1238Expecting euer when some enuious surge,

1239Will in his brinish bowels swallow him.

1240This way to death my wretched sonnes are gone:

1241Heere stands my other sonne, a banisht man,

1242And heere my brother weeping at my woes.

1243But that which giues my soule the greatest spurne,

1244Is deere Lauinia, deerer then my soule.

1245Had I but seene thy picture in this plight,

1246It would haue madded me. What shall I doe?

1247Now I behold thy liuely body so?

1248Thou hast no hands to wipe away thy teares,

1249Nor tongue to tell me who hath martyr'd thee:

1250Thy husband he is dead, and for his death

1251Thy brothers are condemn'd, and dead by this.

1252Looke Marcus, ah sonne Lucius looke on her:

1253When I did name her brothers, then fresh teares

1254Stood on her cheekes, as doth the hony dew,

1255Vpon a gathred Lillie almost withered.,

1256Mar. Perchance she weepes because they kil'd her

1257husband,

1258Perchance because she knowes him innocent.

1259Ti. If they did kill thy husband then be ioyfull,

1260Because the law hath tane reuenge on them.

1261No, no, they would not doe so foule a deede,

1262Witnes the sorrow that their sister makes.

1263Gentle Lauinia let me kisse thy lips,

1264Or make some signes how I may do thee ease:

1265Shall thy good Vncle, and thy brother Lucius,

1266And thou and I sit round about some Fountaine,

1267Looking all downewards to behold our cheekes

1268How they are stain'd in meadowes, yet not dry

1269With miery slime left on them by a flood:

1270And in the Fountaine shall we gaze so long,

1271Till the fresh taste be taken from that cleerenes,

1272And made a brine pit with our bitter teares?

1273Or shall we cut away our hands like thine?

1274Or shall we bite our tongues, and in dumbe shewes

1275Passe the remainder of our hatefull dayes?

1276What shall we doe? Let vs that haue our tongues

1277Plot some deuise of further miseries

1278To make vs wondred at in time to come.

1279Lu. Sweet Father cease your teares, for at your griefe

1280See how my wretched sister sobs and weeps.

1281Mar. Patience deere Neece, good Titus drie thine

1282eyes.

1283Ti. Ah Marcus, Marcus, Brother well I wot,

1284Thy napkin cannot drinke a teare of mine,

1285For thou poore man hast drown'd it with thine owne.

1286Lu. Ah my Lauinia I will wipe thy cheekes.

1287Ti Marke Marcus marke, I vnderstand her signes,

1288Had she a tongue to speake, now would she say

1289That to her brother which I said to thee.

1290His Napkin with her true teares all bewet,

1291Can do no seruice on her sorrowfull cheekes.

1292Oh what a simpathy of woe is this!

1293As farre from helpe as Limbo is from blisse,

1295Moore. Titus Andronicus, my Lord the Emperour,

1296Sends thee this word, that if thou loue thy sonnes,

1297Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyselfe old Titus,

1298Or any one of you, chop off your hand,

1299And send it to the King: he for the same,

1300Will send thee hither both thy sonnes aliue,

1301And that shall be the ransome for their fault.

1302Ti. Oh gracious Emperour, oh gentle Aaron.

1303Did euer Rauen sing so like a Larke,

1304That giues sweet tydings of the Sunnes vprise?

1305With all my heart, Ile send the Emperour my hand,

1306Good Aron wilt thou help to chop it off?

1307Lu. Stay Father, for that noble hand of thine,

1308That hath throwne downe so many enemies,

1309Shall not be sent: my hand will serue the turne,

1310My youth can better spare my blood then you,

1311And therfore mine shall saue my brothers liues.

1312Mar. Which of your hands hath not defended Rome,

1313And rear'd aloft the bloody Battleaxe,

1314Writing destruction on the enemies Castle?

1315Oh none of both but are of high desert:

1316My hand hath bin but idle, let it serue

1317To ransome my two nephewes from their death,

1318Then haue I kept it to a worthy end.

1319Moore. Nay come agree, whose hand shall goe along

1320For feare they die before their pardon come.

1321Mar. My hand shall goe.

1322Lu. By heauen it shall not goe.

1323Ti. Sirs striue no more, such withered hearbs as these

1324Are meete for plucking vp, and therefore mine.

1325Lu. Sweet Father, if I shall be thought thy sonne,

1326Let me redeeme my brothers both from death.

1327Mar. And for our fathers sake, and mothers care,

1328Now let me shew a brothers loue to thee.

1329Ti. Agree betweene you, I will spare my hand.

1330Lu. Then Ile goe fetch an Axe.

1331Mar. But I will vse the Axe. Exeunt

1332Ti. Come hither Aaron, Ile deceiue them both,

1333Lend me thy hand, and I will giue thee mine,

1334Moore. If that be cal'd deceit, I will be honest,

1335And neuer whil'st I liue deceiue men so:

1336But Ile deceiue you in another sort,

1337And that you'l say ere halfe an houre passe.

1340Ti. Now stay you strife, what shall be, is dispatcht:

1341Good Aron giue his Maiestie me hand,

1342Tell him, it was a hand that warded him

1343From thousand dangers: bid him bury it:

1344More hath it merited: That let it haue.

1345As for for my sonnes, say I account of them,

1346As iewels purchast at an easie price,

1347And yet deere too, because I bought mine owne.

1348Aron. I goe Andronicus, and for thy hand,

1349Looke by and by to haue thy sonnes with thee:

1350Their heads I meane: Oh how this villany

1351Doth fat me with the very thoughts of it.

1352Let fooles doe good, and faire men call for grace,

1353Aron will haue his soule blacke like his face. Exit.

1354Ti. O heere I lift this one hand vp to heauen,

1355And bow this feeble ruine to the earth,

1356If any power pitties wretched teares,

1357To that I call: what wilt thou kneele with me?

1358Doe then deare heart, for heauen shall heare our prayers,

1359Or with our sighs weele breath the welkin dimme,

1360And staine the Sun with fogge as somtime cloudes,

1361When they do hug him in their melting bosomes.

1362Mar. Oh brother speake with possibilities,

1363And do not breake into these deepe extreames.

1364Ti. Is not my sorrow deepe, hauing no bottome?

dd₃ Then