Better than he have worn Vulcan's badge.

Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

[Aside.

Dem. Then why should he despair that knows to court it

With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, hast not thou full often struck a doe,

And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose?

Aar. Why, then, it seems, some certain snatch or so Would serve your turns.

Chi.

Ay, so the turn were serv'd.

Would you had hit it too!

Dem. Aaron, thou hast hit it.
Aar.

Then should not we be tir'd with this ado.

Why, hark ye, hark ye,—and are you such fools
To square for this? would it offend you, then,
That both should speed?

Chi. Faith, not me.

Dem.

Nor me, so I were one.

Aar. For shame, be friends, and join for that you jar: 'Tis policy and stratagem must do

That you affect; and so must you resolve,

That what you cannot as you would achieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me,-Lucrece was not more chaste
Than this Lavinia, Bassianus' love.

A speedier course than (23) lingering languishment
Must we pursue, and I have found the path.
My lords, a solemn hunting is in hand;
There will the lovely Roman ladies troop:
The forest-walks are wide and spacious;
And many unfrequented plots there are
Fitted by kind for rape and villany:
Single you thither, then, this dainty doe,
And strike her home by force, if not by words:
This way, or not at all, stand you in hope.
Come, come, our empress, with her sacred wit

To villany and vengeance consecrate,
Will we acquaint with all that we intend;
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not suffer you to square yourselves,

But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The emperor's court is like the house of Fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, and ears:
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull;

There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your turns;
There serve your lust, shadow'd from heaven's eye,

And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice.

Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream To cool this heat, a charm to calm these(24) fits, Per Styga, per manes vehor.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. A forest near Rome. Horns and cry of hounds

heard.

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, &c., MARCUS, LUCIUS,
QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,(25)
The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green:
Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,
And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouse the prince, and ring a hunter's peal,
That all the court may echo with the noise.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To attend the emperor's person carefully:
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

Horns wind a peal. Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS,
LAVINIA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and Attendants.

Many good morrows to your majesty ;

Madam, to you as many and as good:

I promised your grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lord ;(26) Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.

Bas. Lavinia, how say you?

I have been broad awake two hours and more.

VOL. V.

Sat. Come on, then; horse and chariots let us have, And to our sport.-Madam, now shall ye see

Our Roman hunting.

Marc.

I have dogs, my lord,

Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory top.

[To Tamora.

Tit. And I have horse will follow where the game Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.

Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound, But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. A lonely part of the forest.

Enter AARON, with a bag of gold.

Aar. He that had wit would think that I had none,

To bury so much gold under a tree,

And never after to inherit it.

Let him that thinks of me so abjectly

Know that this gold must coin a stratagem,

Which, cunningly effected, will beget

A very excellent piece of villany:

And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest [Hides the gold. That have their alms out of the empress' chest.

Enter TAMORA.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad,

When every thing doth make a gleeful boast?

The birds chant melody on every bush;

The snake lies rollèd in the cheerful sun;

The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd shadow on the ground:
Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit,
And, whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying shrilly to the well-tun'd horns,

As if a double hunt were heard at once,
Let us sit down and mark their yelping noise;
And,-after conflict such as was suppos'd
The wandering prince and Dido once enjoy'd,

When with a happy storm they were surpris'd,
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave,-
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber;
Whiles hounds and horns and sweet melodious birds
Be unto us as is a nurse's song

Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep.

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your desires,
Saturn is dominator over mine:

What signifies my deadly-standing eye,
My silence and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls
Even as an adder when she doth unroll
To do some fatal execution?

No, madam, these are no venereal signs:
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora,-the empress of my soul,

Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee,—
This is the day of doom for Bassianus:
His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day;
Thy sons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood.
Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll.—
Now question me no more,—we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction.

Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life!
Aar. No more, great empress,—Bassianus comes:

Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy sons

To back thy quarrels,(27) whatsoe'er they be.

Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA.

Bas. Who have we here? Rome's royal empress, Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop?

Or is it Dian, habited like her,

Who hath abandoned her holy groves

To see the general hunting in this forest?

[Exit.

Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps!
Had I the power that some say Dian had,

Thy temples should be planted presently
With horns, as was Actæon's; and the hounds
Should drive (28) upon thy new-transformèd limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

Lav. Under your patience, gentle empress,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments:

Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day!
'Tis pity they should take him for a stag.

Bas. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you sequester'd from all your train,
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wander'd hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?

Lav. And, being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness.-I pray you, let us hence,
And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose passing well.

Bas. The king my brother shall have note (29) of this. Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long : Good king, to be so mightily abus'd!

Tam. Why have I (30) patience to endure all this?

Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON.

Dem. How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious mother!

Why doth your highness look so pale and wan?

Tam. Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?
These two have tic'd me hither to this place:-
A barren detested vale, you see it is;

The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe :