Luci. Sirs stop his mouth, & let him speake no more. Enter Emillius.

Goth. My Lord, there is a Messenger from Rome Desires to be admitted to your presence

Luc. Let him come neere. Welcome Emillius, what the newes from Rome? Emi. Lord Lucius, and you Princes of the Gothes, The Romaine Emperour greetes you all by me, And for he vnderstands you are in Armes, He craues a parly at your Fathers house Willing you to demand your Hostages, And they shall be immediately deliuered

Goth. What saies our Generall? Luc. Emillius, let the Emperour giue his pledges Vnto my Father, and my Vncle Marcus,

Flourish.

And we will come: march away.

Exeunt.

Enter Tamora, and her two Sonnes disguised.

Tam. Thus in this strange and sad Habilliament, I will encounter with Andronicus, And say, I am Reuenge sent from below, To ioyne with him and right his hainous wrongs: Knocke at his study where they say he keepes, To ruminate strange plots of dire Reuenge, Tell him Reuenge is come to ioyne with him, And worke confusion on his Enemies.

They knocke and Titus opens his study dore.

Tit. Who doth mollest my Contemplation? Is it your tricke to make me ope the dore, That so my sad decrees may flie away, And all my studie be to no effect? You are deceiu'd, for what I meane to do, See heere in bloody lines I haue set downe: And what is written shall be executed

Tam. Titus, I am come to talke with thee, Tit. No not a word: how can I grace my talke, Wanting a hand to giue it action, Thou hast the ods of me, therefore no more

Tam. If thou did'st know me, Thou would'st talke with me

Tit. I am not mad, I know thee well enough, Witnesse this wretched stump, Witnesse these crimson lines, Witnesse these Trenches made by griefe and care, Witnesse the tyring day, and heauie night, Witnesse all sorrow, that I know thee well For our proud Empresse, Mighty Tamora: Is not thy comming for my other hand? Tamo. Know thou sad man, I am not Tamora, She is thy Enemie, and I thy Friend, I am Reuenge sent from th' infernall Kingdome, To ease the gnawing Vulture of the mind, By working wreakefull vengeance on my Foes: Come downe and welcome me to this worlds light, Conferre with me of Murder and of Death, Ther's not a hollow Caue or lurking place, No Vast obscurity, or Misty vale, Where bloody Murther or detested Rape, Can couch for feare, but I will finde them out, And in their eares tell them my dreadfull name, Reuenge, which makes the foule offenders quake

Tit. Art thou Reuenge? and art thou sent to me, To be a torment to mine Enemies? Tam. I am, therefore come downe and welcome me

Tit. Doe me some seruice ere I come to thee: Loe by thy side where Rape and Murder stands, Now giue some surance that thou art Reuenge, Stab them, or teare them on thy Chariot wheeles, And then Ile come and be thy Waggoner, And whirle along with thee about the Globes. Prouide thee two proper Palfries, as blacke as Iet, To hale thy vengefull Waggon swift away, And finde out Murder in their guilty cares. And when thy Car is loaden with their heads, I will dismount, and by the Waggon wheele, Trot like a Seruile footeman all day long, Euen from Eptons rising in the East, Vntill his very downefall in the Sea. And day by day Ile do this heauy taske, So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there

Tam. These are my Ministers, and come with me

Tit. Are them thy Ministers, what are they call'd? Tam. Rape and Murder, therefore called so, Cause they take vengeance of such kind of men

William Shakespeare
Classic Literature Library

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