Aar.

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OW climbeth Tamora Olympus' top,
Safe out of fortune's fhot, and fits aloft,
Secure of thunder's crack, or lightning-flash,
Advanc'd above pale envy's threatning reach
As when the golden fun falutes the morn,
And having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the Zodiack in his glift'ring coach,
And overlooks the highest peering hills:
So Tamora.

Upon her will doth earthly honour wait,
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, fetter'd in amorous chains;
And fafter bound to Aaron's charming eyes,
Than is Prometheus ty'd to Caucafus.
Away with flavish weeds, and idle thoughts,
I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made Emperefs.
To wait upon, faid I? to wanton with
This Queen, this Goddess, this Semiramis;
This Siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And fee his fhipwreck, and his common-weal's.
Holla, what ftorm is this?

SCENE II. Enter Chiron and Demetrius.
Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd,
And may, for ought thou know'ft, 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, thee more fortunate;
I am as able, and as fit as thou,
To ferve, and to deferve miftrefs' grace;
And that my fword upon thee fhall approve,
And plead my paffion for Lavinia's love.

my

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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 defperate grown to threat your friends?
Go to; have your lath glued within your sheath,
'Till you know better how to handle it.

Chi. Mean while, Sir, with the little skill I have,
Full well fhalt thou perceive how much I dare.
Dem. Ay, boy, grow ye fo brave?
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,

[They draw.

The cause were known to them it most concerns.
Nor would your nobler mother, for much more,
Be fo difhonour'd in the Court of Rome.

For fhame put up.

Chi, Not I, 'till I have fheath'd

My rapier in his bofom, and withal

Thrust these reproachful speeches down his throat,
That he hath breath'd in my dishonour here.

Dem. For that I am prepar'd and full refolv'd,
Foul-fpoken coward! thou thund'reft with thy tongue,
And with thy weapon nothing dar'ft perform.

Aar. Away, I fay.

Now by the Gods that warlike Geths 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 fo loofe,

Or Baffianus fo degenerate,

That for her love fuch quarrels may be broacht,

Without controulment, juftice, or revenge?

Young Lords, beware- and fhould the Empress know
This difcord's ground, the mufick would not please.
Chi. I care not, I, knew fhe and all the world;

I love Lavinia more than all the world.

Dem. Youngling, learn thou to make, fome better choice, Lavinia is thine elder brother's hope,

Aar

Aar. Why, are ye mad? or know ye not in Rome How furious and impatient they be,

And cannot book competitors in love?

I tell you, Lords, you do but plot your deaths
By this device.

Dem. Aaron, a thousand deaths

Would I propofe, to atchieve her whom I love.
Aar. To atchieve her

--

how!

Dem. Why mak'st 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 lov'd.
What, man! more water glideth by the mill
Than wots the miller of, and eafie it is
Of a cut loaf to fteal a fhive, we know:
Tho' Baffianus be the Emperor's brother,
Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge.
Aar. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may.

Dem. Then why should he despair, that knows to court it With words, fair looks, and liberality?

What, haft thou not full often ftruck a doe,

And born her cleanly by the keeper's nofe?

Aar. Why then it seems fome certain fnatch or fo

Would ferve your turns.

Chi. Ay, fo the turn were served.

Dem. Aaron thou haft hit it.

Aar. Would you had hit it too,

Then fhould not we be tir'd with this ado:

Why, hark ye, hark ye

and are you fuch fools

To fquare for this? would it offend you then

Thot both fhould speed?

Chi. 'Faith, not me.

Dem. No, nor me.

Aar. For fhame be friends, and join for that you jar,

'Tis policy and ftratagem must do

That you affect, and fo muft you refolve,

That what you cannot as you would atchieve,
You must perforce accomplish as you may.
Take this of me, Lucrece was not more chafte
Than this Lavinia, Baffianus' love;

VOL. VIII,

C

A fpeedier courfe than ling'ring languishment
Muft ye parfue, 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 ftrike her home by force, if not by words:
This way, or not at all, ftand you in hope.
Come, come, our Emprefs with her facred wit
To villainy and vengeance confecrate,
We will acquaint with all that we intend,
And the fhall file our engines with advice,
That will not fuffer you to fquare your felves,
But to your wishes height advance you both.
The Emperor's Court is like the house of Fame,
The palace full of tongues, of eyes, of ears:
The woods are ruthlefs, dreadful, deaf and dull:
There fpeak, and ftrike, brave boys, and take your turns.
There ferve your lufts, fhadow'd from heaven's eye,
And revel in Lavinia's treafury.

Chi. Thy counfel, lad, smells of no cowardise.
Dem. Sit fas aut nefas, 'till I find the stream
To cool this heat, a charm to calm these fits,
Per Styga, per Manes vebor.

SCENE III. A Foreft.

[Exeunt.

Enter Titus Andronicus and his three Sons, with bounds and borns, and Marcus.

Tit. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and gay,
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 noife.
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 inspir'd,

Wind

Wind borns. Here a cry of bounds, and wind horns in a peal: then enter Saturninus, Tamora, Baffianus, Lavinia, Chiron, Demetrius, and their Attendants.

Tit. Many good-morrows to your Majefty; Madam, to you as many and as good.

I promised your Grace a hunter's peal.

Sat. And you have rung it luftily, my Lords,
Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
Baf. Lavinia, how say you?
Lav. Why, I fay, no:

I have been broad awake two hours and more.
Sat. Come on then, horse and chariots let us have,
And to our sport: Madam, now shall ye fee
Our Roman hunting.

Mar. I have dogs, my Lord,

Will rouze the proudest panther in the chase,
And climb the highest promontory-top.

Tit. And I have horfe will follow, where the game
Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.

Dem. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horfe nor hound, But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Enter Aaron alone.
Aar. He that had wit, would think that I had none,

To bury fo much gold under a tree,

And never after to inherit it.

Let him that thinks of me so abjectly,

Know that this gold muft coin a stratagem,
Which cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villainy;

And fo repofe, fweet gold, for their unreft,
That have their alms out of the Emprefs' cheft.
Enter Tamora.

Tam. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'ft thou fad,
When every thing doth make a gleeful boast?
The birds chaunt melody on every bush,
The fnake lyes rolled in the cheerful fun,
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind,
And make a chequer'd fhadow on the ground:
Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us fit,
And whilst the babling Echo mocks the hounds,

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