A minister of her will; And it is great Enter, to the Gates of the Monument, PROCU- Pro. Cesar sends greeting to the queen of And bids thee study on what fair demands Cleo. [Within.] What's thy name? Pro. My name is Proculeius. Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but That have no use for trusting. If your master No less beg than a kingdom: if he please Pro, Be of good cheer: You are fallen into a princely haud; fear nothing; Make your full reference freely to my lord, Cleo. [Within.] Pray you, tell him I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him Pro. This I'll report, dear lady. Gal. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd ; [Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the Guard, ascend the Monument by a Ladder placed against a Window, and having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the Gates. Guard her till Cesar come. [TO PROCULEIUS and the Guard. Exit. Iras. Royal queen! [Drawing a Dagger. To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imaAn Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite. Dol. Hear me, good madam : Come hither, come ! come, come, and take a queen Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it Worth many babes and beggars ! Pro. O temperance, lady! Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, If idle talk will once be necessary, [Sir; I'll not sleep neither: This mortal house I'll ruin, Do Cesar what he can. Know, Sir, that I As answering to the weight: 'Would I might Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS,MECENAS, With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites SELEUCUS, and Attendants. Ces. Arise : You shall not kneel: madam. me Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence; [CLEOPATRA kneels. Through the ashes of my chance :-Wert thou a I pray you, rise: rise, Egypt. Will have it thus; my master and my lord Ces. Take to you no hard thoughts: Cleo. Sole Sir o'the world, I cannot project⚫ mine own cause so well Ces. Cleopatra, know, We will extenuate rather than enforce: (Which towards you are most gentle,) you shall find A benefit in this change: but if you seek Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued; Cleo. This is my treasurer: let him speak, my Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. I had rather seel my lips, than, to my peril, Cleo. What have I kept back? man, Thou would'st have mercy on me. queen; For we intend so to dispose you, as Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep : Exeunt CESAR, and his Train. Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. Cleo. Hie thee again: I have spoke already, and it is provided; Char. Madam, I will. Re-enter DOLABELLA. Cleo. Dolabella? [Eixt CHARMIAN. Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey, Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made I tell you this: Cesar through Syria The ingratitude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild :-O slave, of no more trust Than love that's hir'd !-What, goest thou back ?-thou shalt Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Though they had wings: Slave, soulless villain, dog! O rarely base! Ces. Good queen, let us entreat you. Intends his journey; and, within three days, I shall remain your debtor. Dol. I your servant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cesar. [Exit DOL. Now, Iras, what think'st thou? Cleo. O Cesar, what a wounding shame is And forc'd to drink their vapour. this; ✰ Uncommonly. Merits or demerits. A term of contempt. Female characters were played by boys. Iras. I'll never for it; for, I am sure, my Immortal longings in me: Now no more The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this hip: nails Are stronger than mine eyes. Cleo. Why that's the way Yare, yare, good Iras; quick.-Methinks, I hear To fool their preparation, and to conquer Enter CHARMIAN. Show me, my women, like a queen ;-Go fetch thee leave To play till doomsday.-Bring our crown and all. [Exit IRAS. A Noise within. Enter one of the GUARD. Guard. Here is a rural fellow, To praise my noble act; I hear him mock That will not be denied your highness', pre- If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world sence: He brings you figs. Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an instru ment [Exit GUARD. Re-enter GUARD, with a CLOWN bringing a Guard. This is the man. [Exit GUARD. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, That kills and pains not? Clown. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal: those that do die of it, do seldom or never recover. Cleo. Remembers't thou any that have died on't ? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterdaya very honest woman, but something given to lie as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty-how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt,-Truly, she makes a very good report o'the worm: But he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do: But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell. [CLOWN sets down the Basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. + Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted, but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. Cleo. Take thou no care: it shall be heeded. Clown. Very good: give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You must not think I am so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. Cleo. Well, get thee gone: farewell. worm. Which is my heaven to have. Come, mortal wretch, [To the Asp, which she applies to her With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate That I might hear thee call great Cesar, Ass Char. O eastern star! Cleo. Peace, peace! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, Char. O break! O break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, is soft as air, as O Antony!- Nay, I will take thee too :- [Falls on a Bed and Dies. Char. In this wild world?-So fare thee well. Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry; Enter the GUARD, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen ? [Applies the Asp. 1 An ass without common policy, thus to leave me to myself. Play my part in this tragedy. Dol. Cesar, thy thoughts Within. A way there, way for Cesar! Enter CESAR, and Attendants. Dol. O Sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear, is done. Ces. Bravest at the last : She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, I do not see them bleed. Dol. Who was last with them? Ces. Most probable, That so she died; for her physician tells me, Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed; 1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought She shall be buried by her Antony: her figs : This was his basket. Ces. Poison'd then. 1 Guard. O Cesar, No grave upon the earth shall clip in it This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall, TITUS ANDRONICUS. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. AS it is intended, in the present collection of Shakspeare's Dramatic Works, to present in regular succession all such as have the scenery, characters, or manners, drawn from the same country, the sanguinary and disgusting .Tragedy of Titus Andronicus is placed in immediate sequence to those that are essentially of Roman origin. The events, however, are not of historical occurrence, but were probably borrowed from an old ballad entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in the year 1593, about which period it may also have been written. Its identity, however, as one of Shakspeare's productions, rests on a very doubtful foundation. Dr. Percy supposes it only to have been corrected and re-touched by aim; but, says Dr. Johnson, "I do not find his touches very discernible." It is devoid of any striking sentiment--- it has none of the philosophic stateliness which generally distinguishes his plays---the anachronisms are gross--the language throughout is as tumid and laboured as the plot is horrid and unnatural ;---and the only approach to energy discernible in the play, occurs in the scene between Aaron, the nurse, and Demetrius. Indeed, there is internal evidence enough (in the versification, the character of the composition, the total difference of conduct, language, and sentiment, and also in its resemblance to several dramas of much more ancient date) to prove, with irresistible force, that it has been erroneously ascribed to Shakspeare. Dr. Johnson says, "All the editors and critics agree with Mr. Theobald in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the colour of the style is wholly different from that of the other play, and there is an attempt at regular versification and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacle, and the general massacre which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience; yet we are told by Jonson, that they were not only borne but applauded. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald declares it incontestible, I see no reason for believing." DRAMATIS PERSONE. SATURNINUS, Son to the late Emperor of Rome, | ÆMILIUS, a noble Roman. and afterwards declared Emperor ALARBUS, Bassi, himself, there to Saturninus in for CHIRON, with Lavinia. Sons to Tamora. AARON, a Moor, beloved by Tamora. TITUS ANDRONICUS, a noble Roman, General | A CAPTAIN, TRIBUNE, MESSENGER, and CLOWN; against the Goths. Romans. SCENE: Rome, and the Country near it. ACT I. SCENE I.-Rome.-Before the Capitol. The tomb of the ANDRONICI appearing; the TRIBUNES and SENATORS aloft, as in the Senate. Enter, below, SATURNINUS and his Followers, on one side; and BASSIANUS and his Followers on the other; with Drum and Colours. Sat. Noble patricians, patrons of my right, Keep then this passage to the Capitol : Mar. Princes, that strive by factions and by Ambitiously for fule and empery,- A special party, have, by their common voice, Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius For many good and great deserts to Rome; Bas. Romans, friends, followers, favourers of A nobler man, a braver warrior, of my right, If ever Bassianus, Cesar's son, Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome, My title to the succession. Lives not this day within the city walls: • Summoned. |