Poor soul the centre of my sinful earth,
My sinful earth these rebel powers array,
Why pine within and suffer dearth
Painting outward walls so costly gay?
Why so large cost having so short a lease,
upon fading mansion spend?
Shall worms inheritors of this excess
Eat up charge? is this body’s end?
Then soul live upon servant’s loss,
And let that pine to aggravate store;
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more,
So shall feed on death, that feeds on men,
And death once dead, there’s no more dying then.
Sonnet 146
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Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.