67. To Sleep

CARE-CHARMER Sleep, son of the sable Night,

Brother to Death, in silent darkness born,

Relieve my languish, and restore the light;

With dark forgetting of my care return.

And let the day be time enough to mourn

The shipwreck of my illadventured youth:

Let waking eyes suffice to wail their scorn,

Without the torment of the night’s untruth.

Cease, dreams, the images of day-desires,

To model forth the passions of the morrow;

Never let rising Sun approve you liars,

To add more grief to aggravate my sorrow:

Still let me sleep, embracing clouds in vain,

And never wake to feel the day’s disdain.