1396THey that haue powre to hurt,
and will doe none,
1397That doe not do the thing,
they mo
st do
showe,
1398Who mouing others,
are them
selues as
stone,
1399Vnmooued,
could,
and to temptation
slow:
1400They rightly do inherrit heauens graces,
1401And husband natures ritches from expence,
1402They are the Lords and owners of their faces,
1403Others,
but
stewards of their excellence:
1404The
sommers
flowre is to the
sommer
sweet,
1405Though to it
selfe,
it onely liue and die,
1406But if that
flowre with ba
se infe
ction meete,
1407The ba
se
st weed out-braues his dignity:
1408 For
sweete
st things turne
sowre
st by their deedes,
1409Lillies that fe
ster,
smell far wor
se then weeds.
1411HOw
sweet and louely do
st thou make the
shame,
1412Which like a canker in the fragrant Ro
se,
1413Doth
spot the beautie of thy budding name?
1414Oh in what
sweets doe
st thou thy
sinnes inclo
se!
1415That tongue that tells the
story of thy daies,
1416(Making la
sciuious comments on thy
sport)
1417Cannot di
sprai
se,
but in a kinde of prai
se,
1418Naming thy name, ble
sses an ill report.
1419Oh what a man
sion haue tho
se vices got,
1420Which for their habitation cho
se out thee,
1421Where beauties vaile doth couer euery blot,
1422And all things turnes to faire,
that eies can
see!
1423 Take heed
(deare heart)of this large priuiledge,
1424The harde
st knife ill v
s'd doth loo
se his edge.
1426SOme
say thy fault is youth,
some wantone
sse,
1427Some
say thy grace is youth and gentle
sport,
1428Both grace and faults are lou'd of more and le
sse:
1429Thou mak
st faults graces,
that to thee re
sort:
1430As on the
finger of a throned Queene,
1431The ba
se
st Iewell wil be well e
steem'd:
1432So are tho
se errors that in thee are
seene,
1433To truths tran
slated,
and for true things deem'd.
1434How many Lambs might the
sterne Wolfe betray,
1435If like a Lambe he could his lookes tran
slate.
1436How many gazers migh
st thou lead away,
1437If thou would
st v
se the
strength of all thy
state?
1438 But doe not
so,
I loue thee in
such
sort,
1439As thou being mine,
mine is thy good report.