TITUS

ANDRONICUS.

VOL. VIII.

Dd

Perfons Represented.

SATURNINUS, Son to the late Emperor of Rome, and afterwards declared Emperor himself.

Baffianus, Brother to Saturninus, in love with Lavinia. Titus Andronicus, a noble Roman, General against the Goths.

Marcus Andronicus, Tribune of the People, and Brother to Titus.

Marcus,

Quintus,

Sons to Titus Andronicus.

Lucius,

Mutius,

Young Lucius, a Boy, Son to Lucius.

Publius, Son to Marcus the Tribune, and Nephew to Titus Andronicus.

Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and afterwards married to

Saturninus.

Lavinia, Daughter to Titus Andronicus.

Nurfe, with a Black a-moor Child.

Senators, Judges, Officers, Soldiers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, Rome; and the Country near it.

TITUS ANDRONICUS,

ACT I. SCENE I

Before the Capitol in Rome.

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

SATURNINUS.

OBLE patricians, patrons of my right,
Defend the juftice of my caufe with arms;
And countrymen, my loving followers,

Plead my fucceffive title with your fwords.
I am the firft-born son of him, that last

Wore

'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 first edition was probably corrected by the author, so that here is very little room for conjecture or emendation; and accordingly none of the editors have much molefted this piece with officious criticifm. JOHNSON.

There is an authority for afcribing this play to Shakespeare, which I think a decifive 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 fecond Part of Wt's Commonwealth, written by Francis Meeres, Maifter of arts, and printed at London in 1598. The other tragedies, enumerated as his in that book, are King John, Richard the fecond, Henry the fourth, Richard the third, and Romeo and Juliet. The comedies are, the Midfummer Night's Dream, the Gentlemen of Verona, the Erro's, the Love's Labour loft, the Love's Labour won, and the Merchant of Venice. I have given

Ddz

this

Wore the imperial diadem of Rome;
Then let my father's honours live in me,
Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

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 difhonour to approach
The imperial feat, to virtue confecrate,
To juftice, continence, and nobility;
But let defert in pure election fhine,
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 stand

this lift, as it ferves fo far to ascertain the date of these plays ; and alfo, as it contains a notice of a comedy of Shakespeare, the Love's Labour won, not included in any collection of his works; nor, as far as I know, attributed to him' by any other authority. If there fhould be a play in being, with that title, though without Shakefpeare's name, I fhould be glad to fee it; and I think the editor would be fure of the public thanks, even if it should prove no better than the Love's Labour luft.

Obfervations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766. 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 fhall always do little where we defire but little fhould be done. I know not, that this piece lands in need of much emendation; though it might be treated as condemned criminals are in fome countries,-any experiments might be justifiably made on it.

The author, whoever he was, borrowed the ftory, the names, the characters, &c. from an old ballad, the age of which cannot be exactly ascertained. The reader who is curious about fuch a wretched piece, will find the original in Dr. Percy's collection.

STEEVENS.

A

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 our city walls.
He by the senate is accited home,

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

Hath yok'd a nation ftrong, train'd up in arms.
Ten years are spent, fince firft 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 last, laden with honour's spoils,
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 fucceed,
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 should,
Plead your deferts in peace and humbleness.

Sat. How fair the tribune speaks, 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.

Dd3

[Exeunt Soldiers,

Sat.