1. As a decrepit father takes delight,
2. To see his active child do deeds of youth,
3. So I, made lame by fortune's dearest spite,
4. Take all my comfort of thy worth and truth.
5. For whether beauty, birth, or wealth, or wit,
6. Or any of these all, or all, or more,
7. Entitled in their parts, do crowned sit,
8. I make my love engrafted to this store:
9. So then I am not lame, poor, nor despised,
10. Whilst that this shadow doth such substance give,
11. That I in thy abundance am sufficed,
12. And by a part of all thy glory live:
13. Look, what is best, that best I wish in thee,
14. This wish I have, then ten times happy me.
Entitled in Thy Parts do Crowned Sit
Dedication: To Henry
Oxford reveals himself through his lameness inflicted on him by an angry relative of his mistress. He clearly expresses once again the verity of Henry and his right to be King. And finally that this wish fulfilled will be Oxford’s fulfillment as well.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Oxford clearly describing the relationship. Line 3 a reference to Elizabeth's refusal Oxford believes largely for personal reasons. Line 4 refering to Henry's truth.
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Line 7 really says it all while line 8 once again connects his son to the much spoken "store"
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
Line 9 very autobiographical of Oxford. Line 10 connects the shadow to Henry. Line 11 connects the abundance to Henry. Line 12 Oxford happy to be a part of siring a rightful king.
couplet (13-14),
Wishing the best for his son.
Commentary:
This sonnet features the completely un-accidental usage of the metaphor of a father taking delight in the exploits of his son, along with the mention of the poet’s lameness and the subjects entitled to be “crowned” make this a poem that is much more understandable within the paradigm provided. In addition the revealed aspects of the poet himself as not only lame but decrepit also provides very real insight that this is really one of the latter sonnets. This aspect of the poems should grow ever more apparent as the tone and message of them changes as well to reflect on the final stages passing for Elizabeth to act.
Line 7 contains one of the instances where “their” frequently appears as “thy”. In this instance it seems to indicate that in fact beauty, worth, wealth, or wit and others aspects alluded to seem to be entitled to “crowned sit”.
Line 9 is something of an autobiographical connection as Oxford was clearly all three things. See note
Vendler comments on the “fancifulness” of 37 “with its naive boast, So than I am not lame. She regards it oddly as an “early unengaged effort” containing “desperate argument in the service of sophistry” as she mentions the “naive” conclusion then ten times happy me.
Note;
Oxford could be described as lame, poor, and despised. Lameness as a result of his duel with Thomas Knyvet as mentioned earlier. Poverty is relative considering his origins and dependency on the annuity Elizabeth gave him but his financial situation was quite bad. As I would argue he likely cared little for his estates while his son was not not to inherit them and their resources could be much better utilized attempting to gain him the crown. Being despised likely again the result of the affair with Ann Vavasor as also mentioned earlier as well but given all the libels against him and the enemies he mentions in his letters, there is little doubt Oxford fit this description.