Chi. Not I, till I have fheath'd (10)
My rapier in his bofom, and withal

Thruft thefe reproachful fpeeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.

Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full refolv'd,— Foul-fpoken coward! thou thundreft with thy tongue, And with thy weapon nothing dar't perform.

Aar. Away, I fay.

Now by the gods, that warlike Goths adore,
This petty brabble will undo us all;

Why, Lords and think you not, how dangerous
It is to jet upon a Prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become fo loose,

Or Bafianus fo degenerate,

That for her love fuch quarrels may he broacht,
Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?

Young Lords, beware and fhould the Emprefs know
This difcord's ground, the mufick would not pleafe..
Chi. I care not, I, knew the and all the world;

I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make fome meaner Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

[choice; Aar. Why, are ye mad! or know ye not, in Rome

How furious and impatient they be,

And cannot brook competitors in love?

I tell you, Lords, you do put plot your deaths
By this device.

Chi. Aaron, a thoufand deaths would I propofe,
To atchieve her whom I do love.

Aar. To atchieve her-how?

Dem. Why mak'st thou it so strange? She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd; She is a woman, therefore may be won; She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov'd.

(10)- Not I, till I have fheath'd.

My rapier in his bofom,--] This fpeech, which has been all along given to Demetrius, as the next has been to Chiron, I have, by the advice of Mr. Warburton, vice verfa given to Chiron and Demetrius : for it is Demetrius, as it appears from the tenour of the scene, who had thrown out reproachful fpeeches on Chiron.

K 4

What,

What, man? more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of; and eafy it is,
Of a cut loaf to fteal a fhive, we know:
Tho' Baffianus be the Emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

[Afide. Dem. Then why fhould he despair, that knows to courtit With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, haft thou not full often ftruck a doe,
And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nofe?

Aar. Why then, it feems, fome certain fnatch or fo Would ferve your turns.

Chi. Ay, fo the turn were ferved.

Dem. Aaron, thou haft hit it.

Aar. Would you had hit it too,

Then thould not we be tired with this ado:

Why, hark ye, hark ye-and are you fuch fools (11) To fquare for this? would it offend you then

That both should speed?

Chi. Faith, not me.

Dem. Nor me, fo I were one.

Aar. For fhame, be friends; and join for that you jar. "Tis policy and ftratagem muft do

That you affect; and fo muft you refolve,

That what you cannot, as you would, atchieve,
You may perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chafte
Than this Lavinia, Baffianus' love;

A speedier courfe than lingring languishment
Muft we purfue, and I have found the path.
My Lords, a folemn hunting is in hand,

(11)

To fquare for this?

Chi. Faith, not me.

-and are you fuch fools Would it offend you then

Dem. Nor me, fo I were one.] This is Verbum fat fapienti, with a vengeance. The two brothers fhew more fagacity in this paffage, than they do throughout the play befides; for they make their anfwer to Aaron, without ever ftaying to hear him propound his question. But there is no occafion for this fpirit of divination. The fupplement, which I have made, is restor'd from the old quarte, which Mr. Pope pretends to have collated.

There

There will the lovely Roman Ladies troop:
The foreft-walks are wide and spacious,
And many unfrequented plots there are,
Fitted by kind for rape and villany:
Single you thither then this dainty doe,
And ftrike her home by force, if not by words:
This way, or not at all, ftand you in hope.
Come, come, our Emprefs with her facred wit
To villany and vengeance confecrate,
We will acquaint with all that we intend ;
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not fuffer you to fquare yourselves,
But to your wishes height advance you both.
The Emperor's court is like the house of fame.
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthlefs, dreadful, deaf and dull :
There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your turns.
There ferve your lufts, shadow'd from heaven's eye;
And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

Chi. Thy counfel, lad, fmells of no cowardife.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, 'till I find the ftream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm thefe fits,
Per Styga, per Manes vehor.

SCENE changes to a Foreft.

[Exeunt

Enter Titus Andronicus and his three fons, with hounds

Tit."

T

and horns, and Marcus.

HE hunt is up, the morn is bright and gray; The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green: Uncouple here, and let us make a bay. And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride, And rouze the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal, That all the court may echo with the noise. Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours, To tend the Emperor's perfon carefully: I have been troubled in my fleep this night, But dawning day new comfort hath infpir'd.

Here a cry of hounds, and wind horns in a peal: then enter
Saturninus, Tamora, Baffianus, Lavinia, Chiron,
Demetrius, and their Attendants.

Tit. Many good-morrows to your majesty;
Madam, to you as many and as good.
I promised your grace a hunter's peal.
Sat. And you have rung it luftily, my Lords,
Somewhat too early for new-married Ladies.
Baf. Lavinia, how fay you?

Lav. I fay, no:

I have been broad awake two hours and more.
Sat. Come on then, horfe and chariots let us have,
And to our fport: madam, now ye fhall fee
Our Roman hunting.

Mar. I have dogs, my Lord,

Will rouze the proudeft Panther in the chafe,
And climb the highest promontory-top.

Tit. And I have horfe will follow, where the game
Makes way, and run like Swallows o'er the plain.
Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horfe nor hound;
But hope to pluck a dainty Doe to ground. [Exeunt «
SCENE changes to a defart part of the Foreft.

Aar.

Enter Aaron alone.

E, that had wit, would think, that I had none,

Hero bury to much gold under a tree;

And never after to inherit it.

Let him, that thinks of me fo abjectly,
Know, that this gold must coin a stratagem;
Which, cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villany;

And fo repofe, fweet gold, for their unreft,
That have their alms out of the Emprefs' cheft.

Enter Tamora.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'ft thou fad, When every thing doth make a gleeful boast? The birds chaunt melody on every bush,

The

The fnake lies rolled in the chearful fun,

The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a checquer'd fhadow on the ground:
Under their fweet fhade, Aaron, let us fit,
And whilft the babling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying thrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,
Let us fit down and mark their yelling noise:
And after conflict, fuch as was fuppos'd
The wand'ring Prince and Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy ftorm they were furpriz'd,
And curtain'd with a counfel-keeping cave;
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
(Our paftimes done) poffefs a golden flumber;
Whilft hounds and horns, and fweet melodious birds
Be unto us, as is a nurse's fong

Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your defires,
Saturn is dominator over mine:

What fignifies my deadly-ftanding eye,
My filence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls,
Even as an adder when the doth unroul
To do fome fatal execution?

No, Madam, thefe are no venereal figns;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand;
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, (the Emprefs of my foul,
Which never hopes more heaven than refts in thee)
This is the day of doom for Baffienus;
His Philomel muft lofe her tongue to day;
Thy fons make pillage of her chastity,
And wash their hands in Raffianus' blood.
Seeft thou this letter, take it up, I pray thee,
And give the King this fatal-plotted fcroul;
Now question me no more, we are efpied;
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dread not yet their lives deftruction.

Tam. Ah, my fweet Moor, fweeter to me than life.
Aar. No more, great Emprefs, Bafianus comes;

Be