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  • Title: Shake-speares Sonnets (Quarto 1, 1609)
  • Editors: Hardy M. Cook, Ian Lancashire

    • Copyright Hardy M. Cook and Ian Lancashire. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editors: Hardy M. Cook, Ian Lancashire
    Peer Reviewed

    Shake-speares Sonnets (Quarto 1, 1609)

    I5I
    LOue is too young to know what conscience is,
    Yet who knowes not conscience is borne of loue,
    Then gentle cheater vrge not my amisse,
    2255Least guilty of my faults thy sweet selfe proue.
    For thou betraying me, I doe betray
    My nobler part to my grose bodies treason,
    My soule doth tell my body that he may,
    Triumph in loue, flesh staies no farther reason.
    2260But rysing at thy name doth point out thee,
    As his triumphant prize, proud of this pride,
    He is contented thy poore drudge to be
    To stand in thy affaires, fall by thy side.
    No want of conscience hold it that I call,
    2265Her loue, for whose deare loue I rise and fall.
    I52
    IN louing thee thou know'st I am forsworne,
    But thou art twice forsworne to me loue swearing,
    In act thy bed-vow broake and new faith torne,
    2270In vowing new hate after new loue bearing:
    But why of two othes breach doe I accuse thee,
    When I breake twenty:I am periur'd most,
    For all my vowes are othes but to misuse thee:
    And all my honest faith in thee is lost.
    2275For I haue sworne deepe othes of thy deepe kindnesse:
    Othes of thy loue, thy truth, thy constancie,
    And to inlighten thee gaue eyes to blindnesse,
    Or made them swere against the thing they see.
    For I haue sworne thee faire:more periurde eye,
    2280To swere against the truth fo foule a lie.
    I53
    CVpid laid by his brand and fell a sleepe,
    A maide of Dyans this aduantage found,
    And his loue-kindling fire did quickly steepe
    2285In a could vallie-fountaine of that ground:
    Which borrowd from this holie fire of loue,
    A datelesse liuely heat still to indure,
    And grew a seething bath which yet men proue,
    Against strang malladies a soueraigne cure:
    2290But at my mistres eie loues brand new fired,
    The boy for triall needes would touch my brest,
    I sick withall the helpe of bath desired,
    And thether hied a sad distemperd guest.
    But found no cure, the bath for my helpe lies,
    2295 Where Cupid got new fire;my mistres eye.
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