Aar. Some devil whifper curfes in my ear, Sirs, help my uncle to convey him in. [Flourish. Sound trumpets. Enter Emperor and Empress, with Tri bunes and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more funs than one? The feat is ready, which the careful Titus For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome: Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus? Tit. Because I would be fure to have all well, To entertain your Highnefs, and your Empress. Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus. Tit. And if your Highnefs knew my heart, you were. My Lord the Emperor, refolve me this; Was it well done of rafh Virginius, To lay his daughter with his own right hand, Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reafon, mighty Lord? Sat. Because the girl fhould not furvive her fhamé, And by her prefence ftill renew his forrows. Tit. A reafon mighty, ftrong, and effectual, A A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, And with thy fhame thy father's forrow die! [He kills her. And have a thousand times more caufe than he Sat. What, was fhe ravifh'd? tell, who did the deed? Tit. Will't please you eat, will't please your Highness feed? Tam. Why haft thou flain thine only daughter 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. Sat. Go, fetch them hither to us presently. Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pye, Whereof the mother daintily hath fed; Eating the flesh, that the herfelf hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness, my knife's fharp point. [He ftabs the Emprefs Sat. Die, frantick wretch, for this accurfed deed. [He ftabs Titus. Luc. Can the fon's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Lucius ftabs the Emperor. Goth. Let Rome herfelf be bane unto herfelf; Mar. But if my frofty figns and chaps of age, Cannot induce you to attend my words, Speak, Speak, Rome's dear friend; as erft our ancestor, [To Lucius. When with his folemn tongue he did discourse When fubtle Greeks furpriz'd King Priam's Troy: But floods of tears will drown my oratory, And break my very utt'rance; even in the time Here is a captain, let him tell the tale, Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Were they, that murdered our Emperor's brother; The gates fhut on me, and turn'd weeping out, For when no friends are by, men praise themselves. Mar. 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; Now you have heard the truth, what fay you, Romans ? We'll hand in hand all head-long caft us down, Em. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, Mar. Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal Emperor! (27) The villain is alive in Titus' house, And as he is, to witness this is true.] The villain alive, and as he is, furely, can never be right. The manufcript must have been ob fcure and blindly writ, fo that the firft editors could not make out the word which I have ventur'd to reftore. The epithet, I have replac'd, admirably forts with the Moor's character: and Lucius ufes it again, fpeaking of him at the conclufion of the play. See juftice done on Aaron that dann'd Moor. Befides, damn'd as beis--is a mode of expreffion familiar with our author, So in Othello: O thou foul thief! where ha'ft thou ftow'd my daughter? : Damn'd as thou art, thou ha'ft enchanted her. And the fame fashion of expreffing himself he likewife ufes in beftow ing praife. 2 Henry VI. But, noble as be is, look, where he comes, As As punishment for his most wicked life. Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans: may I govern fo, Stand all aloof; but, uncle, draw you near, Mar. Ay, tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, O, were the fum of these that I fhould pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them. Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us Meet and agreeing with thy infancy; Friends fhould affociate friends, in grief and woe: Boy. O grandfire, grandfire! ev'n with all my heart, Ram. You fad Andronici, have done with woes : Give fentence on this execrable wretch, That hath been breeder of thefe dire events. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish 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 |