The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5

Name: The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5
Author: Spenser, Edmund

Spenser, Edmund

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Then shalt thou feele thy spirit so possest,
And ravisht with devouring great desire
Of his dear selfe, that shall thy feeble brest
Inflame with love, and set thee all on fire                    270
With burning zeale, through every part entire*,
That in no earthly thing thou shalt delight,
But in his sweet and amiable sight.
  [* _Entire_, inward.]


Thenceforth all worlds desire will in thee dye,
And all earthes glorie, on which men do gaze,                    275
Seeme durt and drosse in thy pure-sighted eye,
Compar’d to that celestiall beauties blaze,
Whose glorious beames all fleshly sense doth daze
With admiration of their passing light,
Blinding the eyes, and lumining the spright.                    280


Then shall thy ravisht soul inspired bee
With heavenly thoughts, farre above humane skil,
And thy bright radiant eyes shall plainely see
Th’idee of his pure glorie present still
Before thy face, that all thy spirits shall fill                    285
With sweete enragement of celestiall love,
Kindled through sight of those faire things above.

AN HYMNE

OF HEAVENLY BEAUTIE.


Rapt with the rage of mine own ravisht thought,
Through contemplation of those goodly sights
And glorious images in heaven wrought,
Whose wondrous beauty, breathing sweet delights,
Do kindle love in high conceipted sprights,                    5
I faine* to tell the things that I behold,
But feele my wits to faile and tongue to fold.
  [* _Faine_, long.]


Vouchsafe then, O Thou most Almightie Spright!
From whom all guifts of wit and knowledge flow,
To shed into my breast some sparkling light                    10
Of thine eternall truth, that I may show
Some little beames to mortall eyes below
Of that immortall Beautie there with Thee,
Which in my weake distraughted mynd I see;


That with the glorie of so goodly sight                    15
The hearts of men, which fondly here admyre
Faire seeming shewes, and feed on vaine delight,
Transported with celestiall desyre
Of those faire formes, may lift themselves up hyer,
And learne to love, with zealous humble dewty,                    20
Th’Eternall Fountaine of that heavenly Beauty.


Beginning then below, with th’easie vew
Of this base world, subiect to fleshly eye,
From thence to mount aloft, by order dew,
To contemplation of th’immortall sky;                    25
Of the soare faulcon* so I learne to flye.
That flags a while her fluttering wings beneath,
Till she her selfe for stronger flight can breath.
  [* _Soare faulcon_, a young falcon; a hawk that has not shed its
  first
  feathers, which are _sorrel_.]


Then looke, who list thy gazefull eyes to feed
With sight of that is faire, looke on the frame                    30
Of this wyde universe, and therein reed
The endlesse kinds of creatures which by name
Thou canst not count, much less their natures aime;
All which are made with wondrous wise respect,
And all with admirable beautie deckt.                    35

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5Spenser, Edmund

General

The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5

Spenser, Edmund

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Then shalt thou feele thy spirit so possest,
And ravisht with devouring great desire
Of his dear selfe, that shall thy feeble brest
Inflame with love, and set thee all on fire                    270
With burning zeale, through every part entire*,
That in no earthly thing thou shalt delight,
But in his sweet and amiable sight.
  [* _Entire_, inward.]


Thenceforth all worlds desire will in thee dye,
And all earthes glorie, on which men do gaze,                    275
Seeme durt and drosse in thy pure-sighted eye,
Compar’d to that celestiall beauties blaze,
Whose glorious beames all fleshly sense doth daze
With admiration of their passing light,
Blinding the eyes, and lumining the spright.                    280


Then shall thy ravisht soul inspired bee
With heavenly thoughts, farre above humane skil,
And thy bright radiant eyes shall plainely see
Th’idee of his pure glorie present still
Before thy face, that all thy spirits shall fill                    285
With sweete enragement of celestiall love,
Kindled through sight of those faire things above.

AN HYMNE

OF HEAVENLY BEAUTIE.


Rapt with the rage of mine own ravisht thought,
Through contemplation of those goodly sights
And glorious images in heaven wrought,
Whose wondrous beauty, breathing sweet delights,
Do kindle love in high conceipted sprights,                    5
I faine* to tell the things that I behold,
But feele my wits to faile and tongue to fold.
  [* _Faine_, long.]


Vouchsafe then, O Thou most Almightie Spright!
From whom all guifts of wit and knowledge flow,
To shed into my breast some sparkling light                    10
Of thine eternall truth, that I may show
Some little beames to mortall eyes below
Of that immortall Beautie there with Thee,
Which in my weake distraughted mynd I see;


That with the glorie of so goodly sight                    15
The hearts of men, which fondly here admyre
Faire seeming shewes, and feed on vaine delight,
Transported with celestiall desyre
Of those faire formes, may lift themselves up hyer,
And learne to love, with zealous humble dewty,                    20
Th’Eternall Fountaine of that heavenly Beauty.


Beginning then below, with th’easie vew
Of this base world, subiect to fleshly eye,
From thence to mount aloft, by order dew,
To contemplation of th’immortall sky;                    25
Of the soare faulcon* so I learne to flye.
That flags a while her fluttering wings beneath,
Till she her selfe for stronger flight can breath.
  [* _Soare faulcon_, a young falcon; a hawk that has not shed its
  first
  feathers, which are _sorrel_.]


Then looke, who list thy gazefull eyes to feed
With sight of that is faire, looke on the frame                    30
Of this wyde universe, and therein reed
The endlesse kinds of creatures which by name
Thou canst not count, much less their natures aime;
All which are made with wondrous wise respect,
And all with admirable beautie deckt.                    35

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5

The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5

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