F. Hayman

H. Gravelot Sculp TITUS ANDRONICUS. Act. 4. Sc.3.

SATURNINUS, Son to the late Emperor of Rome, and afterwards declar'd Emperor himself.

BBSSIANUS, 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.

Young Lucius, a Boy, Son to LUCIUS.

PUBLIUS, Son to MARCUS ANDRONICUS the Tribune.

TAMORA, Queen of the Goths, and afterwards married to SATURNINUS.

LAVINIA, Daughter to TITUS ANDRONICUS.

A Nurfe with a blackamoor Child.

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

SCENE Rome, and the Country near it.

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TITUS ANDRONICUS.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Rome.

Enter

Enter the Tribunes and Senators aloft, as in the Senate. Saturninus and his followers at one door, and Baffianus and his followers at the other, with drum and colours.

N

SATURNINUS.

OBLE patricians, patrons of my right,
Defend the juftice of my cause with arms:
And, countrymen, my loving followers,
Plead my fucceffive title with your fwords.
I am the firft-born fon of him that laft

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, Cæfar's fon,

Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
Keep then this paffage to the capitol;
And fuffer not difhonour to approach
Th' imperial feat, to virtue confecrate,
To juftice, continence, and nobility:
But let defert in pure election fhine;

And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

* This is one of the plays which ought not to be look'd upon to be of Shakespear's compofition. By giving

it the credit of a few of his lines inferted here and there he got the difcredit of writing the whole.

Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft with the crown.

Mar. Princes, that strive 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 free election for the Roman empery,
Chofen Andronicus, furnamed Pius,
For many good and great deserts to Rome;
A nobler man, a braver warriour,
Lives not this day within our city walls:
He by the senate is accited home,
From weary wars against the barbarous Goths,
That, with his fons (a terrour 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 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 last, 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 succeed,
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 should,

Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness.

Sat. How fair the tribune fpeaks, to calm my thoughts! Baf. Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy

In thy uprightnefs 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

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