Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed

Titus Andronicus (Quarto 1, 1594)

of Titus Andronicus.
See Lucius see, how much she makes of thee:
Some whither would she haue thee goe with her.
1555A boy, Cornelia neuer with more care,
Red to her sonnes than she hath red to thee,
Sweet Poetrie and Tullies Oratour:
Canst thou not gesse wherefore she plies thee thus.
Puer. My Lord I know not I, nor can I gesse,
1560Vnlesse some fit or frenzie do possesse her:
For I haue heard my Grandsier say full oft,
Extremitie of greeues would make men mad.
And I haue red that Hecuba of Troy,
Ran mad for sorrow, that made me to feare,
1565Although my Lord I know my Noble Aunt,
Loues me as deare as ere my Mother did,
And would not but in furie fright my youth,
Which made me downe to throwe my bookes and flie
Causeles perhaps, but pardon me sweet Aunt,
1570And Maddam if my Vnckle Marcus goe,
I will most willinglie attend your Ladyship.
Mar. Lucius I will.
Titus. How now Lauinia, Marcus what meanes this?
Some booke there is that she desires to see:
1575Which is it gyrle of these, open them boy,
But thou art deeper read and better skild,
Come and take choise of all my Lybrarie,
And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heauens
Reueale the damn'd contriuer of this deede.
Why lifts she vp her Armes in sequence thus?
M. I thinke she meanes that there were more than one
Confederate in the fact, I more there was:
Or else to heauen, she heaues them for reuenge.
1585Titus. Lucius what booke is that shee tosseth so.
Puer. Grandsier tis Ouids Metamorphosis,
My Mother gaue it me.
Marcus. For loue of her thats gone,
Perhaps