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Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas! you know, I am no vaunter, I;
My fcars can witnefs, dumb although they are,
That my report is just, and full of truth.
But, foft, methinks, I do digrefs too much,
Citing my worthless praise: oh, pardon me,
For when no friends are by, men praise themselves.
Mar. Now is my tongue to speak: behold this child,
Of this was Tamora delivered;

The iffue of an irreligious Moor,

Chief architect and plotter of thefe woes;
The villain is alive in Titus' houfe, (17)
Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge
Thefe wrongs, unspeakable, paft patience,
Or more than any living man could bear.

Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Romans?
Have we done aught amifs? fhew us wherein,

And from the place where you behold us now,
The remainder of Andronicus,

poor

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We'll hand in hand all head-long caft us down,
And on the ragged stones beat out our brains,
And make a mutual Closure of our Houfe:
Speak, Romans, fpeak; and, if you fay, we shall,
Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.

Em. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome,
And bring our Emperor gently in thy hand,
Lucius our Emperor: for, well I know,
The common voice do cry, it fhall be fo.

(17) The villain is alive in Titus' bouse,

And as he is, to witness this is true.] The Villain alive, and as be is, furely, can never be right. The Manuscript must have been obfcure and blindly writ, so that the first Editors could not make out the Word, which I have ventur'd to restore. The Epithet, I have replac'd, admirably forts with the Moor's Character: and Lucius ufes it again, speaking of him at the Conclufion of the Play.

See juftice done on Aaron that damned Moor. Befides, damn'd as he is

with our Author.

- is a Mode of Expression familiar Mar.

Mar. Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal Emperor!
Go, go, into old Titus' forrowful house,
And hither hale that misbelieving Moor,

To be adjudg'd fome direful flaughtering death;
As punishment for his moft wicked life.
Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious governour!
Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans: may I govern fo,
To heal Rome's harm, and drive away her woe!
But, gentle people, give me aim a while,
For nature puts me to a heavy task:

Stand all aloof; but, Uncle, draw you near,
To fhed obfequious tears upon this Trunk:
Oh, take this warm kifs on thy pale cold lips,
These forrowful drops upon thy blood-ftain'd face;
The laft true duties of thy noble Son.

Mar. Ay, tear for tear, and loving kiss for kifs,
Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips:
O, were the fum of these that I should

Countless and infinite, yet would I

pay

pay

them!

Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us
To melt in fhowers; thy grandfire lov'd thee well;
Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee;
Sung thee afleep, his loving breaft thy pillow:
Many a matter hath he told to thee,

Meet and agreeing with thy infancy;
In that refpect then, like a loving child,
Shed yet fome fmall drops from thy tender fpring,
Because kind nature doth require it fo;

Friends fhould affociate friends, in grief and woe :
Bid him farewel, commit him to the grave;
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.
Boy. O grandfire, grandfire! ev'n with all my heart,
'Would I were dead, fo you did live again
O lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping
My tears will choak me, if I ope my mouth.

Enter Romans with Aaron.

Rom. You fad Andronici, have done with woes: Give fentence on this execrable wretch,

That hath been breeder of these dire events.

VOL. VI.

M

Luc.

Luc. Set him breaft deep in earth, and famifh him:
There let him ftand, and rave. and cry for food:
If any one relieves or pities him,

For the offence he dies: this is our doom.
Some stay to see him faftned in the earth.

Aar. O, why fhould wrath be mute, and fury dumb!-
I am no baby, I, that with base prayers
I fhould repent the evil I have done :
Ten thousand worfe, than ever yet I did,
Would I perform, if I might have my will:
If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very foul.

Luc. Some loving friends convey the Emp'ror hence, And give him burial in his father's grave. My father and Lavinia fhall forthwith Be closed in our Houfhold's Monument: As for that heinous tygress Tamora,

prey:

No funeral rites, nor man in mournful weeds,
No mournful bell fhall ring her burial;
But throw her forth to beafts and birds of
Her life was beast-like, and devoid of pity;
And, being fo, fhall have like want of pity.
See juftice done on Aaron that damn'd Moor,
From whom our heavy haps had their beginning;
Then, afterwards, we'll order well the State;
That like events may ne'er it ruinate. [Exeunt omnes.

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Hgravelet in Vol.6.P267.

G.Vander Gucht Scul

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