But safer triumph is this funeral pomp,
That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness
And triumphs over chance in honour's bed.
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whose friend in justice thou hast ever been, 180
Send thee by me, their tribune and their trust,
This palliament of white and spotless hue;
And name thee in election for the empire,
With these our late-deceased emperor's sons.
Be candidatus then, and put it on,
And help to set a head on headless Rome.

185

190

Tit. A better head her glorious body fits Than his that shakes for age and feebleness. What should I don this robe, and trouble you? Be chosen with proclamations to-day To-morrow yield up rule, resign my life, And set abroad new business for you all? Rome, I have been thy soldier forty years, And led my country's strength successfully, And buried one and twenty valiant sons, Knighted in field, slain manfully in arms, In right and service of their noble country. Give me a staff of honour for mine age, But not a sceptre to control the world; Upright he held it, lords, that held it last. Marc. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery.

195

200

Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell?

Tit. Patience, Prince Saturninus. Sat. Romans, do me right. Patricians, draw your swords, and sheathe them

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 215 Of noble minds is honourable meed.

Tit. People of Rome, and people's tribunes here,

I ask your voices and your suffrages.

Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus?
Tribunes. To gratify the good Andronicus,
And gratulate his safe return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.

221

Tit. Tribunes, I thank you; and this suit I make,

That you create your emperor's eldest son,
Lord Saturnine; whose virtues will, I hope, 225
Reflect on Rome as Titan's rays on earth,
And ripen justice in this commonweal.
Then, if you will elect by my advice,
Crown him, and say, "Long live our emperor!"
Marc. With voices and applause of every
sort,

230

245

I hold me highly honoured of your Grace:
And here in sight of Rome to Saturnine,
King and commander of our commonweal,
The wide world's emperor, do I consecrate
My sword, my chariot, and my prisoners;
Presents well worthy Rome's imperious lord. 250
Receive them then, the tribute that I owe,
Mine honour's ensigns humbled at thy feet.
Sat. Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life!
How proud I am of thee and of thy gifts
Rome shall record, and when I do forget
The least of these unspeakable deserts,
Romans, forget your fealty to me.

255

Tit. [To Tamora.] Now, madam, are you prisoner to an emperor;

To him that, for your honour and your state, Will use you nobly and your followers.

260

Sat. A goodly lady, trust me, of the hue That I would choose, were I to choose anew.Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy counte

nance;

Nor her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock.
I'll trust, by leisure, him that mocks me once;
Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty sons,
Confederates all thus to dishonour me.
Was there none else in Rome to make a stale,
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,
Agree these deeds with that proud brag of
thine,

306

That said'st I begg'd the empire at thy hands. 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.

Sat. And therefore, lovely Tamora, Queen of Goths,

That like the stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs

Dost overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,
If thou be pleas'd with this my sudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee Empress of Rome.
Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my
choice?

And here I swear by all the Roman gods,
Sith priest and holy water are so near
And tapers burn so bright and everything
In readiness for Hymenæus stand,

I will not re-salute the streets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place
I lead espous'd my bride along with me.

Tam. And here, in sight of heaven, to Rome
I swear,

If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths,
She will a handmaid be to his desires,
A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.

Sat. Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon; lords,

My foes I do repute you every one;
So, trouble me no more, but get you gone.
Luc. He is not with himself; let us with-
draw.

Mart. Not I, till Mutius' bones be buried.
[Marcus and the sons of Titus kneel.
Marc. Brother, for in that name doth nature
plead,

370

Mart. Father, and in that name doth nature speak,

Tit. Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed.

Marc. Renowned Titus, more than half my soul,

Luc. Dear father, soul and substance of us all,

Marc. Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter 875 His noble nephew here in virtue's nest, That died in honour and Lavinia's cause. Thou art a Roman, be not barbarous. The Greeks upon advice did bury Ajax That slew himself; and wise Laertes' son Did graciously plead for his funerals. Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joy, Be barr'd his entrance here.

380

285

Tit.
Rise, Marcus, rise.
The dismall'st day is this that e'er I saw,
To be dishonoured by my sons in Rome!
Well, bury him, and bury me the next.
[Mutius is put into the tomb.
Luc. There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with
thy friends,

Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb.
All. (Kneeling.) No man shed tears for noble
Mutius;

He lives in fame that died in virtue's cause. 390
[Exeunt all but Marcus and Titus.
Marc. My lord, to step out of these dreary
dumps,
How comes it that the subtle Queen of Goths
Is of a sudden thus advanc'd in Rome?

Tit. I know not, Marcus, but I know it is; Whether by device or no, the heavens can tell. Is she not then beholding to the man That brought her for this high good turn so far?

[Yes, and will nobly him remunerate.]

896

With his own hand did slay his youngest son,
In zeal to you and highly mov'd to wrath
To be controll'd in that he frankly gave.
Receive him, then, to favour, Saturnine,
That hath express'd himself in all his deeds
A father and a friend to thee and Rome.
Tit. Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my
deeds;

424

"T is thou and those that have dishonoured me.
Rome and the righteous heavens be my judge,
How I have lov'd and honoured Saturnine!
Tam. My worthy lord, if ever Tamora
Were gracious in those princely eyes of thine,
Then hear me speak indifferently for all;
And at my suit, sweet, pardon what is past.
Sat. What, madam! be dishonoured openly
And basely put it up without revenge?

430

Tam. Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome forfend

465

Tit. I thank your Majesty, and her, my lord. These words, these looks, infuse new life in me. Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome, A Roman now adopted happily, And must advise the Emperor for his good. This day all quarrels die, Andronicus; And let it be mine honour, good my lord, That I have reconcil'd your friends and you. For you, Prince Bassianus, I have pass'd My word and promise to the Emperor That you will be more mild and tractable. And fear not, lords, and you, Lavinia; By my advice, all humbled on your knees, You shall ask pardon of his Majesty,

470

[Marcus, Lavinia, and the others kneel.]

[Luc.] We do, and vow to heaven and to his Highness,

That what we did was mildly as we might, 475 Tend'ring our sister's honour and our own. Marc. That, on mine honour, here I do protest.

Sat. Away, and talk not; trouble us no

more.

Tam. Nay, nay, sweet emperor, we must all be friends;

479

The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace.
I will not be denied; sweetheart, look back.
Sat. Marcus, for thy sake and thy brother's
here,

And at my lovely Tamora's entreats,

I do remit these young men's heinous faults.
Stand up! [Marcus and the others rise.] 485
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend, and sure as death I swore
I would not part a bachelor from the priest.
Come, if the Emperor's court can feast two
brides,

You are my guest, Lavinia, and your friends.
This day shall be a love-day, Tamora.

491

Tit. To-morrow, an it please your Majesty To hunt the panther and the hart with me, With horn and hound we'll give your Grace bonjour.

495

Sat. Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too. Flourish. Exeunt.

ACT II

[SCENE I. Rome. Before the palace.]

Enter AARON.

Aar. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, Safe out of fortune's shot; and sits aloft,

14

Hast prisoner held, fett'red in amorous chains
And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes
Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus.
Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts!
I will be bright and shine in pearl and gold
To wait upon this new-made empress.
To wait, said I? To wanton with this queen,
This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph,

This siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And see his shipwreck and his commonweal's.
Holloa! what storm is this?

Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, braving.

20

115

A speedier course than ling'ring languishment
Must we pursue, and I have found the path. 111
My lords, a solemn hunting is in hand:
There will the lovely Roman ladies troop;
The forest walks are wide and spacious;
And many unfrequented plots there are
Fitted by kind for rape and villainy.
Single you thither then this dainty doe,
And strike her home by force, if not by words.
This way, or not at all, stand you in hope.
Come, come, our empress, with her sacred wit
To villainy and vengeance consecrate,
Will we acquaint with all that we intend ;
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not suffer you to square yourselves,
But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The Emperor's court is like the house of
Fame,

121

126

The palace full of tongues, of eyes, and ears; The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and

dull;

grey,

6

The fields are fragrant and the woods are green.
Uncouple here and let us make a bay,
And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouse the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal
That all the court may echo with the noise.
Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
To attend the Emperor's person carefully.
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd. 10
A cry of hounds, and horns winded in a peal.
Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS,
LAVINIA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and At-
tendants.

Many good morrows to your Majesty ;
Madam, to you as many and as good.

I promised your Grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lords; Somewhat too early for new-married ladies. 15 Bas. Lavinia, how say you? Lav. I say, no;

I have been broad awake two hours and more. Sat. Come on, then; horse and chariots let

us have,