TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON of tichfield. 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 godfather, 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. VENUS AND ADONIS. EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face "Thrice-fairer than myself," thus she began, "The field's chief flower, sweet above compare, Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man, More white and red than doves or roses are; Nature that made thee, with herself at strife, Saith that the world hath ending with thy life. "Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed, "And yet not cloy thy lips with loath'd satiety, A summer's day will seem an hour but short, With this she seizeth on his sweating palm, Over one arm the lusty courser's rein, She red and hot as coals of glowing fire, The studded bridle on a ragged bough To tie the rider she begins to prove : 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: And kissing speaks, with lustful language broken, "If thou wilt chide, thy lips shall never open." |