By my advice, all humbled on your knees, Luc. We do; and vow to heaven, and to his high ness, That, what we did, was mildly, as we might, MAR. That on mine honour here I do protest. TAM. Nay, nay, sweet emperor, we must all be friends: The tribune and his nephews kneel for grace; SAT. Marcus, for thy fake, and thy brother's here, And at my lovely Tamora's entreats, Lavinia, though you left me like a churl, TIT. To-morrow, an it please your majefty, jour. SAT. Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE 1.6 The fame. Before the Palace. Enter AARON. AAR. Now climbeth Tamora Olympus' top, So Tamora. Upon her wit' doth earthly honour wait, 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 first Act. JOHNSON. In the edit. 1600, the stage-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 empress with her facred wit," &c. VOL. XXI. D MALONE. And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes, Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS, braving. DEM. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge, And manners, to intrude where I am grae'd; CHI. Demetrius, thou dost over-ween in all; * idle thoughts!] Edit. 1600:-fervile thoughts, the better reading, I think. TODD. 9 - this queen,) The compositor probably repeated the word queen inadvertently; [see the preceding line :] what was the poet's word, it is hardly worth while to conjecture. MALONE. This goddess, 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! these lovers will not keep the peace. DEM. Why, boy, although our mother, unad vis'd, Gave you a dancing-rapier by your fide, CHI. Mean while, fir, with the little skill I have, Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare. DEM. Ay, boy, grow ye so brave? [They draw. Why, how now, lords? AAR. So near the emperor's palace dare you draw, Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge; The cause were known to them it most concerns: For shame, put up. DEM. Not I; till I have sheath'd 3 * Clubs, clubs! So, in King Henry VIII: "-and hit that woman, who cried out, clubs !" This was the usual outcry for affiftance, when any riot in the street 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 speech, which has been all along given to Demetrius, as the next to Chiron, were My rapier in his bosom, and, withal, CHI. For that I am prepar'd and full refolv'd,Foul-spoken coward! that thunder'st with thy tongue, 5 And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform. AAR. Away, I fay. Now by the gods, that warlike Goths adore, Or Baffianus fo degenerate, That for her love such quarrels may be broach'd, CHI. I care not, I, knew she and all the world; I love Lavinia more than all the world. DEM. Youngling, learn thou to make some 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, both given to the wrong speaker; for it was Demetrius that had thrown out the reproachful speeches on the other. WARBURTON. 4-these reproachful-] Edition 1600:-thofe reproachful. TODD. 5 thunder'st with thy tongue,] This phrase appears to have been adopted from Virgil, Æneid XI. 383 : "Proinde tona eloquio folitum tibi;-. STEEVENS. |