The sly enchanter when to work his will And secret wrong on some forespoken wight, Frames wax in form to represent aright The poor unwitting wretch he means to kill, And pricks the image framed by magic's skill, Whereby to vex the party day and night; Like hath she done, whose show bewitched my sight To beauty's charms, her lover's blood to spill. For first, like wax she framed me by her eyes, Whose rays sharp-pointed set upon my breast Martyr my life and plague me in this wise With ling'ring pain to perish in unrest. Nought could, save this, my sweetest fair suffice, To try her art on him that loves her best. III The tablet of my heavy fortunes here Upon thine altar, Paphian Power, I place. The grievous shipwreck of my travels dear In bulged bark, all perished in disgrace. That traitor Love was pilot to my woe; My sails were hope, spread with my sighs of grief; The twin lights which my hapless course did show Hard by th'inconstant sands of false relief, Were two bright stars which led my view apart. A siren's voice allured me come so near To perish on the marble of her heart, A danger which my soul did never fear. Lo, thus he fares that trusts a calm too much; And thus fare I whose credit hath been such! IV Weigh but the cause, and give me leave to plain me, For all my hurt, that my heart's queen hath wrought it; She whom I love so dear, the more to pain me, Withholds my right where I have dearly bought it. Dearly I bought that was so slightly rated, Even with the price of blood and body's wasting; She would not yield that ought might be abated, For all she saw my love was pure and lasting, And yet now scorns performance of the passion, And with her presence justice overruleth. She tells me flat her beauty bears no action; And so my plea and process she excludeth. What wrong she doth, the world may well perceive it, To accept my faith at first, and then to leave it. [This sonnet was Number 8 in Newman's edition of 1591, is found in the editions of '92 and '94, but was omitted thereafter.] V Oft and in vain my rebel thoughts have ventured To stop the passage of my vanquished heart; And shut those ways my friendly foe first entered, Hoping thereby to free my better part. And whilst I guard the windows of this fort, Where my heart's thief to vex me made her choice, And thither all my forces do transport, Another passage opens at her voice. Her voice betrays me to her hand and eye, My freedom's tyrant, conquering all by art; But ah! what glory can she get thereby, With three such powers to plague one silly heart! Yet my soul's sovereign, since I must resign, Reign in my thoughts, my love and life are thine!