Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred1. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMORA. Sat. Die, frantick wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUs. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Kills SATURNINUS. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans ascend the Steps before TITUS's House. Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Rome, By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts, O, let me teach you how to knit again This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf, These broken limbs again into one body. Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself; But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, Speak, Rome's dear friend; [To LUCIUS.] as erst our ancestor, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse The story of that baleful burning night, When subtle Greeks surpris'd King Priam's Troy; Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears, 4 The additions made by Ravenscroft to this scene are much of a piece with it: Thus cramm'd, thou'rt bravely fatten'd up for hell, And thus to Pluto I do serve thee up.' [Stabs the Empress. And then A curtain drawn discovers the heads and hands of Demetrius and Chiron hanging up against the wall; their bodies in chairs in bloody linen.' Or who hath brought the fatal engine in, That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound.- But floods of tears will drown my oratory, Here is a captain, let him tell the tale ; Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded; Our father's tears despis'd; and basely cozen'd 5 Of that true hand, that fought Rome's quarrel out, And sent her enemies unto the grave. Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out, 5 i. e. and he basely cozen'd.' Of this was Tamora delivered; The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes; Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true. Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein, Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, LUCIUS, &c. descend. Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house; [To an Attendant. And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering death, As punishment for his most wicked life. Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's gracious governor! Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern so, To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! But, gentle people, give me aim awhile, i. e. we the poor remainder, &c. will cast us down. For nature puts me to a heavy task ;- Mar. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, O, were the sum of these that I should pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them! Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee well: Shed yet some small drops from thy tender spring, Friends should associate friends in grief and woe: Would I were dead, so you did live again!- Enter Attendants, with AARON. 1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes; Give sentence on this execrable wretch, That hath been breeder of these dire events. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him ; There let him stand, and rave and cry for food: If any one relieves or pities him, For the offence he dies. This is our doom: I do repent it from my very soul. Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence, And give him burial in his father's grave: My father, and Lavinia, shall forthwith No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds, But throw her forth to beasts, and birds of prey: [Exeunt. 7 That justice and cookery may go hand in hand to the conclusion of the play, in Ravenscroft's alteration of it, Aaron is at once racked and roasted on the stage. ALL the editors and criticks agree in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the colour of the style is wholly different from that of the other plays, and there is an attempt at regular versification, and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacles, and the general massacre which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience, yet we are told by Jonson that they were not only borne but praised. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald declares it incontestable, I see no reason for believing. JOHNSON. |