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II

;

Two loves I have, of comfort and despair,
That like two spirits do suggest me still
My better angel is a man right fair,
My worser spirit a woman colour'd ill.
To win me soon to hell, my female evil
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
Wooing his purity with her fair pride.
And whether that my angel be turn'd fiend,
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell :

For being both to me, both to each friend,
I guess one angel in another's hell:

The truth I shall not know, but live in doubt,

Till my

bad angel fire

my good one out.

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III

Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,
'Gainst whom the world could not hold argument,
Persuade my heart to this false perjury?

Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.

A woman I forswore; but I will
prove,
Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:
My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;
Thy grace being gain'd cures all disgrace in me.
My vow was breath, and breath a vapour is ;

Then, thou fair sun, that on this earth doth shine,
Exhale this vapour vow; in thee it is:

If broken, then it is no fault of mine.

If by me broke, what fool is not so wise
To break an oath, to win a paradise?

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IO

IV

Sweet Cytherea, sitting by a brook

With young Adonis, lovely, fresh and green,
Did court the lad with many a lovely look,
Such looks as none could look but beauty's queen.
She told him stories to delight his ear,

She show'd him favours to allure his

eye;

To win his heart, she touch'd him here and there;
Touches so soft still conquer chastity.

But whether unripe years did want conceit,
Or he refused to take her figured proffer,

The tender nibbler would not touch the bait,
But smile and jest at every gentle offer:

Then fell she on her back, fair queen, and toward :
He rose and ran away; ah, fool too froward.

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ΙΟ

V

5

If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?
O never faith could hold, if not to beauty vowed:
Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll constant prove;
Those thoughts, to me like oaks, to thee like osiers bowed.
Study his bias leaves, and make his book thine eyes,
Where all those pleasures live that art can comprehend.
If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;
Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend :
All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder
Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire: 10
Thine eye Jove's lightning seems, thy voice his dreadful
thunder,

Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.

;

Celestial as thou art, O do not love that wrong,
To sing heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue.

VI

Scarce had the sun dried up the dewy morn,
And scarce the herd gone to the hedge for shade,
When Cytherea, all in love forlorn,
A longing tarriance for Adonis made
Under an osier growing by a brook,

A brook where Adon used to cool his spleen:
Hot was the day; she hotter that did look
For his approach, that often there had been.
Anon he comes, and throws his mantle by,
And stood stark naked on the brook's green
The sun look'd on the world with glorious eye,
Yet not so wistly as this queen on him.

brim :

He, spying her, bounced in, whereas he stood:
'O Jove,' quoth she, 'why was not I a flood!'

ΙΟ

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