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! [friends, [ They all kneel, and say,
No man fhed tears for Noble Mutius;
He lives in fame that died in Virtue's caufe.
Mar. My Lord, to ftep 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.
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 play'd your prize; God give you joy, Sir, of your gallant bride. Baf. And you of your's, 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 shall repent this rape.
Baf. 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 poffefs'd of that is mine.
Sat. 'Tis good, Sir: you are very short with us,
But, if we live, we'll be as fharp with you.
Baf. My Lord, what I have done, as best I may,
Aufwer I muft, and fhall 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 eldest fon,
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 exprefs'd 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 those that have difhonour'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 fpeak indifferently for all;
And at my fuit (fweet) pardon what is past.
Sat. What, Madam! be difhonour'd openly,
And bafely put it up without revenge?
Tam. Not fo, my Lord; the gods of Rome forefend I should 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 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 to 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 Majefty, 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 muft advife 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 friends and you.
For you, Prince Baffianus, I have pafs'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 fhall afk pardon of his Majefty..
Luc. We do, and vow to Heaven and to his Highness, That what we did was mildly, as we might, Tend'ring our fifter's honour and our own.
Mar. That on mine honour here I do protest. Sat. Away, and talk not; trouble us no moreTam. Nay, nay, fweet Emperor, we muft all be friends. 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 mens' 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 bachelor from a priest.
Come, if the Emperor's court can feast two bribes ;
You are my gueft, Lavinia, and my 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 bonjour.
Sat. Be it fo, Titus, and gramercy too.
Aar. Now 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 threat'ning reach.
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the zodiac in his glift'ring coach,
And overlooks the highest-peering hills;
So Tamora-
Upon her will 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 thine in pearl and gold
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
This goddess, this Semiramis ;this Queen,
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, 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 aught thou know'it, affected be.
Chi. Demetrius, thou doft overween 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 mistress' grace;
And that my fword
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.
-thefe lovers fhall not keep the
Dem. Why, boy, although my 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 so 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 moft concerns.
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the court of Rome.
For fhame, put up.
Chi. Not I, till I have fheath'd
My rapier in his bofom, and withal
Thrust these reproachful speeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.
Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full-refolv'd,Foul-fpoken coward! thou thund'reft with thy tongue, And with thy weapon nothing dar'it perform.
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 jot upon a prince's right?
What, is Lavinia then become fo loofe,
Or Baffianus fo degenerate,
That for her love fuch quarrels may be broach'd,
Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?
Young Lords, beware-and fhould the Emprefs know
This difcord's ground, the mufic would not pleafe.
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 Lavinia is thy elder brother's hope.
Aar. Why, are you 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.
|