Page 2148 - Shakespeare - Vol. 1
P. 2148
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.
She giveth Saturnine a letter.
SATURNINUS (reads the letter)
And if we miss to meet him handsomely,
Sweet huntsman, Bassianus ’tis we mean,
Do thou so much as dig the grave for him: [270]
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 murdered Bassianus here.
AARON
My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. [280]
SAT URNINUS
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 devised
Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them.
T AMORA
What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing!
How easily murder is discoverèd!
T IT US
High emperor, upon my feeble knee
I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed,
That this fell fault of my accursèd sons, [290]
Accursèd, if the fault be proved in them...
SAT URNINUS
If it be proved! you see it is apparent.
Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you?
