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- Edition: The Sonnets
The Sonnets (Modern)
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2252Love is too young to know what conscience is;
2253Yet who knows not conscience is born of love?
2254Then, gentle cheater, urge not my amiss,
2255Lest guilty of my faults thy sweet self prove.
2256For, thou betraying me, I do betray
2257My nobler part to my gross body's treason;
2258My soul doth tell my body that he may
2259Triumph in love; flesh stays no farther reason,
2260But rising at thy name doth point out thee
2261As his triumphant prize. Proud of this pride,
2262He is contented thy poor drudge to be,
2263To stand in thy affairs, fall by thy side.
2264 No want of conscience hold it that I call
2265 Her "love." for whose dear love I rise and fall.
2266152
2267In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn,
2268But thou art twice forsworn to me love swearing,
2269In act thy bed-vow broke and new faith torn,
2270In vowing new hate after new love bearing.
2271But why of two oaths' breach do I accuse thee,
2272When I break twenty? I am perjured most,
2273For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee,
2274And all my honest faith in thee is lost.
2275For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness,
2276Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy,
2277And to enlighten thee gave eyes to blindness,
2278Or made them swear against the thing they see.
2279 For I have sworn thee fair: more perjured eye,
2280 To swear against the truth so foul a lie.
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2282Cupid laid by his brand, and fell asleep;
2283A maid of Dian's this advantage found,
2284And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep
2285In a cold valley-fountain of that ground,
2286Which borrowed from this holy fire of Love
2287A dateless lively heat still to endure,
2288And grew a seething bath, which yet men prove
2289Against strange maladies a sovereign cure:
2290But at my mistress' eye Love's brand new-fired,
2291The boy for trial needs would touch my breast;
2292I, sick withal, the help of bath desired,
2293And thither hied, a sad distempered guest,
2294 But found no cure; the bath for my help lies
2295 Where Cupid got new fire--my mistress' eyes.