Patience by William Schwenk Gilbert is a love poem about Reginald, who attracts the love of many women but only has eyes for Patience. Excerpt: "MAIDENS Twenty love-sick maidens we, Love-sick all against our will. Twenty years hence we shall be Twenty love-sick maidens still! Twenty love-sick maidens we, And we die for love of thee! Twenty love-sick maidens we, Love-sick all against our will. Twenty years hence we shall be Twenty love-sick maidens still! ANGELA Love feeds on hope, they say, or love will die; MAIDENS Ah, misery! ANGELA Yet my love lives, although no hope have I! MAIDENS Ah, misery!"
