Venus and Adonis (Modern)
Peer Reviewed
¶"It shall be sparing and too full of riot,
¶Teaching decrepit age to tread the measures.
¶The staring ruffian shall it keep in quiet,
1150Pluck down the rich, enrich the poor with treasures.
¶_It shall be raging mad and silly mild,
¶_Make the young old, the old become a child.
¶"It shall suspect where is no cause of fear;
¶It shall not fear where it should most mistrust;
1155It shall be merciful and too severe,
¶And most deceiving, when it seems most just.
¶_Perverse it shall be where it shows most toward,
¶_Put fear to valor, courage to the coward.
¶"It shall be cause of war and dire events,
1160And set dissention twixt the son and sire,
¶Subject and servile to all discontents,
¶As dry combustious matter is to fire.
¶_Sith in his prime death doth my love destroy,
¶_They that love best their loves shall not enjoy."
