William Shakespeare, Sonnet lxvi
As, to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
4
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd ,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd ,
8
And strength by limping sway disabled,
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly (doctor-like) controlling skill
12
And captive good attending captain ill:
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.
Notes
line 11: Simplicity is here used for folly. [ Back to text ]
Most notes to Shakespeare's sonnets are from Charles Knight's edition, but those in square brackets are mine.