Wind borns. Here a cry of bounds, and wind borns in a peal: then enter Saturninus, Tamora, Baffianus, Lavinia, Chiron, Demetrius, and their Attendants.

Tit. Many good-morrows to your Majesty ;
Madam, to you as many and as good.
I promised your Grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it luftily, my Lords,
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Baf. Lavinia, how say you?
Lav. Why, I fay, no:

I have been broad awake two hours and more.
Sat. Come on then, horfe and chariots let us have,
And to our fport: Madam, now fhall ye fee

Our Roman hunting.

Mar. I have dogs, my Lord,

Will rouze the proudest panther in the chafe,
And climb the highest promontory-top.

Tit. And I have horfe will follow, where the game
Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.
Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horfe nor hound,
But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Enter Aaron alone. Aar. He that had wit, would think that I had none,

To bury fo much gold under a tree,

And never after to inherit it.

Let him that thinks of me so abjectly,
Know that this gold muft coin a stratagem,
Which cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villainy;
And fo repose, sweet gold, for their unreft,
That have their alms out of the Empress' cheft.

Enter Tamora.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'ft thou fad, When every thing doth make a gleeful boaft? The birds chaunt melody on every bush, The fnake lyes rolled in the chearful fun, The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind, And make a chequer'd fhadow on the ground s Under their sweet fhade, Aaron, let us fit, And whilst the babling Echo mocks the hounds,

C 2

Replying

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 noife:
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 counfel-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 ftanding eye,

My filence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls,
Even as an adder when the doth unrowl
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 heaven 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 Baffianus' blood,
Seeft thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the King this fatal-plotted fcroll;
Now question 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 cross with him, and I'll go fetch thy fons To back thy quarrels, whatfoe'er they be.

(Exit.

SCENE V. Enter Baffinus and Lavinia, Baf. Whom have we here? Rome's royal Emprefs? Unfurnish'd of her well-befeeming troops?

Or

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 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 Emperefs,
'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 fhould 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 wand'red hither to an obfcure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul defire had not conducted you?
Lav. And being interrupted in your sport,
Great reason 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 abused!

Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this!

Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

Dem. How now, dear fovereign and our gracious mother, Why does your Highness 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 detefted vale you fee it is.

The trees, tho' fummer, yet forlorn and lean,
Q'ercome with mofs, and baleful miffelto,
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Here

Here never shines 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 snakes,
Ten thousand swelling 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 bitterest 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, [Stabs bim Lav. Ay, come, Semiramis,-nay, barbarous Tamora, For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

Tam. Give me thy poniard; you fhall know, my boys, Your mother's hand fhall right your mother's wrong. Dem. Stay, Madam, here is more belongs to her ; Firft, thrash the corn, then after burn the ftraw: This minion ftood upon her chastity,

Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that painted cope 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 hony you defire,

Let not this wafp out-live, us both to fting.
Chi. I warrant, Madam, we will make that fure ;
Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preferved honefty of yours,

Las.

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 word-
Dem. 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 tiger'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 hadft thy tyranny.

Yet every mother breeds not fons alike;

Do thou intreat her, fhew a woman pity.

Chi. What! would't thou have me prove myself a baftard? 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 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.
Even 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 and ufe her as you will,
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'ft 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 worse-than-killing luft,

And