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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 henceforth call’d my children.

       DEMETRIUS.

       This is a witness that I am thy son.

       [Stabs BASSIANUS.]

       CHIRON.

       And this for me, struck home to show my strength.

       [Also stabs BASSIANUS, who dies.]

       LAVINIA.

       Ay, come, Semiramis,—nay, barbarous Tamora,

       For no name fits thy nature but thy own!

       TAMORA.

       Give me thy poniard;—you shall know, my boys,

       Your mother’s hand shall right your mother’s wrong.

       DEMETRIUS.

       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 braves your mightiness:

       And shall she carry this unto her grave?

       CHIRON.

       An 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.

       TAMORA.

       But when ye have the honey we desire,

       Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting.

       CHIRON.

       I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.—

       Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy

       That nice-preserved honesty of yours.

       LAVINIA.

       O Tamora! thou bear’st a woman’s face,—

       TAMORA.

       I will not hear her speak; away with her!

       LAVINIA.

       Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word.

       DEMETRIUS.

       Listen, fair madam: let it be your glory

       To see her tears; but be your heart to them

       As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.

       LAVINIA.

       When did the tiger’s young ones teach the dam?

       O, do not learn 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:

       [To CHIRON.] Do thou entreat her show a woman’s pity.

       CHIRON.

       What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard?

       LAVINIA.

       ‘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:

       O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no,

       Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!

       TAMORA.

       I know not what it means:—away with her!

       LAVINIA.

       O, 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.

       TAMORA.

       Hadst thou in person ne’er offended me,

       Even for his sake am I 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.

       LAVINIA.

       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 died.

       TAMORA.

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

       LAVINIA.

       ‘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 loathsome pit,

       Where never man’s eye may behold my body:

       Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

       TAMORA.

       So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee:

       No, let them satisfy their lust on thee.

       DEMETRIUS.

       Away! for thou hast stay’d us here too long.

       LAVINIA.

       No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature!

       The blot and enemy to our general name!

       Confusion fall,—

       CHIRON.

       Nay, then I’ll stop your mouth:—bring thou her husband.

       This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

       [DEMETRIUS throws BASSIANUS’S body into the pit; then exit with

       CHIRON, dragging off LAVINIA.]

       TAMORA.

       Farewell, my sons: see that you make her sure:—

       Ne’er let my heart know merry cheer indeed

       Till all the Andronici be made away.

       Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,

       And let my spleenful sons this trull deflower.

       [Exit.]

       [Re-enter AARON, with QUINTUS and MARTIUS.]

       AARON.

       Come on, my lords, the better foot before:

       Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit

       Where I espied the panther fast asleep.

       QUINTUS.

       My sight is very dull, whate’er it bodes.

      

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