When be disposed to set me light,
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
Upon side, against my self I’ll fight,
And prove virtuous, though art forsworn:
With mine own weakness being best acquainted,
Upon part I can set down a story
Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted:
That in losing me, win much glory:
And I by this will be a gainer too,
For bending all my loving thoughts on ,
The injuries that to my self I do,
Doing vantage, double-vantage me.
Such is my love, to I so belong,
That for right, my self will bear all wrong.
Sonnet 88
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Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.