1. No more be grieved at that which thou hast done,
2. Roses have thorns, and silver fountains mud,
3. Clouds and eclipses stain both Moon and Sun,
4. And loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud.
5. All men make faults, and even I in this,
6. Authorizing thy trespass with compare,
7. Myself corrupting, salving thy amiss,
8. Excusing their sins more than their sins are:
9. For to thy sensual fault I bring in sense,
10. Thy adverse party is thy Advocate,
11. And 'gainst myself a lawful plea commence,
12. Such civil war is in my love and hate,
13. That I an accessary needs must be,
14. To that sweet thief which sourly robs from me.
My Love and Hate
Dedication: To Elizabeth
Using the point that all things have some unattractive aspect Oxford is either apologizing or warning Elizabeth of the darker side of man. Pointing out that even he has the capacity to plot against her, and thus “such civil war is in his love and hate”. The discussion of “thy adverse party being thy advocate” really comes to light as Oxford justifies disloyalty as acting in Elizabeth interests. The final couplet contains references to being an accessory and to robbery. It is interesting to wonder what kind of accessory participation Oxford may have been referring to. Clearly when the Essex rebellion happened which Henry was involved in “Shakespeare’s” participation was in evidence in the staging of the deposition of Richard II and the seizing of his crown. The robbing reference of course refers to Elizabeth robbing Oxford of his princely son.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Oxford offering forgiveness. In lines 2 - 4 expressing that there is always a negative aspect and alluding again to Henry the cankered bud.
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Discussing the part he has played in Elizabeth's crime and his complicity.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
Mentioning to Elizabeth that he is her advocate and that he testifies against himself. That there is a war within him of his love and hate.
couplet (13-14),
Again repeating his complicity and telling of Elizabeth robbing Henry from him.
Commentary:
Oxford presumably offering Elizabeth absolution from her crime. The key to this sonnet of course is the sweet thief which of course ties back to the crime committed in the first part of the sonnet sequence presented. The poet leaves ample clues as to the identities of those involved with mention of the Moon (Elizabeth), Son (Henry). The key and recurrent metaphor used of thorns on roses and cankers eating the sweetest bud are no accident of course. But uniquely almost in this sonnet is the poet’s own culpability expressed by his being an accessory of sorts. And chiefly the key clue is that Elizabeth adverse party is actually her Advocate whether the adverse party is Oxford or Henry. For each is actually to be acting on her behalf, whether arguing for her legacy or providing for it.
When Oxford speaks of his complicity it implies the extended duration of the issue he is speaking of which he merely identifies as “this” in line 5 of the poem. As well an issue clearly something well known to the subject, hopefully which is now known to all.
The orthodox theory that the poet blames himself for the transgressions of the youth fails to grasp the significance of this poem. The poem speaks of the “adverse party” being the subjects “advocate” which ties together the significance of the third party and also provides for ability to recognize how the third party speaks for the subject but is another aspect completely lost on the orthodoxy. In addition the mention of the thievery that the subject engages in should hark back to the earlier (later numbered) sonnets and the crimes and evil of the subject. In addition specifically sonnets 99, 48, 40, speak of either thievery or things stolen.
Line 8 contains two of the 15 instances where “their” frequently appears as “thy”. And an indication in this instance that the sins referred to are not that of the subject which in this poem is actually more reflective of its message.
Vendler posits that the poet’s “sophistry of excuse exerted on behalf of the young man” is cause and reason that the poet “recognizes his own corruption”. She is evidently at least partly referring to line 13, the poet’s self proclaimed admission of his being “an accessory” where the poet admits to allowing the thievery he mentions. And despite a seeming recognition of the crime theme she offers no explanation.