Nath. Ay, sir, and very learned.
Hol. Let me hear a staff, a stanze, a verse: 108
lege, domine.
Nath. 'If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?
Ah! never faith could hold, if not to beauty vow'd;
Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll faithful prove; 112
Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like osiers bow'd.
Study his bias leaves and makes his book thine eyes,
Where all those pleasures live that art would comprehend:
If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice. 116
Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend;
All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;
Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire.
Thy eye Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder, 120
Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.
Celestial as thou art, O pardon love this wrong,
That sings heaven’s praise with such an earthly tongue!'
Hol. You find not the apostrophas, and so 124
miss the accent: let me supervise the canzonet.
Here are only numbers ratified; but, for the
elegancy, facility, and golden cadence of poesy,
caret. Ovidius Naso was the man: and why, 128
indeed, Naso, but for smelling out the odori-
109 lege, domine: read, master
114 his bias: i.e. its natural tendency
124 apostrophas: apostrophes; cf. n.
126 numbers ratified; cf. n.
128 caret: it is wanting
129 Naso: from 'nasus,' nose
