His Life and Genius 169 



which, suffering from the wrong done to him and 

 the consequent estrangement, he protests that he 

 passed " a hell of a time " ; but a reconciliation 

 into which, maybe, consideration entered as much 

 as affection, took place and the intercourse was 

 renewed — 



And ruined love, when it is built anew, 

 Grows fairer than at first, far greater, 

 So I return rebuked to my content. 



To the mistress who had betrayed him, the 

 mature husband now showing the presaging signs 

 of withering age, for the handsome young lover 

 he addresses sterner reproaches, not only for 

 torturing him but for seducing his friend, so that — 



Of him, myself and thee I am forsaken. 



Whoever she was, she was plainly not a common 

 woman, but a lady of musical accomplishments 

 and cultivated understanding, else he could not 

 have spoken of the chips dancing under sweet 

 fingers which " made dead wood more blest than 

 living lips," or thought of inditing to her a series 

 of exquisitely elaborated sonnets which she could 

 hardly have inspired or ever have appreciated. 

 That she was not beautiful he confesses ; with 

 her dusky complexion, her dark eyes and wiry- 

 black hair, " a colour not of old counted fair," 

 she was easily excelled in graces of feature and 

 person, had not, indeed, as some said, a face to 

 make love groan ; yet to his doting heart she was 

 the fairest and most precious jewel. It was not 



