Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness. Sat. How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts! Bas. Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy In thy uprightness and integrity, And so I love and honour thee and thine, And her, to whom my thoughts are humbled all, [Exeunt the Followers of BASSIANUS. Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my right, I thank you all, and here dismiss you all ; [Exeunt the Followers of SATURNINUS. Rome, be as just and gracious unto me, Open the gates, and let me in. Bas. Tribunes! and me, a poor competitor. [SAT. and BAS. go into the Capitol, and exeunt with Senators, MARCUS, &c. SCENE II. The same. Enter a Captain, and Others. Cap. Romans, make way; The good Andronicus, Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion, Flourish of Trumpets, &c. enter MUTIUS and MARTIUS: after them, two Men bearing a Coffin covered with black; then QUINTUS and LUCIUS. After them, TITUS ANDRONICUS; and then TAMORA, with ALARBUS, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, AARON, and other Goths, prisoners; Soldiers and People, following. The Bearers set down the Coffin, and TITUS speaks. Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds! Lo, as the bark that hath discharg'd her fraught,3 Returns with precious lading to the bay, From whence at first she weigh'd her anchorage, Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs, To re-salute his country with his tears; Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.Thou great defender of this Capitol,4 Stand gracious to the rights that we intend!Romans, of five and twenty valiant sons, Half of the number that king Priam had, Behold the poor remains, alive, and dead! These, that survive, let Rome reward with love; These, that I bring unto their latest home, With burial amongst their ancestors : Here Goths have given me leave to sheath my sword. Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own, 3 Freight. 4 Jupiter, to whom the Capitol was sacred. Why suffer'st thou thy sons, unburied yet, [The Tomb is opened. There greet in silence, as the dead are wont, O sacred receptacle of my joys, Sweet cell of virtue and nobility, How many sons of mine hast thou in store, That thou wilt never render to me more? Luc. Give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths, Before this earthly prison of their bones; Tit. I give him you; the noblest that survives, Tam. Stay, Roman brethren;-Gracious conqueror, Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed, A mother's tears in passion for her son: 5 It was supposed that the ghosts of unburied people appeared to solicit the rites of funeral. • Suffering. Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood: Tit. Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me. These are their brethren, whom you Goths beheld Alive, and dead; and for their brethren slain, Religiously they ask a sacrifice : To this your son is mark'd; and die he must, Tam. O cruel, irreligious piety! Chi. Was ever Scythia half so barbarous ? Dem. Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome. Alarbus goes to rest; and we survive To tremble under Titus' threatening look. Then, madam, stand resolv'd; but hope withal, queen The self-same gods, that arm'd the May favour Tamora, the queen of Goths, of Troy (When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was queen,) To quit the bloody wrongs upon her foes. Re-enter LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MuTIUS, with their Swords bloody. Luc. See, lord and father, how we have perform' Our Roman rites: Alarbus' limbs are lopp'd, Whose smoke, like incense, doth perfume the sky. In Enter LAVINIA. peace and honour rest you here, my sons! Lav. 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 the earth, for thy return to Rome: O, bless me here with thy victorious hand, Whose fortunes Rome's best citizens applaud. Tit. 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 !" 7 He wishes that her life may be longer than his, and her praise longer than fame. |