| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Laura—Part I. | | XXI. Rankle the wound did in my head apace | | Robert Tofte (1561–1620) |
| | | RANKLE the wound did in my head apace; | |
| When fairest She, to play the Surgeon came: | |
| And whilst her snow-white hand did me the grace | |
| To lay the plaster on, which healed the same, | |
| A wonder strange! No sooner did she touch | 5 |
| The hurt; but it appeared to be none such. | |
| Yet, woe is me, no sooner by that hand | |
| Was healed in head my outward fest’ring wound; | |
| But that instead of that, as countermand, | |
| One mortal scar at inward heart I found. | 10 |
| Thus, LOVE! thou seest is changèd my estate | |
| She checks with Death, that ’fore gave Life for mate. Venice. | | | | |
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