Dem. And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone. Woe to her chance, and damn'd her loathed choice! Accurs'd the offspring of so foul a fiend! Chi. It shall not live. Aar. It shall not die. Nur. Aaron, it must; the mother wills it so. Aar. What, must it, nurse? then let no man, but I, Do execution on my flesh and blood. Dem. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point: Nurse, give it me; my sword shall soon despatch it. Aar. Sooner this sword shall plough thy bowels up. [Takes the Child from the Nurse, and draws. Stay, murderous villains! will you kill your brother? Now, by the burning tapers of the sky, That shone so brightly when this boy was got, He dies upon my scymitar's sharp point, That touches this my first-born son and heir! I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus, With all his threat'ning band of Typhon's brood, Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. In that it scorns to bear another hue : For all the water in the ocean Can never turn a swan's black legs to white, To keep mine own; excuse it how she can. Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus ? Aar. My mistress is my mistress; this, myself; The vigour, and the picture of my youth: This, before all the world, do I prefer; Aar. Why there's the privilege your beauty bears: Nay, he's your brother by the surer side, Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress? Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. Dem. How many women saw this child of his ? The chafed boar, the mountain lioness, But, say again how many saw the child? Aar. The emperess, the midwife, and yourself: Two may keep counsel when the third's away: Go to the empress; tell her this I said : [Stabbing her. Weke, weke !-so cries a pig, prepared to the spit. Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore did'st thou this? Aar. O lord, sir, 'tis a deed of policy: Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, And let the emperor dandle him for his own. Hark ye, lords; ye see that I have given her physic, [Pointing to the Nurse. And you must needs bestow her funeral; The fields are near, and you are galiant grooms: Chi. Aaron, I see thou wilt not trust the air With secrets. Dem. For this care of Tamora, Herself, and hers, are highly bound to thee. [Exeunt DEM. and CHI. bearing off the Nurse. I'll make you feed on berries, and on roots, To be a warrior, and command a camp. [Exit. SCENE III.-The same. A Publick Place. Enter TITUS, bearing Arrows, with Letters at the ends of them; with him MARCUS, young LUCIUS, and other Gentlemen, with Bows. Tit. Come, Marcus, come ;-Kinsmen, this is the way : Sir boy, now let me see your archery; Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight: Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. And pierce the inmost centre of the earth : To see thy noble uncle thus distract? Pub. Therefore, my lord, it highly us concerns, 'Till time beget some careful remedy. Mar. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. Tit. Publius, how now? how now, my masters? What, have you met with her? Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word, If you will have revenge from hell, you shall: Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd, He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, So that perforce you must needs stay a time. Tit. He doth me wrong, to feed me with delays. I'll dive into the burning lake below, And pull her out of Acheron by the heels. |