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That I would choose, were I to choose anew.Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance; Though chance of war hath wrought this change

of cheer,

Thou com'ft not to be made a scorn in Rome:
Princely shall be thy usage every way.
Rest on my word, and let not discontent
Daunt all your hopes; Madam, he comforts you,
Can make you greater than the queen of Goths.-
Lavinia, you are not displeas'd with this?

Lav. Not I, my lord; fith true nobility
Warrants these words in princely courtesy.
SAT. Thanks, sweet Lavinia. - Romans, let us go :
Ransomeless here we fet our prifoners free :
Proclaim our honours, lords, with trump and drum,
Bas. Lord Titus, by your leave, this maid is
[Seizing LAVINIA,

mine.

TIT. How, fir? Are you in earnest then, my lord? Bas. Ay, noble Titus; and refolv'd withal, To do myself this reason and this right.

[The Emperor courts TAMORA in dumb show.

MAR. Suum cuique is our Roman justice: This prince in justice seizeth but his own.

Luc. And that he will, and shall, if Lucius live,

* Lav. Not I, my lord;] It was pity to part a couple who feem to have corresponded in disposition so exactly as Saturninus and Lavinia. Saturninus, who has just promised to espouse her, already wishes he were to choose again; and the who was engaged to Baffianus (whom the afterwards marries) expresses no reluctance when her father gives her to Saturninus. Her fubfequent raillery to Tamora is of so coarse a nature, that if her tongue had been all the was condemned to lose, perhaps the author (whoever he was) might have escaped censure on the score of poetick justice. STEEVENS.

TIT. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's

guard?

Treason, my lord; Lavinia is surpriz'd.

SAT. Surpriz'd! By whom?

BAS.

By him that justly may Bear his betroth'd from all the world away.

[Exeunt MARCUS and BASSIANUS, with LA

VINIA.

Mur. Brothers, help to convey her hence away, And with my fword I'll keep this door safe.

[Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. TIT. Follow my lord, and I'll foon bring her

back.

MUT. My lord, you pass not here.

[blocks in formation]

Luc. My lord, you are unjust; and, more than

fo, In wrongful quarrel you have flain your fon.

Tir. Nor thou, nor he, are any fons of mine:

My fons would never so dishonour me :
Traitor, restore Lavinia to the emperor.

Luc. Dead, if you will; but not to be his wife,

That is another's lawful promis'd love.

[Exit.

SAT. No, Titus, no; the emperor needs her not, Not her, nor thee, nor any of thy stock:

3 Not her,] Edition 1600-Nor her. ToDD.

I'll trust, by leisure, him that mocks me once;
Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty fons,
Confederates all thus to dishonour me.
Was there none else in Rome to make a stale of,
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,
Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine,
That said'ft, I begg'd the empire at thy hands.

TIT. O monstrous! what reproachful words are

these ?

SAT. But go thy ways; go, give that changing

piece 5

To him that flourish'd for her with his sword :
A valiant fon-in-law thou shalt enjoy;
One fit to bandy with thy lawless fons,
To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.'

* Was there &c.] The words, there, else, and of, are not found in the old copies. This conjectural emendation was made by the editor of the second folio.

Dele the word of, which was inferted by the editor of the second folio, from ignorance of ancient phraseology. See Vol. IV. p. 322, n. 7; and Vol. XVIII. p. 647, n. 2. MALONE.

I must excuse myself from ejecting any one of these monosyllables, being convinced that they were all inserted from an authorized copy, and by a judicious hand. STEEVENS.

5

-changing piece-) Spoken of Lavinia. Piece was then, as it is now, ufed perfonally as a word of contempt.

"

1

JOHNSON,

So, in Britania's Pastorals, by Brown, 1613 :
her husband, weaken'd piece,
"Must have his cullis mix'd with ambergrease;

" Pheasant and partridge into jelly turn'd,
"Grated with gold."

Again, in the old play of King Leir, 1605:

- when did you fee Cordella last,

That pretty piece? - STEEVENS.

To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.] A ruffler was a kind of cheating bully; and is so called in a statute made for the punishment of vagabonds in the 27th year of King Henry VIII,

TIT. These words are razors to my wounded

heart.

SAT. And therefore, lovely Tamora, queen of
Goths,-

That, like the stately Phœbe 'mongst her nymphs,
Doft overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,
If thou be pleas'd with this my fudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee emperess of Rome.

Speak, queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my

choice?

And here I swear by all the Roman Gods, -
Sith priest and holy water are so near,
And tapers burn so bright, and every thing
In readiness for Hymeneus stand,-
I will not re-falute the streets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place
I lead espous'd my bride along with me.

:

TAM. And here, in fight of heaven, to Rome I swear,

See Greene's Groundwork of Coneycatching, 1592. Hence, I suppose, this fenfe of the verb, to ruffle. Rufflers are likewife enumerated among other vagabonds, by Holinshed, Vol. I. p. 183. STEEVENS.

To ruffle meant, to be noify, disorderly, turbulent. A ruffler was a boisterous swaggerer. MALONE.

That, like the stately Phœbe 'mongst her nymphs,
Doft overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,]

"

-Micat inter omnes

"Julium fidus, velut inter ignes

"Luna minores." Hor. MALONE.

From Phaer's Virgil, 1573: [Æneid, B. I.]

" Most like unto Diana bright when the to hunt goth

out

"Whom thousands of the ladie nymphes awaite to do her will;

" She on her armes her quiuer beres, and al them ouer Shynes." RITSON.

If Saturnine advance the queen of Goths,
She will a handmaid be to his defires,
A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.

SAT. Afcend, fair queen, Pantheon :-Lords, ac

company

Your noble emperor, and his lovely bride,
Sent by the heavens for prince Saturnine,
Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered :
There shall we consummate our spousal rites.

[Exeunt SATURNINUS, and his Followers; TA-
MORA, and her Sons; AARON and Goths.

TIT. I am not bid to wait upon this bride; Titus, when wert thou wont to walk alone, Dishonour'd thus, and challenged of wrongs ?

Re-enter MARCUS, LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MAR

TIUS.

MAR. O, Titus, see, O, fee, what thou haft done! In a bad quarrel flain a virtuous fon.

TIT. No, foolish tribune, no; no fon of mine,Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deed That hath dishonour'd all our family; Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons !

Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Give Mutius burial with our brethren.

TIT. Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb. This monument five hundred years hath stood, Which I have sumptuously re-edified: Here none but foldiers, and Rome's fervitors, Repose in fame; none basely flain in brawls :Bury him where you can, he comes not here.

* I am not bid-] i. e. invited. See Vol. VII. p. 281, n. 4. MALONE.

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