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- Edition: The Sonnets
The Sonnets (Modern)
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
1981133
1982Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan
1983For that deep wound it gives my friend and me;
1984Is't not enough to torture me alone,
1985But slave to slavery my sweet'st friend must be?
1986Me from myself thy cruel eye hath taken,
1987And my next self thou harder hast engrossed.
1988Of him, myself, and thee I am forsaken,
1989A torment thrice threefold thus to be crossed.
1990Prison my heart in thy steel bosom's ward;
1991But then my friend's heart let my poor heart bail.
1992Whoe'er keeps me, let my heart be his guard;
1993Thou canst not then use rigor in my jail.
1994 And yet thou wilt, for I being pent in thee,
1995 Perforce am thine, and all that is in me.
1996134
1997So now I have confessed that he is thine,
1998And I myself am mortgaged to thy will,
1999Myself I'll forfeit, so that other mine
2000Thou wilt restore to be my comfort still;
2001But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,
2002For thou art covetous, and he is kind;
2003He learned but surety-like to write for me,
2004Under that bond that him as fast doth bind.
2005The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,
2006Thou usurer, that put'st forth all to use,
2007And sue a friend, came debtor for my sake;
2008So him I lose through my unkind abuse.
2009 Him have I lost; thou hast both him and me;
2010 He pays the whole, and yet am I not free.
2011135
2012Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
2013And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;
2014More than enough am I, that vex thee still,
2015To thy sweet will making addition thus.
2016Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,
2017Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?
2018Shall will in others seem right gracious,
2019And in my will no fair acceptance shine?
2020The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,
2021And in abundance addeth to his store;
2022So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will
2023One will of mine, to make thy large Will more.
2024 Let no unkind no fair beseechers kill;
2025 Think all but one, and me in that one Will.