Enter TAMORA. "TAм. My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad9 "When every thing doth make a gleeful boast? Again, in Eliosto Libidinoso, an ancient novel, by John Hinde, 1606: "For the ease of whose unrest, "Thus his furie was exprest." Again, in Chapman's translation of the ninth Iliad : "Both goddesses let fall their chins upon their ivorie breasts, "Sat next to Jove, contriving still afflicted Troy's unrests." Again, in an excellent Pastoral Dittie, by Shep. Tonie; published in England's Helicon, 1600: "With lute in hand did paint out her unrest." STEEVENS. 8 That have their alms, &c.] This is obscure. It seems to mean only, that they who are to come at this gold of the empress are to suffer by it. JOHNSON. 9 My lovely Aaron, wherefore look'st thou sad,] In the course of the following notes several examples of the savage genius of Ravenscroft, who altered this play in the reign of King James II. are set down for the entertainment of the reader. The following is a specimen of his descriptive talents. Instead of this line with which this speech of Tamora begins, she is made to say: "The emperor, with wine and luxury o'ercome, "This time I chose to come to thee, my Moor. An emperor who has had too large a dose of love and wine, and in consequence of satiety in both, falls asleep on a bed which partakes of the nature of a sailor's hammock, and a child's cradle, is a curiosity which only Ravenscroft could have ventured to describe on the stage. I hope I may be excused for transplanting a few of his flowers into the barren desart of our comments on this tragedy. STEEVENS. 66 'My lovely Aaron, &c." 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 Shakspeare. M. MASON. "The birds chaunt melody on every bush; "The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun; "The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind, "And make a checquer'd shadow1 on the ground: "Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit, "And—whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds, Replying shrilly to the well-tun'd horns, "As if a double hunt were heard at once 2, "Let us sit down, and mark their yelling noise: "And-after conflict, such as was suppos'd "The wandering prince of Dido once enjoy'd, "When with a happy storm they were surpriz'd, "And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave,"We may, each wreathed in the other's arms, "Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber; "Whiles hounds, and horns, and sweet melodious birds, "Be unto us, as is a nurse's song "Of lullaby, to bring her babe asleep3. I sion: a CHECQUER'D shadow] Milton has the same expres 66 many a maid "Dancing in the checquer'd shade." The same epithet occurs again in Locrine. STEEVENS. 2 As if a double hunt were heard at once,] Hence, perhaps, a line in a well known song by Dryden : "And echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry." STEEVENS. Of LULLABY, to bring her babe asleep.] Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary, says, "it is observable that the 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 common 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. the cradle. HOLT WHITE. "AAR. Madam, though Venus govern your desires, "Saturn is dominator over mine *: 66 My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls, "Even as an adder, when she doth unroll "To do some fatal execution? "No, madam, these are no venereal signs; 66 Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, "Blood and revenge are hammering in my head. "Hark, Tamora,-the empress of my soul, "Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee, "This is the day of doom for Bassianus ; 66 Thy sons make pillage of her chastity, "And wash their hands in Bassianus' blood. "Seest thou this letter? take it up I pray thee, "And give the king this fatal-plotted scroll :"Now question me no more, we are espied; "Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty, "Which dreads not yet their lives' destruction. "TAM. Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! 4 -though VENUs govern your desires, SATURN is dominator over mine:] The meaning of this passage may be illustrated by the astronomical description of Saturn, which Venus gives in Greene's Planetomachia, 1585: “The star of Saturn is especially cooling, and somewhat drie," &c. Again, in The Sea Voyage, by Beaumont and Fletcher : for your aspect 66 "You're much inclin❜d to melancholy, and that "Tells me the sullen Saturn had predominance "And if not qualified by a sweet conjunction Thus also, Propertius, 1. iv. i. 84: Et grave Saturni sydus in omne caput. STEEVENS. "AAR. No more, great empress, Bassianus comes: "Be cross with him; and I'll go fetch thy sons "To back thy quarrels, whatsoe'er they be. [Exit. Enter BASSIANUS and LAVINIA. 6 BAS. Who have we here? Rome's royal emperess, Who hath abandoned her holy groves, Lav. Under your patience, gentle emperess, 'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning; And to be doubted, that your Moor and you 6 of HER] Old copies of our. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE. The edition 1600, reads exactly thus: 7 "Vnfurnisht of her well beseeming troop." TODD. OUR private steps !] Edition 1600:-my private steps. TODD. 8 Should DRIVE upon thy new-transformed limbs,] Mr. Heath suspects that the poet wrote: "Should thrive upon thy new-transformed limbs—," as the former is an expression that suggests no image to the fancy. But drive, I think, may stand, with this meaning "the hounds should pass with impetuous haste," &c. So, in Hamlet: Pyrrhus at Priam drives," &c. i. e. flies with impetuosity at him. STEEVENS. 66 It is said in a note by Mr. Malone, that the old copies read, upon his new-transformed limbs," and that Mr. Rowe made the emendation-thy. The edition of 1600 reads precisely thus: "Should drive vpon thy new-transformed limbes." TODD. It should be remembered that when Mr. Malone wrote the note referred to, the edition of 1600 had not been discovered. BOSWELL. Are singled forth to try experiments: Jove shield your husband from his hounds to-day! 'Tis pity, they should take him for a stag. 9 BAS. Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian 9 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 2. LAV. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long3: 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, 9 SWARTH Cimmerian-] Swarth is black. The Moor is called Cimmerian, from the affinity of blackness to darkness. JOHNSON. swarth Cimmerian-." Edition 1600-swartie Cymerion. TODD. Accompanied with a barbarous Moor,] Edition 1600 reads: "Accompanied but with a barbarous Moore." TODD. Later editions omitted the word but. 2 Boswell. have NOTE of this,] Old copies-notice. STEEVEns. Thus also the quarto 1600. TODD. 3 made HIM noted long :] He had yet been married but one night. JOHNSON. The true reading may be-" made her," i. e. Tamora. STEEVENS. |