TITUS ANDRONICUS


	DRAMATIS PERSONAE


SATURNINUS	son to the late Emperor of Rome, and afterwards
	declared Emperor.

BASSIANUS	brother to Saturninus; in love with Lavinia.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	a noble Roman, general against the Goths.

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	tribune of the people, and brother to Titus.


LUCIUS	|
	|
QUINTUS	|
	|  sons to Titus Andronicus.
MARTIUS	|
	|
MUTIUS	|


Young LUCIUS	a boy, son to Lucius.

PUBLIUS	son to Marcus the Tribune.


SEMPRONIUS	|
	|
CAIUS	|  kinsmen to Titus.
	|
VALENTINE	|


AEMILIUS	a noble Roman.


ALARBUS	|
	|
DEMETRIUS	|  sons to Tamora.
	|
CHIRON	|


AARON	a Moor, beloved by Tamora.

	A Captain, Tribune, Messenger, and Clown; Romans.
	(Captain:)
	(Messenger:)
	(Clown:)

	Goths and Romans.
	(First Goth:)
	(Second Goth:)
	(Third Goth:)

TAMORA	Queen of the Goths.

LAVINIA	daughter of Titus Andronicus.

	A Nurse. (Nurse:)

	Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers, and
	Attendants.



SCENE	Rome, and the country near it.




	TITUS ANDRONICUS


ACT I



SCENE I	Rome. Before the Capitol.


	[The Tomb of the ANDRONICI appearing; the Tribunes
	and Senators aloft. Enter, below, from one side,
	SATURNINUS and his Followers; and, from the other
	side, BASSIANUS and his Followers; with drum and colours]

SATURNINUS	Noble patricians, patrons of my right,
	Defend the justice of my cause with arms,
	And, countrymen, my loving followers,
	Plead my successive title with your swords:
	I am his first-born son, that was the last
	That wore the imperial diadem of Rome;
	Then let my father's honours live in me,
	Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

BASSIANUS	Romans, friends, followers, favorers of my right,
	If ever Bassianus, Caesar's son,
	Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
	Keep then this passage to the Capitol
	And suffer not dishonour to approach
	The imperial seat, to virtue consecrate,
	To justice, continence and nobility;
	But let desert in pure election shine,
	And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

	[Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, aloft, with the crown]

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	Princes, that strive by factions and by friends
	Ambitiously for rule and empery,
	Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand
	A special party, have, by common voice,
	In election for the Roman empery,
	Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius
	For many good and great deserts to Rome:
	A nobler man, a braver warrior,
	Lives not this day within the city walls:
	He by the senate is accit'd home
	From weary wars against the barbarous Goths;
	That, with his sons, a terror to our foes,
	Hath yoked a nation strong, train'd up in arms.
	Ten years are spent since first he undertook
	This cause of Rome and chastised with arms
	Our enemies' pride: five times he hath return'd
	Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant sons
	In coffins from the field;
	And now at last, laden with horror's spoils,
	Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,
	Renowned Titus, flourishing in arms.
	Let us entreat, by honour of his name,
	Whom worthily you would have now succeed.
	And in the Capitol and senate's right,
	Whom you pretend to honour and adore,
	That you withdraw you and abate your strength;
	Dismiss your followers and, as suitors should,
	Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness.

SATURNINUS	How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts!

BASSIANUS	Marcus Andronicus, so I do ally
	In thy uprightness and integrity,
	And so I love and honour thee and thine,
	Thy noble brother Titus and his sons,
	And her to whom my thoughts are humbled all,
	Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament,
	That I will here dismiss my loving friends,
	And to my fortunes and the people's favor
	Commit my cause in balance to be weigh'd.

	[Exeunt the followers of BASSIANUS]

SATURNINUS	Friends, that have been thus forward in my right,
	I thank you all and here dismiss you all,
	And to the love and favor of my country
	Commit myself, my person and the cause.

	[Exeunt the followers of SATURNINUS]

	Rome, be as just and gracious unto me
	As I am confident and kind to thee.
	Open the gates, and let me in.

BASSIANUS	Tribunes, and me, a poor competitor.

	[Flourish. SATURNINUS and BASSIANUS go up into the Capitol]

	[Enter a Captain]

Captain	Romans, make way: the good Andronicus.
	Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,
	Successful in the battles that he fights,
	With honour and with fortune is return'd
	From where he circumscribed with his sword,
	And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.

	[Drums and trumpets sounded. Enter MARTIUS and
	MUTIUS; After them, two Men bearing a coffin
	covered with black; then LUCIUS and QUINTUS. After
	them, TITUS ANDRONICUS; and then TAMORA, with
	ALARBUS, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, AARON, and other Goths,
	prisoners; Soldiers and people following. The
	Bearers set down the coffin, and TITUS speaks]

TITUS ANDRONICUS	Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!
	Lo, as the bark, that hath discharged her fraught,
	Returns with precious jading 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,
	Stand gracious to the rites 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 sheathe my sword.
	Titus, unkind and careless of thine own,
	Why suffer'st thou thy sons, unburied yet,
	To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?
	Make way to lay them by their brethren.

	[The tomb is opened]

	There greet in silence, as the dead are wont,
	And sleep in peace, slain in your country's wars!
	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!

LUCIUS	Give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths,
	That we may hew his limbs, and on a pile
	Ad manes fratrum sacrifice his flesh,
	Before this earthy prison of their bones;
	That so the shadows be not unappeased,
	Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	I give him you, the noblest that survives,
	The eldest son of this distressed queen.

TAMORA	Stay, Roman brethren! Gracious conqueror,
	Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,
	A mother's tears in passion for her son:
	And if thy sons were ever dear to thee,
	O, think my son to be as dear to me!
	Sufficeth not that we are brought to Rome,
	To beautify thy triumphs and return,
	Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke,
	But must my sons be slaughter'd in the streets,
	For valiant doings in their country's cause?
	O, if to fight for king and commonweal
	Were piety in thine, it is in these.
	Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood:
	Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?
	Draw near them then in being merciful:
	Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge:
	Thrice noble Titus, spare my first-born son.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	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,
	To appease their groaning shadows that are gone.

LUCIUS	Away with him! and make a fire straight;
	And with our swords, upon a pile of wood,
	Let's hew his limbs till they be clean consumed.

	[Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MUTIUS, with ALARBUS]

TAMORA	O cruel, irreligious piety!

CHIRON	Was ever Scythia half so barbarous?

DEMETRIUS	Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome.
	Alarbus goes to rest; and we survive
	To tremble under Titus' threatening looks.
	Then, madam, stand resolved, but hope withal
	The self-same gods that arm'd the Queen of Troy
	With opportunity of sharp revenge
	Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent,
	May favor Tamora, the Queen of Goths--
	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]

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 ANDRONICUS	Let it be so; and let Andronicus
	Make this his latest farewell to their souls.

	[Trumpets sounded, and the coffin laid 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 grudges; 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 the earth, for thy return to Rome:
	O, bless me here with thy victorious hand,
	Whose fortunes Rome's best citizens applaud!

TITUS ANDRONICUS	Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reserved
	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, below, MARCUS ANDRONICUS and Tribunes;
	re-enter SATURNINUS and BASSIANUS, attended]

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	Long live Lord Titus, my beloved brother,
	Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome!

TITUS ANDRONICUS	Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus.

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	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 aspired 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 palliament 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 ANDRONICUS	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 ANDRONICUS	Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery.

SATURNINUS	Proud and ambitious tribune, canst thou tell?

TITUS ANDRONICUS	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 wert 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 ANDRONICUS	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 ANDRONICUS	People of Rome, and people's tribunes here,
	I ask your voices and your suffrages:
	Will you 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 ANDRONICUS	Tribunes, I thank you: and this suit I make,
	That you create your 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 ANDRONICUS	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 favors 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 empress,
	Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart,
	And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse:
	Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee?

TITUS ANDRONICUS	It doth, my worthy lord; and in this match
	I hold me highly honour'd 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 imperial 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 ANDRONICUS	[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	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 comest 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 displeased 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. SATURNINUS courts TAMORA in dumb show]

BASSIANUS	Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is mine.

	[Seizing LAVINIA]

TITUS ANDRONICUS	How, sir! are you in earnest then, my lord?

BASSIANUS	Ay, noble Titus; and resolved withal
	To do myself this reason and this right.

MARCUS ANDRONICUS	'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 ANDRONICUS	Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's guard?
	Treason, my lord! Lavinia is surprised!

SATURNINUS	Surprised! 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 ANDRONICUS	Follow, my lord, and I'll soon bring her back.

MUTIUS	My lord, you pass not here.


TITUS ANDRONICUS	What, villain boy!
	Barr'st me my way in Rome?

	[Stabbing MUTIUS]

MUTIUS	Help, Lucius, help!

	[Dies]

	[During the fray, SATURNINUS, TAMORA, DEMETRIUS,
	CHIRON and AARON go out and re-enter, above]

	[Re-enter LUCIUS]

LUCIUS	My lord, you are unjust, and, more than so,
	In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	Nor thou, nor he, are any sons of mine;
	My sons would never so dishonour me:
	Traitor, restore Lavinia to the emperor.

LUCIUS	Dead, if you will; but not to be his wife,
	That is another's lawful promised 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 said'st I begg'd the empire at thy hands.

TITUS ANDRONICUS	O mo