And, for he understands you are in arms, Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges Unto my father and my uncle Marcus, And we will come.—March away 13. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rome. Before Titus's House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and DEMETRIUS, guised. dis Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, I will encounter with Andronicus; And say, I am Revenge, sent from below, Enter TITUS, above. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation? Tam. Titus, I come to talk with thee. Tit. No; not a word: How can I grace my talk, Wanting a hand to give it action? Thou hast the odds of me, therefore no more. 13. Perhaps this is a stage direction crept into the text. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou would'st talk with me. Tit. I am not mad; I know thee well enough: Witness this wretched stump, witness these crimson lines; Witness these trenches, made by grief and care; Tam. Know thou, sad man, I am not Tamora; She is thy enemy, and I thy friend : I am Revenge; sent from the infernal kingdom, Where bloody murder, or detested rape, Tam. I am; therefore come down, and welcome me. I will dismount, and by the waggon wheel And day by day I'll do this heavy task, 2 1 Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me. Tit. Are them thy ministers? what are they call'd? Tam. Rapine, and Murder; therefore call'd so, 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men. Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they are! And you the empress! But we worldly men O sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee: [Exit TITUS, from above. 1 Rape and rapine appear to have been sometimes used anciently as synonymous terms. Gower De Confessione Amantis, lib. v. ver. 116, uses ravyne in the same sense : 'For if thou be of suche covine To get of love by ravyne, Thy love,' &c. 2 Similar violations of syntax, according to modern notions, are not unfrequent in our elder writers. Thus Hobbes in his History of the Civil Wars: If the king give us leave, you or I may as lawfully preach as them that do.' To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Enter TITUS. Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee: Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house; Rapine, and Murder, you are welcome too :— How like the empress and her sons you are! Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor:Could not all hell afford you such a devil?For, well I wot, the empress never wags, But in her company there is a Moor; And, would you represent our queen aright, It were convenient you had such a devil: But welcome, as you are. What shall we do? Tam. What would'st thou have us do, Andro nicus? Dem. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with him. Chi. Show me a villain, that hath done a rape, And I am sent to be reveng'd on him. Tam. Show me a thousand, that hath done thee wrong, And I will be revenged on them all. Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome; And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself, Good Rapine, stab him; he is a ravisher.— Well may'st thou know her by thy own proportion, I pray thee, do on them some violent death, Tam. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall we do. But would it please thee, good Andronicus, To send for Lucius, thy thrice valiant son, Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike Goths, Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls. Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius; Mar. This will I do, and soon return again. [Exit. Tam. Now will I hence about thy business, And take my ministers along with me. Tit. Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me; Or else I'll call my brother back again, And cleave to no revenge but Lucius. Tam. What say you, boys? will you abide with him, Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor, How I have govern'd our determin'd jest? And tarry with him, till I come again. [Aside. |