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Or hateful cuckoos hatch in sparrows' nests？
Or toads infect fair founts with venom mud？
Or tyrant folly lurk in gentle breasts？
Or kings be breakers of their own behests？
〃But no perfection is so absolute
That some impurity doth not pollute。
'The aged man that coffers up his gold
Is plagued with cramps and gouts and painful fits；
And scarce hath eyes his treasure to behold；
But like still…pining Tantalus he sits；
And useless barns the harvest of his wits；
Having no other pleasure of his gain
But torment that it cannot cure his pain。
'So then he hath it when he cannot use it；
And leaves it to be mast'red by his young；
Who in their pride do presently abuse it。
Their father was too weak； and they strong；
To hold their cursed…blessed fortune long。
〃The sweets we wish for turn to loathed sours
〃Even in the moment that we call them ours。
'Unruly blasts wait on the tender spring；
Unwholesome weeds take root with precious flowers：
The adder hisses where the sweet birds sing；
What virtue breeds iniquity devours。
We have no good that we can say is ours
But ill…annexed Opportunity
Or kills his life or else his quality。
'O Opportunity； thy guilt is great！
'Tis thou that execut'st the traitor's treason；
Thou sets the wolf where he the lamb may get；
Whoever plots the sin； thou point'st the season；
'Tis thou that spurn'st at right； at law； at reason；
And in thy shady cell； where none may spy him；
Sits Sin； to seize the souls that wander by him。
'Thou mak'st the vestal violate her oath；
Thou blow'st the fire when temperance is thawed；
Thou smother'st honesty； thou murd'rest troth；
Thou foul abettor！ thou notorious bawd！
Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud。
Thou ravisher； thou traitor； thou false thief；
Thy honey turns to gall； thy joy to grief！
'Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame；
Thy private feasting to a public fast；
Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name；
Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste；
Thy violent vanities can never last；
How comes it then； vile Opportunity；
Being so bad； such numbers seek for thee？
'When wilt thou be the humble suppliant's friend；
And bring him where his suit may be obtained？
When wilt thou sort an hour great strifes to end？
Or free that soul which wretchedness hath chained？
Give physic to the sick； ease to the pained？
The poor； lame； blind； halt； creep； cry out for thee；
But they ne'er meet with Opportunity。
'The patient dies while the physician sleeps；
The orphan pines while the oppressor feeds；
Justice is feasting while the widow weeps；
Advice is sporting while infection breeds；
Thou grant'st no time for charitable deeds；
Wrath； envy； treason； rape； and murder's rages；
Thy heinous hours wait on them as their pages。
'When Truth and Virtue have to do with thee；
A thousand crosses keep them from thy aid；
They buy thy help； but Sin ne'er gives a fee；
He gratis comes； and thou art well appaid
As well to hear as grant what he hath said。
My Collatine would else have come to me
When Tarquin did； but he was stayed by thee。
'Guilty thou art of murder and of theft；
Guilty of perjury and subornation；
Guilty of treason； forgery and shift；
Guilty of incest； that abomination；
An accessary by thine inclination
To all sins past and all that are to come；
From the creation to the general doom。
'Misshapen Time； copesmate of ugly Night；
Swift subtle post； carrier of grisly care；
Eater of youth； false slave to false delight；
Base watch of woes； sin's pack…horse； virtue's snare；
Thou nursest all and murd'rest all that are。
O； hear me then； injurious； shifting Time！
Be guilty of my death； since of my crime。
'Why hath thy servant Opportunity
Betrayed the hours thou gavest me to repose；
Cancelled my fortunes and enchained me
To endless date of never…ending woes？
Time's office is to fine the hate of foes；
To eat up errors by opinion bred；
Not spend the dowry of a lawful bed。
'Time's glory is to calm contending kings；
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light；
To stamp the seal of time in aged things；
To wake the morn and sentinel the night；
To wrong the wronger till he render right；
To ruinate proud buildings with thy hours
And smear with dust their glitt'ring golden towers；
'To fill with worm…holes stately monuments；
To feed oblivion with decay of things；
To blot old books and alter their contents；
To pluck the quills from ancient ravens' wings；
To dry the old oak's sap and cherish springs；
To spoil antiquities of hammered steel
And turn the giddy round of Fortune's wheel；
'To show the beldam daughters of her daughter；
To make the child a man； the man a child；
To slay the tiger that doth live by slaughter；
To tame the unicorn and lion wild；
To mock the subtle in themselves beguiled；
To cheer the ploughman with increased crops；
And waste huge stones with little water…drops。
'Why work'st thou mischief in thy pilgrimage；
Unless thou couldst return to make amends？
One poor retiring minute in an age
Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends；
Lending him wit that to bad debtors lends。
O； this dread night； wouldst thou one hour come back；
I could prevent this storm and shun thy wrack！
'Thou ceaseless lackey to eternity；
With some mischance cross Tarquin in his flight；
Devise extremes beyond extremity；
To make him curse this cursed crimeful night；
Let ghastly shadows his lewd eyes affright；
And the dire thought of his committed evil
Shape every bush a hideous shapeless devil。
'Disturb his hours of rest with restless trances；
Afflict him in his bed with bedrid groans；
Let there bechance him pitiful mischances；
To make him moan； but pity not his moans。
Stone him with hard'ned hearts； harder than stones；
And let mild； women to him lose their mildness；
Wilder to him than tigers in their wildness。
'Let him have time to tear his curled hair；
Let him have time against himself to rave；
Let him have time of time's help to despair；
Let him have time to live a loathed slave；
Let him have time a beggar's orts to crave；
And time to see one that by alms doth live
Disdain to him disdained scraps to give。
'Let him have time to see his friends his foes；
And merry fools to mock at him resort；
Let him have time to mark how slow time goes
In time of sorrow； and how swift and short
His time of folly and his time of sport；
And ever let his unrecalling crime
Have time to wail th' abusing of his time。
'O Time； thou tutor both to good and bad；
Teach me to curse him that thou taught'st this ill！
At his own shadow let the thief run mad；
Himself himself seek every hour to kill！
Such wretched hands such …wretched blood should spill；
For who so base would such an office have
As sland'rous deathsman to so base a slave？
'The baser is he； coming from a king；
To shame his hope with deeds degenerate。
The mightier