The Birds of Shakespeare 
singular scene in which Titus is sitting at 
table with his brother Marcus, who strikes | 
the dish with his knife, whereupon the 
following dialogue ensues : 
Titus. 
Mare. 
Tit; 
Mare. 
Tit. 
Mare. 
Tit. 
What dost thou strike at, Marcus, with thy knife? 
At that that I have kill’d, my lord—a fly. 
Out on thee, murderer ! ion kill’st my heart ; 
A deed of death done on the innocent 
Becomes not Titus’ brother: get thee gone ; 
I see thou art not for my company. 
Alas! my lord, I have but kill’d a fly. 
‘But’! How if that fly had a father and 
mother ! 
How would he hang his slender gilded wings 
And buzz lamenting doings in the air ! 
Poor harmless fly ! 
That, with his pretty buzzing melody 
Came here to make us merry ! and thou hast 
kill’d him. 
Pardon me, sir; it was a black ill-favour’d fly 
Like to the Empress’ Moor ; therefore I kill’d 
him. 
Oat Os @ 
Then pardon me for reprehending thee, 
For thou hast done a charitable deed. 
I think we are not brought so low, 
But that between us we can kill a fly 
That comes in likeness of a coal-black Moor.} 
1 Titus Andronicus, WW. i. 52. 
22 
