Make way to lay them by their brethren.

[They open the tomb.

There greet in filence, as the dead are wont,

And fleep in peace, flain in your country's wars:
O facred receptacle of my joys,

Sweet cell of virtue and nobility,

How many fons of mine haft thou in store,
That thou wilt never render to me more?

Luc. Give us the proudeft prisoner of the Goths,
That we may hew his limbs, and on a pile,
Ad manes Fratrum facrifice his flesh,
Before this earthly prifon of their bones:
That so the shadows be not unappeas'd,
Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.
Tit. I give him you, the nobleft that survives.
The eldest son of this diftreffed Queen.

Tam. Stay, Roman brethren, gracious Conqueror,
Victorious Titus, rue the tears I fhed,
A mother's tears in paffion for her fon :
And if thy fons were ever dear to thee,
O, think my fons to be as dear to me.
Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome, (3)
To beautify thy Triumphs and Return,
Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoak?
But muft my fons be flaughter'd in the streets,
For valiant doings in their country's cause?
O! if to fight for King and Common-weal
Were Piety in thine, it is in thefe:
Andronicus, ftain not thy tomb with blood.

(3) Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome, To beautify thy Triumphs, and return

Captive to thee and to thy Roman Yoak?] It is evident, as this Paffage has hitherto been pointed, none of the Editors understood the true Meaning. If Tamora and her Family return captive to Rome, they must have been before Prisoners of War to the Romans: and that is more than what is hinted, or fuppos'd, any where in the Play. But the Truth is, return is not a Verb but a Subftantive; and relates to Titus and not to Tamora: The Regulation I have given the Text, I dare warrant, reftores the Author's Intention.

To beautify thy Triumphs and Return.

Wilt thou draw near the nature of the Gods?
Draw near them then in being merciful;
Sweet Mercy is Nobility's true badge.
Thrice noble Titus, fpare my firft-born fon.

Tit. Patient your felf, Madam, and pardon me.
These are their brethren, whom you Goths behold
Alive and dead, and for their brethren flain
Religiously they ask a Sacrifice;

To this your fon is markt, and die he must, T'appease their groaning fhadows that are gone. Luc. Away with him, and make a fire straight. And with our fwords, upon a pile of wood, Let's hew his limbs, 'till they be clean confum'd. [Exeunt Mutius, Marcus, Quintus and Lucius with Alarbus.

Tam. O cruel, irreligious, piety!

Chi. Was ever Scythia half fo barbarous?
Dem. Oppofe me, Scythia, to ambitious Rome.
Alarbus, go to reft! and we furvive

To tremble under Titus' threatning looks.

Then, Madam, ftand refolv'd; but hope withal,

The felf-fame Gods, that arm'd the Queen of Troy (4)

With opportunity of fharp revenge

Upon the Thracian tyrant in her Tent,

May favour Tamora, the Queen of Goths,

(When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was Queen)

To quit her bloody wrongs upon her foes.

Enter Mutius, Marcus, Quintus and Lucius. Luc. See, lord and father, how we have perform'd Our Roman rites: Alarbus limbs are lopt;

And intrails feed the facrificing fire;

(4) The felf-fame Gods, that arm'd the Queen of Troy With opportunity of Sharp revenge

Upon the Thracian Tyrant in his Tent, &c.] I read, against the Autho rity of all the Copies, -in her Tent; i. e. in the Tent where fhe and the other Trojan Captive Women were kept: for thither Hecuba by a Wile had decoy'd Polymneftor, in order to perpetrate her Revenge. This we may learn from EURIPIDES's Hecuba; the only Author, that I can at prefent remember, from whom our Writer must have glean'd this Circumkance.

Whofe

Whose smoke, like incenfe, 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 farewel to their fouls.

[Then found trumpets, and lay the coffins in the tomb. In peace and honour reft you here, my fons, Rome's readieft champions, repofe you here, Secure from worldly chances and mishaps : Here lurks no treafon, here no envy fwells; Here grow no damned grudges, here no ftorms, No noife: but filence and eternal sleep: In peace and honour rest you here, my fons!

Enter Lavinia.

Lav. In peace and honour live lord Titus long,
My noble lord and father, live in fame!
Lo! at this tomb my tributary tears
I render, for my brethrens obfequies:
And at thy feet I kneel, with tears of joy
Shed on the earth, for thy Return to Rome.
O, blefs me here with thy victorious hand,
Whose fortune Rome's best citizens applaud.

Tit. Kind Rome, that haft thus lovingly reserv'd
The Cordial of mine age, to glad mine heart!
Lavinia, live; out-live thy father's days, (5)
In Fame's eternal Date for virtue's praise!

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 fuccefsful wars, You that furvive, and you that fleep in fame:

(5) Lavinia, live; out-live thy Father's days:

And Fame's eternal date for Virtue's praife] Were the Text to be admitted genuine, nothing could be fo abfurd as for Titus to wifh, his Daughter might out-live the eternal Date of Fame. This, as my Friend Mr. Warburton merrily obferves, is like the loyal Patriot in the last Reign, who wifh'd, King George might reign for ever, and the Prince and Princess after him! I have, by the Change of a fingle Monofyllable reftor'd the Paffage to a fenfible and kind Wish.

Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all, (6)
That in your country's fervice drew your fwords.
But fafer triumph is this funeral pomp,
That hath afpir'd to Solon's happiness;
And triumphs over chance, in Honour's bed.
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whofe friend in juftice thou haft 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 fons:
Be Candidatus then, and put it on;
And help to fet a head on headless Rome..
Tit. A better head her glorious body fits,
Than his, that shakes for age and feebleness:
What! fhould I don this robe, and trouble you?
Be chose with Proclamations to day,

To morrow yield up Rule, refign my life,
And fet abroach new business for you all?
Rome, I have been thy foldier forty years,
And led my country's ftrength fuccessfully;
And buried one and twenty valiant fons,
Knighted in field, flain manfully in arms,
In Right and Service of their noble Country.
Give me a staff of honour for mine age,
But not a fceptre to controul the world.
Upright he held it, lords, that held it laft.

Mar. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the Empery.
Sat. Proud and ambitious Tribune, canft thou tell?
Tit. Patience, Prince Saturninus.-

Sat. Romans, do me Right.

Patricians, draw your fwords, and fheath them not

(6) Fair Lords, your Fortunes are alike in all.] This is addrefs'd by the Tribune to all his Brother's Sons, as well dead as alive. But how could it be then faid, that their Fortunes were all alike? The Expreffion feems liable to an open Abfurdity. Perhaps, we may reconcile ourselves to it, thus: "Some of you are return'd fafe, and with Glory; you, that have <6 not liv'd to return, fhare the Glory of your Brethren's Fortune, in having dy'd for your Country: And tho you cannot partake in the Joy of "their Triumph; yet ftill you enjoy a fafer Triumph, exempt from Chance and Chualty."

66

'Till Saturninus be Rome's Emperor. Andronicus, would thou wert shipt 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.

Tit. Content thee, Prince; I will restore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves. Baf. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee,

But honour thee, and will do 'till I die:

My faction if thou ftrengthen with thy friends,
I will moft thankful be; and Thanks to men
Of noble minds is honourable meed.

Tit. People of Rome, and noble Tribunes here,
I ask your voices, and your fuffrages,

Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus?
Mar. To gratify the good Andronicus,

And gratulate his fafe Return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.

Tit. Tribunes, I thank you, and this fuit I make,
That you create your Emperor's eldest fon,
Lord Saturnine; whofe 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 fay,-Long live our Emperor !
Mar. With voices and applause of every fort,
Patricians and Plebeians, we create
Lord Saturninus, Rome's great Emperor;
And fay,-Long live our Emperor Saturnine!

[A long flourish, 'till they come down. Sat. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done To us in our Election this day,

I give thee thanks in part of thy deferts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:
And for an onfet, Titus, to advance
Thy name, and honourable family,
Lavinia will I make my Emperefs,

Rome's royal Mistress, Mistress of my heart,
And in the facred Pantheon her espouse:

Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee?