University of Virginia Library

Sonnet. VIII.

[O what a life is it that Louers ioy]

O what a life is it that Louers ioy,
VVherein both paine and pleasure shrouded is:
Both heauenly pleasures and eke hells annoy,
Hells fowle annoyance and eke heauenly blisse.
VVherein vaine hope doth feede the Louers hart,
And brittle ioy sustaine a pining thought:
VVhen blacke dispaire renewes a Louers smart,
And quite extirps what first content had wrought.
VVhere faire resemblance eke the mind allureth,
To wanton lewd lust giuing pleasure scope:
And late repentance endles paines procureth,
But none of these afflict me saue vaine hope.
And sad dispaire, dispaire and hope perplexing,
Vaine hope my hart, dispaire my fancie vexing.