that the one was borrowed from the other: but which o them was the original, it is not eafy to decide. And yet, if the argument offered above in p. 207 for the priority of the ballad of the JEW OF VENICE may be admitted, fomewhat of the fame kind may be urged here; for this ballad differs from the play in feveral particulars, which a fimple Balladwriter would be less likely to alter than an inventive Tragedian. Thus in the ballad is no mention of the contest for the empire between the two brothers, the compofing of which makes the ungrateful treatment of TITUS afterwards the more flagrant: neither is there any notice taken of his facrificing one of Tamora's fons, which the tragic poet has affigned as the original caufe of all her cruelties. In the play Titus lofes twenty-one of his fons in war, and kills another for affifting Bafianus to carry off Lavinia: the reader will find it different in the ballad. In the latter fhe is betrothed to the Emperor's Son: in the play to his Brother. In the tragedy only Two of his fons fall into the pit, and the Third being banished returns to Rome with a victorious army, to avenge the wrongs of his house in the ballad all Three are entrapped and fuffer death. In the fcene the Emperor kills Titus, and is in return ftabbed by Titus's furviving fon. Here Titus kills the Emperor, and afterwards himSelf.

Let the Reader weigh thefe circumflances and fome others wherein he will find them unlike, and then pronounce for himSelf. After all, there is reafon to conclude that this play was rather improved by Shakespeare with a few fine touches of his pen, than originally writ by him; for not to mention that the ftyle is less figurative than his others generally are, * this tragedy is mentioned with difcredit in the Induction tu Ben Jonfon's BARTHOLOMEW-FAIR, in 1614, as one that had then been exhibited "five and twenty, or thirty years :" which, if we take the lowest number, throws it back ta the year 1589, at which time Shakespeare was but 25: an

earlier

earlier date, than can be found for any other of his pieces ‡ : and if it does not clear him entirely of it, fhews at least it was a firft attempt.

The following is given from a Copy in "The Golden "Garland" intitled as above; compared with three others, two of them in black letter in the Pepys Collection, intitled' "The Lamentable and Tragical Hiftory of Titus Andro"nicus, &c.—To the tune of Fortune."-Unluckily none of thefe have any dates.

OU noble minds, and famous martiall wights,

You

That in defence of native country fights,

Give eare to me, that ten yeeres fought for Rome,
Yet reapt difgrace at my returning home.

In Rome I lived in fame fulle threefcore yeeres,
My name beloved was of all my peeres ;

Full five and twenty valiant fonnes I had,
Whose forwarde vertues made their father glad.

For when Romes foes their warlike forces bent,
Against them ftille my fonnes and I were fent ;
Against the Goths full ten yeeres weary warre
We spent, receiving many a bloudy fcarre.

5

00

Juft two and twenty of my fonnes were flaine

Before we did returne to Rome againe :

Of five and twenty fonnes, I brought but three
Alive, the flately towers of Rome to fee.

15

When

The earliest known, is KING JOHN in two parts 1591. 4to. bl. let. This play he afterwards entirely new wrote, as we now have it.

When wars were done, I conqueft home did bring,
And did present my prisoners to the king,
The queene of Goths, her fons, and eke a moore,
Which did fuch murders, like was nere before.

20

The emperour did make this queene his wife,
Which bred in Rome debate and deadlie ftrife ;
The moore, with her two fonnes did growe foe proud,
That none like them in Rome might bee allowd.

The moore foe pleas'd this new-made emprefs' eie, 25 That she confented to him fecretlye

For to abuse her hufbands marriage bed,

And foe in time a blackamore fhe bred.

Then fhe, whofe thoughts to murder were inclinde,
Confented with the moore of bloody minde
Against myselfe, my kin, and all my friendes,
In cruell fort to bring them to their endes,

Soe when in age I thought to live in peace,
Both care and griefe began then to increase:
Amongst my sonnes I had one daughter bright,
Which joy'd, and pleased best my aged fight:

My deare Lavinia was betrothed than

To Cefars fonne, a young and noble man:
Who in a hunting by the emperours wife,
And her two fonnes, bereaved was of life.

2

30

35

40

He

He being flaine, was caft in cruel wife,
Into a darkfome den from light of skies:
The cruell moore did come that way as then
With my three fonnes, who fell into the den.

with speed,

The moore then fetcht the emperour
For to accuse them of that murderous deed;

And when my fonnes within the den were found,
In wrongfull prison they were caft and bound.

But nowe, behold! what wounded most my mind,
The empreffes two fonnes of favage kind

My daughter ravished without remorse,
And took away her honour, quite perforce.

When they had tafted of foe sweete a flowre,
Fearing this sweete should shortly turne to fowre,
They cutt her tongue, whereby fhe could not tell
How that dishonoure unto her befell.

Then both her hands they bafely catt off quite,
Whereby their wickednefse fhe could not write;
Nor with her needle on her fampler fowe

45

50

55

The blondye workers of her direfull woe.

60

My brother Marcus found her in the wood,

Staining the graffie ground with purple bloud,

That trickled from her ftumpes, and bloudlesse armes : Noe tongue at all the had to tell her harmes.

But

But when I fawe her in that woefull cafe,
With teares of bloud I wet mine aged face:
For my Lavinia I lamented more,
Then for my two and twenty fonnes before.

When as I fawe fhe could not write nor fpeake,
With griefe mine aged heart began to breake;
We fpred an heape of fand upon the ground,
Whereby thofe bloudy tyrants out we found.

65

70

For with a staffe without the helpe of hand, She writt these wordes upon the plat of fand: "The luftfull fonnes of the proud emperèffe "Are doers of this hateful wickednèffe.”

75

I tore the milk-white hairs from off mine head,
I curft the houre, wherein I firft was bred,
I wisht this hand, that fought for countrie's fame,
In cradle rockt, had first been ftroken lame.

The moore delighting ftill in villainy,
Did fay, to fett my sonnes from prison free
I should unto the king my right hand give,
And then my three imprifoned fonnes fhould live.

The moore I caus'd to ftrike it off with speede,
Whereat I grieved not to see it bleed,

But for my fonnes would willingly impart,
And for their ransome fend my bleeding heart.