Venus and Adonis (Modern)
Peer Reviewed
¶"But if thou fall, O, then imagine this,
¶The earth, in love with thee, thy footing trips,
¶And all is but to rob thee of a kiss.
¶Rich preys make true men thieves; so do thy lips
725_Make modest Dian cloudy and forlorn,
¶_Lest she should steal a kiss and die forsworn.
¶"Now of this dark night I perceive the reason.
¶Cynthia, for shame, obscures her silver shine
¶Till forging nature be condemned of treason
730For stealing molds from heaven that were divine,
¶_Wherein she framed thee, in high heaven's despite,
¶_To shame the sun by day and her by night.
¶"And therefore hath she bribed the destinies
¶To cross the curious workmanship of nature,
735To mingle beauty with infirmities
¶And pure perfection with impure defeature,
¶_Making it subject to the tyranny
¶_Of mad mischances and much misery;
