Poem by Fulke Greville Brooke

Caelica 4. You little stars that live in skies

You little stars that live in skies
And glory in Apollo’s glory,
In whose aspècts conjoinèd lies
The heaven’s will and nature’s story,
Joy to be likened to those eyes,
Which eyes make all eyes glad or sorry;
   For when you force thoughts from above,
   These overrule your force by love.

And thou, O Love, which in these eyes
Hast married Reason with Affection,
And made them saints of Beauty’s skies,
Where joys are shadows of perfection,
Lend me thy wings that I may rise
Up, not by worth, but thy election;
   For I have vowed in strangest fashion
   To love and never seek compassion.

1. Caelica 29. The nurse-life wheat within his green husk growing
2. Caelica 12. Cupid, thou naughty boy, when thou wert loathed
3. Caelica 16. Fie, foolish earth, think you the heaven wants glory
4. Elegy for Philip Sidney
5. Caelica 83. You that seek what life is in death

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