Internet Shakespeare Editions

Toolbox




Jump to line
Through Line Number
Help on texts
About this text
Print this page

About this text

  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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.

    O hatefull, vaporous, and foggy night,
    Since thou art guilty of my curelesse crime:
    Muster thy mists to meete the Easterne light,
    Make war against proportion'd course of time.
    775Or if thou wilt permit the Sunne to clime
    His wonted height, yet ere he go to bed,
    Knit poysonous clouds about his golden head.

    With rotten damps rauish the morning aire,
    Let their exhald vnholdsome breaths make sicke
    780The life of puritie, the supreme faire,
    Ere he arriue his wearie noone-tide pricke,
    And let thy mustie vapours march so thicke,
    That in their smoakie rankes, his smothred light
    May set at noone, and make perpetuall night.

    785Were TARQVIN night, as he is but nights child,
    The siluer shining Queene he would distaine;
    Her twinckling handmaids to (by him defil'd)
    Through nights black bosom shuld not peep again.
    So should I haue copartners in my paine,
    790 And fellowship in woe doth woe asswage,
    As Palmers chat makes short their pilgrimage.
    Where
    About
    Contact us
    Content quality
    Site guide
    © Internet Shakespeare Editions
    Copyright details
    Privacy policy
    This site is supported by:
    University of Victoria
    Friends of the ISE
    SSHRC