To their grosse sence applie her selfe so ill?
Would God I were as ignorant as they
When I am made vnhappy by my skill;
Onely compeld on this poore good to boast,
Heauens are not kind to them that know them most.
Sonnet 46
Plain-path’d Experience
the vnlearneds guide,
Her simple followers euidently
shewes,
Sometime what schoolemen scarcely
can decide,
Nor yet wise Reason absolutely
knowes:
In making triall of a murther
wrought,
If the vile actor of the heinous
deede,
Neere the dead bodie happily
be brought,
Oft hath been prou’d
the breathlesse coarse will bleed;
She comming neere that my
poore hart hath slaine,
Long since departed, (to the
world no more)
The auncient wounds no longer
can containe,
But fall to bleeding as they
did before:
But what of this?
should she to death be led,
It furthers iustice,
but helpes not the dead.
Sonnet 47
In pride of wit, when high
desire of fame
Gaue life and courage to my
labouring pen,
And first the sound and vertue
of my name,
Won grace and credit in the
eares of men:
With those the thronged Theaters
that presse,
I in the circuite for the
Lawrell stroue,
Where the full praise I freely
must confesse,
In heate of blood a modest
minde might moue:
With showts and daps at euerie
little pawse,
When the prowd round on euerie
side hath rung,
Sadly I sit vnmou’d
with the applawse,
As though to me it nothing
did belong:
No publique glorie
vainely I pursue,
The praise I striue,
is to eternize you.
Sonnet 50
As in some Countries far remote
from hence,
The wretched creature destined
to die,
Hauing the iudgement due to
his offence,
By Surgeons begg’d,
their Art on him to trie:
Which on the liuing worke
without remorce,
First make incision on each
maistring vaine,
Then stanch the bleeding,
then transperce the coarse,
And with their balmes recure
the wounds againe,
Then poison and with Phisicke
him restore,
Not that they feare the hopelesse
man to kill,
But their experience to encrease
the more;
Euen so my Mistresse works
vpon my ill,
By curing me,
and killing me each howre,
Onely to shew
her beauties soueraigne powre.