LUCIUS. Then, gracious auditory, be it known to you That Chiron and the d.a.m.n"d Demetrius Were they that murd"red our Emperor"s brother; And they it were that ravished our sister.
For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded, Our father"s tears despis"d, and basely cozen"d Of that true hand that fought Rome"s quarrel out And sent her enemies unto the grave.
Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turn"d weeping out, To beg relief among Rome"s enemies; Who drown"d their enmity in my true tears, And op"d their arms to embrace me as a friend.
I am the turned forth, be it known to you, That have preserv"d her welfare in my blood And from her bosom took the enemy"s point, Sheathing the steel in my advent"rous body.
Alas! you know I am no vaunter, I; My scars can witness, dumb although they are, That my report is just and full of truth.
But, soft! methinks I do digress too much, Citing my worthless praise. O, pardon me!
For when no friends are by, men praise themselves.
MARCUS. Now is my turn to speak. Behold the child.
[Pointing to the CHILD in an attendant"s arms]
Of this was Tamora delivered, The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes.
The villain is alive in t.i.tus" house, d.a.m.n"d as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge what cause had t.i.tus to revenge These wrongs unspeakable, past patience, Or more than any living man could bear.
Now have you heard the truth: what say you, Romans?
Have we done aught amiss, show us wherein, And, from the place where you behold us pleading, The poor remainder of Andronici Will, hand in hand, all headlong hurl ourselves, And on the ragged stones beat forth our souls, And make a mutual closure of our house.
Speak, Romans, speak; and if you say we shall, Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.
AEMILIUS. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, And bring our Emperor gently in thy hand, Lucius our Emperor; for well I know The common voice do cry it shall be so.
ALL. Lucius, all hail, Rome"s royal Emperor!
MARCUS. Go, go into old t.i.tus" sorrowful house, And hither hale that misbelieving Moor To be adjudg"d some direful slaught"ring death, As punishment for his most wicked life. Exeunt some attendants. LUCIUS, MARCUS, and the others descend ALL. Lucius, all hail, Rome"s gracious governor!
LUCIUS. Thanks, gentle Romans! May I govern so To heal Rome"s harms and wipe away her woe!
But, gentle people, give me aim awhile, For nature puts me to a heavy task.
Stand all aloof; but, uncle, draw you near To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk.
O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips. [Kisses t.i.tUS]
These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain"d face, The last true duties of thy n.o.ble son!
MARCUS. Tear for tear and loving kiss for kiss Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips.
O, were the sum of these that I should pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!
LUCIUS. Come hither, boy; come, come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers. Thy grandsire lov"d thee well; Many a time he danc"d thee on his knee, Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow; Many a story hath he told to thee, And bid thee bear his pretty tales in mind And talk of them when he was dead and gone.
MARCUS. How many thousand times hath these poor lips, When they were living, warm"d themselves on thine!
O, now, sweet boy, give them their latest kiss!
Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave; Do them that kindness, and take leave of them.
BOY. O grandsire, grandsire! ev"n with all my heart Would I were dead, so you did live again!
O Lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping; My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth.
Re-enter attendants with AARON
A ROMAN. You sad Andronici, have done with woes; Give sentence on the execrable wretch That hath been breeder of these dire events.
LUCIUS. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him; There let him stand and rave and cry for food.
If any one relieves or pities him, For the offence he dies. This is our doom.
Some stay to see him fast"ned in the earth.
AARON. Ah, why should wrath be mute and fury dumb?
I am no baby, I, that with base prayers I should repent the evils I have done; Ten thousand worse than ever yet I did Would I perform, if I might have my will.
If one good deed in all my life I did, I do repent it from my very soul.
LUCIUS. Some loving friends convey the Emperor hence, And give him burial in his father"s grave.
My father and Lavinia shall forthwith Be closed in our household"s monument.
As for that ravenous tiger, Tamora, No funeral rite, nor man in mourning weed, No mournful bell shall ring her burial; But throw her forth to beasts and birds to prey.
Her life was beastly and devoid of pity, And being dead, let birds on her take pity. Exeunt
THE END
> 1602
THE HISTORY OF TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
by William Shakespeare
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
PRIAM, King of Troy
His sons: HECTOR TROILUS PARIS DEIPHOBUS HELENUS
MARGARELON, a b.a.s.t.a.r.d son of Priam
Trojan commanders: AENEAS ANTENOR
CALCHAS, a Trojan priest, taking part with the Greeks PANDARUS, uncle to Cressida AGAMEMNON, the Greek general MENELAUS, his brother
Greek commanders: ACHILLES AJAX ULYSSES NESTOR DIOMEDES PATROCLUS
THERSITES, a deformed and scurrilous Greek ALEXANDER, servant to Cressida SERVANT to Troilus SERVANT to Paris SERVANT to Diomedes
HELEN, wife to Menelaus ANDROMACHE, wife to Hector Ca.s.sANDRA, daughter to Priam, a prophetess CRESSIDA, daughter to Calchas
Trojan and Greek Soldiers, and Attendants
SCENE: Troy and the Greek camp before it
PROLOGUE TROILUS AND CRESSIDA PROLOGUE
In Troy, there lies the scene. From isles of Greece The princes orgillous, their high blood chaf"d, Have to the port of Athens sent their ships Fraught with the ministers and instruments Of cruel war. Sixty and nine that wore Their crownets regal from th" Athenian bay Put forth toward Phrygia; and their vow is made To ransack Troy, within whose strong immures The ravish"d Helen, Menelaus" queen, With wanton Paris sleeps-and that"s the quarrel.
To Tenedos they come, And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge Their war-like fraughtage. Now on Dardan plains The fresh and yet unbruised Greeks do pitch Their brave pavilions: Priam"s six-gated city, Dardan, and Tymbria, Helias, Chetas, Troien, And Antenorides, with ma.s.sy staples And corresponsive and fulfilling bolts, Sperr up the sons of Troy.
Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits On one and other side, Troyan and Greek, Sets all on hazard-and hither am I come A Prologue arm"d, but not in confidence Of author"s pen or actor"s voice, but suited In like conditions as our argument, To tell you, fair beholders, that our play Leaps o"er the vaunt and firstlings of those broils, Beginning in the middle; starting thence away, To what may be digested in a play.
Like or find fault; do as your pleasures are; Now good or bad, "tis but the chance of war.
> ACT I. SCENE 1.