Love

Love

by Nicholas Breton c. 1545–1626

From Pastoral poems (Pembroke Booklets)

Love

Foolish love is only folly;
Wanton love is too unholy;
Greedy love is covetous;
Idle love is frivolous;
But the gracious love is it
That doth prove the work of it.

Beauty but deceives the eye;
Flattery leads the ear awry;
Wealth doth but enchant the wit;
Want, the overthrow of it;
While in Wisdom's worthy grace,
Virtue sees the sweetest face.

There hath Love found out his life,
Peace without all thought of strife;
Kindness in Discretion's care;
Truth, that clearly doth declare
Faith doth in true fancy prove,
Lust the excrements of Love.

Then in faith may fancy see
How my love may constru'd be;
How it grows and what it seeks;
How it lives and what it likes;
So in highest grace regard it,
Or in lowest scorn discard it.

✦ ✦ ✦

Sets the false kinds of love (foolish, wanton, greedy, idle) against the "gracious love" found in wisdom and virtue.

MLA

Breton, Nicholas. “Love.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/breton/11/.

Chicago

Breton, Nicholas. “Love.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/breton/11/.

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