Page:The New Life (Rossetti 1899) Siddal ed.djvu/138

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To weep and let the smothered anguish rise.

Also in sighing ye shall hear me call

On her whose blessed presence doth enrich

The only home that well befitteth her:

And ye shall hear a bitter scorn of all

Sent from the inmost of my spirit in speech

That mourns its joy and its joy's minister.

But when I had written this sonnet, bethinking me who he was to whom I was to give it, that it might appear to be his speech, it seemed to me that this was but a poor and barren gift for one of her so near kindred. Wherefore, before giving him this sonnet, I wrote two stanzas of a poem: the first being written in very sooth as though it were spoken by him, but the other being mine own speech, albeit, unto one who should not look closely, they would both seem to be said by the same person. Nevertheless,