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Oft have I digged up dead men from their graves,
And fet them upright at their dear friends doors,
Even when their forrow almoft was forgot;
And on their fkins, as on the bark of trees,
Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,
"Let not your forrow die though I am dead.”
Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things,
As willingly as one would kill a fly:
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed,
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.

Luc. Bring down the devil, for he must not die So fweet a death as hanging presently

Aur. If there be devils, would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire,

So I might have your company in hell,

But to torment you with my bitter tongue!

Luc. Sirs, ftop his mouth, and let him speak no

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Goth. My Lord, there is a meffenger from Rome Defires to be admitted to your presence.

Luc. Let him come near,

Welcome, Æmilius, what's the news from Rome ?
Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
The Roman Emperor greets you all by me;
And, for he understands you are in arms,
He craves a parley at your father's house,
Willing you to demand your hostages,
And they fhall be immediately delivered.
Goth. What fays our General?

Luc. Æmilius, let the Emperor give his pledges Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,

And we will come: march away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Titus's Palace in Rome. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON and DEMETRIUS, disguised.

Tam. Thus, in thefe ftrange and fad habiliments, I will encounter with Andronicus :

And fay, I am Revenge fent from below,
To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs:
Knock at the study, where, they fay, he keeps,
To ruminate ftrange plots of dire revenge;
Tell him, Revenge is come to join with him,
And work confufion on his enemies.

[They knock, and Titus appears above.
Tit. Who doth moleft my contemplation?
It is your trick to make me ope the door,
That fo my fad decrees may fly away,
And all my ftudy be to no effect?

You are deceived; for what I mean to do,
See, here in bloody lines I have fet down;
And what is written fhall be executed.

Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee.
Tit No, not a word: how can I grace my talk,
Wanting a hand to give it that accord?

Thou haft the odds of me, therefore no more. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with me.

Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough; Witness this wretched fump, these crimson lines, Witnefs thefe trenches, made by grief and care, Witnefs the tiring day and heavy night; Witness all forrow, that I know thee well For our proud Emprefs, mighty Tamora: Is not thy coming for my other hand?

Tam. Know thou, fad man, I am not Tamora She is thy enemy, and I thy friend;

I am Revenge, fent from tli' infernal kingdom,

To ease the gnawing vulture of thy mind,

By working wreakful vengeance on thy foes.
Come down, and welcome me to this world's light;
Confer with me of murder and of death ;
There's not a hollow cave, nor lurking place,
No vaft obfcurity, or misty vale,

Where bloody Murder or detested Rape
Can couch for fear, but I will find them out;
And in their ears tell them my dreadful name,
Revenge, which makes the foul offenders quake.
Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent to me,
To be a torment to mine enemies?

Tam. I am; therefore come down, and welcome

me.

;

Tit. Do me fome service, ere I come to thee: Lo, by thy fide where Rape and Murder stands; Now give fome 'furance that thou art Revenge, Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot wheels And then I'll come and be thy waggoner, And whirl along with thee about the globe: Provide two proper palfries black as jet, To hale thy vengeful waggon fwift away, And find out murders in their guilty caves. And when thy car is loaden with their heads, 1 will dismount, and by thy waggon-wheel Trot like a fervile footman all day long; Even from Hyperion's rifing in the east, Until his very downfal in the fea. And day by day I'll do this heavy task, So thou deftroy Rapine and Murder there.

Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me. Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they called? Tam. Rapine and Murder; therefore called fo, 'Cause they take vengeance on fuch kind of men.

Tit. Good Lord, how like the Emprefs' fons they And you th Empress! but we worldly men [are,

Have miferable mad mistaking eyes:

O fweet Revenge, now do I come to thee,

And if one arm's embracement will content thee, I will embrace thee in it by and by.

[Exit Titus from above. Tam. This clofing with lim fits his lunacy. Whate'er forge to feed his brain-fick fits, Do you uphold, and maintain in your speech, For now he firmly takes me for Revenge; And, being credulous in this mad thought, I'll make him fend for Lucius his fon: And whilft I at a banquet hold him fure, I'll find fome cunning practice out of hand, To fcatter and difperfe the giddy Goths, Or at the leaft make them his enemies:

See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme. (26) Enter TITUS.

Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woeful houfe; Rapine and Murder, you are welcome too: How like the Emprefs and her fons you are! Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor; Could not all hell afford you fuch a devil? For, well I wot, the Emprefs never wags, But in her company there is a Moor; And would you reprefent our Queen aright, It were convenient you had fuch a devil: But welcome as you are: what fhall we do? Tam. What wouldst thou have us do, Andronicus?

(26) See, here he comes, and I must play my theme.] Though this reading has obtained as far back as the first edition in Folio,---to play a theme, I think is no juftifiable expreffion, nor one that our author would have chofe to ufe. The reading I have given has the authority of the oldeft Quartos.

Dem. Shew me a murderer, I'll deal with him. Chi. Shew me a villain, that has done a rape, And I am fent to be revenged on him.

Tam. Shew me a thousand that have done thee And I will be revenged on them all. [wrong,

Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome, And when thou findeft a man that's like thyfelf, Good Murder, ftab him; he's a murderer. Go thou with him, and when it is thy hap To find another that is like to thee, Good Rapine, ftab him; he is a ravisher. Go thou with them, and in the Emperor's court There is a Queen attended by a Moor; Well may't thou know her by thy own proportion, For up and down the doth resemble thee; I pray thee, do on them fome violent death; They have been violent to me and mine.

Tam. Well haft thou leffoned us; this fhall we do.
But would it please thee, good Andronicus,
To fend for Lucius thy thrice-valiant fon,

Who leads tow'rds Rome a band of warlike Gothis,
And bid him come and banquet at thy house,
When he is here, even at thy folemn feast,
I will bring in the Emprefs and her fons,
The Emperor himself, and all thy fees;
And at thy mercy fhall they ftoop and kneel,
And on them fhalt thou eafe thy angry heart:
What fays Andronicus to this device?

Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis fad Titus calls :
Enter MARCUS.

Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius;
Thou shalt enquire him out among the Goths:
Bid him repair to me, and bring with him
Some of the chiefeft Princes of the Goths;
Bid him encamp his foldiers where they are;
VOL. XI.
H

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