Lucrece (Quarto, 1594)
Author: William ShakespeareEditor: Hardy M. CookNot Peer Reviewed


¶This
silent warre of Lillies and of Ro
ses,
¶VVhich
TARQVIN vew'd in her faire faces field,
¶In their pure rankes his traytor eye enclo
ses,
¶VVhere lea
st betweene them both it
should be kild.
75The coward captiue vanqui
shed, doth yeeld
¶_To tho
se two Armies that would let him goe,
¶_Rather then triumph in
so fal
se a foe.
¶Now thinkes he that her husbands
shallow tongue,
¶The niggard prodigall that prai
sde her
so:
80In that high taske hath done her Beauty wrong.
¶VVhich farre exceedes his barren skill to
show.
¶Therefore that prai
se which
COLATINE doth owe,
¶_Inchaunted
TARQVIN aun
swers with
surmi
se,
¶_In
silent wonder of
still gazing eyes.
85This earthly
sainct adored by this deuill,
¶Little
su
specteth the fal
se wor
shipper:
¶"For vn
staind thoughts do
seldom dream on euill.
¶"Birds neuer lim'd, no
secret bu
shes feare:
¶So guiltle
sse
shee
securely giues good cheare,
90_And reuerend welcome to her princely gue
st,
¶_VVho
se inward ill no outward harme expre
st.
¶For that he colourd with his high e
state,
¶Hiding ba
se
sin in pleats of Maie
stie:
¶That nothing in him
seemd inordinate,
95Saue
sometime too much wonder of his eye,
¶VVhich hauing all, all could not
satisfie;
¶_But poorly rich
so wanteth in his
store,
¶_That cloy'd with much, he pineth
still for more.
¶But
she that neuer cop't with
straunger eies,
100Could picke no meaning from their parling lookes,
¶Nor read the
subtle
shining
secrecies,
¶VVrit in the gla
ssie margents of
such bookes,
¶Shee toucht no vnknown baits, nor feard no hooks,
¶_Nor could
shee moralize his wanton
sight,
105_More then his eies were opend to the light.

