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You are my all the world, and I must strive, |
To know my shames and praises from your tongue, |
None else to me, nor I to none alive, |
That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong. |
In so profound abysm I throw all care |
Of others' voices, that my adder's sense, |
To critic and to flatterer stopped are: |
Mark how with my neglect I do dispense. |
You are so strongly in my purpose bred, |
That all the world besides methinks are dead. |
113 |
Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind, |
And that which governs me to go about, |
Doth part his function, and is partly blind, |
Seems seeing, but effectually is out: |
For it no form delivers to the heart |
Of bird, of flower, or shape which it doth latch, |
Of his quick objects hath the mind no part, |
Nor his own vision holds what it doth catch: |
For if it see the rud'st or gentlest sight, |
The most sweet favour or deformed'st creature, |
The mountain, or the sea, the day, or night: |
The crow, or dove, it shapes them to your feature. |
Incapable of more, replete with you, |
My most true mind thus maketh mine untrue. |
114 |
Or whether doth my mind being crowned with you |
Drink up the monarch's plague this flattery? |
Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true, |
And that your love taught it this alchemy? |
To make of monsters, and things indigest, |
Such cherubins as your sweet self resemble, |
Creating every bad a perfect best |
As fast as objects to his beams assemble: |
O 'tis the first, 'tis flattery in my seeing, |
And my great mind most kingly drinks it up, |
Mine eye well knows what with his gust is 'greeing, |
And to his palate doth prepare the cup. |
If it be poisoned, 'tis the lesser sin, |
That mine eye loves it and doth first begin. |
115 |
Those lines that I before have writ do lie, |
Even those that said I could not love you dearer, |
Yet then my judgment knew no reason why, |
My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer, |
But reckoning time, whose millioned accidents |
Creep in 'twixt vows, and change decrees of kings, |
Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp'st intents, |
Divert strong minds to the course of alt'ring things: |
Alas why fearing of time's tyranny, |
Might I not then say 'Now I love you best,' |
When I was certain o'er incertainty, |
Crowning the present, doubting of the rest? |
Love is a babe, then might I not say so |
To give full growth to that which still doth grow. |
116 |
Let me not to the marriage of true minds |
Admit impediments, love is not love |
Which alters when it alteration finds, |
Or bends with the remover to remove. |
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark |
That looks on tempests and is never shaken; |
It is the star to every wand'ring bark, |
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. |
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks |
Within his bending sickle's compass come, |
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, |
But bears it out even to the edge of doom: |
If this be error and upon me proved, |
I never writ, nor no man ever loved. |
117 |
Accuse me thus, that I have scanted all, |
Wherein I should your great deserts repay, |
Forgot upon your dearest love to call, |
Whereto all bonds do tie me day by day, |
That I have frequent been with unknown minds, |
And given to time your own dear-purchased right, |
That I have hoisted sail to all the winds |
Which should transport me farthest from your sight. |
Book both my wilfulness and errors down, |
And on just proof surmise, accumulate, |
Bring me within the level of your frown, |
But shoot not at me in your wakened hate: |
Since my appeal says I did strive to prove |
The constancy and virtue of your love. |
118 |
Like as to make our appetite more keen |
With eager compounds we our palate urge, |