To Time. Sonnet. 17 (Sonnet 17)

STay, stay, sweete Time, behold or e're thou passe,
From world to world, thou long hast fought to see,
That wonder now wherein all wonders bee,
Where heauen beholds her in a mortall glasse:
Nay looke thee Time in this celestiall glasse,
And thy youth past, in this suite mirrour see,
The first worlds beautie in the infancie,
What it was then, what thou before it was.
Now passe on Time, to af…r-worlds tell this:
(And yet shalt tell) but truely what hath beene,
That they may say what former time hath seene,
And heauen may ioy to thinke on past worlds blis:
Heere make a period Time, and say for me,
She was, whose like againe shall neuer be.