Enter a GOTH.

Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from
Rome,

Desires to be admitted to your presence.
Luc. Let him come near.-

Enter EMILIUS.

Welcome, Æmilius, what's the news from

Rome?

Emil. Lord Lucius, and you princes of the
Goths,

The Roman emperor greets you all by me:
And, for he understands you are in arms,
He craves a parley at your father's house,
Willing you to demand your hostages,
And they shall be immediately deliver'd.
1 Goth. What says our general?

Luc. Emilius, let the emperor give his pledges

Unto my father and my uncle Marcus,
And we will come.-March away.* [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Rome.-Before TITUS' House. Enter TAMORA, CHIRON, and Demetrius, disguised.

Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliI will encounter with Andronicus; [ment, And say, I am Revenge, come from below, To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs. Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge; Tell him, Revenge is come to join with him, And work confusion on his enemies.

Enter TITUS, above.

[They knock.

Tam. I am; therefore come down, and wel

come me.

Tit. Do me some service, ere I come to thee. Lo, by thy side where Rape, and Murder, stands;

Now give some 'surance that thou art Revenge
Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot wheels
And then I'll come, and be thy waggoner,
And whirl along with thee about the globes.
To hale thy vengeful waggon swift away,
Provide thee proper palfries, black as jet,
And find out murderers in their guilty caves
And, when thy car is loaden with their heads,
I will dismount, and by the waggon wheel
Trot, like a servile footman, all day long;
Even from Hyperion's rising in the east,
Until his very downfal in the sea.
So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there.
And day by day I'll do this heavy task,
Tam. These are my ministers, and come with

me.

Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they call'd?

So,

Tam. Rapine, and Murder; therefore called [men. 'Cause they take vengeance of such kind of Tit. Good lord, how like the empress' sons they are!

And you the empress! But we worldly men
O sweet Revenge, now do I come to thee:
Have miserable, mad, mistaking eyes.
And, if one arm's embracement will content

I will embrace thee in it by and by.

[thee,

[Exit TITUS, from above. Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy: Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-sick fits, Do you uphold and maintain in your speeches, For now he firmly takes me for Revenge; And, being credulous in this mad thought, I'll make him send for Lucius, his son; And, whilst I at a banquet hold him sure, I'll find some cunning practice out of hand, To scatter and disperse the giddy Goths, Or, at the least, make them his enemies. See, here he comes, and I must ply my theme

Enter TITUS.

Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for

thee:

Welcome, dread fury, to my woful house;-
Rapine, and Murder, you are welcome too:-
How like the empress and her sons you are!
Well are you fitted, had you but a Moor:-
Could not all hell afford you such a devil?—
For, well I wot, the empress never wags,
But in her company there is a Moor;

And, would you represent our queen aright,
It were convenient you had such a devil:
But welcome, as you are. What shall we do?
Tam. What would'st thou have us do, An-

dronicus,?

Dem. Show me a murderer, I'll deal with him.

Chi. Show me a villain, that hath done a And I am sent to be reveng'd on him. [rape. Tam. Show me a thousand, that hath done

thee wrong, And I will be revenged on them all.

Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of

Rome;

And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself,
Good Murder, stab him; he's a murderer.—
Go thou with him; and when it is thy hap,
To find another that is like to thee,
Good Rapine, stab him; he is a ravisher.-
Go thou with them; and in the emperor's court
There is a queen, attended by a Moor⚫

portion,

For up and down she doth resemble thee;
I pray thee, do on them some violent death,
They have been violent to me and mine.

Tum. Well hast thou lesson'd us; this shall we do.

But would it please thee, good Andronicus,
To send for Lucius, thy thrice valiant son,
Who leads towards Rome a band of warlike
Goths,

And bid him come and banquet at thy house:
When he is here, even at thy solemn feast,
I will bring in the empress and her sons,
The emperor himself, and all thy foes;
And at thy mercy shall they stoop and kneel,
And on them shalt thou ease thy angry heart.
What says Andronicus to this device?

Tit. Marcus, my brother!-'tis sad Titus calls.

here.

Tam. Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now To lay a complot to betray thy foes. [goes [Exit TAMORA. Tit. I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell.

Chi. Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ'd'?

Tit. Tut, I have work enough for you to do.Publius, come hither, Caius, and Valentine! Enter PUBLIUS, and others.

Pub. What's your will?
Tit. Know you these two?
Pub. Th' empress' sons,

I take them. Chiron and Demetrius.

Tit. Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much de

ceiv'd;

The one is Murder, Rape is the other's name:
And therefore bind them, gentle Publius;
Caius, and Valentine, lay hands on them:
Oft have you heard me wish for such an hour,
And now I find it; therefore bind them sure;

[Exit TITUS.-PUBLIUS, &c. lay hold on CHIRON and DEMETRIUS.

Chr. Villains, forbear: we are the empress'

Re-enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with LAVINIA; she bearing a Basin, and he a Knife. Tit. Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound ;

[me; Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to But let them hear what fearful words I utter.O villains, Chiron and Demetrius! Here stands the spring whom you have stain'd with mud;

This goodly summer with your winter mix'd. You kill'd her husband; and, for that vile fault, Two of her brothers were condemn'd to death: Both her sweet hands, her tongue, and that, My hand cut off, and made a merry jest:

more dear

Than hands or tongue, her spotless chastity, Inhuman traitors, you constrain'd and forc'd. Villains, for shame you could not beg for grace. What would you say, if I should let you speak? Hark, wretches, how I mean to martyr you. This one hand yet is left to cut your throats; Whilst that Lavinia 'tween her stumps doth You know, your mother means to feast with me, The basin, that receives your guilty blood. And calls herself, Revenge, and thinks me

hold

mad,

Hark, villains; I will grind your bones to dust,
And with your blood and it, I'll make a paste;
And of the paste a coffin I will rear,

And make two pasties of your shameful heads;
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth, swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you us'd my daughter,
And now prepare your throats, -Lavinia,
And worse than Progne I will be reveng'd:
Receive the blood: and, when that they are
[He cuts their Throats.
dead,

come,

And with this hateful liquor temper it;
Let me go grind their bones to powder small,
Come, come, be every one officious
And in that paste let their vile heads be bak'd.
[prove
To make this banquet; which I wish may
More stern and bloody than the Centaur's

feast.

And see them ready 'gainst their mother comes.
So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook,
[Exeunt, bearing the dead Bodies.
SCENE III.-The same.-A Pavilion, with
Tables, &c.

Enter LUCIUS, MARCUS, and GOTHS, with
AARON, Prisoner.

Luc. Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's That I repair to Rome, I am content. [mind. 1 Goth. And ours, with thine, befall what fortune will.

Luc. Good uncle, take you in this barbarous

Moor,

This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; Let him receive no sustenance, fetter him,

* Crust of a raised py.

Till he be brought unto the empress' face,
For testimony of her foul proceedings:
And see the ambush of our friends be strong:
1 fear, the emperor means no good to us.

Aar. Some devil whisper curses in mine ear, And prompt me, that my tongue may utter forth

The venomous malice of my swelling heart! Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave!

Birs, help our uncle to convey him in.—

[Exeunt GOTHS, with AARON. Flourish. The trumpets show, the emperor is at hand.

Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes, Senators, and others.

Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one?

Luc. What boots* it thee, to call thyself a sun?

Mar. Rome's emperor, and nephew, breakt the parle;

These quarrels must be quietly debated.
The feast is ready, which the careful Titus
Hath ordain'd to an honourable end,, [Rome:
For peace, for love, for league, and good to
Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take
your places.

Sat. Marcus, we will.

[Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at Table.

Enter TITUS, dressed like a Cook, LAVINIA, veiled, young LUCIUS, and others. TITUS places

the Dishes on the Table.

Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord: welcome, dread queen;

Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius; And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor, Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus? Tit. Because I would be sure to have all well,

To entertain your highness, and your empress. Tam. We are beholden to you, good An

dronicus.

Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, you were.

My lord the emperor, resolve me this;
Was it well done of rash Virginius,

To slay his daughter with his own right hand,

Because she was enforc'd, stain'd, and deflower'd?

Sat. It was, Andronicus.

Tit. Your reason, mighty lord!

Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daugh. ter thus?

Tit. Not I; 'twas Chiron, and Demetrius: They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue, And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong.

Sut. Go, fetch them hither to us presently. Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pye;

Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMORA.

Sut. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUS. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father blced? [deed. There's meed for meed, death for a deadly [Kills SATURNINUS. A great Tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their Partisans ascend the Steps before TITUS' House.

Mar. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of
Rome,

Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts,
By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl
O, let me teach you how to knit again
This scatter'd corn into one mutual sheaf,
These broken limbs again into one body.

Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto her

self;

And she, whom mighty kingdoms court'sy to,
Like a forlorn and desperate cast-away,
Do shameful execution on herself.
But if my frosty signs and chaps of age,
Grave witnesses of true experience,
Cannot induce you to attend my words,-
Speak, Rome's dear friend; [To LUCIUS.] as
erst our ancestor,
When with his solemn tongue he did discourse,
To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear,
The story of that baleful burning night,
When subtle Greeks surpris'd king Priam's
Troy;

Or who hath brought the fatal engine in,
That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil

Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears,

wound.

My heart is not compact of flint, nor steel;
Nor can I utter all our bitter grief,
But floods of tears will drown my oratory,

And break my very utterance; even i'the time

When it should move you to attend me most,
Lending your kind commiseration :
Here is a captain, let him tell the tale;

shame,

speak.

Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to That cursed Chiron and Demetrius [you, Were they that murdered our emperor's bro

ther;

And they it were that ravished our sister:
For their fell faults our brothers were be-
headed;

Our father's tears despis'd; and basely cozen'd
Of that true hand, that fought Rome's quarrel
Lastly, myself unkindly banished,
And sent her enemies unto the grave. [out,
[out,
The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping
To beg relief among Rome's enemies;
Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears,
And op'd their arms to embrace me as a friend
And I am the turn'd-forth, be it known to you,
And from her bosom took the enemy's point,
That have preserv'd her welfare in my blood;
Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas! you know, I am no vaunter. 1:

My scars can witness, dumb although they are,
That my report is just, and full of truth.
But, soft; methinks, I do digress too much,
Citing my worthless praise: O, pardon me ;
For when no friends are by, men praise them-
selves.

Mar. Now is my turn to speak; Behold this child,

[Pointing to the Child in the arms of an At-
iendant.

Of this was Tamora delivered;
The issue of an irreligious Moor,
Chief architect and plotter of these woes;
The villain is alive in Titus' house,
Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge
These wrongs, unspeakable, past patience,
Or more than any living man could bear.
Now you have heard the truth, what say you,
Romans?

Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein,
And, from the place where you behold us now,
The poor remainder of Andronici

Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains, And make a mutual closure of our house. Speak, Romans, speak; and, if you say, we shall,

Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.

Emil. 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 shall be so.
Rom. Several speak.] Lucius, all hail;
Rome's royal emperor!

LUCIUS, &c. descend.

Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house; [To an Attendant. And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering death, As punishment for his most wicked life. Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's gracious governor!

80,

Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern [woe! To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,For nature puts me to a heavy task;Stand all aloof :-but, uncle, draw you near, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk:O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips, [Kisses TITUS. These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd The last true duties of thy noble son! [face, Afer. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss,

Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips:
O, were the sum of these that I should pay
Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!
Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and
learn of us
[well:
To melt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee
Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee,
Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;
Many a matter hath he told to thee,
Meet, and agreeing with thine infancy;
In that respect then, like a loving child,
Shed yet some small drops from thy tender
spring,

Because kind nature doth require it so: [woe:
Friends should associate friends in grief and
Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave;
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.
Boy. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all

my heart

Would I were dead, so you did live again!O lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping; My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth.

Enter Attendants, with AARON.

1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes;

Give sentence on this execrable wretch,
That hath been breeder of these dire events.
Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish

him;

There let him stand, 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 fasten'd in the earth.

Aar. O, why should wrath be mute, and fury dumb?

I am no baby, I, that, with base prayers,
I should repent the evils I have done:
Ten thousand, worse than ever yet I did,
Would I perform, if I might have my will;
If one good deed in all my life I did,
do repent it from my very soul.

I

Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence,

And give him burial in his father's grave:
My father, and Lavinia, shall forthwith
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that heinous tiger, Tamora,
No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds,
No mournful bell shall ring her burial; [prey:
But throw her forth to beasts, and birds of
Her life was beast-like, and devoid of pity;
And, being so, shall have like want of pity.
See justice done to Aaron, that damn'd Moor,
By whom our heavy haps had their beginning:
Then, afterwards, to order well the state;
That like events may ne'er it ruinate.

TYRE.

ACT I.

Enter GOWER.*

Before the Palace of Ant ch.
To sing a song of oldt was stag,
From ashes ancient Gower is come;
Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festival.,
On ember-eves, and holy ale.;‡
And lords and ladies of their lives
Have read it for restoratives
'Purpose to make men glorio is;
Et quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter ti nes,
When wit's more ripe, accep. my rhyraes,
And that to hear an old man sing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-light.-
This city then, Antioch the great
Built up for his chiefest seat;
The fairest in all Syria;

(I tell you what mine authors say:)
This king unto him took a pheere,§
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke:
Bad father! to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.

Chorus, in the character of Gower, an ancient Enghah Poet, who has related the story of this play in his Confessio Amantis.

1 Whitsun-ales, &c.

↑ I. e. That of old. Wife, the word signifies a mate or companion.

By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long use, account* no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:
Which to prevent, he made a law,
(To keep her still, and men in awe,)
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.+
What now ensues, to the judgement of
your eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.
[Exit.

SCENE I.-Antioch.-A Room in the Palace.
Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants.
Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large
receiv'd

The danger of the task you undertake.
Per. I have, Antiochus, and with a soul
Embolden'd with the glory of her praise,
Think death no hazard, in this enterprise.

[Music.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a