Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed

Titus Andronicus (Quarto 1, 1594)

The most Lamentable Tragedie
My Lords you know the mightfull Gods,
How euer these disturbers of our peace
2000Buz in the peoples eares, there nought hath past
But euen with law against the wilfull sonnes
Of old Andronicus. And what and if
His sorrowes haue so ouerwhelmde his witts?
Shall we be thus afflicted in his wreakes,
2005His fits, his frencie, and his bitternes?
And now he writes to heauen for his redresse,
See heres to Ioue, and this to Mercurie.
This to Apollo, this to the God of warre:
Sweete skrowles to flie about the streets of Rome,
2010Whats this but libelling against the Senate,
And blazoning our vniustice eueriewhere,
A goodly humor is it not my Lords?
As who would say in Rome no iustice were.
But if I liue his fained extasies
2015Shall be no shelter to these outrages,
But he and his shall know that iustice liues
In Saturninus health, whome if he sleepe,
Hele so awake as he in furie shall,
Cut off the proud'st conspiratour that liues.
2020Tamora. My gratious Lord, my louely Saturnine,
Lord of my life, commander of my thoughts,
Calme thee and beare the faults of Titus age,
The'ffects of sorrow for his valiant sonnes,
Whose losse hath pearst him deepe and skard his hart,
2025And rather comfort his distressed plight,
Than prosecute the meanest or the best
For these contempts: why thus it shall become
Hie witted Tamora to glose with all.
But Titus I haue touched thee to the quicke,
2030Thy lifeblood out: if Aron now be wise,
Then is all safe, the Anchor in the port.
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