1594

THE RAPE OF LUCRECE
by William Shakespeare

DEDICATION
TO THE

RIGHT HONOURABLE
HENRY WRIOTHESLEY,

EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON
OF TITCHFIELD

The love I dedicate to your lordship is without end: whereof this
pamphlet, without beginning is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant I

have of your honourabledisposition, not the worth of my untutored
lines, make it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours;

what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.
Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is,

it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life still
lengthened with all happiness.

Your lordship's in all duty,
William Shakespeare

THE ARGUMENT
Lucius Tarquinius, for his excessive pride surnamed Superbus,

after he had caused his own father-in-law Servius Tullius to be
cruelly murdered, and, contrary to the Roman laws and customs, not

requiring or staying for the people's suffrages, had possessed himself
of the kingdom, went accompanied with his sons and other noblemen of

Rome, to besiege Ardea. During which siege the principal men of the
army meeting one evening at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the

king's son, in their discourses after supper every one commended the
virtues of his own wife; among whom Collatinus extolled the

incomparable chastity of his wife Lucretia. In that pleasant humour
they all posted to Rome; and intending, by their secret and sudden

arrival, to make trial of that which every one had before avouched,
only Collatinus finds his wife, though it were late in the night,

spinning amongst her maids: the other ladies were all found dancing
and revelling, or in several disports. Whereupon the noblemen

yielded Collatinus the victory, and his wife the fame. At that time
Sextus Tarquinius being inflamed with Lucrece' beauty, yet

smothering his passions for the present, departed with the rest back
to the camp; from whence he shortly after privily withdrew himself,

and was, according to his estate, royally entertained and lodged by
Lucrece at Collatium. The same night he treacherously stealeth into

her chamber, violently ravished her, and early in the morning speedeth
away. Lucrece, in this lamentableplight, hastily dispatcheth

messengers, one to Rome for her father, another to the camp for
Collatine. They came, the one accompanied with Junius Brutus, the

other with Publius Valerius; and finding Lucrece attired in mourning
habit, demanded the cause of her sorrow. She, first taking an oath

of them for her revenge, revealed the actor and whole manner of his
dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one

consent they all vowed to root out the whole hated family of the
Tarquins; and bearing the dead body to Rome, Brutus acquainted the

people with the doer and manner of the vile deed, with a bitter
invective against the tyranny of the king: wherewith the people were

so moved, that with one consent and a general acclamation the Tarquins
were all exiled, and the state government changed from kings to

consuls.
From the besieged Ardea all in post,

Borne by the trustless wings of false desire,
Lust-breathed Tarquin leaves the Roman host,

And to Collatium bears the lightless fire
Which, in pale embers hid, lurks to aspire

And girdle with embracing flames the waist
Of Collatine's fair love, Lucrece the chaste.

Haply that name of chaste unhapp'ly set
This bateless edge on his keen appetite;

When Collatine unwisely did not let
To praise the clear unmatched red and white

Which triumphed in that sky of his delight,
Where mortal stars, as bright as heaven's beauties,

With pure aspects did him peculiar duties.
For he the night before, in Tarquin's tent,

Unlocked the treasure of his happy state;
What pricelesswealth the heavens had him lent

In the possession of his beauteous mate;
Reck'ning his fortune at such high-proud rate

That kings might be espoused to more fame,
But king nor peer to such a peerless dame.

O happiness enjoyed but of a few!
And, if possessed, as soon decayed and done

As is the morning silver-melting dew
Against the golden splendour of the sun!

An expired date, cancelled ere well begun:
Honour and beauty, in the owner's arms,

Are weakly fortressed from a world of harms.
Beauty itself doth of itself persuade

The eyes of men without an orator;
What needeth then apology be made,

To set forth that which is so singular?
Or why is Collatine the publisher

Of that rich jewel he should keep unknown
From thievish ears, because it is his own?

Perchance his boast of Lucrece' sov'reignty
Suggested this proud issue of a king;

For by our cars our hearts oft tainted be.
Perchance that envy of so rich a thing,

Braving compare, disdainfully did sting
His high-pitched thoughts, that meaner men should vaunt

That golden hap which their superiors want.
But some untimely thought did instigate

His all too timeless speed, if none of those.
His honour, his affairs, his friends, his state,

Neglected all, with swift intent he goes
To quench the coal which in his liver glows.

O rash-false heat, wrapped in repentant cold,
Thy hasty spring still blasts, and ne'er grows old!

When at Collatium this false lord arrived,
Well was he welcomed by the Roman dame,

Within whose face beauty and virtue strived
Which of them both should underprop her fame:

When virtue bragged, beauty would blush for shame;
When beauty boasted blushes, in despite

Virtue would stain that o'er with silver white.
But beauty, in that white entituled,

From Venus' doves doth challenge that fair field;
Then virtue claims from beauty beauty's red,

Which virtue gave the golden age to gild
Their silver cheeks, and called it then their shield;

Teaching them thus to use it in the fight,
When shame assailed, the red should fence the white.

This heraldry in Lucrece' face was seen,
Argued by beauty's red and virtue's white;

Of either's colour was the other queen,
Proving from world's minority their right;

Yet their ambition makes them still to fight,
The sovereignty of either being so great

That oft they interchange each other's seat.
This silent war of lilies and of roses

Which Tarquin viewed in her fair face's field,
In their pure ranks his traitor eye encloses;

Where, lest between them both it should be killed,
The cowardcaptive vanquished doth yield