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"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 ftep out of these 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 lefs, and fo I take my leave.

Sat. Traitor, if Rome have law, or we have power, Thou and thy faction fhall repent this rape.

Baf. Rape call you it, my Lord, to seize 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,
Anfwer 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 fon,
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 Bafianus, 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 thofe princely eyes of thine,
Then hear me speak, indifferently, for all;
And at my fuit (fweet) pardon what is paft.
Sat. What, Madam! be dishonour'd openly,
And bafely put it up without revenge?

Tam. Not fo, my Lord; the gods of Rome fore-fend, I should be author to difhonour 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 gracioufly on him, Lofe not fo noble a friend on vain fuppofe, 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 hainous 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:

[Afide.

And make them know, what 'tis to let a Queen
Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain.-J
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 majefty, and her; my Lord,
These words, thefe looks infufe 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 my honour, good my Lord,
That I have reconcil'd your friends and you.
For you, Prince Baffianus, I have past
My word and promife 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 afk pardon of his majesty.

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 proteft. Sat. Away, and talk not; trouble us no more. Tam. Nay, nay, fweet Emperor, we muft all be friends. The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace, I will not be denied; sweet-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 hainous faults,
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,

I found a friend; and, fure as death, I fwore,

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 majesty,

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.

XX

[Exeunt.

ACT

N

ACT

II.

SCENE, before the Palace.

Enter Aaron alone.

AARON.

OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, (8)
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, (9)
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 prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.

(8) Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, Safe out of fortune's foot; aud fits aloft,

Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning flash;]

The images here feem to be borrow'd from Claudian's description of the fummit of Olympus, in his poem on Mallius Theodorus's confulship.

ut altus Olympi

Vertex, qui ftatio ventos biemefque relinquit,
Perpetuum nulla temeratus nube ferenum,
Celfior exurgit pluviis, auditque ruentes
Sub pedibus nimbos, & rauca tonitrua calcat.

(9) Upon her wit doth early honour wait,]

Mr. Warburton.

I don't know for what reafon, or whether by chance, Mr. Rorve and

Mr. Pope adopted this reading: I have reftor'd with all the old copies,

earthly.

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Away with flavifh weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright and fhine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
This goddefs, this Semiramis; this Queen,
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwrack, and his common-weal's.
Holla! what ftorm 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 ought thou know'ft, affected be.
Chi. Demetrius, thou doft 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 lefs gracious, or thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,

To ferve, and to deferve my miftrefs' grace;
And that my fword upon thee fhall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love,

Aar. Clubs, clubs!--thefe lovers will not keep the peace. Dem. Why, boy, although our mother (unadvis'd). Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,

Are you fo defperate 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 fkill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave?

Aar. Why, how now, Lords?

[They draw.

So near the Emp'ror'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 caufe were known to them it moft concerns.
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the court of Rome.

For fhame, put up.

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