4

Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend

Upon thyself thy beauty's legacy ?

Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,

And, being frank, she lends to those are free.

Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse

The bounteous largess given thee to give ?

Profitless usurer, why dost thou use

So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live ?

For having traffic with thyself alone,

Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.

Then how when nature calls thee to be gone,

What acceptable audit canst thou leave ?

      Thy unus'd beauty must be tomb'd with thee,

      Which, used, lives th' executor to be.

William Shakespeare, Tragedies/Poems, IV

2

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,

And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,

Thy youth's proud livery, so gaz'd on now,

Will be a tatter'd weed of small worth held.

Then being ask'd where all thy beauty lies,

Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,

To say within thine own deep-sunken eyes

Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.

How much more praise deserv'd thy beauty's use,

If thou couldst answer '  This fair child of mine

Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse '

Proving his beauty by succession thine !

      This were to be new made when thou art old,

      And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.

William Shakespeare, Tragedies/Poems, IV

-

TO. THE. ONLIE. BEGETTER. OF.

THESE. INSUING. SONNETS.

MR. W. H. ALL. HAPPINESSE.

AND. THAT. ETERNITIE.

PROMISED.

BY.

OUR. EVER-LIVING. POET.

WISHETH.

THE. WELL-WISHING.

ADVENTURER. IN.

SETTING.

FORTH.

T.T.

TRAGEDIES

-------

POEMS

 o

WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE

IV

_____

COLLINS