Secure of thunder's crack or lightning flash,
Advanc'd above pale envy's threat'ning reach. 4
As when the golden sun salutes the morn,
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach,
And overlooks the highest-peering hills; 8
So Tamora.
Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait
And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown.
Then, Aaron, arm thy heart, and fit thy thoughts 12
To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,
And mount her pitch, whom thou in triumph long
Hast prisoner held, fetter'd in amorous chains,
And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes 16
Than is Prometheus tied to Caucasus.
Away with slavish weeds and servile thoughts!
I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold,
To wait upon this new-made empress. 20
To wait, said I? to wanton with this queen,
This goddess, this Semiramis, this nymph,
This siren, that will charm Rome's Saturnine,
And see his shipwrack and his commonweal's. 24
Hollo! what storm is this?
Enter Chiron and Demetrius, braving.
Dem. Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge
And manners, to intrude where I am grac'd,
And may, for aught thou know'st, affected be. 28
Chi. Demetrius, thou dost overween in all
3 Secure of: safe from
7 Gallops: gallops over
8 overlooks: looks down on
14 pitch; cf. n.
16 charming: having power to charm, or cast a spell
17 Prometheus; cf. n.
18 weeds: garments
22 Semiramis; cf. n.
25 S. d. braving: defying each other
27 grac'd: favored
28 affected: loved
29 dost overween: art presumptuous
