Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0022653, Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:41:11 -0300

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Re: THOUGHTS: Lepingville, Lepington, Suckling
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Matt, do you think that embedded in the reference to Lepington/Lucrece there's still another, to Shakespeare's work in which Lucrece remains virtuous and Tarquin is banished for ever?

Cf. THE RAPE OF LUCRECEshakespeare.mit.edu/Poetry/RapeOfLucrece.html


Argument: Lucius Tarquinius, for his excessive pride surnamed Superbus, after he had caused his own father-in-law Servius Tullius to be cruelly murdered, and, contrary to the Roman laws and customs, not requiring or staying for the people's suffrages, had possessed himself of the kingdom, went, accompanied with his sons and other noblemen of Rome, to besiege Ardea. During which siege the principal men of the army meeting one evening at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son, in their discourses after supper every one commended the virtues of his own wife: among whom Collatinus extolled the incomparable chastity of his wife Lucretia.

In that pleasant humour they posted to Rome; and intending, by their secret and sudden arrival, to make trial of that which every one had before avouched, only Collatinus finds his wife, though it were late in the night, spinning amongst her maids: the other ladies were all found dancing and revelling, or in several disports. Whereupon the noblemen yielded Collatinus the victory, and his wife the fame. At that time Sextus Tarquinius being inflamed with Lucrece' beauty, yet smothering his passions for the present, departed with the rest back to the camp; from whence he shortly after privily withdrew himself, and was, according to his estate, royally entertained and lodged by Lucrece at Collatium. The same night he treacherously stealeth into her chamber, violently ravished her, and early in the morning speedeth away. Lucrece, in this lamentable plight, hastily dispatcheth messengers, 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 cause of her sorrow. She, first taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the actor, and whole manner of his dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one consent 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 so moved, that with one consent and a general acclamation the Tarquins were all exiled, and the state government changed from kings to consuls.

According to you "This seems to me a very apt poem, as it relates to Lolita.[ ] the passage on Lucrece seems perfectly aligned with Humbert's own desire for his narrative. Does he make Lolita "chaster for her being whore"? Does she get a "kind revenge for [Humbert's] sin"? And does the pleasure we derive from Humbert's narrative make it so "we must in spite of virtue thank foul rape and lust"? Do even the gentlewomen of the jury think Humbert "less bad"?

Your argument is strong because the connection bt. Lepingville, Lord Leping and a poem by Sir John Suckling, is well established by your own independent research related to Lepingville, by Maurice Couturier's and S.B's (Steve Blackwell, I presume) description of Suckling's poem about Lucrece.. The possibility of a malicious intent on the part of Humbert Humbert cannot be excluded,though.

Following my web-link, like Sir J.Suckling, also W.Shakespeare dedicated his verse to a Patron, in his case it was to "the Righ Honorable Henry Wriothesly, Earl of Southampton, and Baron of Tichfield." Would there be any other confirmation about this secondary, virtuous, version?

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