Page:Titus Andronicus (1926) Yale.djvu/157



The following ballad, referred to in Appendix A, is found in Book II of the first volume of Percy's Reliques. 'Throughout the ballad,' says Grant White, 'there is evident effort to compress all the incidents of the story within as brief a relation as possible; and this is not the style of a ballad written for the ballad's sake.'

You noble minds, and famous martiall wights,

That in defence of native country fights,

Give eare to me, that ten yeeres fought for Rome,

Yet reapt disgrace at my returning home.

In Rome I lived in fame fulle threescore yeeres,

My name beloved was of all my peeres;

Full five and twenty valiant sonnes I had,

Whose forwarde vertues made their father glad.

For when Rome's foes their warlike forces bent,

Against them stille my sonnes and I were sent;

Against the Goths full ten yeeres weary warre

We spent, receiving many a bloudy scarre.

Just two and twenty of my sonnes were slaine

Before we did returne to Rome againe:

Of five and twenty sonnes, I brought but three

Alive, the stately towers of Rome to see.

When wars were done, I conquest home did bring,

And did present my prisoners to the king,

The queene of Goths, her sons, and eke a moore,

Which did such murders, like was nere before.