Luc. Dear father, foul and fubftance of us all,
Mar. Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter
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 flew himfelf; and wife Laertes' fon
Did graciously plead for his funerals.
Let not young Mutius then, that was thy joy,
Be barr'd his entrance here.
Tit. Rife, Marcus, rife
The difmall'st day is this, that e'er I faw,
To be dishonour'd by my fons in Rome :
Well; bury him, and bury me the next.
[They put him in the tomb. Luc. There lie thy bones, fweet Mutius, with thy
"Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb!
[They all kneel, and fay
No man fhed tears for noble Mutius;
He lives in fame, that died in virtue's cause.
Mar. My lord, to step out of thefe dreary dumps, How comes it, that the fubtle Queen of Goths
Is of a fudden thus advanc'd in Rome?
Tit. I know not, Marcus; but, I know, it is : If by device or no, the heav'ns can tell :
Is the not then beholden to the man,
That brought her for this high good Turn fo far?
Yes; and will nobly him remunerate.
Flourish. Re-enter the Emperor, Tamora, Chiron, and Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor, at one door. At the other door, Baffianus and Lavinia with others.
Sat. So, Baffianus, you have plaid your prize; God give you joy, Sir, of your gallant bride. Baf. And you of yours, my lord; I fay no more,
Nor with no less, and fo I take my leave.
Sat. Traytor, if Rome have law, or we have power
Thou and thy faction fhall repent this Rape.
Bas. Rape call you it, my lord, to feize my own,
My true-betrothed love, and now my wife?
But let the laws of Rome determine all;
Mean while I am poffeft of that is mine.
Sat. 'Tis good, Sir; you are very fhort with us,
But, if we live, we'll be as fharp with you.
Baf. My lord, what I have done, as best I may,
Answer I muft, and shall do with my life;
Only thus much I give your Grace to know,
By all the duties which I owe to Rome,
This noble gentleman, lord Titus here,
Is in opinion and in honour wrong'd;
'That in the rescue of Lavinia,
With his own hand did flay his youngest son,
In zeal to you, and highly mov'd to wrath
To be controul'd in that he frankly gave;
Receive him then to favour, Saturnine;
That hath expreft himself in all his deeds,
A father and a friend to thee, and Rome.
Tit. Prince Baffianus, leave to plead my deeds.
'Tis thou, and thofe, that have dishonour'd me:
Rome and the righteous heavens be my judge,
How I have lov'd and honour'd 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 fuit (fweet) pardon what is past.
Sat. What, Madam! be dishonour'd openly,
And bafely put it up without revenge
Tam. Not fo, my lord; the Gods of Rome forefend,
I fhould be author to dishonour you!
But, on mine honour dare I undertake
For good lord Titus' innocence in all;
Whofe fury, not diffembled, fpeaks his griefs:
Then, at my fuit, look graciously on him,
Lofe not fo noble a friend on vain Suppose,
Nor with four looks afflict his gentle heart.-
My lord, be rul'd by me, be won at last,
Diffemble all your griefs and difcontents:
You are but newly planted in your Throne;
Left then the People and Patricians too,
Upon a juft furvey, take Titus' part;
And fo fupplant us for ingratitude,
Which Rome reputes to be a heinous fin,
Yield at intreats, and then let me alone;
I'll find a day to maffacre them all,
And raze their faction, and their family,
The cruel father, and his traiterous fons,
To whom I fued for my dear fon's life:
And make them know, what 'tis to let a Queen
Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain.—
Come, come, fweet Emperor, come, Andronicus
Take up this good old man, and chear the heart,
That dies in tempeft of thy angry frown.
Sat. Rife, Titus, rife; my Empress hath prevail'd.
Tit. I thank your Majesty, and her; my lord,
These words, these looks infufe new life in me.
Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,
A Roman now adopted happily:
And muft advise the Emperor for his good.
This day all quarrels die, Andronicus,
And let it be my honour, good my lord,
That I have reconcil'd your friends and you.
For you, Prince Baffianus, I have past
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 fhall ask pardon of his Majefty..
Luc. We do, and vow to heaven and to his Highness, That what we did was mildly, as we might,
Tendring our fifter's honour and our own.
Mar. That on mine honour here I do protest.
Sat. Away, and talk not; trouble us no more.-
Tam. Nay, nay, fweet Emperor, we must all be
The Tribune and his Nephews kneel for grace,
I will not be denied ; fweet heart, look back.
Sat. Marcus, for thy fake, and thy brother's here, And at my lovely Tamora's intreats,
I do remit these young men's heinous faults.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend; and fure, as death, I swore,
'I would not part a batchelor from the priest.
Come, if the Emperor's Court can feast two brides;
You are my gueft, Lavinia, and your friends;
This day fhall be a love-day, Tamora.
Tit. To morrow an it please your Majefty,
To hunt the Panther and the Hart with me,
With horn and hound, we'll give your Grace Bon-jour Sat. Be it fo, Titus, and gramercy too.
SCENE, before the Palace.
Enter Aaron alone.
OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's fhot; and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning flash
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach.
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiack in his gliftring coach,
And over-looks the highest-peering hills :
So Tamora
Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait,
And virtue ftoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
And mount her pitch; whom thou in triumph long
Haft prifoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.
Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
this Queen,
This Goddefs, this Semiramis ;
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his common-weal's.
Holla! what storm is this?
Enter Chiron and Demetrius, braving.
Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd;
And may, for aught thou know't, affected be.
Chi. Demetrius, thou dost over-ween in all,
And fo in this, to bear me down with Braves:
'Tis not the difference of a year or two
Makes me less gracious, or thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,
To ferve, and to deserve my miftress' grace;
thee fhall approve,
And that fword upon
my
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.
Aar. Clubs, clubs!
the peace.
thefe lovers will not keep
Dem. Why, boy, although our mother (unadvis’d)
Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,
Are you
fo defp'rate grown to threat your friends ?
Go to; have your lath glued within your fheath,
'Till you know better how to handle it.
Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave?
Aar. Why, how now, lords?
So near the Emperor's Palace dare you draw?
And maintain fuch a Quarrel openly?
Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge:
I would not for a million of gold,
The Cause were known to them it most concerns.
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
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