Bas.
Whom have we here? Rome's royal Emperess!
Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troops?
Or is it Dian habited like her,
Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To see the general hunting in this forest?

Tam.
Sawcy controller of our private steps:
Had I the power that some say Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently
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 Emperess,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments:
Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day,
'Tis pity they should take him for a stag.

Bas.
Believe me, Queen, your swarth Cymmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested and abominable.
Why are you sequestred from all your train?
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wandred hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?

Lav.
And being interrupted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness. I pray you let us hence,

And let her joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose passing well.

Bas.
The King my brother shall have note of this.

Lav.
Ay, for these slips have made him noted long.
Good King, to be so mightily abused.

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 highness look so pale and wan?

*Tam.
Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?
These two have tic'd me hither to this place,
A barren and detested vale you see it is.
The trees, tho' summer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with moss, and baleful misselto.
Here never shines the sun, here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven.
And when they shew'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make such fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body hearing it,
Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale,
But straight they told me they would bind me here,
Unto the body of a dismal yew,
And leave me to this miserable death.
And then they call'd me foul adulteress,
Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms
That ever ear did hear to such 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 son. Stabs Bas.

Chi.
And this for me, struck home to shew my strength.

Lav.
I come, Semiramis, nay barbarous Tamora,
For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

Tam.
Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys,
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 stood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,
And with that painted hope she braves your mightiness;
And shall she carry this unto her grave?

Chi.
And if she do, I would I were an eunuch.
Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust.

Tam.
But when you have the honey you desire,
Let not this wasp out-live us both to sting.

Chi.
I warrant, Madam, we will make that sure;
Come mistress, now peforce we will enjoy
That nice-preserved honesty of yours.

Lav.
O Tamora, thou bear'st a woman's face—

Tam.
I will not hear her speak; away with her.

Lav.
Sweet lords, intreat her hear me but a word—

Dem.
Listen, fair Madam, let it be your glory
To see 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, she taught it thee.
The milk thou suck'dst from her did turn to marble;
Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike;

Do thou intreat her, shew a woman pity.

Chi.
What! would'st thou have me prove my self a bastard?

Lav.
'Tis true, the raven doth not hatch a lark:
Yet have I heard, (O could I find it now)
The lion, mov'd with pity, did endure
To have his princely paws par'd all away.
Some say, that ravens foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests:
Oh be to me, tho' thy hard heart say no,
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful.

Tam.
I know not what it means; away with her.

Lav.
Oh let me teach thee for my father's sake,
(That gave thee life, when well he might have slain thee)
Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

Tam.
Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I now pitiless:
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To save your brother from the sacrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent:
Therefore away with her, and use her as you will,
The worse 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 so long;
Poor I was slain when Bassianus dy'd.

Tam.
What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go.

Lav.
'Tis present death I beg, and one thing more,
That womanhood denies my tongue to tell:
O keep me from their worse-than-killing lust,
And tumble me into some loathsom pit,
Where never man's eye may behold my body:
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

Tam.
So should I rob my sweet sons of their see.

No; let them satisfie their lust on thee.

Dem.
Away. For thou hast staid us here too long.

Lav.
No grace? no woman-hood? ah beastly creature,
The blot and enemy of our general name;
Confusion fall—

Chi.
Nay, then I'll stop your mouth—bring thou her husband: [Dragging off Lavinia.
This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. [Exeunt.

Tam.
Farewel, my sons; see that ye make her sure.
Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed,
'Till all th' Andronici be made away.
Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,
And let my spleenful sons this trull deflour. [Exit.

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