SONNETS.
¶Or layd great ba
ses for eternity,
1865Which proues more
short then wa
st or ruining?
¶Haue I not
seene dwellers on forme and fauor
¶Lo
se all,
_and more by paying too much rent
¶For compound
sweet;Forgoing
simple
sauor,
¶Pittifull thriuors in their gazing
spent.
1870Noe,
_let me be ob
sequious in thy heart,
¶And take thou my oblacion,
_poore but free,
¶Which is not mixt with
seconds,
_knows no art,
¶But mutuall render onely me for thee.
¶_Hence,
_thou
subbornd
Informer, a trew
soule
1875When mo
st impeacht,
_stands lea
st in thy controule.
¶O Thou my louely Boy who in thy power,
¶Doe
st hould times fickle gla
sse,
_his fickle,
_hower:
¶Who ha
st by wayning growne,
_and therein
shou'
st,
1880Thy louers withering,
_as thy
sweet
selfe grow'
st.
¶If Nature(
soueraine mi
steres ouer wrack)
¶As thou goe
st onwards
still will plucke thee backe,
¶She keepes thee to this purpo
se,
_that her skill.
¶May time di
sgrace,
_and wretched mynuit kill.
1885Yet feare her O thou minnion of her plea
sure,
¶She may detaine,
_but not
still keepe her tre
sure!
¶Her
Audite(though delayd
)an
swer'd mu
st be,
¶And her
Quietus is to render thee.
¶IN the ould age blacke was not counted faire,
¶Or if it weare it bore not beauties name:
¶But now is blacke beauties
succe
ssiue heire,
1895And Beautie
slanderd with a ba
stard
shame,
¶For
since each hand hath put on Natures power,
¶Fairing the foule with Arts faul
se borrow'd face,
¶Sweet beauty hath no name no holy boure,
¶But is prophan'd,
_if not liues in di
sgrace.
H 3