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THE

EPI S T L E.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

HENRY WRIOTHESLY,

EARL of SOUTHAMPTON, and BARON of TICHFIELD.

THE love I dedicate to your lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a fuperfluous moiety. The warrant I have of your honourable difpofition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it affured 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 fhew greater; mean time, as it is, it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life, ftill lengthened with all happiness.

3 -α

Your lordship's in all duty,

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

a fuperfluous moiety.] Moiety in our authour's time did not always fignify balf; it was fometimes ufed indefinitely for a portion or part. See Vol. V. p. 195, n. I.

VOL. X.

MALONE.

G

THE

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Lucius Tarquinius (for his exceffive prid Superbus) after he had caufed his own fat Servius Tullius, to be cruelly murdered, an to the Roman laws and cuftoms, not requiring for the people's fuffrages, had poffeffed hin kingdom; went, accompanied with his fons noblemen of Rome, to befiege Ardea. Du fiege, the principal men of the army meetin ning at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the I in their difcourfes after fupper every one com virtues of his own wife; among whom, Collati ed the incomparable chaftity of his wife Lu that pleasant humour they all pofted to Rome tending, by their fecret and fudden arrival, trial of that which every one had before avou Collatinus finds his wife (though it were late in fpinning amongit her maids; the other ladie found dancing and revelling, or in feveral Whereupon the noblemen yielded Collatinus th and his wife the fame. At that time Sextus being inflamed with Lucrece' beauty, yet fmot paflions for the prefent, departed with the r the camp; from whence he fhortly after pri drew himself, and was (according to his eftat entertained and lodged by Lucrece at Collati fame night, he treacherously ftealeth into her violently ravished her, and early in the morning

2 This argument appears to have been written by Shakf prefixed to the original edition in 1594; and is a curiofity the two dedications to the earl of Southampton, being the compofitions of our great poet (not in a dramatick form) n ing.

To the edition of 1616, and that printed by Lintot in 171 argument is likewife prefixed, under the name of Contents; being the production of our authour, nor throwing any li poem, is now omitted. MALONE

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away. Lucrece, in this lamentable plight, haftily dif patcheth meffengers, 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 caufe of her forrow. She, firft taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the actor, and whole manner of his dealing, and withal fuddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one concent 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 fo moved, that with one concent and a general acclamation the Tarquins were all exiled, and the ftate government changed from kings to confuls.

THE

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