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Home  »  Elizabethan Sonnets  »  XIII. Phoebus was judge between Jove, Mars and Love

Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904.

Astrophel and Stella

XIII. Phoebus was judge between Jove, Mars and Love

Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586)

PHŒBUS was judge between JOVE, MARS and LOVE;

Of those three gods, whose arms the fairest were.

JOVE’s golden shield did eagle sables bear,

Whose talons held young GANYMEDE above.

But in vert field, MARS bare a golden spear,

Which through a bleeding heart his point did shove.

Each had his crest. MARS carried VENUS’ glove;

JOVE on his helm, the thunderbolt did rear.

CUPID then smiles. For on his crest there lies

STELLA’s fair hair. Her face, he makes his shield;

Where roses gules are borne in silver field.

PHŒBUS drew wide the curtains of the skies

To blaze these last: and sware devoutly then,

The first, thus matched, were scantly gentlemen.