Shake-speares Sonnets (Quarto 1, 1609)
Author: William ShakespeareEditors: Hardy M. Cook, Ian LancashirePeer Reviewed


¶O That you were your
selfe,
_but loue you are
¶No longer yours,
_then you your
selfe here liue,
¶Again
st this cumming end you
should prepare,
¶And your
sweet
semblance to
some other giue.
185So
should that beauty which you hold in lea
se
¶Find no determination,
_then you were
¶You
selfe again after your
selfes decea
se,
¶When your
sweet i
ssue your
sweet forme
should beare.
¶Who lets
so faire a hou
se fall to decay,
190Which husbandry in honour might vphold,
¶Again
st the
stormy gu
sts of winters day
¶And barren rage of deaths eternall cold?
¶_O none but vnthrifts,
_deare my loue you know,
¶You had a Father,
_let your Son
say
so.
¶NOt from the
stars do I my iudgement plucke,
¶And yet me thinkes I haue A
stronomy,
¶But not to tell of good,
_or euil lucke,
¶Of plagues,
_of dearths,
_or
sea
sons quallity,
200Nor can I fortune to breefe mynuits tell;
¶Pointing to each his thunder,
_raine and winde,
¶Or
say with Princes if it
shal go wel
¶By oft predict that I in heauen finde.
¶But from thine eies my knowledge I deriue,
205And con
stant
stars in them I read
such art
¶As truth and beautie
shal together thriue
¶If from thy
selfe,
_to
store thou would
st conuert:
¶_Or el
se of thee this I progno
sticate,
¶_Thy end is Truthes and Beauties doome and date.
¶WHen I con
sider euery thing that growes
¶_Holds in perfection but a little moment.
¶That this huge
stage pre
senteth nought but
showes
¶Whereon the Stars in
secret influence comment.
215When I perceiue that men as plants increa
se,
¶Cheared and checkt euen by the
selfe-
same skie:
¶Vaunt in their youthfull
sap,
_at height decrea
se,
¶And were their braue
state out of memory.
¶Then the conceit of this incon
stant
stay,
220Sets you mo
st rich in youth before my
sight,
¶Where wa
stfull time debateth with decay
¶To change your day of youth to
sullied night,
¶_And all in war with Time for loue of you
¶As he takes from you,
_I ingraft you new.

