Was it well done of rash Virginius, To slay his daughter with his own right hand, Tit. Your reason, mighty lord! Sat. Because the girl should not survive her shame, And by her presence still renew his sorrows. Tit. A reason mighty, strong, and effectual; A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant, For me, most wretched, to perform the like.— Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; [He kills LAVINIA. And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die! Sat. What hast thou done, unnatural, and unkind! Tit. Killed her, for whom my tears have made me blind. I am as woful as Virginius was; And have a thousand times more cause than he Sat. What, was she ravished? tell, who did the deed. Tit. Will't please you eat? will't please your highness feed? Tam. Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus? They ravished her, and cut away her tongue, Tit. Why, there they are both, baked in that pie; Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. 'Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's sharp point. [Killing TAMOra. Sat. Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed. [Killing TITUS. Luc. Can the son's eye behold his father bleed? There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed. [Kills SATURNINUS. A great tumult. The People in confusion disperse. MARCUS, LUCIUS, and their partisans, ascend the steps before TITUS's house. Mar. You sad-faced men, people and sons of Rome, By uproar severed, like a flight of fowl Scattered by winds and high, tempestuous gusts, Sen. Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself, Do shameful execution on herself. But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, Cannot induce you to attend my words, Speak, Rome's dear friend; [To LUCIUS ;] as erst our ancestor, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse To lovesick Dido's sad, attending ear, The story of that baleful, burning night, When subtle Greeks surprised king Priam's Troy. But floods of tears will drown my oratory, And break my very utterance; even i' the time Here is a captain; let him tell the tale; Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. Were they that murdered our emperor's brother; Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turned weeping out, My scars can witness, dumb although they are, Attendant. Of this was Tamora delivered; The issue of an irreligious Moor, Chief architect and plotter of these woes; Damned as he is, to witness this is true. Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge Or more than any living man could bear. Now you have heard the truth, what say you, Romans? The poor remainder of Andronici Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down,' Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome, And bring our emperor gently in thy hand, Lucius our emperor; for, well I know, The common voice do cry, it shall be so. Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's royal emperor ! 1 i. e. we, the poor remainder, &c. will cast us down. LUCIUS, &c. descend. Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house; [To an Attendant. And hither hale that misbelieving Moor, To be adjudged some direful, slaughtering death, Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail; Rome's gracious governor! Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans. May I govern so, To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her woe! But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,For nature puts me to a heavy task ;— Stand all aloof,-but, uncle, draw you near, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk.— O, take this warm kiss on thy pale, cold lips, [Kisses TITUS. These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stained face, The last true duties of thy noble son! Mar. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss, Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips. O, were the sum of these that I should pay Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them! Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us To melt in showers. Thy grandsire loved thee well; Many a time he danced thee on his knee, Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow; Meet and agreeing with thine infancy; Shed yet some small drops from thy tender spring, Friends should associate friends in grief and wo. Enter Attendants, with AARON. 1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes; Give sentence on this execrable wretch, That hath been breeder of these dire events. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him ; There let him stand, and rave and cry for food. If any one relieves or pities him, For the offence he dies. This is our doom: Aar. Ŏ, why should wrath be mute, and fury dumb? I do repent it from my very soul. Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence, And give him burial in his father's grave. My father, and Lavinia, shall forthwith No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds, [Exeunt. ALL the editors and critics agree in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the color of the style is wholly different from that of the other plays, and there is an attempt at regular versification, and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacles, and the general massacre which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience; yet we are told by Jonson that they were not only borne, but praised. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald declares it incontestable, I see no reason for believing. JOHNSON. |