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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.

    Guilty thou art of murther, and of theft,
    Guilty of periurie, and subornation,
    920Guilty of treason, forgerie, and shift,
    Guilty of incest that abhomination,
    An accessarie by thine inclination.
    To all sinnes past and all that are to come,
    From the creation to the generall doome.

    925Misshapen time, copesmate of vgly night,
    Swift subtle post, carrier of grieslie care,
    Eater of youth, false slaue to false delight:
    Base watch of woes, sins packhorse, vertues snare.
    Thou noursest all, and murthrest all that are.
    930 O heare me then, iniurious shifting time,
    Be guiltie of my death since of my crime.

    Why hath thy seruant opportunity
    Betraide the howres thou gau'st me to repose?
    Canceld my fortunes, and inchained me
    935To endlesse date of neuer-ending woes?
    Times office is to fine the hate of foes,
    To eate vp errours by opinion bred,
    Not spend the dowrie of a lawfull bed.
    G 3
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