My lord, be rul'd by me, be won at last,
Diffemble all your griefs and discontents:
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 heinous 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:
And make them know, what 'tis to let a Queen
Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain-
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, thefe looks infufe new life in me.
Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,
A Roman now adopted happily :
And must advife 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 your 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 fhall afk pardon of his Majesty.
Luc. We do, and vow to heaven and to his Highnefs,
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
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 heinous faults.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend; and fure, as death, I swore,
I would not part a bachelor 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 Majesty,
To hunt the Panther and the Hart with me,
With horn and hound, we'll give your Grace Bonjour.
Sat. Be it fo Titus, and gramercy too.
Enter Aaron alone.
AARON.
OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's fhot; and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning flash;
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach.
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiac in his gliftring coach,
And over-looks the higheft-peering hills:
So Tamora-
Upon her will doth earthly honour wait,
And virtue ftoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
To mount aloft with thy imperial miftrefs,
And mount her pitch; whom thou in triumph long
Haft prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.
Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright and fhine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emprefs.
To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
This Goddess, this Semiramis;this Queen,
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his common-weal's.
Holla! what ftorm is this?
Enter Chiron, and Demetrius, braving. Dem. CHIRON, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd;
And may, for aught thou know'ft, affected be.
Chi. Demetrius, thou doft over-ween in all,
And fo in this, to bear me down with Braves:
'Tis not the difference of a year or two
Makes me lefs gracious, or thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,
To ferve, and to deferve my mistress' grace;
And that my fword upon
thee fhall approve, And plead my paflion for Lavinia's love.
Aar. Clubs, clubs! -thefe lovers will not keep the peace.
Dem. Why boy, although our mother (unadvis'd) Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,
Are you fo defp'rate grown to threat your friends? Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath, 'Till you know better how to handle it.
Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little fkill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave?. [They draw.
Aar. Why, how now, lords?
So near the Emperor's Palace dare you draw?
And maintain fuch a Quarrel openly?
Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge:
I would not for a million of gold,
The cause were known to them it moft concerns.
Nor would your nobler mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the Court of Rome.
For fhame, put up.
Chi. Not I, 'till I have fheath'd My rapier in his bofom, and withalt
Thruft thefe reproachful fpeeches down his throat, That he hath breath'd in my difhonour here.
Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full-refolv'd,-
Foul-fpoken coward! thou thundreft with thy tongue,
And with thy weapon nothing dar'ft perform.
Aar. Away, I fay.-
Now by the Gods, that warlike Goths adore,
This pretty Brabble will undo us all;
Why, lords-and think you not, how dangerous
It is to jet upon a Prince's right?
What is Lavinia then become so loose,
Or Baffianus fo degenerate,
That for her love fuch quarrels may be broacht,
Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?
Young lords, beware-and should the Empress know
This difcord's ground, the mufic would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew fhe and all the world:
I love Lavinia more than all the world.
Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner choice;
Lavinia is thy elder brother's hope.
Aar. Why, are ye mad! or know ye not, in Rome How furious and impatient they be,
And cannot brook competitors in love?
I tell you, lords, you do but plot your deaths
By this Device.
Chi. Aaron, a thoufand deaths would I propofe, To atchieve her whom I do love.
Aar. To atchieve her-how?
Dem. why mak'ft thou it so strange?
She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd;
She is a woman, therefore may
She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov'd.
What, man! more Water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of; and easy it is
Of a cut loaf to steal a shive, we know:
Tho' Baffianus be the Emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.
[Afide. Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows to court it
With words, fair looks, and liberality?
What, haft thou not full often struck a doe,
And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose?
Aar. Why then, it seems, some certain snatch or fo
Would serve your turns.
Chi. Ay, fo the turn were ferved.
Dem. Aaron, thou haft hit it.
Aar. 'Would you had hit it too,
Then should not we be tired with this ado:
Why, hark ye, hark ye—and are you fuch fools,
To fquare for this? would it offend you then
That both fhould speed!
Chi. Faith, not me.
Dem. Nor me, fo I were one.
Aar. For fhame, be friends; and join for that
jar.
'Tis policy and ftratagem must do
That you affect; and fo muft you refolve,
That what you cannot, as you would, atchieve,
You may perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chaste
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