Page:Titus Andronicus (1926) Yale.djvu/70

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56
The Tragedy of

This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou canst,
This after me.

He writes his name with his staff, and
guides it with feet and mouth
.

I have writ my name
Without the help of any hand at all.
Curs'd be that heart that forc'd us to this shift! 72
Write thou, good niece, and here display at last
What God will have discover'd for revenge.
Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain,
That we may know the traitors and the truth! 76

She takes the staff in her mouth, and
guides it with her stumps, and writes
.

Tit. O! do ye read, my lord, what she hath writ?
'Stuprum, Chiron, Demetrius.'

Mar. What, what! the lustful sons of Tamora
Performers of this heinous, bloody deed? 80

Tit. Magni dominator poli,
Tam lentus audis scelera? tam lentus vides?

Mar. O calm thee, gentle lord! although I know
There is enough written upon this earth 84
To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts
And arm the minds of infants to exclaims.
My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel;
And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope; 88
And swear with me, as, with the woeful fere
And father of that chaste dishonour'd dame,
Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucrece' rape,
That we will prosecute by good advice 92
Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths,
And see their blood, or die with this reproach.


78 Stuprum: rape

81 Magni dominator, etc.: Ruler of the great heaven, dost thou so calmly hear crimes, so calmly look upon them? Cf. n.

86 exclaims: exclamations
87–91 My lord, kneel down, etc.; cf. n.
89 fere: mate