William Shakespeare - Histories and Poems of William Shakespeare

CONTENTS

T HE H ISTORIES AND P OEMS OF W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE T HE H ISTORIES AND P OEMS OF W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE

THE MODERN LIBRARY NEW YORK About The Modern Library The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the pulishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopher. It provided the foundation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hard-bound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torchbearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugrating a new program of selecting titles.

About the Book This Modern Library edition presents all ten historieseach complete and unabridgedin the Shakespearean canon, along with notes and glossary.

About the Book This Modern Library edition presents all ten historieseach complete and unabridgedin the Shakespearean canon, along with notes and glossary.

Here are:
King John
Richard II
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Richard III
Henry VIII
Included also are the Bards great narrative poems: Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, the two works that first established Shakespeares reputation, plus all 154 of his sonnets. Presented as well are A Lovers Complaint, The Passionate Pilgrim, and The Phoenix and the Turtle.

Great BritainHistory1066-1587Drama. 2. Great BritainKings and rulersDrama. 3. Historical drama, English. I.

Title.
PR2762 1995
822.3\3dc20 94-34173
Modern Library website address:
http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/ eISBN: 978-0-679-64189-6 v3.0 SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSIC I
IT was a lordings daughter, the fairest one of three, That liked of her master as well as well might be, Till looking on an Englishman, the fairst that eye could see, Her fancy fell a-turning. Long was the combat doubtful that love with love did fight, To leave the master loveless, or kill the gallant knight: To put in practice either, alas! it was a spite Unto the silly damsel. But one must be refused; more mickle was the pain That nothing could be used to turn them both to gain, For of the two the trusty knight was wounded with disdain: Alas! she could not help it. Thus art with arms contending was victor of the day, Which by a gift of learning did bear the maid away; Then lullaby, the learned man hath got the lady gay; For now my song is ended.
II
On a day, alack the day! Love, whose month was ever May, Spied a blossom passing fair, Playing in the wanton air: Through the velvet leaves the wind All unseen gan passage find; That the lover, sick to death. Wishd himself the heavens breath.

Air, quoth he, thy checks may blow; Air, would I might triumph so! But, alas! my hand hath sworn Neer to pluck thee from thy thorn: Vow, alack! for youth unmeet: Youth, so apt to pluck a sweet. Thou for whom Jove would swear Juno but an Ethiope were; And deny himself for Jove, Turning mortal for thy love.
III
My flocks feed not, My ewes breed not, My rams speed not, All is amiss: Love s denying, Faith s defying, Heart s renying, Causer of this. All my merry jigs are quite forgot, All my ladys love is lost, God wot: Where her faith was firmly fixd in love, There a nay is placd without remove. One silly cross Wrought all my loss; O frowning Fortune, cursed, fickle dame; For now I see Inconstancy More in women than in men remain.
In black mourn I, All fears scorn I, Love hath forlorn me, Living in thrall: Heart is bleeding, All help needing, O cruel speeding, Fraughted with gall.

My shepherds pipe can sound no deal, My wethers bell rings doleful knell; My curtal dog, that wont to have playd, Plays not at all, but seems afraid; My sighs so deep Procure to weep, In howling wise, to see my doleful plight. How sighs resound Through heartless ground, Like a thousand vanquishd men in bloody fight!
Clear wells spring not, Sweet birds sing not, Green plants bring not Forth their dye; Herds stand weeping, Flocks all sleeping, Nymphs back peeping Fearfully: All our pleasure known to us poor swains, All our merry meetings on the plains, All our evening sport from us is fled, All our love is lost, for Love is dead. Farewell, sweet lass, Thy like neer was For a sweet content, the cause of all my moan Poor Corydon Must live alone; Other help for him I see that there is none.
IV
When as thine eye hath chose the dame, And stalld the deer that thou shouldst strike, Let reason rule things worthy blame, As well as fancy, partial wight: Take counsel of some wiser head, Neither too young nor yet unwed.
And when thou comst thy tale to tell, Smooth not thy tongue with filed talk, Lest she some subtle practice smell; A cripple soon can find a halt: But plainly say thou lovst her well, And set thy person forth to sell.
What though she strive to try her strength, And ban and brawl, and say thee nay, Her feeble force will yield at length, When craft hath taught her thus to say, Had women been so strong as men, In faith, you had not had it then.
And to her will frame all thy ways; Spare not to spend, and chiefly there Where thy desert may merit praise, By ringing in thy ladys ear: The strongest castle, tower, and town, The golden bullet beats it down.
Serve always with assured trust, And in thy suit be humble true; Unless thy lady prove unjust, Seek never thou to choose anew.