She shall be loved and fear'd: her own shall

bless her;

Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with sorrow: good grows with her :

In her days every man shall eat in safety,
Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours :
God shall be truly known; and those about her
From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.
Nor shall this peace sleep with her: but as when
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,
Her ashes new create another heir,

As great in admiration as herself;

So shall she leave her blessedness to one,

When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,

Who from the sacred ashes of her honour

Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fix'd: peace, plenty, love, truth,

terror,

That were the servants to this chosen infant,
Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him:
Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name
Shall be, and make new nations: he shall flourish,
And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches
To all the plains about him: our children's children
Shall see this, and bless heaven.

King.
Thou speakest wonders.
Cran. She shall be, to the happiness of England,

41. maiden, i.e. mateless. 53. make new nations; an allusion probably to the settlement of Virginia in 1607. The

40

50

colony had received a constitution in 1612, but the allusion cannot be definitely referred to

this.

An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.
Would I had known no more! but she must die,
She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin,
A most unspotted lily shall she pass

To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.
King. O lord archbishop,

Thou hast made me now a man! never, before
This happy child, did I get any thing:
This oracle of comfort has so pleased me,
That when I am in heaven I shall desire

To see what this child does, and praise my Maker.
I thank ye all. To you, my good lord mayor,
And your good brethren, I am much beholding;
I have received much honour by your presence,
And ye shall find me thankful.
Lead the way,

lords:

Ye must all see the queen, and she must thank ye,
She will be sick else. This day, no man think
'Has business at his house; for all shall stay:
This little one shall make it holiday.

Exeunt.

60

70

EPILOGUE.

'Tis ten to one this play can never please
All that are here: some come to take their ease,
And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear,
We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis clear,
They'll say 'tis naught: others, to hear the city
Abused extremely, and to cry 'That's witty!'
Which we have not done neither: that, I fear,
All the expected good we're like to hear

71. brethren, i.e. the aldermen.

76. 'Has, he has. So Ff.

For this play at this time, is only in

The merciful construction of good women ;
For such a one we show'd 'em: if they smile,
And say 'twill do, I know, within a while
All the best men are ours; for 'tis ill hap,

If they hold when their ladies bid 'em clap.

ΤΟ

TITUS ANDRONICUS

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

SATURNINUS, son to the late Emperor of Rome, and after
wards declared Emperor.

BASSIANUS, 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.

}

sons to Tamora.

ÆMILIUS, a noble Roman.

DEMETRIUS,

CHIRON,

AARON, a Moor, beloved by Tamora.

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

TAMORA, Queen of the Goths.

LAVINIA, daughter to Titus Andronicus.

A Nurse.

Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE: Rome, and the country near it

DURATION OF TIME

Four days represented on the stage, with, possibly, two intervals. Day 1. I., II. 1.

Dramatis Persona. First supplied, imperfectly, by Rowe. The Ff mark the Acts but not the Scenes. The Qq mark neither Acts nor Scenes.