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


¶Make me not obiect to the tell-tale day,
¶The light will
shew characterd in my brow,
¶The
storie of
sweete cha
stities decay,
¶The impious breach of holy wedlocke vowe.
810Yea the illiterate that know not how
¶_To cipher what is writ in learned bookes,
¶_VVill cote my loth
some tre
spa
sse in my lookes.
¶The nour
se to
still her child will tell my
storie,
¶And fright her crying babe with
TARQVINS name.
815The Orator to decke his oratorie,
¶VVill couple my reproch to
TARQVINS shame.
¶Fea
st-finding min
strels tuning my defame,
¶_VVill tie the hearers to attend ech line,
¶_How
TARQVIN wronged me, I
COLATINE.
820Let my good name, that
sencele
sse reputation,
¶For
COLATINES deare loue be kept vn
spotted:
¶If that be made a theame for di
sputation,
¶The branches of another roote are rotted;
¶And vnde
seru'd reproch to him alotted,
825_That is as cleare from this attaint of mine,
¶_As I ere this was pure to
COLATINE.
¶O vn
seene
shame, inui
sible di
sgrace,
¶O vnfelt
sore, cre
st-wounding priuat
scarre!
¶Reproch is
stampt in
COLATINVS face,
830And
TARQVINS eye maie read the mot a farre,
¶"How he in peace is wounded not in warre.
¶_"Alas how manie beare
such
shamefull blowes,
¶_VVhich not thē
selues but he that giues thē knowes.
¶If
COLATINE, thine honor laie in me,
835From me by
strong a
ssault it is bereft:
¶My Honnie lo
st, and I a Drone-like Bee,
¶Haue no perfection of my
sommer left,
¶But rob'd and ran
sak't by iniurious theft.
¶_In thy weake Hiue a wandring wa
spe hath crept,
840_And
suck't the Honnie which thy cha
st Bee kept.

