“What time this worlds great workmaister did cast To make al things, such as we now behold: It seemes that he before his eyes had plast A goodly Paterne to whose perfect mould, He fashioned them as comely as he could, That now so faire and seemely they appeare, As nought may be amended any wheare. “That wondrous Paterne · · · · · Is perfect Beautie, which all men adore, Whose face and feature doth so much excell All mortall sence, that none the same may tell.” (ll. 32–45.) Spenser now passes on to the theory of the infusion of beauty in matter, by which its grossness is refined and quickened, as it were, into life. “Thereof as every earthly thing partakes, Or more or lesse by influence divine, So it more faire accordingly it makes, And the grosse matter of this earthly myne, Which clotheth it, thereafter doth refyne, Doing away the drosse which dims the light Of that faire beame, which therein is empight. “For through infusion of celestiall powre, The duller earth it quickneth with delight And life-full spirits privily doth powre Through all the parts, that to the looker’s sight They seeme to please. That is thy soveraine might, O _Cyprian_ Queene, which flowing from the beame Of thy bright starre, then into them doest streame.” (ll. 46–59.) At this point of his “Hymne” Spenser pauses to refute the idea that beauty is “An outward shew of things, that onely seeme” (l. 94.) His pausing to overthrow such an idea of beauty is quite in the manner of the scientific expositor in the Italian treatises and dialogues written throughout the Renaissance. Ficino, for instance, combats the idea, which he says some hold, that beauty is nothing but the proportion of the various parts of an object with a certain sweetness of color. (V. 3.) In like manner Spenser says it is the idle wit that identifies beauty with proportion and color, both of which pass away. “How vainely then doe ydle wits invent, That beautie is nought else, but mixture made Of colours faire, and goodly temp’rament, Of pure complexions, that shall quickly fade And passe away, like to a sommers shade, Or that it is but comely composition Of parts well measurd, with meet disposition.” (ll. 67–73.) Spenser overthrows this contention by doubting the power of mere color and superficial proportion to stir the soul of man. (ll. 74–87.) He has proved the power of beauty only too well to maintain such a theory. He thus seeks for the source of its power in the soul.