TITUS ANDRONICUS.

ACT I. SCENE I

Before the Capitol in Rome.

Enter the Tribunes and Senators aloft, as in the fenate. Then enter Saturninus and his followers, at one door; and Baffianus and his followers, at the other; with drum and colours.

Sat. Noble patricians, patrons of my right, Defend the juftice of my caufe with arms;

And

Titus Andronicus.] It is obfervable, that this play is printed in the quarto of 1611, with exactness equal to that of the other books of thofe times. The firft edition was probably corrected by the author, fo that here is very little room for conjecture or emendation; and accordingly none of the editors have much molested this piece with officious criticifm. JOHNSON.

There is an authority for afcribing this play to Shakspeare, which I think a very strong one, though not made ufe of, as I remember, by any of his commentators. It is given to him, among other plays, which are undoubtedly his, in a little book, called Palladis Tamia, or the Second Part of Wit's Commonwealth, written by Francis Meres, Maister of arts, and printed at London in 1598. The other tragedies, enumerated as his in that book, are King John, Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth, Richard the Third, and Romeo and Juliet. The comedies are, the Midfummer Night's Dream, the Gentlemen of Verona, the Comedy of Errors, the Love's Labour's Loft, the Love's Labour Won, and the Merchant of Venice. I have given this lift, as it ferves fo far to ascertain the date of thefe plays; and alfo, as it contains a notice of a comedy of Shakspeare, the Love's Labour Won, not included in any collection of his works; nor, as far as I know, attributed to him

I i 4.

by

And, countrymen, my loving followers,
Plead my fucceffive title with your fwords:

I am

by any other authority. If there should be a play in being, with that title, though without Shakspeare's name, I should be glad to fee it; and I think the editor would be fure of the publick thanks, even if it should prove no better than the Love's Labour's Loft. TYRWHITT.

The work of criticism on the plays of this author, is, I believe, generally found to extend or contract itself in proportion to the value of the piece under confideration; and we shall always do little where we defire but little should be done. I know not that this piece stands in need of much emendation; though it might be treated as condemned criminals are in fome countries,-any experiments might be juftifiably made on it.

The author, whoever he was, might have borrowed the story, the names, the characters, &c. from an old ballad, which is entered in the Books of the Stationers' Company immediately after the play on the fame fubject." John Danter] Feb. 6, 1593. A book entitled A Noble Roman Hiftorie of Titus Andronicus.” "Enter'd unto him alfo the ballad thereof."

Entered again April 19, 1602, by Tho. Pavyer.

The reader will find it in Dr. Percy's Reliques of ancient English Poetry, vol. I. Dr. Percy adds, that "there is reafon to conclude that this play was rather improved by Shakspeare with a few fine touches of his pen, than originally writ by him; for not to mention that the ftyle is lefs figurative than his others generally are, this tragedy is mentioned with difcredit in the induction to Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair in 1614, as one that had then been exhibited five and twenty or thirty years:" which, if we take the loweft number, throws it back to the year 1589, at which time Shakspeare was but 25: an earlier date than can be found for any other of his pieces, and if it does not clear him entirely of it, fhews at least it was a first attempt."

Though we are obliged to Dr. Percy for his attempt to clear our great dramatic' writer from the imputation of having produced this fanguinary performance, yet I cannot admit that the circumftance of its being difcreditably mentioned by Ben Jonfon, ought to have any weight; for Ben has not very sparingJy cenfured the Tempeft, and other pieces which are undoubtedly among the moft finished works of Shakspeare. The whole of Ben's Prologue to Every Man in his Humour, is a malicious fneer on him.

Painter, in his Palace of Pleafure, tom. II. fpeaks of the ftory of Titus as well known, and particularly mentions the cruelty

of

I am his first-born fon, that was the last
That ware the imperial diadem of Rome;
Then let my father's honours live in me,
mine age with this indignity.

Nor wrong

Baf. Romans, friends, followers, favourers of my right,

If ever Baffianus, Cæfar's fon,

Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
Keep then this paffage to the Capitol;
And fuffer not dishonour to approach
The imperial feat, to virtue confecrate,
To juftice, continence, and nobility:
But let defert in pure election shine;

And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft, with the crown.

Mar. Princes, that strive by factions, and by friends,

Ambitiously for rule and empery!

Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we ftand
A fpecial party, have, by common voice,
In election for the Roman empery,
Chofen Andronicus, furnamed Pius
For many good and great deferts to Rome;
A nobler man, a braver warrior,

Lives not this day within the city walls:

of Tamora: and in A Knack to know a Knave, 1594, is the following allufion to it:

-as welcome fhall you be

"To me, my daughter, and my fon in law,

"As Titus was unto the Roman fenators,

"When he had made a conqueft on the Goths."

Whatever were the motives of Heming and Condell for admitting this tragedy among thofe of Shakspeare, all it has gained by their favour is, to be delivered down to pofterity with repeated remarks of contempt,-a Therfites babbling among heroes, and introduced only to be derided.

See the notes at the conclufion of this volume. STEEVENS.

He

He by the fenate is accited home,

From weary wars against the barbarous Goths;
That, with his fons, a terror to our foes,

Hath yok'd a nation strong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, fince first he undertook
This caufe of Rome, and chastised with arms
Our enemies' pride: Five times he hath return'd
Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant fons
In coffins from the field;

And now at laft, laden with honour's fpoils,
Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,
Renowned Titus, flourishing in arms.
Let us intreat,-By honour of his name,
Whom, worthily, you would have now succeed,
And in the Capitol and fenate's right,

Whom you pretend to honour and adore,—
That you withdraw you, and abate your strength;
Difmifs your followers, and, as fuitors fhould,
Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness.
Sat. How fair the tribune fpeaks to calm my
thoughts!

Baf. Marcus Andronicus, fo I do affy
In thy uprightness and integrity,

And fo I love and honour thee, and thine,

Thy noble brother Titus, and his fons,

And her, to whom our thoughts are humbled all,
Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament,
That I will here difmifs my loving friends;
And to my fortunes, and the people's favour,
Commit my cause in ballance to be weigh'd.

[Exeunt Soldiers. Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my right,

I thank you all, and here difmifs you all;
And to the love and favour of my country
Commit myself, my person, and the cause;
Rome, be as juft and gracious unto me,

As I am confident and kind to thee.

Open the gates and let me in.

Baf. Tribunes! and me, a poor competitor. [They go up into the fenate-boule.

SCENE II.

Enter a Captain.

Capt. Romans, make way; The good Andronicus, Patron of virtue, Rome's beft champion, Successful in the battles that he fights, With honour and with fortuné is return'd, From where he circumfcribed with his fword, And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.

Sound drums and trumpets, and then enter Mutius and Marcus: after them, two men bearing a coffin cover'd with black; then Quintus and Lucius. After them, Titus Andronicus; and then Tamora, the Queen of Goths, Alarbus, Chiron, and Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor, prifoners; foldiers, and other attendants. They fet down the coffin, and Titus fpeaks.

Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!

3 Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!] I fufpect that the poet wrote:

-in my mourning weeds!

i. e. Titus would fay; Thou, Rome, art victorious, though I am a mourner for those fons which I have loft in obtaining that victory. WARBURTON.

Thy is as well as my. We may fuppofe the Romans in a grateful ceremony, meeting the dead fons of Andronicus with mournful habits. JOHNSON.

Or that they were in mourning for their emperor who was just dead. STEEVENS.

Lo,