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


¶Then Loue and Fortune be my Gods, my guide,
¶My will is backt with re
solution:
¶Thoughts are but dreames till their effects be tried,
¶The blacke
st
sinne is clear'd with ab
solution.
355Again
st loues fire, feares fro
st hath di
ssolution.
¶_The eye of Heauen is out, and mi
stie night
¶_Couers the
shame that followes
sweet delight.
¶This
said, his guiltie hand pluckt vp the latch,
¶And with his knee the dore he opens wide,
360The doue
sleeps fa
st that this night Owle will catch.
¶Thus trea
son workes ere traitors be e
spied.
¶VVho
sees the lurking
serpent
steppes a
side;
¶_But
shee
sound
sleeping fearing no
such thing,
¶_Lies at the mercie of his mortall
sting.
365Into the chamber wickedlie he
stalkes,
¶And gazeth on her yet vn
stained bed:
¶The curtaines being clo
se, about he walkes,
¶Rowling his greedie eye-bals in his head.
¶By their high trea
son is his heart mi
s-led,
370_VVhich giues the watch-word to his hand ful
soon,
¶_To draw the clowd that hides the
siluer Moon.
¶Looke as the faire and fierie pointed Sunne,
¶Ru
shing from forth a cloud, bereaues our
sight:
¶Euen
so the Curtaine drawne, his eyes begun
375To winke, being blinded with a greater light.
¶VVhether it is that
shee reflects
so bright,
¶_That dazleth them, or el
se
some
shame
suppo
sed,
¶_But blind they are, and keep them
selues inclo
sed.
¶O had they in that darke
some pri
son died,
380Then had they
seene the period of their ill:
¶Then
COLATINE againe by
LVCRECE side,
¶In his cleare bed might haue repo
sed
still.
¶But they mu
st ope this ble
ssed league to kill,
¶_And holie-thoughted
LVCRECE to their
sight,
385_Mu
st
sell her ioy, her life, her worlds delight.

