Read to her sons, than she hath read to thee
Sweet poetry and Tully's Orator.
[Mar.] Canst thou not guess wherefore she plies thee thus?
Boy. My lord, I know not, I, nor can I guess,16
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, fright my youth; 24
Which made me down to throw my books and fly,
Causeless, perhaps. But pardon me, sweet aunt;
And madam, if my uncle Marcus go,
I will most willingly attend your ladyship. 28
Mar. Lucius, I will.
[Lavinia turns over with her stumps the
books which Lucius has let fall.]
Tit. How now, Lavinia! Marcus, what means this?
Some bock there is that she desires to see.
Which is it, girl, of these? Open them, boy. 32
But thou art deeper read, and better skill'd;
Come, and take choice of all my library,
And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heavens
Reveal the damn'd contriver of this deed. 36
Why lifts she up her arms in sequence thus?
Mar. I think she means that there was more than one
Confederate in the fact: ay, more there was;
Or else to heaven she heaves them for revenge. 40
14 Tully's Orator: Cicero's De Oratore
15 plies: importunes
20, 21 Hecuba . . . sorrow; cf. n.
24 fury: madness
37 in sequence: one after the other; cf. n.
39 fact: deed
