15441409Puer. Help Grandsier helpe, my Aunt Lauinia,

15451410Followes me euerie where I know not why.

15461411Good Vnckle Marcus see how swift shee comes,

15471412Alas sweet Aunt I know not what you meane.

15481413Marcus. Stand by me Lucius, doe not feare thine Aunt.

15491414Titus. She loues thee boy too well to doe thee harme.

15501415Puer. I when my Father was in Rome she did.

15511416M. What meanes my Neece Lauinia by these signes.

15521417Tit. Feare her not Lucius, somewhat doth she meane,

15531418See Lucius see, how much she makes of thee:

15541419Some whither would she haue thee goe with her.

15551420A boy, Cornelia neuer with more care,

15561421Red to her sonnes than she hath red to thee,

15571422Sweet Poetrie and Tullies Oratour:

15581423Canst thou not gesse wherefore she plies thee thus.

15591424Puer. My Lord I know not I, nor can I gesse,

15601425Vnlesse some fit or frenzie do possesse her:

15611426For I haue heard my Grandsier say full oft,

15621427Extremitie of greeues would make men mad.

15631428And I haue red that Hecuba of Troy,

15641429Ran mad for sorrow, that made me to feare,

15651430Although my Lord I know my Noble Aunt,

15661431Loues me as deare as ere my Mother did,

15671432And would not but in furie fright my youth,

15681433Which made me downe to throwe my bookes and flie

15691434Causeles perhaps, but pardon me sweet Aunt,

15701435And Maddam if my Vnckle Marcus goe,

15711436I will most willinglie attend your Ladyship.

15721437Mar. Lucius I will.

15731438Titus. How now Lauinia, Marcus what meanes this?

15741439Some booke there is that she desires to see:

15751440Which is it gyrle of these, open them boy,

15761441But thou art deeper read and better skild,

15771442Come and take choise of all my Lybrarie,

15781443And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heauens

15791444Reueale the damn'd contriuer of this deede.

15811445Why lifts she vp her Armes in sequence thus?

15821446M. I thinke she meanes that there were more than one

15831447Confederate in the fact, I more there was:

15841448Or else to heauen, she heaues them for reuenge.

15851449Titus. Lucius what booke is that shee tosseth so.

15861450Puer. Grandsier tis Ouids Metamorphosis,

15871451My Mother gaue it me.

15881452Marcus. For loue of her thats gone,

15891453Perhaps shee culd it from among the rest.

15901454Titus. Soft so busilie she turnes the leaues,

15911455Help her, what would she finde? Lauinia shal I read?

15921456This is the tragicke tale of Philomel,

15931457And treats of Tereus treason and his rape,

15941458And rape I feare, was roote of thy annoie,

15951459Marcus. See brother see, note how she coats the leaues,

15961460Titus. Lauinia wert thou thus surpriz'd sweet gyrle?

15971461Rauisht and wrongd as Phlomela was,

15981462Frocd in the ruthlesse Vast and gloomie woods;

15991463See, see, I such a place there is where we did hunt,

16001464(O had we neuer, neuer hunted there,)

16011465Patternd by that the Poet here describes,

16021466By nature made for murthers and for rapes,

16031467Mar. O why should nature build so fowle a den.

16041468Vnlesse the Gods delight in Tragedies,

16051469Titus. Giue signes sweet gyrle, for here are none but(friends,

16061470What Romaine Lord it was durst doe the deed?

16071471Or slonke not Saturnine as Tarquin erst,

16081472That left the Campe to sinne in Lucrece bed

16091473Marc. Sit downe sweet Neece, brother sit downe by(mee,

16101474Appollo, Pallas, Ioue or Mercurie,

16111475Inspire me that I may this treason finde,

16121476My Lord looke here, looke here Lauinia,

16151479This sandie plot is plaine, guide if thou canst

16161480This after me, I haue writ my name,

16171481Without the help of any hand at all.

16181482Curst be that hart that forcd vs to this shift:

16191483Write thou good Neece, and here display at last,

16201484What God will haue discouered for reuenge,

16211485Heauen guide thy pen to print thy sorrowes plaine,

16221486That we may know the traytors and the truth,

16251489Oh doe yee read my Lord what she hath writ,

16261490Stuprum, Chiron, Dmetrius.

16271491Marcus. What, what, the lustfull sonnes of Tamora,

16281492Performers of this haynous bloody deede.

16291493Titus. Magni Dominator poli,

16301494Tam lentus audis scelera, tam lentus vides?

16311495Marcus. Oh calme thee gentle Lord, although I know

16321496There is enough written vpon this earth,

16331497To stir a mutinie in the mildest thoughts,

+

16341498And arme the mindes of infants to exclaimes,

16351499My Lord kneele downe with me, Lauinia kneele,

16361500And kneele sweet boy, the Romaine Hectors h op

16371501And sweare with me as with the wofull feere,

16381502And father of that chast dishonoured Dame,

16391503Lord Iunius Brutus sweare for Lucrece rape,

16401504That we will prosecute by good aduice

16411505Mortall reuenge vpon these Traiterous Gothes,

16421506And see their blood or die with this reproch.

16431507Titus. Tis sure enough, and you knew how,

16441508But if you hunt these Beare whelpes then beware,

16451509The Dam will wake and if she winde yee once,

16461510Shee's with the Lion deepely still in league,

16471511And luls him whilst shee plaieth on her backe.

16481512And when he sleepes, will shee doe what she list.

16491513You are a young huntsman Marcus, let alone,

16501514And come I will goe get a leafe of brasse,

16511515And with a gad of steele will write these words,

16521516And lay it by: the angry northen wind

16531517Will blow these sands like Sibels leaues abroad,

16541518And wheres our lesson then, boy what say you?

16551519Puer. I say my Lord that if I were a man,

GTheir

16561520Their mothers bed-chamber should not be safe,

16571521For these base bond-men to the yoake of Rome.

16581522Marcus I thats my boy, thy father hath full oft,

16591523For his vngratefull Countrie done the like.

16601524Puer. And Vnkle so will I, and if I liue.

16611525Titus. Come goe with me into mine Armorie,

16621526Lucius Ile fit thee, and withall my boy

16631527Shall carrie from me to the Empresse sonnes,

16641528Presents that I intend to send them both:

16651529Come, come, thoult doe my message wilt thou not?

16661530Puer. I with my dagger in their bosomes Grandsier.

16671531Titus. No boy not so, Ile teach thee another course,

16681532Lauinia come, Marcus looke to my house,

16691533Lucius and Ile goe braue it at the Court,

16701534I marrie will we sir, and weele be waited on. Exeunt.

16711535Marcus. O heauens, can you heare a goodman grone

16721536And not relent, or not compassion him?

16731537Marcus attend him in his extasie,

16741538That hath more scars of sorrow in his hart,

16751539Than foe-mens marks vpon his battred shield,

16761540But yet so iust, that he will not reuenge,

16771541Reuenge the heauens for olde Andronicus. Exit.