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  • Title: Lucrece (Quarto, 1594)
  • Editor: Hardy M. Cook

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-411-0

    Copyright Hardy M. Cook. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Hardy M. Cook
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Lucrece (Quarto, 1594)

    THE RAPE OF LVCRECE.

    Why COLATINE, is woe the cure for woe?
    Do wounds helpe wounds, or griefe helpe greeuous (deeds?
    Is it reuenge to giue thy selfe a blow,
    For his fowle Act, by whom the faire wife bleeds?
    1825Such childish humor from weake minds proceeds,
    Thy wretched wife mistooke the matter so,
    To slaie her selfe that should haue slaine her Foe.

    Couragious Romaine, do not steepe thy hart
    In such relenting dew of Lamentations,
    1830But kneele with me and helpe to beare thy part,
    To rowse our Romaine Gods with inuocations,
    That they will suffer these abhominations.
    (Since Rome her self in thē doth stand disgraced,)
    By our strong arms frō forth her fair streets chaced.

    1835Now by the Capitoll that we adore,
    And by this chast bloud so vniustlie stained,
    By heauens faire sun that breeds the fat earths store,
    By all our countrey rights in Rome maintained,
    And by chast LVCRECE soule that late complained
    1840 Her wrongs to vs, and by this bloudie knife,
    We will reuenge the death of this true wife.
    This
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