Astrophil and Stella: 25th Sonnet

by Philip Sidney

The wisest scholler of the wight most wise,
By Phœbus doome, with sugred sentence sayes:
That vertue if it once meete with our eyes,
Strange flames of love it in our soules would rayse.
But for that man with paine this truth discries,
While he each thing in sences ballance wayes,
And so, nor will nor can behold those skyes,
Which inward Summe to heroicke mindes displaies.
Vertue of late with vertuous care to stir
Love of himselfe, takes Stellas shape, that hee
To mortall eyes might sweetly shine in her.
It is most true, for since I her did see,
Vertues great beautie in her face I prove,
And finde th’ effect, for I doe burne in love.


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