I am the firft-born son of him, that last Baf. Romans, friends, foll'wers, favourers of my right, If ever Baffianus, Cæfar's fon, Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome, Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft, with the crown. Mar. Princes, that ftrive by factions, and by friends, Ambitiously for rule and empery! Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we ftand Lives not this day within our city-walls. From weary wars against the barbarous Goths; Hath yoak'd a nation strong, train'd up in arms. the addition of his own masterly touches, is inconteftible: and thence, I prefume, grew his title to it. The diction in general, where he has not taken the pains to raise it, is even beneath that of the Three Parts of Henry VI. The ftory, we are to fuppofe, merely fictitious. Andronicus is a fur-name of pure Greek derivation : Tamora is neither mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, nor any body elfe that I can find. Nor had Rome, in the time of her Emperors, any wars with the Goths, that I know of: not till after the tranfla tion of the empire, I mean, to Byzantium. And yet the scene of our play is laid at Rome, and Saturninus is elected to the empire at the Capitol Our Our enemies pride. Five times he hath return'd In coffins from the field.' And now at laft, laden with honour's spoils, Whom you pretend to honour and adore, That you withdraw you, and abate your ftrength; Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness. Sat. How fair the tribune fpeaks, to calm my thoughts! Baf. Marcus Andronicus, fo I do affie In thy uprightness and integrity, And fo I love and honour thee and thine; Thy noble brother Titus, and his fons, And her, to whom our thoughts are humbled all, [Exeunt Soldiers. Baf. Tribunes, and me, a poor competitor. [They go up into the Senate-house. Enter a Captain. Cap. Romans, make way: the good Andronicus, With honour and with fortune is return'd, From From whence he circumfcribed with his fword, Sound drums and trumpets, and then enter Mutius and Marcus: after them, two men bearing a coffin covered with black; then Quintus and Lucius. After them, Titus Andronicus; and then Tamora, the Queen of Goths, Alarbus, Chiron, and Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor, prifoners; Soldiers, and other Attendants. They fet down the coffin, and Titus speaks. Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds! (2) Lo, as the bark, that hath discharg'd her freight, Returns with precious lading to the bay, From whence at firft the weigh'd her anchorage; Cometh Andronicus with laurel boughs, To re-falute 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 fons, Half of the number that King Priam had, Behold the poor remains, alive and dead! Thefe, that furvive, let Rome reward with love; Thefe, that I bring unto their latest home, With burial among their ancestors. Here Goths have given me leave to sheath my fword:. [They open the tomb. (2) Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!] Mr. Warbur ton and I concurred to suspect that the Poet wrote; in my mourning weeds. i. e. Titus would fay; "Thou, Rome, art victorious, though I am ❝ a mourner for thofe fons which I have loft in obtaining that vic❝tory." But I have not ventured to disturb the text; becaufe, on a fecond reflection, mourning reeds may relate to Rome for this reafon; the scene opens with Saturninus and Baffianus canvaffing to be elected to the Empire: and confequently the state might be in grief for their aft Emperor juft deceased. There There greet in filence, as the dead are wont, And fleep in peace, flain in your country's wars: Sweet cell of virtue and nobility, How many fons of mine haft thou in store, Luc. Give us the proudeft prisoner of the Goths, Tam. Stay, Roman brethren, gracious conqueror, A mother's tears in paffion for her fon : (3) Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome, Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke?] It is evident, as this paffage has hitherto been pointed, none of the editors understood the true meaning. If Tamora and her family return captive to Rome, they must have been before prisoners of war to the Romans: and that is more than what is hinted, or fuppos'd, any where in the play. But the truth is, return is not a Verb but a Subftantive; and relates to Titus and not to Tamora: The regulation I have given the text, I dare warrant, reftores the Author's intention. To beautify thy triumphs and return. Thrice noble Titus, fpare my firft-born fon. Tit. Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me. To this your fon is markt, and die he muft, Chi. Was ever Scythian half fo barbarous ? Dem. Oppofe me, Scythia, to ambitious Rome. Alarbus, go to reft! and we furvive To tremble under Titus' threatning looks. Then, madam, ftand refolv'd; but hope withal, Upon the Thracian tyrant in her tent, May favour Tamora, the Queen of Goths, (When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was Queen) To quit her bloody wrongs upon her foes. Enter Mutius, Marcus, Quintus, and Lucius. Luc. See, Lord and father, how we have perform'd Whose smoke, like incenfe, doth perfume the sky. (4) The felf-fame gods that arm'd the Queen of Troy With opportunity of foarp revenge Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent, &c.] I read, against the authority of all the copies,in her tent; i. e. in the tent where the and the other Trojan captive women were kept: for thither Hecuba by a wile had decoyed Polymneftor, in order to perpetrate her revenge. This we may learn from EURIPIDES'S Hecuba; the only Author, that I can at present remember, from whom our writer must have gleaned this circumstance. Make |