1487WHere art thou Mu
se that thou forget
st so long,
1488To
speake of that which giues thee all thy might?
1489Spend
st thou thy furie on
some worthle
sse
songe,
1490Darkning thy powre to lend ba
se
subie
cts light.
1491Returne forgetfull Mu
se,
and
straight redeeme,
1492In gentle numbers time
so idely
spent,
1493Sing to the eare that doth thy laies e
steeme,
1494And giues thy pen both skill and argument.
1495Ri
se re
sty Mu
se,
my loues
sweet face
suruay,
1496If time haue any wrincle grauen there,
1497If any,
be a
Satire to decay,
1498And make times
spoiles di
spi
sed euery where.
1499 Giue my loue fame fa
ster then time wa
sts life,
1500So thou preuen
st his
sieth,
and crooked knife.
1502OH truant Mu
se what
shalbe thy amends,
1503For thy negle
ct of truth in beauty di'd?
1504Both truth and beauty on my loue depends:
1505So do
st thou too,
and therein digni
fi'd:
1506Make an
swere Mu
se,
wilt thou not haply
saie,
1507Truth needs no collour with his collour
fixt,
1508Beautie no pen
sell,
beauties truth to lay:
1509But be
st is be
st,
if neuer intermixt.
1510Becau
se he needs no prai
se,
wilt thou be dumb?
1511Excu
se not
silence
so,
for't lies in thee,
1512To make him much out-liue a gilded tombe:
1513And to be prai
sd of ages yet to be.
1514 Then do thy o
ffice Mu
se,
I teach thee how,
1515To make him
seeme long hence,
as he
showes now.
1517MY loue is
strengthned though more weake in
see-ming
1518I loue not le
sse,
thogh le
sse the
show appeare,
1519That loue is marchandiz'd,
who
se ritch e
steeming,
1520The owners tongue doth publi
sh euery where.
1521Our loue was new,
and then but in the
spring,
1522When I was wont to greet it with my laies,
1523As
Philomell in
summers front doth
singe,
1524And
stops his pipe in growth of riper daies:
1525Not that the
summer is le
sse plea
sant now
1526Then when her mournefull himns did hu
sh the night,
1527But that wild mu
sick burthens euery bow,
1528And
sweets growne common loo
se their deare delight.
1529 Therefore like her,
I
some-time hold my tongue:
1530Becau
se I would not dull you with my
songe.