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TITUS ANDRONICUS.

A C T I.

SCENE, before the Capitol in ROME.

Enter the Tribunes and Senators aloft, as in the Senate. Enter Saturninus and his followers, at one door; and Baffianus and his followers, at the other, with Drum and Colours.

N

SATURNINUS.

COBLE Patricians, Patrons of my Right, Defend the juftice of my Caufe with arms: And Countrymen, my loving followers, Plead my fucceffive title with your fwords. I am the first-born Son of him, that laft Wore the imperial Diadem of Rome: Then let my father's honours live in me, Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

Baf. Romans, friends, foll'wers, favourers of my Right, If ever Baffianus, Cafar's fon,

Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
Keep then this paffage to the Capitol ;
And fuffer not difhonour to approach
Th' imperial Seat, to virtue confecrate,
To juftice, continence, and nobility:
But let Defert in pure election shine;

And,

And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft, with the Crown.

Mar. Princes, that strive by factions, and by friends, Ambitiously for Rule and Empery!

Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we ftand
A fpecial party, have by common voice,
In election for the Roman Empery,

Chofen Andronicus, fur-named Pius,
For many good and great deserts to Rome.
A nobler man, a braver warrior,
Lives not this day within our city-walls.
He by the Senate is accited home,

From weary wars against the barb'rous Goths;
That with his fons (a terror to our foes)

Hath yoak'd a nation strong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are fpent, fince firft he undertook
This Caufe of Rome, and chastised with arms
Our enemies' pride. Five times he hath return'd
Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant fons
In coffins from the field.

And now at laft, laden with Honour's Spoils,
Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,
Renowned Titus, flourishing in arms.
Let us intreat, by honour of his Name,
Whom (worthily) you would have now fucceed,
And in the Capitol and Senate's Right,

Whom you pretend to honour and adore,

That you withdraw you, and abate your strength;
Difmifs your followers, and, as fuitors fhould,

Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness.

Sat. How fair the Tribune fpeaks, to calm my thoughts!

Baf. Marcus Andronicus, fo I do affie

In thy uprightness and integrity,

And fo I love and honour thee and thine;

Thy noble brother Titus, and his fons,

And her, to whom our thoughts are humbled all,
Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich Ornament;
That I will here dismiss my loving friends;

And

And to my fortunes, and the people's favour, my Cause in ballance to be weigh'd.

Commit

[Exeunt Soldiers. Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my Right, I thank you all, and here difmifs you all; And to the love and favour of my country Commit my self, my perfon and the Caufe: Rome, be as juft and gracious unto me, As I am confident and kind to thee. Open the gates, and let me in.

Baf. Tribunes, and Me, a poor Competitor.

[They go up into the Senate-house.

Enter a Captain.

Cap. Romans, make way: the good Andronicus,
Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,
Successful in the battels that he fights,

With honour and with fortune is return'd,
From whence he circumfcribed with his fword,
And brought to yoke the enemies of Rome.

:

Sound Drums and Trumpets, and then enter Mutius and Marcus after them, two men bearing a coffin cover'd with black; then Quintus and Lucius. After them, Titus Andronicus; and then Tamora, the Queen of Goths, Alarbus, Chiron, and Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor, prifoners; foldiers, and other attendants. They fet down the coffin, and Titus fpeaks.

Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in my mourning weeds! (1) Lo, as the Bark, that hath discharg'd her freight, Returns, with precious lading to the bay,

From whence at firft fhe weigh'd her anchorage;

(1) Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning Weeds!] Mr. Warn burton and I concurr'd to suspect that the Poet wrote;

in my mourning Weeds.

i. e. Titus would fay ; "Thou, Rome, art victorious, tho' I am a Mourner for thofe Sons which I have lost in obtaining that "Victory."

VOL. VI.

I

Cometh

Cometh Andronicus with laurel boughs,
To re-falute his Country with his tears;
Tears of true joy for his Return to Rome.
Thou great Defender of this Capitol,
Stand gracious to the Rites that we intend !
Romans, of five and twenty valiant fons,
Half of the number that King Priam had,
Behold the poor Remains, alive and dead!
Thefe, that furvive, let Rome reward with love;
These, that I bring unto their latest home,
With burial among their Ancestors.

Here Goths have given me leave to sheath my fword:
Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own,
Why fuffer'ft thou thy Sons, unburied yet,
To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?
Make way to lay them by their brethren.

[They open the Tomb.
There greet in filence, as the dead are wont,
And fleep in peace, flain in your country's wars:
O facred receptacle of my joys,

Sweet cell of virtue and nobility,

How many fons of mine haft thou in store,
That thou wilt never render to me more?
Luc. Give us the proudeft prifoner of the Goths,
That we may hew his limbs, and on a pile,
Ad manes Fratrum facrifice his flesh,
Before this earthly prison of their bones:
That fo the fhadows be not unappeas'd,
Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.

Tit. I give him you, the nobleft that furvives:
The eldest fon of this diftreffed Queen.

Tam. Stay, Roman brethren, gracious Conqueror, Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,

A mother's tears in paffion for her fon:
And, if thy fons were ever dear to thee,
O, think my fons to be as dear to me.
Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome, (2)

(2) Sufficetb not, that we are brought to Rome, To beautify thy Triumphs, and return

Το

Captive

To beautify thy Triumphs and Return,
Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoak?
But muft my fons be flaughter'd in the streets,
For valiant doings in their country's cause?
O! if to fight for King and Common-weal
Were Piety in thine, it is in these :
Andronicus, ftain not thy tomb with blood.
Wilt thou draw near the nature of the Gods?
Draw near them then in being merciful;
Sweet Mercy is Nobility's true badge.
Thrice-noble Titus, fpare my firft-born fon.
Tit. Patient your felf, Madam, and pardon me.
These are their brethren, whom you Goths behold
Alive and dead, and for their brethren flain
Religioufly they ask a Sacrifice;

To this your fon is markt, and die he muft,
T'appeafe their groaning fhadows that are gone.
Luc. Away with him, and make a fire straight.
And with our fwords, upon a pile of wood,
Let's hew his limbs, 'till they be clean confum'd.

[Exeunt 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,

Captive to thee and to thy Roman Yoak] It is evident, as this Paffage has hitherto been pointed, none of the Editors_underftood the true Meaning. If Tamora and her Family return captive to Rome, they must have been before Prifoners of War to the Romans and that is more than what is hinted, or fuppos'd, any where in the Play. But the Truth is, return is not a Verb but a Substantive; and relates to Titus and not to Tamora : The Regulation I have given the Text, I dare warrant, restores the Author's Intention.

:

To beautify thy Triumphs and Return.

I 2

The

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