THE SONNETS by William Shakespeare (40)

XL

    Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all； What hast thou then more than thou hadst before？ No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call； All mine was thine, before thou hadst this more. Then, if for my love, thou my love receivest, I cannot blame thee, for my love thou usest； But yet be blam'd, if thou thy self deceivest By wilful¹ taste of what thyself refusest. I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief, Although thou steal thee all my poverty： And yet, love knows it is a greater grief To bear greater wrong, than hate's known injury. Lascivious² grace, in whom all ill well shows, Kill me with spites yet we must not be foes³.