Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us 160
To melt in showers: thy grandsire loved thee well:
Many a time he danced thee on his knee,
Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;
Many a matter hath he told to thee,
Meet and agreeing with thine infancy;[4875] 165
In that respect then, like a loving child,
Shed yet some small drops from thy tender spring,
Because kind nature doth require it so:
Friends should associate friends in grief and woe:
Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave; 170
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.[4876]
Boy. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all my heart[4877]
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. 175
Re-enter Attendants with Aaron.[4878]
A Roman. You sad Andronici, have done with woes:[4879]
Give sentence on this execrable wretch
That hath been breeder of these dire events.
Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him;
There let him stand and rave and cry for food: 180
If any one relieves or pities him,
For the offence he dies. This is our doom:
Some stay to see him fasten'd in the earth.
Aar. O, why should wrath be mute, and fury dumb?[4880]
I am no baby, I, that with base prayers 185
I should repent the evils I have done:[4881]
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. 190
Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence,[4882]
And give him burial in his father's grave:[4883]
My father and Lavinia shall forthwith
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that heinous tiger, Tamora,[4884] 195
No funeral rite, nor man in mourning weeds,[4885]
No mournful bell shall ring her burial;[4886]
But throw her forth to beasts and birds of prey:[4887]
Her life was beastly and devoid of pity,[4888]
And, being so, shall have like want of pity.[4889] 200
See justice done on Aaron, that damn'd Moor,[4890]
By whom our heavy haps had their beginning:[4891]
Then, afterwards, to order well the state,[4892]
That like events may ne'er it ruinate. [Exeunt.[4893]
FOOTNOTES:
[4677] Act v. Scene i.] Rowe. Actus Quintus. Ff. om. Qq.