N

ACT

II.

SCENE, before the Palace.

Enter Aaron alone.

AARON.

OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, (8)
Safe out of fortune's fhot; and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning flash;
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach;
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiack in his gliftring coach,
And over-looks the highest-peering hills:
So Tamora.

Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait, (9)
And virtue ftoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts,
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
And mount her pitch; whom thou in triumph long
Haft prifoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains ;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.

(8) Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,

Safe out of fortune's fhot; and fits aloft,

Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning flash;]

The images here feem to be borrow'd from Claudian's defcription of the fummit of Olympus, in his poem on Mallius Theodorus's confulhip.

ut altus Olympi

Vertex, qui fpatio ventos biemefque relinquit,
Perpetuum nulla temeratus nube ferenum,
Celfior exurgit pluviis, auditque ruentes
Sub pedibus nimbos, & rauca tonitrua calcat.

(9) Upon her wit doth early honour wait,]

Mr. Warburton,

I don't know for what reafon, or whether by chance, Mr. Rowe and

Mr. Pope adopted this reading: I have reftor'd with all the old copies,

earthly.

K 3

Away

Away with flavifh weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright and fhine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
This goddefs, this Semiramis ;-this Queen,
This Syren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwrack, and his common-weal's.
Holla! whatftorm is this?

Enter Chiron and Demetrius, braving.

Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd ; And may, for ought thou know'ft, affected be.

Chi. Demetrius, thou doft over-ween in all, And fo in this, to bear me down with braves: 'Tis not the difference of a year or two

Makes me lefs gracious, or thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,

To ferve, and to deferve my mistress' grace;
And that my fword upon thee fhall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.

[peace. Aar. Clubs, clubs !-thefe lovers will not keep the Dem. Why, boy, although our mother (unadvis❜d)

Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,

Are you fo defperate grown to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath,
"Till you know better how to handle it.

Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave ?

Aar. Why, how now, Lords?

So near the Emp'ror's palace dare you draw?
And maintain fuch a quarrel openly?

[They draw.

Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge:
I would not for a million of gold,

The cause were known to them it most concerns.
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the court of Rome.
For fhame, put up.--

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

Thruft these 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'st 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 get upon a Prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become so loose,

Or Baffianus fo degenerate,

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

Young Lords, beware-and fhould the Emprefs know
This difcord's ground, the mufick would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew fhe 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 but plot your deaths
By this device.

Chi. Aaron, a thousand 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 sheath'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 versa given to Chiron and Demetrius : for it is Demetrius, as it appears from the tenour of the fcene, who had thrown out reproachful speeches on Chiron.

K 4

What,

What, man? more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of; and easy 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 should he defpair, that knows to court it With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, hast 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 hid it too,

Then fhould not we be tir'd 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 fhould 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 fpeedier course than lingring languishment
Muft we purfue, and I have found the path.
My Lords, a folemn hunting is in hand,

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 reftor'd from the old quarto, which Mr. Pope pretends to have collated,

There

There will the lovely Roman Ladies troop:
The forest-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 strike 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 the 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 houfe of fame.
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthlefs, dreadful, deaf and dull;
There speak, and ftrike, brave boys, and take your turns.
There ferve your lufts, fhadow'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 stream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits.
Per Styga, per Manes vebor.-

SCENE changes to a Forest.

[Exeunt.

Enter Titus Andronicus and his three fons, with hounds

Tit.

T

and borns, 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.