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Gazing with eye remote on all the ways
Of man, his Guardian Gods; wiselier they deem
A dearer interest to the human race
Links you, yourselves the Spirits of the Dead.
No mortal eye may pierce the invisible world,
No light of human reason penetrate
That depth where Truth lies hid. Yet to this faith
My heart with instant sympathy assents;
And I would judge all systems and all faiths
By that best touchstone, from whose test Deceit
Shrinks like the Arch-Fiend at Ithuriel's spear,
And Sophistry's gay glittering bubble bursts,
As at the spousals of the Nereid's son,
When that false [1]Florimel, by her prototype
Of man, his Guardian Gods; wiselier they deem
A dearer interest to the human race
Links you, yourselves the Spirits of the Dead.
No mortal eye may pierce the invisible world,
No light of human reason penetrate
That depth where Truth lies hid. Yet to this faith
My heart with instant sympathy assents;
And I would judge all systems and all faiths
By that best touchstone, from whose test Deceit
Shrinks like the Arch-Fiend at Ithuriel's spear,
And Sophistry's gay glittering bubble bursts,
As at the spousals of the Nereid's son,
When that false [1]Florimel, by her prototype
- ↑ Then did he set her by that snowy one,
Like the true saint beside the image set,
Of both their beauties to make paragone
And trial whether should the honour get:
Streightway so soone as both together met,
The enchaunted damzell vanish'd into nought;
Her snowy substance melted as with heat,
Ne of that goodly hew remayned ought
But the emptie girdle which about her wast was wrought.
Spenser.
