Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Venus and Adonis
Venus and Adonis (Modern)
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
422And leave this idle theme, this bootless chat.
423Remove your siege from my unyielding heart;
424To love's alarms it will not ope the gate.
425 Dismiss your vows, your feignèd tears, your flatt'ry;
426 For where a heart is hard they make no batt'ry."
428O, would thou hadst not, or I had no hearing.
429Thy mermaid's voice hath done me double wrong.
430I had my load before, now pressed with bearing,
431 Melodious discord, heavenly tune harsh sounding,
432 Ears' deep sweet music, and heart's deep sore wounding.
434That inward beauty and invisible;
435Or were I deaf, thy outward parts would move
436Each part in me that were but sensible.
437 Though neither eyes nor ears, to hear nor see,
438 Yet should I be in love by touching thee.
440And that I could not see, nor hear, nor touch,
441And nothing but the very smell were left me,
442Yet would my love to thee be still as much;
443 For from the stillitory of thy face excelling
444 Comes breath perfumed that breedeth love by smelling.
446Being nurse and feeder of the other four.
447Would they not wish the feast might ever last
448And bid suspicion double lock the door
449 Lest jealousy, that sour unwelcome guest,
450 Should by his stealing in disturb the feast?"