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 juftly 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.

Mur. My lord, you país not here.

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, 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,3 nor thee, nor any of thy ftock:

? Not her,] Edition 1600-Nor her. TODD.

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

Was there none elfe in Rome to make a ftale of,4
But Saturnine? Full well, Andronicus,

Agree these deeds with that proud brag of thine,
That faid'ft, I begg'd the empire at thy hands.

TIT. O monftrous! 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 fword:
A valiant fon-in-law thou fhalt enjoy ;
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 fecond 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, ufed perfonally as a word of contempt.

So, in Britania's Paftorals, by Brown, 1613:

66

JOHNSON.

her husband, weaken'd piece,
"Muft 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 laft,

That pretty piece?

STEEVENS.

• To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome.] A ruffler was a kind of cheating bully; and is fo called in a ftatute made for the punishment of vagabonds in the 27th year of King Henry VIII.

1

TIT. These words are razors to my wounded

heart.

SAT. And therefore, lovely Tamora, queen of
Goths,-

That, like the stately Phoebe 'mongft her nymphs,
Doft overfhine the gallant'ft dames of Rome,7-
If thou be pleas'd with this my fudden choice,
Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,
And will create thee emperefs of Rome.

Speak, queen of Goths, doft thou applaud my

choice?

And here I fwear by all the Roman Gods,-
Sith priest and holy water are fo near,
And tapers burn fo bright, and every thing
In readiness for Hymeneus ftand,-

I will not re-falute the ftreets of Rome,
Or climb my palace, till from forth this place.
I lead efpous'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 fuppofe, 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.

7 That, like the Stately Phoebe 'mongst her nymphs, Doft overfhine the gallant ft dames of Rome,] Micat inter omnes

"Julium fidus, velut inter ignes

"Luna minores." Hor. MALONE.

From Phaer's Virgil, 1573: [Eneid, 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 quiuor 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. Afcend, 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 fhall we cónfummate our spoufal rites,
[Exeunt SATURNINUS, and his Followers; TA-

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 haft 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 fons !

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 ftood, Which I have fumptuously 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 -] ie. 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 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.9 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 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 otherwife applied:

habitet tecum, & fit pectore in ifto."

STEEVENS.