41281As corne ore-growne by weedes:
so heedfull feare
282Is almo
st choakt by vnre
sisted lu
st:
283Away he
steales with open li
stning eare,
284Full of foule hope, and full of fond mi
stru
st:
285Both which as
seruitors to the vniu
st,
286 So cro
sse him with their oppo
sit per
swa
sion,
287 That now he vowes a league, and now inua
sion.
42288Within his thought her heauenly image
sits,
289And in the
selfe
same
seat
sits
COLATINE,
290That eye which lookes on her confounds his wits,
291That eye which him beholdes, as more deuine,
292Vnto a view
so fal
se will not incline;
293 But with a pure appeale
seekes to the heart,
294 Which once corrupted takes the wor
ser part.
43295And therein heartens vp his
seruile powers,
296Who
flattred by their leaders iocound
show,
297Stu
ffe vp his lu
st: as minutes
fill vp howres.
298And as their Captaine:
so their pride doth grow,
299Paying more
slaui
sh tribute then they owe.
300 By reprobate de
sire thus madly led,
301 The Romane Lord marcheth to
LVCRECE bed.
44302The lockes betweene her chamber and his will,
303Ech one by him infor
st retires his ward:
304But as they open they all rate his ill,
305Which driues the creeping theefe to
some regard,
306The thre
shold grates the doore to haue him heard,
307 Night-wandring weezels
shreek to
see him there,
308 They fright him, yet he
still pur
sues his feare.
45309As each vnwilling portall yeelds him way,
310Through little vents and cranies of the place,
311The wind warres with his torch, to make him
staie,
312And blowes the
smoake of it into his face,
313Extingui
shing his condu
ct in this ca
se.
314 But his hot heart, which fond de
sire doth
scorch,
315 Pu
ffes forth another wind that
fires the torch.