I play'd the cheater for thy father's hand, And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter. When for his hand he had his two sons' heads; Beheld his tears, and laugh'd so heartily, That both mine eyes were rainy, like to his : And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses. Goth. What! canst thou say all this, and never blush? Luc. Bring down the devil", for he must not die So sweet a death as hanging, presently. Few come within THE compass] The folio reads, "Few come within few compass;" and lower down, "the tears" for "their tears." › Make poor men's cattle OFTTIMES break their necks;] The 4tos. and folios omit "ofttimes" to the ruin of the verse: we may suppose that the word had escaped, and it is found in the margin of the corr. fo. 1632. • Bring down the devil,] Hence we find, not only that the ladder had been brought, but that Aaron ascended it, and made his speeches while standing upon it, as stated in the margin of the corr. fo. 1632. Aar. If there be devils, would I were a devil, To live and burn in everlasting fire, So I might have your company in hell, But to torment you with my bitter tongue! Luc. Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. Enter a Goth. Goth. My lord, there is a messenger from Rome, Desires to be admitted to your presence. Luc. Let him come near. Enter EMILIUS. Welcome, Æmilius! what's the news from Rome? Luc. Æmilius, let the emperor give his pledges And we will come.-March! away! [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rome. Before TrTus's House. Enter TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, and CHIRON, disguised as Revenge, Rapine, and Murder'. Tam. Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, I will encounter with Andronicus, And say, I am Revenge, sent from below, To join with him, and right his heinous wrongs.- [They knock. 7 — as Revenge, Rapine, and Murder.] These words are an addition from the corr. fo. 1632: it might be gathered from what follows. TITUS opens his study door. Tit. Who doth molest my contemplation ? You are deceiv'd; for what I mean to do, See here, in bloody lines I have set down, [Showing a paper. And what is written shall be executed. Tam. Titus, I am come to talk with thee. Tit. No; not a word. How can I grace my talk, 1 Wanting a hand to give it action 1? Thou hast the odds of me; therefore, no more. Tam. If thou didst know me, thou wouldst talk with me. Witness this wretched stump, witness these crimson lines; Tam. Know, thou sad man, I am not Tamora : I am Revenge; sent from th' infernal kingdom, Where bloody murder, or detested rape, Can couch for fear, but I will find them out; • Titus opens his study door.] From what ensues it appears that Titus came out into the elevated balcony at the back of the stage. The word "above" is added in the corr. fo. 1632. &c. in the corr. fo. 1632, 9 Titus, I am come] It is "Old Titus, I am come and though a syllable is wanting in the line, it may be doubted whether Tamora, even in her disguise, would address the hero as "Old Titus." 1- to give it ACTION?] Thus the folio. specting the "action" of Andronicus, see the 2- on THY foes.] So the 4tos: the folio, line "the mind." Both the 4tos, that accord. Relast sentence of our Introduction. on my foes;" and in the preceding Tit. Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent to me, To be a torment to mine enemies? Tam. I am; therefore, come down and welcome me. So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there. Tam. These are my ministers, and come with me. Tit. Are they thy ministers? what are they call'd! Tit. Good lord! how like the empress' sons they are; Oh sweet Revenge! now do I come to thee; [Exit Trrus above. Tam. This closing with him fits his lunacy.— 3 Provide thee two proper palfries, black as jet,] The 4to, 1611, and the folio, 1623, read "as black as jet;" but we omit as, on the authority of the earliest 4to, and the folio, 1632: "thee" is still too much for the line. And find out MURDERERS in their guilty CAVES:] All the old editions (excepting the second folio, which alters cares to "caves ") read, “And find out murder in their guilty cares." Steevens altered murder to "murderers," and such precisely is the emendation in the corr. fo. 1632: there could, in fact, be no doubt about it. 5 Even from HYPERION's rising] So the second folio: the first reads Epton's, and the 4tos," Epeon's rising." Are THEY thy ministers?] It is curious here to see a modern editor justifying one corruption by another: "they" having been ignorantly misprinted them in the old impressions, we are told to preserve it-" Are them thy ministers?" -because the same blunder was committed in a passage in another work of the time. There can be no doubt that it is just such a gross blunder as we are bound to remedy; but Mr. Singer's text is “Are them thy ministers ?” Whate'er I forge, to feed his brain-sick fits, Enter TITUS below. ! Tit. Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee. And I am sent to be reveng'd on him. Tam. Show me a thousand that have done thee And I will be revenged on them all. wrong, Tit. Look round about the wicked streets of Rome, Good Rapine, stab him: he is a ravisher.- Well mayst thou know her by thine own proportion, 7 - I must PLY my theme.] The folio only, "play my theme." * Enter Titus BELOW.] The word "below" is from the corr. fo. 1632; and when Titus made his exit, on the preceding page, "Exit Titus above" is the stagedirection. "Below" means on the stage, where he joined Tamora and her sons. |