The flaming light of that celestial fire Which kindleth love in generous desire, And makes him mount above the native might Of heavy earth, up to the heaven's height.
Such is the power of that sweet passion, That it all sordid baseness doth expel, And the refined mind doth newly fashion Unto a fairer form, which now doth dwell In his high thought, that would itself excel, Which he beholding still with constant sight, Admires the mirror of so heavenly light.
Whose image printing in his deepest wit, He thereon feeds his hungry fantasy, Still full, yet never satisfied with it; Like Tantale that in store doth starvèd lie, So doth he pine in most satiety;
For nought may quench his infinite desire, Once kindled through that first conceived fire.
Thereon his mind affixèd wholly is,
Ne thinks on aught but how it to attain ; His care, his joy, his hope, is all on this, That seems in it all blisses to contain, In sight whereof all other bliss seems vain : Thrice happy man! might he the same possess, He feigns himself, and doth his fortune bless.
And though he do not win his wish to end, Yet thus far happy he himself doth ween, That heavens such happy grace did to him lend, As thing on earth so heavenly to have seen, His heart's enshrinèd saint, his heaven's queen, Fairer than fairest, in his feigning eye, Whose sole aspect he counts felicity.
Then forth he casts in his unquiet thought, What he may do, her favour to obtain,
What brave exploit, what peril hardly wrought, What puissant conquest, what adventurous pain, May please her best, and grace unto him gain; He dreads no danger, nor misfortune fears, His faith, his fortune, in his breast he bears.
Thou art his god, thou art his mighty guide, Thou, being blind, let'st him not see his fears, But carriest him to that which he had eyed, Through seas, through flames, through thousand swords and spears;
Ne ought so strong that may his force withstand, With which thou armest his resistless hand.
Now came the Spring, when free-born Love Calls up nature in forest and grove, And makes each thing leap forth, and be Loving, and lovely, and blithe as he.
In amorous descant all a summer's day.
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