Complete Plays, The Read Free

swear,If Saturnine advance the Queen of Goths,She will a handmaid be to his desires,A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.
    Saturninus
    Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon. Lords, accompanyYour noble emperor and his lovely bride,Sent by the heavens for Prince Saturnine,Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered:There shall we consummate our spousal rites.
    Exeunt all but Titus
    Titus Andronicus
    I am not bid to wait upon this bride.Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone,Dishonour’d thus, and challenged of wrongs?
    Re-enter Marcus, Lucius, Quintus, and Martius
    Marcus Andronicus
    O Titus, see, O, see what thou hast done!In a bad quarrel slain a virtuous son.
    Titus Andronicus
    No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine,Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deedThat hath dishonour’d all our family;Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons!
    Lucius
    But let us give him burial, as becomes;Give Mutius burial with our brethren.
    Titus Andronicus
    Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb:This monument five hundred years hath stood,Which I have sumptuously re-edified:Here none but soldiers and Rome’s servitorsRepose in fame; none basely slain in brawls:Bury him where you can; he comes not here.
    Marcus Andronicus
    My lord, this is impiety in you:My nephew Mutius’ deeds do plead for himHe must be buried with his brethren.
    Quintus
    Martius
    And shall, or him we will accompany.
    Titus Andronicus
    ‘And shall!’ what villain was it that spake that word?
    Quintus
    He that would vouch it in any place but here.
    Titus Andronicus
    What, would you bury him in my despite?
    Marcus Andronicus
    No, noble Titus, but entreat of theeTo pardon Mutius and to bury him.
    Titus Andronicus
    Marcus, even thou hast struck upon my crest,And, with these boys, mine honour thou hast wounded:My foes I do repute you every one;So, trouble me no more, but get you gone.
    Martius
    He is not with himself; let us withdraw.
    Quintus
    Not I, till Mutius’ bones be buried.
    Marcus and the Sons of Titus kneel
    Marcus Andronicus
    Brother, for in that name doth nature plead,—
    Quintus
    Father, and in that name doth nature speak,—
    Titus Andronicus
    Speak thou no more, if all the rest will speed.
    Marcus Andronicus
    Renowned Titus, more than half my soul,—
    Lucius
    Dear father, soul and substance of us all,—
    Marcus Andronicus
    Suffer thy brother Marcus to interHis noble nephew here in virtue’s nest,That died in honour and Lavinia’s cause.Thou art a Roman; be not barbarous:The Greeks upon advice did bury AjaxThat slew himself; and wise Laertes’ sonDid graciously plead for his funerals:Let not young Mutius, then, that was thy joyBe barr’d his entrance here.
    Titus Andronicus
    Rise, Marcus, rise.The dismall’st day is this that e’er I saw,To be dishonour’d by my sons in Rome!Well, bury him, and bury me the next.
    Mutius is put into the tomb
    Lucius
    There lie thy bones, sweet Mutius, with thy friends,Till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb.
    All
    [Kneeling]   No man shed tears for noble Mutius;He lives in fame that died in virtue’s cause.
    Marcus Andronicus
    My lord, to step out of these dreary dumps,How comes it that the subtle Queen of GothsIs of a sudden thus advanced in Rome?
    Titus Andronicus
    I know not, Marcus; but I know it is,Whether by device or no, the heavens can tell:Is she not then beholding to the manThat brought her for this high good turn so far?Yes, and will nobly him remunerate.
    Flourish. Re-enter, from one side, Saturninus attended, Tamora, Demetrius, Chiron and Aaron; from the other, Bassianus, Lavinia, and others
    Saturninus
    So, Bassianus, you have play’d your prize:God give you joy, sir, of your gallant bride!
    Bassianus
    And you of yours, my lord! I say no more,Nor wish no less; and so, I take my leave.
    Saturninus
    Traitor, if Rome have law or we have power,Thou and thy faction shall repent this rape.
    Bassianus
    Rape, call you it, my lord, to seize my own,My truth-betrothed love and now my wife?But let the laws of Rome