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


¶Her maide is gone, and
shee prepares to write,
¶Fir
st houering ore the paper with her quill:
¶Conceipt and griefe an eager combat fight,
¶VVhat wit
sets downe is blotted
straight with will.
1300This is too curious good, this blunt and ill,
¶_Much like a pre
sse of people at a dore,
¶_Throng her inuentions which
shall go before.
¶At la
st
shee thus begins: thou worthie Lord,
¶Of that vnworthie wife that greeteth thee,
1305Health to thy per
son, next, vouch
safe t'afford
¶(If euer loue, thy
LVCRECE thou wilt
see,)
¶Some pre
sent
speed, to come and vi
site me:
¶_So I commend me, from our hou
se in griefe,
¶_My woes are tedious, though my words are briefe.
1310Here folds
shee vp the tenure of her woe,
¶Her certaine
sorrow writ vncertainely,
¶By this
short Cedule
COLATINE may know
¶Her griefe, but not her griefes true quality,
¶Shee dares not thereof make di
scouery,
1315_Le
st he
should hold it her own gro
sse abu
se,
¶_Ere
she with bloud had
stain'd her
stain'd excu
se.
¶Be
sides the life and feeling of her pa
ssion,
¶Shee hoords to
spend, when he is by to heare her,
¶VVhen
sighs, & grones, & tears may grace the fa
shiō
1320Of her di
sgrace, the better
so to cleare her
¶From that
su
spiciō which the world might bear her.
¶_To
shun this blot,
shee would not blot the letter
¶_VVith words, till action might becom thē better.
¶To
see
sad
sights, moues more then heare them told,
1325For then the eye interpretes to the eare
¶The heauie motion that it doth behold,
¶VVhen euerie part, a part of woe doth beare.
¶Tis but a part of
sorrow that we heare,
¶_Deep
sounds make le
sser noi
se thē
shallow foords,
1330_And
sorrow ebs, being blown with wind of words.

