'It shall be cause of war and dire events, Sith in his prime Death doth my love destroy, By this, the boy that by her side lay kill'd 1170 THE RAPE OF LUCRECE. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON OF TICHFIELD. The love I dedicate to your lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours. Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness. Your lordship's in all duty, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. THE ARGUMENT. LUCIUS TARQUINIUS, for his excessive pride surnamed Superbus, after he had caused his own father-in-law Servius Tullius to be cruelly murdered, and, contrary to the Roman laws and customs, not requiring or staying for the people's suffrages, had possessed himself of the kingdom, went, accompanied with his sons and other noblemen of Rome, to besiege Ardea. During which siege the principal men of the army meeting one evening at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son, in their discourses after supper every one commended the virtues of his own wife: among whom Collatinus extolled the incomparable chastity of his wife Lucretia. In that pleasant humour they all posted to Rome; and intending, by their secret and sudden arrival, to make trial of that which every one had before avouched, only Collatinus finds his wife, though it were late in the night, spinning amongst her maids: the other ladies were all found dancing and revelling, or in several disports. Whereupon the noblemen yielded Collatinus the victory, and his wife the fame. At that time Sextus Tarquinius being inflamed with Lucrece' beauty, yet smothering his passions for the present, departed with the rest back to the camp; from whence he shortly after privily withdrew himself, and was, according to his estate, royally entertained and lodged by Lucrece at Collatium. The same night he treacherously stealeth into her chamber, violently ravished her, and early in the morning speedeth away. Lucrece, in this lamentable plight, hastily dispatcheth messengers, one to Rome for her father, another to the camp for Collatine. They came, the one accompanied with Junius Brutus, the other with Publius Valerius; and finding Lucrece attired in mourning habit, demanded the cause of her sorrow. She, first taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the actor, and whole manner of his dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one consent they all vowed to root out the whole hated family of the Tarquins; and bearing the dead body to Rome, Brutus acquainted the people with the doer and manner of the vile deed, with a bitter invective against the tyranny of the king: wherewith the people were so moved, that with one consent and a general acclamation the Tarquins were all exiled, and the state government changed from kings to consuls. FROM the besieged Ardea all in post, And girdle with embracing flames the waist Haply that name of chaste unhappily set To praise the clear unmatched red and white With pure aspects did him peculiar duties. For he the night before, in Tarquin's tent, 10 In the possession of his beauteous mate; 101 But she, that never cop'd with stranger eyes, Nor could she moralize his wanton sight, He stories to her ears her husband's fame, success. Far from the purpose of his coming thither, For then is Tarquin brought unto his bed, 120 fight, And every one to rest themselves betake, Save thieves, and cares, and troubled minds, that wake. The aim of all is but to nurse the life Here pale with fear he doth premeditaté His naked armour of still-slaughter'd lust, 'Fair torch, burn out thy light, and lend it not To darken her whose light excelleth thine; 191 With your uncleanness that which is divine; And die, unhallow'd thoughts, before you blot Offer pure incense to so pure a shrine : Let fair humanity abhor the deed That spots and stains love's modest snow. white weed. O shame to knighthood and to shining arms! O foul dishonour to my household's grave! O impious act, including all foul harms! A martial man to be soft fancy's slave! True valour still a true respect should have; Then my digression is so vile, so base, That it will live engraven in my face. Honour for wealth; and oft that wealth doth Yea, though I die, the scandal will survive, cost The death of all, and all together lost. So that in venturing ill we leave to be The things we are for that which we expect ; In having much, torments us with defect 150 The thing we have; and, all for want of wit, Such hazard now must doting Tarquin make, And for himself himself he must forsake : When he himself himself confounds, betrays 161 Now stole upon the time the dead of night, Now serves the season that they may surprise The silly lambs; pure thoughts are dead and still, While lust and murder wake to stain and kill. 170 And now this lustful lord leap'd from his bed, His falchion on a flint he softly smiteth, As from this cold flint I enforc'd this fire, 180 And be an eye-sore in my golden coat; 'What win I if I gain the thing I seek? 200 For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy? Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown, Would with the sceptre straight be strucken down? 920 'If Collatinus dream of my intent, O! what excuse can my invention make, When thou shalt charge me with so black a deed? Will not my tongue be mute, my frail joints shake, Mine eyes forgo their light, my false heart bleed? The guilt being great, the fear doth still exceed; 'Had Collatinus kill'd my son or sire, But as he is my kinsman, my dear friend, end. 240 'Shameful it is; ay, if the fact be known: Thus, graceless, holds he disputation Quoth he, 'She took me kindly by the hand, band, Where her beloved Collatinus lies. O! how her fear did make her colour rise: 'And how her hand, in my hand being lock'd, 260 That had Narcissus seen her as she stood, Then, childish fear, avaunt! debating, die! Respect and reason, wait on wrinkled age! My heart shall never countermand mine eye : Sad pause and deep regard beseem the sage; My part is youth, and beats these from the stage. Desire my pilot is, beauty my prize; Then who fears sinking where such treasure lies?' As corn o'ergrown by weeds, so heedful fear 280 So cross him with their opposite persuasion, Within his thought her heavenly image sits, That eye which him beholds, as more divine, 290 But with a pure appeal seeks to the heart, Which once corrupted takes the worser part; And therein heartens up his servile powers, Who, flatter'd by their leader's jocund show, Stuff up his lust, as minutes fill up hours; The locks between her chamber and his will, Night-wandering weasels shriek to see him there; They fright him, yet he still pursues his fear. As each unwilling portal yields him way, Through little vents and crannies of the place 310 The wind wars with his torch to make him stay, And blows the smoke of it into his face, But his hot heart, which fond desire doth scorch, Puffs forth another wind that fires the torch: But all these poor forbiddings could not stay him; He in the worst sense construes their denial: The doors, the wind, the glove, that did delay him, He takes for accidental things of trial; 'So, so,' quoth he, 'these lets attend the time, Like little frosts that sometime threat the spring, To add a more rejoicing to the prime, 331 And give the sneaped birds more cause to sing. Pain pays the income of each precious thing; Huge rocks, high winds, strong pirates, shelves |