Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone, Re-enter MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. Mar. O Titus, see, O, see, what thou hast done! In a bad quarrel slain a virtuous son. Tit. No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine,— Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deed 'That hath dishonored all our family; Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons! Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Give Mutius burial with our brethren. Tit. Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb. Here none but soldiers, and Rome's servitors, My nephew Mutius' deeds do plead for him; Quin. Mart. And shall, or him we will accompany. word? Quin. He that would vouch't in any place but here. To pardon Mutius, and to bury him. Tit. Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest, And, with these boys, mine honor thou hast wounded. My foes I do repute you every one; So trouble me no more, but get you gone. Mart. He is not with himself; let us withdraw. [MARCUS and the sons of TITUS kneel. Mar. Brother, for in that name doth nature plead. Quin. Father, and in that name doth nature speak. 1 This is much the same sort of phrase as he is beside himself. Tit. Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed. Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joy, Tit. [MUTIUS is put into the tomb. Luc. There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with thy friends, Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb!— All. No man shed tears for noble Mutius; He lives in fame that died in virtue's cause. Mar. My lord,-to step out of these dreary dumps, How comes it, that the subtle queen of Goths Tit. I know not, Marcus; but, I know, it is; That brought her for this high, good turn so far? 1 "This passage alone would sufficiently convince me that the play before us was the work of one who was conversant with the Greek tragedies in their original language. We have here a plain allusion to the Ajax of Sophocles, of which no translation was extant in the time of Shakspeare. In that piece, Agamemnon consents at last to allow Ajax the rites of sepulture, and Ulysses is the pleader whose arguments prevail in favor of his remains."-Steevens. Flourish. Re-enter, at one side, SATURNINUS, attended; TAMORA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and AARON : at the other, BASSIANUS, LAVINIA, and others. Sat. So, Bassianus, you have played your prize ;1 God give you joy, sir, of your gallant bride. Bas. And you of yours, my lord. I I say no more, Nor wish no less; and so I take my leave. Sat. Traitor, if Rome have law, or we have power, Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape. Bas. Rape, call you it, my lord, to seize my own, My true betrothed love, and now my wife? But let the laws of Rome determine all; Meanwhile, I am possessed of that is mine. Sat. 'Tis good, sir. You are very short with us; With his own hand did slay his youngest son, Tit. Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my deeds; Tam. My worthy lord, if ever Tamora 1 To play a prize, was a technical term in the ancient fencing-schools. Sat. What! madam! be dishonored openly, And basely put it up without revenge? Tam. Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome forefend, I should be author to dishonor you! But, on mine honor, dare I undertake queen Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain. Aside. Come, come, sweet emperor,-Come, Andronicus, Sat. Rise, Titus, rise; my empress hath prevailed. A Roman now adopted happily, That you will be more mild and tractable.- Luc. We do; and vow to Heaven, and to his highness, That what we did, was mildly, as we might, Mar. That on mine honor here I do protest. The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace; Sat. Marcus, for thy sake, and thy brother's here, And at my lovely Tamora's entreats, I do remit these young men's heinous faults. Lavinia, though you left me like a churl, I found a friend; and sure as death I swore, Tit. To-morrow, an it please your majesty With horn and hound, we'll give your grace bon jour. Sat. Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too. [Exeunt. |