Iv

Of his mistress, upon occasion of a friend of his which dissuaded him from loving

A friend of mine, pitying my hopeless love, Hoping by killing hope my love to stay, "Let not," quoth he, "thy hope, thy heart betray; Impossible it is her heart to move." But sith resolved love cannot remove As long as thy divine perfections stay, Thy godhead then he sought to take away. Dear, seek revenge and him a liar prove; Gods only do impossibilities. "Impossible," saith he, "thy grace to gain." Show then the power of divinities By granting me thy favour to obtain. So shall thy foe give to himself the lie; A goddess thou shall prove, and happy I!