The snake lies rolled in the chearful 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,
Replying fhrilly to the well-tun'd horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,

Let us fit down, and mark their yelling noise :
And after conflict, fuch as was fuppos'd
The wandring prince and Dido once enjoy'd,
When with a happy ftorm they were furpriz❜d,
And curtain'd with a counfel-keeping cave;
We may, each wreathed in the other's arms,
(Our paftimes done) poffefs a golden flumber;
Whilft hounds and horns, and fweet melodious birds,
Be unto us, as is a nurse's fong

Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep.

Aar. Madam, though Venus govern your defires, Saturn is dominator over mine.

What fignifies my deadly-ftanding eye,
My filence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair, that now uncurls,
Even as an adder, when the doth unroll
To do fome fatal execution?

No, madam, these are no venereal signs;
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand;
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, the emprefs of my foul,
Which never hopes more heaven than refts in thee,
This is the day of doom for Baffianus;
His Philomel muft lofe her tongue to day;

Thy fons make pillage of her chastity,

And wash their hands in Baffianus' blood.
Seeft thou this letter? take it up, I pray thee,
And give the king this fatal-plotted fcroll
Now question me no more, we are espied,
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dread not yet their lives' destruction.
Tam. Ah, my fweet Moor, fweeter to me than life.
Aar. No more, great emprefs, Baffianus comes;
Be cross with him, and I'll go fetch thy fons
To back thy quarrels, whatfoe'er they be.

Enter Baffianus and Lavinia.

[Exit.

Baf. Whom have we here? Rome's royal emperefs? Unfurnish'd of her well-befeeming troops?

Or is it Dian, habited like her,

Who hath abandoned her holy groves,
To see the general hunting in this forest?
Tam. Saucy controller of our private steps,
Had I the power, that, fome fay, Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently
With horns, as was Acteon's; and the hounds
* Should drive upon thy new transformed limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art!

8

Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess,
'Tis thought, you have a goodly gift in horning;
And to be doubted, that your Moor and you
Are fingled forth to try experiments.

8 Should drive upon thy new tranformed limbs,] The author of the Revifal fufpects that the author wrote,

Should thrive upon thy new transformed limbs,

as the former is an expreffion that fuggefts no image to the fancy. But drive, I think, may ftand within this meaning; the bounds fhould pass with impetuous hafte, &c. So Hamlet,

Pyrrhus at Priam drives, &c.

i. e. flies with impetuofity at him.

STEEVENS.

Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day! 'Tis pity they should take him for a ftag.

Baf. Believe me, queen, your fwarth Cimmerian
Doth make your honour of his body's hue,
Spotted, detefted, and abominable.

Why are you fequefter'd from all your train?
Difmounted from your fnow-white goodly steed,
And wandred hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,
If foul defire had not conducted you?
Lav. And being intercepted in your sport,
Great reason, that my noble lord be rated
For faucinefs. I pray you, let us hence.

And let her joy her raven-colour'd love ;
This valley fits the purpofe paffing well.

Baf. The king, my brother, fhall have note of this. Lav. Ay, for thefe flips have made him noted long.

Good king, to be fo mightily abus'd!

Tam. Why have I patience to endure all this?

Enter Chiron and Demetrius.

Dem. How now, dear fovereign and our gracious mother,

Why does your highness look fo pale and wan?
Tam. Have I not reafon, think you, to look pale?
These two have tic'd me hither to this place,
A barren and detefted vale, you fee, it is.
The trees, tho' fummer, yet forlorn and lean,
O'ercome with mofs, and baleful misletoe.
Here never fhines the fun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven.

―fwarth Cimmerian] Swarth is black. The Moor is called. Cimmerian, from the affinity of blacknefs to darkness. JoHNSON. -noted long.] He had yet been married but one night.

JOHNSON.
And

And when they fhew'd me this abhorred pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night,
A thousand fiends, a thousand hifling fnakes,
Ten thousand fwelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make fuch fearful and confused cries,
As any mortal body, hearing it,

2 Should ftraight fall mad, or elfe die fuddenly.
No fooner had they told this hellish tale,

But ftraight they told me, they would bind me here, Unto the body of a difmal yew;

And leave me to this miferable death:

And then they call'd me foul adulterefs,
Lafcivious Goth, and all the bittereft terms.
That ever ear did hear to fuch effect.

And had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed:
Revenge it, as you love your mother's life;
Or be ye not from henceforth call'd my children.
Dem. This is a witnefs that I am thy fon.

[Stabs Baffianus. Chi. And this for me, ftruck home to fhew my ftrength. [Stabbing him likewife. Lav. I come, Semiramis;-nay, barbarous Ta

mora!

For no name fits thy nature but thy own.

Tam. Give me thy poniard; you fhall know, my boys,

Your mother's hand fhall right your mother's wrong.
Dem. Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her;
First, thrash the corn, then after burn the ftraw:
This minion ftood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty,

2 Should ftraight fall mad, or elfe die fuddenly.] This is faid in fabulous phyfiology, of those that hear the groan of the mandrake JOHNSON. The fame thought and almoft the fame expreffions occur in Romeo and Julier. STEEVENS.

torn up.

And

And with that painted hope the braves your migh tinefs;

And shall she carry this unto her grave?

Chi. An if the do, I would I were an eunuch.
Drag hence her husband to fome fecret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our luft.
Tam. But when you have the honey you defire.
Let not this wasp out-live us both to fting.

Chi. I warrant, madam, we will make that fure.
Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preferved honefty of yours.

Lav. O Tamora, thou bear'ft a woman's face-
Tam. I will not hear her fpeak. Away with her.
Lav. Sweet lords, intreat her hear me but a word—
Dem, Liften, fair madam. Let it be your glory
To fee her tears; but be your heart to them,
As unrelenting flints to drops of rain.

Lev. When did the tyger's young ones teach the dam?

O, do not teach her wrath; fhe taught it thee;
The milk, thou fuck'dft from her, did turn to marble;
Even at thy teat thou hadft thy tyranny.

Yet every mother breeds not fons alike;

Do thou intreat her fhew a woman pity. [To Chiren.

3 And with that painted hope fhe braves your mightiness ;] Lavinia ftands upon her chastity and nuptial vow; and upon the merit of these braves the queen. But why are thefe called a painted bope? We should read,

And with this painted cope

i. e. with this gay covering. It is well expreffed. Her reasons were of a religious nature; and are therefore called a painted cope, which is a fplendid ecclefiaftic vestment: It might be called painted, likewife, as infinuating that her virtue was only pretended. WARBURTON.

Painted hope is only pecious hope, or ground of confidence more plaufible than folid.

JOHNSON.