The Sonnets and Other Poems (29 page)

‘ “The diamond — why, ’twas beautiful and hard,
Whereto his
invised
²¹²
properties did tend —
The deep-green em’rald,
in whose fresh regard
²¹³
Weak sights their sickly radiance do amend —
The
heaven-hued
²¹⁵
sapphire and the opal
blend
With
objects manifold
²¹⁶
: each
several
stone,
With wit well
blazoned
²¹⁷
,
smiled or made some moan
.

‘ “Lo, all these trophies of affections
hot
²¹⁸
,
Of
pensived
²¹⁹
and subdued desires the
tender
,
Nature hath charged me that I hoard them not,
But yield them up where I myself must render,
That is, to you, my origin and ender:
For these of
force
²²³
must your
oblations
be,
Since
I their altar, you enpatron me
²²⁴
.

‘ “O then, advance of yours that
phraseless
²²⁵
hand,
Whose white weighs down the airy scale of praise,
Take all these
similes
²²⁷
to your own command,
Hallowed
²²⁸
with sighs that burning lungs did
raise
.
What me, your minister, for you obeys
²²⁹
,
Works under you and to your
audit
²³⁰
comes
Their
distract parcels
²³¹
in combinèd sums.

‘ “
Lo
²³²
, this
device
was sent me from a nun,
Or sister sanctified, of holiest
note
²³³
,
Which
late
²³⁴
her noble suit in court
did shun,
Whose
rarest havings
²³⁵
made the
blossoms
dote
,
For she was sought by spirits of
richest coat
²³⁶
But kept
cold
²³⁷
distance and did thence
remove
To spend her
living
²³⁸
in
eternal love
.

‘ “But, O my sweet,
what labour is’t
²³⁹
to leave
The thing we have not, mast’ring what
not strives
²⁴⁰
,
Paling
²⁴¹
the place
which did no
form
receive,
Playing patient sports in unconstrainèd gyves
²⁴²
?
She that
her fame so to herself contrives
²⁴³
,
The scars of battle scapeth by the flight
And makes her absence valiant, not her might.

‘ “O, pardon me, in that my boast is true:
The
accident
²⁴⁷
which brought me to her eye
Upon the moment did her force subdue
And now she would the cagèd
cloister
²⁴⁹
fly.
Religious love
²⁵⁰
put out religion’s eye:
Not to be tempted, would she be immured,
And now, to tempt all, liberty procured
²⁵¹
.

‘ “How mighty then you are! O hear me tell!
The broken bosoms that to me belong
Have emptied all their
fountains
²⁵⁵
in my well
And mine I pour your ocean all among:
I
strong
²⁵⁷
o’er them and you o’er me being strong,
Must
for
²⁵⁸
your victory us all
congest
As
compound
²⁵⁹
love to
physic
your cold breast.

‘ “My
parts
²⁶⁰
had power to charm a sacred nun,
Who, disciplined, ay, dieted in grace,
Believed her eyes when
they t’assail begun
²⁶²
,
All vows and
consecrations
²⁶³
giving place.
O most
potential
²⁶⁴
love! Vow, bond, nor space,
In thee hath neither
sting
²⁶⁵
, knot, nor
confine
,
For thou art all and all things else are thine.

‘ “When thou
impressest
²⁶⁷
, what are
precepts
worth
Of stale example? When thou wilt inflame,
How coldly those impediments stand forth
Of wealth, of
filial fear
²⁷⁰
, law, kindred,
fame
!
Love’s arms
are peace, gainst
²⁷¹
rule, gainst sense, gainst shame,
And sweetens, in the suff’ring
pangs
²⁷²
it bears,
The
aloes
²⁷³
of all
forces
,
shocks
and fears.

‘ “Now all these hearts that do on mine depend,
Feeling it break, with
bleeding groans
²⁷⁵
they pine,
And supplicant their sighs to you extend
To leave the batt’ry that you make gainst mine,
Lending soft audience to my sweet design
And credent soul to that strong-bonded oath
That shall prefer and undertake my
troth
^280
278
.”

‘This said, his watery eyes he did
dismount
²⁸¹
,
Whose sights till then were levelled on my face:
Each cheek a river running from a fount
With
brinish
²⁸⁴
current downward flowed
apace
.
O, how the
channel
²⁸⁵
to the stream gave grace,
Who
²⁸⁶
glazed with crystal
gate
the glowing roses
That flame through water which their hue encloses!

‘O father, what a hell of witchcraft lies
In the small orb of one particular tear.
But with the
inundation
²⁹⁰
of the eyes
What rocky heart to water will not
wear
²⁹¹
?
What breast so cold that is not warmèd here?
O
cleft
²⁹³
effect! Cold modesty, hot
wrath
,
Both fire from hence and chill
extincture
²⁹⁴
hath.

‘For lo, his passion, but an
art of craft
²⁹⁵
,
Even there
resolved
²⁹⁶
my reason into tears.
There my white
stole
²⁹⁷
of chastity I
daffed
,
Shook off my sober
guards
²⁹⁸
and
civil fears
,
Appear to him as he to me appears,
All melting, though our drops this difference bore:
His poisoned me and mine did him restore.

‘In him a plenitude of
subtle
³⁰²
matter,
Applied to
cautels
³⁰³
,
all strange forms receives
,
Of burning blushes, or of weeping water,
Or swooning paleness: and he
takes and leaves,
In either’s aptness, as it best deceives
³⁰⁵
,
To blush at speeches
rank
³⁰⁷
, to weep at woes,
Or to turn white and swoon at tragic shows,

‘That not a heart which in his
level
³⁰⁹
came
Could scape the hail of his all-hurting aim,
Showing fair nature is both kind and tame
³¹¹
,
And, veiled in
them
³¹²
, did win whom he would maim.
Against the thing he sought he would exclaim
³¹³
,
When he most burned in heart-wished
luxury
³¹⁴
,
He preached pure maid and praised cold chastity.

‘Thus
merely
³¹⁶
with the garment of a
grace
The naked and concealèd fiend he covered,
That
th’unexperient
³¹⁸
gave the tempter place,
Which
³¹⁹
like a
cherubin
above them hovered.
Who, young and
simple
³²⁰
, would not be so
lovered
?
Ay me, I
fell
³²¹
, and yet do question make
What I should do again for
such a sake
³²²
.

‘O, that infected moisture of his eye,
O, that false fire which in his cheek so glowed,
O, that forced thunder from his heart did fly,
O, that sad breath his
spongy
³²⁶
lungs bestowed,
O, all that borrowed
motion
³²⁷
seeming owed
,
Would yet again betray
the fore-betrayed
³²⁸
And new pervert a
reconcilèd
³²⁹
maid.’

Q = First Quarto text of 1593

Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1594

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

185
Souring
= Q
(
So wring
)
193
shines but
= Q
corrected by hand in unique copy to
shineth but
198
earthly
= Q
corrected by hand in unique copy to
this earthly
231
deer
spelled
deare
in
Q
325
chafing
= Q. Ed = chasing
466
love
= Q. Ed = loss
654
air
= Q. Ed = earth
748
th’impartial
= Q2. Q = the th’impartiall
754
sons
= Q2. Q = suns
832
deeply
= Q. Ed = doubly
873
twined
= Q
(
twin’d
)
. Ed = twine
962
the
= Q. Ed = her
1031
are
= Q. Ed = as
1054
had
= Q. Ed = was
1095
sung
= Ed. Q = song
1113
did
= Q. Q2 = would

Q = First Quarto text of 1594

Q
(uncorrected)
= uncorrected version of this edition

Q
(corrected)
= corrected version of this edition

Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1598

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

THE RAPE OF LUCRECE
= Q
(poem header and running header, but just
LUCRECE
on title page)
21
peer
= Q. Q2 = prince
24
morning’s
= Q
(corrected)
. Q
(uncorrected)
= morning
31
apology
= Q
(uncorrected)
. Q
(corrected)
= Apologies
48
repentant
= Q. Ed = repentance
50
Collatium
= Q
(uncorrected)
. Q
(corrected)
= Colatia
77
in
= Q. Ed = o’er
125
themselves betake
= Q
(corrected)
. Q
(uncorrected)
= himself betakes
126
wake
= Q
(corrected)
. Q
(uncorrected)
= wakes
425
Slaked
spelled
Slakt
in
Q. Ed = Slacked
550
blows
= Ed. Q = blow
684
prone
= Q. Ed = proud/foul
755
in
= Q. Ed = e’en
782
musty
= Q. Ed = misty
812
quote
spelled
cote
in
Q
950
cherish
= Q. Ed = perish/blemish
1037
betumbled
spelled
betombled
in
Q
1310
tenor
spelled
tenure
in
Q
1316
stained her stained
= Q. Ed = stained her strain’d/stained her stain’s
1452
chaps
spelled
chops
in
Q
1652
robbed
spelled
rob’d
in
Q
1680
on
= Q. Ed = one/in
1712
The
= Q. Ed = Her
1713
in it
= Ed. Q = it in
1822
wounds help
= Q. Ed = wounds heal

O1 = First Octavo text of 1598/99

O2 = Second Octavo text of 1599

O3 = Third Octavo text of 1612

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

EH =
England’s Helicon
(1600)

Griffin = Bartholomew Griffin’s
Fidessa
(1596)

LLL =
Love’s Labour’s Lost
(1597/1623)

MS = manuscript copy/copies held in Folger Library

Weelkes = Thomas Weelkes,
Madrigals to 3, 4, 5, and 6 voices
(1597)

The only surviving copy of O1 is a fragment containing poems 1–5, 16–18; the remaining poems are edited from O2

1.11
habit’s in
= O1. O2 = habite is

3.11
Exhal’st
= LLL (Exhalst). O1 = Exhalt, O2 = Exhale

4.13
her
= O2. O1 = his

7.10
whereof
= O2. O3 = thereof
11
midst
= O3. O2 = mids

10.1
faded
spelled
vaded
in
O2
8
left’st
= Ed. O2 = lefts

11.1
Adonis
= O2. Griffin = yong
Adonis
3
god
= O2/O3. MS = great
4
she fell
= O2/O3. Griffin = so fell she
5
warlike
= O2/O3. Griffin = wanton

13.2
fadeth
spelled
vadeth
in
O
(also subsequently)

14.3
care
= O2. O3 = eare
14
the watch
= O2. Ed = them watch
27
a moon
= Ed. O2/O3 = an houre

16.12
thorn
= EH. O1 = throne

17.27
stand
= Weelkes/EH. O1 = stands
28
back peeping
= EH. O1 = blacke peeping; Weelkes = back creping
34
woe
= O1. EH = moane

19.1
Live
= O2. EH = Come live

Stanford = a reading in the original manuscript of “To the Queen” (commonplace book of Henry Stanford, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.5.75, fol. 46)

Ed = a modern editorial reading

TO THE QUEEN
= Stanford (“to the Q. by the players 1598”);
date is old-style calendar

16
fathers’
= Ed. Stanford = father

The 1601 Quarto printing in Robert Chester’s collection,
Love’s Martyr
, contains no disputed readings.

Q = First Quarto text of 1609

MS = a reading in an early manuscript copy

O1 = First Octavo of
The Passionate Pilgrim
(1598/99)

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

2.4
tattered
= MS. Q = totter’d
11
‘This…excuse’
speechmarks
= Ed

5.14
Lose
spelled
Leese
in
Q

6.4
beauty’s
= Ed. Q = beautits

8.0
MS
Sonnet 8
=
title
“In laudem musice et opprobrium contemptoris eiusdem”
(
“In praise of music and opprobium of those who hold it in contempt”
)
14
‘Thou…none’
speechmarks
= Ed

12.4
all silvered o’er
= Ed. Q = or siluer’d ore.
Alternate
Ed = are silver’d o’er/o’er-silvered all/ensilvered o’er/o’er-silvered are

13.7
Yourself
= Ed. Q = You selfe

14.8
oft
= Q. Ed = aught/ought

17.12
metre
spelled
miter
in
Q

19.5
fleet’st
= Q. Ed = fleets
14
ever live
= Q. Ed = live ever

20.7
man in
= Q. Ed = maiden/native/maid in

21.5
couplement
= Q
(
coopelment
)
. Ed = Complement

22.3
furrows
= Q
(
forrwes
)
. Ed = Sorrows
4
expiate
= Q. Ed = expirate

23.6
rite
s
pelled
right
in
Q
9
books
= Q. Ed = looks
14
with…wit
= Ed. Q = wit…wiht

24.1
stelled
spelled
steeld
in
Q

25.9
might
= Ed. Q = worth.
Alternate
Ed = fight
11
quite
= Q. Ed = forth

26.11
tattered
spelled
tottered
in
Q
12
thy
= Ed. Q = their

27.2
travel
spelled
trauaill
in
Q
10
thy
= Ed. Q = their

28.5
either’s
= Q
(
ethers
)
. Ed = other’s
12
gild’st the even
= Ed. Q = guil’st th’ eauen
13–14
longer…length…stronger
= Q. Ed = longer…strength…stronger/stronger…length…longer

30.8
sight
= Q. Ed = sigh

31.8
there
= Q. Ed = thee

32.10
‘Had…love’
speechmarks
= Ed

33.8
west
= Q. Ed = rest

34.12
cross
= Ed. losse = Q

35.8
thy…thy
= Ed. Q = their…their.
Alternate
Ed = thy…their/their…thy/thee…thy/these…these
9
in sense
= Q
(
in sence
).
Ed = Incense

37.7
thy
= Ed. Q = their

39.12
dost
= Q. Ed = do/doth

40.7
this self
= Q. Ed = thy self
8
thyself
= Q
(
thy selfe
).
Ed = thy sense

41.8
he
= Q. Ed = she
9
mightst
= Ed. Q = mighst

43.11
thy
= Ed. Q = their

44.13
naught
= Ed. Q = naughts

45.5
For
= Q. Ed = Forth/So
12
thy
= Ed. Q = their

46.3, 8
thy
= Ed. Q = their
13, 14
thy
= Ed. Q = their.
Alternate
Ed = thine

47.10
are
= Q. Ed = art
11
not
= Ed. Q = nor.
Alternate
Ed = no

50.4
‘Thus…friend’
speechmarks
= Ed
6
dully
spelled
duly
in
Q

51.11
neigh
= Q
(
naigh
)
. Ed = weigh/raign

54.14
fade
spelled
vade
in
Q
my
= Ed. Q = by

55.1
monuments
= Ed. Q = monument
9
all oblivious
= Q. Ed = all-
oblivious/all oblivion’s

56.13
Or
= Ed. Q = As.
Alternate
Ed = Else

58.11
To
= Q. Ed = Do

59.11
whe’er
spelled
where
in
Q

61.8
tenure
= Q. Ed = tenor

62.7
for
= Q. Ed = so
do
= Q. Ed = so
10
Beated
= Q. Ed = ’Bated/Batter’d/Blasted/Beaten

63.3
filed
= Ed. Q = fild.
Alternate
Ed = filled

65.10
chest
= Q. Ed = quest
12
Or…of
= Ed. Q = Or…or.
Alternate
Ed = Or…o’er

67.6
seeing
= Q. Ed = seeming
12
proud
= Q. Ed = prov’d

69.3
that due
= Ed. Q = that end.
Alternate
Ed = thy due
5
Thy
= Ed. Q = Their.
Alternate
Ed = Thine
14
soil
= Ed. Q = solye.
Alternate
Ed = solve