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Shakespeare, William: IV. Sonnet

Portre of Shakespeare, William

IV. Sonnet (English)

Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend 
Upon thyself thy beauty's legacy? 
Nature's bequest gives nothing but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free. 

Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse 
The bounteous largess given thee to give? 
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use 
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?

For having traffic with thyself alone, 
Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.
Then how, when nature calls thee to be gone, 
What acceptable audit canst thou leave? 

   Thy unused beauty must be tomb'd with thee, 
   Which, used, lives th' executor to be.



Uploaded byJakus Laura 1.
PublisherPrinceton University Press
Source of the quotationShakespeare's Sonnets
Publication date

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