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


¶His Faulchon on a flint he
softly
smiteth,
¶That from the could
stone
sparkes of fire doe flie,
¶VVhereat a waxen torch forthwith he lighteth,
¶VVhich mu
st be lode
starre to his lu
stfull eye.
180And to the flame thus
speakes adui
sedlie;
¶_As from this cold flint I enfor
st this fire,
¶_So
LVCRECE mu
st I force to my de
sire.
¶Here pale with feare he doth premeditate,
¶The daungers of his loth
some enterpri
se:
185And in his inward mind he doth debate,
¶VVhat following
sorrow may on this ari
se.
¶Then looking
scornfully, he doth de
spi
se
¶_His naked armour of
still
slaughtered lu
st,
¶_And iu
stly thus controlls his thoughts vniu
st.
190Faire torch burne out thy light, and lend it not
¶To darken her who
se light excelleth thine:
¶And die vnhallowed thoughts, before you blot
¶VVith your vncleanne
sse, that which is deuine:
¶Offer pure incen
se to
so pure a
shrine:
195_Let faire humanitie abhor the deede,
¶_That
spots &
stains loues mode
st
snow-white weed.
¶O
shame to knighthood, and to
shining Armes,
¶O foule di
shonor to my hou
shoulds graue:
¶O impious act including all foule harmes.
200A martiall man to be
soft fancies
slaue,
¶True valour
still a true re
spect
should haue,
¶_Then my digre
ssion is
so vile,
so ba
se,
¶_That it will liue engrauen in my face.
¶Yea though I die the
scandale will
suruiue,
205And be an eie-
sore in my golden coate:
¶Some loth
some da
sh the Herrald will contriue,
¶To cipher me how fondlie I did dote:
¶That my po
steritie
sham'd with the note
¶_Shall cur
se my bones, and hold it for no
sinne,
210_To wi
sh that I their father had not beene.

