1544Boy. Helpe Grandsier helpe, my Aunt Lauinia,

1545Followes me euerywhere I know not why.

1546Good Vncle Marcus see how swift she comes,

1547Alas sweet Aunt, I know not what you meane.

1548Mar. Stand by me Lucius, doe not feare thy Aunt.

1549Titus. She loues thee boy too well to doe thee harme

1550Boy. I when my father was in Rome she did.

1551Mar. What meanes my Neece Lauinia by these signes?

1552Ti. Feare not Lucius, somewhat doth she meane:

1553See Lucius see, how much she makes of thee:

1554Some whether would she haue thee goe with her.

1555Ah boy, Cornelia neuer with more care

1556Read to her sonnes, then she hath read to thee,

1557Sweet Poetry, and Tullies Oratour:

1558Canst thou not gesse wherefore she plies thee thus?

1559Boy. My Lord I know not I, nor can I gesse,

1560Vnlesse some fit or frenzie do possesse her:

1561For I haue heard my Grandsier say full oft,

1562Extremitie of griefes would make men mad.

1563And I haue read that Hecubae of Troy,

1564Ran mad through sorrow, that made me to feare,

1565Although my Lord, I know my noble Aunt,

1566Loues me as deare as ere my mother did,

1567And would not but in fury fright my youth,

1568Which made me downe to throw my bookes, and flie

1569Causles perhaps, but pardon me sweet Aunt,

1570And Madam, if my Vncle Marcus goe,

1571I will most willingly attend your Ladyship.

1572Mar. Lucius I will.

1573Ti. How now Lauinia, Marcus what meanes this?

1574Some booke there is that she desires to see,

1575Which is it girle of these? Open them boy,

1576But thou art deeper read and better skild,

1577Come and take choyse of all my Library,

1578And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heauens

1579Reueale the damn'd contriuer of this deed.

1580What booke?

1581Why lifts she vp her armes in sequence thus?

1582Mar. I thinke she meanes that ther was more then one

1583Confederate in the fact, I more there was:

1584Or else to heauen she heaues them to reuenge.

1585Ti. Lucius what booke is that she tosseth so?

1586Boy. Grandsier 'tis Ouids Metamorphosis,

1587My mother gaue it me.

1588Mar. For loue of her that's gone,

1589Perhahs she culd it from among the rest.

1590Ti. Soft, so busily she turnes the leaues,

1591Helpe her, what would she finde? Lauinia shall I read?

1592This is the tragicke tale of Philomel?

1593And treates of Tereus treason and his rape,

1594And rape I feare was roote of thine annoy.

1595Mar. See brother see, note how she quotes the leaues

1596Ti. Lauinia, wert thou thus surpriz'd sweet girle,

1597Rauisht and wrong'd as Philomela was?

1598Forc'd in the ruthlesse, vast, and gloomy woods?

1599See, see, I such a place there is where we did hunt,

1600(O had we neuer, neuer hunted there)

1601Patern'd by that the Poet heere describes,

1602By nature made for murthers and for rapes.

1603Mar. O why should nature build so foule a den,

1604Vnlesse the Gods delight in tragedies?

1605 Ti. Giue signes sweet girle, for heere are none but friends

1606What Romaine Lord it was durst do the deed?

1607Or slunke not Saturnine, as Tarquin ersts,

1608That left the Campe to sinne in Lucrece bed.

1609Mar. Sit downe sweet Neece, brother sit downe by me,

1610Appollo, Pallas, Ioue, or Mercury,

1611Inspire me that I may this treason finde.

1612My Lord looke heere, looke heere Lauinia.

1615This sandie plot is plaine, guide if thou canst

44The Tragedie of Titus Andronicus.

1616This after me, I haue writ my name,

1617Without the helpe of any hand at all.

1618Curst be that hart that forc'st vs to that shift:

1619Write thou good Neece, and heere display at last,

1620What God will haue discouered for reuenge,

1621Heauen guide thy pen to print thy sorrowes plaine,

1622That we may know the Traytors and the truth.

1625Ti. Oh doe ye read my Lord what she hath writs?

1626Stuprum, Chiron, Demetrius.

1627Mar. What, what, the lustfull sonnes of Tamora,

1628Performers of this hainous bloody deed?

1629Ti. Magni Dominator poli,

1630Tam lentus audis scelera, tam lentus vides?

1631Mar. Oh calme thee gentle Lord: Although I know

1632There is enough written vpon this earth,

1633To stirre a mutinie in the mildest thoughts,

1634And arme the mindes of infants to exclaimes.

1635My Lord kneele downe with me: Lauinia kneele,

1636And kneele sweet boy, the Romaine Hectors hope,

1637And sweare with me, as with the wofull Feere

1638And father of that chast dishonoured Dame,

1639Lord Iunius Brutus sweare for Lucrece rape,

1640That we will prosecute (by good aduise)

1641Mortall reuenge vpon these traytorous Gothes,

1642And see their blood, or die with this reproach.

1643Ti. Tis sure enough, and you knew how.

1644But if you hunt these Beare-whelpes, then beware

1645The Dam will wake, and if she winde you once,

1646Shee's with the Lyon deepely still in league.

1647And lulls him whilst she palyeth on her backe,

1648And when he sleepes will she do what she list.

1649You are a young huntsman Marcus, let it alone:

1650And come, I will goe get a leafe of brasse,

1651And with a Gad of steele will write these words,

1652And lay it by: the angry Northerne winde

1653Will blow these sands like Sibels leaues abroad,

1654And wheres your lesson then. Boy what say you?

1655Boy. I say my Lord, that if I were a man,

1656Their mothers bed-chamber should not be safe,

1657For these bad bond-men to the yoake of Rome.

1658Mar. I that's my boy, thy father hath full oft,

1659For his vngratefull country done the like.

1660Boy. And Vncle so will I, and if I liue.

1661Ti. Come goe with me into mine Armorie,

1662Lucius Ile fit thee, and withall, my boy

1663Shall carry from me to the Empresse sonnes,

1664Presents that I intend to send them both,

1665Come, come, thou'lt do thy message, wilt thou not?

1666Boy. I with my dagger in their bosomes Grandsire:

1667Ti. No boy not so, Ile teach thee another course,

1668Lauinia come, Marcus looke to my house,

1669Lucius and Ile goe braue it at the Court,

1670I marry will we sir, and weele be waited on. Exeunt.

1671Mar. O heauens! Can you heare a good man grone

1672And not relent, or not compassion him?

1673Marcus attend him in his extasie,

1674That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart,

1675Then foe-mens markes vpon his batter'd shield,

1676But yet so iust, that he will not reuenge,

1677Reuenge the heauens for old Andronicus. Exit