And whilft the babling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying fhrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once
Let us fit down and mark their yelling noise :
And after conflict, fuch as was fuppos'd
The wandring Prince and Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy. ftorm they were furpriz'd,
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave;
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
(Our paftimes done) poffefs a golden flumber;
Whilft hounds and horns, and fweet melodious birds
Be unto us, as is a nurfe's fong
Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.
Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your defires,
Saturn is dominator over mine:
What fignifies my deadly-standing eye,
My filence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls,
Even as an adder, when the doth unrowI
To do fome fatal execution?
No, Madam, these are no venereal figns;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand;
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, (the Emprefs of my foul,
Which never hopes more heav'n than refts in thee)
This is the day of doom for Baffianus;
His Philomel muft lofe her tongue to-day;
Thy fons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Bafianus' blood.
Seeft thou this letter, take it up, I pray thee,
And give the King this fatal-plotted fcrowl;
Now queftion me no more, we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dread not yet their lives' deftruction.
Tam. Ah, my fweet Moor, fweeter to me than life.
Aar. No more, great Emprefs, Baffianus comes;
Be crofs with him, and I'll go fetch thy fons
To back thy quarrels, whatfoe'er they be.
Enter Baffianus and Lavinia.
Baf. Whom have we here? Rome's royal Emprefs? Unfurnish'd of her well-befeeming troops ? Or is it Dian, habited like her,
Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To fee the general hunting in this foreft?
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps :
Had I the power, that, fome fay, Dian had,
Thy temples fhould be planted prefently
With horns, as was Acteon's; and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!
Lav. Under your patience, gentle Emprefs,
'Tis thought, you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are fingled forth to try experiments:
Jove fhield your husband from his hounds to-day!
'Tis pity, they should take him for a ftag.
Baf. Believe me, Queen, your fwarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detefted, and abominable.
Why are you fequeftred from all your train ?
Difmounted from your fnow-white goodly fteed,
And wandred hither to an obfcure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul defire had not conducted you?
Lav. And being intercepted in your fport,
Great reafon, that my noble Lord be rated
For faucinefs.I pray you, let us hence.
And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose paffing well.
Baf. The King my brother fhall have note of this. Lav. Ay, for thefe flips have made him noted long. Good King, to be fo mightily abus'd.
Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this?
Enter Chiron and Demetrius.
Dem. How now, dear Sovereign and our gracious mother, Why does your Highnefs look fo pale and wan?
Tam. Have I not reafon, think you, to look pale ?
These two have tic'd 'me hither to this place,
A barren and detefted vale, you fee, it is.
The trees, tho' fummer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with mofs, and baleful miffeltoe.
Here never fhines the fun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl, or fatal rav'n,
And when they fhew'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night,
A thoufand fiends, a thoufand hiffing fnakes,
Ten thousand fwelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make fuch fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,
Should ftraight fall mad, or elfe die fuddenly.
No fooner had they told this hellish tale,
But ftraight they told me, they would bind me here,
Unto the body of a difmal yew;
And leave me to this miferable death:
And then they call'd me foul adulterefs,
Lafcivious Goth, and all the bittereft terms
That ever ear did hear to fuch effect.
And had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed :
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life;
Or be ye not from henceforth call'd my children.
Dem. This is a witnefs that I am thy fon.
[Stabs Baffianus. Chi. And this for me, ftruck home to fhew my ftrength. [Stabbing him likewife. Lav. I, come, Semiramis ;-nay, barbarous Tamera; (7) For no name fits thy nature but thy own.
Tam. Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys,
(7) I come, Semiramis, nay barbarcus Tamora,]
By an Inaccuracy of the Pointing, the Editors have all along made Nonfenfe of this Paffage. But the Poet's Meaning is this; Lavinia, feeing her Husband stabbed by the Queen's two Sons, expects and invites the Queen to ferve her in the fame kind, and put an end to her Miferies. Ay, is very frequently writ, I, in Editions of our Author's Time,
Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong. Dem. Stay, Madam, here is more belongs to her; First, thrash the corn, then after burn the straw: This minion ftood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,
And with that painted hope fhe braves your Mightiness;
And fhall fhe carry this unto her grave?
Chi. An if the do, I would I were an eunuch.
Drag hence her husband to fome fecret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our luft.
Tam. But when you have the honey you defire,
Let not this wafp out-live us both to fting.
Chi. I warrant, Madam, we will make that fure;
Come, miftrefs, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preferved honefty of yours.
Lav. O Tamora, thou bear'ft a woman's face-→→ Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her. Lav. Sweet Lords, intreat her hear me but a wordDem. Liften, fair Madam; let it be your glory To fee her tears; but be your heart to them, As unrelenting flints to drops of rain.
Lav. When did the tyger's young ones teach the dam ? O, do not teach her wrath; fhe taught it thee; 'The milk, thou fuck'dft from her, did turn to marble; Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny."
Yet every mother breeds not fons alike;
Do thou intreat her, fhew a woman pity. [To Chiron.
Ch. What! wouldft thou have me prove myfelf a baftard?
Lav. 'Tis true, the raven doth not hatch the lark:
Yet have I heard, (Oh, could I find it now!)
The lion, mov'd with pity, did endure
To have his princely paws par'd all away.
Some fay, that ravens fofter forlorn children,
The whilft their own birds famith in their nefts:
Oh, be to me, tho' thy hard heart fay, no,
Nothing fo kind, but fomething pitiful.
Tam. I know not what it means: away with her.
Lav. Oh, let me teach thee: for my father's fake,
(That gave thee life, when well he might have flain thee)
Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears,
Tam. Hadit thou in perfon ne'er offended me,
Ev'n for his fake am I now pitilefs :
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To fave your brother from the facrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent:
Therefore away with her, and ufe her as you
The worfe to her, the better lov'd of me.
Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle Queen,
And with thine own hands kill me in this place;
For 'tis not life that I have begg'd fo long;
Poor I was flain, when Baffianus dy'd.
Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, Lav. 'Tis prefent death I beg; and one thing more, That womanhood denies my tongue to tell: O, keep me from their worfe-than-killing luft, And tumble me into fome loath fome pit; Where never man's eye may behold my body: Do this, and be a charitable murderer.
Tam. So fhould I rob my fweet fons of their fee. No; let them fatisfy their luft on thee.
Dem. Away! For thou haft ftaid us here too long. Lav. No grace? no woman-hood? ah beastly creature! The blot and enemy of our general name!
Chi. Nay, then I'll ftop your mouth-bring thou [Dragging of Lavinia. This is the hole, where Aaron bid us hide him. [Exeunt. Tam. Farewel, my fons; fee, that you make her fure. Ne'er let heart know merry chear indeed,
'Till all th' Andronici be made away.
Now will I hence to feek my lovely Moor,
And let my fpleenful fons this trull deflour.
Enter Aaron, with Quintus and Marcus.
Aar. Come on, my Lords, the better foot before; Strait will I bring you to the loathsome pit,
Where I efpied the Panther faft afleep.
Quin. My fight is very dull, whate'er it bodes.
Mar. And nine, I promife you: were't not for fhame,
|