Mar. Stand by me, Lucius, do not fear thy aunt. Mar. What means my niece Lavinia by thefe figns? Can't thou not guess wherefore the plies thee thus? Ran mad through forrow; that made me to fear, I will most willingly attend your Ladyship. Mar. Lucius, I will. Tit. How now, Lavinia? Marcus, what means this? Some book there is that fhe defires to fee. Which is it, girl, of these? open them, boy. Why lifts the up her arms in fequence thus? Mar. I think the means that there was more than one Confederate in the fact. Ay, more there was: Or else to heav'n fhe heaves them, for revenge. Tit. Lucius, what book is that the toffes fo? VO L. V. E e Boy. Boy. Grandfire, 'tis Ovid's Metamorphofes ; My mother gave it me. Mar. For love of her that's gone, Perhaps the cull'd it from among the reft. Tit. Soft! fee how bufily fhe turns the leaves ! Help her what would fhe find? Lavinia, fhall I read? This is the tragick tale of Philomel, And treats of Tercus' treafon and his rape; And rape, I fear, was root of thine annoy. Mar. See, brother, fee, note how the quotes the leaves. Tit. Lavinia, wert thou thus furpriz'd, fweet girl, Ravish'd and wrong'd, as Philomela was, Forc'd in the ruthlefs, vaft, and gloomy woods? Ay, fuch a place there is, where we did hunt, Mar. O why fhould nature build fo foul a den, Tit. Give figns, fweet girl, for here are none but friends, What Roman Lord it was durft do the deed; Or flunk not Saturnine as Tarquin erst, That left the camp to fin in Lucrece bed? Mar. Sit down, fweet niece; brother, fit down by me. Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury, Infpire me, that I may this treafon find. My Lord, look here; look here, Lavinia. [He writes his name with his staff, and guides it with This fandy plot is plain; guide, if thou can'ft, Without the help of any hand at all. Curft be that heart that forc'd us to this fhift! That That we may know the traitors, and the truth! [She takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it with ber ftumps, and writes. Tit. Oh do you read, my Lord, what he hath writ? Stuprum, Chiron, Demetrius. Mar. What, what! the luftful fons of Tamora, Mar. Oh calm thee, gentle Lord; although I know There is enough written upon this earth, To ftir a mutiny in the mildeft thoughts, And arm the minds of infants to exclaims. 4 Magni... old edit. Theob. emend. Mar. Mar. Ay, that's my boy! thy father hath full oft Come, come, thou'lt do my meffage, wilt thou not? Ay, marry will we, Sir, and we'll be waited on. [Exeunt. Marcus, attend him in his ecftafie, That hath more fcars of forrow in his heart Than foe-mens marks upon his batter'd shield, SCENE II. The Palace. [Exit. Enter Aaron, Chiron, and Demetrius at one door: and at another door young Lucius and another, with a bundle of weapons and verfes writ upon them. Chi. Demetrius, here's the son of Lucius, He hath fome meffage to deliver us. Aar. Ay, fome mad meffage from his mad grandfather. Boy. My Lords, with all the humbleness I may, I greet your Honours from Andronicus, And pray the Roman Gods confound you both. Dem. Gramercy, lovely Lucius, what's the news? Boy. That you are both decypher'd (that's the news) For For villains mark'd with rape. May it please you, My grandfire well advis'd hath fent by me Your Lordships, that whenever you have need, And so I leave you both, like bloody villians. [Exit. Dem. What's here, a fcrowl, and written round about? Let's fee. Integer vita fcelerifque purus, Non eget Mauri jaculis nec arcu. Chi. O'tis a verfe in Horace, I know it well: I read it in the Grammar long ago. Aar. Ay juft, a verfe in Horace-right, you have itNow what a thing it is to be an afs? Here's no 'fond jeft, th' old man hath found their guilt, She would applaud Andronicus' conceit: And now, young Lords, was't not a happy star Aar. Had he not reafon, Lord Demetrius? At fuch a bay, by turn to ferve our luft. Aar. Here lacketh but your mother to fay Amen. Ee 3 Dem. 8 found |