And bids thee christen it with thy dagger's point. Dem. And therein, hellish dog, thou hast undone. Nur. Aaron, it must: the mother wills it so. Dem. I'll broach the tadpole' on my rapier's point. [Takes the Child from the Nurse, and draws. Stay, murderous villains! will you kill your brother? Now, by the burning tapers of the sky, That shone so brightly when this boy was got, He dies upon my scimitar's sharp point, That touches this my first-born son and heir. I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus, With all his threatening band of Typhon's brood, Shall seize this prey out of his father's hands. In that it scorns to bear another hue; 1 Zounds,] So both the 4tos: the folio, 1623, reads "Out," &c. 2 I'll broach the tadpole] The same word "broach" being used in "Lust's Dominion," Boswell quoted the passage where it occurs as Marlowe's. In 1821, when the Variorum Shakespeare was printed, it was not known that "Lust's Dominion" was not by Marlowe, but the fact was proved in 1825, and has since been repeatedly stated. Nevertheless, Mr. Singer, extracting Boswell's note as if it were his own, inadvertently makes himself responsible for Boswell's blunder : what seemed true in 1821 is well known to be untrue in 1857. We have pointed out the same mistake more than once before. 3 Ye WHITE-LIM'D walls!] The old copies all read white-limb'd; but no doubt, as Steevens suggests, we ought to read "white-lim'd." Can never turn the swan's black legs to white, 4 Dem. Wilt thou betray thy noble mistress thus? This, before all the world, do I prefer ; Aar. Why, there's the privilege your beauty bears. Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer. Of that self-blood that first gave life to you; Nay, he is your brother by the surer side, Nur. Aaron, what shall I say unto the empress Aar. Then sit we down, and let us all consult. My son and I will have the wind of you: ? 4 I am of age] "I am a man" in the corr. fo. 1632, making the line rhyme with the next. No doubt the couplet was formerly so written and spoken; but possibly Shakespeare altered it, when rhyme went somewhat out of fashion, and we adhere to the printed copies. 5 - this IGNOMY.] The 4tos. read "ignomy;" the folios, ignominie, to the destruction of the verse. We have already had "ignomy" used for ignominy in " Henry IV., Part I.," A. v. sc. 4, Vol. iii, p. 416, and in "Troilus and Cressida," A. v. sc. 11, Vol. iv. p. 595. See also "Measure for Measure," A. ii. sc. 4. 6- fram'd of another LEER.] i. e. Of another skin or complexion. See “As You Like It," A. iv. sc. 1, Vol. ii. p. 410. It is spelt in various ways, leer, lere, leyre, leire, and leere, but the meaning is always the same. 7 And, from THAT womb,] The earliest 4to, that of 1600, alone reads “your womb." Keep there; now talk at pleasure of your safety. [They sit. Dem. How many women saw this child of his ? Aar. The empress, the midwife, and yourself: [Stabbing her: she screams. Weke, weke !-so cries a pig prepared to the spit. Dem. What mean'st thou, Aaron? Wherefore didst thou this? Aar. Oh lord! sir, 'tis a deed of policy. Go pack with him, and give the mother gold, [Pointing to the Nurse. And you must needs bestow her funeral; 8 Not far HENCE MULI LIVES,] The old copies read "Not far one Muliteus," and the modern text has usually been "Not far one Muli lives;" but our version is that of the corr. fo. 1632, and seems preferable. Steevens guessed at "Muli lives" for Muliteus. The true text may have been "Not far on Muli lives," &c., but we give what is supported by the best authority we can procure. 9 GO PACK with him,] Pope understands "pack" as make a bargain; and Steevens says that to "pack" is to contrive insidiously. Shakespeare, in "The Merry Wives of Windsor," A. iv. sc. 2, uses "pack" as synonymous with "conspiracy;" and in "The Taming of the Shrew," A. v. sc. 1, Vol. ii. p. 519, Gremio exclaims, "Here's packing with a witness, to deceive us all." This done, see that you take no longer days', For this care of Tamora, [Exeunt DEM. and CHI. bearing off the Nurse. Aar. Now to the Goths, as swift as swallow flies; There to dispose this treasure in mine arms, And secretly to greet the empress' friends.Come on, you thick-lipp'd slave; I'll bear you hence, For it is you that puts us to our shifts: I'll make you feed on berries and on roots, And feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat, And cabin in a cave; and bring you up To be a warrior, and command a camp. [Exit with the Child. SCENE III. The Same. A public Place. Enter TITUS, bearing arrows, with letters on the ends of them; with him MARCUS, PUBLIUS, young LUCIUS', and other Gentlemen, with bows. Tit. Come, Marcus, come.-Kinsmen, this is the way. This done, see that you take no longer days,] The corr. fo. 1632 gives what were perhaps the words in the time of the old corrector, “make no long delays;" but "take no longer days seems to have been the language of the poet, and of his period, and we make no change. 2 - tattle what they please.] Here again an apparently obvious rhyme is supplied by the old annotator on the fo. 1632 in the words, "Then let the ladies tattle what they may." 3 And feed on curds and whey,] So the 4tos. and folios; but in the corr. fo. 1632 thrive is substituted for "feed." As this change may have been merely an exercise of taste, to avoid the repetition of "feed" in two consecutive lines, we do not disturb the received text. ♦ — with him Marcus, PUBLIUS, young Lucius, &c.] It is singular that in all ancient and modern copies (as far as we have been able to examine the latter) the name of Publius has been omitted in the introduction to this scene. It might again have escaped our notice, as it did in our former edition, had not our attention been drawn to the circumstance by Mr. W. W. Williams of Tiverton. 5 Sir boy, now let me see your archery: Look ye draw home enough, and 'tis there straight. Be you remember'd Marcus, she's gone, she's fled. Pub. Therefore, my lord, it highly us concerns, Till time beget some careful remedy. Mar. Kinsmen, his sorrows are past remedy. Join with the Goths; and with revengeful war Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude, And vengeance on the traitor Saturnine. Tit. Publius, how now! how now, my masters! What, Have you met with her? Pub. No, my good lord; but Pluto sends you word, If you will have revenge from hell, you shall. Marry, for Justice, she is so employ'd, He thinks with Jove in heaven, or somewhere else, 5 - NOW] This necessary syllable, wanting in the 4tos. and in the first folio, is supplied by the second. 6 Happily you may CATCH her in the sea,] So the 4to, 1600: that of 1611 and the folio substitute find for "catch." |