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Act 4, Scene 2
Titus Andronicus Translation Act 4, Scene 3
Enter TITUS, bearing arrows with letters at the ends of them; with him, MARCUS, Young LUCIUS, PUBLIUS, SEMPRONIUS, CAIUS, and other Gentlemen, with bows
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Come, Marcus; come, kinsmen; this is the way. Sir boy, now let me see your archery; Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight. Terras Astraea reliquit: Be you remember'd, Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall Go sound the ocean, and cast your nets; Happily you may catch her in the sea; Yet there's as little justice as at land: No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it; 'Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade, And pierce the inmost centre of the earth: Then, when you come to Pluto's region, I pray you, deliver him this petition; Tell him, it is for justice and for aid, And that it comes from old Andronicus, Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome. Ah, Rome! Well, well; I made thee miserable What time I threw the people's suffrages On him that thus doth tyrannize o'er me. Go, get you gone; and pray be careful all, And leave you not a man-of-war unsearch'd: This wicked emperor may have shipp'd her hence; And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Come on, Marcus, come; kinsmen, this is the way.
[To Young LUCIUS] Sir boy, now let me see your archery; make sure you draw home and shoot straight. Terras Astraea reliquit: remember it. Marcus, justice is gone, she ran away. Sirs, pick up your weapons. You, cousins, will go around the ocean and cast your nets; perhaps you can catch her in the sea. But there’s just as little justice there as on land—so never mind. No, Publius and Sempronius, you must do it; dig with a fork and spade until you get to the center of the Earth. Then, when you get to Pluto’s underworld, give him this petition. Tell him I ask for justice and for help, and that it comes from old Andronicus, who suffers in ungrateful Rome. Oh, Rome! Well, I made you miserable when I threw the people’s votes on the tyrant Saturninus. Go, go away; and be careful everyone, and don't let a ship get by without searching it. This wicked emperor may have had her shipped her away. And then, kinsmen, we're searching for justice in vain.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
O Publius, is not this a heavy case,To see thy noble uncle thus distract?
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Oh, Publius, isn’t this distressing, to see your noble uncle so mad?
PUBLIUS
Therefore, my lord, it highly us concerns By day and night to attend him carefully, And feed his humour kindly as we may, Till time beget some careful remedy.
PUBLIUS
And for that reason, my lord, we make sure to watch him all day and night, and take care of him as best we can, until perhaps time will heal him.
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MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Join with the Goths; and with revengeful war Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past fixing. Join the Goths, and by going to war take revenge on Rome for this ingratitude, and on the traitor Saturnine.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Publius, how now! how now, my masters!What, have you met with her?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Publius, how are you? How are you, my masters? What, have you found her?
PUBLIUS
No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word, If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall: Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd, He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, So that perforce you must needs stay a time.
PUBLIUS
No, my good lord; but Pluto says that you will have revenge from hell, if you ask for it. He thinks that Justice is busy with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, so you need to wait a bit.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
He doth me wrong to feed me with delays. I'll dive into the burning lake below, And pull her out of Acheron by the heels. Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops' size; But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back, Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can bear: And, sith there's no justice in earth nor hell, We will solicit heaven and move the gods To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs. Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus;
TITUS ANDRONICUS
It’s wrong to make me wait. I’ll dive into the burning lake in the underworld, and pull her out of Acheron by the heels. Marcus, we’re just shrubs, not cedars, not big-boned men like the cyclops. We’re just metal and steel, Marcus, and yet we’ve had more wrongs done to us than our backs can bear. And, since there’s no justice in earth or hell, we’ll pray to heaven and move the gods to send down Justice to right our wrongs. Come, let’s do it. You are a good archer, Marcus.
He gives them the arrows
'Ad Jovem,' that's for you: here, 'Ad Apollinem:' 'Ad Martem,' that's for myself: Here, boy, to Pallas: here, to Mercury: To Saturn, Caius, not to Saturnine; You were as good to shoot against the wind. To it, boy! Marcus, loose when I bid. Of my word, I have written to effect; There's not a god left unsolicited.
"To Jove," that's for you; here, "To Apollo"; "To Mars," that's for me. Here, boy, to Pallas; here, to Mercury; to Saturn; Caius. Not to Saturnine—you might as well shoot against the wind. Get to it, boy! Marcus, let your arrow fly when I tell you. I swear I’ve written to every god for justice.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court:We will afflict the emperor in his pride.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Kinsmen, shoot all your arrows at the palace; we’ll annoy the prideful emperor.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Now, masters, draw.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Now, masters, draw.
They shoot
O, well said, Lucius!Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it Pallas.
Oh, nicely done, Lucius! Good boy, in Virgo's lap; give it to Pallas.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon;Your letter is with Jupiter by this.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon; I've sent your letter to Jupiter.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Ha, ha!Publius, Publius, what hast thou done?See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus' horns.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what have you done? See, see, you've shot off one of Taurus's horns.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
This was the sport, my lord: when Publius shot, The Bull, being gall'd, gave Aries such a knock That down fell both the Ram's horns in the court; And who should find them but the empress' villain? She laugh'd, and told the Moor he should not choose But give them to his master for a present.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
This was the game, my lord; when Publius shot his arrow, Taurus butted heads with Aries, and both the ram’s horns fell down into the court. And who should find them but the empress's villain? She laughed, and told the Moor he should give them to the emperor as a present.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, there it goes: God give his lordship joy!
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, there they go: God give joy to his lordship!
Enter a Clown, with a basket, and two pigeons in it
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is come.Sirrah, what tidings? have you any letters?Shall I have justice? what says Jupiter?
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is come. Man, what do you hear? Do you have any letters for me? Will we have justice? What does Jupiter say?
CLOWN
O, the gibbet-maker! he says that he hath takenthem down again, for the man must not be hanged tillthe next week.
CLOWN
Oh, the gibbet-maker! He says that he has taken the gibbets down again, for the man won’t be hanged until next week.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
But what does Jupiter say, I ask you?
CLOWN
Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never drank with himin all my life.
CLOWN
Sorry, sir, I don’t know Jupiter; I’ve never had a drink with him in my life.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
But villain, aren't you the messenger?
CLOWN
Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.
CLOWN
Yes, I carry pigeons, sir—nothing else.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, didst thou not come from heaven?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, didn't you come from heaven?
CLOWN
From heaven! alas, sir, I never came there God forbid I should be so bold to press to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperial's men.
CLOWN
From heaven! Oh, sir, I’ve never been there. God forbid I should barge into heaven when I’m still so young. Why, I’m going with my pigeons to the tribune of the plebs, to deal with a fight between my uncle and one of the emperor’s soldiers.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons to the emperor from you.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
[To TITUS] Why, sir, this is the perfect messenger for your speech. Let him take the pigeons to the emperor from you.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the emperorwith a grace?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Tell me, can you deliver a speech to the emperor with a grace?
CLOWN
Nay, truly, sir, I could never say grace in all my life.
CLOWN
No, truly, sir, I've never said grace in my life.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Sirrah, come hither: make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the emperor: By me thou shalt have justice at his hands. Hold, hold; meanwhile here's money for thy charges. Give me pen and ink. Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a supplication?
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Man, come here; don’t say anything else, but just bring your pigeons to the emperor; you’ll get justice from him, for my sake. Wait, wait; here’s money for your trouble. Give me pen and ink. Man, can you deliver a petition gracefully?
CLOWN
Ay, sir.
CLOWN
Yes, sir.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Then here is a supplication for you. And when you come to him, at the first approach you must kneel, then kiss his foot, then deliver up your pigeons, and then look for your reward. I'll be at hand, sir; see you do it bravely.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Then here is a petition for you. And when you come to him, you must first kneel, then kiss his foot, then give him your pigeons, and then wait for your reward. I'll be close by, sir; make sure you do it well.
CLOWN
I warrant you, sir, let me alone.
CLOWN
Leave it to me, sir.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Sirrah, hast thou a knife? come, let me see it. Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration; For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant. And when thou hast given it the emperor, Knock at my door, and tell me what he says.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Do you have a knife? Come, give it to me. Here, Marcus, fold it in the letter, for you’ve made it look like a humble petition. And when he’s given it to the emperor, knock at my door, and tell me what he says.
CLOWN
God be with you, sir; I will.
CLOWN
God be with you, sir; I will.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Come, Marcus, let us go. Publius, follow me.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Come, Marcus, let's go. Publius, follow me.
Exeunt
