116806Make me not obie
ct to the tell-tale day,
807The light will
shew chara
cterd in my brow,
808The
storie of
sweete cha
stities decay,
809The impious breach of holy wedlocke vowe.
810Yea the illiterate that know not how
811 To cipher what is writ in learned bookes,
812 Will cote my loth
some tre
spa
sse in my lookes.
117813The nour
se to
still her child will tell my
storie,
814And fright her crying babe with
TARQVINS name.
815The Orator to decke his oratorie,
816Will couple my reproch to
TARQVINS shame.
817Fea
st-
finding min
strels tuning my defame,
818 Will tie the hearers to attend ech line,
819 How
TARQVIN wronged me, I
COLATINE.
118820Let my good name, that
sencele
sse reputation,
821For
COLATINES deare loue be kept vn
spotted:
822If that be made a theame for di
sputation,
823The branches of another roote are rotted;
824And vnde
seru'd reproch to him alotted,
825 That is as cleare from this attaint of mine,
826 As I ere this was pure to
COLATINE.
119827O vn
seene
shame, inui
sible di
sgrace,
828O vnfelt
sore, cre
st-wounding priuat
scarre!
829Reproch is
stampt in
COLATINVS face,
830And
TARQVINS eye maie read the mot a farre,
831"How he in peace is wounded not in warre.
832 "Alas how manie beare
such
shamefull blowes,
833 Which not thē
selues but he that giues thē knowes.
120834If
COLATINE, thine honor laie in me,
835From me by
strong a
ssault it is bereft:
836My Honnie lo
st, and I a Drone-like Bee,
837Haue no perfe
ction of my
sommer left,
838But rob'd and ran
sak't by iniurious theft.
839 In thy weake Hiue a wandring wa
spe hath crept,
840 And
suck't the Honnie which thy cha
st Bee kept.