Complete Plays, The (4 page)

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
That hath dishonour’d all our family;
Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons!

Lucius

But let us give him burial, as becomes;
Give Mutius burial with our brethren.

Titus Andronicus

Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb:
This monument five hundred years hath stood,
Which I have sumptuously re-edified:
Here none but soldiers and Rome’s servitors
Repose in fame; none basely slain in brawls:
Bury him where you can; he comes not here.

Marcus Andronicus

My lord, this is impiety in you:
My nephew Mutius’ deeds do plead for him
He must be buried with his brethren.

Quintus

Martius

And shall, or him we will accompany.

Titus Andronicus

‘And shall!’ what villain was it that spake that word?

Quintus

He that would vouch it in any place but here.

Titus Andronicus

What, would you bury him in my despite?

Marcus Andronicus

No, noble Titus, but entreat of thee
To pardon Mutius and to bury him.

Titus Andronicus

Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest,
And, with these boys, mine honour thou hast wounded:
My foes I do repute you every one;
So, trouble me no more, but get you gone.

Martius

He is not with himself; let us withdraw.

Quintus

Not I, till Mutius’ bones be buried.

Marcus and the Sons of Titus kneel

Marcus Andronicus

Brother, for in that name doth nature plead,—

Quintus

Father, and in that name doth nature speak,—

Titus Andronicus

Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed.

Marcus Andronicus

Renowned Titus, more than half my soul,—

Lucius

Dear father, soul and substance of us all,—

Marcus Andronicus

Suffer thy brother Marcus to inter
His noble nephew here in virtue’s nest,
That died in honour and Lavinia’s cause.
Thou art a Roman; be not barbarous:
The Greeks upon advice did bury Ajax
That slew himself; and wise Laertes’ son
Did graciously plead for his funerals:
Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joy
Be barr’d his entrance here.

Titus Andronicus

Rise, Marcus, rise.
The dismall’st day is this that e’er I saw,
To be dishonour’d by my sons in Rome!
Well, bury him, and bury me the next.

Mutius is put into the tomb

Lucius

There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with thy friends,
Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb.

All

[Kneeling]
 
No man shed tears for noble Mutius;
He lives in fame that died in virtue’s cause.

Marcus Andronicus

My lord, to step out of these dreary dumps,
How comes it that the subtle Queen of Goths
Is of a sudden thus advanced in Rome?

Titus Andronicus

I know not, Marcus; but I know it is,
Whether by device or no, the heavens can tell:
Is she not then beholding to the man
That brought her for this high good turn so far?
Yes, and will nobly him remunerate.

Flourish. Re-enter, from one side, Saturninus attended, Tamora, Demetrius, Chiron and Aaron; from the other, Bassianus, Lavinia, and others

Saturninus

So, Bassianus, you have play’d your prize:
God give you joy, sir, of your gallant bride!

Bassianus

And you of yours, my lord! I say no more,
Nor wish no less; and so, I take my leave.

Saturninus

Traitor, if Rome have law or we have power,
Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape.

Bassianus

Rape, call you it, my lord, to seize my own,
My truth-betrothed love and now my wife?
But let the laws of Rome determine all;
Meanwhile I am possess’d of that is mine.

Saturninus

’Tis good, sir: you are very short with us;
But, if we live, we’ll be as sharp with you.

Bassianus

My lord, what I have done, as best I may,
Answer I must and shall do with my life.
Only thus much I give your grace to know:
By all the duties that I owe to Rome,
This noble gentleman, Lord Titus here,
Is in opinion and in honour wrong’d;
That in the rescue of Lavinia
With his own hand did slay his youngest son,
In zeal to you and highly moved to wrath
To be controll’d in that he frankly gave:
Receive him, then, to favor, Saturnine,
That hath express’d himself in all his deeds
A father and a friend to thee and Rome.

Titus Andronicus

Prince Bassianus, leave to plead my deeds:
’Tis thou and those that have dishonour’d me.
Rome and the righteous heavens be my judge,
How I have loved and honour’d Saturnine!

Tamora

My worthy lord, if ever Tamora
Were gracious in those princely eyes of thine,
Then hear me speak in indifferently for all;
And at my suit, sweet, pardon what is past.

Saturninus

What, madam! be dishonour’d openly,
And basely put it up without revenge?

Tamora

Not so, my lord; the gods of Rome forfend
I should be author to dishonour you!
But on mine honour dare I undertake
For good Lord Titus’ innocence in all;
Whose fury not dissembled speaks his griefs:
Then, at my suit, look graciously on him;
Lose not so noble a friend on vain suppose,
Nor with sour looks afflict his gentle heart.

Aside to Saturninus

be won at last;
Dissemble all your griefs and discontents:
You are but newly planted in your throne;
Lest, then, the people, and patricians too,
Upon a just survey, take Titus’ part,
And so supplant you for ingratitude,
Which Rome reputes to be a heinous sin,
Yield at entreats; and then let me alone:
I’ll find a day to massacre them all
And raze their faction and their family,
The cruel father and his traitorous sons,
To whom I sued for my dear son’s life,
And make them know what ’tis to let a queen
Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain.