Bassi. Beleeue me Queene, your swarth Cymerion, Doth make your Honour of his bodies Hue, Spotted, detested, and abhominable. Why are you sequestred from all your traine? Dismounted from your Snow-white goodly Steed, And wandred hither to an obscure plot, Accompanied with a barbarous Moore, If foule desire had not conducted you? Laui. And being intercepted in your sport, Great reason that my Noble Lord, be rated For Saucinesse, I pray you let vs hence, And let her ioy her Rauen coloured loue, This valley fits the purpose passing well

Bassi. The King my Brother shall haue notice of this

Laui. I, for these slips haue made him noted long, Good King, to be so mightily abused

Tamora. Why I haue patience to endure all this? Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

Dem. How now deere Soueraigne And our gracious Mother, Why doth your Highnes looke so pale and wan? Tamo. Haue I not reason thinke you to looke pale. These two haue tic'd me hither to this place, A barren, detested vale you see it is. The Trees though Sommer, yet forlorne and leane, Ore-come with Mosse, and balefull Misselto. Heere neuer shines the Sunne, heere nothing breeds, Vnlesse the nightly Owle, or fatall Rauen: And when they shew'd me this abhorred pit, They told me heere at dead time of the night, A thousand Fiends, a thousand hissing Snakes, Ten thousand swelling Toades, as many Vrchins, Would make such fearefull and confused cries, As any mortall body hearing it, Should straite fall mad, or else die suddenly. No sooner had they told this hellish tale, But strait they told me they would binde me heere, Vnto the body of a dismall yew, And leaue me to this miserable death. And then they call'd me foule Adulteresse, Lasciuious Goth, and all the bitterest tearmes That euer eare did heare to such effect. And had you not by wondrous fortune come, This vengeance on me had they executed: Reuenge it, as you loue your Mothers life, Or be ye not henceforth cal'd my Children

Dem. This is a witnesse that I am thy Sonne.

stab him.

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

Laui. I come Semeramis, nay Barbarous Tamora. For no name fits thy nature but thy owne

Tam. Giue me thy poyniard, you shal know my boyes Your Mothers hand shall right your Mothers wrong

Deme. Stay Madam heere is more belongs to her, First thrash the Corne, then after burne the straw: This Minion stood vpon her chastity, Vpon her Nuptiall vow, her loyaltie. And with that painted hope, braues your Mightinesse, And shall she carry this vnto her graue? Chi. And if she doe, I would I were an Eunuch, Drag hence her husband to some secret hole, And make his dead Trunke-Pillow to our lust

Tamo. But when ye haue the hony we desire, Let not this Waspe out-liue vs both to sting

Chir. I warrant you Madam we will make that sure: Come Mistris, now perforce we will enioy, That nice-preserued honesty of yours

Laui. Oh Tamora, thou bear'st a woman face

Tamo. I will not heare her speake, away with her

Laui. Sweet Lords intreat her heare me but a word

Demet. Listen faire Madam, let it be your glory To see her teares, but be your hart to them, As vnrelenting flint to drops of raine

Laui. When did the Tigers young-ones teach the dam? O doe not learne her wrath, she taught it thee, The milke thou suck'st from her did turne to Marble, Euen at thy Teat thou had'st thy Tyranny, Yet euery Mother breeds not Sonnes alike, Do thou intreat her shew a woman pitty

William Shakespeare
Classic Literature Library

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