To this your son is mark’d; and die he must, Luc. Away with him; and make a fire straight; [Exeunt Lucius, QUINTUS, MARȚius, and · MUTIUS, with ALARBUS. Tam. O cruel, irreligious piety! Chi. Was ever Scythia half so barbarous ? Dem. Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome. Alarbus goes to rest; and we survive To tremble under Titus' threatening look. Then, madam, stand resolv’d; but hope withal, The self-same gods, that arm'd the queen of Troy With opportunity of sharp revenge Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent, May favour Tamura, 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 Swords bloody. Luc. See, lord and father, how we have perform'd Our Roman rites : Alarbus' limbs are lopp’d, And entrails feed the sacrificing fire, Whose smoke, like incense, doth perfume the sky. Remaineth nought, but to inter our brethren, . . And with loud 'larums welcome them to Rome. Tit. Let it be so, and let Andronicus Make this his latest farewell to their souls. [Trumpets sounded, and the Coffin laid in the Tomb. Here grow no damned grudges, here are no storms, No noise, but silence and eternal sleep: .. Enter LAVINÍA. Lav. In peace and honour live lord Titus long; - Tit. Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reserv'd The cordial of mine age to glad my heart ! Lavinia, live; outliye thy father's days, And fame's eternal date, for virtue's praise ! Enter Marcus ANDRONICUS, SATURNINUS, BAS SIANUS, and Others. Mar. Long live lord Titus, my beloved brother, Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome! Tit. Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus. Mar. And welcome, nephews, from successfulwars, You that survive, and you that sleep in fame. Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all, That in your country's service drew your swords : But safer triumph is this funéral pomp, That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness, 6 And fame's eternal date, for virtue's praise !] To outlive an eternal date is, though not philosophical, yet poetical sense. He wishes that her life may be longer than his, and her praise longer than fame. Johnson. 7 That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness,] The maxim of Solon here alluded to is, that no man can be pronounced to be happy before his death, And triumphs over chance, in honour's bed. Tit. A better head her glorious body fits, Mar. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the em pery.' Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell ? Tit. Patience, prince Saturnine. · Sat. . . Romans, do me right; Patricians, draw your swords, and sheath them not. Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor :Andronicus, 'would thou wert shipp'd to hell, Rather than rob me of the people's hearts. Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good That noble-minded Titus means to thee! B- don this robe,] i. e. do on this robe, put it on. 9 Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery,] Here is rather too much of the ύστερον πρότερον, Tit. Content thee, prince; I will restore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves. Bas. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee, Tit. People of Rome, and people's tribunes here, Trib. To gratify the good Andronicus, Mar. With voices and applause of every sort, [A long Flourish. 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, Sat. Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life! To TAMOŘA. 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 cheer, Lav. Not I, my lord;' sith true nobility 'Lav. Not I, my lord ;] It was pity to part a couple who seem to have corresponded in disposition so exactly as Saturninus and Lavinia. Saturninus, who has just promised to espouse her, already wishes he were to choose again; and she who was engaged to Bassianus (whom she afterwards marries) expresses no reluctance when her father gives her to Saturninus. Her subsequent raillery to Tamora is of so coarse a nature, that if her tongue had been all she was condemned to lose, perhaps the author (whoever he was) might have escaped censure on the score of poetick justice. STEEVENS. |