Send thee, by me, their tribune, and their trust, And help to set a head on headless Rome. Mar. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery. Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell ?—— Tit. Patience, prince Saturnine. Sat. Romans, do me right;— Patricians, draw your swords, and sheath them not Andronicus, 'would thou wert shipp'd to hell, Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good The noble-minded Titus means to thee! Tit. Content thee, prince; I will restore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves. Bas. 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 most thankful be: and thanks, to men Of noble minds, is honourable meed. People of Rome, and people's tribunes here, I ask your voices, and your suffrages; Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus? And gratulate his safe return to Rome, Tit. Tribunes, I thank you: and this suit I make, That you create your emperor's eldest son, Mar. With voices and applause of every sort, Lord Saturninus, Rome's great emperor ; And say,-Long live our emperor Saturnine! [A long flourish. Sat. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done To us in our election this day, I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts, Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart, Tit. Now, madam, are you prisoner to an emperor; To him, that for your honour and your state, Will use you nobly, and your followers. Sat. A goodly lady, trust me ; of the hue [TO TAMORA. That I would choose, were I to choose anew.- Though chance of war hath wrought this change of cheer, Princely shall be thy usage every way. Rest on my word, and let not discontent Daunt all your hopes; madam, he comforts you, Lav. Not I, my lord; sith true nobility Sat. Thanks, sweet Lavinia.-Romans, let us go : Ransomeless here we set our prisoners free : Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum. Bas. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine. [Seizing LAVINIA Tit. How, sir? are you in earnest then, my lord? Bas. Ay, noble Titus; and resolv'd withal, To do myself this reason and this right. [The Emperor courts TAMORA in dumb show Mar. Suum cuique is our Roman justice : This prince in justice seizeth but his own. Sat. Surpriz'd! By whom? Bas. By him that justly may Bear his betroth'd from all the world away. [Exe. MARCUS and BASSIANUS, with LAVINIA, Mut. Brothers, help to convey her hence away, And with my sword I'll keep this door safe. [Exe. LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. Tit. Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back. Mut. My lord, you pass not here. Tit. What, villain boy! Barr'st me my way in Rome? Mut. Help, Lucius, help! Re-enter Lucius. [TITUS kills MUTIUS. Luc. My lord, you are unjust; and, more than so, My sons would never so dishonour me: Luc. Dead, if you will; but not to be his wife, That is another's lawful promis'd love. [Exit. Sat. No, Titus, no; the emperor needs her not, Not her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock : Confederates all thus to dishonour me. Was there none else in Rome to make a stale of, Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine, Tit. O monstrous! what reproachful words are these? Sat. But go thy ways; go, give that changing-piece To him that flourish'd for her with his sword: A valiant son-in-law thou shalt enjoy ; One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons, To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome. Tit. These words are razors to my wounded heart. Speak, queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my choice? I will not re-salute the streets of Rome, Tam. And here, in sight of heaven, to Rome I swear, A loving nurse, a mother to his youth. Sat. Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon :-Lords, accompany Your noble emperor, and his lovely bride, Sent by the heavens for prince Saturnine, Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered: There shall we cónsummate our spousal rites. [Exeunt SATURNINUS, and his Followers: TAMORA, and her Sons; AARON and Goths. 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? Re-enter MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. [7] Spoken of Lavinia. Piece, was then, as it is now, used personally as a word of contempt. JOHNSON. Mar. O, Titus, see, O, see, what thou hast done! Tit. No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine,- Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Tit. Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb. Quin. Mar. And shall, or him we will accompany. To pardon Mutius, and to bury him. Tit. Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest, And, with these boys, mine honour thou hast wounded: My foes I do repute you every one; So trouble me no more, but get you gone. Mart. He is not with himself, let us withdraw. [MARCUS and the Sons of TITUS kneel. His noble nephew here in virtue's nest, [8] This passage alone would sufficiently convince me, that the play before us was the work of one who was conversant with the Greek tragedies in their original lan |