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


¶In
TARQVINS likene
sse I did entertaine thee,
¶Ha
st thou put on his
shape, to do him
shame?
¶To all the Ho
st of Heauen I complaine me.
¶Thou wrong
st his honor, woūd
st his princely name:
600Thou art not what thou
seem'
st, and if the
same,
¶_Thou
seem'
st not what thou art, a God, a King;
¶_For kings like Gods
should gouerne euery thing.
¶How will thy
shame be
seeded in thine age
¶VVhen thus thy vices bud before thy
spring?
605If in thy hope thou dar
st do
such outrage,
¶VVhat dar'
st thou not when once thou art a King?
¶O be remembred, no outragious thing
¶_From va
ssall actors can be wipt away,
¶_Then Kings mi
sdeedes cannot be hid in clay.
610This deede will make thee only lou'd for feare,
¶But happie Monarchs
still are feard for loue:
¶VVith fowle offendors thou perforce mu
st beare,
¶VVhen they in thee the like offences proue;
¶If
_but for feare of this, thy will remoue.
615_For Princes are the gla
sse, the
schoole, the booke,
¶_VVhere
subiects eies do learn, do read, do looke.
¶And wilt thou be the
schoole where lu
st
shall learne?
¶Mu
st he in thee read lectures of
such
shame?
¶VVilt thou be gla
sse wherein it
shall di
scerne
620Authoritie for
sinne, warrant for blame?
¶To priuiledge di
shonor in thy name.
¶_Thou back
st reproch again
st long-liuing lawd,
¶_And mak'
st faire reputation but a bawd.
¶Ha
st thou commaund? by him that gaue it thee
625From a pure heart commaund thy rebell will:
¶Draw not thy
sword to gard iniquitie,
¶For it was lent thee all that broode to kill.
¶Thy Princelie office how can
st thou fulfill?
¶_VVhen patternd by thy fault fowle
sin may
say,
630_He learnd to
sin, and thou did
st teach the way.

