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 justly 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. Luc. My lord, you are unjuft; and, more than fo, In wrongful quarrel you have flain your fon. TIT. 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: 3 Not her,] Edition 1600-Nor her. TopD. I'll truft, by leifure, 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." 4 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 muft 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. 5-changing piece-] Spoken of Lavinia. Piece was then, as it is now, used personally 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: STEEVENS. To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.] A ruffler was a kind of cheating bully; and is fo called in a statute 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 Goths, That, like the ftately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs, Speak, queen of Goths, doft thou applaud my choice? And here I swear by all the Roman Gods,- I will not re-falute the streets of Rome, TAM. And here, in fight of heaven, to Rome I fwear, See Greene's Groundwork of Coneycatching, 1592. Hence, I suppose, 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. "That, like the ftately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs, Doft overfhine the gallant'ft dames of Rome,] Micat inter omnes 66 "Julium fidus, velut inter ignes "Luna minores." Hor. MALONE. From Phaer's Virgil, 1573: [Æneid, 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 ouerShynes." RITSON. If Saturnine advance the queen of Goths, SAT. Afcend, fair queen, Pantheon :-Lords, ac- 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 hast done! In a bad quarrel flain a virtuous fon. TIT. No, foolish tribune, no; no fon of mine,- Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes; 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, Repofe 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. MAR. My lord, this is impiety in you: QUIN. MART. And fhall, or him we will accom pany. TIT. And fhall? What villain was it spoke that word? QUIN. He that would vouch't in any place but here. TIT. What, would you bury him in my despite ? MAR. No, noble Titus; but entreat of thee To pardon Mutius, and to bury him. TIT. Marcus, even thou haft ftruck upon my creft, And, with thefe boys, mine honour thou haft wounded: My foes I do repute you every one; So trouble me no more, but get you gone. MART. He is not with himself; let us withdraw." [MARCUS and the Sons of TITUS kneel. MAR. Brother, for in that name doth nature plead. QUIN. Father, and in that name doth nature fpeak. TIT. Speak thou no more, if all the reft will speed. • He is not with himself; let us withdraw.] Read He is not now himself;- -.RITSON, Perhaps the old reading is a mere affected imitation of Roman phrafeology. See Eneid XI. 409, though the words there are otherwise applied: habitet tecum, & fit pectore in isto." STEEVENS. |
