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Mar. This was thy daughter.

Tit. Why, Marcus, so she is.

Luc. Ah me! this object kills me!

Tit. Faint-hearted boy, arise, and look upon her:-
Speak, my Lavinia, what accursed hand
Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight?
What fool hath added water to the sea?

Or brought a faggot to bright-burning Troy?
My grief was at the height before thou cam'st,
And now, like Nilus, it disdaineth bounds.-
Give me a sword, I'll chop off my hands too;
For they have fought for Rome, and all in vain;
And they have nurs'd this woe, in feeding life;
In bootless prayer have they been held up,
And they have serv'd me to effectless use:
Now, all the service I require of them
Is, that the one will help to cut the other.
'Tis well, Lavinia, that thou hast no hands;
For hands, to do Rome service, are but vain.

L

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80 Luc. Speak, gentle sister, who hath martyr'd thee? Mar. O, that delightful engine of her thoughts, That blab'd them with such pleasing eloquence, Is torn from forth that pretty hollow cage; Where like a sweet melodious bird it sung Sweet vary'd notes, enchanting every ear 1

Luc. O, say thou for her, who hath done this deed? Mar. O, thus I found her, straying in the park,

Seeking to hide herself; as doth the deer,

That hath receiv'd some unrecuring wound.

Tit. It was my deer; and he, that wounded her,

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90

Hath

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Hath hurt me more, than had he kill'd me dead:
For now I stand as one upon a rock,

Environ'd with a wilderness of sea;

Who marks the waxing tide grow wave by wave,
Expecting ever when some envious surge
Will in his brinish bowels swallow him..
This way to death my wretched sons are gone;
Here stands my other son, a banish'd man;
And here my brother, weeping at my woes:
But that, which gives my soul the greatest spurn,
Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul.-

Had I but seen thy picture in this plight,

It would have madded me; What shall I do,
Now I behold thy lovely body so?

Thou hast no hands, to wipe away thy tears;
Nor tongue, to tell me who hath martyr'd thee:
Thy husband he is dead; and, for his death,
Thy brothers are condemn'd, and dead by this:-
Look, Marcus! ah, son Lucius, look on her
When I did name her brothers, then fresh tears
Stood on her cheeks; as doth the honey dew
Upon a gather'd lily almost wither'd.

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Mar. Perchance, she weeps because they kill'd her husband:

Perchance, because she knows them innocent.

Tit. If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful, Because the law hath ta'n revenge on them.— No, no, they would not do so foul a deed; Witness the sorrow, that their sister makes.Gentle Lavinia, let me kiss thy lips;

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Or

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Or make some signs how I may do thee ease.
Shall thy good uncle, and thy brother Lucius,
And thou, and I, sit round about some fountain
Looking all downwards, to behold our cheeks
How they are stain'd; like meadows, yet not dry
With miry slime left on them by a flood?
And in the fountain shall we gaze so long,
'Till the fresh taste be taken from that clearness,
And made a brine-pit with our bitter tears?
Or shall we cut away our hands, like thine?
Or shall we bite our tongues, and in dumb shows
Pass the remainder of our hateful days?
What shall we do? let us, that have our tongues,
Plot some device of further misery,

To make us wonder'd at in time to come.

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Luc. Sweet father, cease your tears; for, at your grief,

See, how my wretched sister sobs and weeps.

1

Mar. Patience, dear niece:good Titus, dry thine

eyes.

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Tit. Ah, Marcus, Marcus! brother, well I wot, Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine, For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own. Luc. Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks. A Tit. Mark, Marcus, mark! I understand her signs: Had she a tongue to speak, now she would say That to her brother which I said to thee; His napkin, with his true tears all bewet, Can do no service on her sorrowful cheeks.

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O, what a sympathy of woe is this!

As far from help as limbo is from bliss.

Enter AARON.

Aar. Titus Andronicus, my lord the emperor 150 Sends thee this word,―That if thou love thy sons, Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyself, old Titus,

Or any one of you, chop off your hand,
And send it to the king: he for the same
Will send thee hither both thy sons alive;
And that shall be the ransom for their fault.
Tit. O, gracious emperor! O, gentle Aaron!
Did ever raven sing so like a lark,

That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise?
With all my heart, I'll send the emperor my hand;
Good Aaron, wilt thou help to chop it off?

Luc. Stay, father; for that noble hand of thine,
That hath thrown down so many enemies,
Shall not be sent my hand will serve the turn:
My youth can better spare my blood than you;
And therefore mine shall save my brothers' lives.
Mar. Which of your hands hath not defended
Rome,

And rear'd aloft the bloody battle-axe,

Writing destruction on the enemies' castle?

O, none of both but are of high desert:
My hand hath been but idle; let it serve
To ransom my two nephews from their death;
Then have I kept it to a worthy end.

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Aar. Nay, come, agree, whose hand shall go along,

For

For fear they die before their pardon come.

Mar. My hand shall go.

Luc. By heaven, it shall not go.

Tit. Sirs, strive no more; such wither'd herbs as

these

Are meet for plucking

and therefore mine.

Luc. Sweet father, if I shall be thought thy son,

Let me redeem my brothers both from death.

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Mar. And, for our father's sake, and mother's care,

Now let me shew a brother's love to thee.

Tit. Agree between you; I will spare my

Luc. Then I'll go fetch an axe.

Mar. But I will use the axe.

hand.

[Exeunt Lucius, and MARCUS.

Tit. Come hither, Aaron; I'll deceive them both; Lend me thy hand, and I will give thee mine. Aar. If that be call'd deceit, I will be honest, And never, whilst I live, deceive men so:

But I'll deceive you in another sort,

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And that you'll say, ere half an hour pass. [Aside.

[He cuts off TITUS's Hand.

Enter LUCIUS and MARCUS again.

Tit. Now, stay your strife; what shall be, is dis

patch'd.

Good Aaron, give his majesty my

band:

Tell him, it was a hand that warded him
From thousand dangers; bid him bury it;
More hath it merited, that let it have.
As for

my sons, say, I account of them

As

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