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Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Hardy M. Cook
Peer Reviewed
VENVS AND ADONIS.

715VVhere did I leaue? no matter where (quoth he)
Leaue me, and then the storie aptly ends,
The night is spent; why what of that (quoth she?)
I am (quoth he) expected of my friends,
And now tis darke, and going I shall fall.
720In night (quoth she) desire sees best of all.

But if thou fall, oh then imagine this,
The earth in loue with thee, thy footing trips,
And all is but to rob thee of a kis,
Rich prayes make true-men theeues: so do thy lips
725Make modest Dyan, cloudie and forlorne,
Lest she should steale a kisse and die forsworne.

Now of this darke night I perceiue the reason,
Cinthia for shame, obscures her siluer shine,
Till forging nature be condemn'd of treason,
730For stealing moulds from heauen, that were diuine,
VVherin she fram'd thee, in hie heauens despight,
To shame the sunne by day, and her by night.

And therefore hath she brib'd the destinies,
To crosse the curious workmanship of nature,
735To mingle beautie with infirmities,
And pure perfection with impure defeature,
Making it subiect to the tyrannie,
Of mad mischances, and much miserie.