TAMORA.
Well hast thou lessoned us; this shall we do.
But would it please thee, good Andronicus,
To send for Lucius, thy thrice-valiant son,
Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike Goths,
And bid him come and banquet at thy house?
When he is here, even at thy solemn feast,
I will bring in the empress and her sons,
The emperor himself, and all thy foes,
And at thy mercy shall they stoop and kneel,
And on them shalt thou ease thy angry heart.
What says Andronicus to this device?
TITUS.
Marcus, my brother, ’tis sad Titus calls.
Enter Marcus.
Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius;
Thou shalt inquire him out among the Goths.
Bid him repair to me and bring with him
Some of the chiefest princes of the Goths;
Bid him encamp his soldiers where they are.
Tell him the emperor and the empress too
Feast at my house, and he shall feast with them.
This do thou for my love; and so let him,
As he regards his aged father’s life.
MARCUS.
This will I do, and soon return again.
[Exit.]
TAMORA.
Now will I hence about thy business,
And take my ministers along with me.
TITUS.
Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me,
Or else I’ll call my brother back again
And cleave to no revenge but Lucius.
TAMORA.
[Aside to them.] What say you, boys? Will you abide with him,
Whiles I go tell my lord the emperor
How I have governed our determined jest?
Yield to his humour, smooth and speak him fair,
And tarry with him till I come again.
TITUS.
[Aside.] I knew them all, though they suppose me mad,
And will o’erreach them in their own devices,
A pair of cursed hell-hounds and their dam.