10 Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks If this be error, and upon me proved, W. SHAKESPEARE. 24 A DITTY My true-love hath my heart, and I have his, His heart in me keeps him and me in one, I cherish his because in me it bides : My true-love hath my heart, and I have his. 10 25 LOVE'S OMNIPRESENCE Were I as base as is the lowly plain, And you, my Love, as high as heaven above, Yet should the thoughts of me your humble swain Ascend to heaven, in honour of my Love. Were I as high as heaven above the plain, 10 Were you the earth, dear Love, and I the skies, Whereso'er I am, below, or else above you, Whereso'er you are, my heart shall truly love you. J. SYLVESTER. 26 CARPE DIEM O Mistress mine, where are you roaming? Every wise man's son doth know. What is love? 'tis not hereafter; W. SHAKESPEARE. 5 10 27 WINTER When icicles hang by the wall And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And milk comes frozen home in pail ; Tuwhit! tuwhoo! A merry note! 5 When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson's saw, And Marian's nose looks red and raw; Tuwhoo! Tuwhit! tuwhoo! A merry note! 28 W. SHAKESPEARE. 10 15 That time of year thou may'st in me behold In me thou see'st the twilight of such day 5 10 In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire, To love that well which thou must leave ere long. 29 REMEMBRANCE When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste; Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, 5 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night, And weep afresh love's long-since-cancell'd woe, And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight. Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er -But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, 30 W. SHAKESPEARE. REVOLUTIONS 10 Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd, Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight, 5 And Time that gave doth now his gift confound. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth, And delves the parallels in beauty's brow; 10 Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow : And yet, to times in hope, my verse shall stand Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand. W. SHAKESPEARE. 31 Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing, And like enough thou know'st thy estimate: The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing ; My bonds in thee are all determinate. For how do I hold thee but by thy granting? And so my patent back again is swerving. 5 Thyself thou gav'st, thy own worth then not knowing, 9 Or me, to whom thou gav'st it, else mistaking; So thy great gift, upon misprision growing, Comes home again, on better judgement making. Thus have I had thee as a dream doth flatter; In sleep, a king; but waking, no such matter. W. SHAKESPEARE. 32 THE LIFE WITHOUT PASSION They that have power to hurt, and will do none, That do not do the thing they most do show, Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmovéd, cold, and to temptation slow, They rightly do inherit Heaven's graces, The summer's flower is to the summer sweet, For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds. W. SHAKESPEARE. 10 |