That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confufion, all thy Powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

Alc. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports;
Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves fhall fet out for reproof,
Fall, and no more; and to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning, † not a man
Shall pafs his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular justice in your city's bounds,
But fhall be remedied to publick laws
At heaviest answer.

Both. 'Tis most nobly spoken.

Alc. Defcend, and keep your words.
Enter a Soldier.

Sol. My noble General, Timon is dead;
Entomb'd upon the very hem o' th' fea;
And on the grave-ftone this Infculpture, which
With wax I brought away; whofe soft impression
Interpreteth for my poor ignorance.

[Alcibiades reads the epitaph.]

Here lies a wretched coarfe, of wretched foul bereft, Seek not my name: a plague confume you wicked caitiffs left!

Here lie I Timon, who all living men did hate,
Pafs by, and curfe thy fill, but pafs, and ftay not here
thy gait.

These well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits:
Tho' thou abhor'dft in us our human griefs,

uncharged ports;] That

is, unguarded gatis.

not a man

a foldier fhall quit his ftation, or be let loofe upon you; and if any commits violence, he fhall anfwer

Shall pass bis quarter,-] Not it regularly to the law.

Scornd'ft our brain's flow, and thofe our droplets which

From niggard nature fall; 7 yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye
On thy low grave.-On-Faults forgiven.-Dead
Is noble Timon, of whofe memory

Hereafter more-Bring me into your City,
And I will use the Olive with my Sword;

Make War breed Peace; make Peace ftint War; make

each

Prefcribe to other, as each other's Leach.

-Let our drums ftrike.

[Excunt.

cept against his own Fortune and happy Situation in Life? But the Corruption of the Text lies only in the bad Pointing, which I have difengaged, and restored to the true Meaning. Alcibia des's whole Speech, as the Editors might have obferv'd, is in Breaks, betwixt his Reflections on Timon's Death, and his Addreffes to the Athenian Senators: and as foon as he has commented on the Place of Timon's Grave, he bids the Senate fet forward; tells 'em, he has forgiven their Faults; and promises to use them with Mercy. THEOBALD.

benefits, and buys flattery, but not friendship.

In this Tragedy are many paffages perplexed, obfcure, and probably corrupt, which I have endeavoured to rectify or explain with due diligence; but having only one copy, cannot promile myself that my endeavours will be much applauded.

TITUS

TITUS

ANDRONICUS.

T3

SATURNINUS, Sen to the late Emperor of Rome, and afterwards declared Emperor himself.

Bagianus, Brother to Saturninus, in love with Lavinia, Titus Andronicus, a Noble Roman, General against the Goths.

Marcus Andronicus, Tribune of the People, and Brother to Titus,

Marcus,
Quintus,
Lucius,
Mutius,

}

Sons to Titus Andronicus,

Young Lucius, a Boy, Son to Lucius.

Publius, Son to Marcus the Tribune, and Nephew to Titus Andronicus,

Aaron, a Moor, belov'd by Tamora,

Captain from Titus's Camp,

Æmilius, a Messenger.

Goths and Romans,

Clown.

Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and afterwards married

to Saturninus.

Lavinia, Daughter to Titus Andronicus,

Nurfe, with a Black-a-moor Child.

Senators, Judges, Officers, Soldiers, and other Attendants,

SCENE, Rome; and the Country near it,

The editions of this play are,

Quarto. 1594.
Quarto. 1611. For Edward
White.

Folio. 1623.

I have the two latter editions,

ACT I.

SCENE I.

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 bis followers, at the other, with drum and Colours.

N

SATURNINUS.

OBLE 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 last 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,

It is obfervable, that this play is printed in the quarto of 1611, with exactnefs equal to that of the other books of thofe times. The first edition was probably corrected by the authour, so that

here is very little room for con-. jecture or emendation; and accordingly none of the editors. have much molefted this piece with officious criticism.

T 4

And