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  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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.

    The nourse to still her child will tell my storie,
    And fright her crying babe with TARQVINS name.
    815The Orator to decke his oratorie,
    Will couple my reproch to TARQVINS shame.
    Feast-finding minstrels tuning my defame,
    Will tie the hearers to attend ech line,
    How TARQVIN wronged me, I COLATINE.

    820Let my good name, that sencelesse reputation,
    For COLATINES deare loue be kept vnspotted:
    If that be made a theame for disputation,
    The branches of another roote are rotted;
    And vndeseru'd reproch to him alotted,
    825 That is as cleare from this attaint of mine,
    As I ere this was pure to COLATINE.

    O vnseene shame, inuisible disgrace,
    O vnfelt sore, crest-wounding priuat scarre!
    Reproch is stampt in COLATINVS face,
    830And TARQVINS eye maie read the mot a farre,
    "How he in peace is wounded not in warre.
    "Alas how manie beare such shamefull blowes,
    Which not thēselues but he that giues thē knowes.
    If
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