Tell him the Emperor and the Empress too
Feaft at my house, and he shall feast with them;
This do thou for my love, and fo let him,
As he regards his aged father's life.

Mar. This will I do, and foon return again.

[Exit.

Tam. Now will I hence about thy bufinefs, And take my minifters along with me.

Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me; Or elfe I'll call my brother back again,

And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.

Tam. What fay you, boys, will you abide with him, Whiles I go tell my Lord the Emperor, How I have governed our determined jeft? Yield to his humour, fmooth and speak him fair, And tarry with him 'till I come again.

Tit. I know them all, tho' they fuppofe me mad; And will o'er-reach them in their own devices: A pair of curfed hell-hounds and their dam. [Afide. Dem. Madam, depart at pleasure, leave us here. Tam. Farewel, Andronicus; Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes.

[Exit Tamora. Tit. I know thou doft; and, fweet Revenge, farewel.

Chi. Tell us, old man, how fhall we be employed? Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do. Publius, come hither, Caius and Valentine!

Enter PUBLIUS and Servants.

Pub. What is your will?

Tit. Know ye thefe two?
Pub. The Emprefs' fons,

I take them, Chiron and Demetrius.

Tit. Fy, Publius, fy! thou art too much deceived, The one is Murder, Rape is th' other's name;

And therefore bind them, gentle Publius;
Caius and Valentine, lay hands on them;
Oft have you heard me wifh for fuch an hour,
And now I find it, therefore bind them fure.

[Exit Titus, Chi. Villains, forbear; we are the Emprefs' fons. Pub. And therefore do we what we are com

manded.

Stop close their mouths; let them not speak a word. Is he fure bound? look that ye bind them fast. Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS with a Knife, and LA-~ VINIA with a Bafon.

Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound;

Sirs, ftop their mouths, let them not fpeak to me, But let them hear what fearful words I utter.. Oh, villains Chiron and Demetrius!

Here ftands the fpring whom you have ftained with mud,

This goodly fummer with your winter mixed:
You killed her husband, and for that vile fault
Two of her brothers were condemned to death;
My hand cut off, and made a merry jest;

Both her fweet hands, her tongue, and that more

dear

Than hands or tongue, her fpotlefs chastity,
Inhuman traitors, you conftrained and forced.
What would ye fay, if I fhould let you speak?
Villains!-for fhame you could not beg for grace,
Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you.
This one hand yet is left to cut your throats.
Whilft that Lavinia 'twixt her ftumps doth hold
The bafon, that receives your guilty blood.. !
You know your mother means to feast with me,
And calls herfelf Revenge, and thinks me mad------

Hark, villains, I will grind your bones to dust,
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste;
And of the paste a coffin will I rear,

And make two pasties of your shameful heads;
And bid that ftrumpet, your unhallowed dam,
Like to the earth, fwallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have, bid her to,
And this the banquet fhe fhall furfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Procne I will be revenged.
And now prepare your throats: Lavinia, come,
Receive the blood; and, when that they are dead,
Let me go grind their bones to powder small,
And with this hateful liquor temper it;

And in that paste let their vile heads be baked.
Come, come, be every one officious

To make this banquet, which I with might prove
More ftern and bloody than the Centaur's feaft.
[He cuts their throats.
So, now bring them in, for I'll play the cook,
And fee them ready 'gainst the mother comes.

[Exeunt.

Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and Goths, with AARON

Prifoner.

Luc. Uncle Marcus, fince 'tis my father's mind That I repair to Rome, I am content.

Goth. And ours with thine, befal what fortune will.

Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor, This ravenous tyger, this accurfed devil; Let him receive no fuftenance, fetter him, 'Till he be brought unto th' Emp'ror's face, For teltimony of thefe foul proceedings; And fee the ambush of our friends be strong; 1 fear the Emperor means no good to us.

Aar. Some devil whifper curfes in my ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth The venomous malice of my fwelling heart! Luc. Away, inhuman dog, unhallowed flave ! [Exeunt Goths with Aaron.

Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in. [Flourish The trumpets fhew the Emperor is at hand.

Sound Trumpets. Enter Emperor and Empress, with Tribunes and others.

Sat. What, hath the firmament more funs than one?

Luc. What boots it thee to call thyfelf a fun? Mar. Rome's Emperor, and nephew, break the parley;

Thefe quarrels must be quietly debated:

The feaft is ready, which the careful Titus »
Hath ordained to an honourable end,

For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome:
Pleafe you therefore draw nigh and take your places.
Sat. Marcus, we will.
[Hautboys.

A Table brought in. Enter TITUS like a Cook, placing the meat on the Table, and LAVINIA with a veil over her face.

Tit. Welcome, my gracious Lord; welcome, dread Queen,

Welcome, ye warlike Goths, welcome Lucius, And welcome all: although the cheer be poor, 'Iwill fill your ftomachs, pleafe you eat of it.

Sat. Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus? Tit. Because I would be fure to have all well, To entertain your: Highnefs, and your Emprefs. Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus, Tin And if your Highnefs knew my heart, you

were.

My Lord the Emperor, refolve me this;
Was it well done of rafh Virginius,

To flay his daughter with his own right hand,
Because he was enforced, ftained, and deflowered?
Sat. It was, Andronicus.

Tit. Your reason, mighty Lord?

Sat. Because the girl fhould not furvive her shame, And by her prefence ftill renew his forrows.. Tit. A reafon mighty, strong, effectual, A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, moft wretched, to perform the like: Die, die, Lavinia, and thy fhame with thee, And with thy fhame thy father's forrow die.

[He kills her..

Sat. What haft thou done, unnatural and unkind? Tit. Killed her, for whom my tears have madė me blind.

I am as woeful as Virginius was,

And have a thousand times more cause than he
To do this outrage. And it is now done.

Sat. What, was fhe ravifhed? tell, who did the deed?

Tit. Will't pleafe you eat, will't please your Highnels feed?"

Tam. Why haft thou flain thine only daughter thus?

Tit. Not I, 'twas Chiron and Demetrius. They ravished her, and cut away her tongue, And they, 'twas they that did her all this wrong. Sat. Go, fetch them hither to us presently. Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pye,. Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that the herself hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witnefs, my knife's fharp point. [He fabs the Empreis.