Page:Shakespeare's Sonnets (1923) Yale.djvu/77

Shakespeare's Sonnets 

Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan

For that deep wound it gives my friend and me!

Is 't not enough to torture me alone,

But slave to slavery my sweet'st friend must be?

Me from myself thy cruel eye hath taken,

And my next self thou harder hast engross'd:

Of him, myself, and thee, I am forsaken;

A torment thrice threefold thus to be cross'd.

Prison my heart in thy steel bosom's ward,

But then my friend's heart let my poor heart bail;

Whoe'er keeps me, let my heart be his guard;

Thou canst not then use rigour in my jail:

And yet thou wilt; for I, being pent in thee,

Perforce am thine, and all that is in me.

 

So, now I have confess'd that he is thine,

And I myself am mortgag'd to thy will,

Myself I'll forfeit, so that other mine

Thou wilt restore, to be my comfort still:

But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,

For thou art covetous and he is kind;

He learn'd but surety-like to write for me,

Under that bond that him as fast doth bind.

The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,

Thou usurer, that putt'st forth all to use,

And sue a friend came debtor for my sake;

So him I lose through my unkind abuse.

Him have I lost; thou hast both him and me:

He pays the whole, and yet am I not free.

 6 my next self: my friend

engross'd: gained exclusive possession of

10 bail: go bail for (?), guard (?)  3 other mine: other self

5 nor he will not be free: nor does he wish freedom

7 He learn'd me: he released me by pledging himself as security

9 statute of thy beauty: bond giving possession obtained by thy beauty

10 to use: to interest

11 came: who became

12 my unkind abuse: unnatural wrong done to me 