Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam?[4222]
O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee;[4223]
The milk thou suck'dst from her did turn to marble;[4224]
Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.[4225] 145
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike:
[To Chiron] Do thou entreat her show a woman pity.[4226]
Chi. What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard?[4227]
Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark:[4227][4228]
Yet have I heard,—O, could I find it now!— 150
The lion, moved with pity, did endure
To have his princely paws pared all away:[4229]
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests:
O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no, 155
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!
Tam. I know not what it means: away with her!
Lav. O, let me teach thee! for my father's sake,
That gave thee life, when well he might have slain thee,
Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.[4230] 160
Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me,
Even for his sake am I pitiless.[4231]
Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain,
To save your brother from the sacrifice;
But fierce Andronicus would not relent: 165
Therefore, away with her, and use her as you will;[4232]
The worse to her, the better loved of me.
Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen,[4233]
And with thine own hands kill me in this place!
For 'tis not life that I have begg'd so long; 170
Poor I was slain when Bassianus died.[4234]
Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go.[4235]
Lav. Tis present death I beg; and one thing more
That womanhood denies my tongue to tell:
O, keep me from their worse than killing lust, 175
And tumble me into some loathsome pit,
Where never man's eye may behold my body:
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.
Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee:
No, let them satisfy their lust on thee. 180