For no name fits thy nature but thy own! Tam. Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys, Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong. Dem. Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her; First, thrash the corn, then after burn the straw: This minion stood upon her chastity, Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty, And with that painted hope braves your mightiness: Chi. An if she do, I would I were an eunuch. Chi. I warrant you madam; we will make that sure.- Lav. O Tamora! thou bear'st a woman's face,Tam. I will not hear her speak; away with her. Lav. Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. Dem. Listen, fair madam: Let it be your glory To see her tears; but be your heart to them, As unrelenting flint to drops of rain. 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'dst from her, did turn to marble; Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny. translation of the 8th. Book of Pliny's Nat. Hist. ch. 42: " Queen Semiramis loved a great horse that she had, so farre forth, that she was content he should doe his kind with her." The incontinence of this lady has been already alluded to in the Induction to the Taming of a Shrew, scene the second. Steevens. 9 And with that painted hope braves your mightiness:] Painted hope is only specious hope, or ground of confidence more plausible than solid. Johnson. The ruggedness of this line persuades me that the word- hope is an interpolation, the sense being complete without it: And with that painted, braves your mightiness. So, in King Richard III: "Poor painted queen," &c. Painted with, is, speciously coloured with. 1 you desire,] Old copies-we desire. second folio. Malone. Steevens. Corrected in the The edit. 1600, reads, with the other old copies-we desire. Todd. Yet every mother breeds not sons alike; [To CHI. Chi. What! would'st thou have me prove myself a bastard? Lav. 'Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark: To have his princely paws" par'd all away. claws Tam. I know not what it means; away with her. Tam. Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me, Even for his sake am I pitiless Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain, To save your brother from the sacrifice; But fierce Andronicus would not relent. Therefore away with her, and use her as you will; Lav. O Tamora, be call'd a gentle queen, Tam. What begg'st thou then; fond woman, let me go. Lav. 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more, That womanhood denies my tongue to tell: O, keep me from their worse than killing lust, 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 crea ture! The blot and enemy to our general name! 2 with her,] These useless syllables, which hurt the. metre, might well be omitted. Steevens. Confusion fall Chi. Nay, then I'll stop your mouth:-Bring thou her husband; Dragging off LAV. This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. [Exeunt. Tam. Farewel, 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, [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 awhile. [MART. falls into the Pit. Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall? That ever eye, with sight, made heart lament. Aar. [aside] 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 AAR. Mart. Why dost not comfort me, and help me out From this unhallow'd and blood-stained hole? Quin. I am surprized with an uncouth fear: Quin. Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart. Will not permit mine eyes once to behold The thing, whereat it trembles by surmise: Mart. Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here, As hateful as Cocytus' misty mouth. 3 A precious ring,] There is supposed to be a gem called a carbuncle, which emits not reflected but native light. Mr. Boyle believes the reality of its existence. Johnson. So, in The Gesta Romanorum, history the sixth: "He farther beheld and saw a carbuncle in the hall that lighted all the house." Again, in Lydgate's. Description of King Priam's Palace, L. II: "And for most chefe all dirkeness to confound, "A carbuncle was set as kyng of stones all, "To recomforte and gladden all the hall. "And it to enlumine in the black night "With the freshness of his ruddy light." Again, in the Muse's Elysium, by Drayton: "Is that admired, mighty stone,. "The carbuncle that 's named; "Which from it such a flaming light "And radiancy ejecteth, "That in the very darkest night "The eye to it directeth." Chaucer, in the Romaunt of the Rose, attributes the same properties to the carbuncle : 4 5 "Soche light ysprang out of the stone." Steevens. all the hole,] The 4to. 1600, reads-all this hole. Todd. So pale did shine the moon &c.] Lee appears to have been indebted to this image in his Massacre of Paris: "Looks like a midnight moon upon a murder." Steevens. Quin. Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out; Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good, I may be pluck'd into the swallowing womb Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave. I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink. Mart. Nor I no strength to climb without thy help. Quin. Thy hand once more; I will not lose again, Till thou art here aloft, or I below: Thou canst not come to me, I come to thee. [Falls in. Enter SATURNINUS and AARON. Sat. Along with me:-I'll see what hole is here, And what he is, that now is leap'd into it. Say, who art thou, that lately didst descend Into this gaping hollow of the earth? Mart. The unhappy son of old Andronicus; Brought hither in a most unlucky hour, To find thy brother Bassianus dead. Sat. My brother dead? I know, thou dost but jest He and his lady both are at the lodge, Upon the north side of this pleasant chase; 'Tis not an hour since I left him there.6 Mart. We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas! here have we found him dead. Enter TAMORA, with Attendants; TITUS ANDRONICUS, and LUCIUS. Tam. Where is my lord, the king? Sat. Here, Tamora; though griev'd with killing grief. Tam. Where is thy brother Bassianus? Sat. Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound; Poor Bassianus here lies murdered. Tam. Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, The complot of this timeless? tragedy; [Giving a Letter. And wonder greatly, that man's face can fold Sat. [reads] An if we miss to meet him handsomely, Sweet huntsman, Bassianus 'tis we mean, Do thou so much as dig the grave for him; 6 7 left him there.] Edition 1600 reads:-left them there. Todd. timeless] i. e. untimely. So, in King Richard II :: "The bloody office of his timeless end." Steevens. |