Sir Philip Sidney

Here you will find the Poem Astrophel and Stella: LXXI of poet Sir Philip Sidney

Astrophel and Stella: LXXI

Who will in fairest book of nature know
 How virtue may best lodg'd in beauty be,
 Let him but learn of love to read in thee,
 Stella, those fair lines which true goodness show.
 There shall he find all vices' overthrow,
 Not by rude force, but sweetest sovereignty
 Of reason, from whose light those night-birds fly;
 That inward sun in thine eyes shineth so.
 And, not content to be perfection's heir
 Thyself, dost strive all minds that way to move,
 Who mark in thee what is in thee most fair.
 So while thy beauty draws thy heart to love,
 As fast thy virtue bends that love to good:
 But "Ah," Desire still cries, "Give me some food!"