And virtue ftoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
And mount her pitch; whom thou in triumph long
Haft prifoner held, fettered in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.
Away with flavifh weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright and thine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.

To wait, faid I? to wanton with this Queen,
This goddefs, this Semiramis;------this Queen,
This Siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his commonweal's.
Holla! what ftorm is this?

Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS, braving.

Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge,

And manners, to intrude where I am graced;
And may, for ought thou knoweft, affected be.

Chi. Demetrius, thou doft overween in all,
And fo in this, to bear me down with braves:
"Tis not the difference of a year or two
Makes me lefs gracious, or thee more fortunate;
I am as able and as fit as thou

To ferve, and to deserve my mistrefs' grace;
And that my fword upon thee shall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.

Aar. Clubs, clubs !--these lovers will not keep the peace.

Dem. Why,boy, although our mother (unadvis'd) Gave you a dancing rapier by your fide,

Are you so desperate grown to threat your friends?

Rowe and Mr Pope adopted this reading: I have restored, with all the old copies, earthly.

Go to;
have your
lath glued within your fheath,
'Till you know better how to handle it.
Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little fkill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave? [They draw.
Aar. Why, how now, Lords?

So near the Emperor's palace dare you draw?
And maintain fuch a quarrel openly?

Full well I wot the ground of all this grudge:
I would not for a million of gold

The caufe were known to them it most concerns..
Nor would your noble mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonoured in the court of Rome.

For fhame, put up..

Chi. Not I, till I have fheath'd (10) My rapier in his bofom, and withal

Thruft thefe reproachful fpeeches down his throat, That he hath breath'd in my difhonour here.

Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full refolved,--Foul-fpoken coward! thou thundereft with thy tongue,

And with thy weapon nothing dareft perform.
Aar. Away, I fay.-

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 Baffianus fo degenerate,

(10) Not I, till I have fheathed

My rapier in his bofom,-] This fpeech, which has been all along given to Demetrius, as the next has been to Chiron, I have, by the advice of Mr Warburton, vice verfa given to Chiron and Demetrius: for it is Demetrius, as it appears from the tenor of the fcene, who had thrown out reproachful fpeeches on Chiron.

That for her love fuch quarrels may be broached, Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?

Young Lords, beware-and should the Empress know

This difcord's ground, the mufic would not please.
Chi. I care not, 1, knew fhe and all the world;
I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope.

[choice; 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 thoufand deaths would I propofe, To atchieve her whom I do love.

Aar. To atchieve her how?

Dem. Why makest 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 loved. 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 Baffianus be the Emperor's brother, Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge. Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may. [ Afide. Dem. Then why fhould he defpair, that knows

to court it

With words, fair looks, and liberality?
What, haft thou not full often struck a doe,
And borne her cleanly by the keeper's nofe?

Aar. Why, then it feems fome certain fnatch or Would ferve your turns.

Chi. Ay, fo the turn were ferved.
Dem. Aaron, thou haft hit it.

[fo

Aar. Would you had hit it too,

Then fhould not we be tired with this ado:

Why, hark ye, hark ye--and are ye fuch fools (11) To fquare for this? would it offend you then That both fhould speed?

Chi. Faith, not me.

Dem. Nor me, fo I were one.

Aar. For ihame, be friends; and join for that 'Tis policy and ftratagem must do

[you jar.
That you affect; and fo muft you refolve,
That what you cannot, as you would, atchieve,
You may perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chafte
Than this Lavinia, Baffianus' love;

A fpeedier courfe than ling ring languishment
Mult we purfue, and I have found the path.
My Lords, a folemn hunting is in hand,
There will the lovely Roman Ladies troop:
The foreft-walks are wide and spacious,
And many unfrequented plots there are,
Fitted by kind for rape and villainy :
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 Emprefs with her facred wit
To villainy and vengeance confecrate,

(11)
To fquare for this?
Chi. Faith, not me.

-and are you fuch fools

-Would it offend you then

Dem. Nor me, fo I were one.] This is verbum fat fapienti, with a vengeance. The two brothers fhew more fagacity in this paffage, than they do throughout the play befides; for they make their anfwer to Aaron, without ever staying to hear him propound his question. But there is no occafion for this fpirit of divination. The fupplement, which I have made, is reftored from the old Quarto, which Mr Pope pretends to have collated.

ANDRONICUS. We will acquaint with all that we intend; And the fhall file our engines with advice, That will not fuffer you to fquare yourselves, But to your wifhes' height advance you both. The Emperor's court is like the houfe of Fame, The palace full of tongues, of eyes, and ears: The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf and dull: There fpeak and ftrike, brave boys, and take your

turns.

There ferve your lufts, shadow'd from Heaven's eye; And revel in Lavinia's treafury.

Chi. Thy counfel, lad, fmells of no cowardife. 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.

SCENE changes to a Foreft.

[Exeunt.

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS and his three Sons, with bounds and horns, and MARCUS.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and gray; The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green: Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,

And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride,
And rouze 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,
To tend the Emperor's perfon carefully:
I have been troubled in my fleep this night,
But dawning day new comfort hath inspired.
Here a cry of bounds, and wind horns in a peal:
then enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS,
LAVINIA, CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and their At-
tendants.

Tit. Many good-morrows to your Majesty;