University of Virginia Library

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

LUCIA, HORTENSIA.
Lucia.
Urge me no more—I will not see him!
Shall I expose myself to new Affronts,
And let him kindle in my lab'ring Breast,
Th'alternate Flames of Love and Indignation?—
Why did'st thou, treach'rous Cælius, thus delude me,
And by thy wily Arts protract my Stay?

HORTENSIA.
You have forgot, that Cælius now expects you.

LUCIA.
I yet remain, and have no Power to quit
This Seat of Woes, the Object of my Hatred!
My Spirits are consum'd in vain Complaints!
Wretch that I am! what Right have I to murmur?
I! who degrading thus the Royal Blood,
Have fix'd my Love upon a Rebel Subject;
Who fond of Fame, and proud of his Exploits,
Can taste no Charms, but Popular Applause.
You saw, Hortensia, he would not follow me.

HORTENSIA.
Trust me, Lucia, Titus feels sharper Pangs
Than you conceive. He labour'd to suppress
His swelling Grief, that struggled for a Vent;
Yet now and then a gushing Tear confess'd,
What inward Anguish preys upon his Soul.
You should excuse him: Can his generous Heart,
More easily than yours, betray a Father?
Do not You tremble for the Life of Tarquin?
And can you blame his Filial Love of Brutus?
Judge of his Pains by what you feel yourself.
Then be not too severe in your Resentment,
Nor grieve yourself, to grieve unhappy Titus.
You also know, by what tremendous Oaths
The Sons of Rome are bound to serve her Interest.
This very Morn he swore Eternal Hatred
To Tarquin's Family. What can he do?—

LUCIA.
'Tis hard indeed, Hortensia; I pity him!
Heav'n knows how deeply his Distress affects me;
I'm almost overwhelm'd!—Why may not Titus
Repent of those rash Oaths, unjustly taken,
Return to his Allegiance, and to Me.
Does not Tiberius, a Son of Brutus too,
Assisted by the Noblest Roman Youths,
Join to restore my Father to his Throne;
Nor in the least pretend to merit Me?
And shall Titus, to whom I've been so partial,
To whom my Soul has overflow'd in Fondness,
Shall he forsake me?

HORTENSIA.
In his divided Heart,
You triumph over Rome and Liberty.

LUCIA.
Ah! guilty Liberty, a Rebel's Virtue!—
I'll wait no more, but instantly depart;
Depart without Regret—if possible.—
What secret Horror thrills thro' all my Soul!
Avert, avenging Gods, this dreadful Omen!
I trembling view yon' tow'ring Capitol,
And shudder for the Life of lovely Titus.
Brutus appears, like some relentless God,
With Fury arm'd to plunge us to Destruction.
Grief, Anger, Love, and Fear distract my Thoughts!
Let us be gone—

SCENE II.

Lucia, Hortensia, Titus.
TITUS.
Yet for a single Moment
Let me intreat thy Stay—

LUCIA.
No, cruel Man,
You think by soothing Words, and artful Glosses
To gain upon me—

TITUS.
Alas! I know no Arts:
My open Heart abhors Hypocrisy.
Ev'n Reason now is fled. This fatal Day
Bereaves me of the Power to rule my Actions.
My Brain whirls round! my Thoughts are all confus'd!
Guide thou my Steps, conduct me at thy Pleasure;
Freely command me now to perpetrate
The Crimes I most detest, Murder and Parricide!
Rather than part with Thee, let raging Flames
Lay level with the Ground the Towers of Rome;
Her Citizens be buried in the Ruins;
And let a Father, by his Son abandon'd,
Beneath fierce Tarquin's Sword—

LUCIA.
The Gods forbid it!
In Thee, the Voice of Nature pleads for Brutus.
If I am Yours, your Father will be Mine,
And shall by Me as Tarquin's self be honour'd.
But tell me, Titus, can you then believe,
That Brutus would repine to see his Son
The glorious Sovereign of a willing People?
He's King himself, tho' by another Title;
His Reign, 'tis true, lasts but a Year at present;
Yet soon perhaps—But what avail my Pleadings,
If thy cold Heart's insensible to Love?
I go—Then soon you will forget—

TITUS.
Forget thee, O! enchanting Excellence!—
The Sun shall sooner cease his Daily Course,
Than I can tear thy Image from my Breast!
But then—to see the Romans made a Prey
To wild Ambition, and to lawless Power,
Those very Romans, whom my Hand has sav'd?
My Soul starts back with Horror at the Thought!—

LUCIA.
Hear then my fix'd and final Resolution!
My Heart shall witness by its Constancy,
With what a mighty Force it would have lov'd thee.
Think not that I will wander to Liguria,
To wed a Monarch whom I never saw;
No—Here in Presence of the Gods I swear,
Whose vengeful Lightning blasts the perjur'd Wretch,
Beneath these Walls, where reign'd my Ancestors,
These Walls, which you defend against your King,
By my own Hand to end my wretched Life!
A just Reward for my presumptuous Folly,
In doating on my Father's mortal Foe!
I go—

TITUS,
[Holding her.]
Yet stay, and hear me!
It must be so—Thy Will shall be obey'd,
Tho' my Soul shudders at the dire Resolve!
I see the dreadful Gulph to which I'm plunging;
I see, and I approve the Paths of Virtue,
Yet, led by Love, pursue what I condemn!

LUCIA.
Ah! do not thus delude my ardent Passion!
You mock the Fondness of my tender Heart.
Yes, I confess, I live for Thee alone!
Yet know, I'll sooner die than give my Hand
To One, who wav'ring trembles to be Mine,
Nor dare obey his King without Reluctance.
The dreadful Moment's come, that must divide us.
With Cælius I depart. Advise, consult;
Weigh in thy Mind, how dear thou art to Lucia,
And that all Rome may now be subject to thee.
I go—but will with Tarquin soon return,
To enter Queen, or perish in thy Sight!

TITUS.
Thou shalt not perish! I will—

[Offering to follow her.
LUCIA.
Hold, Titus,
You hazard Life, if you pursue me farther.
Suspicion ever wakes—Resolve to be
Or Tarquin's Friend, or Lucia's mortal Foe!

[Exeunt Lucia and Hortensia.

SCENE III.

TITUS,
Alone.
O Lucia, thou hast conquer'd! Love prevails.
I'll crown Thee Queen, or perish in th'Attempt.
T'abandon and betray such matchless Charms,
Were of all Crimes the most enormous!

SCENE IV.

Titus, Messala.
TITUS.
Welcome, my Friend. I long'd for thy Return.
Forgive my late wild Transports. Follow me,
And serve, at once, my Love and my Revenge!

MESSALA.
I shall with Joy obey your Will. My Cohorts
Already arm'd on Mount Quirinus stand,
To yield the Gate upon th'appointed Signal.
Then lose no Time. Impenetrable Night
With Wings propitious covers our Designs!

TITUS,
The Hour draws near. Lucia now counts the Moments.—
Tarquin, to Thee my Vows were plighted first!
The Dye is cast!
[The Back Scene opens.]
What do I see? My Father!

SCENE V.

Brutus, Titus, Messala, Lictors.
BRUTUS.
Haste, Titus, haste. Rome is expos'd to Danger.
By Secret Means the Senate are inform'd,
That we shall be attack'd at Dead of Night;
And have, at my Request, made Choice of Thee
To guard the City on this great Occasion.
Away! if thou return with Conquest crown'd,
Or fall in Fight, thy Name will be Immortal!

TITUS.
Heavens!

BRUTUS.
My Son—

TITUS.
Commit, I pray, to abler Hands
The Senate's Favour, and the Fate of Rome.

MESSALA.
What dreadful Passions rend his struggling Soul!

[Aside.
BRUTUS.
Can'st thou refuse the Honour they design thee?

TITUS.
I am unworthy of so high an Honour.

BRUTUS.
Thou art, indeed, unworthy!—Proud Ambition
Still irritates thy Mind against the Senate,
For their refusing thee the Consulship.
But how unjust were all the Pleas you urg'd!
How didst thou dare to stand a Candidate,
Before the Age sour Sacred Laws prescribe?
Is this a Time to cherish Civil Discord,
Now Ruin and Destruction hover round us?
Thou hast sav'd Rome; and canst thou yet repine?
Will not the Fame of that Immortal Deed
Content thy Heart?—Titus, I blush for thee!—
Rejoice to hold a Soldier's Post of Honour,
And pour the Torrent of thy Wrath on Tyrants.
Offer thy Life for Rome without Reward.
Be still a Heroe; nay, be more, a Patriot.
For Me, my Son, my Race is almost finish'd;
But when thy Hands have clos'd these languid Eyes,
My Name shall ever flourish, rais'd on Thine.
In Titus I shall live again for Rome!

TITUS.
Oh! Messala.

Enter Valerius.
VALERIUS.
Let all retire.

[Exeunt Titus, Messala, and the Lictors.

SCENE VI.

Brutus, Valerius.
VALERIUS.
Rome is betray'd!

BRUTUS.
Ha!

VALERIUS.
A dire Conspiracy is form'd against us.
'Tis past Dispute. I have not yet discover'd
The Authors of this execrable Plot;
But Tarquin's Name was mutter'd; and some base
Degenerate Romans call'd for a Surrender.

BRUTUS.
Can Roman Citizens be fond of Chains?

VALERIUS.
At my Approach the guilty Dastards fled;
By different Ways they closely are pursu'd.
'Tis thought that Lelius, Menas, and Vitellius,
Those artful Advocates of Tarquin's Cause,
Who spread around seditious Calumnies
T'incense the Populace against the Senate,
Have all conspir'd to aid Porsenna's Arms.
Messala too would justly stand suspected,
Were he not cherish'd as a Friend by Titus.
'Tis whisper'd, that he privately frequents
The dark Cabals of these Conspirators.

BRUTUS.
Let us place Spies to watch their every Motion.
The Laws and Rights, of which we are the Guardians,
Restrain our Hands from Arbitrary Sway.
T'arrest a Roman upon bare Surmise,
Would be to act like that outrageous Tyrant
Whom we renounce, and take up Arms t'expell.
Mean while, let us go forth to rouze the Slothful,
To chear the Weak, to animate the Virtuous,
And terrify the Sons of Violence.
Now let the awful Fathers of their Country,
By their Example fire the Citizens.
What Heart so cold, that will not be inflam'd
To see the hoary Sires advance to Battel!

SCENE VII.

Brutus, Valerius, Proculus.
PROCULUS.
A Slave, my Lord, intreats immediate Audience.

BRUTUS.
What! in the Night? and at this lonely Hour?

PROCULUS.
He says, that his important Tidings
Admit of no Delay.

BRUTUS.
The Fate of Rome,
Perhaps, depends upon th'Advice he brings.
He shall be instantly dispatch'd.
[To Proculus.]
Thou, Proculus, haste to the Roman Army,
And charge my Sons from Me, to do their Duty.
See the Quirinal Gate be well defended;
Tell Titus, I entrust it to His Care.
I'll follow strait, and by my own Example
Will kindle in their Breasts a double Ardour;
Conquest, or glorious Death, shall crown our Labours!
The Eagle thus trains up her generous Brood,
Provokes to Toils, and spirits them with Blood;
'Till borne on Wings full-grown, and bold to rise,
The Bird of Jove to Heav'n impetuous flies:
By her fierce Talons his red Thunder's hurl'd,
To punish, and reform a guilty World!