IV. UNTHRIFTY loveliness, why dost thou spend Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend, Thy unus'd beauty must be tomb'd with thee, 4 8 12 14 IV. The general subject is the same as before; but prominence is here given to the unthrift or wastefulness of neglecting to provide posterity, and imagery drawn from pecuniary or mercantile transactions prevails. 2 Thy beauty's legacy.-The legacy which thy beauty should bequeath. 3 Nature's bequest.—The word "bequest" is suggested apparently by the "legacy" of line 2. 'Bequest" here seems equivalent to "trust." Cf. King John, Act v. sc. vices," &c. 7, line 104, "I do bequeath my faithful ser 4 Being frank, &c.-Nature, being "most generous and free from all contriving," leaves the trust-which, however, is now spoken of as a loanto the unfettered disposal of the recipient. 6 Given here contradicts in verbal form only "Nature's bequest gives nothing" of line 3. What is "given thee to give" is still only a trust. 7 Profitless usurer.-To beget posterity would be to put out to interest Nature's gift or trust. Using this for himself alone, Mr. W. H. is a "profitless usurer. وو 8 So great a sum of sums.-Implying apparently the possibility of a very numerous posterity. Yet canst not live, that is, beyond a brief period. 9 For having traffick, &c.-Being concerned only with thyself. 10 Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.-Dost defraud thyself of perpetuated existence. 12 What acceptable audit, &c.-How can Nature's account against thee be summed and settled? Cf. ii. 11, 12. V. THOSE Hours, that with gentle work did frame To hideous Winter, and confounds him there; Sap check'd with frost, and lusty leaves quite gone, Beauty o'ersnow'd, and bareness everywhere : Nor it, nor no remembrance what it was. But flowers distill'd, though they with winter meet, 8 12 14 V. Has the same general subject as preceding Sonnets. The inexorable progress of time from the glory of life's summer to the winter of old age is treated of. But the sweet essence of the summer flowers is preserved when a beauteous posterity is begotten. 1 At first we have a plurality of "Hours," for which is substituted in line 5 the singular "Time." 2 Gaze.-Appearance. 3 Will play the tyrants.—Remorselessly disfigure and destroy. 4 Unfair.-Cf. iii. 4. Fairly doth excel.-Excels in fairness or beauty. 6 Hideous Winter.-An expression accordant with the melancholy and pessimistic tone so often heard in these Sonnets. Confounds.-Abases him, bringing down his power and glory. 7 Lusty leaves.-Leaves of his time of strength and pride. Cf. ii. 4. 9, 10 Cf. Sidney's Arcadia, quoted by Massey:-"Have you ever seen a pure rose-water kept in a crystal glass? How fine it looks! how sweet it smells while the beautiful glass imprisons it!" On the supposition that Mr. W. H. was William Herbert, it is easy to understand how, on forming the acquaintance, Shakespeare should have had his attention directed to, or his remembrance freshened of what Sir Philip Sidney, Herbert's uncle, had written. 11 Beauty's effect. --The "effect" here is the scent associated with the beautiful form of the rose. Of this form the distilled essence serves as a memento. With.-Together with. Bereft.-Taken away, destroyed. 14 Leese.-An old form equivalent to "lose." L VI. THEN let not Winter's ragged hand deface Which happies those that pay the willing loan; 8 Ten times thyself were happier than thou art, Then, what could death do if thou shouldst depart, Be not self-will'd, for thou art much too fair 12 To be Death's conquest, and make worms thine heir. 14 VI. Follows in close connection with the last Sonnet. Here, however, the desirableness of a numerous posterity is more clearly expressed. 1 Ragged. Malone remarks, "Ragged was often used as an opprobrious term in the time of our author." But it would be perhaps more correct to say that the word was used metaphorically and generally of what is harsh and rough. The hand of Winter may be spoken of as ragged or rough, on account of the effect produced by Winter, the "bareness everywhere" of v. 8. 3 Vial, of course, looks back to the previous Sonnet. Treasure thou some place. Make some place rich. 4 Ere it be self-kill'd, that is, by the absence of posterity. 5 That use is not forbidden usury.-There appears to be in this and following lines some confusion between the creditor and debtor. 6 Happies those that pay the willing loan.-Comparing the ninth line, "Ten times thyself were happier than thou art," it would seem to be the children who are happied, that is, rendered happy; and if so, it must be they who pay the "willing loan." But there is pretty evidently some confusion of thought. Or possibly the payment may be regarded as a joint payment, by the parent and children together. Of course, the payment is made to Nature, the bounteous donor or lender of Sonnet iv. 10 If there were an image of thy beauty presented by each of ten children. VII. Lo, in the orient when the gracious light But when from high-most pitch, with weary car, 8 12 14 VII. The principal subject is the same; but old age is now represented, not by "hideous Winter," but by the declining sun, which (according to this Sonnet) is neglected, or regarded with aversion, as in its course it verges towards the horizon, 1 The gracious light.-The benignant, or beneficent, light. 2 Each under eye. -All eyes of those beneath. 5 The steep-up heavenly hill.—The steep ascent of the firmament, which, according to ancient ideas, was convex above and concave beneath. 10 Like feeble age he reeleth from the day.-"Reeleth," worn out with fatigue, as he passes from day to night. So in Richard III., Act v. sc. 3, line 19, we have "the weary sun." 11 Converted.-Turned; that is, in this case, turned away. 12 His low tract.-The lower portion of his course. "Tract" must be taken as equivalent to "track." 13 Outgoing in thy noon.-Passing the meridian of life, and declining like the sun. To suppose that the poet alludes to death in the prime of life would be unsuitable to the context. VIII. MUSICK to hear, why hear'st thou musick sadly? Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one, 8 12 14 VIII. From the harmony of domestic life resembling that of music, and the nothingness of him who remains single and alone, an argument is drawn in favour of marriage. Cf. Daiphantus by A. Sc. (1604): "Music is only sweet When without discord. A consort makes a heaven. Odds, but in music, never makes things even, In voices difference breeds a pleasant ditty." The writer of Daiphantus may have seen Sonn. viii. in MS., or the resemblance may be accidental. "Consort" here, it should be observed, is an old form equivalent to "concert." Among the British Museum MSS. is an example of Sonn. viii. with slight variations, probably taken from a MS. copy of the Sonnet (Add. MS. 15,226). 1 Musick to hear.-Whose voice in speaking is as sweet as music. Why hear'st thou musick sadly?—This may possibly mean that Mr. W. H. had no liking for music. 2-4 The qualities which Mr. W. H. possessed ought rather, in the poet's view, to have made him delight in music. And it would seem that he was accustomed to attend musical performances, though disliking them, or professing to do so. But is it not possible that the "music heard sadly" was the virginal-playing of Shakespeare's dark mistress (cxxviii.)? The sadness may thus have been caused by the impression which her fascinating endowments had already produced on Mr. W. H. This view would make lines 3 and 4 intelligible. |