Venus and Adonis (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare

Editor: Hardy M. Cook

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Venus and Adonis (Modern)
- Work
- Stanza
  1. Dedication
  2. 1 — 5
  3. 6 — 10
  4. 11 — 15
  5. 16 — 20
  6. 21 — 25
  7. 26 — 30
  8. 31 — 35
  9. 36 — 40
  10. 41 — 45
  11. 46 — 50
  12. 51 — 55
  13. 56 — 60
  14. 61 — 65
  15. 66 — 70
  16. 71 — 75
  17. 76 — 80
  18. 81 — 85
  19. 86 — 90
  20. 91 — 95
  21. 96 — 100
  22. 101 — 105
  23. 106 — 110
  24. 111 — 115
  25. 116 — 120
  26. 121 — 125
  27. 126 — 130
  28. 131 — 135
  29. 136 — 140
  30. 141 — 145
  31. 146 — 150
  32. 151 — 155
  33. 156 — 160
  34. 161 — 165
  35. 166 — 170
  36. 171 — 175
  37. 176 — 180
  38. 181 — 185
  39. 186 — 190
  40. 191 — 195
  41. 196 — 199
Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)
- Work
- Stanza
  1. Title Page
  2. Dedication
  3. 2 — 6
  4. 7 — 11
  5. 12 — 16
  6. 17 — 21
  7. 22 — 26
  8. 27 — 31
  9. 32 — 36
  10. 37 — 41
  11. 42 — 46
  12. 47 — 51
  13. 52 — 56
  14. 57 — 61
  15. 62 — 66
  16. 67 — 71
  17. 72 — 76
  18. 77 — 81
  19. 82 — 86
  20. 87 — 91
  21. 92 — 96
  22. 97 — 101
  23. 102 — 106
  24. 107 — 111
  25. 112 — 116
  26. 117 — 121
  27. 122 — 126
  28. 127 — 131
  29. 132 — 136
  30. 137 — 141
  31. 142 — 146
  32. 147 — 151
  33. 152 — 156
  34. 157 — 161
  35. 162 — 166
  36. 167 — 171
  37. 172 — 176
  38. 177 — 181
  39. 182 — 186
  40. 187 — 191
  41. 192 — 196
  42. 197 — 199
- Page
  1. 2
  2. 4
  3. 5
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. 13
  12. 14
  13. 15
  14. 16
  15. 17
  16. 18
  17. 19
  18. 20
  19. 21
  20. 22
  21. 23
  22. 24
  23. 25
  24. 26
  25. 27
  26. 28
  27. 29
  28. 30
  29. 31
  30. 32
  31. 33
  32. 34
  33. 35
  34. 36
  35. 37
  36. 38
  37. 39
  38. 40
  39. 41
  40. 42
  41. 43
  42. 44
  43. 45
  44. 46
  45. 47
  46. 48
  47. 49
  48. 50
  49. 51
  50. 52
  51. 53
  52. 54
  53. 55

¶"Therefore, despite of fruitless chastity,
¶Love-lacking vestals and self-loving nuns,
¶That on the earth would breed a scarcity
¶And barren dearth of daughters and of sons,
755_Be prodigal: the lamp that burns by night
¶_Dries up his oil to lend the world his light.

¶"What is thy body but a swallowing grave,
¶Seeming to bury that posterity
¶Which by the rights of time thou needs must have,
760If thou destroy them not in dark obscurity?
¶_If so, the world will hold thee in disdain,
¶_Sith in thy pride so fair a hope is slain.

¶"So in thyself, thyself art made away,
¶A mischief worse than civil homebred strife,
765Or theirs whose desperate hands themselves do slay,
¶Or butcher sire that reaves his son of life.
¶_Foul cank'ring rust, the hidden treasure frets,
¶_But gold that's put to use more gold begets."

¶"Nay, then," quoth Adon, "you will fall again
770Into your idle overhandled theme.
¶The kiss I gave you is bestowed in vain,
¶And all in vain you strive against the stream;
¶_For, by this black-faced night, desire's foul nurse,
¶_Your treatise makes me like you worse and worse.

775"If love have lent you twenty thousand tongues,
¶And every tongue more moving than your own,
¶Bewitching like the wanton mermaids' songs,
¶Yet from mine ear the tempting tune is blown;
¶_For know, my heart stands armèd in mine ear
780_And will not let a false sound enter there,

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Venus and Adonis (Modern)