I give to baser life.-So,-have you done?
Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewell, kind Charmian;-Iras, long farewell.
[Kisses them.

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall?
If thou and nature can so gently part,
The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,
Which hurts, and is desir'd.

IRAS falls and dies.

Dost thou lie still?

If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world

It is not worth leave-taking.

Char.

Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may say,

The gods themselves do weep!

Cleo.

This proves me base:

If she first meet the curled Antony,

He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss

Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch,

[To the asp, which she applies to her breast.

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate

Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,

Be angry, and despatch. O, could'st thou speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass

Unpolicied!

Char.

O eastern star!

Cleo.

Peace, peace!

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,

That sucks the nurse asleep?

Char.

O, break! O, break!

Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too :-

[Applying another asp to her arm.
[Falls on a bed, and dies.

What should I stay-
Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.-
Now boast thee, Death! in thy possession lies
A lass unparallel'd.--Downy windows, close;
And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal! Your crown 's awry ;
I'll mend it, and then play.

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char

I Guard.
Char.

Speak softly, wake her not.

Cæsar hath sent

Too slow a messenger.
[Applies the asp.

O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee.

1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar 's beguil'd. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar ;-call him. I Guard. What work is here?—Charmian, is this well

done?

Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess

Descended of so many royal kings.

Ah, soldier!

[Dies.

Cæsar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this: Thyself art coming
To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou
So sought'st to hinder.

Within.

A way there, a way for Cæsar!

Enter CESAR and Attendants.

Dol. O, sir, you are too sure an augurer : That you did fear is done.

Bravest at the last;

Cas.
She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal,
Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

I do not see them bleed.

Dol.

Who was last with them?

Poison'd then.

1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her figs. This was his basket.

Cæs.

1 Guard.

O Cæsar,

This Charmian liv'd but now; she stood, and spake:

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingl, she stood,
And on the sudden dropp'd.

Cas.

O noble weakness!

If they had swallow'd poison 't would appear
By external swelling but she looks like sleep,
As she would catch another Antony

:

In her strong toil of grace.

Dol.

Here, on her breast,

There is a vent of blood, and something blown :

The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves

Upon the caves of Nile.

Cæs.

Most probable

That so she died; for her physician tells me

She hath pursued conclusions infinite

Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed;

And bear her women from the monument :

She shall be buried by her Antony :

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

A pair so famous. High events as these

Strike those that make them; and their story is

No less in pity than his glory, which

Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall,
In solemn show, attend this funeral;

And then to Rome.- Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity.

[Exeunt.

TITUS

ANDRONICUS.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

SATURNINUS, son to the late Emperor of ALARBUS,

CHIRON,

DEMETRIUS,
AARON, a Moor.

sons to Tamora.

A Captain, Tribune, Messenger, and Clown.
Goths and Romans.

TAMORA, Queen of the Goths.

LAVINIA, daughter to Titus Andronicus.
A Nurse, and a black Child.

Kinsmen of Titus, Senators, Tribunes,
Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Rome.

Flourish. Enter the Tribunes and Senators, aloft: and then enter SATURNINUS and his Followers at one door, and BASSIANUS and his Followers at the other, with drum and colours.

Sat. Noble patricians, patrons of my right,
Defend the justice of my cause with arms;
And, countrymen, my loving followers,
Plead my successive title with your swords:
I am his first-born son, that was the last
That wore the imperial diadem of Rome:
Then let my father's honours live in me,
Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

Bass. Romans, friends, followers, favourers of my right,
If ever Bassianus, Cæsar's son,

Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,
Keep then this passage to the Capitol;

And suffer not dishonour to approach

Th' imperial seat; to virtue consecrate,

To justice, continence, and nobility:
But let desert in pure election shine;

And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, aloft, with the crown.

Marc. Princes, that strive by factions and by friends
Ambitiously for rule and empery,

Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand

VOL. III.

S2

A special party, have by common voice,
In election for the Roman empery,
Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius,

For many good and great deserts to Rome :
A nobler man, a braver warrior,

Lives not this day within the city walls.
He by the senate is accited home,

From weary wars against the barbarous Goths,
That with his sons, a terror to our foes,
Hath yok'd a nation strong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, since first he undertook
This cause of Rome, and chastised with arms
Our enemies' pride: five times he hath return'd
Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant sons
In coffins from the field;

And now at last, laden with honour's spoils,
Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,
Renowned Titus, flourishing in arms.
Let us entreat,-by honour of his name,
Whom worthily you would have now succeed,
And in the Capitol and senate's right,
Whom you pretend to honour and adore,—
That you withdraw you, and abate your strength;
Dismiss your followers, and, as suitors should,

Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness.

Sat. How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts.
Bass. Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy

In thy uprightness and integrity,

And so I love and honour thee and thine,

Thy noble brother Titus and his sons,

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

[Exeunt Followers of BASSIANUS.
Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my right,
I thank you all, and here dismiss you all;
And to the love and favour of my country
Commit myself, my person, and the cause.

[Exeunt Followers of SATURNINUS.

Rome, be as just and gracious unto me,
As I am confident and kind to thee.

Open the gates and let me in.

Bass. Tribunes, and me, a poor competitor.

[Flourish. They go up into the Senate-house.

SCENE II. The same.

Enter a Captain, and others.

Cap. Romans, make way: the good Andronicus, Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,

Successful in the battles that he fights,

With honour and with fortune is return'd,
From where he circumscribed with his sword,
And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.

[Sound drums and trumpets, and then enter two of TITUS' Sons. After them two Men bearing a coffin covered with black: then two other Sons. After them TITUS ANDRONICUS; and then TAMORA, the queen of Goths, and her two Sons, CHIRON and DEMETRIUS, with AARON the Moor, and others, as many as can be. They set down the coffin, and TITUS speaks.

Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!
Lo, as the bark that hath discharg'd her fraught,
Returns with precious lading to the bay

From whence at first she weigh'd her anchorage,
Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs,
To re-salute his country with his tears,
Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.
Thou great defender of this Capitol,

Stand gracious to the rights that we intend!
Romans, of five-and-twenty valiant sons,
Half of the number that king Priam had,
Behold the poor remains, alive, and dead!

These that survive let Rome reward with love:

These that I bring unto their latest home,

With burial amongst their ancestors.

Here Goths have given me leave to sheathe my sword.
Titus, unkind, and careless of thine own,

Why suffer'st thou thy sons, unburied yet,

To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?

Make way to lay them by their brethren. [They open the tomb.

There greet in silence, as the dead are wont,

And sleep in peace, slain in your country's wars :

O sacred receptacle of my joys,

Sweet cell of virtue and nobility,

How many sons of mine hast thou in store,

That thou wilt never render to me more!

Luc. Give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths,
That we may hew his limbs, and on a pile,

Ad manes fratrum, sacrifice his flesh,
Before this earthly prison of their bones;
That so the shadows be not unappeas'd,

Nor we disturb'd with prodigies on earth.

Tit. I give him you, the noblest that survives,
The eldest son of this distressed queen.

Tam. Stay, Roman brethren, gracious conqueror,
Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,
A mother's tears in passion for her son:
And if thy sons were ever dear to thee,
O think my son to be as dear to me.
Sufficeth not, that we are brought to Rome
To beautify thy triumphs, and return