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A crowne of Sonetts
dedicated to Loue s̸
In this strang labourinth how shall I turne?
wayes are on all ſids while the way I miſs;
if to the right hand, ther, in loue I burne;
lett mee goe forward, therin danger is;
If to the left, ſuspition hinders bliſs,
lett mee turne back, shame cries I ought returne
nor fainte though croſses wth my fortunes kiſs;
stand still is harder, allthough ſure to mourne;
Thus lett mee take the right, or left hand way;
goe forward, or stand still, or back retire;
I must thes doubts indure wtout allay
or help, butt traueile find for my best hire;
Yett that wch most my troubled ſence doth moue
is to leaue all, and take the thread of loue,
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Crown 1
In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn?
Ways are on all sides while the way I miss;
If to the right hand, there in love I burn;
Let me go forward, therein danger is;
If to the left, suspicion hinders bliss,
Let me turn back, shame cries I ought return
Nor faint, though crosses with* my fortunes kiss;
Stand still is harder, although sure to mourn.
Thus let me take the right, or left hand way;
Go forward, or stand still, or back retire;
I must these doubts endure without allay
Or help, but travail* find for my best hire;
Yet that which most my troubled sense doth move
Is to leave all, and take the thread of love.
'A Crown of Sonnets Dedicated to Love'
After this heading in F the crown of sonnets follow on from each other, numbered but not on new pages and with little spacing between them, to emphasise that they are an interwoven sequence. The crown/corona of sonnets was a popular form which might vary in number, though fourteen, as here, makes up a complete 'set' replicating the number of lines ion an individual sonnet. Wroth's father has an incomplete crown in RS with only 4 sonnets written.
The crown begins the labyrinth image which continues through it, and which is also used extensively in the published narrative of Urania to describe the effects of love and desire on Pamphilia and other female characters, especially when they end up trapped in the castle of love as part of an enchantment. The labyrinth also alludes to the myth of Ariadne, especially via the reference to the 'thread of love', which alludes to the thread that Ariadne gives to Theseus so that he can find his way back out of the labyrinth after defeating the minotaur. The first line of this first crown sonnet is the same as the last line of the last sonnet.
'with' = 'which' in P.
'travail' = 'travel' in P ('traveile' in F contains a pun on travel/travail).
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A Crowne of Sonnets dedicated
to LOVE.
In this ſtrange Labyrinth how ſhall I turne,
Wayes are on all ſides, while the way I miſſe:
If to the right hand, there in loue I burne,
Let mee goe forward, therein danger is.
If to the left, ſuſpition hinders bliſſe;
Let mee turne backe, ſhame cryes I ought returne:
Nor faint, though croſſes which my fortunes kiſſe,
Stand ſtill is harder, although ſure to mourne.
Thus let mee take the right, or left hand way,
Goe forward, or ſtand ſtill, or back retire:
I muſt theſe doubts indure without allay
Or helpe, but trauell finde for my beſt hire.
Yet that which moſt my troubled ſenſe doth moue,
Is to leaue all and take the threed of Loue.
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Crown 1
In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn?
Ways are on all sides while the way I miss;
If to the right hand, there in love I burn;
Let me go forward, therein danger is;
If to the left, suspicion hinders bliss,
Let me turn back, shame cries I ought return
Nor faint, though crosses which my fortunes kiss;
Stand still is harder, although sure to mourn.
Thus let me take the right, or left hand way;
Go forward, or stand still, or back retire;
I must these doubts endure without allay
Or help, but travel find for my best hire;
Yet that which most my troubled sense doth move
Is to leave all, and take the thread of love.
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