THE earliest edition, of which any copy is at present known, of 'Titus Andronicus,' appeared in quarto, in 1600, 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 Servants. At London, printed by J. R. for Edward White, 1600.' In the folio collection of 1623 it appears under the title of 'The lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus.' It follows 'Coriolanus,' and precedes Romeo and Juliet.' The external evidence that bears upon the authorship of Titus Andronicus' is of two kinds : 2. The testimony which fixes the period of its original production. The direct testimony of the first kind is unimpeachable: Francis Meres, a contemporary, and probably a friend, of Shakspere-a man intimately acquainted with the literary history of his day-not writing even in the later period of Shakspere's life, but as early as 1598-compares, for tragedy, the excellence of Shakspere among the English, with Seneca among the Latins, and says, witness, "for tragedy, his 'Richard II.,' 'Richard III.,' Henry IV.,' 'King John,' 'Titus Andronicus,' and his 'Romeo and Juliet.'" The indirect testimony is nearly as important. The play is printed in the first folio edition of the poet's collected worksan edition published within seven years 1. The testimony which assigns the play after his death by his intimate friends and to Shakspere, wholly or in part. "fellows;" and that edition contains an entire scene not found in either of the previous quarto editions which have come down to us. That edition does not contain a single other play upon which a doubt of the authorship has been raised; for even those who deny the entire authorship of 'Henry VI.' to Shakspere, have no doubt as to the partial authorship. We now come to the second point-the testimony which fixes the date of the original production of Titus Andronicus.' Ben Jonson, in the Induction to his 'Bartholomew Fair,' first acted in 1614, says -"He that will swear Jeronimo,' or 'Andronicus,' are the best plays yet, shall pass unexcepted at here, as a man whose judgment shows it is constant, and hath stood still these five-and-twenty or thirty years. Though it be an ignorance, it is a virtuous and staid ignorance; and, next to truth, a confirmed error does well." Percy offers the following comment upon this passage, in his 'Reliques of Ancient Poetry :-"There is reason to conclude that this play was rather improved by Shakespeare with a few fine touches of his pen, than originally written by him; for, not to mention that the style is less figurative than his others generally are, this tragedy is mentioned with discredit in the Induction to Ben Jonson's 'Bartholomew Fair,' in 1614, as one that had been then exhibited 'five-and-twenty or thirty years;' which, if we take the lowest number, throws it back to the year 1589, at which time Shakespeare was but 25: an earlier date than can be found for any other of his pieces." It is scarcely necessary to point out, that with the views we have uniformly entertained as to the commencement of Shakspere's career as a dramatic author, the proof against his authorship of Titus Andronicus' thus brought forward by Percy is to us amongst the most convincing reasons for not hastily adopting the opinion that he was not its author. The external evidence of the authorship, and the external evidence of the date of the authorship, entirely coincide: each supports the other. The continuation of the argument derived from the early date of the play naturally runs into the internal evidence of its authenticity. The fact of its early date is indisputable. Accepting that fact, we are reconciled to the inferiority of this play, compared with Shakspere's undoubted performances. Its revolting story, in the same way, appears such as a very young poet would not have rejected. It is easy to understand how Shakspere, at the period when he first entered upon those labours which were to build up a glorious fabric out of materials that had been previously used for the basest purposes, without models,-at first, perhaps, not voluntarily choosing his task, but taking the business that lay before him so as to command popular success,-ignorant, to a great degree, of the height and depth of his own intellectual resources,-not seeing, or dimly seeing, how poetry and philosophy were to elevate and purify the common staple of the coarse drama about him,-it is easy to conceive how a story of fearful bloodshed should force itself upon him as a thing that he could work into something better than the dumb show and fiery words of his predecessors and contemporaries. It was in after years that he had to create the tragedy of passion. Lamb has beautifully described Webster, as almost alone having the power "to move a horror skilfully, to touch a soul to the quick, to lay upon fear as much as it can bear, to wean and weary a life till it is ready to drop, and then step in with mortal instruments to take its last forfeit." Lamb adds, "writers of inferior genius mistake quantity for quality." The remark is quite true; when examples of the higher tragedy are accessible, and when the people have learnt better than to require the grosser stimulant. Before Webster had written The Duchess of Malfi' and 'Vittoria Corombona,' Shakspere had produced Lear' and 'Othello.' But there were writers, not of inferior genius, who had committed the same mistake as the author of Titus Andronicus'-who use blood as they would "the paint of the property-man in the theatre." Need we mention other names than Marlowe and Kyd? PERSONS REPRESENTED. SATURNINUS, son to the late Emperor of Rome. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 4. Act V. sc. 3. BASSIANUS, brother to Saturninus. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3. TITUS ANDRONICUS, a noble Roman. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3. MARCUS ANDRONICUS, brother to Titus. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 3. LUCIUS, son to Titus Andronicus. MARTIUS, son to Titus Andronicus. MUTIUS, son to Titus Andronicus. Young LUCIUS, a boy, son to Lucius. Appears, Act III. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act V. sc. 3. PUBLIUS, son to Marcus the tribune. EMILIUS, a noble Roman. Appears, Act IV. sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3. ALARBUS, son to Tamora. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. CHIRON, son to Tamora. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2. DEMETRIUS, 8on to Tamora. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2. AARON, a Moor. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 4. A Tribune. Appears, Act V. sc. 3. A Messenger. Appears, Act III. sc. 1. A Clown. Appears, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 4. Goths. Appear, Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3. Romans. Appear, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. TAMORA, Queen of the Goths. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3. LAVINIA, daughter to Titus Andronicus. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3. A Nurse. Appears, Act IV. sc. 2. A Black Child. Appears, Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1. Kinsmen of Titus, Senators, Tribunes, Offi cers, Soldiers, and Attendants. SCENE, ROME, AND THE COUNTRY NEAR IT. Flourish. Enter the Tribunes and Senators, aloft: and then enter SATURNINUS and his Followers at one door, and BASSIANUS and his Followers at the other, with drum and colours. SAT. Noble patricians, patrons of my right, Plead Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome, Keep then this passage to the Capitol; b a Am his. The folio, was the. Wore. The quarto, ware. Age-seniority. And suffer not dishonour to approach choice. Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, aloft, with the crown. MARC. Princes, that strive by factions and by friends Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand For many good and great deserts to Rome: Lives not this day within the city walls. From weary wars against the barbarous Goths, And now at last, laden with honour's spoils, Let us entreat,-by honour of his name, Whom you pretend to honour and adore, That you withdraw you, and abate your strength; 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, That I will here dismiss my loving friends; And to my fortunes and the people's favour |