S o n n e t s  127 - 154

______________________

Mary Fitton, the "Dark Lady"?

       127

In the ould age blacke was not counted faire,
Or if it weare it bore not beauties name:
But now is blacke beauties successiue heire,
And Beautie slanderd with a bastard shame,

5

For since each hand hath put on Natures power,
Fairing the foule with Arts faulse borrow'd face,
Sweet beauty hath no name no holy boure,
But is prophan'd, if not liues in disgrace.

H3v

Therefore my Mistresse eyes are Rauen blacke,

10

Her eyes so suted, and they mourners seeme,
At such who not borne faire no beauty lack,
Slandring Creation with a false esteeme,
       Yet so they mourne becomming of their woe,
       That euery toung saies beauty should looke so.





       128

How oft when thou my musike musike playst,
Vpon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently swayst,
The wiry concord that mine eare confounds,

5

Do I enuie those Iackes that nimble leape,
To kisse the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poore lips which should that haruest reape,
At the woods bouldnes by thee blushing stand.
To be so tikled they would change their state,

10

And situation with those dancing chips,
Ore whome their fingers walke with gentle gate,
Making dead wood more blest then liuing lips,
       Since sausie Iackes so happy are in this,
       Giue them their fingers, me thy lips to kisse.


       129

Th'expence of Spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action, and till action, lust
Is periurd, murdrous, blouddy full of blame,
Sauage, extreame, rude, cruell, not to trust,

5

Inioyd no sooner but dispised straight,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had
Past reason hated as a swollowed bayt,
On purpose layd to make the taker mad.
Made in pursut and in possession so,

10

Had, hauing, and in quest, to haue extreame,
A blisse in proofe and proud and very wo,
Before a ioy proposd behind a dreame,
       All this the world well knowes yet none knowes well,
       To shun the heauen that leads men to this hell.

H4

       130

My Mistres eyes are nothing like the Sunne,
Currall is farre more red, then her lips red,
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun:
If haires be wiers, black wiers grow on her head:

5

I haue seene Roses damaskt, red and white,
But no such Roses see I in her cheekes,
And in some perfumes is there more delight,
Then in the breath that from my Mistres reekes.
I loue to heare her speake, yet well I know,

10

That Musicke hath a farre more pleasing sound:
I graunt I neuer saw a goddesse goe,
My Mistres when shee walkes treads on the ground,
       And yet by heauen I thinke my loue as rare,
       As any she beli'd with false compare.


       131

Thou art as tiranous, so as thou art,
As those whose beauties proudly make them cruell,
For well thou know'st to my deare doting hart
Thou art the fairest and most precious Iewell.

5

Yet in good faith some say that thee behold,
Thy face hath not the power to make loue grone;
To say they erre, I dare not be so bold,
Although I sweare it to my selfe alone.
And to be sure that is not false I sweare

10

A thousand grones but thinking on thy face,
One on anothers necke do witnesse beare
Thy blacke is fairest in my iudgements place.
       In nothing art thou blacke saue in thy deeds,
       And thence this slaunder as I thinke proceeds.


       132

Thine eies I loue, and they as pittying me,
Knowing thy heart torment me with disdaine,
Haue put on black, and louing mourners bee,
Looking with pretty ruth vpon my paine.

H4v

And truly not the morning Sun of Heauen
Better becomes the gray cheeks of th' East,
Nor that full Starre that vshers in the Eauen
Doth halfe that glory to the sober West
As those two morning eyes become thy face:

10

O let it then as well beseeme thy heart
To mourne for me since mourning doth thee grace,
And sute thy pitty like in euery part.
       Then will I sweare beauty her selfe is blacke,
       And all they foule that thy complexion lacke.


       133

Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groane
For that deepe wound it giues my friend and me;
I'st not ynough to torture me alone,
But slaue to slauery my sweet'st friend must be.

5

Me from my selfe thy cruell eye hath taken,
And my next selfe thou harder hast ingrossed,
Of him, my selfe, and thee I am forsaken,
A torment thrice three-fold thus to be crossed:
Prison my heart in thy steele bosomes warde,

10

But then my friends heart let my poore heart bale,
Who ere keepes me, let my heart be his garde,
Thou canst not then vse rigor in my Iaile.
       And yet thou wilt, for I being pent in thee,
       Perforce am thine and all that is in me.


       134

So now I haue confest that he is thine,
And I my selfe am morgag'd to thy will,
My selfe Ile forfeit, so that other mine,
Thou wilt restore to be my comfort still:

5

But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,
For thou art couetous, and he is kinde,
He learnd but suretie-like to write for me,
Vnder that bond that him as fast doth binde.
The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,

10

Thou vsurer that put'st forth all to vse,

I1

And sue a friend, came debter for my sake,
So him I loose through my vnkinde abuse.
       Him haue I lost, thou hast both him and me,
       He paies the whole, and yet am I not free.


       135

Who euer hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will too boote, and Will in ouer-plus,
More then enough am I that vexe thee still,
To thy sweete will making addition thus.

5

Wilt thou whose will is large and spatious,
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine,
Shall will in others seeme right gracious,
And in my will no faire acceptance shine:
The sea all water, yet receiues raine still,

10

And in aboundance addeth to his store,
So thou beeing rich in Will adde to thy Will,
One will of mine to make thy large Will more.
       Let no vnkinde, no faire beseechers kill,
       Thinke all but one, and me in that one Will.


       136

If thy soule check thee that I come so neere,
Sweare to thy blind soule that I was thy Will,
And will thy soule knowes is admitted there,
Thus farre for loue, my loue-sute sweet fullfill.

5

Will, will fulfill the treasure of thy loue,
I fill it full with wils, and my will one,
In things of great receit with ease we prooue.
Among a number one is reckon'd none.
Then in the number let me passe vntold,

10

Though in thy stores account I one must be,
For nothing hold me, so it please thee hold,
That nothing me, a some-thing sweet to thee.
       Make but my name thy loue, and loue that still,
       And then thou louest me for my name is Will.


       137

Thou blinde foole loue, what doost thou to mine eyes,

I1v

That they behold and see not what they see:
They know what beautie is, see where it lyes,
Yet what the best is, take the worst to be.

5

If eyes corrupt by ouer-partiall lookes,
Be anchord in the baye where all men ride,
Why of eyes falsehood hast thou forged hookes,
Whereto the iudgement of my heart is tide?
Why should my heart thinke that a seuerall plot,

10

Which my heart knowes the wide worlds common place?
Or mine eyes seeing this, say this is not
To put faire truth vpon so foule a face,
       In things right true my heart and eyes haue erred,
       And to this false plague are they now transferred.


       138

When my loue sweares that she is made of truth,
I do beleeue her though I know she lyes,
That she might thinke me some vntuterd youth,
Vnlearned in the worlds false subtilties.

5

Thus vainely thinking that she thinkes me young,
Although she knowes my dayes are past the best,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue,
On both sides thus is simple truth supprest:
But wherefore sayes she not she is vniust?

10

And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O loues best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in loue, loues not t'haue yeares told.
       Therefore I lye with her, and she with me,
       And in our faults by lyes we flattered be.


       139

O call not me to iustifie the wrong,
That thy vnkindnesse layes vpon my heart,
Wound me not with thine eye but with thy toung,
Vse power with power, and slay me not by Art,

5

Tell me thou lou'st else-where; but in my sight,
Deare heart forbeare to glance thine eye aside,
What needst thou wound with cunning when thy might

I2

Is more then my ore-prest defence can bide?
Let me excuse thee, ah my loue well knowes,

10

Her prettie lookes haue beene mine enemies,
And therefore from my face she turnes my foes,
That they else-where might dart their iniuries:
       Yet do not so, but since I am neere slaine,
       Kill me out-right with lookes, and rid my paine.


       140

Be wise as thou art cruell, do not presse
My toung-tide patience with too much disdaine:
Least sorrow lend me words and words expresse,
The manner of my pittie wanting paine,

5

If I might teach thee witte better it weare,
Though not to loue, yet loue to tell me so,
As testie sick-men when their deaths be neere,
No newes but health from their Phisitions know.
For if I should dispaire I should grow madde,

10

And in my madnesse might speake ill of thee,
Now this ill wresting world is growne so bad,
Madde slanderers by madde eares beleeued be.
       That I may not be so, nor thou be lyde,
       Beare thine eyes straight, though thy proud heart goe wide.


       141

In faith I doe not loue thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note,
But 'tis my heart what loues what they dispise,
Who in dispight of view is pleasd to dote.

5

Nor are mine eares with thy toungs tune delighted,
Nor tender feeling to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be inuited
To any sensuall feast with thee alone:
But my fiue wits, nor my fiue sences can

10

Diswade one foolish heart from seruing thee,
Who leaues vnswai'd the likenesse of a man,
Thy proud hearts slaue and vassall wretch to be:
       Onely my plague thus farre I count my gaine,
       That she that makes me sinne, awards me paine.

I2v

       142

Loue is my sinne, and thy deare vertue hate,
Hate of my sinne, grounded on sinfull louing,
O but with mine, compare thou thine owne state,
And thou shalt finde merrits not reproouing,

5

Or if it do, not from those lips of thine,
That haue prophan'd their scarlet ornaments,
And seald false bonds of loue as oft as mine,
Robd others beds reuenues of their rents.
Be it lawfull I loue thee as thou lou'st those,

10

Whome thine eyes wooe as mine importune thee,
Roote pittie in thy heart that when it growes,
Thy pitty may deserue to pittied bee.
       If thou doost seeke to haue what thou doost hide,
       By selfe example mai'st thou be denide.


       143

Loe as a carefull huswife runnes to catch,
One of her fethered creatures broake away,
Sets downe her babe and makes all swift dispatch
In pursuit of the thing she would haue stay:

5

Whilst her neglected child holds her in chace,
Cries to catch her whose busie care is bent,
To follow that which flies before her face:
Not prizing her poore infants discontent;
So runst thou after that which flies from thee,

10

Whilst I thy babe chace thee a farre behind,
But if thou catch thy hope turne back to me:
And play the mothers part kisse me, be kind.
       So will I pray that thou maist haue thy Will,
       If thou turne back and my loude crying still.


       144

Two loues I haue of comfort and dispaire,
Which like two spirits do sugiest me still,
The better angell is a man right faire:
The worser spirit a woman collour'd il.

5

To win me soone to hell my femall euill,

I3

Tempteth my better angel from my sight,
And would corrupt my saint to be a diuel:
Wooing his purity with her fowle pride.
And whether that my angel be turn'd fiend,

10

Suspect I may, yet not directly tell,
But being both from me both to each friend,
I gesse one angel in an others hel.
       Yet this shal I nere know but liue in doubt,
       Till my bad angel fire my good one out.


       145

Those lips that Loues owne hand did make,
breath'd forth the sound that said I hate,
To me that languisht for her sake:
But when she saw my wofull state,

5

Straight in her heart did mercie come,
Chiding that tongue that euer sweet,
Was vsde in giuing gentle dome:
And tought it thus a new to greete:
I hate she alterd with an end,

10

That follow'd it as gentle day,
Doth follow night who like a fiend
From heauen to hell is flowne away.
       I hate, from hate away she threw,
       And sau'd my life saying not you.


       146

Poore soule the center of my sinfull earth,
My sinfull earth these rebbell powres that thee array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth
Painting thy outward walls so costlie gay?

5

Why so large cost hauing so short a lease,
Dost thou vpon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall wormes inheritors of this excesse,
Eate vp thy charge? is this thy bodies end?
Then soule liue thou vpon thy seruants losse,

10

And let that pine to aggrauat thy store;
Buy tearmes diuine in selling houres of drosse:

I3v

Within be fed, without be rich no more,
       So shalt thou feed on death, that feeds on men,
       And death once dead, ther's no more dying then.


       147

My loue is as a feauer longing still,
For that which longer nurseth the disease.
Feeding on that which doth preserue the ill,
Th'vncertaine sicklie appetite to please:

5

My reason the Phisition to my loue,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept
Hath left me, and I desperate now approoue.
Desire is death, which Phisick did except.
Past cure I am, now Reason is past care,

10

And frantick madde with euer-more vnrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as mad mens are,
At randon from the truth vainely exprest.
       For I haue sworne thee faire, and thought thee bright,
       Who art as black as hell, as darke as night.


       148

O me what eyes hath loue put in my head,
Which haue no correspondence with true sight,
Or if they haue, where is my iudgment fled,
That censures falsely what they see aright?

5

If that be faire whereon my false eyes dote,
What meanes the world to say it is not so?
If it be not, then loue doth well denote,
Loues eye is not so true as all mens: no,
How can it? O how can loues eye be true,

10

That is so vext with watching and with teares?
No maruaile then though I mistake my view,
The sunne it selfe sees not, till heauen cleeres.
       O cunning loue, with teares thou keepst me blinde,
       Least eyes well seeing thy foule faults should finde.


       149

Canst thou O cruell, say I loue thee not,
When I against my selfe with thee pertake:

I4

Doe I not thinke on thee when I forgot
Am of my selfe, all tirant for thy sake?

5

Who hateth thee that I doe call my friend,
On whom froun'st thou that I doe faune vpon.
Nay if thou lowrst on me doe I not spend
Reuenge vpon my selfe with present mone?
What merrit do I in my selfe respect,

10

That is so proude thy seruice to dispise,
When all my best doth worship thy defect,
Commanded by the motion of thine eyes.
       But loue hate on for now I know thy minde,
       Those that can see thou lou'st, and I am blind.


       150

Oh from what powre hast thou this powrefull might,
With insufficiency my heart to sway,
To make me giue the lie to my true sight,
And swere that brightnesse doth not grace the day?

5

Whence hast thou this becomming of things il,
That in the very refuse of thy deeds,
There is such strength and warrantise of skill,
That in my minde thy worst all best exceeds?
Who taught thee how to make me loue thee more,

10

The more I heare and see iust cause of hate,
Oh though I loue what others doe abhor,
With others thou shouldst not abhor my state.
       If thy vnworthinesse raisd loue in me,
       More worthy I to be belou'd of thee.


       151

Loue is too young to know what conscience is,
Yet who knowes not conscience is borne of loue,
Then gentle cheater vrge not my amisse,
Least guilty of my faults thy sweet selfe proue.

5

For thou betraying me, I doe betray
My nobler part to my grose bodies treason,
My soule doth tell my body that he may,
Triumph in loue, flesh staies no farther reason,

I4v

But rysing at thy name doth point out thee,

10

As his triumphant prize, proud of this pride,
He is contented thy poore drudge to be
To stand in thy affaires, fall by thy side.
       No want of conscience hold it that I call,
       Her loue, for whose deare loue I rise and fall.


       152

In louing thee thou know'st I am forsworne,
But thou art twice forsworne to me loue swearing,
In act thy bed-vow broake and new faith torne,
In vowing new hate after new loue bearing:

5

But why of two othes breach doe I accuse thee,
When I breake twenty: I am periur'd most,
For all my vowes are othes but to misuse thee:
And all my honest faith in thee is lost
For I haue sworne deepe othes of thy deepe kindnesse:

10

Othes of thy loue, thy truth, thy constancie,
And to inlighten thee gaue eyes to blindnesse,
Or made them swere against the thing they see.
       For I haue sworne thee faire: more periurde eye,
       To swere against the truth so foule a lie.


       153

Cupid laid by his brand and fell a sleepe,
A maide of Dyans this aduantage found,
And his loue-kindling fire did quickly steepe
In a could vallie-fountaine of that ground:

5

Which borrowd from this holie fire of loue,
A datelesse liuely heat still to indure,
And grew a seething bath which yet men proue,
Against strange malladies a soueraigne cure:
But at my mistres eie loues brand new fired,

10

The boy for triall needes would touch my brest,
I sick withall the helpe of bath desired,
And thether hied a sad distemperd guest.
       But found no cure, the bath for my helpe lies,
       Where Cupid got new fire; my mistres eye.

K1

       154

The little Loue-God lying once a sleepe,
Laid by his side his heart inflaming brand,
Whilst many Nymphes that vou'd chast life to keep,
Came tripping by, but in her maiden hand,

5

The fayrest votary tooke vp that fire,
Which many Legions of true hearts had warm'd,
And so the Generall of hot desire,
Was sleeping by a Virgin hand disarm'd.
This brand she quenched in a coole Well by,

10

Which from loues fire tooke heat perpetuall,
Growing a bath and healthfull remedy,
For men diseasd, but I my Mistrisse thrall,
       Came there for cure and this by that I proue,
       Loues fire heates water, water cooles not loue.


       F I N I S