And here I swear by all the Roman gods,
(Sith priest and holy water are so near,
And tapers burn fo bright, and every thing
In readiness for Hymeneus ftands,)

I will not re-falute the streets of Rome,

Or climb my palace, 'till from forth this place
I lead efpous'd my bride along with me.

Tam. And here in fight of heav'n to Rome I swear,
If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths,

She will a handmaid be to his defires,

A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.

Sat. Afcend, fair Queen, Pantheon; Lords, accompany Your noble Emperor, and his lovely bride, Sent by the heavens for Prince Saturnine; Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered: There fhall we confummate our fpoufal rites.

Manet Titus Andronicus.

Tit. I am not bid to wait upon this bride. Titus, when were thou wont to walk alone, Dishonour'd thus, and challenged of wrongs?

[Exeunt.

Enter Marcus Andronicus, Lucius, Quintus, and Marcus. Mar. Oh, Titus, fee, oh, fee, what thou haft done!

In a bad quarrel flain a virtuous fon.

Tit. No, foolish tribune, no: no fon of mine,
Nor thou, nor these confederates in the deed,
That hath difhonoured all our family;

Unworthy brother, and unworthy fons.

Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Give Mutius burial with our bretheren.

Tit. Traitors, away! he refts not in this tomb;
This monument five hundred years hath stood,
Which I have fumptuously re-edified:

Here none but foldiers, and Rome's fervitors,
Repofe in fame; none basely flain in brawls.
Bury him where you can, he comes not here.
Mar. My Lord, this is impiety in you;
My nephew Mutius' deeds do plead for him :
He must be buried with his bretheren. [Titus's fons Speak.

Sons.

Sons. And shall, or him we will accompany. Tit. And shall ? what villain was it fpake that word? [Titus's fon peaks.

Quin. He, that would vouch't in any place but here. Tit. What, would you bury him in my defpight? Mar. No, noble Titus; but intreat of thee

To pardon Mutius, and to bury him.

Tit. Marcus, ev'n thou haft ftruck upon my creft,
And with these boys mine honour thou haft wounded.
My foes I do repute you every one,

So trouble me no more, but get you gone.
Luc. He is not himself, let us withdraw.
Quin. Not I, 'till Mutiùs' bones be buried.

[The brother and his fons kneel.
Mar. Brother, for in that name doth nature plead.
Quin. Father, and in that name doth nature speak.
Tit. Speak thou no more, if all the reft will speed.
Mar. Renowned Titus, more than half my foul,-
Luc. Dear father, foul and fubfiance of us all.
Mar. Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter
His noble nephew here in virtue's neft,
That died in honour, and Lavinia's caufe.
Thou art a Roman, be not barbarous.

The Greeks, upon advice, did bury Ajax, (7)
That flew himfelf; and wife Laertes' on
Did graciously plead for his funerals.

Let not young Mutius then, that was thy joy,
Be barr'd his entrance here.

Tit. Rife, Marcus, rife

The difmall'ft day is this, that e'er I faw,
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 liethy bones, fweet Mutius, with thy friends,

(7) The Greeks, upon advice, did bury Ajax,

That flew bimfelf--] As the author before fhew'd himself acquainted with a circumftance glean'd from Euripides, we find him there, no less converfant with the Ajax of SOPHOCLES; in which Uyes and Teucer ftrenuously contend for permiffion to bury the body of Ajax, tho' he had been declared an enemy to the confederate ftates of Greece,

VOL. VI.

K

'Till

'Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb!

[They all kneel and fag;

No man fhed tears for noble Mutius ;

He lives in fame, that died in virtue's cause.

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.

Flourish. 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 plaid your prize; God give you joy, Sir, of your gallant bride. Baf. And you of yours, my Lord; I fay no more, Nor with no less, and so I take my leave.

Sat. Traitor, if Rome have law, or we have power, Thou and thy faction fhall 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 poffeft 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.

my

Baf. My Lord, what I have done, as best I may,
Anfwer I muft, and fhall do with
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 refcue of Lavinia,

With his own hand did flay his youngest fon,
In zeal to you, and highly mov'd to wrath
To be controul'd in that he frankly gave;
Receive him then to favour, Saturnine;
'That hath exprest himself in all his deeds

2

A father and a friend to thee, and Rome.

Tit. Prince Baffianus, leave to plead my deeds.
'Tis thou, and thofe, 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 thofe princely eyes of thine,
Then hear me speak, indifferently, for all;
And at my fuit (fweet) pardon what is past.
Sat. What, Madam! be dishonour'd openly,
And bafely put it up without revenge?

Tam. Not fo, my Lord; the gods of Rome fore fend, 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 fo fupplant us for ingratitude, Which Rome reputes to be a hainous 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 :

[Afide.

And make them know, what 'tis to let a Queen
Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain.-j
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 Emprefs hath prevail'd. Tit. I thank your majefty, and her; my Lord, Thefe words, these looks infufe new life in me.

Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,

A Roman now adopted happily:

your

And must advise 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 past
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 shall afk pardon of his majesty.

Luc. We do, and vow to heaven and to his Highness,
That what we did was mildly, as we might,
Tendring our fifter's honour and our own.

Mar. That on mine honour here I do protest. Sat. Away, and talk not; trouble us no more. Tam. Nay, nay, fweet Emperor, we must 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 men's hainous faults.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,

I found a friend; and, fure as death, I swore,
I would not part a batchelor from the priest.
Come, if the Emperor's court can feast two brides;
You are my gueft, Lavinia, and your
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 Bon-jour. Sat. Be it fo, Titus, and gramercy too.

[Exeunt.