I'll find a day to massacre them all
	And raze their faction and their family,
	The cruel father and his traitorous sons,
	To whom I sued for my dear son's life,
	And make them know what 'tis to let a queen
	Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain.

	[Aloud]

	Come, come, sweet emperor; come, Andronicus;
	Take up this good old man, and cheer the heart
	That dies in tempest of thy angry frown.

SATURNINUS	Rise, Titus, rise; my empress hath prevail'd.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	I thank your majesty, and her, my lord:
	These words, these looks, infuse new life in me.

TAMORA	Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,
	A Roman now adopted happily,
	And must advise the emperor for his good.
	This day all quarrels die, Andronicus;
	And let it be mine honour, good my lord,
	That I have reconciled your friends and you.
	For you, Prince Bassianus, I have pass'd
	My word and promise to the emperor,
	That you will be more mild and tractable.
	And fear not lords, and you, Lavinia;
	By my advice, all humbled on your knees,
	You shall ask pardon of his majesty.

LUCIUS	We do, and vow to heaven and to his highness,
	That what we did was mildly as we might,
	Tendering our sister's honour and our own.

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	That, on mine honour, here I do protest.

SATURNINUS	Away, and talk not; trouble us no more.

TAMORA	Nay, nay, sweet emperor, we must all be friends:
	The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace;
	I will not be denied: sweet heart, look back.

SATURNINUS	Marcus, for thy sake and thy brother's here,
	And at my lovely Tamora's entreats,
	I do remit these young men's heinous faults: Stand up.
	Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
	I found a friend, and sure as death I swore
	I would not part a bachelor from the priest.
	Come, if the emperor's court can feast two brides,
	You are my guest, Lavinia, and your friends.
	This day shall be a love-day, Tamora.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	To-morrow, an it please your majesty
	To hunt the panther and the hart with me,
	With horn and hound we'll give your grace bonjour.

SATURNINUS	Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too.

	[Flourish. Exeunt]

	TITUS ANDRONICUS

ACT II

SCENE I	Rome. Before the Palace.

	[Enter AARON]

AARON	Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
	Safe out of fortune's shot; and sits aloft,
	Secure of thunder's crack or lightning flash;
	Advanced above pale envy's threatening reach.
	As when the golden sun salutes the morn,
	And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
	Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach,
	And overlooks the highest-peering hills;
	So Tamora:
	Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait,
	And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown.
	Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
	To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
	And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long
	Hast prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains
	And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes
	Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus.
	Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts!
	I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
	To wait upon this new-made empress.
	To wait, said I? to wanton with this queen,
	This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph,
	This siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
	And see his shipwreck and his commonweal's.
	Holloa! what storm is this?

	[Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, braving]

DEMETRIUS	Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge,
	And manners, to intrude where I am graced;
	And may, for aught thou know'st, affected be.