Like shrill-tongued tapsters answering every call, She says Lo, here the gentle lark, weary of rest, Who doth the world so gloriously behold 860 Venus salutes him with this fair good-morrow: This said, she hasteth to a myrtle grove, 870 Whereon with fearful eyes they long have gazed, And as she runs, the bushes in the way By this, she hears the hounds are at a bay; Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds For now she knows it is no gentle chase, 880 To stifle beauty and to steal his breath, Who when he lived, his breath and beauty set 'If he be dead,-O no, it cannot be, 940 Thy mark is feeble age, but thy false dart 'Hadst thou but bid beware, then he had spoke, And, hearing him, thy power had lost his power. They all strain courtesy who shall cope him first. The Destinies will curse thee for this stroke; This dismal cry rings sadly in her ear, Thus stands she in a trembling ecstasy; Bids them leave quaking, bids them fear no more : And with that word she spied the hunted boar, Whose frothy mouth, bepainted all with red, They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck'st a flower: 'Dost thou drink tears, that thou provokest such weeping? 950 What may a heavy groan advantage thee? Here overcome, as one full of despair, But through the flood-gates breaks the silver 959 And with his strong course opens them again. O, how her eyes and tears did lend and borrow! 102.1 'Fie, fie, fond love, thou art so full of fear As falcon to the lure, away she flies; view, Like stars ashamed of day, themselves withdrew; Or, as the snail, whose tender horns being hit, So, at his bloody view, her eyes are fled 1040 Where they resign their office and their light eyes; And, being open'd, threw unwilling light She clepes him king of graves and grave for Upon the wide wound that the boar had trench'd kings, Imperious supreme of all mortal things. 'No, no,' quoth she, 'sweet Death, I did but jest; 1000 Then, gentle shadow,-truth I must confess, I rail'd on thee, fearing my love's decease. "Tis not my fault: the boar provoked my tongue; Be wreak'd on him, invisible commander; 'Tis he, foul creature, that hath done thee wrong; I did but act, he's author of thy slander: Grief hath two tongues, and never woman yet Could rule them both without ten women's wit.' ΙΟΙΟ Thus hoping that Adonis is alive, 'O Jove,' quoth she, 'how much a fool was I For he being dead, with him is beauty slain, In his soft flank; whose wonted lily white With purple tears, that his wound wept, was drench'd: No flower was nigh, no grass, herb, leaf, or weed, But stole his blood and seem'd with him to bleed. This solemn sympathy poor Venus noteth; Upon his hurt she looks so steadfastly, That her sight dazzling makes the wound seem three; And then she reprehends her mangling eye, That makes more gashes where no breach should be: His face seems twain, each several limb is doubled; For oft the eye mistakes, the brain being troubled. 'My tongue cannot express my grief for one, And yet,' quoth she, 'behold two Adons dead! My sighs are blown away, my salt tears gone, Mine eyes are turn'd to fire, my heart to lead: Heavy heart's lead, melt at mine eyes' red fire! So shall I die by drops of hot desire. Alas, poor world, what treasure hast thou lost! What face remains alive that's worth the viewing? Whose tongue is music now? what canst thou boast Of things long since, or any thing ensuing? The flowers are sweet, their colours fresh and trim; 1079 But true-sweet beauty lived and died with him. 'Bonnet nor veil henceforth no creature wear! 'When he beheld his shadow in the brook, The fishes spread on it their golden gills; When he was by, the birds such pleasure took, That some would sing, some other in their bills Would bring him mulberries and ripe-red cherries; He fed them with his sight, they him with berries. 'But this foul, grim, and urchin-snouted boar, Whose downward eye still looketh for a grave, Ne'er saw the beauteous livery that he wore; Witness the entertainment that he gave: If he did see his face, why then I know He thought to kiss him, and hath kill'd him so. "Tis true, 'tis true; thus was Adonis slain: IIII He ran upon the boar with his sharp spear, Who did not whet his teeth at him again, But by a kiss thought to persuade him there; And nuzzling in his flank, the loving swine Sheathed unaware the tusk in his soft groin. Had I been tooth'd like him, I must confess, She looks upon his lips, and they are pale; She lifts the coffer-lids that close his eyes, where, lo, two lamps, burnt out, in darkness lies; Two glasses, where herself herself beheld sures; 1150 It shall be raging-mad and silly-mild, 'It shall suspect where is no cause of fear; 'It shall be cause of war and dire events, Sith in his prime Death doth my love destroy, By this, the boy that by her side lay kill'd 1171 Comparing it to her Adonis' breath, 'Poor flower,' quoth she, 'this was thy father's guise Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire- 1180 Here was thy father's bed, here in my breast; Thou art the next of blood, and 'tis thy right: Lo, in this hollow cradle take thy rest, A thousand times, and now no more reflect; 1130 My throbbing heart shall rock thee day and night: There shall not be one minute in an hour 1189 Their mistress mounted through the empty skies Means to immure herself and not be seen. THE RAPE OF TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON OF TICHFIeld. THE love I dedicate to your lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours. Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness. Your lordship's in all duty, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. THE ARGUMENT. LUCIUS TARQUINIUS, for his excessive pride surnamed Superbus, after he had caused his own father-in-law Servius Tullius to be cruelly murdered, and, contrary to the Roman laws and customs, not requiring or staying for the people's suffrages, had possessed himself of the kingdom, went, accompanied with his sons and other noblemen of Rome, to besiege Ardea. During which siege the principal men of the army meeting one evening at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son, in their discourses after supper every one commended the virtues of his own wife: among whom Collatinus extolled the incomparable chastity of his wife Lucretia. In that pleasant humour they all posted to Rome; and intending, by their secret and sudden arrival, to make trial of that which every one had before avouched, only Collatinus finds his wife, though it were late in the night, spinning amongst her maids: the other ladies were all found dancing and revelling, or in several disports. Whereupon the noblemen yielded Collatinus the victory, and his wife the fame. At that time Sextus Tarquinius being inflamed with Lucrece' beauty, yet smothering his passions for the present, departed with the rest back to the camp; from whence he shortly after privily withdrew himself, and was, according to his estate, royally entertained and lodged by Lucrece at Collatium. The same night he treacherously_stealeth into her chamber, violently ravished her, and early in the morning speedeth away. Lucrece, in this lamentable plight, hastily dispatcheth messengers, one to Rome for her father, another to the camp for Collatine. They came, the one accompanied with Junius Brutus, the other with Publius Valerius; and finding Lucrece attired in mourning habit, demanded the cause of her sorrow. She, first taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the actor, and whole manner of his dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one consent they all vowed to root out the whole hated family of the Tarquins; and bearing the dead body to Rome, Brutus acquainted the people with the doer and manner of the vile deed, with a bitter invective against the tyranny of the king: wherewith the people were so moved, that with one consent and a general acclamation the Tarquins were all exiled, and the state government changed from kings to consuls. FROM the besieged Ardea all in post, Of Collatine's fair love, Lucrece the chaste. IQ Haply that name of 'chaste' unhappily set With pure aspects did him peculiar duties. 1012 For he the night before, in Tarquin's tent, O happiness enjoy'd but of a few! Honour and beauty, in the owner's arms, Beauty itself doth of itself persuade Of that rich jewel he should keep unknown In their pure ranks his traitor eye encloses; Now thinks he that her husband's shallow tongue,- This earthly saint, adored by this devil, Perchance his boast of Lucrece' sovereignty That golden hap which their superiors want. But some untimely thought did instigate 40 O'rash false heat, wrapp'd in repentant cold, He stories to her ears her husband's fame, 110 Her joy with heaved-up hand she doth express, For then is Tarquin brought unto his bed, 120 |