For faucinefs.I pray you, let us hence.
And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose paffing well.

6

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 raven.
And when they fhew'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hiffing fnakes,
Ten thousand fwelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make fuch fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,

Should straight fall mad, or elfe die fuddenly.
No fooner had they told this hellish tale,

But straight 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 bitterest terms

-noted long.] He had yet
been married but one night.
7 Should ftraight fall mad, or
elfe die fuddenly. This is
VOL. VI.

X

faid in fabulous phyfiology of those that hear the groan of the mandrake torn up.

That

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 witness that I am thy fon.

[Stabs Baffianus. Chi. And this for me, ftruck home to fhew my [Stabbing him likewife. Lav. I come, Semiramis ;-nay, barbarous Tamora! For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

strength.

Tam. Give me thy poinard; you fhall know, my boys,

Your mother's hand fhall right your mother's wrong. Dem. Stay, Madam, here is more belongs to her; First, thrash the corn, then after burn the ftraw: This minion ftood upon her chastity,

Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that painted Hope fhe braves your mightinefs;

And shall she 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 honesty of

yours.

Lav. O Tamora, thou bear'ft a woman's faceTam. I will not hear her fpeak. 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'dit from her, did turn to marble; Even at thy teat thou hadft thy tyranny.

Yet every mother breeds not fons alike;

Do thou intreat her fhew a woman pity. [To Chiron. Chi. What! wouldst thou have me prove myself a baftard?

Lev. '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 famifh 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. Hadft thou in perfon ne'er offended me,
Ev'n for his fake am I now pitiless.

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, ufe her as you will;

The worse to her, the better lov'd of me.

Lav. [Laying hold on Tamora.] 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, let

me go.

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 loathfome 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 beaftly crea

ture!

The blot and enemy of our general name!

Confufion fall

Chi. Nay, then I'll ftop your mouth-bring thou

her husband;

[Dragging off Lavinia.

This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

[Exeunt. Tam. Farewel, my fons. See, that you make her

fore.

Ne'er let my heart know merry chear indeed,
"Till all th' Andronici made away.

Now will I hence to feek my lovely Moor,
And let my fpleenful fons this Trull deflour.

[Exit.

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 mine, I promise you; wer't not forfhame,

Well could I leave our fport to fleep awhile.

[Marcus falls into the pit.

Quin. What, art thou fallen? what fubtle hole is this,
Whofe mouth is cover'd with rude-growing briars,
Upon whole leaves are drops of new-fhed blood,
As fresh as morning dew diftill'd on flowers?
A very fatal place it feems to me :

Speak, brother, haft thou hurt thee with the fall?
Mar. O brother, with the difmalleft object
That ever eye, with fight, made heart lament.
Aar. [Afide.] Now will I fetch the King to find them

here;

That he thereby may have a likely guefs,

How these were they, that made away his Brother.

SCENE

[Exit Aaron,

VII.

Mar. Why doft not comfort me, and help me out From this unhallow'd and blood-ftained hole? Quin. I am furprized with an uncouth fear; A chilling fweat o'er-runs my trembling joints; My heart fufpects, more than mine eye can fee. Mer. To prove thou haft a true-divining heart, Aaron and thou, look down into the den, And see a fearful fight of blood and death,

Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compaffionate heart Will not permit my eyes once to behold The thing, whereat it trembles by furmife. O, tell me how it is; for ne'er till now Was I a child, to fear I know not what... Mar. Lord Baffianus lies embrewed here, All on a heap, like to a flaughter'd lamb, In this detefted, dark, blood-drinking pit. Quin. If it be dark, how doft thou know 'tis he? Mar. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear 3 A precious ring, that lightens all the hole,

3 A precious ring,-] There is fuppofed to be a gem called a carbuncle, which emits not re

X 3

flected but native light. Mr. Boyle believes the reality of its existence.

Which,

T