in my young days. Why, I am going with my piacons 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 serve 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 justice 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 supplication?

Clown. ny, fir.

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

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

Tit. Sirrahı, hast thou a knife ? come, let me see it.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant;
And when thou hast given it the emperor,
Knock at my door, and tell me what he says.

C! zon. God be with you, sir, I will.
Iit. Come, Marcus, let us go. Publius, follow

[Exeunt.

me

SCENE

Enter Emperor and Emperess, and her two sons; the

Emperor brings the arrows in his hand, ibat Titus
shot.
Sat. Why, lords, what wrongs are these ? was ever

feen
An emperor of Rome chus over-borne,
Troubled, confronted thus, and for the extent
Of equal justice, us’d in such contempt?
My lords, you know, as do the mightful Gods,
However the disturbers of our peace
Buz in the people's ears, there nought hath past,
But even with law against the wilful fons
Of old Andronicus. And what an if
His sorrows have so overwhelm'd his wits,
Shall we be thus amicted in his wreaks,
His fits, his phrenzy, and his bitterness?
And now he writes to heaven for his redress.
See, here's to Jove, and this to Mercury,
This to Apollo, this to the God of war;
Sweet scrolls, to fly about the streets of Rome!
What's this but libelling against the senate,
And blazoning our injustice every where ?
A goodly humour, is it not my lords?
As who would say, in Rome no justice were.
But, if I live, his feigned ecstasies
Shall be no shelter to these outrages;
But he and his shall know, that juttice lives
In Saturninus' health : whom, if she deep,
He'll so awake, as she in fury shall
Cut off the proud'it conspirator that lives,

Tam. My gracious lord, most lovely Saturnine,
Lordof my life, commander of

my
thought,

Calm

Hh3

age,

heart;

Calm thee, and bear the faults of Titus'
The effects of sorrow for his valiant sons,
Whose loss hath pierc'd him deep and scarr’d his
And rather comfort his distressed plight,
Than profecute the meanest, or the best,
For these contempts. Why, thus it shall become Afde.
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 safe, the anchor's in the

port.

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

perial.
Tam. Emperess I am, but yonder fits the

emperor. Clown. 'Tis he. God and St. Stephen give you

good even: I have brought you a letter, and a couple of pigeons here.

[The Emperor reads the letter.
Sat. Go, take him away, and hang him presently.
Clown. How much money must 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.

Exit. Sat. Delpightful and intolerable wrongs ! Shall I endure this monstrous villainy? I know from whence this same device proceeds, May this be borne ? as if his traiterous sons, 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 shall shape privilege. For this proud mock, I'll be thy Naughter man ; Sly frantick wretch, that holp'st to make me great, In hope thyself should govern Rone and me.

Enter

: Enter Æmilius. Sat. What news with thee, Æmilius ? Æmil. Arm, arm, my lords; Rome never had

more cause;
The Goths have gather'd head, and with a power
Of high-resolved men, bent to the spoil,
They hither march amain, under the conduct
Of Lucius, son to old Andronicus,
Who threats in course 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 frost, or grass beat down with storms.
Ay, now begin our sorrows to approach ;
'Tis he, the common people love so much,
Myself have often over heard them say,
When I have walked like a private man,
That Lucius' banishment was wrongfully,
And they have wish'd that Lucius were their emperor,

Tam. Why should you fear? is not our city strong?

Sat. Ay, but the citizens favour Lucius, And will revolt from me to succour him.

Tam. King, be thy thoughts imperious like thy

naine.

Is the sun dimm’d, that gnats do fly in it?
The eagle suffers little birds to sing,
And is not careful what they mean thereby,
Knowing, that with the shadow of his wings,
He can at pleasure ftint their melody;

3 Enter Nuntius Æmilius.] Thus the old books have described this character. In the author's manuscript, I presume, it was writ, Enter Nuntius ; and they observing, that he is immediately called Æmilius, thought proper to give him his whole title, and so 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. THEOB.

Even

Hh4

Even so may'st thou the giddy men of Rome.
Then cheer thy spirit, for know, thou emperor,
I will enchant the old Andronicus
With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous,
Than baits to fish, or + honey-stalks to sheep:
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.

Taim. If Tamora intreat hiin, then he will;
For I can smooth, and fill his aged ear
With golden promises; that were his heart
Almost impregnable, his old ears deaf,
Yet should both ear and heart obey my tongue.
Go thou before as our embassador;

[70 Æmilius, Sav, that the emperor requests a parley Of warlike Lucius, and appoint the meeting.

Sat. Æmilius, do this message honourably And if he stand on hostage for his fafety, Bid him demand what pledge will pleate him best.

Æmil. Your bidding shall 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, sweet emperor, be blith again,
And bury all thy fear in my devices.
Sat. Then go successfully, and plead to him.

(Exeunt.

boney-falks to faces :) Hones-flalks are clover-flowers, which contain a sweet juice. It is common for cattle to overcharge themselves with clover, and die,

JOHNSON,

ACT