Can She Excuse My Wrong Scripta Immortalium, John Dowland

Can She Excuse My Wrong John Dowland (1563 1626) Can she excuse my wrongs with Virtues cloak Shall I call her good when she proves unkind Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke Must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find No, no; where shadows do for bodies stand, That mayst be abusd if thy sight be dim. Cold love is like to words written on sand, Or to bubbles which on the water swim. Wilt thou be thus abused still, Seeing that she will right thee never If thou canst not oercome her will, Thy love will be thus fruitless ever. Was I so base, that I might not aspire Unto those high joys which she holds from me As they are high, so high is my desire, If she this deny, what can granted be If she will yield to that which reason is, It is reasons will that love should be just. Dear, make me happy still by granting this, Or cut off delays if that I die must. Better a thousand times to die Than for