116806806"Make me not object to the telltale day.
807807The light will show charactered in my brow
808808The story of sweet chastity's decay,
809809The impious breach of holy wedlock vow.
810810Yea, the illiterate that know not how
811811To cipher what is writ in learnèd books
812812Will quote my loathsome trespass in my looks."
117813813"The nurse, to still her child, will tell my story
814814And fright her crying babe with Tarquin's name;
815815The orator, to deck his oratory,
816816Will couple my reproach to Tarquin's shame.
817817Feast-finding minstrels, tuning my defame,
818818Will tie the hearers to attend each line,
819819How Tarquin wrongèd me, I Collatine."
118820820"Let my good name, that senseless reputation,
821821For Collatine's dear love be kept unspotted;
822822If that be made a theme for disputation,
823823The branches of another root are rotted,
824824And undeserved reproach to him allotted
825825That is as clear from this attaint of mine
826826As I, ere this, was pure to Collatine."
119827827"O unseen shame, invisible disgrace!
828828O unfelt sore, crest-wounding, private scar!
829829Reproach is stamped in Collatinus' face,
830830And Tarquin's eye may read the mot afar,
831831How he in peace is wounded, not in war.
832832Alas, how many bear such shameful blows,
833833Which not themselves but he that gives them knows!"
120834834"If, Collatine, thine honor lay in me,
835835From me by strong assault it is bereft;
836836My honey lost, and I, a drone-like bee,
837837Have no perfection of my summer left,
838838But robbed and ransacked by injurious theft.
839839In thy weak hive a wand'ring wasp hath crept
840840And sucked the honey which thy chaste bee kept."