King. Two of thy whelpes, fell Curs of bloody kind
Haue heere bereft my brother of his life:
Sirs drag them from the pit vnto the prison,
There let them bide vntill we haue deuis'd
Some neuer heard-of tortering paine for them
Tamo. What are they in this pit,
Oh wondrous thing!
How easily murder is discouered?
Tit. High Emperour, vpon my feeble knee,
I beg this boone, with teares, not lightly shed,
That this fell fault of my accursed Sonnes,
Accursed, if the faults be prou'd in them
King. If it be prou'd? you see it is apparant,
Who found this Letter, Tamora was it you?
Tamora. Andronicus himselfe did take it vp
Tit. I did my Lord,
Yet let me be their baile,
For by my Fathers reuerent Tombe I vow
They shall be ready at your Highnes will,
To answere their suspition with their liues
King. Thou shalt not baile them, see thou follow me:
Some bring the murthered body, some the murtherers,
Let them not speake a word, the guilt is plaine,
For by my soule, were there worse end then death,
That end vpon them should be executed
Tamo. Andronicus I will entreat the King,
Feare not thy Sonnes, they shall do well enough
Tit. Come Lucius come,
Stay not to talke with them.
Exeunt.
Enter the Empresse Sonnes, with Lauinia, her hands cut off and
her tongue
cut out, and rauisht.
Deme. So now goe tell and if thy tongue can speake,
Who t'was that cut thy tongue and rauisht thee
Chi. Write downe thy mind, bewray thy meaning so,
And if thy stumpes will let thee play the Scribe