Love

Upon Her Acknowledging His Desert, yet Rejecting His Affection

by Francis Davison c. 1575–c. 1619

From A Poetical Rhapsody (1602), ed. A. H. Bullen (1890–91)

Love

If love conjoined with worth and great desart,
Merit like love in every noble mind,
Why then do I you still so cruel find,
To whom you do such praise of worth impart?
And if, my dear, you speak not from your heart.
Two heinous wrongs you do together bind.
To seek with glozing words mine eyes to blind.
And yet with hateful deeds my love to thwart.
To want what one deserves, engrieves his pain.
Because it takes away all self-accusing;
And under kindest words to mask disdain,
Is to a vexed soul too much abusing.
Then if't be false, such glozing words refrain;
If true, oh! then let worth his due obtain.

MLA

Davison, Francis. “Upon Her Acknowledging His Desert, yet Rejecting His Affection.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/davison/59/.

Chicago

Davison, Francis. “Upon Her Acknowledging His Desert, yet Rejecting His Affection.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/davison/59/.

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