תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Tit. Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor with a grace?

Clown. Nay, truly, Sir, I could never fay grace in all my life.

Tit. Sirrah, come hither, make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the Emperor.

By me thou fhalt have juftice at his hands.

Hold, hold-mean while, here's mony for thy charges.
Give me a pen and ink.

Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a supplication?
Clown. Ay, Sir.

Tit. Then, here is a fupplication for you: and when you come to him, at the firft approach you must kneel, then kifs his foot, then deliver up your pigeons, and then look for your reward. I'll be at hand, Sir; fee

you do it bravely,

Clown. I warrant you, Sir, let me alone.

Tit. Sirrah, haft thou a knife? come, let me fee it, Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,

For thou haft made it like an humble fuppliant ;
And when thou haft given it the Emperor,

Knock at my door, and tell me, what he says.
Clown. God be with you, Sir, I will.
Tit. Come, Marcus, let us go.

Publius, follow me.

SCENE, the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Emperor and Emprefs, and her two fons; the Emperor brings the arrows in his hand, that Titus fhot.

Sat. WHY, lords, what wrongs are these? was

ever

An Emperor of Rome thus over-borne,
Troubled, confronted thus, and for th' extent
Of equal juftice, us'd in fuch contempt?
My lords, you know, as do the mightful Gods,
(However the disturbers of our peace

Buz in the people's ears) there nought hath past,
But even with law against the wilful fons

Of

Of old Andronicus.

And what an if

His forrows have fo overwhelm'd his wits,
Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks,
His fits, his frenfie, and his bitterness ?
And now he writes to heav'n for his redress.
See, here's to Jove, and this to Mercury,
This to Apollo, this to the God of war:
Sweet fcrouls, to fly about the ftreets of Rome!
What's this but libelling against the Senate,
And blazoning our injuftice ev'ry where?
A goodly humour, is it not, my lords?
As who would fay, in Rome no juftice were.
But if I live, his feigned ecftafies
Shall be no shelter to these outrages :
But he and his shall know, that Juftice lives
In Saturninus' health; whom, if the fleep,
He'll fo awake, as fhe in fury shall
Cut off the proud'ft confpirator that lives.
Tam. My gracious lord, my lovely Saturnine,
Lord of my life, commander of my thought,
Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age,
Th' effects of forrow for his valiant fons,

Whofe lofs hath pierc'd him deep, and scarr'd his heart;
And rather comfort his diftreffed plight,
Than profecute the meaneft, or the beft,
For thefe contempts Why, thus it fhall become
High-witted Tamora to glofe with all:

But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick,
Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wife,
Then is all fafe, the anchor's in the port.

Enter Clown.

[Afide.

How, now, good fellow, would'ft thou speak with us? Clo. Yea, forfooth, an your Mistership be Emperial. Tam. Emprefs I am, but yonder fits the Emperor. Clown. 'Tis he: God and St. Stephen give you good

Even :

I have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here. [He reads the letter. Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him presently.

L 4

Clown's

Clown. How much money muft I have ?

Tam. Come, firrah, thou must be hang'd.

Clown. Hang'd! by'r lady, then I have brought up a neck to a fair end.

Sat. Defpightful and intolerable wrongs! Shall I endure this monftrous villany?

[Exit.

I know, from whence this fame device proceeds:
May this be borne ? as if his traiterous fons,
That dy'd by law for murther of our brother,
Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully?
Go, drag the villain hither by the hair,
Nor age nor honour fhall fhape privilege.
For this proud mock I'll be thy flaughter-man;
Sly frantick wretch, that holp'ft to make me great,
In hope thy felf fhould govern Rome and me.

Enter Æmilius. (15)

Sat. What news with thee, Emilius?

[caufe;

Emil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more

The Goths have gather'd head, and with a Power
Of high-refolved men, bent to the spoil,

They hither march amain, under the Conduct
Of Lucius, fon to old Andronicus:

Who threats in courfe of his revenge to do
As much as ever Coriolanus did.

Sat. Is warlike Lucius General of the Goths?

(15) Enter Nuntius Æmilius.] Thus the old Books have defcrib'd this Character: and, I believe, I can account for the Formality, from the Ignorance of the Editors. In the Author's Manufcript, I prefume, 'twas writ, Enter Nuntius; and they obferving, that he is immediately call'd Æmilius, thought proper to give him his whole Title, and so clapp'd in Enter Nuntius Æmilius. Mr. Pope has very critically follow'd them; and ought, methinks, to have given his new-adopted Citizen Nuntius a place in the Dramatis Perfonæ. If this Gentleman has discover'd any Roman Family, that had the Prænomen of Nuntius; it is a Secret, I dare say, more than Carifius, Diomedes Grammaticus, or the Fafti Capitolini, were ever acquainted withal. Shakespeare meant no more than, Enter Æmilius as a Messenger.

Thefe

1

These Tidings nip me, and I hang the head As flowers with froft, or grass beat down with ftorms. › Ay, now begin our forrows to approach; "Tis he, the common people love so much : My felf hath often over-heard them fay, (When I have walked like a private man) That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,

And they have wifh'd, that Lucius were their Emperor. Tam. Why fhould you fear? is not our city strong? Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,

And will revolt from me, to fuccour him.

Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy name.
Is the fun dim'd, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle fuffers little birds to fing,

And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing, that with the fhadow of his wings
He can at pleafure ftint their melody;

Even fo may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy fpirit, for know, thou Emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus

With words more fweet, and yet more dangerous,
Than baits to fish, or honey-ftalks to sheep:
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious food.

Sat. But he will not intreat his fon for us.
Tam. If Tamora intreat him, then he will:
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promifes; that were his heart
Almoft impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet fhould both ear and heart obey my tongue.
Go thou before as our embassador;

[To Æmilius.

Say, that the Emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Emilius, do this meffage honourably;
And if he ftand on hoftage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will pleate him beft.
Emil. Your bidding shall I do effectually.
Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus,
And temper him, with all the art I have,
To pluck proud Luctus from the warlike Goths.

L 5

[Exit.

And

And now, fweet Emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.

Sat. Then go fuccefsfully, and plead to him. [Exe.

A C T V.

SCENE, A Camp, at a small distance from Rome.

Enter Lucius with Goths, with drum and foldiers.

A

LUCIUS.

PPROVED warriors, and my faithful friends,
I have received letters from great Rome,

Which fignifie, what hate they bear their Em
p'ror,

And how defirous of our fight they are.
Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness,
Imperious and impatient of your wrongs;

And wherein Rome hath done you any scathe,
Let him make treble fatisfaction.

Goth. Brave flip, fprung from the great Andronicus, (Whose name was once our terror, now our comfort,} Whofe high exploits and honourable deeds

Ingrateful Rome requites with foul contempt,
Be bold in us; we'll follow, where thou lead'ft:
Like ftinging bees in hottest fummer's day,
Led by their mafter to the flower'd fields,
And be aveng'd. on curfed Tamora.

Omn. And, as he faith, fo fay we all with him.
Luc. I humbly thank him, and I thank you all.
But who comes here, led by a lufty Goth?

Enter a Goth leading Aaron, with his child in

bis Arms.

Goth. Renowned Lucius, from our troops I ftray'd

To

« הקודםהמשך »