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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.

    Let him haue time to teare his curled haire,
    Let him haue time against himselfe to raue,
    Let him haue time of times helpe to dispaire,
    Let him haue time to liue a lothed slaue,
    985Let him haue time a beggers orts to craue,
    And time to see one that by almes doth liue,
    Disdaine to him disdained scraps to giue.

    Let him haue time to see his friends his foes,
    And merrie fooles to mocke at him resort:
    990Let him haue time to marke how slow time goes
    In time of sorrow, and how swift and short
    His time of follie, and his time of sport.
    And euer let his vnrecalling crime
    Haue time to waile th'abusing of his time.

    995O time thou tutor both to good and bad,
    Teach me to curse him that thou taught'st this ill:
    At his owne shadow let the theefe runne mad,
    Himselfe, himselfe seeke euerie howre to kill,
    Such wretched hāds such wretched blood shuld spill.
    1000 For who so base would such an office haue,
    As sclandrous deaths-man to so base a slaue.
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