Above one sigh a day I'allow'd him not,
Of which my fortune, and my faults had part;
And if sometimes by stealth he got
A she sigh from my mistresse heart, 10
And thought to feast on that, I let him see
'Twas neither very sound, nor meant to mee.
Of which my fortune, and my faults had part;
And if sometimes by stealth he got
A she sigh from my mistresse heart, 10
And thought to feast on that, I let him see
'Twas neither very sound, nor meant to mee.
John Donne
_1633-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_,
_H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_,
_TCD:_ Elegye. _P_]
[8 much, _1639-69:_ much: _1633:_ much? _1635_]
[9 it; _Ed:_ it. _1633-69_]
[13 subject] _Subject 1669_]
[14 Love, . . . mee. _1633_, _1669_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_ (who), _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _S_ (lov'd), _TCD:_
Love, if I love, who loves not me. _1635-54_, _O'F_]
[19 Oh . . . wak'ned] Were we not weak'ned _1669_]
[21 That I should love, who loves not me. _A18_, _A25_, _C_,
_Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _P_, _S_, _S96_,
_TC:_ _O'F reads as these but alters to as in printed edd. _]
[24 might make _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ may make _1633-69_,
_Lec_]
[26 Which,] Which _1633_]
_Loves diet. _
To what a combersome unwieldinesse
And burdenous corpulence my love had growne,
But that I did, to make it lesse,
And keepe it in proportion,
Give it a diet, made it feed upon 5
That which love worst endures, _discretion_.
Above one sigh a day I'allow'd him not,
Of which my fortune, and my faults had part;
And if sometimes by stealth he got
A she sigh from my mistresse heart, 10
And thought to feast on that, I let him see
'Twas neither very sound, nor meant to mee.
If he wroung from mee'a teare, I brin'd it so
With scorne or shame, that him it nourish'd not;
If he suck'd hers, I let him know 15
'Twas not a teare, which hee had got,
His drinke was counterfeit, as was his meat;
For, eyes which rowle towards all, weepe not, but sweat.
What ever he would dictate, I writ that,
But burnt my letters; When she writ to me, 20
And that that favour made him fat,
I said, if any title bee
Convey'd by this, Ah, what doth it availe,
To be the fortieth name in an entaile?
Thus I reclaim'd my buzard love, to flye 25
At what, and when, and how, and where I chuse;
Now negligent of sport I lye,
And now as other Fawkners use,
I spring a mistresse, sweare, write, sigh and weepe:
And the game kill'd, or lost, goe talke, and sleepe. 30
[Loves diet. _1633-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TCC_ (_torn
out of TCD_): Amoris Dieta. _S96_]
[12 mee. _Ed:_ mee; _1633-35:_ mee: _1639-69_]
[18 For,] Her _1669_]
[19 Whatever . . . that, _1633-39_, _1669:_ Whate'er might him
distast I still writ that, _1650-54:_ Whatsoever hee would
distast I writt that, _A18_, _N_, _TC_]
[20 But burnt my letters; When she writ to me, _1633:_ But
burnt her letters when she writ to me, _1635:_ But burnt her
letters when she writ to me; _1639-54_, _Chambers:_ But burnt
my letters which she writ to me; _1669_]
[21 that that _1633:_ if that _1635-69_. _See note_]
[24 name] man _1669_]
[25 reclaim'd _1635-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCC:_ redeem'd _1633_, _Lec_]
[26 chuse] chose _1669_]
[27 sport _1635-69_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_,
_Lec_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC:_ sports, _1633_]
[30 and _1633 and most MSS. :_ or _1635-69_, _Cy_, _O'F_, _S_]
_The Will. _
Before I sigh my last gaspe, let me breath,
Great love, some Legacies; Here I bequeath
Mine eyes to _Argus_, if mine eyes can see,
If they be blinde, then Love, I give them thee;
My tongue to Fame; to'Embassadours mine eares; 5
To women or the sea, my teares.
Thou, Love, hast taught mee heretofore
By making mee serve her who'had twenty more,
That I should give to none, but such, as had too much before.
My constancie I to the planets give; 10
My truth to them, who at the Court doe live;
Mine ingenuity and opennesse,
To Jesuites; to Buffones my pensivenesse;
My silence to'any, who abroad hath beene;
My mony to a Capuchin.
_H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_,
_TCD:_ Elegye. _P_]
[8 much, _1639-69:_ much: _1633:_ much? _1635_]
[9 it; _Ed:_ it. _1633-69_]
[13 subject] _Subject 1669_]
[14 Love, . . . mee. _1633_, _1669_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_ (who), _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _S_ (lov'd), _TCD:_
Love, if I love, who loves not me. _1635-54_, _O'F_]
[19 Oh . . . wak'ned] Were we not weak'ned _1669_]
[21 That I should love, who loves not me. _A18_, _A25_, _C_,
_Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _P_, _S_, _S96_,
_TC:_ _O'F reads as these but alters to as in printed edd. _]
[24 might make _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ may make _1633-69_,
_Lec_]
[26 Which,] Which _1633_]
_Loves diet. _
To what a combersome unwieldinesse
And burdenous corpulence my love had growne,
But that I did, to make it lesse,
And keepe it in proportion,
Give it a diet, made it feed upon 5
That which love worst endures, _discretion_.
Above one sigh a day I'allow'd him not,
Of which my fortune, and my faults had part;
And if sometimes by stealth he got
A she sigh from my mistresse heart, 10
And thought to feast on that, I let him see
'Twas neither very sound, nor meant to mee.
If he wroung from mee'a teare, I brin'd it so
With scorne or shame, that him it nourish'd not;
If he suck'd hers, I let him know 15
'Twas not a teare, which hee had got,
His drinke was counterfeit, as was his meat;
For, eyes which rowle towards all, weepe not, but sweat.
What ever he would dictate, I writ that,
But burnt my letters; When she writ to me, 20
And that that favour made him fat,
I said, if any title bee
Convey'd by this, Ah, what doth it availe,
To be the fortieth name in an entaile?
Thus I reclaim'd my buzard love, to flye 25
At what, and when, and how, and where I chuse;
Now negligent of sport I lye,
And now as other Fawkners use,
I spring a mistresse, sweare, write, sigh and weepe:
And the game kill'd, or lost, goe talke, and sleepe. 30
[Loves diet. _1633-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TCC_ (_torn
out of TCD_): Amoris Dieta. _S96_]
[12 mee. _Ed:_ mee; _1633-35:_ mee: _1639-69_]
[18 For,] Her _1669_]
[19 Whatever . . . that, _1633-39_, _1669:_ Whate'er might him
distast I still writ that, _1650-54:_ Whatsoever hee would
distast I writt that, _A18_, _N_, _TC_]
[20 But burnt my letters; When she writ to me, _1633:_ But
burnt her letters when she writ to me, _1635:_ But burnt her
letters when she writ to me; _1639-54_, _Chambers:_ But burnt
my letters which she writ to me; _1669_]
[21 that that _1633:_ if that _1635-69_. _See note_]
[24 name] man _1669_]
[25 reclaim'd _1635-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCC:_ redeem'd _1633_, _Lec_]
[26 chuse] chose _1669_]
[27 sport _1635-69_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_,
_Lec_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC:_ sports, _1633_]
[30 and _1633 and most MSS. :_ or _1635-69_, _Cy_, _O'F_, _S_]
_The Will. _
Before I sigh my last gaspe, let me breath,
Great love, some Legacies; Here I bequeath
Mine eyes to _Argus_, if mine eyes can see,
If they be blinde, then Love, I give them thee;
My tongue to Fame; to'Embassadours mine eares; 5
To women or the sea, my teares.
Thou, Love, hast taught mee heretofore
By making mee serve her who'had twenty more,
That I should give to none, but such, as had too much before.
My constancie I to the planets give; 10
My truth to them, who at the Court doe live;
Mine ingenuity and opennesse,
To Jesuites; to Buffones my pensivenesse;
My silence to'any, who abroad hath beene;
My mony to a Capuchin.