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


¶As corne ore-growne by weedes:
so heedfull feare
¶Is almo
st choakt by vnre
si
sted lu
st:
¶Away he
steales with open li
stning eare,
¶Full of foule hope, and full of fond mi
stru
st:
285Both which as
seruitors to the vniu
st,
¶_So cro
sse him with their oppo
sit per
swa
sion,
¶_That now he vowes a league, and now inua
sion.
¶VVithin his thought her heauenly image
sits,
¶And in the
selfe
same
seat
sits
COLATINE,
290That eye which lookes on her confounds his wits,
¶That eye which him beholdes, as more deuine,
¶Vnto a view
so fal
se will not incline;
¶_But with a pure appeale
seekes to the heart,
¶_VVhich once corrupted takes the wor
ser part.
295And therein heartens vp his
seruile powers,
¶VVho flattred by their leaders iocound
show,
¶Stuffe vp his lu
st: as minutes fill vp howres.
¶And as their Captaine:
so their pride doth grow,
¶Paying more
slaui
sh tribute then they owe.
300_By reprobate de
sire thus madly led,
¶_The Romane Lord marcheth to
LVCRECE bed.
¶The lockes betweene her chamber and his will,
¶Ech one by him infor
st retires his ward:
¶But as they open they all rate his ill,
305VVhich driues the creeping theefe to
some regard,
¶The thre
shold grates the doore to haue him heard,
¶_Night-wandring weezels
shreek to
see him there,
¶_They fright him, yet he
still pur
sues his feare.
¶As each vnwilling portall yeelds him way,
310Through little vents and cranies of the place,
¶The wind warres with his torch, to make him
staie,
¶And blowes the
smoake of it into his face,
¶Extingui
shing his conduct in this ca
se.
¶_But his hot heart, which fond de
sire doth
scorch,
315_Puffes forth another wind that fires the torch.

