Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber; Whiles hounds, and horns, and sweet melodious birds, Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.9 Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your desires, What signifies my deadly-standing eye, No, madam, these are no venereal signs; Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee,- Seest thou this letter? take it up I pray thee, Tam. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA. [Exit Bas. Who have we here? Rome's royal emperess, Unfurnish'd of her well-beseeming troop? Or is it Dian, habited like her; Who hath abandoned her holy groves, [8] Dr. Johnson in his Dictionary, says, it is observable that nurses call sleep by by: lullaby is therefore lull to sleep.' But to lull originally signified to sleep. To compose to sleep by a pleasing sound is a secondary sense retained after its primitive import became obsolete. The verbs to loll and lollop evidently spring from the same root. And by meant house; go to by, is go to house or cradle. The compliment at parting, good by, is good house; may your house prosper; and Selby, the archbishop of York's palace, is great house. So that lullaby “implies literally sleep in house, i. e. WHITE. the cradle. [9] There is much poetical beauty in this speech of Tamora. It appears to me to be the only one in the play that is in the style of Shakespeare. MASON. [1] The meaning of this may be illustrated by the astronomical description of Saturn, by Greene, 1585: "The star of Saturn is especially cooling, and somewhat drie," &c. Again, in the Sea Voyage, by Beaumont and Fletcher: "the sullen Saturn had predominance At your nativity, a malignant planet "" COLLINS. To see the general hunting in this forest? Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess, Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day! 'Tis pity, they should take him for a stag. Bas. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian' Why are you sequester'd from all your train? Lav, And, being intercepted in your sport, Bas. The king, my brother, shall have note of this. Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long: Good king! to be so mightily abus'd! Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this? Enter CHIRON and DEMETRIUS. Dem. How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious mother, Why doth your highness look so pale and wan? Tam. Have I not reason, think you, to look pale? These two have 'tic'd me hither to this place, A barren detested vale, you see, it is : The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean, And, when they show'd me this abhorred pit, [2] Swarth is black. The Moor is called Cimmerian, from the affinity of blackness to darkness. JOHNSON. They told me, here, at dead time of the night, Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.* But straight they told me, they would bind me here And leave me to this miserable death. And then they call'd me, foul adulteress, Dem. Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her And with that painted hope braves your mightiness ;* Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch, Drag hence her husband to some secret hole, And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust. Tam. But when you have the honey you desire, Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting. Chi. I warrant you, madam; we will make that sure.Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy That nice-preserved honesty of yours, Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face, Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her. [4] This is said in fabulous physiology, of those that hear the groan of the mandrake torn up. JOHNSON. [5] Painted hope is only specious hope, or ground of confidence more plausible than solid. JOHNSON. Lav. Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. Lav. When did the tiger's young ones teach the dam ? O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee: The milk, thou suck'st from her, did turn to marble; Yet every mother breeds not sons alike; [To CHIRON. Chi. What wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard? Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark: Yet I have heard, (O could I find it now!) The lion mov'd with pity, did endure To have his princely paws par'd all away. Tam. I know not what it means; away with her. Tam. Had thou in person ne'er offended me, Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen, will; let me go. Tam. What begg'st thou then? fond woman, O, keep me from their worse than killing lust, Where never man's eye may behold my body: Tam. So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee: Dem. Away, for thou hast staid us here too long. Lav. No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature! The blot and enemy to our general name ! Confusion fall husband; Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth :--Bring thou her [Dragging off Lavinia. This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. [Exeunt. Tam. Farewell, my sons: see, that you make her sure: Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed, Till all the Andronici be made away. Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor, And let my spleenful sons this trull deflour. [Exit. SCENE IV. The same. Enter AARON, with QUINTUS and MARTIUS. Aar. Come on, my lords; the better foot before : Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit, Where I espy'd the panther fast asleep. Quin. My sight is very dull, whate'er it bodes. Mart. And mine, I promise you; wer't not for shame, Well could I leave our sport to sleep a while. [MARTIUS falls into the pit. Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall? Aar. [Asi.] Now will I fetch the king to find them here; That he thereby may give a likely guess, How these were they that made away his brother. [Exit. Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart |