Here are your sons again; and I must lose
Two of the sweet'st companions in the world:-
The benediction of these covering heavens
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are
To inlay heaven with stars.
[worthy
Cym. Thou weep'st, and speak'st.
The service, that you three have done, is more
Unlike than this thou tell'st: I lost my children;
If these be they, I know not how to wish
A pair of worthier sons.
Bel. Be pleas'd a while.
This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,
Most worthy prince, as yours, is true, Gui-
derius;
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,
Your younger princely son; he, Sir, was lapp'd
In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand
Of his queen mother, which, for more proba-
I can with ease produce.
Cym. Guiderius had
Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star; It was a mark of wonder.
Who hath upon him still that natural stamp;
It was wise nature's end in the donation,
To be his evidence now.
A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Rejoic'd deliverance more:-Bless'd may you be,
Lorbs, That after this strange starting from your You may reign in them now!-O Imogen, Thou hast lost by this a kingdom. Imo. No, my lord;
I have got two worlds by't.-O my gentle
Have we thus met? O never say hereafter,
But I am truest speaker: you call'd me brother,
When I was but your sister; I you brothers,
When you were so indeed.
Cym. Did you e'er meet?
Arv. Ay, my good lord.
Gui. And at first meeting lov'd;
Continued so, until we thought he died.
Cor. By the queen's dram she swallow'd.
Cym. O rare instinct!
When shall I hear all through? This fierce abridgment
Hath to it circumstantial branches, which
Distinction should be rich in.t-Where? how
liv'd you?
[tive?
And when came you to serve our Roman cap-
How parted with your brothers? how first met
them?
[These,
Why fled you from the court? and whither?
And your three motives to the battle, with
I know not how much more, should be de-
manded;
And all the other by-dependancies, [place,
From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor
Will serve our long intergatories. See,
Posthumus anchors upon Imogen; [eye
And she, like harmless lightning, throws her
On him, her brothers, me, her master; hitting
Each object with a joy; the counterchange
Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.-
Thou art my brother; So we'll hold thee ever.
[To BELARIUS.
Imo. You are my father too: and did relieve
To see this gracious season.
Save these in bonds; let them be joyful too, For they shall taste our comfort.
Imo. My good master,
I will yet do you service.
Vehement, rapid.
+ I. e. Which ought to be rendered distinct by an ample narrative.
He would have well becom'd this place, and
grac'd
The thankings of a king.
Post. I am, Sir,
The soldier that did company these three
In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for
The purpose I then follow'd;-That I was he,
Speak, Tachimo; I had you down, and might
Have made you finish.
lach. I am down again: [Kneeling. But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee, As then your force did. Take that life, 'beseech you,
Which I so often owe: but, your ring first; And here the bracelet of the truest princess, That ever swore her faith.
Post. Kneel not to me;
The power that I have on you, is to spare you; The malice towards you, to forgive you: Live, And deal with others better.
Cym. Nobly doom'd:
We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law;
Pardon's the word to all.
Arv. You holp us, Sir,
As you did mean indeed to be our brother;
Joy'd are we, that you are.
Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Rome,
Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought,
Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back,
Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows*
Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found
This label on my bosom; whose containing
Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
Make no collection of it; let him show
His skill in the construction.
Luc. Philarmonus,
Sooth. Here, my good lord.
Luc. Read; and declare the meaning.
Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt construction of thy name, Being Leo-natus, doth import so much: The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter, [To CYMBELINE.
Which we call mollis uer; and mollis aer
We term it mulier: which mulier, I divine,
Is this most constant wife: who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,
Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about
With this most tender air.
Cym. This hath some seeming.
Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point
Thy two sons forth: who, by Belarius stolen,
For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,
To the majestic cedar join'd; whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.
Cym. Well,
My peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius,
Although the victor, we submit to Cesar,
And to the Roman empire; promising
To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
Whom heavens, in justice, (both on her and hers,)
Have laid most heavy hand.
Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do
The harmony of this peace. The vision
Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant
Is full accomplish'd: For the Roman eagle,
From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o'the sun
So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely
eagle,
The imperial Cesar, should again unite
His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
Which shines here in the west.
Cym. Laud we the gods;
And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
From our bless'd altars! Publish we this peace
To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let
A Roman and a British ensign wave
Friendly together: so through Lud's town
march:
And in the temple of great Jupiter
Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.-
Set on there:-Never was a war did cease,
Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a
peace.
Sung by Guiderius and Arviragus over Fidele, supposed to be dead.
BY WILLIAM COLLINS.
To fair Fidele's grassy tomb,
Soft maids and village hinds shall bring
Each opening sweet, of earliest bloom,
And rifle all the breathing spring.
No wailing ghost shall dare appear
To vex with shrieks his quiet grove;
But shepherd lads assemble here,
And melting virgins own their love.
No wither'd witch shall here be seen,
No goblins lead their nightly crew:
The female fays shall haunt the green,
And dress thy grave with pearly dew.
The red-breast oft at evening hours
Shall kindly lend his little aid,
With hoary moss, and gather'd flowers,
To deck the ground where thou art laid.
When howling winds and beating rain,
In tempests shake the sylvan cell;
Or midst the chase on every plain,
The tender thought on thee shall dwell,
Each lonely scene shall thee restore;
For thee the tear be duly shed:
Belov'd, till life could charm no more;
And mourn'd, tili pity's self be dead.
SCENE I.-Rome.-Before the Capitol. The tomb of the ANDRONICI appearing; the TRIBUNES and SENATORS aloft, as in the Senate. Enter, below, SATURNINUS and his Followers, on one side; and BASSIANUS and his Followers on the other; with Drum and Col
Sat. Noble patricians, patrons of my right,
Defend the justice of my cause with arms;
And, countrymen, my loving followers,
Plead my successive title with your swords:
I am his first-born son, that was the last
That wore the imperial diadem of Rome;
Then let my father's honours live in me,
Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.
Bas. Romans,-friends, followers, favourers
of my right,-
If ever Bassianus, Cesar's son,
Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
Keep then this passage to the Capitol;
And suffer not dishonour to approach
The imperial seat, to virtue consecrate,
To justice, continence, and nobility:
But let desert in pure election shine;
And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.
Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, aloft, with the
A special party, have, by their common voice,
In election for the Roman empery,
Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius
For many good and great deserts to Rome;
A nobler man, a braver warrior,
Lives not this day within the city walls:
He by the senate is accited* home,
From weary wars against the barbarous Goths,
That, with his sons, a terror to our foes,
Hath yok'd a nation strong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, since first he undertook
This cause of Rome, and chastised with arms
Our enemies' pride: Five times he hath re-
turn'd
Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant sons
In coffins from the field;
And now at last, laden with honour's spoils,
Renowned Titus, flourishing in arms.
Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,
Let us entreat,-By honour of his name,
Whom, worthily, you would have now succeed,
And in the Capitol and senate's right,
Whom you pretend to honour and adore,-
That you withdraw you, and abate your
strength;
Dismiss your followers, and, as suitors should,
Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness.
Sat. How fair the tribune speaks to calm my
thoughts!
Bas. Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy In thy uprightness and integrity,
Mar. Princes that strive by factions, and And so I love and honour thee and thine, by friends,
Ambitiously for rule and empery,
Thy nobler brother Titus, and his sons, [all, And her, to whom my thoughts are humbled Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament, stand
I. e. My title to the succession.
That I will here dismiss my loving friends;
And to my fortunes, and the people's favour,
Commit my cause in balance to be weigh'd.
[Exeunt the Followers of BASSIANUS. Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my right,
I thank you all, and here dismiss you all;
And to the love and favour of my country
Commit myself, my person, and the cause.
[Exeunt the Followers of SATURNINUS.
Rome, be as just and gracious unto me,
As I am confident and kind to thee.-
Open the gates, and let me in.
Tit. I give him you; the noblest that sur-
The eldest son of this distressed queen. [vives,
Tam. Stay, Roman brethren; - Gracious
conqueror,
Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,
A mother's tears in passion for her son:
And, if thy sons were ever dear to thee,
O, think my son to be as dear to me.
Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome,
To beautify thy triumphs, and return,
Captive to thee, and to thy Roman yoke;
But must my sons be slaughter'd in the streets,
For valiant doings in their country's cause?
O! if to fight for king and common weal
Were piety in thine, it is in these.
Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood:
Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?
Draw near them then in being merciful;
Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge;
Andro-Thrice-noble Titus, spare my first-born son.
Tit. Patient yourself, madam, and pardon
Bas. Tribunes! and me, a poor competitor.
[SAT. and BAS. go into the Capitol, and exeunt
with SENATORS, MARCUS, &c.
SCENE II.-The same.
Enter a CAPTAIN, and Others.
Cap. Romans, make way; The good
nicus,
Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,
Successful in the battles that he fights,
With honour and with fortune is return'd,
From where he circumscribed with his sword,
And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.
Flourish of Trumpets, &c. Enter MUTIUS and
MARTIUS: after them, two Men bearing a Coffin
covered with black; then QUINTUS and LUCIUS.
After them, TITUS ANDRONICUS; and then
TAMORA, with ALARBUS, CHIRON, DEME-
TRIUS, AARON, and other Goths, prisoners;
Soldiers and People following. The Bearers
set down the Coffin, and TITUS speaks.
Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning
weeds!
[fraught,*
Lo, as the bark that hath discharged her
Returns with precious lading to the bay,
From whence at first she weigh'd her anchor-
Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs,
To re-salute his country with his tears;
Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.-
Thou great defender of this Capitol,t
Stand gracious to the rights that we intend!
Romans, of five and twenty valiant sons,
Half of the number that king Priam had,
Behold the poor remains, alive, and dead!
These, that survive, let Rome reward with
love;
These, that I bring unto their latest home,
With burial amongst their ancestors:
Here Goths have given me leave to sheath
my sword.
Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own,
Why suffer'st thou thy sons, unburied yet,
To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?-
Make way to lay them by their brethren.
[The Tomb is opened.
There greet in silence, as the dead are wont,
And sleep in peace, slain in your country's
O sacred receptacle of my joys, [wars!
Sweet cell of virtue and nobility,
How many sons of mine hast thou in store,
That thou wilt never render to me more?
Luc. Give us the proudest prisoner of the
Goths,
That we may hew his limbs, and, on a pile,
Ad manes fratrum sacrifice his flesh,
Before this earthly prison of their bones;
That so the shadows be not unappeas'd,
Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.
* Freight. + Jupiter, to whom the Capitol was sacred. It was supposed that the ghosts of unburied people appeared to solicit the rites of funeral.
[beheld These are their brethren, whom you Goths Alive, and dead; and for their brethren slain, Religiously they ask a sacrifice:
To this your son is mark'd; and die he must, To appease their groaning shadows that are gone.
Luc. Away with him! and make a fire
And with your swords, upon a pile of wood, Let's hew his limbs, till they be clean consum'd.
[Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MUTIUS, with ALARBUS.
Tam. O cruel, irreligious piety!
Chi. Was ever Scythia half so barbarous?
Dem. Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome.
Alarbus goes
to rest; and we survive
To tremble under Titus' threatening look. [al,
Then, madam, stand resolv'd; but hope with-
With opportunity of sharp revenge
The salf-same gods, that arm'd the queen of
[Troy
Upon the Thracian tyrant in his tent,
May favour Tamora, the queen of Goths,
(When Goths were Goths, and Tamora was
queen,)
To quit the bloody wrongs upon her foes.
Re-enter LUCIUS, QUINTUS, MARTIUS, and MU-
TIUS, with their Swords bloody.
Luc. See, lord and father, how we have per-
form'd
Our Roman rites: Alarbus' limbs are lopp'd,
And entrails feed the sacrificing fire, [sky.
Whose smoke, like incense, doth perfume the
Remaineth nought, but to inter our brethren,
And with loud "larums welcome them to Rome.
Tit. Let it be so, and let Andronicus
Make this his latest farewell to their souls.
[Trumpets sounded, and the Coffins luid in
the Tomb.
In peace and honour rest you here, my sons;
Rome's readiest champions, repose you here,
Secure from worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no treason, here no envy swells,
Here grow no damned grudges; here, are no
storms,
No noise, but silence and eternal sleep:
In peace and honour rest you here, my sons! 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 obsequies;
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,
Whose fortunes Rome's best citizens applaud.
Tit. Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly re-
serv'd
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 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
Mar. 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
But safer triumph is this funeral pomp, That hath aspir'd to Solon's happiness,t 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.
Tit. A better head her glorious body fits,
Than his, that shakes for age and feebleness:
What! should I dong this robe, and trouble
Be chosen with proclamations to-day; [you?
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 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.
Mar. Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the
empery.
Sat. Proud and ambitious tribune, canst
thou tell?-
Tit. Patience, prince Saturnine.
Sat. Romans, do me right;-
Patricians, draw your swords, and sheath
Till Saturninus be Rome's emperor :-
Andronicus, 'would thou wert shipp'd to hell,
Rather than rob me of the people's hearts.
Luc. Proud Saturnine, interrupter of the
good
That noble-minded Titus means to thee!
Tit. Content thee, prince; I will restore to thee
The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves.
Bas. Andronicus, I do not flatter thee, But honour thee, and will do till I die; My faction if thou strengthen with thy friends,
He wishes that her life may be longer than his, and her praise longer than fame.
The maxim alluded to is, that no man can be pronounced happy before his death. A robe.
I will most thankful be: and thanks, to men Of noble minds, is honourable meed.
Tit. People of Rome, and people's tribunes I ask your voices, and your suffrages; [here, Will you bestow them friendly on Andronicus? And gratulate his safe return to Rome, Trib. To gratify the good Andronicus, The people will accept whom he admits. Tit. 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 common-weal: Then if you will elect by my advice, Crown him, and say,-Long live our emperor! Mar. With voices and applause of every sort, And say,-Long live our emperor Suturnine! Patricians, and plebeians, we create Lord Saturninus, Rome's great emperor;
Sat. Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done [4 long Flourish. To us in our election this day,
And, for an onset, Titus, to advance
I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts,
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:
Thy name, and honourable family,
Lavinia will I make my emperess,
Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart,
And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse:
Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please
thee?
Tit. It doth, my worthy lord; and, in this
I hold me highly honour'd of your grace:
And here, in sight of Rome, to Saturnine,-
King and commander of our common-weal,
The wide world's emperor,-do I consecrate
Receive them then, the tribute that I owe,
My sword, my chariot, and my prisoners;
Mine honour's ensigns humbled at thy feet.
Presents well worthy Rome's imperial lord:
Sat. 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.
Tit. Now, madam, are you prisoner to an
emperor;
To him, that for your honour and your state,
[To TAMORA.
Will use you nobly, and your followers.
Sat. 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,
Princely shall be thy usage every way.
Thou com'st not to be inade a scorn in Rome:
Rest on my word, and let not discontent
Daunt all your hopes; Madam, he comforts
Lavinia, you are not displeas'd with this?
[Goths.-
Can make you greater than the queen of
Lav. Not I, my lord; sitht true nobility
Warrants these words in princely courtesy.
Ransomless here we set our prisoners free :
Sat. Thanks, sweet Lavinia.-Romans, let
Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and
drum.
Bas. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is
mine.
Tit. How, Sir? Are you in earnest then, my
[Seizing LAVINIA.
lord?
Bas. Ay, noble Titus; and resolv'd withal,
+ Since.
|