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  • Title: Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1593)
  • Editor: Hardy M. Cook

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-411-0

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Hardy M. Cook
    Peer Reviewed

    Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1593)

    VENVS AND ADONIS.

    835She marking them, begins a wailing note,
    And sings extemporally a wofull dittie,
    How loue makes yong-men thrall, & old men dote,
    How loue is wise in follie, foolish wittie:
    Her heauie antheme still concludes in wo,
    840 And still the quier of ecchoes answer so.

    Her song was tedious, and out-wore the night,
    For louers houres are long, though seeming short,
    If pleasd themselues, others they thinke delight,
    In such like circumstance, with such like sport:
    845 Their copious stories oftentimes begunne,
    End without audience, and are neuer donne.

    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,
    Who doth the world so gloriously behold,
    That Ceader tops and hils, seeme burnisht gold.
    Venus
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