THE YOUNG EARL'S LAPSES. 239 sagacious and sincere, and he who wrote these lines must have been known by the person addressed to have kept his own life sweet, his affections high and pure, for his words to have had either weight or warrant of authority. As one of the lines had appeared in a play in the year 1596, the sonnet to which it belongs, together with the rest of the group, would not be written later, I think, than 1595, or early in the year following; but it is of course impossible to date every one of the sonnets: 1 Tired with all these, for restful death I cry, — As, to behold desert a beggar born, And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity, Tired with all these, from these I would be gone, Ah! wherefore with infection should he live,' Why should false painting imitate his cheek, Why should he live, now Nature bankrupt is, Beggared of blood to blush thro' lively veins? 'Ah, wherefore with infection should he live?' (66.) In sonnet 111, it is the speaker who offers to drink potions of Eysell' because of his strong infection.' For she hath no exchequer now but his, And, proud of many, lives upon his gains: O! him she stores, to show what wealth she had Thus is his cheek the map of days out-worn, And him as for a map doth Nature store, (67.) (68.) 1 Without all ornament itself and true.' Surely we ought to read 'himself and true,' says Malone. Surely not: If the eye be lifted one half inch beyond the nose, it will perceive that the 'Beauty' of the 2nd and 8th lines governs the itself of the 10th. The Poet means Beauty, 'simple, of itself,' as was Falstaff's sack! N.B.-A like case occurs in the Tempest,' and, if I do not greatly err, a similar look backward will tend to simplify a perplexing passage :— 'My sweet mistress Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness Had ne'er like executor! I forget But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours Most busiless when I do IT.' He Here the labours are referred to parenthetically: the previous 'work' is the 'it' of the last line. Ferdinand says, for his part he forgets, not only the baseness of his work, but the work altogether; is only reminded of it by these sweet thoughts that will come and perforce refresh his labours. is least occupied with the work, least engaged in it as a matter of business, most unbusied by it, or most busiless whilst doing it, because his thoughts are with her who thus turns his consciousness into comforting. The subtle, dreamy lover-like beauty of his 'I forget -he only thinking parenthetically, and by reflex from his mistress even of how the labour is lost in the love!is one of the poet's rarest effects. So rare and fine is it that the meaninglike the smitten harp-string-is almost rapt from sight to pass away in sound. 'NOBLESSE OBLIGE.' Those parts of thee that the world's eye doth view By seeing farther than the eye hath shown: They look into the beauty of thy mind, And that in guess they measure by thy deeds;1 241 Then (churls) their thoughts, altho' their eyes were kind, But why thy odour matcheth not thy show, They that have power to hurt and will do none, But if that flower with base infection meet, The basest weed outbraves his dignity! (69.) For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; (94.) 1 Thy Glass will show thee how thy beauties wear, 'Thy deeds.' In Sonnet 111, it is the speaker who bewails his 'harmful deeds.' 2 Thou dost common grow.' In Sonnet 112, the speaker has been the mark of common scandal. R The wrinkles which thy Glass will truly show Look, what thy memory cannot contain Commit to these waste blanks, and thou shalt find Those children nursed-delivered from thy brain-To take a new acquaintance of thy mind: These offices, so oft as thou wilt look, Shall profit thee, and much enrich thy Book. (77.) DRAMATIC SONNETS. 1597-8. A FAREWELL OF THE EARL'S TO ELIZABETH VERNON. It has now come to a parting in downright earnest with Southampton and Elizabeth Vernon. The lover speaks as one who has an honourable grief lodged here, that burns worse than tears can drown.' She is too dear for him to possess. He has called her his for awhile, because she gave herself to him, either not knowing her worth or his unworthiness. She gave herself away upon a mistake, a misconception, his patent having been granted in error; and her better judgment recalls the gift. Farewell! Whatsoever reason she may assign for this course, he will support it, and make no defence on his own behalf. She cannot disgrace him half so badly, whatever excuse she may put forth for this desired change,' as he will disgrace himself. Knowing her will, he will not claim her acquaintance, but walk no more in the old accustomed meeting-places; and should they meet by chance, he will look strange, see her as though he saw her not. He will not name her name lest he- too much profane'-should soil it, and very possibly tell of their acquaintanceship. He will fight against himself in every way for her; he must never love him whom she hates. Then hate me |