The Project Gutenberg EBook of Venus and Adonis, by William Shakespeare

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Title: Venus and Adonis

Author: William Shakespeare

Posting Date: August 10, 2008 [EBook #1045]
Release Date: September, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VENUS AND ADONIS ***

Produced by Dianne Bean

VENUS AND ADONIS

by William Shakespeare

'Villa miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo
Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua.'

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY,

EARL OF SOUHAMPTON, 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 burthen: 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
Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,
Rose-cheek'd Adonis tried him to the chase;
Hunting he lov'd, but love he laugh'd to scorn; 4
Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him,
And like a bold-fac'd suitor 'gins to woo him.

'Thrice fairer than myself,' thus she began,
'The field's chief flower, sweet above compare, 8
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. 12

'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed,
And rein his proud head to the saddle-bow;
If thou wilt deign this favour, for thy meed
A thousand honey s