X. Reason! in faith, thou art well served! that still

Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586)

REASON! in faith, thou art well served! that still

Wouldst brabbling be with Sense and LOVE in me.

I rather wisht thee climb the Muses’ hill,

Or reach the fruit of Nature’s choicest tree,

Or seek heaven’s course, or heaven’s inside to see.

Why shouldst thou toil, our thorny soil to till?

Leave SENSE! and those which SENSE’s objects be.

Deal thou with powers! of thoughts, leave LOVE to will!

But thou wouldst needs fight both with LOVE and SENSE

With sword of wit, giving wounds of dispraise;

Till downright blows did foil thy cunning fence.

For soon as they strake thee with STELLA’s rays;

REASON! thou kneel’dst; and offeredst straight to prove

By reason good, good reason her to love.