By my advice, all humbled on your knees,
You fhall afk pardon of his majesty.

Luc. We do; and vow to heaven, and to his high

nefs,

That, what we did, was mildly, as we might,
Tend'ring our fifter's honour, and our own.

MAR. That on mine honour here I do protest.
SAT. Away, and talk not; trouble us no more.-
TAM. Nay, nay, fweet emperor, we must all be
friends:

The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace;
I will not be denied. Sweet heart, look back.
SAT. Marcus, for thy fake, and thy brother's
here,

And at my lovely Tamora's entreats,

I do remit these young men's heinous faults.
Stand up.

Lavinia, though you left me like a churl,

I found a friend; and fure as death I swore,
I would not part a bachelor from the priest.
Come, if the emperor's court can feast two brides,
You are my gueft, Lavinia, and your friends:
This day fhall be a love-day, Tamora.

TIT. To-morrow, an it please your majefty,
To hunt the panther and the hart with me,
With horn and hound, we'll give your grace bon-

jour.

SAT. Be it fo, Titus, and gramercy too.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE 1.6

The fame. Before the Palace.

Enter AARON.

AAR. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's fhot; and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning's flash;
Advanc'd above pale envy's threat'ning reach.
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the zodiack in his gliftering coach,
And overlooks the highest-peering hills;
So Tamora.

Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait,
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;

In the quarto, the direction is, Manet Aaron, and he is before made to enter with Tamora, though he says nothing. This scene ought to continue the firft A&t. JOHNSON.

In the edit. 1600, the ftage-direction is-" Sound trumpets, manet Moore." TODD.

1 Upon her wit-] We should read-Upon her will.

WARBURTON.

I think wit, for which she is eminent in the drama, is right. JOHNSON.

The wit of Tamora is again mentioned in this scene: "Come, come, our emprefs with her facred wit," &c.

MALONE.

And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus tied to Caucafus.

Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts!3
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 goddess, this Semiramis ;-this queen,
This fyren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his commonweal's.
Holla! what ftorm 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 aught 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, thee more fortunate:
I am as able, and as fit, as thou,

To ferve, and to deferve my mistress' grace;
upon

And that my fword thee fhall approve,
And plead my paffions for Lavinia's love.

3 idle thoughts ] Edit. 1600:-fervile thoughts, the better reading, I think. TODD.

9 this queen,] The compofitor probably repeated the word queen inadvertently; [fee the preceding line:] what was the poet's word, it is hardly worth while to conjecture.

MALONE.

This goddefs, this Semiramis;-this queen,] Mr. Malone notices the inadvertent repetition of queen, but thinks the poet's word not worth a conjecture. The edition 1600 faves the trouble, as it reads:

This goddeffe, this Semerimis, this nymph. TODD.

AAR. Clubs, clubs ! thefe lovers will not keep the peace.

DEM. Why, boy, although our mother, unadvis'd,

Gave you a dancing-rapier by your fide,2

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

CHI. Mean while, fir, with the little fkill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
DEM. Ay, boy, grow ye so brave? [They draw.
AAR.
Why, how now, lords?
So near the emperor's palace dare you draw,
And maintain such a quarrel openly?

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 moft concerns:
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo dishonour'd in the court of Rome.

For fhame, put up.

DEM.

Not I; till I have sheath'd 3

1 Clubs, clubs! So, in King Henry VIII: "—and hit that woman, who cried out, clubs!"

This was the ufual outcry for affiftance, when any riot in the ftreet happened. STEEVENS.

See Vol. VIII. p. 166, n.3; and Vol. XIII. p. 35, n. 6.

2

REED.

a dancing-rapier by your fide,] So, in Greene's Quip for an Upstart Courtier: one of them carrying his cuttingfword of choller, the other his dancing-rapier of delight." Again, in All's well that ends well:

-no fword worn,

"But one to dance with." STEEVENS.

See Vol. VIII. p. 257, n. 2. MALONE.

3 Not I; till I have sheath'd &c.] This fpeech, which has been all along given to Demetrius, as the next to Chiron, were

My rapier in his bofom, and, withal,

Thrust these reproachful 4 fpeeches down his throat, That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.

CHI. For that I am prepar'd and full resolv'd,Foul-fpoken coward! that thunder'ft with thy tongue,5

And with thy weapon nothing dar'ft 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 jut upon a prince's right?

What, is Lavinia then become fo loose,

Or Baffianus fo degenerate,

That for her love fuch quarrels may be broach'd,
Without controlment, juftice, or revenge?

Young lords, beware!-an fhould the empress know
This difcord's ground, the mufick would not please.
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 choice:

Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

AAR. Why, are ye mad? or know ye not, in

Rome

How furious and impatient they be,

And cannot brook competitors in love?

both given to the wrong speaker; for it was Demetrius that had thrown out the reproachful speeches on the other,

4

WARBURTON.

-thefe reproachful-] Edition 1600:-thofe reproachful.

TODD.

5 -thunder'ft with thy tongue,] This phrafe appears to have been adopted from Virgil, Æneid XI. 383:

"Proinde tona eloquio folitum tibi

STEEVENS.