Titus Andronicus
ACT IV SCENE IV | The same. Before the palace. | |
[ Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, Lords, and others; SATURNINUS with the arrows in his hand that TITUS shot ] | ||
SATURNINUS | Why, lords, what wrongs are these! was ever seen | |
An emperor in Rome thus overborne, | ||
Troubled, confronted thus; and, for the extent | ||
Of egal justice, used in such contempt? | ||
My lords, you know, as know the mightful gods, | 5 | |
However these disturbers of our peace | ||
Buz in the people’s ears, there nought hath pass’d, | ||
But even with law, against the willful sons | ||
Of old Andronicus. And what an if | ||
His sorrows have so overwhelm’d his wits, | 10 | |
Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks, | ||
His fits, his frenzy, and his bitterness? | ||
And now he writes to heaven for his redress: | ||
See, here’s to Jove, and this to Mercury; | ||
This to Apollo; this to the god of war; | 15 | |
Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome! | ||
What’s this but libelling against the senate, | ||
And blazoning our injustice every where? | ||
A goodly humour, is it not, my lords? | ||
As who would say, in Rome no justice were. | 20 | |
But if I live, his feigned ecstasies | ||
Shall be no shelter to these outrages: | ||
But he and his shall know that justice lives | ||
In Saturninus’ health, whom, if she sleep, | ||
He’ll so awake as she in fury shall | 25 | |
Cut off the proud’st conspirator that lives. | ||
TAMORA | My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine, | |
Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts, | ||
Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus’ age, | ||
The effects of sorrow for his valiant sons, | 30 | |
Whose loss hath pierced him deep and scarr’d his heart; | ||
And rather comfort his distressed plight | ||
Than prosecute the meanest or the best | ||
For these contempts. | ||
[Aside] | ||
Why, thus it shall become | 35 | |
High-witted Tamora to gloze with all: | ||
But, Titus, I have touched thee to the quick, | ||
Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wise, | ||
Then is all safe, the anchor’s in the port. | ||
[Enter Clown] | ||
How now, good fellow! wouldst thou speak with us? | 40 | |
Clown | Yea, forsooth, an your mistership be emperial. | |
TAMORA | Empress I am, but yonder sits the emperor. | |
Clown | ‘Tis he. God and Saint Stephen give you good den: | |
I have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here. | ||
[SATURNINUS reads the letter] | ||
SATURNINUS | Go, take him away, and hang him presently. | 45 |
Clown | How much money must I have? | |
TAMORA | Come, sirrah, you must be hanged. | |
Clown | Hanged! by’r lady, then I have brought up a neck to | |
a fair end. | ||
[Exit, guarded] | ||
SATURNINUS | Despiteful and intolerable wrongs! | 50 |
Shall I endure this monstrous villany? | ||
I know from whence this same device proceeds: | ||
May this be borne?–as if his traitorous sons, | ||
That died by law for murder of our brother, | ||
Have by my means been butcher’d wrongfully! | 55 | |
Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; | ||
Nor age nor honour shall shape privilege: | ||
For this proud mock I’ll be thy slaughterman; | ||
Sly frantic wretch, that holp’st to make me great, | ||
In hope thyself should govern Rome and me. | 60 | |
[Enter AEMILIUS] | ||
What news with thee, AEmilius? | ||
AEMILIUS | Arm, arm, my lord;–Rome never had more cause. | |
The Goths have gather’d head; and with a power | ||
high-resolved men, bent to the spoil, | ||
They hither march amain, under conduct | 65 | |
Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus; | ||
Who threats, in course of this revenge, to do | ||
As much as ever Coriolanus did. | ||
SATURNINUS | Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths? | |
These tidings nip me, and I hang the head | 70 | |
As flowers with frost or grass beat down with storms: | ||
Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach: | ||
‘Tis he the common people love so much; | ||
Myself hath often over-heard them say, | ||
When I have walked like a private man, | 75 | |
That Lucius’ banishment was wrongfully, | ||
And they have wish’d that Lucius were their emperor. | ||
TAMORA | Why should you fear? is not your city strong? | |
SATURNINUS | Ay, but the citizens favor Lucius, | |
And will revolt from me to succor him. | 80 | |
TAMORA | King, be thy thoughts imperious, like thy name. | |
Is the sun dimm’d, that gnats do fly in it? | ||
The eagle suffers little birds to sing, | ||
And is not careful what they mean thereby, | ||
Knowing that with the shadow of his wings | 85 | |
He can at pleasure stint their melody: | ||
Even so mayst thou the giddy men of Rome. | ||
Then cheer thy spirit : for know, thou emperor, | ||
I will enchant the old Andronicus | ||
With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous, | 90 | |
Than baits to fish, or honey-stalks to sheep, | ||
When as the one is wounded with the bait, | ||
The other rotted with delicious feed. | ||
SATURNINUS | But he will not entreat his son for us. | |
TAMORA | If Tamora entreat him, then he will: | 95 |
For I can smooth and fill his aged ear | ||
With golden promises; that, were his heart | ||
Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf, | ||
Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue. | ||
[To AEmilius] | ||
Go thou before, be our ambassador: | 100 | |
Say that the emperor requests a parley | ||
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting | ||
Even at his father’s house, the old Andronicus. | ||
SATURNINUS | AEmilius, do this message honourably: | |
And if he stand on hostage for his safety, | 105 | |
Bid him demand what pledge will please him best. | ||
AEMILIUS | Your bidding shall I do effectually. | |
[Exit] | ||
TAMORA | Now will I to that old Andronicus; | |
And temper him with all the art I have, | ||
To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths. | 110 | |
And now, sweet emperor, be blithe again, | ||
And bury all thy fear in my devices. | ||
SATURNINUS | Then go successantly, and plead to him. | |
[Exeunt] |
Titus Andronicus, Act 5, Scene 1