Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul.— Thou hast no hands to wipe away thy tears, Upon a gather'd lily, almost wither'd. Mar. Perchance, she weeps because they kill'd her husband; Perchance, because she knows them innocent'. Tit. If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful, Or make some sign how I may do thee ease. What shall we do? let us, that have our tongues, To make us wonder'd at in time to come. Luc. Sweet father, cease your tears; for at your grief, Now I behold thy LIVELY body so?] "Lively" is altered to living in the corr. fo. 1632; but in reference to "thy picture," in a preceding line, if we do not prefer "lively," we see no sufficient reason for inserting living. 7. she knows THEM innocent.] So the 4to, 1600: other editions read him for "them." We have already seen how frequently this error, and its converse, was committed by the old printer. - AS meadows yet not dry,] So the corr. fo. 1632: the old copies "in meadows yet not dry." Rowe read "like meadows." See how my wretched sister sobs and weeps. Mar. Patience, dear niece.-Good Titus, dry thine eyes. For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own. Enter AARON. Aar. Titus Andronicus, my lord the emperor Tit. Oh, gracious emperor! oh, gentle Aaron! That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise? Luc. Stay, father; for that noble hand of thine, "His napkin, with HIS true tears all bewet,] The reading of all the old copies is "her true tears," but undoubtedly the line ought to run, “His napkin, with his true tears all bewet." 1 — as LIMBO is from bliss.] i. e. The limbus, or limbo patrum. See Vol. iv. p. 460. Here, as in many other places, we see the old rhymes preserved. 2 With all my heart I'll send my hand To HIM.] The line in the ancient editions is absurdly redundant: "With all my heart I'll send the emperor my hand." We have amended it by the corr. fo. 1632, which preserves the sense while it restores the measure. Such a line as that in the 4tos. and folios could never have followed so musical a passage as "Did ever raven sing so like a lark That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise?" And therefore mine shall save my brothers' lives. Mar. Which of your hands hath not defended Rome, And rear'd aloft the bloody battle-axe, Writing destruction on the enemy's castle'? Oh! none of both but are of high desert. My hand hath been but idle; let it serve To ransom my two nephews from their death, Aar. Nay, come agree, whose hand shall go along, Mar. My hand shall go. Luc. By heaven, it shall not go. Tit. Sirs, strive no more: such wither'd herbs as these Are meet for plucking up, and therefore mine. Let Luc. Sweet father, if I shall be thought thy son, me redeem my brothers both from death. Mar. And, for our father's sake, and mother's care, Tit. Agree between you: I will spare my hand. But I will use it1. [Exeunt LUCIUS and MARCUS. Tit. Come hither, Aaron; I'll deceive them both : And never, whilst I live, deceive men so :- [Aside. [He cuts off TITUS's hand with his sword. 3 on the enemy's CASTLE?] "It appears (says Steevens) that a 'castle' signified a close helmet. From Grose's Treatise of Ancient Armour,' p. 12, we gather that castle' may only be a corruption of the old French word casquetel." See Vol. iv. p. 580. But I will use IT.] This hemistich completes the line begun by "Then I'll go fetch an axe:" in the 4tos. and folios “axe” is repeated—“ But I will use the are"- probably caught from the preceding line: at all events, it is in every point of view redundant, and we erase it in accordance with the corr. fo. 1632. And that you'll say, ere half an hour pass.] Malone, in contradiction to his own theory, that "hour" was often pronounced as a dissyllable, here interpolates can after it, without any authority. He cuts off Titus's hand WITH HIS SWORD.] The words "with his sword" are from the corr. fo. 1632: the old annotator also inserts with an axe on the reentrance of Lucius: both additions are more or less required. Re-enter LUCIUS with an axe, and MARCUS. Tit. Now, stay your strife: what shall be, is dispatch'd.Good Aaron, give his majesty my hand: Tell him, it was a hand that warded him Tit. Oh! here I lift this one hand up to heaven, If any power pities wretched tears, To that I call.-What! wilt thou kneel with me? [Exit. [TO LAVINIA. Tit. Is not my sorrow deep, having no bottom? Then into limits could I bind my woes. When heaven doth weep, doth not the earth o'erflow? 8 I am the sea; hark, how her sighs do blow ! with POSSIBILITIES,] The edition, 1600, alone reads, "with possibilitie." do BLOW!] All the old copies anterior to the second folio read, "do blow" is, of course, right. Then, must my earth with her continual tears Enter a Messenger, with two heads and a hand. And be my heart an ever-burning hell! weep with them that weep doth ease some deal, But sorrow flouted at is double death. [Exit. Luc. Ah, that this sight should make so deep a wound, And yet detested life not shrink thereat! That ever death should let life bear his name, Where life hath no more interest but to breathe! [LAVINIA kisses him. Mar. Alas, poor heart! that kiss is comfortless, As frozen water to a starved snake. Tit. When will this fearful slumber have an end? Gnawing with thy teeth; and be this dismal sight Now is a time to storm; why art thou still? 64 Tit. Ha, ha, ha! Ah! now no more will I control THY griefs:] Theobald fitly altered my to thy:" all the old copies agree in my. VOL. V. E |