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Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Hardy M. Cook
Peer Reviewed
For who hath she to spend the night withall,
But idle sounds resembling parasits?
Like shrill-tongu'd Tapsters answering euerie call,
850Soothing the humor of fantastique wits,
She sayes tis so, they answer all tis so,
And would say after her, if she said no.
Lo here the gentle larke wearie of rest,
From his moyst cabinet mounts vp on hie,
855And wakes the morning, from whose siluer brest,
The sunne ariseth in his maiestie,
VVho doth the world so gloriously behold,
That Ceader tops and hils, seeme burnisht gold.
Venus salutes him with this faire good morrow,
860Oh thou cleare god, and patron of all light,
From whom ech lamp, and shining star doth borrow,
The beautious influence that makes him bright,
There liues a sonne that suckt an earthly mother,
May lend thee light, as thou doest lend to other.
865This sayd, she hasteth to a mirtle groue,
Musing the morning is so much ore-worne,
And yet she heares no tidings of her loue;
She harkens for his hounds, and for his horne,
Anon she heares them chaunt it lustily,
870And all in hast she coasteth to the cry.
And as she runnes, the bushes in the way,
Some catch her by the necke, some kisse her face,
Some twin'd about her thigh to make her stay,
She wildly breaketh from their strict imbrace,
875Like a milch Doe, whose swelling dugs do ake,
Hasting to feed her fawne, hid in some brake,