Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
THE loppèd tree in time may grow again, | |
Most naked plants renew both fruit and flower; | |
The sorest wight may find release of pain, | |
The driest soil suck in some moist’ning shower; | |
Times go by turns and chances change by course, | 5 |
From foul to fair, from better hap to worse. | |
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The sea of Fortune doth not ever flow, | |
She draws her favours to the lowest ebb; | |
Her tides hath equal times to come and go, | |
Her loom doth weave the fine and coarsest web; | 10 |
No joy so great but runneth to an end, | |
No hap so hard but may in fine amend. | |
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Not always fall of leaf nor ever spring, | |
No endless night yet not eternal day; | |
The saddest birds a season find to sing, | 15 |
The roughest storm a calm may soon allay: | |
Thus with succeeding turns God tempereth all, | |
That man may hope to rise, yet fear to fall. | |
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A chance may win that by mischance was lost; | |
The net that holds no great, takes little fish; | 20 |
In some things all, in all things none are crost, | |
Few all they need, but none have all they wish; | |
Unmeddled joys here to no man befall: | |
Who least, hath some; who most, hath never all. | |