Left we remember ftill, that we have none. She fays, the drinks no other drink but tears, As begging hermits in their holy prayers. And by ftill practice learn to know thy meaning. Tit. Peace, tender fapling; thou art made of tears, And tears will quickly melt thy life away. [Marcus ftrikes the difb with a knife. What doft thou ftrike at, Marcus, with thy knife? Mar. At that that I have kill'd, my Lord, a fly. Tit. Out on thee, murderer; thou kill'ft my heart; Mine eyes are cloy'd with view of tyranny: A deed of death done on the innocent Becomes not Titus' brother; get thee I fee thou art not for my company. gone, Mar. Alas, my Lord, I have but kill'd a fly. Tit. But?-how if that fly had a father and mother? How would he hang his flender gilded wings, And buz lamenting Dolings in the air? (12) a (12) And buz lamenting Doings in the Air.] Lamenting Doings, is a very idle Expreffion, and conveys no Idea. The Alteration, which I have made, tho' it is but the Additionale Letter, is a great Increase to the Senfe; and tho', indeed," is fomewhat of Tautology in the Epithet and Subftantive annext to it, yet that's no #w Thing with our Author. Poor harmless fly, That with his pretty buzzing melody, Came here to make us merry; And thou haft kill'd him. Mar. Pardon me, Sir, it was a black ill-favour'd fly, Like to the Emprefs' Moor; therefore I kill'd him.Tit. 0, 0, 0, Then pardon me for reprehending thee, That comes in likeness of a cole black Moor. Mar. Alas, poor man, grief has fo wrought on him. He takes falfe fhadows for true fubftances. Come, take away; Lavinia, go with me; I'll to thy clofet, and go read with thee Sad ftories, chanced in the times of old. Come boy, and go with me; thy fight is young, And thou shalt read, when mine begins to dazzle. A C T IV. SCENE Titus's House. Enter young Lucjus, and Lavinia running after him; and the boy flies from ber, with his books under his Enter Titus and Marcus. arm. HFollows ane every where, I know not why. Good uncle Marcus, fee, how swift she comes: Alas, Alas, fweet Aunt, I know not what you mean. Read to her fons, than fhe hath read to thee, Canft thou not guefs wherefore the plies thee thus ? Ran mad through forrow; that made me to fear; And would not, but in fury, fright my youth; I will most willingly attend your ladyship. Mar. Lucius, I will. Tit. How now, Lavinia? Marcus, what means this? Some book there is that fhe defires to fee. Which is it, girl, of thefe? open them, boy. Mar. Mar. For love of her that's gone, Perhaps the cull'd it from among the reft. Tit. Soft! fee, how bufily fhe turns the leaves ! Help her what would fhe find? Lavinia, shall I read ? This is the tragick Tale of Philomel, And treats of Tereus' treafon and his rape; And rape, I fear, was root of thine annoy. Forc'd in the ruthless, vaft, and gloomy woods? Ay, fuch a place there is, where we did hunt, Tit. Give figns,fweet Girl, for here are none but friends, What Roman Lord it was durft do the deed; Or flunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erft, That left the camp to fin in Lucrece' bed? Mar Sit down, fweet niece; brother, fit down by me. Apollo, Pallas, Jove or Mercury, Infpire me, that I may this treafon find. My Lord, look here; look here Lavinia. [He writes his name with his flaff, and guides This fandy plot is plain; guide, if thou can't, Curft be that heart, that forc'd us to this fhift! [She takes the faff in her mouth, and guides it Tit. Oh, do you read, my Lord, what she hath writ ? Stuprum, Chiron, Demetrius. Mar: Mar. What, what!the luftful Sons of Tamora Performers of this hateful bloody deed? Tit. Magne Dominator Poli, Tam lentus audis fcelera! tam lentus vides! Mar. Oh, calm thee, gentle Lord; although, I know, There is enough written upon this earth, To ftir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts, And arm the minds of infants to exclaims. My Lord, kneel down with me: Lavinia kneel, And kneel, fweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope, And fwear with me, (as, with the woeful peer, And father, of that chaste dishonoured Dame, Lord Junius Brutus fware for Lucrece' rape,) That we will profecute (by good advice) (13) Mortal revenge upon thefe traiterous Goths; And fee their blood, ere die with this reproach. Tit. 'Tis fure enough, if you knew how. But if you hurt thefe bare-whelps, then beware, The dam will wake; and if the wind you once, She's with the lion deeply ftill in league; And lulls him whilft fhe playeth on her back, And, when he fleeps, will fhe do what the lift. You're a young huntfman, Marcus, let it alone; And come, I will go get a leaf of brass, And with a gad of steel will write these words, And lay it by; the angry northern wind (13) That we will profecute (by good Advice) Mortal Revenge upon thefe traiterous Goths; And fee their Blood, or die with this Reproach.] But if they endeavoured to, throw off the Reproach, tho' they fell in the Attempt, they could not be properly faid to die with_that_Reproach. Marcus muft certainly mean that they would have Revenge on their Enemies, and fpill their Blood, rather than they would tamely fit down, and die, under fuch Injuries. For this Reason I have correct d the Text, ン ere die with this Reproach: I am not to learn, that or formerly was equivalent to ere. Or, before, ere: Gloff. to Urrey's Chaucer.------Or, for ere: quod etiamnum in agro Lincolnienfi frequentiffime ufurpatur, Skinner in bis GlofLary of Uncommon Words.- But this Usage was too obfolete for our Shakespeare's Time. |