Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all,
That in your country's service drew your
But safer triumph is this funeral pomp,
That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness,1
And triumphs over chance, in honour's bed.-
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whose friend in justice thou hast ever been,
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.

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 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.

Thou com'st not to be made a scorn in Rome:
Princely shall be thy usage every way.
Mar. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery Rest on my word, and let not discontent
Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell? Daunt all your hopes; Madam, he comforts you,
Tit. Patience, prince Saturnine.
Can make you greater than the queen of Goths.-
Sat.
Romans, do me right;-Lavinia, you are not displeas'd with this?
Patricians, draw your swords, and sheath them not Lav. Not I, my lord; sith5 true nobility
Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor :-
Warrants these words in princely courtesy.
Andronicus, would thou wert shipp'd to hell,
Rather than rob me of the people's hearts.

Sat. Thanks, sweet Lavinia.-Romans, let us go: Ransomless here we set our prisoners free:

swords

Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee?
Tit. It doth, my worthy lord; and, in this match,
I hold me highly honour'd of your grace:
And here, in sight of Rome, to Saturnine,-
King and commander of our common-weal,
The wide world's emperor,-do I consecrate
My sword, my chariot, and my prisoners;
Presents well worthy Rome's imperial lord:
Receive them then, the tribute that I owe,
Mine honour's ensigns humbled at thy feet.

Tit. People of Rome, and people's tribunes here,
I ask your voices, and your suffrages;
Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus?

Trib. To gratify the good Andronicus,
And gratulate his safe return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.

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,
Reflect on Rome, as Titan's rays on earth,
And ripen justice in this common-weal:
Then if you will elect by my advice,
Crown him, and say,-Long live our emperor!
Mar. With voices and applause of every sort,
Patricians, and plebeians, we create
Lord Saturninus, Rome's great emperor;
And say,-Long live our emperor Saturnine!
[A long flourish.
Sat. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done
To us in our election this day,

I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:
And, for an onset, Titus, to advance
Thy name, and honourable family,

avinia will I make my emperess,
Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart,
And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse:

Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the goodProclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum. That noble-minded Titus means to thee!

Tit. Content thee, prince; I will restore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves.

Bas. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine.
[Seizing Lavinia.
Tit. How, sir? Are you in earnest then, my
lord?

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
Of noble minds, is honourable meed.

(1) The maxim alluded to is, that no man can be pronounced happy before his death.

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.

Tit. Now, madam, are you prisoner to an em
peror;
[To Tamora.
To him that, for your honour and your state,
Will use you nobly, and your followers.

Sat. A goodly lady, trust me; of the hue
That I would choose, were I to choose anew.-
Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance;
Though chance of war hath wrought this change
of cheer,

Bas. Ay, noble Titus; and resolv'd withal, To do myself this reason and this right.

[The emperor courts Tamora in dumb show. Mar. Suum cuique is our Roman justice: This prince in justice seizeth but his own.

Luc. And that he will, and shall, if Lucius live. Tit. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's guard?

Treason, my lord; Lavinia is surpris'd.

Sat. Surpris'd! By whom?
Bas.
By him that justly may
Bear his betroth'd from all the world away.
[Exeunt Marcus and Bassianus, with Lavinia.
Mut. Brothers, help to convey her hence away,
And with my sword I keep this door safe.
[Exeunt Lucius, Quintus, and Martius.
Tit. Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back.
Mut. My lord, you pass not here.
Tit.
Barr'st me my way in Rome?

What, villain boy!

Mut.

[Titus kills Mutius. Help, Lucius, help.

In zeal to you, and highly mov'd to wrath
To be control'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 Roine.

Tit. Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my deeds;
'Tis thou, and those, 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 suit, sweet, pardon what is past.
Sat. What! madam? be dishonour'd openly,
And basely put it up without revenge?

Tam. Not so, my lord; The gods of Rome for-
fend,1

I should be author to dishonour you!
But, on mine honour, dare I undertake
For good lord Titus' innocence in all,
Whose fury, not dissembled, speaks his griefs:
Then, at my suit, look graciously on him;
Lose not so noble a friend on vain suppose,
Nor with sour looks afflict his gentle heart.-
My lord, be rul'd by me, be won at last,
Dissemble all your griefs and discontents:
You are but newly planted in your throne,
Lest then the people, and patricians too,
Upon a just survey, take Titus' part,
And so supplant us for ingratitude
(Which Rome reputes to be a heinous sin,)
Yield at entreats, and then let me alone:
I'll find a day to massacre them all,
And raze their faction, and their family,
The cruel father, and his traitorous sons,
To whom I sued for my dear son's life;
And make them know, what 'tis to let a
queen

Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in

vain.

Aside.

Come, come, sweet emperor,-come, Andronicus,-||This
Take up this good old man, and cheer the heart
That dies in tempest of thy angry frown.

Sat. Rise, Titus, rise; my empress hath prevail'd.
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.

Luc. We do; and vow to heaven, and to his high

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.

(1) Forbid.

(2) Favour.

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.

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 bon-
jour.

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

[Exe.

ACT II.

SCENE I-The same. Before the palace. Enter Aaron.

Aar. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's shot; and sits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning's flash;
Advanc'd above pale envy's threat'ning reach.
As when the golden sun salutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach,
And overlooks the highest-peering hills;
So Tamora.-

Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait,
And virtue stoops 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
Hast prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus.
Away with slavish weeds, and idle thoughts!
I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made emperess.
To wait, said I? to wanton with this queen,
goddess, this Semiramis;-this queen,
This syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And see his shipwreck, 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,

all;

And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd;
And may, for aught thou know'st, affected be.
Chi Demetrius, thou dost overween

And so in this to bear me down with braves.
'Tis not the difference of a year, or two,
Makes me less gracious, thee more fortunate :
I am as able, and as fit, as thou,

To serve, and to deserve my mistress' grace;2
And that my sword upon thee shall approve,
And plead my passions for Lavinia's love.

Aar. Clubs, clubs !3 these lovers will not keep
the peace.

Dem. Why, boy, although our mother, unadvis'd,
Gave you a dancing-rapier by your side,
Are you so desperate grown, to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath,
Till you know better how to handle it.

Chi. Mean while, sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye so brave? [They draw.
Aar.
Why, how now, lords?
So near the emperor's palace dare you draw,

(3) This was the usual outcry for assistance, when any riot in the street happened. (4) A sword worn in dancing.

And maintain such 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,
Be so dishonour'd in the court of Rome.
For shame, put up.
Dem.
Not I; till I have sheath'd
My rapier in his bosom, and, withal,
Thrust these reproachful speeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.

Chi. For that I am prepar'd and full resolv'd,Foul-spoken coward! that thunder'st with thy tongue,

And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform.
Aur. Away, I say.-

Now by the gods, that warlike Goths adore,
This petty brabble will undo us all.—
Why, lords,-and think you not how dangerous
It is to jut upon a prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become so loose,

Or Bassianus so degenerate,

A speedier course than lingering languishment
Must we pursue, and I have found the path.
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 villany:
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 villany 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,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:

That for her love such quarrels may be broach'd,The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull;
Without controlment, justice, or revenge? There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your
Young lords, beware!-an should the empress know
This discord's ground, the music would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew she and all the world;
I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner choice:

Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

Aar. Why, are ye mad? or know ye not, in Rome
How furious and impatient they be,
And cannot brook competitors in love?
I tell you, lords, you do but plot your deaths
By this device.

Chi.
Aaron, a thousand deaths
Would I propose, to achieve her whom I love.
Aar. To achieve her!-How?
Dem.
Why mak'st thou it so strange?
She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd;
She is a woman, therefore may be won;
She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov'd.
What, man! more water glideth by the mill
'Than wots the miller of; and easy it is
Of a cut loaf to steal a shive,2 we know:
Though Bassianus be the emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

Aside.

Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows

to court it

With words, fair looks, and liberality?
What, hast thou not full often struck a doe,
And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose?
Aar. Why then, it seems, some certain snatch

or so

Would serve your turns.
Chi.
Ay, so the turn were serv'd.
Dem. Aaron, thou hast hit it.
Aar.
'Would you had hit it too;
Then should not we be tir'd with this ado.
Why, hark ye, hark ye,-And are you such fools,
To square for this? Would it offend you then
That both should speed?

I'faith, not me.

Chi.

Dem.

That what you cannot, as you would, achieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chaste
Than this Lavinia, Bassianus' love.

'Tis policy and stratagem must do
That you affect; and so must you resolve;

(1) Know. (2) Slice. (3) Quarrel. (4) By nature.

turns:

There serve your lust, shadow'd from heaven's eye,
And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits,
Per Styga, per manes vehor.

[Exeunt.

|SCENE II-A forest near Rome. A lodge

seen at a distance. Horns, and cry of hounds heard. Enter Titus Andronicus, with hunters, &c. Marcus, Lucius, Quintus, and Martius.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,
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 tend the emperor's person carefully:
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

Horns wind a peal. Enter Saturninus, Tamora, Bassianus, Lavinia, Chiron, Demetrius, and Attendants.

Tit. 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.
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,
And to our sport:-Madam, now shall ye see
Our Roman hunting.
[To Tamora.
I have dogs, my lord,
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory top.

Mar.

Tit. And I have horse will follow where the

Nor me,

So I were one.

game

Aar. For shame, be friends; and join for that Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain. you jar. Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound,

But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. [Exe. (5) Sacred here signifies accursed; a Latinism.

SCENE III-A desert part of the forest. En- ||To see the general hunting in this forest?
ter Aaron, with a bag of gold.
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps!
Had I the power, that, some say, Dian had,
Aar. He, that had wit, would think that I had Thy temples should be planted presently

none,

To bury so much gold under a tree,
And never after to inherit it.

With horns, as was Acteon's: and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

Let him, that thinks of me so abjectly,
Know, that this gold must coin a stratagem;
Which cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villany;
And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest,2
[Hides the gold.
That have their alms out of the empress' chest.
Enter Tamora...

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad,

When every thing doth make a gleeful boast?
The birds chaunt melody on every bush;
The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun;
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd shadow on the ground:
Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit,
And whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying shrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,-
Let us sit down, and mark their yelling noise:
And-after conflict, such as was suppos'd
The wandering prince of Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy storm they were surpris'd,
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave,-
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber;
Whiles hounds, and horns, and sweet melodious
birds,

No, madam, these are no venereal signs;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora,-the empress of my soul,
Which never hopes more heaven than rests in
thee,-

This is the day of doom for Bassianus;
His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day:
Thy sons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood.
Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll *
Now question me no more, we are espied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction.
Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than
life!

Aar. No more, great empress, Bassianus comes;
Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy sons
To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. [Exit.
Enter Bassianus and Lavinia.

Dem. How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious
mother,

Be unto us, as is a nurse's song
Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.

Why doth your highness look so pale and wan?
Tam. Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?

A barren detested vale, you see, it is:

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your desires, These two have 'tic'd me hither to this place, Saturn is dominator over mine: What signifies my deadly-standing eye, My silence, and my cloudy melancholy? My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls, Even as an adder, when she doth unroll To do some fatal execution?

Bas. Who have we here? Rome's royal emperess,
Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop?
Or is it Dian, habited like her;
Who hath abandoned her holy groves,

(1) Possess. (2) Disquiet.
(3) See Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI.

Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess,
'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments:

Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day!
Tis pity, they should take him for a stag.

Bas. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.
Why are you sequester'd from all your train?
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wander'd hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you?

Lav. And, being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness.-I pray you, let us hence,
And let her 'joy her raven-colour'd love;
This valley fits the purpose passing well.

Bas. The king, my brother, shall have note of

this.

Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted
long:

Good king! to be so mightily abus'd!
Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this?
Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with moss, and baleful misletoe.
Here never shines the sun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven.
And, when they show'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here, at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,5
Would make such fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,

Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale,

But straight they told me, they would bind me here
Unto the body of a dismal yew;

And leave me to this miserable death.
And then they call'd me, foul adulteress,
Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms
That ever ear did hear to such effect.
And, had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed:
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not henceforth call'd my children.
Dem. This is a witness that I am thy son.
[Stabs Bassianus
Chi. And this for me, struck home to show my
strength. [Stabbing him likewise.
Lav. Ay, come, Semiramis,-nay, barbarous Ta-
mora!

For no name fits thy nature but thy own!

Tam Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys, Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong, (5) Hedgehogs,

(4) Part.