Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts!
I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made empress.
To wait, said I? to wanton with this queen,
This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph,
This siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And see his shipwreck and his commonweal's.-
Holla! what storm is this?

Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, 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'st, affected be.

Chi. Demetrius, thou dost over-ween in all;
And so in this, to bear me down with braves.
"Tis not the difference of a year or two
Make me less gracious, thee (34) more fortunate:
I am as able and as fit as thou

To serve, and to deserve my mistress' grace;
And that my sword upon thee shall approve,
And plead my passions for Lavinia's love.(35)

Aar. [aside] Clubs, clubs! these lovers will not keep the

peace.

Dem. Why, boy, although our mother, unadvis'd,
Gave you a dancing-rapier by your side,

Are you so desperate grown to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glu'd within your sheath
Till you know better how to handle it.

Chi. Meanwhile, sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye so brave?

Aar. [coming forward]

[They draw.

Why, how now, lords!

So near the emperor's palace dare you draw,

(34) gracious, thee] The old eds. have "gracious, or thee."

(35) And plead my passions for Lavinia's love.] Here Rowe altered "passions" to "passion."-But compare The First Part of King Henry VI. act v. sc. 5;

"Do breed love's settled passions in my heart."

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 most concerns;

Nor would your noble mother for much more

Be so dishonour'd in the court of Rome.

For shame, put up.

Dem.

Not I, till I have sheath'd

My rapier in his bosom, and withal

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

Chi. For that I am prepar'd and full resolv'd,-
Foul-spoken coward, that thunder'st with thy tongue,
And with thy weapon nothing dar'st perform.
Aar. Away, I say!-

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 jet upon a prince's right?

What, is Lavinia, then, become so loose,

Or Bassianus so degenerate,

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

Young lords, beware! an should the empress know
This discord's ground, the music would not please.
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,

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 propose t' achieve her whom I love.

Aar. T achieve 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.
What, man! more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of; and easy it is

Of a cut loaf to steal a shive, we know:
Though Bassianus be the emperor's brother,
Better than he have worn Vulcan's badge,(36)

Aar. [aside] Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

Dem. Then why should he despair that knows to court it With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, hast not thou full often struck a doe,

And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nose?

Aar. Why, then, it seems, some certain snatch or so Would serve your turns.

Chi.

Ay, so the turn were serv'd.

Would you had hit it too!

Dem. Aaron, thou hast hit it.
Aar.

Then should not we be tir'd with this ado.

Why, hark ye, hark ye,—and are you such fools
To square for this? would it offend you, then,
That both should speed?

Chi. Faith,(37) not me.

Dem.

Nor me, so I were one.

Aar. For shame, be friends, and join for that you jar:

'Tis policy and stratagem must do

That you affect; and so must you resolve,

That what you cannot as you would achieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me,-Lucrece was not more chaste
Than this Lavinia, Bassianus' love.

A speedier course than lingering languishment
Must ye pursue,"
(38) and I have found the path.

(36) Better than he have worn Vulcan's badge.] "Worn' is here used as a dissyllable. The modern editors, however, after the second folio, read 'have yet worn."" MALONE.

(S) Faith,] Perhaps "I' faith."

(38) A speedier course than lingering languishment
Must ye pursue,]

The old eds. have

My lords, a solemn hunting is in hand;
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, stand you in hope.
Come, come, our empress, with her sacred wit
To villany and vengeance consecrate,
Will we acquaint with all that we intend ;
And she shall file our engines with advice,
That will not suffer you to square yourselves,
But to your wishes' height advance you both.
The emperor's court is like the house of Fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, and ears:
The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf, and dull;

There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take your turns;
There serve your lust, shadow'd from heaven's eye,
And revel in Lavinia's treasury.

Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice.

Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits, Per Styga, per manes vehor.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. A forest near Rome. Horns and cry of hounds heard.

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, with Hunters, &c., MArcus, Lucius, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and gray,
The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green:

"A speedier course this lingering languishment
Must we pursue.”-

66

Rowe substituted "than" for "this" (which was most probably repeated by mistake from the preceding line); and Hanmer altered "we" to "ye," -no doubt rightly; for in this sentence we is not to be defended by a later part of the present speech, "our empress, .. Will ce acquaint with all that we intend" (and see note 49 for another example of " misprinted "we").

"ye"

(39) the morn is bright and gray,] Hanmer and Mr. Collier's Ms. Cor

Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,
And wake the emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouse 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,
Tattend the emperor's person carefully :
I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

Horns wind a peal. Enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS,
LAVINIA, DEMETRIUS, CHIRON, and Attendants.

Many good morrows to your majesty ;-
Madam, to you as many and as good:-

I promised your grace a hunter's peal.

(40)

Sat. And you have rung it lustily, my lord;(4
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Bas. Lavinia, how say you?

I have been broad awake two hours and more.

Sat. Come on, then; horse and chariots let us have, And to our sport.-[To Tamora] Madam, now shall ye see Our Roman hunting.

Marc.

I have dogs, my lord,

Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,

And climb the highest promontory top.

Tit. And I have horse will follow where the game Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.

Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound, But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground.

[Exeunt.

rector read " bright and gay," &c.; most improperly,-" gray" meaning "blue," "azure," as numerous passages might be adduced to show. E.g. Peele, in his Old Wives' Tale, has

"The day is clear, the welkin bright and grey." &c.

Works, p. 449, ed. Dyce, 1861.

(40) I promised your grace a hunter's peal.
Sat. And

The old eds. have"
addressing Titus alone.

you have rung it lustily, my lord ;]

· lustily, my Lords:" but Saturninus is evidently