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Astrophel and Stella: 102

Sidney, Sir Philip
1Where be those Roses gone, which sweetned so our eyes?
2Where those red cheeks, which oft with faire encrease did frame
3The height of honor in the kindly badge of shame?
4Who hath the crimson weeds stolne from my morning skies?
5How doth the colour vade of those vermillion dies,
6Which nature selfe did make, and selfe engraind the same?
7I would know by what right this palenesse ouercame
8That hue, whose force my hart still vnto thraledome ties?
9Galleins adoptiue sonnes, who by a beaten way
10Their judgements hackney on, the fault on sicknesse lay,
11But feeling proofe makes me (say they) mistake it furre:
12It is but loue which makes his paper perfite white,
13To write therein more fresh the story of delight,
14While beauties reddest inke Venus for him doth sturre.

Notes

4] weeds: usually, black articles of clothing worn when mourning a person’s death Back to Line
5] vade: fade Back to Line
9] Galleins adoptiue sonnes: doctors; Galen was an ancient Greek physician whose writings formed the base of European medicine through to the nineteenth century; though by Sidney’s time, his medical information was being surpassed by that of more progressive (and modern) physicians. Back to Line
10] hackney on: figuratively, to ride upon (as on an old horse) Back to Line
11] furre: far Back to Line
14] Venus: the Roman goddess of love and beauty
sturre: stir Back to Line