| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Cœlia | | Sonnet XVII. Relent, my dear, yet unkind Cœlia! | | William Percy (1575–1648) |
| | | RELENT, my dear, yet unkind CŒLIA! | |
| At length, relent, and give my sorrows end! | |
| So shall I keep my long-wished holiday, | |
| And set a trophy on a froward friend! | |
| Nor tributes, nor imposts, nor other duties | 5 |
| Demand I will, as lawful Conqueror! | |
| Duties, tributes, imposts unto thy beauties, | |
| Myself will pay as yieldèd Servitor! | |
| Then quick relent! thyself surrender us! | |
| “Brave Sir, and why,” quoth She, “must I relent?” | 10 |
| “Relent,” cried I, “thyself doth conquer us!” | |
| When eftsoons with my proper instrument | |
| She cut me off, ay me! and answerèd, | |
| “You cannot conquer, and be conquerèd.” | | | | |
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