Elegie X - The Dream

Image of her whom I love, more than she,
    Whose faire impression in my faithfull heart,
Makes mee her Medall, and makes her love mee,
    As Kings do coynes, to which their stamps impart
The value: goe, and take my heart from hence,
    Which now is growne too great and good for mee:
Honours oppresse weake spirits, and our sense
    Strong objects dull; the more, the lesse wee see.

When you are gone, and Reason gone with you,
    Then Fantasie is Queen and Soule, and all;
She can present joyes meaner than you do,
    Convenient, and more proportionall.
So, if I dreame I have you, I have you,
    For, all our joyes are but fantasticall.
And so I scape the paine, for paine is true;
    And sleepe which locks up sense, doth lock out all.

After a such fruition I shall wake,
    And, but the waking, nothing shall repent;
And shall to love more thankfull Sonnets make,
    Than if more honour, teares, and paines were spent.
But dearest heart, and dearer image, stay;
    Alas, true joyes at best are dreame enough;
Though you stay here you passe too fast away:
    For even at first lifes Taper is a snuffe.

Fill'd with her love, may I be rather grown
Mad with much heart, than ideott with none.