Remaineth nought, but to inter our brethren,
And with loud 'larums welcome them to Romé.
Tir. Let it be fo, and let Andronicus

Make this his latest farewell to their fouls.

[Trumpets founded, and the Coffins laid in the
Tomb.

In peace and honour reft you here, my fons ;
Rome's readieft champions, repofe you here,*
Secure from worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no treason, here no envy swells,
Here grow no damned grudges; here, are no ftorms,
No noife, but filence and eternal fleep:

In

Enter LAVINIA.

peace and honour reft you here, my fons! 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 obfequies; 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, Whofe fortunes Rome's best citizens applaud.

TIT. Kind Rome, that haft thus lovingly referv'd

The cordial of mine age to glad my heart!-
Lavinia, live; outlive thy father's days,

2

1- repose you here,] Old copies, redundantly in respect

both to fenfe and metre:

repofe you here in reft. STEEVENS.

The fame redundancy in the edition 1600, as noted in other copies by Mr. Steevens. TODD.

And fame's eternal date, for virtue's praife !3.

Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, SATURNINUS, BasSIANUS, and Others.

MAR. Long live lord Titus, my beloved brother, Gracious triumpher in the eyes of Rome !

TIT. Thanks, gentle tribune, noble brother Marcus.

MAR. And welcome, nephews, from fuccessful

wars,

fwords:

You that furvive, and you that fleep in fame.
Fair lords, your fortunes are alike in all,
That in your country's fervice drew your
But fafer triumph is this funeral pomp,
That hath afpir'd to Solon's happiness,+
And triumphs over chance, in honour's bed.-
Titus Andronicus, the people of Rome,
Whofe friend in juftice thou haft ever been,
Send thee by me, their tribune, and their truft,
This palliament of white and fpotlefs hue;

3 And fame's eternal date, for virtue's praife !] This abfurd wifh is made fenfe of, by changing and into in.

WARBURTON.

To live in fame's date is, if an allowable, yet a harsh expreffion.

To outlive an eternal date is, though not philofophical, yet poetical fenfe. He wishes that her life may be longer than his, and her praife longer than fame. JOHNSON.

4 That hath afpir'd to Sulon's happiness,] The maxim of Solon here alluded to is, that no man can be pronounced to be happy before his death:

66

ultima femper

Expectanda dies homini; dicique beatus

"Ante obitum nemo, fupremaque funera, debet." Ovid.

MALONE.

And name thee in election for the empire,
With these our late-deceased emperor's fons:
Be candidatus then, and put it on,

And help to fet a head on headless Rome.

TIT. A better head her glorious body fits, Than his, that shakes for age and feebleness: What! fhould I don this robe,5 and trouble you? Be chofen with proclamations to-day; To-morrow, yield up rule, refign my life, And fet abroad new bufinefs for you all? Rome, I have been thy foldier forty years, And buried one and twenty valiant fons, Knighted in field, flain manfully in arms, In right and service of their noble country: Give me a staff of honour for mine age, But not a scepter to control the world: Upright he held it, lords, that held it laft.

MAR. Titus, thou fhalt obtain and afk the em

pery.6

SAT. Proud and ambitious tribune, canft thou

tell?-

TIT. Patience, prince Saturnine."

SAT.

Romans, do me right ;Patricians, draw your swords, and sheath them not Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor :— Andronicus, 'would thou wert fhipp'd to hell, Rather than rob me of the people's hearts.

S don this robe,] i. e. do on this robe, put it on. So, in Hamlet:

"Then up he rose, and don'd his clothes." STEEVENS. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the empery.] Here is rather too much of the υστερον πρότερον. STEVENS.

7 Patience, prince Saturnine.] Edition 1600,Patience, prince Saturninus. TODD.

Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the good That noble-minded Titus means to thee!

TIT. Content thee, prince; I will reftore to thee The people's hearts, and wean them from themfelves.

BAS. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee,
But honour thee, and will do till I die;
My faction if thou ftrengthen with thy friends,
I will moft thankful be: and thanks, to men
Of noble minds, is honourable meed.

TIT. People of Rome, and people's tribunes here,
I ask your voices, and your fuffrages;
Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus?
TRIB. To gratify the good Andronicus,
And gratulate his fafe return to Rome,
The people will accept whom he admits.

TIT. Tribunes, I thank you: and this fuit I make,
That you create your emperor's eldest son,
Lord Saturnine; whofe virtues will, I hope,
Reflect on Rome, as Titan's rays on earth,
And ripen justice in this common-weal:
Then if you will elect by my advice,
Crown him, and fay,-Long live our emperor!
MAR. With voices and applaufe of every fort,
Patricians, and plebeians, we create

Lord Saturninus, Rome's great emperor ;
And fay,-Long live our emperor Saturnine!
[A long Flourish.
SAT. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done

thy friends,] Old copies-friend. Corrected in the fourth folio. MALONE.

Edition 1600, friend, as in other old copies noted by Mr. Malone, TODD.

To us in our election this day,

I give thee thanks in part of thy deferts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:
And, for an onfet, Titus, to advance
Thy name, and honourable family,
Lavinia will I make my emperess,

Rome's royal miftrefs, miftrefs of my heart,
And in the facred Pantheon 9 her espouse:
Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee ?
TIT. It doth, my worthy lord; and, in this match,
I hold me highly honour'd of your grace:
And here, in fight of Rome, to Saturnine,-
King and commander of our common-weal,
The wide world's emperor,-do I confecrate
My fword, my chariot, and my prisoners;
Prefents well worthy Rome's imperial lord :1
Receive them then, the tribute that I owe,
Mine honour's enfigns humbled at thy feet.

I

SAT. Thanks, noble Titus, father of my How proud I am of thee, and of thy gifts, Rome fhall record; and, when I do forget The least of these unspeakable deferts, Romans, forget your fealty to me.

life!

TIT. Now, madam, are you prifoner to an empe

ror;

[To TAMORA. To him, that for your honour and your ftate, Will use you nobly, and your followers.

9

SAT. A goodly lady, truft me; of the hue

-Pantheon] The quarto, 1611, and the first folio Pathan; the fecond folio-Pantheon. STEEVens.

Edition 1600-Pathan, as in other copies noted by Mr. Steevens. TODD.

imperial lord:] Edition 1600:

imperious lord. TODD.