Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Venus and Adonis
Venus and Adonis (Modern)
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
872Some catch her by the neck, some kiss her face,
873Some twine about her thigh to make her stay.
874She wildly breaketh from their strict embrace,
875 Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache,
876 Hasting to feed her fawn hid in some brake.
878Whereat she starts like one that spies an adder
879Wreathed up in fatal folds just in his way,
880The fear where of doth make him shake and shudder;
881 Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds
882 Appalls her senses, and her spirit confounds.
884But the blunt boar, rough bear, or lion proud,
885Because the cry remaineth in one place,
886Where fearfully the dogs exclaim aloud,
887 Finding their enemy to be so curst,
888 They all strain court'sy who shall cope him first.
890Through which it enters to surprise her heart,
891Who, overcome by doubt and bloodless fear,
892With cold-pale weakness, numbs each feeling part.
893 Like soldiers, when their captain once doth yield,
894 They basely fly and dare not stay the field.
896Till, cheering up her senses all dismayed,
897She tells them 'tis a causeless fantasy,
898And childish error that they are afraid;
899 Bids them leave quaking, bids them fear no more,
900 And with that word, she spied the hunted boar,