My faction if thou strengthen with thy friends

I will most thankful be; and thanks to men

Of noble minds is honourable meed.

TITUS

People of Rome, and people’s tribunes here,

I ask your voices and your suffrages.

Will ye bestow them friendly on Andronicus?

TRIBUNES

To gratify the good Andronicus

And gratulate his safe return to Rome

The people will accept whom he admits.

TITUS

Tribunes, I thank you, and this suit I make:

That you create our emperor’s eldest son

Lord Saturnine, whose virtues will, I hope,

Reflect on Rome as Titan’s rays on earth,

And ripen justice in this commonweal.

Then if you will elect by my advice,

Crown him and say, ‘Long live our Emperor!’

MARCUS

With voices and applause of every sort,

Patricians and plebeians, we create

Lord Saturninus Rome’s great emperor,

And say, ‘Long live our Emperor Saturnine!’

⌈A long flourish while Marcus and the other

Tribunes, with Saturninus and Bassianus,

come down.

Marcus invests Saturninus in the white

palliament and hands him a sceptre⌉

SATURNINUS

Titus Andronicus, for thy favours done

To us in our election this day

I give thee thanks in part of thy deserts,

And will with deeds requite thy gentleness.

And for an onset, Titus, to advance

Thy name and honourable family,

Lavinia will I make my empress,

Rome’s royal mistress, mistress of my heart,

And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse.

Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee?

TITUS

It doth, my worthy lord, and in this match

I hold me highly honoured of your grace,

And here in sight of Rome to Saturnine,

King and commander of our commonweal,

The wide world’s emperor, do I consecrate

My sword, my chariot, and my prisoners—

Presents well worthy Rome’s imperious lord.

Receive them, then, the tribute that I owe,

Mine honour’s ensigns humbled at thy feet.

SATURNINUS

Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life.

How proud I am of thee and of thy gifts

Rome shall record; and when I do forget

The least of these unspeakable deserts,

Romans, forget your fealty to me.

TITUS (to Tamora)

Now, madam, are you prisoner to an emperor,

To him that for your honour and your state

Will use you nobly, and your followers.

SATURNINUS

A goodly lady, trust me, of the hue

That I would choose were I to choose anew.

Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance.

Though chance of war hath wrought this change of

cheer,

Thou com’st not to be made a scorn in Rome.

Princely shall be thy usage every way.

Rest on my word, and let not discontent

Daunt all your hopes. Madam, he comforts you

Can make you greater than the Queen of Goths.

Lavinia, you are not displeased with this?

LAVINIA

Not I, my lord, sith true nobility

Warrants these words in princely courtesy.

SATURNINUS

Thanks, sweet Lavinia. Romans, let us go.

Ransomless here we set our prisoners free.

Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum.

⌈Flourish. Exeunt Saturninus, Tamora, Demetrius, Chiron, and Aaron the Moor⌉

BASSIANUS

Lord Titus,.by your leave, this maid is mine.

TITUS

How, sir, are you in earnest then, my lord?

BASSIANUS

Ay, noble Titus, and resolved withal

To do myself this reason and this right.

MARCUS

Suum cuique is our Roman justice.

This prince in justice seizeth but his own.

LUCIUS

And that he will and shall, if Lucius live.

TITUS

Traitors, avaunt! Where is the Emperor’s guard?

MUTIUS

Brothers, help to convey her hence away,

And with my sword I’ll keep this door safe.

Exeunt Bassianus, Marcus, Quintus, and Martius, with Lavinia

(To Titus) My lord, you pass not here.

TITUS

What, villain boy,

Barr’st me my way in Rome?

He attacks Mutius

MUTIUS

Help, Lucius, help!

Titus kills him

LUCIUS (to Titus)

My lord, you are unjust; and more than so,

In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son.

TITUS

Nor thou nor he are any sons of mine.

My sons would never so dishonour me.

Traitor, restore Lavinia to the Emperor.

LUCIUS

Dead, if you will, but not to be his wife

That is another’s lawful promised love.

Exit with Mutius’ body

Enter aloft Saturninus the Emperor with Tamora

and Chiron and Demetrius, her two sons, and

Aaron the Moor

TITUS

Follow, my lord, and I’ll soon bring her back.

SATURNINUS

No, Titus, no. The Emperor needs her not,

Nor her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock.

I’ll trust by leisure him that mocks me once,

Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty sons,

Confederates all thus to dishonour me.

Was none in Rome to make a stale

But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,

Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine

That saidst I begged the empire at thy hands.

TITUS

O monstrous, what reproachful words are these?

SATURNINUS

But go thy ways, go give that changing piece

To him that flourished for her with his sword.