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 monstrous! what reproachful words are these?
SATURNINUS But go thy ways; go, give that changing piece
To him that flourish’d for her with his sword
A valiant son-in-law thou shalt enjoy;
One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons,
To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.
TITUS ANDRONICUS These words are razors to my wounded heart.
SATURNINUS And therefore, lovely Tamora, queen of Goths,
That like the stately Phoebe ‘mongst her nymphs
Dost overshine the gallant’st dames of Rome,
If thou be pleased with this my sudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee empress of Rome,
Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my choice?
And here I swear by all the Roman gods,
Sith priest and holy water are so near
And tapers burn so bright and every thing
In readiness for Hymenaeus stand,
I will not re-salute the streets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place
I lead espoused my bride along with me.
TAMORA And here, in sight of heaven, to Rome I swear,
If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths,
She will a handmaid be to his desires,
A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.
SATURNINUS Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon. Lords, accompany
Your noble emperor and his lovely bride,
Sent by the heavens for Prince Saturnine,
Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered:
There shall we consummate our spousal rites.
Exeunt all but TITUS
TITUS ANDRONICUS I am not bid to wait upon this bride.
Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone,
Dishonour’d thus, and challenged of wrongs?
Re-enter MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS
MARCUS ANDRONICUS O Titus, see, O, see what thou hast done!
In a bad quarrel slain a virtuous son.
TITUS ANDRONICUS No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine,
Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deed