Author: William ShakespeareEditor: Hardy M. CookNot Peer Reviewed
Lucrece (Quarto, 1594)
11F
ROM the be
sieged Ardea all in po
st,
2Borne by the tru
stle
sse wings of fal
se de
sire,
3Lu
st-breathed TARQVIN, leaues the Roman ho
st,
4And to Colatium beares the lightle
sse
fire,
5Which in pale embers hid, lurkes to a
spire,
6 And girdle with embracing
flames, the wa
st 7 Of
COLATINES fair loue,
LVCRECE the cha
st.
28Hap'ly that name of cha
st, vnhap'ly
set
9This batele
sse edge on his keene appetite:
10When
COLATINE vnwi
sely did not let,
11To prai
se the cleare vnmatched red and white,
12Which triumpht in that skie of his delight:
13 Where mortal
stars as bright as heauēs Beauties,
14 With pure a
spe
cts did him peculiar dueties.
315For he the night before in Tarquins Tent,
16Vnlockt the trea
sure of his happie
state:
17What pri
sele
sse wealth the heauens had him lent,
18In the po
sse
ssion of his beauteous mate.
19Reckning his fortune at
such high proud rate,
20 That Kings might be e
spow
sed to more fame,
21 But King nor Peere to
such a peerele
sse dame.
422O happine
sse enioy'd but of a few,
23And if po
sse
st as
soone decayed and done:
24As is the mornings
siluer melting dew,
25Again
st the golden
splendour of the Sunne.
26An expir'd date canceld ere well begunne.
27 Honour and Beautie in the owners armes,
28 Are weakelie fortre
st from a world of
harmes.
529Beautie it
selfe doth of it
selfe per
swade,
30The eies of men without an Orator,
31What needeth then Apologies be made
32To
set forth that which is
so
singuler?
33Or why is Colatine the publi
sher
34 Of that rich iewell he
should keepe vnknown,
35 From theeui
sh eares becau
se it is his owne?