| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Diana | The Second Decade
Sonnet IV. Lady! in beauty and in favour rare | | Henry Constable (1562–1613) |
| | | LADY! in beauty and in favour rare, | |
| Of favour, not of due, I favour crave. | |
| Nature to thee beauty and favour gave; | |
| Fair then thou art, and favour thou may’st spare! | |
| Nor when on me bestowed your favours are, | 5 |
| Less favour in your face you shall not have: | |
| If favour then a wounded soul may save; | |
| Of murder’s guilt, dear Lady, then beware! | |
| My loss of life a million fold were less, | |
| Than the least loss should unto you befall: | 10 |
| Yet grant this gift! which gift when I possess, | |
| Both I have life, and you no loss at all. | |
| For by your favour only I do live; | |
| And favour you may well both keep and give. | | | | |
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