And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.
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 the city walls:
He by the fenate is accited home,

From weary wars against the barbarous Goths;
That, with his fons, a terror to our foes,
Hath yok'd a nation ftrong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, fince first he undertook
This caufe of Rome, and chastised 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 entreat,-By honour of his name,

Whom, worthily, you would have now fucceed,
And in the Capitol and fenate's right,

Whom you pretend to honour and adore,

That you withdraw you, and abate

your strength;

Difmifs your followers, and, as fuitors fhould,

Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness.

SAT. How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts!

BAS. Marcus Andronicus, so 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 my thoughts are humbled all
Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament,
That I will here dismiss my loving friends;
And to my fortunes, and the people's favour,
Commit my cause in balance to be weigh'd.

[Exeunt the followers of BASSIANUS., 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 cause.

[Exeunt the followers of SATURNINUS.

Rome, be as juft and gracious unto me,
As I am confident and kind to thee.-

Open the gates, and let me in.

BAS. Tribunes! and me, a poor competitor.

[SATURNINUS and BASSIANUS go into the Capitol, and exeunt with Senators, MARCUS, &c.

SCENE II. The fame.

Enter a CAPTAIN, and Others.

CAP. Romans, make way; The good Andronicus, Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,

Successful in the battles that he fights,

With honour and with fortune is return'd,
From where he circumfcribed with his fword,
And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.
Flourish of trumpets, &c. enter MUTIUS and MARTIUS:
after them, two men bearing a coffin cover'd with black;
then QUINTUS and Lucius. After them, TITUS AN-
DRONICUS; and then TAMORA, with ALARBUS, CHI-
RON, DEMETRIUS, AARON, and other Goths, prifoners;

foldiers and people, following. The bearers fet down the coffin, and TITUS Speaks.

TIT. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds! Lo, as the bark, that hath discharg'd her fraught, Returns with precious lading to the bay,

From whence at firft fhe weigh'd her anchorage,
Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs,
To re-falute his country with his tears;
Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.-
Thou great defender of this Capitol,
Stand gracious to the rites that we intend!
Romans, of five and twenty valiant fons,
Half of the number that king Priam had,
Behold the poor remains, alive, and dead!
Thefe, that furvive, let Rome reward with love;
These, that I bring unto their latest home,

With burial amongst their ancestors:

Here Goths have given me leave to sheath my sword.
Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own,
Why fuffer'ft thou thy fons, unburied
To hover on the dreadful fhore of Styx?—
Make way to lay them by their brethren.

yet,

[The tomb is opened.

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 prisoner of the Goths,

That we may hew his limbs, and, on a pile,

Ad manes fratrum facrifice his flesh,

Before this earthly prison of their bones;

That fo the fhadows be not unappeas'd,
Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.

TIT. I give him you; the nobleft that furvives,
The eldest son 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 sons were ever dear to thee,
O, think my fon to be as dear to me.
Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome,
To beautify thy triumphs, and return,
Captive to thee, and to thy Roman yoke;
But must 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 these.
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, spare my first-born fon.

TIT. Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me.
These are their brethren, whom you Goths beheld
Alive, and dead; and for their brethren flain,
Religiously they ask a facrifice:

To this your fon is mark'd; and die he must,
To 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.

[Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MUTIUS,
with ALAR Bus.

TAM. O cruel, irreligious piety!

CHI. Was ever Scythia half fo barbarous?
DEM. Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome.
Alarbus goes to reft; and we furvive

To tremble under Titus' threatening look.
Then, Madam, ftand refolv'd; but hope withal,
The felf-fame gods, that arm'd the queen of Troy
With opportunity of sharp revenge

Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent,

May favour Tamora, the queen of Goths,

(When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was queen,) To quit the bloody wrongs upon her foes.

Re-enter LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MUTIUS, with their fwords bloody.

Luc. See, lord and father, how we have perform'd
Our Roman rites: Alarbus' limbs are lopp'd,
And entrails feed the facrificing fire,

Whofe fmoke, like incenfe, doth perfume the sky.
Remaineth nought, but to inter our brethren,
And with loud 'larums welcome them to Rome.
TIT. Let it be fo, and let Andronicus
Make this his latest farewell to their fouls.

[Trumpets founded, and the coffins laid in the tomb.
In peace and honour reft you here, my fons;
Rome's readiest champions, repose you here,
Secure from worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no treafon, here no envy fwells,
Here grow no damned grudges; here, are no ftorms,
No noise, but filence and eternal sleep:

Enter LAVINIA.

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