SONNETS.
¶For thy neglect of truth in beauty di'd?
¶Both truth and beauty on my loue depends:
1505So do
st thou too,
_and therein dignifi'd:
¶Make an
swere Mu
se,
_wilt thou not haply
saie,
¶Truth needs no collour with his collour fixt,
¶Beautie no pen
sell,
_beauties truth to lay:
¶But be
st is be
st,
_if neuer intermixt.
1510Becau
se he needs no prai
se,
_wilt thou be dumb?
¶Excu
se not
silence
so,
_for't lies in thee,
¶To make him much out-liue a gilded tombe:
¶And to be prai
sd of ages yet to be.
¶_Then do thy office Mu
se,
_I teach thee how,
1515To make him
seeme long hence,
_as he
showes now.
¶MY loue is
strengthned though more weake in
see-ming
¶I loue not le
sse,
_thogh le
sse the
show appeare,
¶That loue is marchandiz'd,
_who
se ritch e
steeming,
1520The owners tongue doth publi
sh euery where.
¶Our loue was new,
_and then but in the
spring,
¶When I was wont to greet it with my laies,
¶As
Philomell in
summers front doth
singe,
¶And
stops his pipe in growth of riper daies:
1525Not that the
summer is le
sse plea
sant now
¶Then when her mournefull himns did hu
sh the night,
¶But that wild mu
sick burthens euery bow,
¶And
sweets growne common loo
se their deare delight.
¶_Therefore like her,
_I
some-time hold my tongue:
1530Becau
se I would not dull you with my
songe.
¶ALack what pouerty my Mu
se brings forth,
¶That hauing
such a skope to
show her pride,
¶The argument all bare is of more worth
1535Then when it hath my added prai
se be
side.
¶Oh blame me not if I no more can write!
¶Looke in your gla
sse and there appeares a face,
¶That ouer-goes my blunt inuention quite,
¶Dulling my lines,
_and doing me di
sgrace.
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