Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft with the Crown.
Mar. Princes, that ftrive by factions, and by friends, Ambitiously for Rule and Empery!
Know, that the People of Rome, for whom we stand
A fpecial party, have by common voice,
In election for the Roman Empery,
Chofen Andronicus, furnamed Pius,
For many good and great deferts 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 ftrong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, fince firft he undertook
This caufe of Rome, and chaftifed 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 ftrength;
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 affy
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 difmifs my loving friends;
And to my fortunes, and the people's favour,
Commit my caufe in balance to be weigh'd. [Exe. Sol.
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 myself, 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 boufe.
Cap. Romans, make way: the good Andronicus,
Patron of virtue, Rome's beft champion,
Successful in the battles 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'a 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, prisoners; foldiers, and other attendants. They fet down the coffin, and Titus speaks.
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;
Cometh Andronicus with laurel boughs,
To re-falute his country with his tears;
Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.
(1) Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning Weeds!] Mr. Warbur ton, and I concu: red to fufpect that the Poet wrote;
i. e. Titus would fay; Thou Rome, art victorious, tho' I am a "Mourrer for thofe Sons, which I have loft in obtaining that Vic«tory."
Thou great Defender of this Capitol,
Stand gracious to the Rites that we intend !
Romans, of five and twenty valiant fons,
Half or the number that King Priam had,
Behold the poor Remains, alive and dead!
Thefe, that furvive, let Rome reward with love;
Thefe, that I bring unto their latest home,
With burial among their Ancestors.
Here Goths have given me leave to sheath my
Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own,
Why fuffer'ft thou thy Sons, unburied yet,
To hover on the dreadful fhore 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 ftore,
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 prifon of their bones :
That fo the fhadows be not unappeas'd,
Nor we diftarb'd with prodigies on earth.
Tit. I give him you, the nobleft that furvives:
The eldeft fon of this diftreffed Queen.
Tam. Stay, Roman brethren, gracious conqueror,
Victorious Titus, rue the tears I fhed,
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) Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome, To beautify thy Triumphs', and return
Captive to thee and to thy Roman Yoak ?] It is evident, as this Paffage has hitherto been pointed, none of the Editors understood the true Meaning. If Tamera and her Family return captive to Rome, they must have been before Prifoners of War to the Romans :
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 caufe?
O! if to fight for King and common-weal
Were piety in thine, it is in thefe:
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 first-born fon.
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 ask a facrifice;
To this your fon is markt, and die he must,
T'appease 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.
[Exe. Mutius, Marcus, Quintus and Lucus 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 (3)
and that is more than what is hinted, or fuppofed, any where in the Play. But the truth is, return is not a Verb but a Subftantive; and relates to Titus and not to Tamara: The Regulation I have given the Text, I dare warrant, reftores the Author's Intention.
To beautify thy Triumphs and Return.
(3) 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 Authority of all the Copies, -in her Tent,; i.-e. in the Tent
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;
Whose smoke, like incenfe, doth perfume the fky.
Remaineth nought but to inter our brethren,
And with loud 'larums welcome them to Rome.
Tit. Let it be so, and let Andronicus
Make this his latest farewel to their fouls.
[Then found trumpets, and lay the coffins in the tomb.
In peace and honour reft you here, my fons,
Rome's readieft champions, repose 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!
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, blefs me here with thy victorious hand,
Whofe fortune Rome's beft citizens applaud.
where the and the other Trojan Captive Women were kept: for thither Hecuba by a Wile had decoy'd Polymn fior, in order to perpetrate her Revenge. This we may learn from EURIPIDES's Hecuba; the only Author, that I can at prefent remember, from whom our Writer muft have gleaned this Circumftance.
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