Sonnets

Sonnet 69

Those parts of that the world’s eye view,
Want nothing that the thought of hearts can mend:
All tongues, the voice of souls, give that due,
Uttering bare truth, even so as foes commend.
outward thus with outward praise is crowned,
But those same tongues that give so own,
In other accents do this praise confound
By seeing farther than the eye shown.
They look into the beauty of mind,
And that in guess they measure by deeds,
Then churls their thoughts (although their eyes were kind)
To fair flower add the rank smell of weeds:
But why odour matcheth not show,
The soil is this, that common grow.

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154

See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.