Poem by Nicholas Breton

Love

Foolish love is only folly;
Wanton love is too unholy;
Greedy love is covetous;
Idle love is frivolous;
But the gracious love is it
That doth prove the work of it.

Beauty but deceives the eye;
Flattery leads the ear awry;
Wealth doth but enchant the wit;
Want, the overthrow of it;
While in Wisdom's worthy grace,
Virtue sees the sweetest face.

There hath Love found out his life,
Peace without all thought of strife;
Kindness in Discretion's care;
Truth, that clearly doth declare
Faith doth in true fancy prove,
Lust the excrements of Love.

Then in faith may fancy see
How my love may constru'd be;
How it grows and what it seeks;
How it lives and what it likes;
So in highest grace regard it,
Or in lowest scorn discard it. 

1. A Report Song in a Dream, between a shepherd and his nymph
2. A Sweet Contention between Love, his Mistress, and Beauty
3. Aglaia
4. Astrophel's Song of Phyllida and Corydon
5. A Pastoral of Phyllis and Corydon

Raymond Dandridge Love ("Invisible, saccharined")

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