may produce one or "ten," or "ten times ten," and the greater the number, the greater the good, if "they refigure Thee" (if they are born of his thoughts). In such case death cannot destroy him. His thoughts will live in posterity (his works). And as he is "much too fair" (possessed of the requisite qualifications), he should anticipate death by his labors, and win immortality in his works.

SONNET 7.

Lo, in the orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
Serving with looks his sacred majesty;
And having climb'd the steep-up heavenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,
Attending on his golden pilgrimage;

But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,
Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,
The eyes, fore duteous, now converted are
From his low tract, and look another way:

So Thou, Thyself outgoing in Thy noon,
Unlook'd on, diest, unless Thou get a son.

As of the sun, so grand in its rising and ascension to its meridian, like a strong youth in middle life, commanding the "homage" of all, and so "weary" and "feeble" in its decline, "like feeble age," causing all to "look another way," so it may be said of him, that unless he prepares some undying testimonial of his genius before the noon, or middle of his life, no record will remain to perpetuate his name or memory.

SONNET 8.

Music to hear, why hear'st Thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy.
Why lov'st Thou that which Thou receiv'st not gladly,
Or else receiv'st with pleasure Thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide Thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that Thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering,
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing;
Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one,
Sings this to Thee: "Thou single wilt prove none.

So of music also! It is only offensive to that ear which confounds its parts (hears them singly); but when all the strings strike in order, like "sire and child and happy mother," and all are heard as "one pleasing note" (in perfect unison), then the notes, being many, strike upon the ear as one, and these "sing to him" (enforce our argument). "Thou single wilt prove none" (Truth alone, without a development, is intangible and useless).

SONNET 9.

Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye

That Thou consum'st Thyself in single life?
Ah! if Thou issueless shalt hap to die,
The world will wail Thee like a makeless wife;
The world will be Thy widow, and still weep
That Thou no form of Thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep,
By children's eyes, her husband's shape in mind.

Look, what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,
And kept unus'd, the user so destroys it.

No love toward others in that bosom sits,

That on himself such murtherous shame commits.

Is it for fear of failure to exhibit Truth correctly that he remains silent? If he fails to produce a work worthy of himself, "the world will wail him like a makeless wife." (As a wife who sorrowed that she had never been blessed with children, so the world will regret that one so gifted should die without leaving any record of his abilities; and in that sense will be his widow, and remember him only as one who wasted his powers, leaving nothing to tell that he had ever existed.) He was an "unthrift" (a worthless fellow), who had Beauty in possession, but never used it, or delineated it, and it was necessarily of no account. He could have no love or regard for his fellows, as was evident from the "murtherous shame" (the neglect and sacrifice) of his own powers.

SONNET 10.

For shame! deny that Thou bear'st love to any,

Who for Thyself art so unprovident.

Grant, if Thou wilt, Thou art belov'd of many,

But that Thou none lov'st is most evident;

For Thou art so possess'd with murtherous hate,
That 'gainst Thyself Thou stick'st not to conspire,
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate,
Which to repair should be Thy chief desire.

O, change Thy thought, that I may change My mind!
Shall hate be fairer lodg'd than gentle love?

Be, as Thy presence is, gracious and kind,
Or to Thyself at least kind-hearted prove;
Make Thee another self, for love of Me,

That beauty still may live in Thine or Thee.

In this stanza he rebukes Thou (Truth), charging him with indifference to all, and entire disregard of his own powers. He cares nothing for the esteem in which others hold him, but is so neglectful of his own thoughts, that all his acquirements, which should be devoted to some good purpose, will fall into decay from disuse. "O, change Thy thought, that I may change My mind," is the same as if he had besought Truth to aid him in giving direction to his thoughts. Such "hate" (indifference) as Truth exhibits, and such "love" (desire) as he feels to work, ought not to dwell in the same person. He contemplates his thoughts with pleasure, and asks for their kindness in return, and "for love of Me make Thee another self" (with Truth as the foundation, he will produce some work worthy of himself). "That Beauty still may live in Thine and Thee" (which shall display the imagery and brilliancy of his own thoughts, and give them endurance).

SONNET 11.

As fast as Thou shalt wane, so fast Thou growest
In one of Thine, from that which Thou departest;

And that fresh blood which youngly Thou bestowest,

Thou may'st call Thine, when Thou from youth convertest.

Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase;
Without this, folly, age, and cold decay:
If all were minded so, the time should cease,
And threescore year would make the world away.
Let those whom Nature hath not made for store,
Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish:
Look, whom she best endow'd, she gave the more,
Which bounteous gift Thou shouldst in bounty cherish.
She carv'd Thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

In the promise here made to Thou (Truth), that "as fast as Thou shalt wane, so fast Thou growest in one of Thine," we are assured that as soon as one drama is completed another will be begun, in which Truth will be exhibited in his thought, and that "fresh blood, which youngly thou bestowest " (these early productions of his genius), "Thou may'st call Thine when Thou from youth convertest" (will bear testimony to his great powers of delineation when he is old). All that is good and beautiful in his nature will assist him in his labors, but if he neglects them all, his worst qualities will take possession of him, and he will be forgotten. If such a course of life were pursued by all, the world would be destitute of truth in "threescore year" (a single life). In the remaining lines of this stanza he shows that he had a full appreciation of his own great abilities, as contrasted with the common allotment. He owed it to Nature, which had so grandly endowed him, to make a corresponding return. She had given him more than those whom "she best endowed."