Who, angry that the eyes fly from their lights, In darkness daunts them with more dreadful sights. 67 His hand, that yet remains upon her breast, 68 First, like a trumpet, doth his tongue begin Which he by dumb demeanour seeks to show; 69 Thus he replies: The colour in thy face (That even for anger makes the lily pale, 70 Thus I forestall thee, if thou mean to chide : Thy beauty hath ensnared thee to this night, 1 Bulk:' body. 71 I see what crosses my attempt will bring; All this, beforehand, counsel comprehends: 72 I have debated, even in my soul, What wrong, what shame, what sorrow I shall But nothing can affection's course control, 73 This said, he shakes aloft his Roman blade, dies; So under his insulting falchion lies Harmless Lucretia, marking what he tells With trembling fear, as fowl hear falcon's bells. 74 Lucrece,' quoth he, 'this night I must enjoy thee: 1 Coucheth:' makes to couch. 75 'So thy surviving husband shall remain 76 'But if thou yield, I rest thy secret friend: The poisonous simple sometimes is compacted 77 'Then for thy husband and thy children's sake, Worse than a slavish wipe, or birth-hour's blot :' For marks descried in men's nativity Are nature's faults, not their own infamy.' 78 Here, with a cockatrice' dead-killing eye, He rouseth up himself, and makes a pause, Like a white hind under the grype's2 sharp Pleads in a wilderness, where are no laws, ''Birth-hour's blot: corporeal blemish.-Grype: the eagle, or any 4arge bird of prey. 79 But when a black-faced cloud the world doth threat, In his dim mist the aspiring mountains hiding, From earth's dark womb some gentle gust doth get, Which blows these pitchy vapours from their biding, Hindering their present fall by this dividing; 80 Yet, foul night-waking cat, he doth but dally, While in his holdfast foot the weak mouse panteth ; Her sad behaviour feeds his vulture folly, A swallowing gulf that even in plenty wanteth : His ear her prayers admits, but his heart granteth No penetrable entrance to her plaining : Tears harden lust, though marble wear with raining. 81 Her pity-pleading eyes are sadly fix'd In the remorseless wrinkles of his face; She puts the period often from his place, 82 She conjures him by high almighty Jove, By knighthood, gentry, and sweet friendship's By her untimely tears, her husband's love, By holy human law, and common troth, By heaven and earth, and all the power of both, That to his borrow'd bed he make retire, And stoop to honour, not to foul desire. 83 Quoth she, 'Reward not hospitality With such black payment as thou hast pretended; 1 84 'My husband is thy friend, for his sake spare me; Thyself art mighty, for thine own sake leave me ; Myself a weakling, do not then ensnare me. Thou look'st not like deceit; do not deceive me : If ever man were moved with woman's moans, 85 'All which together, like a troubled ocean, Beat at thy rocky and wreck-threatening heart, 86 'In Tarquin's likeness I did entertain thee; Thou wrong'st his honour, wound'st his princely name. Thou art not what thou seem'st; and if the same, Thou seem'st not what thou art, a god, a king; For kings like gods should govern everything. Pretended :' proposed to thyself. E |