Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)
Author: William ShakespeareEditor: Hardy M. CookPeer Reviewed


¶He
sees her comming, and begins to glow:
¶Euen as a dying coale reuiues with winde,
¶And with his bonnet hides his angrie brow,
340Lookes on the dull earth with di
sturbed minde:
¶_Taking no notice that
she is
so nye,
¶_For all askance he holds her in his eye.
¶O what a
sight it was wi
stly to view,
¶How
she came
stealing to the wayward boy,
345To note the fighting conflict of her hew,
¶How white and red, ech other did de
stroy:
¶_But now her cheeke was pale, and by and by
¶_It fla
sht forth fire, as lightning from the skie.
¶Now was
she iu
st before him as he
sat,
350And like a lowly louer downe
she kneeles,
¶VVith one faire hand
she heaueth vp his hat,
¶Her other tender hand his faire cheeke feeles:
¶_His tendrer cheeke, receiues her
soft hands print,
¶_As apt, as new falne
snow takes any dint.
355Oh what a war of lookes was then betweene them,
¶Her eyes petitioners to his eyes
suing,
¶His eyes
saw her eyes, as they had not
seene them,
¶Her eyes wooed
still, his eyes di
sdaind the wooing:
¶_And all this dumbe play had his acts made plain,
360_VVith tears which Chorus-like her eyes did rain.
¶Full gently now
she takes him by the hand,
¶A lillie pri
sond in a gaile of
snow,
¶Or Iuorie in an allabla
ster band,
¶So white a friend, ingirts
so white a fo:
365_This beautious combat wilfull, and vnwilling,
¶_Showed like two
siluer doues that
sit a billing.

