my mistress by.' But a note of gentle criticism is early heard, and Shakespeare's subsequent career— nay, the very phrases of his own Dedication-went far to justify those who, with the Cambridge Judicio in the Third Parnassus play, wished to see 'his sweeter verse,' with its 'heart-throbbing life,' applied to 'a graver subject' Without love's foolish lazy languishment; or who, like the aging Gabriel Harvey, turned with some relief from the Venus and Adonis, in which 'the younger sort take much delight,' to 'his Lucrece and his Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,' which have it in them to please the wiser sort.' Harvey had once, it is true, done his best to persuade Spenser to renounce the Faerie Queene; his recognition of Hamlet shows that the 'pedantry' for which we brand his name did not rest entirely upon prosaic temper and bad taste. VENUS AND ADONIS 'Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON OF TITCHFIELD. RIGHT HONOURABLE, I KNOW not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burden only, if your honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle hours, till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a god-father, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to your heart's content; which I wish may always answer your own wish and the world's hopeful expectation. Your honour's in all duty, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face 3. Adonis, the son of Myrrha, and favourite of Aphrodite, was consigned to the care of PerseVOL. X phone, queen of the underworld, who refused to give him up to Aphrodite. Zeus, on appeal 257 S Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him, 'Thrice-fairer than myself,' thus she began, 'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed, Here come and sit, where never serpent hisses, 'And yet not cloy thy lips with loathed satiety, With this she seizeth on his sweating palm, being made to him, decided ΤΟ 20 30 won from Zeus the promise that Adonis should spend six months of each year with her. 9. Stain, source of disgrace, i.e. Adonis outshone them all. 26. precedent, indication. Over one arm the lusty courser's rein, She red and hot as coals of glowing fire,] The studded bridle on a ragged bough Backward she push'd him, as she would be thrust, And govern'd him in strength, though not in lust. So soon was she along as he was down, Each leaning on their elbows and their hips: He burns with bashful shame; she with her tears Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, 40 50 60 53. miss, misbehaviour, offence. 56. Tires, tears in pieces. |