16106106He stories to her ears her husband's fame,

107107Won in the fields of fruitful Italy,

108108And decks with praises Collatine's high name,

109109Made glorious by his manly chivalry,

110110With bruisèd arms and wreaths of victory.

111111Her joy with heaved-up hand she doth express

112112And wordless so greets heaven for his success.

17113113Far from the purpose of his coming thither,

114114He makes excuses for his being there.

115115No cloudy show of stormy blust'ring weather

116116Doth yet in his fair welkin once appear

117117Till sable night, mother of dread and fear,

118118Upon the world dim darkness doth display

119119And in her vaulty prison stows the day.

18120120For then is Tarquin brought unto his bed,

121121Intending weariness with heavy sprite;

122122For after supper long he questionèd

123123With modest Lucrece and wore out the night.

124124Now leaden slumber with life's strength doth fight,

125125And everyone to rest himself betakes,

126126Save thieves and cares and troubled minds that wakes.

19127127As one of which doth Tarquin lie revolving

128128The sundry dangers of his will's obtaining,

129129Yet ever to obtain his will resolving,

130130Though weak-built hopes persuade him to abstaining.

131131Despair to gain doth traffic oft for gaining;

132132And when great treasure is the meed proposed,

133133Though death be adjunct, there's no death supposed.

20134134Those that much covet are with gain so fond

135135That what they have not, that which they possess

136136They scatter and unloose it from their bond,

137137And so, by hoping, more they have but less;

138138Or, gaining more, the profit of excess

139139Is but to surfeit, and such griefs sustain

140140That they prove bankrupt in this poor-rich gain.