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That dazzleth them, or else some shame sup

posed;

But blind they are, and keep themselves enclosed.

O, had they in that darksome prison died,
Then had they seen the period of their ill!
Then Collatine again, by Lucrece' side,
In his clear bed might have reposed still :
But they must ope, this blessed league to kill;
And holy-thoughted Lucrece to their sight
Must sell her joy, her life, her world's delight.

Her lily hand her rosy cheek lies under',
Cozening the pillow of a lawful kiss2;
Who, therefore angry, seems to part in sunder,

I

her rosy CHEEK lies under,] Thus the first copy. The edition of 1600, and the subsequent impressions, have cheeks. MALONE.

2 Her lily hand her rosy cheek lies under,

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Cozening the pillow of a lawful kiss ;] Among the poems of Sir John Suckling, (who is said to have been a great admirer of our author,) is one entitled, A Supplement of an imperfect Copy of Verses of Mr. William Shakspeare; which begins with these lines, somewhat varied. We can hardly suppose that Suckling would have called a passage extracted from a regular poem an imperfect copy of verses." Perhaps Shakspeare had written the lines quoted below (of which Sir John might have had a manuscript copy) on some occasion previous to the publication of his Lucrece, and afterwards used them in this poem, with some variation. In a subsequent page the reader will find some verses that appear to have been written before Venus and Adonis was composed, of which, in like manner, the leading thoughts were afterwards employed in that poem. This supposed fragment is thus supplied by Suckling.-The variations are distinguished by Italick

characters.

I.

"One of her hands one of her cheeks lay under,

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Cozening the pillow of a lawful kiss;

"Which therefore swell'd, and seem'd to part asunder,

"As angry to be robb'd of such a bliss:

"The one look'd pale, and for revenge did long,

"While t' other blush'd 'cause it had done the wrong.

Swelling on either side, to want his bliss ;
Between whose hills her head intombed is :
Where, like a virtuous monument, she lies*,
To be admir'd of lewd unhallow'd eyes.

II.

"Out of the bed the other fair hand was,
"On a green sattin quilt; whose perfect white
"Look'd like a daisy in a field of grass *,
"And shew'd like unmelt snow unto the sight:
"There lay this pretty perdue, safe to keep
"The rest o' the body that lay fast asleep.

III.

"Her eyes (and therefore it was night) close laid
"Strove to imprison beauty till the morn;
"But yet the doors were of such fine stuff made,
"That it broke through and shew'd itself in scorn;
"Throwing a kind of light about the place,

"Which turn'd to smiles, still as't came near her face.

IV.

"Her beams, which some dull men call'd hair, divided
"Part with her cheeks, part with her lips, did sport;
"But these, as rude, her breath put by still; some†
"Wiselier downward sought; but falling short,
“Curl'd back in rings, and seem'd to turn again,
"To bite the part so unkindly held them in."

MALONE.

This description is given in England's Parnassus, p. 396, with only Shakspeare's name affixed to it; and Suckling might have met with it there, and not knowing from what poem it was taken, supposed it a fragment. BoswEll.

4 Where, like a virtuous MONUMENT, she lies,] On our ancient monuments the heads of the persons represented are commonly reposed on pillows. Our author has nearly the same image in Cymbeline:

"And be her sense but as a monument,

"Thus in a chapel lying." STEEVENS.

Again, in All's Well that Ends Well:

"You are no woman, but a monument." MALONE.

* Thus far (says Suckling) Shakspeare.

+ Suckling probably wrote divide in the former line; and here "But these, as rude, by her breath put still aside.”

Without the bed her other fair hand was,
On the green coverlet: whose perfect white
Show'd like an April daisy on the grass,

With pearly sweat, resembling dew of night 5.
Her eyes, like marigolds, had sheath'd their light;
And, canopied in darkness, sweetly lay,
Till they might open to adorn the day.

Her hair, like golden threads, play'd with her breath;
O modest wantons! wanton modesty!
Showing life's triumph' in the map of death 8,
And death's dim look in life's mortality:
Each in her sleep themselves so beautify,

As if between them twain there were no strife",
But that life liv'd in death, and death in life.

Her breasts, like ivory globes circled with blue,
A pair of maiden worlds unconquered',
Save of their lord, no bearing yoke they knew2,

5 With pearly swEAT, resembling DEW OF NIGHT.] So, Dryden :

"And sleeping flow'rs beneath the night-dew sweat." STEEVENS.

6 Her EYES, like marigolds, had sheath'd their light, And, CANOPIED in darkness, sweetly lay, &c.] So, in Cym

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The flame o' the taper,

"Bows toward her, and would underpeep her lids,
"To see the enclosed lights, now canopied
"Under these windows." MALONE.

7 SHOWING life's triumph-] The octavo 1616 reads Showring.

8

MALONE.

- in the MAP of death,] So, in King Richard II.:
"Thou map of honour." STEEVENS.

9 As if between them twain there were no STRIFE,

But that LIFE liv'd in DEATH, and DEATH in LIFE.] So, in Macbeth:

"That death and nature do contend about them,

"Whether they live or die." STEEVENS.

Again, in All's Well that Ends Well:

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3

And him by oath they truly honoured 3.
These worlds in Tarquin new ambition bred;
Who, like a foul usurper, went about

From this fair throne to heave the owner out".

What could he see, but mightily he noted?
What did he note, but strongly he desir'd?
What he beheld, on that he firmly doted,
And in his will his wilful eye he tir'd3.
With more than admiration he admir'd
Her azure veins, her alabaster skin,
Her coral lips, her snow-white dimpled chin.

As the grim lion fawneth o'er his prey,
Sharp hunger by the conquest satisfied,
So o'er this sleeping soul doth Tarquin stay
His rage of lust, by gazing qualified";
Slack'd, not suppress'd; for standing by her side,

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A pair of MAIDEN WORLDS unconquered,] Maiden worlds! How happeneth this, friend Collatine, when Lucretia hath so long lain by thy side? Verily, it insinuateth thee of coldness. AMNER. 2 Save of their lord, no bearing yoke they knew,] So, Ovid, describing Lucretia in the same situation :

Effugiet? positis urgetur pectora palmis, Nunc primum externá pectora tacta manu. MALONE. 3 And him by OATH they truly honoured.] Alluding to the ancient practice of swearing domesticks into service. So, in Cymbeline :

"Her servants are all sworn and honourable." STEEVENS. The matrimonial oath was, I believe, alone in our author's thoughts. MALONE.

4

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to HEAVE the owner out.] So, in a subsequent stanza: My sighs, like whirlwinds, labour hence to heave thee." The octavo 1616, and the modern editions, read :

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to have the owner out." MALONE.

5 And IN his will his wilful eye he TIR'D.] This may mean'He glutted his lustful eye in the imagination of what he had resolved to do.' To tire is a term in falconry. So, in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece: "Must with keen fang tire upon thy flesh." Perhaps we should read-" And on his will," &c. STEEVENS. by gazing QUALIFIED ;] i. e. softened, abated, diminished. So, in The Merchant of Venice:

6

His eye, which late this mutiny restrains,
Unto a greater uproar tempts his veins:

And they, like straggling slaves for pillage fighting,
Obdurate vassals, fell exploits effecting",

In bloody death and ravishment delighting,
Nor children's tears, nor mothers' groans respecting,
Swell in their pride, the onset still expecting:
Anon his beating heart, alarum striking,

Gives the hot charge, and bids them do their liking.

His drumming heart chears up his burning eye,
His eye commends the leading to his hand;
His hand, as proud of such a dignity,

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I have heard

"Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify
"His rigorous courses." STEEVENS.

Again, in Othello: "I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was craftily qualified too." MALONE.

7-fell exploits EFFECTING,] Perhaps we should readaffecting. STEevens.

The preceding line, and the two that follow, support, I think, the old reading. Tarquin only expects the onset; but the slaves here mentioned do not affect or meditate fell exploits, they are supposed to be actually employed in carnage:

"for pillage fighting,

"Nor children's tears, nor mothers' groans respecting."

The subsequent line,

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"Swell in their pride, the onset still expecting:' refers, not to the slaves, but to Tarquin's veins. Malone. 8 GIVES THE hot CHARGE,-] So, in Hamlet:

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proclaim no shame,

"When the compulsive ardour gives the charge."

9 His eye COMMENDS the leading to his hand ;] in our author's time sometimes signified to commit, sense here. So, in The Winter's Tale :

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commend it strangely to some place, "Where chance may nurse, or end it."

Again, in King Richard II. :

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STEEVENS. To commend and has that

"His glittering arms he will commend to rust." MALONE.

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