TIT. Traitors, avaunt! Where is the emperor's

guard?

Treason, my lord; Lavinia is surpriz'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.

Mur. 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.

MUT. My lord, you pass not here.

Luc. My lord, you are unjust; 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 so dishonour me:

Traitor, restore 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, nor thee, nor any of thy stock:

* Not her,] Edition 1600-Nor her. TopD.

I'll trust, by leisure, him that mocks me once;
Thee never, nor thy traitorous haughty fons,
Confederates all thus to dishonour me.

Was there none else in Rome to make a stale of,4
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,
Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine,
That said'st, I begg'd the empire at thy hands.

۱۳

TIT. O monstrous! what reproachful words are these ?

SAT. But go thy ways; go, give that changing

piece 5
To him that flourish'd for her with his sword :
A valiant fon-in-law thou shalt enjoy;
One fit to bandy with thy lawless sons,
To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome."

4 Was there &c.] The words, there, else, 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 inserted by the editor of the fecond folio, from ignorance of ancient phraseology. See Vol. IV. p. 322, n. 7; and Vol. XVIII. p. 647, n. 2. MALONE.

I must excuse myself from ejecting any one of these monofyllables, being convinced that they were all inserted from an authorized copy, and by a judicious hand. STEEVENS.

5-changing piece-] Spoken of Lavinia. Piece was then, as it is now, used perfonally as a word of contempt.

"

JOHNSON.

So, in Britania's Pastorals, by Brown, 1613 :
her husband, weaken'd piece,
"Must have his cullis mix'd with ambergrease;
"Pheasant and partridge into jelly turn'd,
"Grated with gold."

Again, in the old play of King Leir, 1605:
-when did you fee Cordella last,
"That pretty piece? -. STEEVENS.

• To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.] A ruffler was a kind of cheating bully; and is so 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 stately Phœbe 'mongst her nymphs,
Dost overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,-
If thou be pleas'd with this my fudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee emperess of Rome.

Speak, queen of Goths, doft thou applaud my

choice?

And here I swear by all the Roman Gods,-
Sith priest and holy water are so near,
And tapers burn so bright, and every thing
In readiness for Hymeneus stand,-
I will not re-falute the streets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place
I lead espous'd my bride along with me.

TAM. And here, in fight of heaven, to Rome I fwear,

See Greene's Groundwork of Coneycatching, 1592. Hence, I suppose, this sense of the verb, to ruffle. Rufflers are likewise enumerated among other vagabonds, by Holinshed, Vol. I. p. 183. STEEVENS.

To ruffle meant, to be noisy, disorderly, turbulent. A ruffler was a boisterous swaggerer. MALONE.

That, like the stately Phœbe 'mongst her nymphs,

Doft overshine the gallant'st dames of Rome,]

-Micat inter omnes

" Julium fidus, velut inter ignes

"Luna minores." Hor. MALONE.

From Phaer's Virgil, 1573: [Æneid, B. I.]

"Most 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,
She will a handmaid be to his defires,
A loving nurse, a mother to his youth.

SAT. Ascend, fair queen, Pantheon :-Lords, ac

company

Your noble emperor, and his lovely bride,
Sent by the heavens for prince Saturnine,
Whose wisdom hath her fortune conquered :
There shall we consummate our spousal rites.

[Exeunt SATURNINUS, and his Followers; TAMORA, 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, see, O, see, what thou hast done! In a bad quarrel flain a virtuous fon.

TIT. No, foolish tribune, no; no son of mine,
Nor thou, nor these, confederates in the deed
That hath dishonour'd all our family;
Unworthy brother, and unworthy sons !

Luc. But let us give him burial, as becomes;
Give Mutius burial with our brethren.

TIT. Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb.
This monument five hundred years hath stood,
Which I have sumptuously re-edified:
Here none but foldiers, and Rome's servitors,
Repose in fame; none basely 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:
My nephew Mutius' deeds do plead for him;
He must be buried with his brethren.

QUIN. MART. And shall, or him we will accom

pany.

TIT. And shall ? 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 hast struck upon my crest, And, with these boys, mine honour thou hast

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."
QUIN. Not I, till Mutius' bones be buried.

[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 rest 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 phraseology. See Æneid XI. 409, though the words there are otherwise applied:

"kabitet tecum, & fit pectore in isto."

STEEVENS.