Page:Titus Andronicus (1926) Yale.djvu/50

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In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.

She giveth Saturnine a letter. Saturninus reads the letter.

Sat. 'And if we miss to meet him handsomely,

Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis we mean,

Do thou so much as dig the grave for him:

Thou know'st our meaning. Look for thy reward

Among the nettles at the elder-tree

Which overshades the mouth of that same pit

Where we decreed to bury Bassianus:

Do this, and purchase us thy lasting friends.'

O Tamora! was ever heard the like?

This is the pit, and this the elder-tree.

Look, sirs, if you can find the huntsman out

That should have murther'd Bassianus here.

Aar. My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold.

Sat. [To Titus.] Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind,

Have here bereft my brother of his life.

Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison:

There let them bide until we have devis'd

Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them.

Tam. What! are they in this pit? O wondrous thing!

How easily murder is discovered!

Tit. High emperor, upon my feeble knee

I beg this boon with tears not lightly shed;

That this fell fault of my accursed sons,

Accursed, if the fault be prov'd in them,—

Sat. If it be prov'd! you see it is apparent.

Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you?

Tam. Andronicus himself did take it up.

Tit. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail;

 274 decreed: determined

