66

INITIAL.

From Camden's "Britannia" (1590).

ENUS and Adonis," which Shakespeare spoke of as "the first heir of mine invention," was first published in 1593, and dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, who, if he was not then already a firm friend of Shakespeare's, very soon became one. In 1593 Shakespeare was only at the beginning of his career as an original dramatist, after six or seven years' work in the theatre, as actor, alterer of plays, and as Robert Greene called him in 1592, "Johannes Factotum." "Venus and Adonis" was followed in the next year by Shakespeare's other poem, his "Lucrece." Both were admired by many readers, but the "Venus and Adonis " was in most request. It reached a fifth edition in 1602. "Venus and Adonis" may have been begun or even completed before Shakespeare, at the age of about twenty-two, left Stratford to join the players in London. Or it may have been the recreation of one of his 'prentice years among the players. As treated by him it represents innocent youth untouched by the allurement of lust, and its purpose is clearly summed up in the last answer of Adonis before he breaks away from Venus.

I.

Even as the sun, with purple-colour'd face, Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,

1 Garrick's Shakespeare Jubilee in 1769, on the 6th of September and the two following days, was the first of its kind. Heavy rain on the third day prevented the open-air procession of Shakespeare characters indicated in the cut. But it was produced at Drury Lane, and marched over the stage there for a hundred nights

Rose-cheek'd Adonis hied him to the chase; Hunting he lov'd, but love he laugh'd to scorn; Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him, And like a bold fac'd suitor 'gins to woo him.

II.

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

Venus, having fastened his horse by the bridle to a ragged bough, laid hands on the disdainful youth, and held him subject to her kisses.

XI.

Forc'd to content, but never to obey,

Panting he lies, and breatheth in her face;
She feedeth on the steam, as on a prey,
And calls it heavenly moisture, air of grace,
Wishing her cheeks were gardens full of flowers,
So they were dew'd with such distilling showers.

XII.

Look how a bird lies tangled in a net,

So fasten'd in her arms Adonis lies;
Pure shame and aw'd resistance made him fret,
Which bred more beauty in his angry eyes:
Rain added to a river that is rank,
Perforce will force it overflow the bank.

XIII.

Still she entreats, and prettily entreats,
For to a pretty ear she tunes her tale;
Still is he sullen, still he lowers and frets,
"Twixt crimson shame, and anger ashy-pale;
Being red, she loves him best; and being white,
Her best is better'd with a more delight.

CLXXXVIII.

She looks upon his lips, and they are pale;
She takes him by the hand, and that is cold;
She whispers in his ears a heavy tale,

As if they heard the woful words she told :

She lifts the coffer-lids that close his eyes,
Where lo, two lamps, burnt out, in darkness lies:

CLXXXIX.

Two glasses, where herself herself beheld
A thousand times, and now no more reflect,
Their virtue lost, wherein they late excelled,
And every beauty robbed of his effect:

"Wonder of time," quoth she, "this is my spite, That, thou being dead, the day should yet be light.

CXC.

"Since thou art dead, lo, here I prophesy,
Sorrow on love hereafter shall attend:
It shall be waited on with jealousy,
Find sweet beginning, but unsavoury end;
Ne'er settled equally, but high or low,

That all love's pleasure shall not match his woe.

CXCI.

"It shall be fickle, false, and full of fraud;
Bud and be blasted in a breathing-while;
The bottom poison, and the top o'er-strawed
With sweets, that shall the truest sight beguile;
The strongest body shall it make most weak,
Strike the wise dumb, and teach the fool to speak.

CXCII.

"It shall be sparing, and too full of riot,
Teaching decrepit age to tread the measures;
The staring ruffian shall it keep in quiet,

Pluck down the rich, enrich the poor with treasures:
It shall be raging mad, and silly mild,
Make the young old, the old become a child.

CXCIII.

"It shall suspect, where is no cause of fear;
It shall not fear, where it should most mistrust;

It shall be merciful, and too severe,

And most deceiving when it seems most just;

Perverse it shall be, where it shows most toward; Put fear to valour, courage to the coward.

CXCIV.

"It shall be cause of war, and dire events,
And set dissension 'twixt the son and sire;
Subject and servile to all discontents,
As dry combustious matter is to fire:

Sith in his prime death doth my love destroy,
They that love best their loves shall not enjoy."

CXCV.

By this the boy, that by her side lay killed,
Was melted like a vapour from her sight,
And in his blood, that on the ground lay spilled,
A purple flower sprang up, chequered with white;
Resembling well his pale cheeks, and the blood
Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood.

CXCVI.

She bows her head the new-sprung flower to smell, Comparing it to her Adonis' breath;

And says, within her bosom it shall dwell,
Since he himself is reft from her by death:
She crops the stalk, and in the breech appears
Green dropping sap, which she compares to tears.

CXCVII.

"Poor flower," quoth she, "this was thy father's guise,
Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire,
For every little grief to wet his eyes:
To grow unto himself was his desire,
And so 'tis thine; but know, it is as good
To wither in my breast, as in his blood.

CXCVIII.

"Here was thy father's bed, here in my breast;
Thou art the next of blood, and 'tis thy right:
Lo! in this hollow cradle take thy rest,
My throbbing heart shall rock thee day and night:
There shall not be one minute in an hour,
Wherein I will not kiss my sweet love's flower."

CXCIX.

Thus weary of the world, away she hies,
And yokes her silver doves; by whose swift aid
Their mistress mounted through the empty skies
In her light chariot quickly is conveyed;

Holding their course to Paphos, where their queen
Means to immure herself and not be seen.

CHAPTER IX.

DANIEL'S "CIVIL WARS BETWEEN THE Two HOUSES OF LANCASTER AND YORK."

reasons for increased bitterness in the home controversies on church policy, for Archbishop Whitgift was carrying out the queen's rule with a strong hand, and drawing upon himself and her the dislike of the Puritans and Roman Catholics. These formed a considerable body of the people, with opinions upon either side of the queen's middle line. A general uncertainty as to the succession bred impatience at the queen's refusal to name a successor -for which she had better reason than she chose to tell-and the dread grew as she advanced in years that her death would plunge England into another civil war. The rule of the Tudors had arisen out of the Civil Wars of York and Lancaster, and there was a common forecast that its close in strife for an