Page 2285 - Shakespeare - Vol. 4

Is not inur’d; return again in haste;
Thou seest our mistress’ ornaments are chaste».

But all these poor forbiddings could not stay him;
He in the worst sense consters their denial.
The doors, the wind, the glove, that did delay him, [325]

He takes for accidental things of trial;
Or as those bars which stop the hourly dial,
Who with a ling’ring stay his course doth let,

Till every minute pays the hour his debt.

«So, so», quoth he, «these lets attend the time, [330]

Like little frosts that sometime threat the spring,
To add a more rejoicing to the prime,
And give the sneaped birds more cause to sing.

Pain pays the income of each precious thing:
Huge rocks, high winds, strong pirates, shelves and sands [335]
The merchant fears, ere rich at home he lands».

Now is he come unto the chamber door
That shuts him from the heaven of his thought,

Which with a yielding latch, and with no more,
Hath barr’d him from the blessed thing he sought. [340]
So from himself impiety hath wrought,
That for his prey to pray he doth begin,

As if the heavens should countenance his sin.

But in the midst of his unfruitful prayer,
Having solicited th’ eternal power [345]
That his foul thoughts might compass his fair fair,
And they would stand auspicious to the hour,

Even there he starts; quoth he, «I must deflower:
The powers to whom I pray abhor this fact;
How can they then assist me in the act? [350]

«Then love and fortune be my gods, my guide!
My will is back’d with resolution;