Scene III. TITUS ANDRONICUS. 1 Goth. And our's, with thine, befall what Luc. Good uncle take you in this barbarous This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil; And see the ambush of our friends be strong: Aar, Some devil whisper curses in mine ear. Luc. Away, inhuman dog! unhallow'd slave!Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in, [Exeunt GOTHS, with AARON. Flourish. The trumpets show, the emperor is at hand. Enter SATURNINUS and TAMORA, with Tribunes, Senators, and others. Sat. What, hath the firmament more suns than one? Luc. What boots it thee, to call thyself a sun? Mar. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break + These quarrels must be quietly debated. For peace, for love, for league, and good to Please you, therefore, draw nigh, and take your 99 Sat. Go, fetch them bither to us presently. Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed bleed ? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. Mur. You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of By uproar sever'd, like a flight of fowl Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto her- And she, whom mighty kingdoms curt'sy to, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse Sat. Marcus, we will. at table, Enter TITUS, dressed like a cook, LAVINIA, veiled, young LUCIUS, and others. TITUS places the dishes on the table. Tit. Welcome, my gracious lord: welcome, dread queen; Welcome, ye warlike Goths: welcome, Lucius : And welcome, all although the cheer be poor, 'Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it. Sat. Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus ? Tit. Because I would be sure to have all well, To entertain your highness and your empress. Tam. We are beholden to you, good Andronicus. Tit. An if your highness knew my heart, My lord the emperor, resolve me this; To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Sat. It was, Andronicus. Tit. Your reason, mighty lord! Sat. Because the girl should not survive her And by her presence still renew his sorrows. unkind? Tit. Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made Tit. Will't please you eat? will't please your Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter Tit. Not I, 'twas Chiron and Demetrius : The story of that baleful burning night, Tell us, what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears, wound. My heart is not compact of flint nor steel; Luc. Then, noble auditory, be it known to you, out, And sent her enemies unto the grave. Mar. Now is my turn to speak: Behold this [Pointing to the child in the arms of an Of this was Tamora delivered; • Read he. The villain is alive in Titus' house, Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein, And, from the place where you behold us now, (The poor remainder of Andronici) We'll hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall. Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of And bring our emperor gently in thy hand: LUCIUS, &c. descend. Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's gracious governor! Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! The last true duties of thy noble son! Mar. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips: Oh! were the sum of these that I should pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay thein ! Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee well: Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee, Because kind nature doth require it so: [woe: Would I were dead, so you did live again !— Enter Attendants, with AARON. 1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes; Give sentence on this execrable wretch, There let him stand, and rave and cry for food; I am no baby, I that, with base prayers, Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence, And give him burial in his father's grave: [Exeunt, TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. THIS tragedy was written about the year 1602, and Shakspeare is supposed to have taken the greatest part of its materials from the Troye Boke of Lydgate, an author who derived many of his particulars from a History of Troy, in Latin, by Guido of Columpna. Chaucer had previously celebrated the loves of Troilus and Cressida, in a translation from a Latin poem of one Lollius, an old Lombard author. The characters in this play (which was not originally divided into acts) are strikingly assimilated to the portraits which history has preserved of them---the aged loquacity of Nestor---the insinuating eloquence of Ulysses---the boasting confidence of Ajax---the sullen self-importance of Achilles---the conscious dignity of Agamemnon, and the sneaking insignificance of the cuckold Menelaus, are excellently displayed in the development of the piece; whilst the scurrile malignity of Thersites most humorously and ingeniously advances its interest throughout. The mode of Hector's death is, however, at variance with historieal record, and was probably accompanied with such baseness on the part of Achilles, to perfect the amiable attributes in which the poet chose to invest the character of his Trojan opponent. Troilus, the hero of the play, has little to recommend him beyond personal intrepidity, and the sincerity of a youthful attachment---some authors rank him among the elder of Priam's sons: others (and among them Virgil, who describes in the 1st book of the Eneid, line 474, the manner of his death by the hand of Achilles) call him the youngest. Anachronisms are of frequent occurrence in this play; such as Hector's citing Aristotle, and Ulysses alluding to the "bull-bearing Milo," who did not live till many years after the Trojan war. It must, nevertheless, be remembered, that the greater part of Shakspeare's library consisted of ancient romances; and nothing could be less correct than their computation of datos. The language of the piece is greatly tinctured with the peculiarities of the age in which he lived ; and although Dr. Johnson considers it more correctly written than many of its companions, he exempts it from any extent of view or elevation of fancy. "The vicious characters (says that discriminating critic) sometimes disgust, but cannot corrupt; for both Cressida and Pandarus are detested and condemned. The comic characters seem to have been the favourites of the writer: they are of the superficial kind, and exhibit more of manners than nature; but they are copiously filled, and powerfully impressed." From isles of | Their brave pavilions: Priam's six-gated city, The princes orgulous, their high blood chaf'd, To ransack Troy; within whose strong immures quarrel. To Tenedos they come; The fresh and yet unbruised Greeks do pitch Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits, 'Ginning in the middle; starting thence away Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are; |