in my young days. Why, I am going with my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperial's men.

Mar. Why, fir, that is as fit as can be to ferve for your oration, and let him deliver the pigeons to the emperor from you.

Tit. Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the emperor with a grace?

Clown. Nay, truly, fir, I could never say grace in all my life.

Tit. Sirrah, come hither, make no more ado, But give your pigeons to the emperor.

By me thou shalt have juftice at his hands.

Hold, hold-mean while, here's money for thy charges.

Give me a pen and ink.

Sirrah, can you with a grace deliver a fupplication? Clown. Ay, fir.

Tit Then here is a fupplication for you: and when you come to him, at the first approach you must kneel, then kifs his foot, then deliver up your pigeons, and then look for your reward. I'll be at hand, fir; fee you do it bravely.

Clown. I warrant you, fir. Let me alone.

Tit. Sirrah, haft thou a knife? come, let me fee it. Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,

For thou haft made it like an humble fuppliant;
And when thou haft given it the emperor,
Knock at my door, and tell me what he says.
Chcon. God be with you, fir, I will.

Tit. Come, Marcus, let us go. Publius, follow

me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Enter Emperor and Emperefs, and her two fons; the Emperor brings the arrows in his hand, that Titus Shot.

Sat. Why, lords, what wrongs are thefe ? was ever feen

An emperor of Rome thus over-borne,

Troubled, confronted thus, and for the extent
Of equal juftice, us'd in fuch contempt?

My lords, you know, as do the mightful Gods,
However the difturbers of our peace

Buz in the people's ears, there nought hath paft,
But even with law against the wilful fons
Of old Andronicus. And what an if
His forrows have fo overwhelm'd his wits,
Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreaks,
His fits, his phrenzy, and his bitterness?
And now he writes to heaven for his redrefs.
See, here's to Jove, and this to Mercury,
This to Apollo, this to the God of war;
Sweet fcrolls, to fly about the ftreets of Rome!
What's this but libelling against the fenate,
And blazoning our injuftice every where?
A goodly humour, is it not my lords?
As who would fay, in Rome no juftice were.
But, if I live, his feigned ecftafies
Shall be no fhelter to thefe outrages;
But he and his fhall know, that juftice lives
In Saturninus' health: whom, if the fleep,
He'll fo awake, as fhe in fury fhall

Cut off the proud'ft confpirator that lives,
Tam. My gracious lord, moft lovely Saturnine,
Lord of my life, commander of my thought,

Hh3

Calm

Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus' age,
The effects of forrow for his valiant fons,
Whose lofs hath pierc'd him deep and fcarr'd his
heart;

And rather comfort his diftreffed plight,
Than profecute the meaneft, or the best,

For thefe contempts. Why, thus it fhall become [Afide.
High-witted Tamora to gloze with all :

But, Titus, I have touch'd thee to the quick,
Thy life-blood out: if Aaron now be wise,
Then is all fafe, the anchor's in the port.

Enter Clown.

How now, good fellow, wouldst thou speak with us?
Clown. Yes, forfooth, an your mistresship be em-

perial.

Tam. Emperefs I am, but yonder fits the emperor. Clown. 'Tis he. God and St. Stephen give you good even:

here.

I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons
[The Emperor reads the letter.
Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him prefently.
Clown. How much money muft I have?

Tam. Come, firrah, thou must be hang'd.

Clown Hang'd! by'r lady, then I have brought

up a neck to a fair end.

Sat. Defpightful and intolerable wrongs!
Shall I endure this monstrous villainy?

Exit.

I know from whence this fame device proceeds,
May this be borne? as if his traiterous fons,
That dy'd by law for murder of our brother,
Have by my means been butcher'd wrongfully?
Go, drag the villain hither by the hair,
Nor age nor honour fhall fhape privilege.
For this proud mock, I'll be thy flaughter man ;
Sly frantick wretch, that holp'ft to make me great,
In hope thyself should govern Rome and me.

Enter

3 Enter Emilius.

Sat. What news with thee, Æmilius?

Emil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had more caufe;

The Goths have gather'd head, and with a power
Of high-refolved men, bent to the spoil,
They hither march amain, under the conduct
Of Lucius, fon to old Andronicus,
Who threats in courfe of his revenge to do
As much as ever Coriolanus did.

Sat. Is warlike Lucius general of the Goths?
These tidings nip me, and I hang the head
As flowers with froft, or grafs beat down with ftorms.
Ay, now begin our forrows to approach;
'Tis he, the common people love fo much,
Myfelf have often over-heard them fay,
When I have walked like a private man,
That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,

And they have wifh'd that Lucius were their emperor. Tam. Why fhould you fear? is not our city strong? Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius,

And will revolt from me to fuccour him.

Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy

name.

Is the fun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle fuffers little birds to fing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing, that with the fhadow of his wings,
He can at pleasure stint their melody;

3 Enter Nuntius Æmilius.] Thus the old books have described this character. In the author's manufcript, I prefume, it was writ, Enter Nuntius; and they obferving, that he is immediately called Emilius, thought proper to give him his whole title, and fo clapped in Enter Nuntius Æmilius.-Mr. Pope has very critically followed them; and ought, methinks, to have give his new-adopted citizen Nuntius a place in the Dramatis Perfonæ.

Hh 4

THEOB.

Even

Even fo may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy fpirit, for know, thou emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus

With words more fweet, and yet more dangerous,
Than baits to fish, or honey-ftalks to fheep:
When as the one is wounded with the bait,
The other rotted with delicious food.

Sat. But he will not intreat his fon for us.
Tam. If Tamora intreat him, then he will;
For I can fmooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promifes; that were his heart
Almoft impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet fhould both ear and heart obey my tongue.
Go thou before as our embaffador;

[To Emilius,
Say, that the emperor requests a parley
Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.
Sat. Æmilius, do this meffage honourably
And if he stand on hoftage for his fafety,
Bid him demand what pledge will pleate him beft.
Emil. Your bidding fhall I do effectually. [Exit,
Tam. Now will I to that old Andronicus,
And temper him, with all the art I have,
To pluck proud Lucius from the warlike Goths.
And now, fweet emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.

4

Sat. Then go fuccefsfully, and plead to him.

[Exeunt.

boncy-falks to freep: Honey-ftalks are clover-flowers, which contain a fweet juice. It is common for cattle to overcharge themfelves with clover, and die.

JOHNSON,

ACT