Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee,

This is the day of doom for Bassianus.

His Philomel must lose her tongue today,

Thy sons make pillage of her chastity

And wash their hands in Bassianus’ blood.

Seest thou this letter? (Giving a letter) Take it up, I pray thee,

And give the King this fatal-plotted scroll.

Now question me no more. We are espied.

Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,

Which dreads not yet their lives’ destruction.

Enter Bassianus and Lavinia

TAMORA (aside to Aaron)

Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life!

AARON (aside to Tamora)

No more, great Empress; Bassianus comes.

Be cross with him, and I’ll go fetch thy sons

To back thy quarrels, whatsoe’er they be. Exit

BASSIANUS

Who have we here? Rome’s royal empress

Unfurnished of her well-beseeming troop?

Or is it Dian, habited like her

Who hath abandoned her holy groves

To see the general hunting in this forest?

TAMORA

Saucy controller of my private steps,

Had I the power that some say Dian had,

Thy temples should be planted presently

With horns, as was Actaeon’s, and the hounds

Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs,

Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

LAVINIA

Under your patience, gentle Empress,

‘Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning,

And to be doubted that your Moor and you

Are singled forth to try experiments.

Jove shield your husband from his hounds today—

‘Tis pity they should take him for a stag.

BASSIANUS

Believe me, Queen, your swart Cimmerian

Doth make your honour of his body’s hue,

Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you sequestered from all your train,

Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,

And wandered hither to an obscure plot,

Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor,

If foul desire had not conducted you?

LAVINIA

And being intercepted in your sport,

Great reason that my noble lord be rated

For sauciness. (To Bassianus) I pray you, let us hence,

And let her joy her raven-coloured love.

This valley fits the purpose passing well.

BASSIANUS

The King my brother shall have note of this.

LAVINIA

Ay, for these slips have made him noted long.

Good King, to be so mightily abused!

TAMORA

Why have I patience to endure all this?

Enter Chiron and Demetrius

DEMETRIUS

How now, dear sovereign and our gracious mother,

Why doth your highness look so pale and wan?

TAMORA

Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?

These two have ‘ticed me hither to this place.

A barren detested vale you see it is;

The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,

Overcome with moss and baleful mistletoe.

Here never shines the sun, here nothing breeds

Unless the nightly owl or fatal raven,

And when they showed me this abhorred pit

They told me here at dead time of the night

A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,

Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins

Would make such fearful and confused cries

As any mortal body hearing it

Should straight fall mad or else die suddenly.

No sooner had they told this hellish tale

But straight they told me they would bind me here

Unto the body of a dismal yew

And leave me to this miserable death.

And then they called me foul adulteress,

Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms

That ever ear did hear to such effect.

And had you not by wondrous fortune come,

This vengeance on me had they executed.

Revenge it as you love your mother’s life,

Or be ye not henceforward called my children.

DEMETRIUS

This is a witness that I am thy son.

He stabs Bassianus

CHIRON

And this for me, struck home to show my strength.

He stabs Bassianus, who dies.

⌈Tamora turns to Lavinia⌉

LAVINIA

Ay, come, Semiramis—nay, barbarous Tamora,

For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

TAMORA (to Chiron)

Give me the poniard. You shall know, my boys,

Your mother’s hand shall right your mother’s wrong.

DEMETRIUS

Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her.

First thresh the corn, then after burn the straw.

This minion stood upon her chastity,

Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

And with that quaint hope braves your mightiness.

And shall she carry this unto her grave?

CHIRON

An if she do I would I were an eunuch.

Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,

And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust.

TAMORA

But when ye have the honey ye desire

Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting.

CHIRON

I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.

Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy

That nice-preserved honesty of yours.

LAVINIA

O Tamora, thou bearest a woman’s face—

TAMORA

I will not hear her speak. Away with her!

LAVINIA

Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word.

DEMETRIUS (to Tamora)

Listen, fair madam, let it be your glory