William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Sonnet XI
As fast as
thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow'st,
In one of thine, from
that which thou departest;
And that fresh blood
which youngly thou bestow'st,
Thou mayst 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 times 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 thee 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.
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