dismall'st object hurt That ever eye with sight made heart lament. Aaron. [aside.] Now will I fetch the king to That he thereby may have a likely guess, out From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole? Quint. I am surprised with an uncouth fear Will not permit mine eyes once to behold Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embruèd here, Mart. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear A precious ring, that lightens all the hole : Which, like a taper in some monument, Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, And shows the ragged entrails of this pit : So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus, When he by night lay bathed in maiden blood. O, brother, help me with thy fainting hand,If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath,Out of this fell devouring receptacle, As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth. Quint. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out; Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, Quint. 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. 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, ANDRONICUS, and Lucius. Tam. Where is my lord the king? Sat. Here, Tamora, though grieved 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 SATURNINUS a letter. The complot of this timeless tragedy; An if we miss to meet him handsomely,- Which overshades the mouth of that same pit, Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends. Sat. [to Titus.] Two of thy whelps, 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, I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed, That this fell fault of my accursèd sons,Accursed, if the fault be proved in them, |