Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Venus and Adonis
Venus and Adonis (Modern)
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
1142Bud, and be blasted, in a breathing while,
1143The bottom poison, and the top o'erstrawed
1144With sweets that shall the truest sight beguile.
1145 The strongest body shall it make most weak,
1146 Strike the wise dumb, and teach the fool to speak.
1148Teaching decrepit age to tread the measures.
1149The staring ruffian shall it keep in quiet,
1150Pluck down the rich, enrich the poor with treasures.
1151 It shall be raging mad and silly mild,
1152 Make the young old, the old become a child.
1154It shall not fear where it should most mistrust;
1155It shall be merciful and too severe,
1156And most deceiving, when it seems most just.
1157 Perverse it shall be where it shows most toward,
1158 Put fear to valor, courage to the coward.
1160And set dissention twixt the son and sire,
1161Subject and servile to all discontents,
1162As dry combustious matter is to fire.
1163 Sith in his prime death doth my love destroy,
1164 They that love best their loves shall not enjoy."
1166Was melted like a vapor from her sight,
1167And in his blood that on the ground lay spilled
1168A purple flower sprung up, checkered with white,
1169 Resembling well his pale cheeks and the blood
1170 Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood.