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Enter TITUS, old MARCUS, his son PUBLIUS, YOUNG LUCIUS, and other gentlemen (CAIUS and SEMPRONIUS)
with bows, and TITUS bears the arrows with letters on
the ends of them.
Enter TITUS, old MARCUS, his son PUBLIUS, YOUNG LUCIUS, and other gentlemen (CAIUS and SEMPRONIUS)
with bows, and TITUS bears the arrows with letters on
the ends of them.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, come. Kinsmen, this is the way.—
Sir boy, let me see your archery.
Look you draw home enough and ’tis there straight.—
Terras Astraea reliquit.
5
Be you remembered, Marcus, she’s gone, she’s fled.—
Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall
Go sound the ocean and cast your nets;
Happily you may catch her in the sea;
Yet there’s as little justice as at land.
10
No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it.
’Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade,
And pierce the inmost center of the Earth.
Then, when you come to Pluto’s region,
I pray you, deliver him this petition.
15
Tell him it is for justice and for aid,
And that it comes from old Andronicus,
Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.
Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable
What time I threw the people’s suffrages
20
On him that thus doth tyrannize o’er me.
Go, get you gone, and pray be careful all,
And leave you not a man-of-war unsearched.
This wicked emperor may have shipped her hence,
And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, come. Kinsmen, this is the way.—
Sir boy, let me see your archery.
Look you draw home enough and ’tis there straight.—
Terras Astraea reliquit.
Be you remembered, Marcus, she’s gone, she’s fled.—
Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall
Go sound the ocean and cast your nets;
Happily you may catch her in the sea;
Yet there’s as little justice as at land.
No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it.
’Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade,
And pierce the inmost center of the Earth.
Then, when you come to Pluto’s region,
I pray you, deliver him this petition.
Tell him it is for justice and for aid,
And that it comes from old Andronicus,
Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.
Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable
What time I threw the people’s suffrages
On him that thus doth tyrannize o’er me.
Go, get you gone, and pray be careful all,
And leave you not a man-of-war unsearched.
This wicked emperor may have shipped her hence,
And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.
MARCUS  
25
O Publius, is not this a heavy case
To see thy noble uncle thus distract?
MARCUS  
O Publius, is not this a heavy case
To see thy noble uncle thus distract?
PUBLIUS  
Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns
By day and night t’ attend him carefully,
And feed his humor kindly as we may,
30
Till time beget some careful remedy.
PUBLIUS  
Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns
By day and night t’ attend him carefully,
And feed his humor kindly as we may,
Till time beget some careful remedy.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy
But...
Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war
Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude,
35
And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy
But...
Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war
Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude,
And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.
TITUS  
Publius, how now? How now, my masters?
What, have you met with her?
TITUS  
Publius, how now? How now, my masters?
What, have you met with her?
PUBLIUS  
No, my good lord, but Pluto sends you word,
If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall.
40
Marry, for Justice, she is so employed,
He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else,
So that perforce you must needs stay a time.
PUBLIUS  
No, my good lord, but Pluto sends you word,
If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall.
Marry, for Justice, she is so employed,
He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else,
So that perforce you must needs stay a time.
TITUS  
He doth me wrong to feed me with delays.
I’ll dive into the burning lake below
45
And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.
Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we,
No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops’ size,
But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back,
Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can
50
bear;
And sith there’s no justice in Earth nor hell,
We will solicit heaven and move the gods
To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs.
Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus.
   He gives them the arrows.
55
“Ad Jovem,” that’s for you;—here, “Ad Apollinem”;—
“Ad Martem,” that’s for myself;—
Here, boy, “to Pallas”;—here, “to Mercury”;—
“To Saturn,” Caius—not to Saturnine!
You were as good to shoot against the wind.
60
To it, boy!—Marcus, loose when I bid.
Of my word, I have written to effect;
There’s not a god left unsolicited.
TITUS  
He doth me wrong to feed me with delays.
I’ll dive into the burning lake below
And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.
Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we,
No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops’ size,
But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back,
Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can
bear;
And sith there’s no justice in Earth nor hell,
We will solicit heaven and move the gods
To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs.
Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus.
   He gives them the arrows.
“Ad Jovem,” that’s for you;—here, “Ad Apollinem”;—
“Ad Martem,” that’s for myself;—
Here, boy, “to Pallas”;—here, “to Mercury”;—
“To Saturn,” Caius—not to Saturnine!
You were as good to shoot against the wind.
To it, boy!—Marcus, loose when I bid.
Of my word, I have written to effect;
There’s not a god left unsolicited.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court.
We will afflict the Emperor in his pride.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court.
We will afflict the Emperor in his pride.
TITUS  
65
Now, masters, draw. (They shoot. ) O, well said,
   Lucius!
Good boy, in Virgo’s lap! Give it Pallas.
TITUS  
Now, masters, draw. (They shoot. ) O, well said,
   Lucius!
Good boy, in Virgo’s lap! Give it Pallas.
MARCUS  
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon.
Your letter is with Jupiter by this.
MARCUS  
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon.
Your letter is with Jupiter by this.
TITUS  
70
Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done?
See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus’ horns!
TITUS  
Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done?
See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus’ horns!
MARCUS  
This was the sport, my lord; when Publius shot,
The Bull, being galled, gave Aries such a knock
That down fell both the Ram’s horns in the court,
75
And who should find them but the Empress’ villain?
She laughed and told the Moor he should not choose
But give them to his master for a present.
MARCUS  
This was the sport, my lord; when Publius shot,
The Bull, being galled, gave Aries such a knock
That down fell both the Ram’s horns in the court,
And who should find them but the Empress’ villain?
She laughed and told the Moor he should not choose
But give them to his master for a present.
TITUS  
Why, there it goes. God give his Lordship joy!
   Enter a country fellow with a basket and two
   pigeons in it.
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is
80
come.—
Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters?
Shall I have Justice? What says Jupiter?
TITUS  
Why, there it goes. God give his Lordship joy!
   Enter a country fellow with a basket and two
   pigeons in it.
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is
come.—
Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters?
Shall I have Justice? What says Jupiter?
COUNTRY FELLOW
  Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that
he hath taken them down again, for the man must
85
not be hanged till the next week.
COUNTRY FELLOW
  Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that
he hath taken them down again, for the man must
not be hanged till the next week.
TITUS  
But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?
TITUS  
But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never
drank with him in all my life.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never
drank with him in all my life.
TITUS  
Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?
TITUS  
Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
90
Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.
TITUS  
Why, didst thou not come from heaven?
TITUS  
Why, didst thou not come from heaven?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
From heaven? Alas, sir, I never
came there. God forbid I should be so bold to press
to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with
95
my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter
of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal’s
men.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
From heaven? Alas, sir, I never
came there. God forbid I should be so bold to press
to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with
my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter
of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal’s
men.
MARCUS, to TITUS
Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to
serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons
100
to the Emperor from you.
MARCUS, to TITUS
Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to
serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons
to the Emperor from you.
TITUS  
Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor
with a grace?
TITUS  
Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor
with a grace?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Nay, truly, sir, I could never say
grace in all my life.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Nay, truly, sir, I could never say
grace in all my life.
TITUS  
105
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; meanwhile here’s money for thy
charges.—Give me pen and ink.—Sirrah, can you
110
with a grace deliver up a supplication?
TITUS  
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; meanwhile here’s money for thy
charges.—Give me pen and ink.—Sirrah, can you
with a grace deliver up a supplication?
He writes.
He writes.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, sir.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, sir.
TITUS  
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,
115
and then look for your reward. I’ll be at
hand, sir. See you do it bravely.
TITUS  
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, sir. See you do it bravely.
He hands him a paper.
He hands him a paper.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
I warrant you, sir. Let me alone.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
I warrant you, sir. Let me alone.
TITUS  
Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.—
TITUS  
Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.—
He takes the knife and gives it to MARCUS.
He takes the knife and gives it to MARCUS.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,
120
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant.—
And when thou hast given it to the Emperor,
Knock at my door and tell me what he says.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant.—
And when thou hast given it to the Emperor,
Knock at my door and tell me what he says.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
God be with you, sir. I will.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
God be with you, sir. I will.
He exits.
He exits.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, let us go.—Publius, follow me.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, let us go.—Publius, follow me.
They exit.
They exit.

Original Text

Modern Text
Enter TITUS, old MARCUS, his son PUBLIUS, YOUNG LUCIUS, and other gentlemen (CAIUS and SEMPRONIUS)
with bows, and TITUS bears the arrows with letters on
the ends of them.
Enter TITUS, old MARCUS, his son PUBLIUS, YOUNG LUCIUS, and other gentlemen (CAIUS and SEMPRONIUS)
with bows, and TITUS bears the arrows with letters on
the ends of them.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, come. Kinsmen, this is the way.—
Sir boy, let me see your archery.
Look you draw home enough and ’tis there straight.—
Terras Astraea reliquit.
5
Be you remembered, Marcus, she’s gone, she’s fled.—
Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall
Go sound the ocean and cast your nets;
Happily you may catch her in the sea;
Yet there’s as little justice as at land.
10
No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it.
’Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade,
And pierce the inmost center of the Earth.
Then, when you come to Pluto’s region,
I pray you, deliver him this petition.
15
Tell him it is for justice and for aid,
And that it comes from old Andronicus,
Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.
Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable
What time I threw the people’s suffrages
20
On him that thus doth tyrannize o’er me.
Go, get you gone, and pray be careful all,
And leave you not a man-of-war unsearched.
This wicked emperor may have shipped her hence,
And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, come. Kinsmen, this is the way.—
Sir boy, let me see your archery.
Look you draw home enough and ’tis there straight.—
Terras Astraea reliquit.
Be you remembered, Marcus, she’s gone, she’s fled.—
Sirs, take you to your tools. You, cousins, shall
Go sound the ocean and cast your nets;
Happily you may catch her in the sea;
Yet there’s as little justice as at land.
No; Publius and Sempronius, you must do it.
’Tis you must dig with mattock and with spade,
And pierce the inmost center of the Earth.
Then, when you come to Pluto’s region,
I pray you, deliver him this petition.
Tell him it is for justice and for aid,
And that it comes from old Andronicus,
Shaken with sorrows in ungrateful Rome.
Ah, Rome! Well, well, I made thee miserable
What time I threw the people’s suffrages
On him that thus doth tyrannize o’er me.
Go, get you gone, and pray be careful all,
And leave you not a man-of-war unsearched.
This wicked emperor may have shipped her hence,
And, kinsmen, then we may go pipe for justice.
MARCUS  
25
O Publius, is not this a heavy case
To see thy noble uncle thus distract?
MARCUS  
O Publius, is not this a heavy case
To see thy noble uncle thus distract?
PUBLIUS  
Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns
By day and night t’ attend him carefully,
And feed his humor kindly as we may,
30
Till time beget some careful remedy.
PUBLIUS  
Therefore, my lords, it highly us concerns
By day and night t’ attend him carefully,
And feed his humor kindly as we may,
Till time beget some careful remedy.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy
But...
Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war
Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude,
35
And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy
But...
Join with the Goths, and with revengeful war
Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude,
And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine.
TITUS  
Publius, how now? How now, my masters?
What, have you met with her?
TITUS  
Publius, how now? How now, my masters?
What, have you met with her?
PUBLIUS  
No, my good lord, but Pluto sends you word,
If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall.
40
Marry, for Justice, she is so employed,
He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else,
So that perforce you must needs stay a time.
PUBLIUS  
No, my good lord, but Pluto sends you word,
If you will have Revenge from hell, you shall.
Marry, for Justice, she is so employed,
He thinks, with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else,
So that perforce you must needs stay a time.
TITUS  
He doth me wrong to feed me with delays.
I’ll dive into the burning lake below
45
And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.
Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we,
No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops’ size,
But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back,
Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can
50
bear;
And sith there’s no justice in Earth nor hell,
We will solicit heaven and move the gods
To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs.
Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus.
   He gives them the arrows.
55
“Ad Jovem,” that’s for you;—here, “Ad Apollinem”;—
“Ad Martem,” that’s for myself;—
Here, boy, “to Pallas”;—here, “to Mercury”;—
“To Saturn,” Caius—not to Saturnine!
You were as good to shoot against the wind.
60
To it, boy!—Marcus, loose when I bid.
Of my word, I have written to effect;
There’s not a god left unsolicited.
TITUS  
He doth me wrong to feed me with delays.
I’ll dive into the burning lake below
And pull her out of Acheron by the heels.
Marcus, we are but shrubs, no cedars we,
No big-boned men framed of the Cyclops’ size,
But metal, Marcus, steel to the very back,
Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can
bear;
And sith there’s no justice in Earth nor hell,
We will solicit heaven and move the gods
To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs.
Come, to this gear. You are a good archer, Marcus.
   He gives them the arrows.
“Ad Jovem,” that’s for you;—here, “Ad Apollinem”;—
“Ad Martem,” that’s for myself;—
Here, boy, “to Pallas”;—here, “to Mercury”;—
“To Saturn,” Caius—not to Saturnine!
You were as good to shoot against the wind.
To it, boy!—Marcus, loose when I bid.
Of my word, I have written to effect;
There’s not a god left unsolicited.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court.
We will afflict the Emperor in his pride.
MARCUS  
Kinsmen, shoot all your shafts into the court.
We will afflict the Emperor in his pride.
TITUS  
65
Now, masters, draw. (They shoot. ) O, well said,
   Lucius!
Good boy, in Virgo’s lap! Give it Pallas.
TITUS  
Now, masters, draw. (They shoot. ) O, well said,
   Lucius!
Good boy, in Virgo’s lap! Give it Pallas.
MARCUS  
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon.
Your letter is with Jupiter by this.
MARCUS  
My lord, I aim a mile beyond the moon.
Your letter is with Jupiter by this.
TITUS  
70
Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done?
See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus’ horns!
TITUS  
Ha, ha! Publius, Publius, what hast thou done?
See, see, thou hast shot off one of Taurus’ horns!
MARCUS  
This was the sport, my lord; when Publius shot,
The Bull, being galled, gave Aries such a knock
That down fell both the Ram’s horns in the court,
75
And who should find them but the Empress’ villain?
She laughed and told the Moor he should not choose
But give them to his master for a present.
MARCUS  
This was the sport, my lord; when Publius shot,
The Bull, being galled, gave Aries such a knock
That down fell both the Ram’s horns in the court,
And who should find them but the Empress’ villain?
She laughed and told the Moor he should not choose
But give them to his master for a present.
TITUS  
Why, there it goes. God give his Lordship joy!
   Enter a country fellow with a basket and two
   pigeons in it.
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is
80
come.—
Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters?
Shall I have Justice? What says Jupiter?
TITUS  
Why, there it goes. God give his Lordship joy!
   Enter a country fellow with a basket and two
   pigeons in it.
News, news from heaven! Marcus, the post is
come.—
Sirrah, what tidings? Have you any letters?
Shall I have Justice? What says Jupiter?
COUNTRY FELLOW
  Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that
he hath taken them down again, for the man must
85
not be hanged till the next week.
COUNTRY FELLOW
  Ho, the gibbet-maker? He says that
he hath taken them down again, for the man must
not be hanged till the next week.
TITUS  
But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?
TITUS  
But what says Jupiter, I ask thee?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never
drank with him in all my life.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Alas, sir, I know not Jupiter; I never
drank with him in all my life.
TITUS  
Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?
TITUS  
Why, villain, art not thou the carrier?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
90
Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, of my pigeons, sir; nothing else.
TITUS  
Why, didst thou not come from heaven?
TITUS  
Why, didst thou not come from heaven?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
From heaven? Alas, sir, I never
came there. God forbid I should be so bold to press
to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with
95
my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter
of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal’s
men.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
From heaven? Alas, sir, I never
came there. God forbid I should be so bold to press
to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with
my pigeons to the tribunal plebs, to take up a matter
of brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the Emperal’s
men.
MARCUS, to TITUS
Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to
serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons
100
to the Emperor from you.
MARCUS, to TITUS
Why, sir, that is as fit as can be to
serve for your oration; and let him deliver the pigeons
to the Emperor from you.
TITUS  
Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor
with a grace?
TITUS  
Tell me, can you deliver an oration to the Emperor
with a grace?
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Nay, truly, sir, I could never say
grace in all my life.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Nay, truly, sir, I could never say
grace in all my life.
TITUS  
105
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; meanwhile here’s money for thy
charges.—Give me pen and ink.—Sirrah, can you
110
with a grace deliver up a supplication?
TITUS  
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; meanwhile here’s money for thy
charges.—Give me pen and ink.—Sirrah, can you
with a grace deliver up a supplication?
He writes.
He writes.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, sir.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
Ay, sir.
TITUS  
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,
115
and then look for your reward. I’ll be at
hand, sir. See you do it bravely.
TITUS  
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, sir. See you do it bravely.
He hands him a paper.
He hands him a paper.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
I warrant you, sir. Let me alone.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
I warrant you, sir. Let me alone.
TITUS  
Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.—
TITUS  
Sirrah, hast thou a knife? Come, let me see it.—
He takes the knife and gives it to MARCUS.
He takes the knife and gives it to MARCUS.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,
120
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant.—
And when thou hast given it to the Emperor,
Knock at my door and tell me what he says.
Here, Marcus, fold it in the oration,
For thou hast made it like an humble suppliant.—
And when thou hast given it to the Emperor,
Knock at my door and tell me what he says.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
God be with you, sir. I will.
COUNTRY FELLOW  
God be with you, sir. I will.
He exits.
He exits.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, let us go.—Publius, follow me.
TITUS  
Come, Marcus, let us go.—Publius, follow me.
They exit.
They exit.
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