Enter, below, MARCUS ANDRONICUS and Tribunes; re-enter SATURNINUS and BASSIANUS, attended. MARC. Long live lord Titus, my beloved brother, Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome! TIT. Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus. MARC. And welcome, nephews, from successful wars, You that survive, and you that sleep in fame! Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all, a That in your country's service drew your swords; all? TIT. A better head her glorious body fits Than his that shakes for age and feebleness. What should I don this robe and trouble you? Be chosen with proclamations to-day, To-morrow yield up rule, resign my life, And set abroad new business for you Rome, I have been thy soldier forty years, And led my country's strength successfully, And buried one-and-twenty valiant sons, Knighted in field, slain manfully in arms, In right and service of their noble country: Give me a staff of honour for mine age, But not a sceptre to control the world: Upright he held it, lords, that held it last. d MARC. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery. [tell? SAT. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou TIT. Patience, prince Saturninus. - SAT. Romans, do me right;Patricians, draw your swords, and sheathe them not Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor.— Andronicus, would thou wert shipp'd to hell, Rather than rob me of the people's hearts! Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good That noble-minded Titus means to thee! And triumphs over chance in honour's bed.-] ultima semper Expectanda dies homini; dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo, supremaque funera, debet." What should I don, &c.] It is customary in cases like the present to print "What " as an exclamation, "What! should I don-" &e, though it is often only equivalent to. For What; or to, Why. And set abroad-] The folio of 1664 has, "set abroach," &c. and the substitution is adopted by Mr. Collier's annotator. d thou shalt obtain and ask-] There is here, as Steevens TIT. Content thee, prince, I will restore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves. BASS. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee, TIT. People of Rome, and noble tribunes here, I ask your voices and your suffrages: TIT. Tribunes, I thank you: and this suit I make, That you create your emperor's eldest son, SAT. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts, Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart, Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee? TIT. It doth, my worthy lord; and in this match I hold me highly honour'd of your grace: That I would choose, were I to choose anew.— Thou com'st not to be made a scorn in Rome: LAV. Not I, my lord, sith true nobility Ransomless here we set our prisoners free. Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum. BASS. Ay, noble Titus, and resolv'd withal To do myself this reason and this right. MARC. Suum cuique is our Roman justice: This prince in justice seizeth but his own. Luc. And that he will, and shall, if Lucius live. TIT. Traitors, avaunt !-Where is the emperor's guard?— Treason, my lord!—Lavinia is surpris'd! a MUT. Brothers, help to convey her hence away, And with my sword I'll keep this door safe. [Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. TIT. Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back. Mur. My lord, you pass not here. Luc. My lord, you are unjust; and, more In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son. [Exit. Was there none else in Rome to make a stale these ? SAT. But go thy ways; go, give that changing To him that flourish'd for her with his sword: SAT. And therefore, lovely Tamora, queen of That, like the stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs, choice? d And here I swear by all the Roman gods,- swear, If Saturnine advance the queen of Goths, e Was there none else in Rome to make a stale-] So the second folio, except that it adds "of" to the end of the line; the earlier authorities all read,-" Was none in Rome to make a stale," &c. dempress-] See note (f), p. 601. She will a handmaid be to his desires, Your noble emperor and his lovely bride, TIT. I am not bid to wait upon this bride:-Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone, Dishonour'd thus, and challenged of wrongs? с MARC. Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter His noble nephew here in virtue's nest, That died in honour and Lavinia's cause. Thou art a Roman,-be not barbarous : The Greeks upon advice did bury Ajax That slew himself; and wise* Laertes' son Did graciously plead for his funerals: Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joy, Be barr'd his entrance here. TIT. Rise, Marcus, rise :The dismall'st day is this that e'er I saw, To be dishonour'd by my sons in Rome!Well, bury him, and bury me the next. [They put MUTIUS in the tomb. Luc. There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with thy friends, Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb. He lives in fame that died in virtue's cause. How comes it that the subtle queen of Goths TIT. I know not, Marcus; but I know it is; Flourish. Re-enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and AARON from one side; from the other, BASSIANUS and LAVINIA, with others. SAT. So, Bassianus, you have play'd your prize! God give you joy, sir, of your gallant bride! (*) First folio omits, wise. (f) First folic, sudden. Sophocles; and if, as Steevens asserts, there were no translation of that piece extant in the time of Shakespeare, we may reasonably infer that "Titus Andronicus" was written by some one acquainted with the Greek tragedies in their original language. d MAR.] This line is only in the folio, and there, the prefix having been omitted, it reads as a portion of the preceding speech. more, say no Nor wish no less; and so, I take my leave. SAT. Traitor, if Rome have law, or we have power, Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape. My true-betrothed love, and now my wife? SAT. "T is good, sir: you are very short with us; But, if we live, we 'll be as sharp with you. BASS. My lord, what I have done, as best I Answer I must, and shall do with my life. With his own hand did slay his youngest son, TIT. Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my 'Tis thou and those that have dishonour'd me. Rome, and the righteous heavens, be my judge, How I have lov'd and honour'd Saturnine! TAM. My worthy lord, if ever Tamora SAT. What, madam! be dishonour'd openly, TAM. Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome I should be author to dishonour you! Dissemble all your griefs and discontents: (*) First folio, us." Stand up.-] Probably, as Pope surmised, a stage direction only. (Which Rome reputes to be a heinous sin,) Take up this good old man, and cheer the heart SAT. Rise, Titus, rise; my empress hath prevail'd. TIT. I thank your majesty, and her, my lord: These words, these looks, infuse new life in me. TAM. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome, A Roman now adopted happily, And must advise the emperor for his good. This day all quarrels die, Andronicus;And let it be mine honour, good my lord, That I have reconcil'd your friends and you.For you, prince Bassianus, I have pass'd My word and promise to the emperor, That you will be more mild and tractable.And fear not, lords,-and you, Lavinia,By my advice, all humbled on your knees, You shall ask pardon of his majesty. Luc.* We do; and vow to heaven, and to his highness, That what we did was mildly as we might, MARC. That, on mine honour, here I do protest. The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace; And at my lovely Tamora's entreats, I do remit these young men's heinous faults: Stand up."-Lavinia, though you left me like a churl, I found a friend; and, sure as death, I swore, TIT. To-morrow, an it please your majesty, To hunt the panther and the hart with me, With horn and hound, we 'll give your grace bonjour. SAT. Be it So, Titus, and gramercy too. [Exeunt. (*) First folio, Son. |