Venus and Adonis (Modern)
Peer Reviewed
0.1Vilia miretur vulgus: mihi flavus Apollo¶Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua.
¶TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE
¶Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton,
.5and Baron of Titchfield.
¶Right Honorable,¶I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your lordship nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burden. Only if your honor seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised and vow to take advantage of all idle hours till I have honored you with some graver labor. But if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather and never after ear so barren a land for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honorable survey and your honor to your heart's content, which I wish may always answer your own wish and the world's hopeful expectation.
¶_Your honor's in all duty,
¶_William Shakespeare.
