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Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Hardy M. Cook
Peer Reviewed
VVhat canst thou talke (quoth she) hast thou a tong?
O would thou hadst not, or I had no hearing,
Thy marmaides voice hath done me double wrong,
430I had my lode before, now prest with bearing,
Mellodious discord, heauenly tune harsh sounding,
Eares deep sweet musik, & harts deep sore woūding
Had I no eyes but eares, my eares would loue,
That inward beautie and inuisible,
435Or were I deafe, thy outward parts would moue
Ech part in me, that were but sensible,
Though neither eyes, nor eares, to heare nor see,
Yet should I be in loue, by touching thee.
Say that the sence of feeling were bereft me,
440And that I could not see, nor heare, nor touch,
And nothing but the verie smell were left me,
Yet would my loue to thee be still as much,
For frō the stillitorie of thy face excelling,
Coms breath perfumd, that breedeth loue by smel­
445But oh what banquet wert thou to the tast,
Being nourse, and feeder of the other foure,
VVould they not wish the feast might euerlast,
And bid suspition double locke the dore;
Lest iealousie that sowervn welcome guest,
450Should by his stealing in disturbe the feast?
Once more the rubi-colourd portall opend,
VVhich to his speech did honie passage yeeld,
Like a red morne that euer yet betokend,
VVracke to the sea-man, tempest to thefield:
455Sorrow to shepherds, wo vnto the birds,
Gusts, and foule flawes, to heardmen, & to herds.