Cer. Noble sir,

Per.

Lord Cerimon advances :

If you have told Diana's altar true,
This is your 'wife!

Reverend appearer, no:
I threw her overboard with these very arms.
Cer. Upon this coast, I warrant you?

Per.
'T is most certain.
Cer. Look to the lady.-O! she's but o'erjoyed.—
Early one blustering morn, this lady was
Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin, found
Rich jewels there; recovered her, and placed her
Here in Diana's Temple. See! Thaisa is recovered.
Thai.... O, let me look upon him!-O, my lord,

Per.

Are you not Pericles? 'Like him you 'speak,—
Like him you 'are. Did you not name a tempest,
A birth, and death?

The voice of dead Thaisa!
Thai. That Thaisa am I,—supposed both drowned
And dead. Ah, now I know you better!-
When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
The King, my father, gave you such a ring?
Per. 'This, this! No more, you gods! your present 'kind-

Mar.

ness

shows a

ring.

Makes my past miseries 'sports! O, come, be buried
A 'second time-within these arms!

Marina advances.

My heart

[kneels.

Leaps to be gone into my 'mother's bosom !
Per. Look, who kneels here! Flesh of 'thy flesh, Thaisa;
Thy burden at the sea, and called Marina,
For she was yielded there.

Thai.
Bless'd, and mine own!
Per. Now do I long to hear 'how you were 'found?
How possibly 'preserved? and whom to 'thank,
(Besides the gods,) for this great miracle?

Thai. Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man, through whom
The gods have 'shown their power; 't is he that can
From first to last resolve you.

Per.

Cer.

Reverend sir,
The gods can have no 'mortal officer
More 'like a god than you. Will you deliver
How this dead Queen re-lives?

I will, my lord:
Beseech you, 'first go with me to my house,

Where shall be shown you 'all was found with her;
And how she came placed here within the Temple;
No needful thing omitted.

Per. Pure Diana! I bless thee for thy vision! I
Will offer my night-oblations to thee. Thaisa,

This Prince, [to Lys.1 the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
Shall 'marry her at Pentapolis.

Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
My father's 'dead.

Per. Heavens make a 'star of him! Yet there, my Queen,
We'll celebrate their nuptials; and ourselves

Will, in that kingdom, spend our following days:
Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.-
Lord Cerimon, we do our journey" stay

To 'hear the rest untold.-Sir, lead the way.

Gower enters.

[Exeunt.

Gower. In 'Antiochus, and his daughter, you have heard,
Of monstrous crime the due and just reward;
In 'Pericles, 'his Queen, and daughter, seen,
(Although assailed with fortune fierce and keen,)
Virtue-preserved from fell destruction's blast,
Led-on by heaven, and crowned with joy at last!—
In 'Helicanus, may you well descry
A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty.—
In reverend 'Cerimon, there well appears
The worth that learned charity aye wears.-
For wicked 'Cleon, and his 'wife, (when fame
Had spread 'their curséd deed, and honoured

name

d

Of 'Pericles,) to 'rage the crowds so turn,
That him and his they in his palace burn.—
The gods for murder seemed so well content
To punish crime,-although not 'done, but 'meant.
So, on your patience evermore attending,
'New joy wait on you! Here our play hath ending.

END OF PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.

[Exit.

a O. R. longing.

bO. R. lead 's (lead us.) c O. R. prefixed. d O. R. the city turn.

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

The wild and revolting Tragedy of "Titus Andronicus" is generally considered to be founded on an old play known to have been performed in 1591. The first printed version appeared in 1600 (and again in 1611) without the author's name, under the following title: "The most lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus, as it hath sundry times been playde by the Right Honourable the Earle of Pembroke, the Earle of Darbie, the Earle of Sussex, and the Lord Chamberlaine, theyre seruants." It is, however, mentioned in Meres' list of Shakespeare's compositions (in 1598), and included in the first folio of 1623. The "inner" testimony of Shakespeare's handiwork is feeble; but this "external" is strong, if not convincing. It is believed that this tragedy was among the earliest of Shakespeare's attempts, either as author or adapter. The play was once popular, but its horrible. incidents have banished it from the modern stage.

The Personages retained in this Condensation are:

SATURNINUS, Son to the late Em

peror of Rome, and afterwards declared Emperor.

BASSIANUS, Brother to Saturninus; in love with Lavinia. TITUS ANDRONICUS, a noble Rogeneral against the

man.

Goths.b
MARCUS ANDRONICUS, Tribune of
the People; and Brother to
Titus.

Young LUCIUS, a Boy, Son to

Lucius.

EMILIUS, a noble Roman.

ALARBUS,

DEMETRIUS,

CHIRON,

Sons to

Queen Tamora.

AARON, a Moor, beloved by Ta

mora.

Goths and Romans.

TAMORA, Queen of the Goths.

LAVINIA, Daughter to Titus
Andronicus.

Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

Scene-Rome, and the Country near it.

Among the claimants for empire in the legendary stories of ancient Rome, were two brothers, named Saturninus and Bassianus. Marcus Andronicus, as chief Tribune of the People, was

a See page 6.

b The Goths were an ancient Germanic race, who occupied a large portion of Central and Eastern Europe: they were constantly at war with the Romans, who recognized two branches-the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths-(Goths of the East and West).

c The Moors were a "dark" or coloured African race from Barbary and Mauritania.

48

the officer whose duty it was to present the imperial crown to the successful competitor: and his brother Titus Andronicus,—a distinguished soldier, and now General-in-Chief of the Roman army-was expected to become one of the candidates. He is now returning, laden with years and honours, from a war against the Goths.

The Scene is in Rome, before the Tomb of the Andronici, near the Capitol. The two contestant brothers, Saturninus and Bassianus, attended by armed followers, are before us with the Senators, Patricians, and Citizens, headed by old Marcus Andronicus, one of the Tribunes of the People,—having in his charge the imperial crown. Saturninus is the first speaker:

Sat. Noble Patricians, patrons of 'my right,

Defend the 'justice of my cause with 'arms;
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.
The second brother-claimant speaks:

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 'dis-honour to approach
The 'imperial seat, to 'virtue consecrate;
But let desert" in 'pure election shine;

And, Romans, fight for 'freedom in your choice. Marcus Andronicus, Tribune of the People, holding the crown, addresses the rival brothers:

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

Know-that the people have by common voice
Chosen Andronicus, surnamed the Pious,
For many good and great deserts to Rome:
He, by the Senate, is accited home,

From weary wars against the barbarous Goths.
Ten years are spent, since first he undertook
This cause of Rome; five times he hath returned,
Bearing his sons in coffins from the field.
Let us entreat-by honour of his name-
That you withdraw you, and abate your strength;
Dismiss your followers; and, as suitors should,
'Plead your deserts in 'peace and humbleness.

a seniority.

b just claim to reward. c empire.

d summoned.

Bassianus is the first to reply:

Bass. Marcus Andronicus, I do so affya
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 weighed.

Saturninus adds:

[The followers of Bassianus withdraw.

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.

[The followers of Saturninus withdraw.

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

The rival brothers, having thus dismissed their forces, enter the Capitol. Then a magnificent procession approaches, preceded by a Captain and other Officers.

Cap. Romans, make way! The good Andronicus,
Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,
With honour and with fortune is returned,
And brings in yoke the 'enemies of Rome.

Drums and trumpets sound; and then two of Titus's sons enter. After them, two men bearing a coffin covered with black; then two other sons. After them Titus Andronicus; and then Tamora, Queen of the Goths, with her sons Alarbus, Chiron, and Demetrius ; besides Aaron, a Moorish lover of the Queen, and other Goths, prisoners; Soldiers and People following. They set down the coffin, and Titus speaks:

Tit. Hail, Rome, victorious in thy 'mourning weeds!
Lo, as the bark that hath discharged her fraught,"
Returns, with precious lading, to the bay
From whence at 'first she weighed 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 rites that we intend!..
Romans, of five-and-twenty valiant sons,

a place confidence, rely.

b freight.

c Jupiter (Capitolinus), to whom the edifice was dedicated.