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Astrophel and Stella

by Sir Philip Sidney

7 of 11 · Contents · Download EPUB

The Sixth Sonnet

O You that heare this voice,
O you that see this face,
Say whether of the choice,
Deserves the better place,
 Feare not to judge this bate,
 For it is voide of hate.

 2 This side doth Beautie take,
For that doth Musick speake,
Fit Orators to make,
The strongest judgements weake.
 The barre to plead the right,
 Is onely true delight.

 3 Thus doth the voice and face,
The gentle Lawiers wage,
Like loving brothers case,
For Fathers heritage,
 That each while each contends,
 It selfe to other lends.

 4 For Beautie beautifies
With heavenly view and grace,
The heavenly harmonie;
And in this faultles face
 The perfect beauties bee,
 A perfect harmonie.

 5 Musick more lustie swels
In speeches nobly placed,
Beautie as farre excels
In actions aptly graced.
 A friend each partie drawes,
 To countenance his cause.

 6 Love more affected seemes
To Beauties lonely light,
And wonder more esteemes
Of Musicks wondrous might;
 But both to both so bent,
 As both in both are spent.

 7 Musicke doth witnes call
The eare his truth to trie:
Beautie brings to the hall
The judgement of the eie:
 Both in their objects such,
 As no exceptions tuch.

 8 The common Sense which might
Be arbitrer of this,
To be forsooth upright,
To both sides partiall is:
 He laies on this chiefe praise,
 Chiefe praise on that he laies.

 9 Then reason Princesse hie,
Whose throne is in the minde;
Which Musicke can in skie,
And hidden Beauties finde:
 Say, whether thou wilt crowne
 With limitlesse renowne.

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