Thrice noble Titus, fpare my first-born son.
Tit. Patient yourfelf, madam, and pardon me.
These are their brethren, whom you Goths behold
Alive and dead, and for their brethren flain
Religiously they afk a facrifice;
To this your fon is markt, and die he must,
T'appeafe their groaning fhadows that are gone.
Luc. Away with him, and make a fire ftraight.
And with our fwords, upon a pile of wood,
Let's hew his limbs, 'till they be clean confum'd.
[Exe. Mutius, Marcus, Quintus and Lucius with Alarbus.
Tam. O cruel, irreligious, piety!
Chi. Was ever Scythia half fo barbarous ?
Dem. Oppofe me, Scythia, to ambitious Rome.
Alarbus, go to reft! and we furvive
To tremble under Titus' threatning looks.
Then, madam, ftand refolv'd; but hope withal,
The felf-fame gods, that arm'd the Queen of Troy (4)
With opportunity of fharp revenge
Upon the Thracian tyrant in her tent,
May favour Tamora, the Queen of Goths,
(When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was Queen)
To quit her bloody wrongs upon her foes.
Enter Mutius, Marcus, Quintus and Lucius.
Luc. See, Lord and father, how we have perform'd
Our Roman rites: Alarbus' limbs are lopt;
And intrails feed the facrificing fire;
Whofe fmoke, like incenfe, doth perfume the sky.
Remaineth nought but to inter our brethren,
And with loud larums welcome them to Rome.
Tit. Let it be fo, and let Andronicus
(4) The felf-fame gods, that arm'd the Queen of Troy
With opportunity of sharp revenge
Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent, &c.] I read, against the au thority of all the copies,- -in her tent; i. e. in the tent where the and the other Trojan captive women were kept: for thither Hecuba by a wile had decoyed Polymneftor, in order to perpetrate her revenge. This we may learn from EURIPIDES's Hecuba; the only Author, that I can at present remember, from whom our writer must have gleaned this circumftance.
Make this his lateft farewel to their fouls.
[Then found trumpets, and lay the coffins in the tomb
peace and honour reft you here, my fons,
Rome's readieft champions, repofe you here,
Secure from worldly chances and mishaps:
Here lurks no treafon, here no envy fwells;
Here grow no damned grudges, here no ftorms,
No noife: but filence and eternal fleep:
In peace and honour reft you here, my fons!
Enter Lavinia.
Lav. In peace and honour live Lord Titus long
My noble Lord and father, live in fame!
Lo! at this tomb my tributary tears
I render, for my brethrens obfequies:
And at thy feet I kneel, with tears of joy
Shed on the earth, for thy return to Rome.
O, bless me here with thy victorious hand,
Whofe fortune Rome's best citizens applaud.
Tit. Kind Rome, that haft thus lovingly referv'd
The cordial of mine age, to glad mine heart!
Lavinia, live; out-live thy father's days, (5)
In fame's eternal date for virtue's praife!
Mar. Long live Lord Titus, my beloved brother,
Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome!
Tit. Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus Mar. And welcome, nephews, from fuccessful wars, You that furvive, and you that fleep in fame: Fair Lords, your fortunes are alike in all, (6)
(5) Lavinia, live; out-live thy father's days: And Fame's eternal date for Virtue's praife!] Were the text to be admitted genuine, nothing could be fo abfurd as for Titus to with, his daughter might ont-live the eternal date of Fame. This, as my friend Mr. Warburton merrily obferves, is like the loyal patriot in the laft reign, who wish'd, King George might reign for ever, and the Prince and Princefs after him! I have, by the change of a fingle. monofyllable restored the Paffage to a fenfible and kind with.
(6) Fair Lords, your fortunes are alike in all.] This is addreffed by the tribune to all his brother's fons, as well dead as alive. But how could it be then faid, that their fortunes were all alike? The expreffion feems liable to an open abfurdity. Perhaps, we may reconcile
That in your country's fervice drew your
But fafer triumph is this funeral pomp,
That hath afpir'd to Solon's happiness:
And triumphs over chance, in honour's bed.
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whose friend in juftice thou haft ever been,
Send thee by me their tribune, and their truft,
This palliament of white and fpotless hue;
And name thee in election for the empire,
With thefe our late-deceased Emperor's fons:
Be Candidatus then, and put it on;.
And help to fet a head on headless Rome.
Tit. A better head her glorious body fits,
Than his, that shakes for age and feebleness:
What! fhould I don this robe, and trouble you?
Be chose with proclamations to-day,
To-morrow yield up rule, refign my life,
And fet abroach new bufinefs for you all?
Rome, I have been thy foldier forty years,
And led my country's ftrength fuccessfully;
And buried one and twenty valiant fons,
Knighted in field, flain manfully in arms,
In right and fervice of their noble country.
Give me a staff of honour for mine age,
But not a fcepter to controul the world.
Upright he held it, Lords, that held it laft.
Mar. Titus, thou fhalt obtain and ask the empery.
Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canft thou tell
Tit. Patience, Prince Saturninus.-
Sat. Romans, do me right.
Patricians, draw your fwords, and sheath them not 'Till Saturninus be Rome's Emperor.
Andronicus, would thou wert fhipt to hell,
Rather than rob me of the people's hearts.
Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good
ourfelves to it, thus: "Some of you are returned safe, and with "glory; you, that have not lived to return, fhare the glory of your brethren's fortune, in having died for your country: And though r you cannot partake in the joy of their triumph; yet ftill you en"joy a fafer triumph, exempt from chance and cafualty,”
That noble-minded Titus means to thee.
Tit. Content thee, Prince; I will restore to thee
The people's hearts, and wean them from themfelves.
Baf. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee,
But honour thee, and will do 'till I die:
My faction if thou strengthen with thy friends,
I will moft thankful be; and thanks to men
Of noble minds is honourable meed.
Tit. People of Rome, and noble tribunes here,
I afk your voices, and your fuffrages,
Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus ?
Mar. To gratify the good Andronicus,
And gratulate his fafe return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.
Tit. Tribunes, I thank you, and this fuit I make,
That you create your Emperor's eldest son,
Lord Saturnine; whofe virtues will, I hope,
Reflect on Rome, as Titan's rays on earth,
And ripen juftice in this common-weal.
you will elect by my advice,
Crown him, and fay,-Long live our Emperor!
Mar. With voices and applaufe of every fort,
Patricians and Piebeians, we create
Lord Saturninus, Rome's great Emperor;
And fay,-Long live our Emperor Saturnine!
[A long flourish, 'till they come down. Sat. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done To us in our election this day,
I give thee thanks in part of thy deferts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:
And for an onfet, Titus, to advance
Thy name, and honourable family,
Lavinia will I make my Emperefs,
Rome's royal mistress, miftrefs of my heart,
And in the facred Pantheon her efpouse:
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:
And here in fight of Rome, to Saturninus,
King and commander of our common-weal,
The wide world's Emperor, do I confecrate
My fword, my chariot, and my prisoners;
Prefents well worthy Rome's imperial Lord.
Receive them then, the tribute that I owe,
Mine honour's enfigns humbled at thy feet.
Sat. Thanks, noble Titus, father of my
life!
How proud I am of thee, and of thy gifts,
Rome hall record; and when I do forget
The leaft of thefe unspeakable deferts,
Romans, forget your fealty to me.
Tit. Now, madam, are you prifoner to an Emperor;
To him, that for your honour and your ftate
Will ufe you nobly, and your followers.
Sat. A goodly Lady, trust me, of the hue [To Tamora.
That I would chufe, were I to chufe a new:
Clear up, fair Queen, that cloudy countenance;
Tho' chance of war hath wrought this change of cheer,
Thou com'ft not to be made a fcorn in Rome:
Princely shall be thy ufage every way.
Reft on my word, and let not difcontent
Daunt all your hopes: Madam, who comforts you,
Can make you greater than the Queen of Goths.
Lavinia, you are not difpleas'd with this ?
Lav. Not I, my Lord; fith true nobility
Warrants thefe words in princely courtefy.
Sat. Thanks, fweet Lavinia; Romans, let us go. *Ranfomlefs here we fet our prifoners free; Proclaim our honours, Lords, with trump and drum. Baf. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine.
[Seizing Lavinia. Tit. How, Sir? are you in earneft then, my Lord? Baf. Ay, noble Titus; and refolv'd withal,
To do myself this reafon and this right.
[The Emperor courts Tamora in dumb fhew.
Mar. Suum cuique is our Roman justice:
This Prince in juftice feizeth but his own.
Luc. And that he will, and fhall, if Lucius live.
Tit. Traitors, avant! where is the Emperor's guard?
Treafon, my Lord; Lavinia is furpriz'd.
Sat. Surpriz'd! by whom?
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