121 Come, come, our empress, with her sacred wit There speak, and strike, brave boys, and take There serve your lust, shadow'd from heaven's eye, And revel in Lavinia's treasury. Chi. Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice. 130 [Exeunt. SCENE II A forest near Rome. Horns and cry of hounds heard. Enter Titus Andronicus, with Hunters, &c., Marcus, Lucius, Quintus, and Martius. Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and gray, 123. "file our engines"; the allusion is to the operation of the file, which, by giving smoothness, facilitates the motion of the parts of an engine or piece of machinery.-H. N. H. 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, Many good morrows to your majesty; Lav. I say, no; I have been broad awake two hours and more. Sat. Come on then; horse and chariots let us have, And to our sport. [To Tamora] Madam, now shall ye see Our Roman hunting. Marc. I have dogs, my lord, 20 Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase, And climb the highest promontory top. Tit. And I have horse will follow where the game Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain. Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound, But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground. SCENE III A lonely part of the forest. Enter Aaron, with a bag of gold. [Exeunt. Aar. He that had wit would think that I had none, Let him that thinks of me so abjectly And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest [Hides the gold. That have their alms out of the empress' chest. Enter Tamora. Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad, 10 When every thing doth make a gleeful boast? 9. "empress chest"; this is obscure. It seems to mean only, that they who are to come at this gold of the empress are to suffer by it. -H. N. H. 11. “make a gleeful boast"; vies in glee.-C. H. H. Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit, Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns, As if a double hunt were heard at once, Let us sit down and mark their yellowing noise; 20 And, after conflict such as was supposed Be unto us as is a nurse's song Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep. Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your desires, What signifies my deadly-standing eye, 31 No, madam, these are no venereal signs: thee, 40 20. "yellowing"; so Qq.; Ff. read "yelping"; Pope, "yelling."I. G. This is the day of doom for Bassianus: His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day, Thy sons make pillage of her chastity, And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood. Seest thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee, And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll. Now question me no more; we are espied; Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty, Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction. 50 Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! Aar. No more, great empress; Bassianus comes: Be cross with him, and I 'll go fetch thy sons To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. Enter Bassianus and Lavinia. [Exit. Bas. Who have we here? Rome's royal empress, Who hath abandoned her holy groves Lav. Under your patience, gentle empress, "Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning; And to be doubted that your Moor and you Are singled forth to try experiments: 69. "Are singled forth"; have stolen out.-C. H. H. |