Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online

thee harm.
    BOY     Ay, when my father was in Rome she did.
    MARCUS     What means my niece Lavinia by these signs?
    TITUS     Fear her not, Lucius — somewhat 9 doth she mean:
    See, Lucius, see how much she makes of thee:
    Somewhither would she have thee go with her.
    Ah, boy, Cornelia 12 never with more care
    Read to her sons than she hath read to thee
    Sweet poetry and Tully’s 14
Orator
.
    Canst thou not guess wherefore she plies 15 thee thus?
    BOY     My lord, I know not, I, nor can I guess,
    Unless some fit or frenzy do possess her,
    For I have heard my grandsire say full oft
    Extremity of griefs would make men mad,
    And I have read that Hecuba of Troy 20
    Ran mad through sorrow: that made me to fear,
    Although, my lord, I know my noble aunt
    Loves me as dear as e’er my mother did,
    And would not, but in fury 24 , fright my youth,
    Which made me down to throw my books and fly,
    Causeless perhaps. But pardon me, sweet aunt:
    And, madam, if my uncle Marcus go, 27
    I will most willingly attend your ladyship.
    MARCUS     Lucius, I will.
    Lavinia turns over the books with her stumps
    TITUS     How now, Lavinia?— Marcus, what means this?
    Some book there is that she desires to see.
    Which is it, girl, of these?— Open them, boy.—
    To Lavinia
    But thou art deeper read, and better skilled: 33
    Come, and take choice of all my library,
    And so beguile 35 thy sorrow till the heavens
    Reveal the damned contriver of this deed.
    What book?
    Why lifts she up her arms in sequence 38 thus?
    MARCUS     I think she means that there was more than one
    Confederate in the fact 40 . Ay, more there was,
    Or else to heaven she heaves 41 them for revenge.
    TITUS     Lucius, what book is that she tosseth 42 so?
    BOY     Grandsire, ’tis Ovid’s
Metamorphosis:
    My mother gave it me.
    MARCUS     For love of her that’s gone,
    Perhaps she culled 46 it from among the rest.
    TITUS      Soft 47 , so busily she turns the leaves!
    Helps her
    What would she find? Lavinia, shall I read?
    This is the tragic tale of Philomel,
    And treats of Tereus’ treason and his rape —
    And rape, I fear, was root of thine annoy. 51
    MARCUS     See, brother, see: note how she quotes 52 the leaves.
    TITUS     Lavinia, wert thou thus surprised 53 , sweet girl,
    Ravished and wronged as Philomela was,
    Forced in the ruthless, vast 55 and gloomy woods?
    Lavinia nods
    See, see!
    Ay, such a place there is, where we did hunt —
    O, had we never, never hunted there! —
    Patterned by that 59 the poet here describes,
    By nature made for murders and for rapes.
    MARCUS     O, why should nature build so foul a den,
    Unless the gods delight in tragedies? 62
    TITUS     Give signs, sweet girl — for here are none but friends —
    What Roman lord it was durst do the deed.
    Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst, 65
    That left the camp to sin in Lucrece’ bed?
    MARCUS     Sit down, sweet niece: brother, sit down by me.
    Apollo, Pallas, Jove or Mercury 68
    Inspire me, that I may this treason find.
    My lord, look here: look here, Lavinia.
    He writes his name with his staff, and guides it with feet and mouth
    This sandy plot is plain 71 : guide, if thou canst,
    This after me 72 . I here have writ my name
    Without the help of any hand at all.
    Cursed be that heart that forced us to that shift. 74
    Write thou, good niece, and here display at last
    What God will have discovered 76 for revenge.
    Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain,
    That we may know the traitors and the truth!
    She takes the staff in her mouth, and guides it with her stumps
,
and writes
    TITUS     O, do ye read, my lord, what she hath writ?
    ‘ Stuprum
80 , Chiron, Demetrius.’
    MARCUS     What, what? The lustful sons of Tamora
    Performers of this heinous, bloody deed?
    TITUS      Magni dominator poli
, 83
    Tam lentus audis scelera, tam lentus