The Dream
- Dear love, for nothing less than thee
- Would I have broke this happy dream;
- It was a theme
- For reason, much too strong for phantasy:
- Therefore thou waked'st me wisely; yet
- My dream thou brok'st not, but continued'st it.
- Thou art so truth that thoughts of thee suffice
- To make dreams truths, and fables histories.
- Enter these arms, for since thou thought'st it best
- Not to dream all my dream, let's act the rest.
- As lightning or a taper's light,
- Thine eyes, and not thy noise, waked me;
- Yet I thought thee—
- (For thou lov'st truth) an angel at first sight;
- But when I saw thou saw'st my heart,
- And knew'st my thoughts, beyond an angels art,
- When thou knew'st what I dreamt, when thou knew'st when
- Excess of joy would wake me, and cam'st then,
- I must confess it could not choose but be
- Prophane to think thee anything but thee.
-
- Comming and staying showed thee thee,
- But rising makes me doubt, that now
- Thou art not thou.
- That Love is weak, where fear's as strong as he;
- 'Tis not all spirit pure and brave
- If mixture it of Fear, Shame, Honour, have.
- Perchance as torches, which must ready be,
- Men light and put out, so thou deal'st with me,
- Thou cam'st to kindle, go'st to come; Then I
- Will dream that hope again, but else would die.
From: Songs and Sonnets, 1633.
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