Act II. Scene II. Titus Andronicus. Craig, W.J., ed. 1914. The Oxford Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The Oxford Shakespeare. 1914.

Titus Andronicus

Act II. Scene II.

A Forest.

Horns and cry of hounds heard. Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, & c.; MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.
Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,
The fields are fragrant and the woods are green.	4
Uncouple here and let us make a bay,
And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouse the prince and ring a hunter’s peal,
That all the court may echo with the noise.	8
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To attend the emperor’s person carefully:
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir’d. [A cry of hounds, and horns winded in a peal.	12

Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS, LAVINIA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and Attendants.
Many good morrows to your majesty;
Madam, to you as many and as good;
I promised your Grace a hunter’s peal.	16
Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lord;
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Bas. Lavinia, how say you?
Lav. I say, no;	20
I have been broad awake two hours and more.
Sat. Come on, then; horse and chariots let us have,
And to our sport.—[To TAMORA.] Madam, now shall ye see
Our Roman hunting	24
Mar. I have dogs, my lord,
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory top.
Tit. And I have horse will follow where the game	28
Makes way, and run like swallows o’er the plain.
Dem. [Aside.] Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound,
But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. [Exeunt.