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[Afide.

Nor with four looks afflict his gentle heart.
My Lord, be rul'd by me, be won at last,
Diffemble all your griefs and difcontents:
You are but newly planted in your throne;
Left then the people and patricians too
Upon a juft furvey take Titus' part,
And fo fupplant us for ingratitude,
Which Rome reputes to be a heinous fin,
Yield at intreats, and then let me alone;
I'll find a day to maffacre them all,
And rafe their faction, and their family,
The cruel father, and his traiterous fons,
To whom I fued for my dear fon's life:
And make them know what 'tis to let a Queen
Kneel in the streets, and beg for grace in vain.→→→
Come, come, fweet Emperor come, Andronicus

Take up this good old man, and chear the heart,
That dies in tempeft of thy angry frown.

{Aloud.

Sat. Rife, Titus, rife, my Emprefs hath prevail'd.
Tit. I thank your Majefty, and her; my Lord,
These words, thefe looks, infufe new life in me.
Tam. Titus, I am incorporate in Rome,
A Roman now adopted happily:

And must advise the Emperor for his good.
This day all quarrels die, Andronicus ;
And let it be my honour, good my Lord,
That I have reconcil'd your friends and you.
For you, prince Baffianus, I have past
My word and promife to the Emperor,
That will be more mild and tractable,
you
And fear not, Lords; and you, Lavinia,
By my advice all humbled on your knees,
You fhall ask pardon of his Majefty.

Luc. We do, and vow to heaven, and to his Highness,
That what we did was mildly, as we might,

Tend'ring our fifter's honour and our own.

Mar. That on mine honour here I do protest,
Cc 2

Sat.

404

Sat. Away, and talk not, trouble us no more. Tam. Nay, nay, fweet Emperor, we muft all be friends. The Tribune and his nephews kneel for grace,

I will not be denied, fweet-heart, look back.

Sat. Marcus, for thy fake and thy brother's here,
And at my lovely Tamora's intreats,

I do remit thefe young men's heinous faults.
Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,
I found a friend, and fure as death I swore,
I would not part a batchelor from the priest.
Come, if the Emperor's Court can feaft two brides,
You are my gueft, Lavinia, and your friends;
This day fhall be a love-day, Tamora.

Tit. To-morrow, an it please your Majesty
To hunt the panther and the hart with me,

With horn and hound we'll give your Grace Bon-jour.
Sat. Be it fo, Titus, and gramercy too!

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I

N

ROME.

Enter Aaron alone.

AARON.

TOW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's fhot, and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning-flash,
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach;
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiack in his glift'ring coach,
And over-looks the highest peering hills:
So Tamora.

Upon

I

Upon her 'will doth earthly honour wait,
And virtue ftoops and trembles at her frown
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,

And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long
Haft prifoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,.
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.

Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright, and fhine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait upon, faid 1? to wanton with
This Queen, this Goddefs, this Semiramis;
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his common-weal's.
Holla,' what ftorm is this?

SCENE II.

Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac❜d,
And may, for ought thou know'ft, affected be.
Chi. Demetrius, thou doft over-ween in all,
And fo in this, to bear me down with braves:
'Tis not the difference of a year or two
Makes me lefs gracious, 2/thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,

To ferve, and to deferve my mistress' grace;
And that my fword upon thee fhall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.

Aar. Clubs, clubs! thefe lovers will not keep the peace.
Dem. Why, boy, although our mother (unadvis'd)

Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,

Are you fo defperate grown to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glued within your fheath,
'Till you know better how to handle it.

Cc 3

1 wit

2 or thee

Coi

Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave?
Aar. Why, how now, Lords?

So near the Emp'ror's palace dare you draw?
And maintain fuch a quarrel openly?

Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge.
I would not for a million of gold,

[They draw.

The cause were known to them it most concerns.
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the Court of Rome.

For fhame put up.

3'Chi. Not I, 'till I have fheath'd My rapier in his bofom, and withal

Thruft thefe reproachful fpeeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my difhonour here.

4'Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full refolv'd, Foul-fpoken coward! thou thund'reft with thy tongue, And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform.

Aar. Away, I fay.

Now by the Gods that warlike Goths adore,
This petty brabble will undo us all;

Why, Lords and think you not how dangerous

It is to jet upon a Prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become fo loose,

Or Baffianus fo degenerate,

That for her love fuch quarrels may be broacht,
Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?

Young Lords, beware-and fhould the Empress know
This difcord's ground, the mufick would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew fhe and all the world;

I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make fome better choice, Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

Aar. Why, are ye mad? or know ye not in Rome How furious and impatient they be,

And

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And cannot brook competitors in love?

I tell you, Lords, you do but plot your deaths
By this device.

s'Dem. Aaron, a thoufand deaths

Would I propose, to atchieve her whom I love.
Aar. To atchieve her how!

Dem. Why mak❜ft thou it so ftrange?
She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd;
She is a woman, therefore may be won;
She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov'd.
What, man! more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of, and eafie it is
Of a cut loaf to fteal a fhive, we know:
Tho' Bafianus be the Emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows to court it With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, haft thou not full often ftruck a doe,

And born her cleanly by the keeper's nofe?

Aar. Why then it feems fome certain fnatch or fo

Would serve your turns.

Chi. Ay, fo the turn were ferved.
Dem. Aaron, thou haft hit it.

Aar. Would you had hit it too,

Then fhould not we be tir'd with this ado:

Why, hark ye, hark ye

and are you fuch fools

To fquare for this? would it offend you then

That both fhould speed?

Chi. 'Faith, not me.

Dem. 7'No, nor me.

Aar. For fhame be friends, and join for that you jar.

'Tis policy and ftratagem muft do

That you affect, and fo muft you refolve,
That what you cannot as you would atchieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chafte

5 Chi.

6 I do love.

Cc 4

Than

7 Nor me, fo I were one.

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