21141The ayme of all is but to nour
se the life,
142With honor, wealth, and ea
se in wainyng age:
143And in this ayme there is
such thwarting
strife,
144That one for all, or all for one we gage:
145As life for honour, in fell battailes rage,
146 Honor for wealth, and oft that wealth doth co
st 147 The death of all, and altogether lo
st.
22148So that in ventring ill, we leaue to be
149The things we are, for that which we expe
ct:
150And this ambitious foule in
firmitie,
151In hauing much torments vs with defe
ct 152Of that we haue:
so then we doe negle
ct 153 The thing we haue, and all for want of wit,
154 Make
something nothing, by augmenting it.
23155Such hazard now mu
st doting
TARQVIN make,
156Pawning his honor to obtaine his lu
st,
157And for him
selfe, him
selfe he mu
st for
sake.
158Then where is truth if there be no
selfe-tru
st?
159When
shall he thinke to
find a
stranger iu
st,
160 When he him
selfe, him
selfe confounds, betraies,
161 To
sclandrous tongues & wretched hateful daies?
24162Now
stole vppon the time the dead of night,
163When heauie
sleeep had clo
sd vp mortall eyes,
164No comfortable
starre did lend his light,
165No noi
se but Owles, & wolues death-boding cries:
166Now
serues the
sea
son that they may
surpri
se
167 The
sillie Lambes, pure thoughts are dead &
still,
168 While Lu
st and Murder wakes to
staine and kill.
25169And now this lu
stfull Lord leapt from his bed,
170Throwing his mantle rudely ore his arme,
171Is madly to
st betweene de
sire and dred;
172Th'one
sweetely
flatters, th'other feareth harme,
173But hone
st feare, bewicht with lu
stes foule charme,
174 Doth too too oft betake him to retire,
175 Beaten away by braine
sicke rude de
sire.