OF

LUCRE CE'.

ROM the befieg'd Ardea all in poft 2,
Borne by the truftlefs wings of falfe defire,
Luft-breathed Tarquin leaves the Roman hoft,
And to Collatium bears the lightless fire
Which, in pale embers hid, lurks to afpire,
And girdle with embracing flames the waist
Of Collatine's fair love, Lucrece the chafte.

Haply

"A book entitled The Ravishment of Lucrece," was entered on the Stationers' regifter, by Mr. Harrison, fen. May 9, 1594, and the poem was first printed in quarto, in the fame year. It was again publifhed in fmall octavo in 1598, 1600, and 1607. I have heard of editions of this piece likewife in 1596 and 1602, but I have not feen either of them. In 1616 another edition appeared, which in the titlepage is faid to be newly revifed and corrected. When this copy first came to my hands, it occurred to me, that our authour had perhaps an intention of revifing and publishing all his works, (which his fellowcomedians in their preface to his plays feem to hint he would have done, If he had lived,) and that he began with this early production of his mufe, but was prevented by death from completing his fcheme; for he died in the fame year in which this corrected copy of Lucrece (as it is called) was printed. But on an attentive examination of this edition, I have not the leaft doubt that the piece was revised by some other hand. It is fo far from being correct, that it is certainly the most inaccurate and corrupt of all the ancient copies. In fome paffages emendations are attempted merely for the fake of harmony; in others, a word of an ancient caft is changed for one fomewhat more modern; but most of the alterations feem to have been made, because the revifer did not understand the poet's meaning, and imagined he faw errours of the prefs, where in fact there were none. Of this the reader will find instances in the courfe of the following notes; for the variations of the editions are conftantly fet down. I may alfo add, that this copy (which all the modern editions have followed) appears manifeftly to have been. printed from the edition in 1607, the most incorrect of all thofe that preceded, as being the most diftant from the original, which there is

G 3

reafor

!

Haply that name of chafte unhapp'ly fet
This bateless edge on his keen appetite;
When Collatine unwifely did not let 3
To praise the clear unmatched red and white
Which triumph'd in that sky of his delight;
'Where mortal ftars 4, as bright as heaven's
With pure afpécts did him peculiar duties.

For he the night before, in Tarquin's tent,
Unlock'd the treasure of his happy state;
What priceless wealth the heavens had him ler
In the poffeffion of his beauteous mate;
Reckoning his fortune at fuch high-proud rate,

reafon to fuppofe was published under the authour's imm
tion. Had he undertaken the talk of revifing and corred
of his works, he would furely have made his own edition
very inaccurate re-impreffion of it, the bafis of his improve

The story on which this poem is formed, is related by carnaffenfis, lib. iv. c. 72; by Livy, lib. i. c. 57, 58; and b lib. ii. Diodorus Siculus and Dion Caffius have alfo rela hiftorians differ in fome minute particulars.

The Legend of Lucretia is found in Chaucer. In 1558 on the Stationers' books, "A ballet called The grevious Lucrece," licenfed to John Alde: and in 1569 was licenfe Roberts, "A ballad of the death of Lucryflia." There ballad of the legend of Lucrece, printed in 1576. Some of Warton thinks, probably fuggefted this story to our authour (he adds,) was the grand example of conjugal fidelity thr gothick ages."

Since the former edition, I have obferved that Painter the story of Lucrece in the first volume of his Palace of Ple on which I make no doubt our authour formed his poem. is likewife told in Lydgate's FALL OF PRINCES. MALON all in poft,] So, in Painter's Novel :-" Let us tal to prove which of oure wives doth furmount. Whereuppor to Rome in poft." MALONE.

3-did not let] Did not forbear. MALONE.

4 Where mortal ftars,-] i. e. eyes. Our authour has the fon in A Midsummer-Night's Dream:

"who more engilds the night,

"Than all yon firy o's and eyes of light."

Again, in Romeo and Juliet:

"At my poor houfe look to behold this night

"Earth treading ftars, that make dark heaven light.

M

That kings might be efpoufed to more fame,
But king nor peer to fuch a peerless dames.

O happiness enjoy'd but of a few!
And, if poffefs'd, as foon decay'd and done
As is the morning's filver-melting dew7
Against the golden fplendour of the fun!
An expir'd date, cancel'd ere well begun : '
Honour and beauty, in the owner's arms,
Are weakly fortrefs'd from a world of harms.
5 Reckoning bis fortune at fuch high-proud rate,
That kings might be efpoufed to more fame,

But king nor peer to fuch a peerless dame.] Thus the quarto, 1594, and three fubfequent editions. The octavo, 1616, reads:

at jo high a rate,

and in the next line but one,

But king nor prince to fuch a peerlefs dame.

The alteration in the first line was probably made in confequence of the editor's not being fufficiently converfant with Shakspeare's compounded words; (thus, in All's Well that ends Well, we find bigb-repented blames; and in Twelfth Night, bigb fantastical;) in the last, to avoid that jingle which the authour feems to have confidered as a beauty, or received as a fashion. MALONE.

6 -as foon decay'd and done-] Done is frequently used by our ancient" writers in the fenfe of confumed. So, in Venus and Adonis, p. 49.

"-wafted, thaw'd, and done,

"As mountain fnow melts with the mid-day fun." MALONE. 7 As is the morning's filver-melting-dew,] The octavo 1616, and the modern editions, read corruptedly:

As if the morning's filver-melting dew. MALONE.

8 An expir'd date, cancel'd ere well begun:] Thus the quarto, 1594, the editions of 1598, 1600, and 1607. That of 1616 reads, apparently for the fake of fmoother verfification:

A date expir'd, and cancel'd ere begun.

Our authour feems to have remembered Daniel's Complaint of Rofa

mond, 1592:

Thou must not thinke thy flowre can always florish,

"And that thy beauty will be ftill admir'd,

"But that thofe rayes which all these flames do nourish,
"Cancelled with time, will have their date expir'd."

Again, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre:

"Diana's temple is not diftant far,

"Where you may 'bide untill your date expire." MALONE.

So, in Romeo and Juliet:

and expire the term

"Of a defpifed life." STEEVENS.

G 4

Beauty

Beauty itself doth of itself perfuade
The eyes of men without an orator;
What needeth then apology be made,
To fet forth that which is fo fingular?
Or why is Collatine the publisher

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

Perchance his boast of Lucrece' fovereignty
Suggested this proud iffue of a king2;
For by our ears our hearts oft tainted be:
Perchance that envy of fo rich a thing,
Braving compare, difdainfully did fting

His high-pitch'd thoughts, that meaner men fhe
The golden hap which their fuperiors want.

But fome untimely thought did inftigate
His all-too-timeless speed, if none of thofe :
His honour, his affairs, his friends, his ftate,

9 Beauty felf doth of itself perfuade

The eyes of men without an orator;] So, Daniel, in his 1594:

whofe power doth move the blood

"More than the words or wifdom of the wife." Again, in The Martial Maid, by B. and Fletcher: "filent orators, to move beyond

"The honey-tongued rhetorician." STEEVENS. by is Collatine the publisher

Of that rich jewel be should keep unknown

From thievifh ears, because it is bis own?] Thus the old modern editions read: From thievifh cares. MALONE.

The conduct of Lucretia's husband is here made to refem Pofthumus in Cymbeline. The prefent fentiment occurs li Much ado about Nothing: "The flat tranfgreffion of a fe who being over-joyed with finding a bird's neft, fhows it his co and he fteals it." STEEVENS.

2 Suggested this proud issue of a king ;] Suggefted, I th means tempted, prompted, inftigated. So, in K. Richard II: "What Eve, what ferpent, hath fuggefted thee, "To make a fecond fall of curfed man?"

Again, in Love's Labour's Loft:

"Thefe heavenly eyes that look into thefe faults,
"Suggested us to make." MALONE,

Neglected all, with fwift intent he goes
To quench the coal which in his liver glows 3.
Oʻrash-false heat, wrapt in repentant cold +,
Thy hafty spring ftill blafts, and ne'er grows old!

When at Collatium this falfe lord arriv'd,
Well was he welcom'd by the Roman dame,
Within whole face beauty and virtue striv'd
Which of them both fhould underprop her fame:
When virtue bragg'd, beauty would blufh for fhame;

3 —which in bis liver glows.] Thus the quarto, 1594. Some of the modern editions have grows.The liver was formerly fuppofed to be the feat of love. MALONE.

4-wrapt in repentant cold,] The octavo, 1600, reads:

-wrapt in repentance cold,

but it was evidently an errour of the prefs. The first copy has repentant.

To quench the coal which in bis liver glows.

-wrapt in repentant cold,] So, in K. John:
"There is no malice in this burning coal;

"The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out,
"And ftrew'd repentant ashes on his head "

MALONS.

STEEVENS.

Thy bafty Spring ftill blafts, and ne'er grows old!] Like a too early fpring, which is frequently checked by blights, and never produces any ripened or wholesome fruit, the irregular forwardness of an unlawful paffion never gives any folid or permanent fatisfaction. So, in a subsequent ftanza:

"Unruly blafts wait on the tender Spring." Again, in Hamlet:

"For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,
"Hold it a fashion and a toy of blood;

"A violet in the youth of primy nature,

Forward, not permanent; fweet, not lafting;
"The perfume and fuppliance of a minute:
"No more."

Again, in King Richard III:

"Short fummers lightly have a forward fpring."

Blafts is here a neutral verb; it is used by Sir W. Raleigh in the fame manner, in his poem entitled the Farewell:

"Tell age, it daily wafteth;

"Tell honour, how it alters;

"Tell beauty, that it blafteth;" &c.

In Venus and Adonis we find nearly the fame fentiment:

"Love's gentle fpring doth alway fresh remain ;

"Luft's winter comes ere fummer half be done." MALONE.

When