Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904.

Chloris

Sonnet XVIII. My Love, I cannot thy rare beauties place

William Smith (fl. 1596)

MY Love, I cannot thy rare beauties place

Under those forms which many Writers use.

Some like to stones, compare their Mistress’ face.

Some in the name of flowers do love abuse.

Some make their love a goldsmith’s shop to be,

Where orient pearls and precious stones abound.

In my conceit these far do disagree

The prefect praise of beauty forth to sound.

O CHLORIS, thou dost imitate thyself!

Self’s imitating passeth precious stones

Or all the Eastern Indian golden pelf,

Thy red and white, with purest fair atones,

Matchless for beauty Nature hath thee framed:

Only “unkind” and “cruel” thou art named.