SAT. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound; Poor Bassianus here lies murdered. TAM. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, [Giving a Letter. The complot of this timeless tragedy; And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny. SAT. [Reads.] An if we miss to meet him handsomely, Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis, we mean,- Which overshades the mouth of that same pit, Have here bereft my brother of his life :- How easily murder is discovered! 8 timeless-] i.e. untimely. So, in King Richard II: "The bloody office of his timeless end." STEEVens. TIT. High emperor, upon my feeble knee I beg this boon, with tears not lightly shed, That this fell fault of my accursed sons, Accursed, if the fault be prov'd in them,————— SAT. If it be prov'd! you see, it is apparent.Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? TAM. Andronicus himself did take it up. TIT. I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail: For by my father's reverend tomb, I vow, They shall be ready at your highness' will, To answer their suspicion with their lives. SAT. Thou shalt not bail them; see, thou follow me. Some bring the murder'd body, some the murderers: Let them not speak a word, the guilt is plain; For, by my soul, were there worse end than death, That end upon them should be executed. TAM. Andronicus, I will entreat the king; Fear not thy sons, they shall do well enough. TIT. Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with them. [Exeunt severally. SCENE V. The same. Enter DEMETRIUS and CHIRON, with LAVINIA, ravished; her Hands cut off, and her Tongue cut out. DEM. So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, Who 'twas that cut thy tongue, and ravish'd thee. CHI. Write down thy mind, bewray thy mean ing so; And, if thy stumps will let thee, play the scribe. DEM. See, how with signs and tokens she can scowl." CHI. Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands. DEM. She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash; And so let's leave her to her silent walks. CHI. An 'twere my case, I should go hang myself. DEM. If thou hadst hands, to help thee knit the cord. [Exeunt DEMETRIUS and CHIRON. Enter MARCUS. MAR. Who's this,-my niece, that flies away so fast? she can scowl.] Edition 1600 reads:-she can scrowle. This, I apprehend, is the true reading. TODD. Cousin, a word; Where is your husband? If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me!! If I do wake, some planet strike me down, And might not gain so great a happiness, As half thy love? Why dost not speak to me?— Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind, If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me!] If this be a dream, I would give all my possessions to be delivered from it by waking. JOHNSON. 2 ·lest thou should'st detect him, &c.] Old copies-detect them. The same mistake has happened in many other old plays. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. Tereus having ravished Philomela, his wife's sister, cut out her tongue, to prevent a discovery. MALONE. 3 three issuing spouts,] Old copies-their issuing &c. Corrected by Sir Thomas Hanmer. STEEVENS. Sorrow concealed, like an oven stopp'd, He would have dropp'd his knife, and fell asleep, *—hast thou met withal,] The word withal, is wanting in edition 1600. TODD. |