William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Sonnet XL
Take all my
loves, my love, yea take them all;
What hast thou then
more than thou hadst before?
No love, my love,
that thou mayst true love call;
All mine was thine,
before thou hadst this more.
Then, if for my love,
thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee,
for my love thou usest;
But yet be blam'd,
if thou thy self deceivest
By wilful taste of
what thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robbery,
gentle thief,
Although thou steal
thee all my poverty:
And yet, love knows
it is a greater grief
To bear greater wrong,
than hate's known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites yet we must not be foes.
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