ANOTHER CONFESSION

LET me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one :

So shall those blots that do with me remain
Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,
Though in our lives a separable spite,
Which though it alter not love's sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love's delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee

Lest my bewailéd guilt should do thee shame, Nor thou with public kindness honour me, Unless thou take that honour from thy name :

But do not so; I love thee in such sort

As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

S

THE RECOMPENSE

As a decrepit father takes delight

To see his active child do deeds of youth, So I, made lame by fortune's dearest spite, Take all my comfort of thy worth and truth.

For whether beauty, birth, or wealth, or wit,
Or any of these all, or all, or more,
Entitled in thy parts do crownéd sit,

I make my love engrafted to this store :

So then I am not lame, poor, nor despised,
Whilst that this shadow doth such substance give
That I in thy abundance am sufficed,

And by a part of all thy glory live.

Look, what is best, that best I wish in thee:

This wish I have; then ten times happy me !

THE NEW MUSE

HOW can my Muse want subject to invent

While thou dost breathe, that pour'st into

my verse

Thine own sweet argument, too excellent
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?

O, give thyself the thanks, if aught in me
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight;
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thyself dost give invention light?

Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth Than those old nine which rhymers invocate; And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth Eternal numbers to outlive long date.

If my slight Muse do please these curious days, The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.

IDENTITY IN LOVE

O, HOW thy worth with manners may I sing,

When thou art all the better part of me?

What can mine own praise to mine own self bring? And what is't but mine own when I praise thee?

Even for this let us divided live,

And our dear love lose name of single one,
That by this separation I may give

That due to thee which thou deserv'st alone.

O Absence, what a torment would'st thou prove,
Were it not thy sour leisure gave sweet leave
To entertain the time with thoughts of love,
Which time and thoughts so sweetly doth deceive,

And that thou teachest how to make one twain, By praising him here who doth hence remain !

ALL FOR LOVE

TAKE all my loves, my Love, yea, take them

all;

What hast thou then more than thou hadst before? No love, my Love, that thou mayst true love call; All mine was thine, before thou hadst this more.

Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest ;
But yet be blamed, if thou thyself deceivest
By wilful taste of what thyself refusest.

I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet, love knows, it is a greater grief
To bear love's wrong than hate's known injury.

Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes.