Re-enter LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and
MUTIUS, the sons of ANDRONICUS, with their swords bloody
LUCIUS. See, lord and father, how we have perform'd
Our Roman rites: Alarbus' limbs are lopp'd,
And entrails feed the sacrificing fire,
Whose smoke like
incense doth
perfume the sky.
Remaineth
nought but to inter our brethren,
And with loud 'larums
welcome them to Rome.
TITUS. Let it be so, and let Andronicus
Make this his latest
farewell to their souls.
[Sound trumpets and lay the
coffin in the tomb]
In peace and honour rest you here, my sons;
Rome's readiest champions,
repose you here in rest,
Secure from
worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no
treason, here no envy swells,
Here grow no
damned drugs, here are no storms,
No noise, but silence and
eternal sleep.
In peace and honour rest you here, my sons!
Enter LAVINIA
LAVINIA. In peace and honour live Lord Titus long;
My noble lord and father, live in fame!
Lo, at this tomb my
tributary tears
I render for my brethren's obsequies;
And at thy feet I kneel, with tears of joy
Shed on this earth for thy return to Rome.
O, bless me here with thy
victorious hand,
Whose fortunes Rome's best citizens
applaud!
TITUS. Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reserv'd
The
cordial of mine age to glad my heart!
Lavinia, live; outlive thy father's days,
And fame's
eternal date, for virtue's praise!
Enter, above, MARCUS ANDRONICUS and TRIBUNES;
re-enter SATURNINUS, BASSIANUS, and attendants
MARCUS. Long live Lord Titus, my
beloved brother,
Gracious
triumpher in the eyes of Rome!
TITUS. Thanks, gentle Tribune, noble brother Marcus.
MARCUS. And
welcome, nephews, from successful wars,
You that
survive and you that sleep in fame.
Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all
That in your country's service drew your swords;
But safer
triumph is this
funeral pomp
That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness
And
triumphs over chance in honour's bed.
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whose friend in justice thou hast ever been,
Send thee by me, their Tribune and their trust,
This par]iament of white and spotless hue;
And name thee in
election for the empire
With these our late-deceased Emperor's sons:
Be candidatus then, and put it on,
And help to set a head on headless Rome.
TITUS. A better head her
glorious body fits
Than his that shakes for age and feebleness.
What should I don this robe and trouble you?
Be chosen with proclamations to-day,
To-morrow yield up rule,
resign my life,
And set
abroad new business for you all?
Rome, I have been thy soldier forty years,
And led my country's strength successfully,
And buried one and twenty
valiant sons,
Knighted in field, slain manfully in arms,
In right and service of their noble country.
Give me a staff of honour for mine age,
But not a sceptre to control the world.
Upright he held it, lords, that held it last.
MARCUS. Titus, thou shalt
obtain and ask the empery.
SATURNINUS. Proud and
ambitious Tribune, canst thou tell?
TITUS. Patience, Prince Saturninus.
SATURNINUS. Romans, do me right.
Patricians, draw your swords, and sheathe them not
Till Saturninus be Rome's Emperor.
Andronicus, would thou were shipp'd to hell
Rather than rob me of the people's hearts!
LUCIUS. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good
That noble-minded Titus means to thee!
TITUS. Content thee, Prince; I will
restore to thee
The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves.
BASSIANUS. Andronicus, I do not
flatter thee,
But honour thee, and will do till I die.
My
faction if thou
strengthen with thy friends,
I will most
thankful be; and thanks to men
Of noble minds is
honourable meed.
TITUS. People of Rome, and people's Tribunes here,
I ask your voices and your suffrages:
Will ye
bestow them friendly on Andronicus?
TRIBUNES. To
gratify the good Andronicus,
And gratulate his safe return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.
TITUS. Tribunes, I thank you; and this suit I make,
That you create our Emperor's
eldest son,
Lord Saturnine; whose virtues will, I hope,
Reflect on Rome as Titan's rays on earth,
And ripen justice in this commonweal.
Then, if you will elect by my advice,
Crown him, and say 'Long live our Emperor!'
MARCUS. With voices and
applause of every sort,
Patricians and plebeians, we create
Lord Saturninus Rome's great Emperor;
And say 'Long live our Emperor Saturnine!'
[A long
flourish till they come down]
SATURNINUS. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done
To us in our
election this day
I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness;
And for an onset, Titus, to advance
Thy name and
honourable family,
Lavinia will I make my emperess,
Rome's royal
mistress,
mistress of my heart,
And in the
sacred Pantheon her espouse.
Tell me, Andronicus, doth this
motion please thee?
TITUS. It doth, my
worthy lord, and in this match
I hold me highly honoured of your Grace,
And here in sight of Rome, to Saturnine,
King and
commander of our commonweal,
The wide world's Emperor, do I consecrate
My sword, my
chariot, and my prisoners,
Presents well
worthy Rome's
imperious lord;
Receive them then, the
tribute that I owe,
Mine honour's ensigns humbled at thy feet.
SATURNINUS. Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life.
How proud I am of thee and of thy gifts
Rome shall record; and when I do forget
The least of these
unspeakable deserts,
Romans, forget your fealty to me.
TITUS. [To TAMORA] Now, madam, are you prisoner to an
emperor;
To him that for your honour and your state
Will use you nobly and your followers.
SATURNINUS. [Aside] A
goodly lady, trust me; of the hue
That I would choose, were I to choose anew.-
Clear up, fair Queen, that cloudy countenance;
Though chance of war hath
wrought this change of cheer,
Thou com'st not to be made a scorn in Rome-
Princely shall be thy usage every way.
Rest on my word, and let not discontent
Daunt all your hopes. Madam, he comforts you
Can make you greater than the Queen of Goths.
Lavinia, you are not displeas'd with this?
LAVINIA. Not I, my lord, sith true nobility
Warrants these words in
princely courtesy.
SATURNINUS. Thanks, sweet Lavinia. Romans, let us go.
Ransomless here we set our prisoners free.
Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum.
[Flourish]
BASSIANUS. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine.
[Seizing LAVINIA]
TITUS. How, sir! Are you in
earnest then, my lord?
BASSIANUS. Ay, noble Titus, and resolv'd withal
To do myself this reason and this right.
MARCUS. Suum cuique is our Roman justice:
This
prince in justice seizeth but his own.
LUCIUS. And that he will and shall, if Lucius live.
TITUS. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the Emperor's guard?
Treason, my lord- Lavinia is surpris'd!
SATURNINUS. Surpris'd! By whom?
BASSIANUS. By him that
justly may
Bear his betroth'd from all the world away.
Exeunt BASSIANUS and MARCUS with LAVINIA
MUTIUS. Brothers, help to
convey her hence away,
And with my sword I'll keep this door safe.
Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS
TITUS. Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back.
MUTIUS. My lord, you pass not here.
TITUS. What,
villain boy!
Bar'st me my way in Rome?
MUTIUS. Help, Lucius, help!
TITUS kills him. During the fray, exeunt SATURNINUS,
TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and AARON
Re-enter Lucius
LUCIUS. My lord, you are
unjust, and more than so:
In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son.
TITUS. Nor thou nor he are any sons of mine;
My sons would never so dishonour me.
Re-enter aloft the EMPEROR
with TAMORA and her two Sons, and AARON the Moor
Traitor,
restore Lavinia to the Emperor.
LUCIUS. Dead, if you will; but not to be his wife,
That is another's
lawful promis'd love. Exit
SATURNINUS. No, Titus, no; the Emperor needs her not,
Nor her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock.
I'll trust by
leisure him that mocks me once;
Thee never, nor thy traitorous
haughty sons,
Confederates all thus to dishonour me.
Was there none else in Rome to make a stale
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,
Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine
That saidst I begg'd the empire at thy hands.
TITUS. O monstrous! What reproachful words are these?
SATURNINUS. But go thy ways; go, give that changing piece
To him that
flourish'd for her with his sword.
A
valiant son-in-law thou shalt enjoy;
One fit to bandy with thy
lawless sons,
To
ruffle in the
commonwealth of Rome.
TITUS. These words are razors to my wounded heart.
SATURNINUS. And
therefore, lovely Tamora, Queen of Goths,
That, like the
stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs,
Dost overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,
If thou be pleas'd with this my sudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride
And will create thee Emperess of Rome.
Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou
applaud my choice?
And here I swear by all the Roman gods-