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- Edition: The Sonnets
The Sonnets (Modern)
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130588
1306When thou shalt be disposed to set me light
1307And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
1308Upon thy side against myself I'll fight,
1309And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn.
1310With mine own weakness being best acquainted,
1311Upon thy part I can set down a story
1312Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted,
1313That thou, in losing me, shall win much glory;
1314And I by this will be a gainer too,
1315For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,
1316The injuries that to myself I do,
1317Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.
1318 Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
1319 That for thy right myself will bear all wrong.
132089
1321Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,
1322And I will comment upon that offence;
1323Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,
1324Against thy reasons making no defense.
1325Thou canst not, love, disgrace me half so ill,
1326To set a form upon desired change,
1327As I'll myself disgrace, knowing thy will;
1328I will acquaintance strangle and look strange,
1329Be absent from thy walks, and in my tongue
1330Thy sweet beloved name no more shall dwell,
1331Lest I, too much profane, should do it wrong,
1332And haply of our old acquaintance tell.
1333 For thee, against myself I'll vow debate,
1334 For I must ne'er love him whom thou dost hate.
133590
1336Then hate me when thou wilt, if ever, now,
1337Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
1338Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,
1339And do not drop in for an after-loss.
1340Ah, do not, when my heart hath 'scaped this sorrow,
1341Come in the rearward of a conquered woe;
1342Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,
1343To linger out a purposed overthrow.
1344If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,
1345When other petty griefs have done their spite;
1346But in the onset come, so shall I taste
1347At first the very worst of fortune's might;
1348 And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,
1349 Compared with loss of thee, will not seem so.