That I would choose, were I to choose anew.— Thou com'ft not to be made a fcorn in Rome: Reft on my word, and let not discontent LAV. Not I, my lord; fith true nobility SAT. Thanks, fweet Lavinia.-Romans, let us go: Ranfomeless 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, 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. mine. [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 fhall, if Lucius live. Lav. Not 1, my lord ;] It was pity to part a couple who feem to have correfponded in difpofition fo exactly as Saturninus and Lavinia. Saturninus, who has juft promised to espouse her, already wishes he were to choose again; and the who was engaged to Baffianus (whom the afterwards marries) expreffes no reluctance when her father gives her to Saturninus. Her fubfequent raillery to Tamora is of fo coarse a nature, that if her tongue had been all the was condemned to lofe, perhaps the author (whoever he was) might have escaped cenfure on the score of poetick juftice. STEEVENS. TIT. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's guard? Treafon, my lord; Lavinia is furpriz'd. SAT. Surpriz'd! By whom? BAS. By him that juftly may Bear his betroth'd from all the world away. [Exeunt MARCUS and BASSIANUS, with LA VINIA. MUT. Brothers, help to convey her hence away, And with my fword I'll keep this door fafe. [Exeunt LUCIUS, QUINTUS, and MARTIUS. TIT. Follow my lord, and I'll foon bring her back. MUT. My lord, you pass not here. Luc. My lord, you are unjuft; 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 fo dishonour me: Traitor, reftore 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,3 nor thee, nor any of thy ftock: Not her,] Edition 1600-Nor her. TODD. I'll truft, by leisure, him that mocks me once; Was there none else in Rome to make a ftale of, Agree thefe deeds with that proud brag of thine, TIT. O monftrous! what reproachful words are these? SAT. But go thy ways; go, give that changing To him that flourish'd for her with his fword: One fit to bandy with thy lawless fons, To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome." Was there &c.] The words, there, elfe, 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 fecond folio, from ignorance of ancient phrafeology. See Vol. IV. p. 322, n. 7; and Vol. XVIII. p. 647, n. 2. MALONE. I must excufe myself from ejecting any one of these monofyllables, being convinced that they were all inferted from an authorized copy, and by a judicious hand. STEEVENS. changing piece-] Spoken of Lavinia. Piece was then, as it is now, ufed perfonally as a word of contempt. So, in Britania's Paftorals, by Brown, 1613: JOHNSON, her husband, weaken'd piece, Again, in the old play of King Leir, 1605: when did you fee Cordella laft, That pretty piece?. STEEVENS. • To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.] A ruffler was a kind of cheating bully; and is fo called in a ftatute 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 That, like the ftately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs, Speak, queen of Goths, doft thou applaud my choice? 1 And here I fwear by all the Roman Gods,→ I will not re-falute the ftreets of Rome, TAM. And here, in fight of heaven, to Rome I swear, See Greene's Groundwork of Coney catching, 1592. Hence, I fuppofe, this fenfe of the verb, to ruffle. Rufflers are likewife enumerated among other vagabonds, by Holinfhed, Vol. I. p.,183. STEEVENS. To ruffle meant, to be noify, diforderly, turbulent. A ruffler was a boisterous fwaggerer. MALONE. 7 That, like the Stately Phoebe 'mongft her nymphs, Doft overfhine the gallant ft dames of Rome,] Micat inter omnes "Julium fidus, velut inter ignes "Luna minores." Hor. MALONE. From Phaer's Virgil, 1573: [Eneid, B. I.] "Moft 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❤ If Saturnine advance the queen of Goths, SAT. Afcend, fair queen, Pantheon :-Lords, ac company Your noble emperor, and his lovely bride, 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, fee, 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 thefe, confederates in the deed That hath dishonour'd all our family; Unworthy brother, and unworthy fons! Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; Give Mutius burial with our brethren. TIT. Traitors, away! he refts 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 bafely 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. |