O hard-believing love! how strange it seems The one doth flatter thee in thoughts unlikely, In likely thoughts the other kills thee quickly. Now she unweaves the web that she hath wrought, 992 Adonis lives, and Death is not to blame; Imperious supreme of all mortal things. 996 'No, no,' quoth she, 'sweet Death, I did but jest; Yet pardon me I felt a kind of fear Whenas I met the boar, that bloody beast, Which knows no nity, but is still severe; Then, gentle shadow,-truth I must confess, 1000 1016 'O Jove!' quoth she, 'how much a fool was I, For he being dead, with him is beauty slain, And, beauty dead, black chaos comes again. 'Fie, fie, fond love! thou art so full of fear 1021 As one with treasure laden, hemm'd with thieves; Trifles, unwitnessed with eye or зar, Thy coward heart with false bethinking grieves.' Even at this word she hears a merry horn, Whereat she leaps that was but late forlorn. 1045 So, at his bloody view, her eyes are fled Into the deep dark cabins of her head: Where they resign their office and their light Who bids them still consort with ugly night, To the disposing of her troubled brain; And never wound the heart with looks again; Who, like a king perplexed in his throne, By their suggestion gives a deadly groan, Whereat each tributary subject quakes; As when the wind, imprison'd in the ground, Struggling for passage, earth's foundation shakes, [found Which with cold terror doth men's minds conThis mutiny each part doth so surprise 1049 That from their dark beds once more leap her eyes; 1045 In his soft flank; whose wonted lily white This solemn sympathy poor Venus noteth, 'Alas! poor world, what treasure hast thou lost? What face remains alive that's worth the viewing? 1076 Whose tongue is music now? what canst thou boast Of things long since, or anything ensuing? The flowers are sweet, their colours fresh and trim; [him. But true-sweet beauty liv'd and died with 'Bonnet nor veil henceforth no creature wear! Nor sun nor wind will ever strive to kiss you: Having no fair to lose, you need not fear; The sun doth scorn you, and the wind doth hiss 1084 you: But when Adonis liv'd, sun and sharp air Lurk'd like two thieves, to rob him of his fair: "Tis true, 'tis true; thus was Adonis slain: And nuzzling in his flank, the loving swine 1125 She lifts the coffer-lids that close his eyes, Where, lo! two lamps, burnt out, in darkness lies; 1128 Make the young old, the old become a child. 'It shall suspect where is no cause of fear; 1153 It shall not fear where it should most mistrust; It shall be merciful, and too severe, And most deceiving when it seems most just; Perverse it shall be, where it shows most toward, 1157 Put fear to valour, courage to the coward. 'It shall be cause of war and dire events, Sith in his prime Death doth my love destroy, They that love best their love shall not enjoy.' By this, the boy that by her side lay kill'd 1165 Was melted like a vapour from her sight, And in his blood that on the ground lay spill'd, A purple flower sprung up, chequer'd with white; 1168 Resembling well his pale cheeks, and the blood Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood. She bows her head, the new-sprung flower to smell, Comparing it to her Adonis' breath; 1172 'Poor flower,' quoth she, 'this was thy father's guise, 1180 Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire There shall not be one minute in an hour Wherein I will not kiss my sweet love's flower.' 1185 THE RAPE OF LUCRECE 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; meanume, as it is, it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with happiness. Your lordship's in all duty, 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, and 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 the 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, 8 16 With pure aspects did him peculiar duties. For he the night before, in Tarquin's tent, Unlock'd the treasure of his happy state; What priceless wealth the heavens had him lent In the possession of his beauteous mate; Reckoning his fortune at such high-proud rate, That kings might be espoused to more fame, But king nor peer to such a peerless dame. 21 O happiness enjoy'd but of a few! And, if possess'd, as soon decay'd and done As is the morning's silver-melting dew Against the golden splendour of the sun; An expir'd date, cancell'd ere well begun: 24 29 Honour and beauty, in the owner's arms, Are weakly fortress'd from a world of harms. Beauty itself doth of itself persuade The eyes of men without an orator; What needeth then apology be made To set forth that which is so singular? Or why is Collatine the publisher 32 Of that rich jewel he should keep unknown From thievish ears, because it is his own? Perchance his boast of Lucrece' sovereignty 36 Suggested this proud issue of a king; For by our ears our hearts oft tainted be: Perchance that envy of so rich a thing, Braving compare, disdainfully did sting 40 His high-pitch'd thoughts, that meaner men should vaunt That golden hap which their superiors want. But some untimely thought did instigate 49 |