Shakespeare's First Folio Part 483

Aron. To atcheiue her, how?

Deme. Why, mak'st thou it so strange?

Shee is a woman, therefore may be woo'd, Shee is a woman, therfore may be wonne, Shee is Lauinia therefore must be lou'd.

What man, more water glideth by the Mill Then wots the Miller of, and easie it is Of a cut loafe to steale a s.h.i.+ue we know: Though Ba.s.sia.n.u.s be the Emperours brother, Better then he haue worne Vulcans badge

Aron. I, and as good as Saturninus may

Deme. Then why should he dispaire that knowes to court it With words, faire lookes, and liberality: What hast not thou full often strucke a Doe, And borne her cleanly by the Keepers nose?

Aron. Why then it seemes some certaine s.n.a.t.c.h or so Would serue your turnes

Chi. I so the turne were serued

Deme. Aaron thou hast hit it

Aron. Would you had hit it too, Then should not we be tir'd with this adoo: Why harke yee, harke yee, and are you such fooles, To square for this? Would it offend you then?

Chi. Faith not me

Deme. Nor me, so I were one

Aron. For shame be friends, & ioyne for that you iar: 'Tis pollicie, and stratageme must doe That you affect, and so must you resolue, That what you cannot as you would atcheiue, You must perforce accomplish as you may: Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chast Then this Lauinia, Ba.s.sia.n.u.s loue, A speedier course this lingring languishment Must we pursue, and I haue found the path: My Lords, a solemne hunting is in hand.

There will the louely Roman Ladies troope: The Forrest walkes are wide and s.p.a.cious, And many vnfrequented plots there are, Fitted by kinde for rape and villanie: Single you thither then this dainty Doe, And strike her home by force, if not by words: This way or not at all, stand you in hope.

Come, come, our Empresse with her sacred wit To villainie and vengance consecrate, Will we acquaint with all that we intend, And she shall file our engines with aduise, That will not suffer you to square your selues, But to your wishes height aduance you both.

The Emperours Court is like the house of Fame, The pallace full of tongues, of eyes, of eares: The Woods are ruthlesse, dreadfull, deafe, and dull: There speake, and strike braue Boyes, & take your turnes.

There serue your l.u.s.ts, shadow'd from heauens eye, And reuell in Lauinia's Treasurie

Chi. Thy counsell Lad smells of no cowardise

Deme. Sit fas aut nefas, till I finde the streames, To coole this heat, a Charme to calme their fits, Per Stigia per manes Vehor.

Exeunt.

Enter t.i.tus Andronicus and his three sonnes, making a noyse with hounds and hornes, and Marcus.

t.i.t. The hunt is vp, the morne is bright and gray, The fields are fragrant, and the Woods are greene, Vncouple heere, and let vs make a bay, And wake the Emperour, and his louely Bride, And rouze the Prince, and ring a hunters peale, That all the Court may eccho with the noyse.

Sonnes let it be your charge, as it is ours, To attend the Emperours person carefully: I haue bene troubled in my sleepe this night, But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

Winde Hornes.

Heere a cry of houndes, and winde hornes in a peale, then Enter Saturninus, Tamora, Ba.s.sia.n.u.s, Lauinia, Chiron, Demetrius, and their Attendants.

Ti. Many good morrowes to your Maiestie, Madam to you as many and as good.

I promised your Grace, a Hunters peale

Satur. And you haue rung it l.u.s.tily my Lords, Somewhat to earely for new married Ladies

Ba.s.s. Lauinia, how say you?

Laui. I say no: I haue bene awake two houres and more

Satur. Come on then, horse and Chariots let vs haue, And to our sport: Madam, now shall ye see, Our Romaine hunting

Mar. I haue dogges my Lord, Will rouze the proudest Panther in the Chase, And clime the highest Promontary top

t.i.t. And I haue horse will follow where the game Makes way, and runnes likes Swallowes ore the plaine Deme. Chiron we hunt not we, with Horse nor Hound But hope to plucke a dainty Doe to ground.

Exeunt.

Enter Aaron alone.

Aron. He that had wit, would thinke that I had none, To bury so much Gold vnder a Tree, And neuer after to inherit it.

Let him that thinks of me so abiectly, Know that this Gold must coine a Stratageme, Which cunningly effected, will beget A very excellent peece of villany; And so repose sweet Gold for their vnrest, That haue their Almes out of the Empresse Chest.

Enter Tamora to the Moore.

Tamo. My louely Aaron, Wherefore look'st thou sad, When euery thing doth make a Gleefull boast?

The Birds chaunt melody on euery bush, The Snake lies rolled in the chearefull Sunne, The greene leaues quiuer, with the cooling winde, And make a cheker'd shadow on the ground: Vnder their sweete shade, Aaron let vs sit, And whil'st the babling Eccho mock's the Hounds, Replying shrilly to the well tun'd-Hornes, As if a double hunt were heard at once, Let vs sit downe, and marke their yelping noyse: And after conflict, such as was suppos'd.

The wandring Prince and Dido once enioy'd, When with a happy storme they were surpris'd, And Curtain'd with a Counsaile-keeping Caue, We may each wreathed in the others armes, (Our pastimes done) possesse a Golden slumber, Whiles Hounds and Hornes, and sweet Melodious Birds Be vnto vs, as is a Nurses Song Of Lullabie, to bring her Babe asleepe

Aron. Madame, Though Venus gouerne your desires, Saturne is Dominator ouer mine: What signifies my deadly standing eye, My silence, and my Cloudy Melancholie, My fleece of Woolly haire, that now vncurles, Euen as an Adder when she doth vnrowle To do some fatall execution?

No Madam, these are no Veneriall signes, Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, Blood, and reuenge, are Hammering in my head.

Harke Tamora, the Empresse of my Soule, Which neuer hopes more heauen, then rests in thee, This is the day of Doome for Ba.s.sia.n.u.s; His Philomel must loose her tongue to day, Thy Sonnes make Pillage of her Chast.i.ty, And wash their hands in Ba.s.sia.n.u.s blood.

Seest thou this Letter, take it vp I pray thee, And giue the King this fatall plotted Scrowle, Now question me no more, we are espied, Heere comes a parcell of our hopefull Booty, Which dreads not yet their liues destruction.

Enter Ba.s.sia.n.u.s and Lauinia.

Tamo. Ah my sweet Moore: Sweeter to me then life

Aron. No more great Empresse, Ba.s.sia.n.u.s comes, Be crosse with him, and Ile goe fetch thy Sonnes To backe thy quarrell what so ere they be

Ba.s.si. Whom haue we heere?

Romes Royall Empresse, Vnfurnisht of our well beseeming troope?

Or is it Dian habited like her, Who hath abandoned her holy Groues, To see the generall Hunting in this Forrest?

Tamo. Sawcie controuler of our priuate steps: Had I the power, that some say Dian had, Thy Temples should be planted presently.

With Hornes, as was Acteons, and the Hounds Should driue vpon his new transformed limbes, Vnmannerly Intruder as thou art

Laui. Vnder your patience gentle Empresse, 'Tis thought you haue a goodly gift in Horning, And to be doubted, that your Moore and you Are singled forth to try experiments: Ioue sheild your husband from his Hounds to day, 'Tis pitty they should take him for a Stag

Ba.s.si. Beleeue me Queene, your swarth Cymerion, Doth make your Honour of his bodies Hue, Spotted, detested, and abhominable.

Why are you sequestred from all your traine?

Dismounted from your Snow-white goodly Steed, And wandred hither to an obscure plot, Accompanied with a barbarous Moore, If foule desire had not conducted you?

Laui. And being intercepted in your sport, Great reason that my n.o.ble Lord, be rated For Saucinesse, I pray you let vs hence, And let her ioy her Rauen coloured loue, This valley fits the purpose pa.s.sing well

Ba.s.si. The King my Brother shall haue notice of this

Laui. I, for these slips haue made him noted long, Good King, to be so mightily abused

Tamora. Why I haue patience to endure all this?

Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

Dem. How now deere Soueraigne And our gracious Mother, Why doth your Highnes looke so pale and wan?

Tamo. Haue I not reason thinke you to looke pale.

These two haue tic'd me hither to this place, A barren, detested vale you see it is.