Sonnet 101

1 O truant Muse what shall be thy amends,
2 For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed?
3 Both truth and beauty on my love depends:
4 So dost thou too, and therein dignified:
5 Make answer Muse, wilt thou not haply say,
6 ’Truth needs no colour with his colour fixed,
7 Beauty no pencil, beauty’s truth to lay:
8 But best is best, if never intermixed’?
9 Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?
10 Excuse not silence so, for’t lies in thee,
11 To make him much outlive a gilded tomb:
12 And to be praised of ages yet to be.
13 Then do thy office Muse, I teach thee how,
14 To make him seem long hence, as he shows now.