Say to her, Lady, all his heart is stayed Upon so sure a faith,

His every thought is but of serving thee, And early thine, he ne'er from thee hath strayed.

Then if she wavereth,

Bid her ask Love, who knows if this can be,
And lastly, beg in all humility,

That if forgiveness she can still deny,
She send to me and bid me now to die;
His loyalty her servant straight shall prove.

Of him who openeth the hearts of men, Or e'er thou turn away,

Ask that in full he tell to her my tale.
As guerdon of my music, say thou then,
Deign thou with her to stay.

Plead for thy servant aught that may avail,
And if with her thy pleading may prevail,
Grant that in tender wise she give me sign.

And, if thou wilt, O gentle ballad mine, So deal that honour shall be thine and love.

This ballad is divided into three parts: in the first I tell it where to go, and I encourage it that it may go with the more confidence: and I tell it whose company to join, if it would go safely without any danger. In the second I say that which it belongs to the ballad to impart; in the third I give it leave to start when it will, recommending its sweet goings to the arms of fortune. The secona part begins: "With sweet melody"; the third:

quivi: Gentil ballata. Potrebbe già l'uomo opporre contra me e dire, che non sapesse a cui fosse il mio parlare in seconda persona, perocchè la ballata non è altro, che queste parole ch' io parlo. E però dico che questo dubbio io lo intendo solvere e dichiarare in questo libello ancora in parte più dubbiosa: ed allora intenderà chi qui dubbia, o chi qui volesse opporre, in quello modo.

XIII. Appresso questa soprascritta visione, avendo già dette le parole, che Amore m'avea imposto di dire, m'incominciarono molti e diversi pensamenti a combattere e a tentare, ciascuno quasi indefensibilmente; tra' quali pensamenti quattro m'ingombravano più il riposo della vita. L'uno dei quali era questo: buona è la signoria d' Amore, perocchè trae lo intendimento del suo fedele da tutte le vili cose. L'altro era questo non buona è la signoria d'Amore, perocchè quanto lo suo fedele più fede gli porta, tanto più gravi e dolorosi punti gli conviene passare. L'altro era questo: lo nome d'Amore è si dolce a udire, che impossibile mi pare, che la sua operazione sia nelle più cose altro che dolce, conciossiacosachè i nomi seguitino le nominate cose, siccome è scritto: Nomina sunt consequentia rerum. Lo quarto era questo: la donna per cui Amore ti stringe così, non è come le altre donne, che leggermente si mova del suo cuore. E ciascun mi combattea tanto,

"Gentle Ballad." Some one might contradict
me and
say that he understands not to whom
I am speaking in the second person, inasmuch
as the ballad is nothing but the very words I
am speaking. And therefore I say that this is
a difficulty which I intend to solve and to
expound in another more difficult part of this
little book: and then he will understand who
now doubts, or would contradict what I have
said.

XIII. After the above described vision, having already said the words which Love had constrained me to utter, there began to harass and torment me many and diverse thoughts-each one, as it were, having no justification. Among those thoughts, four most disturbed my life's peace. One of those was this: The sovereignty of Love is good, inasmuch as Love draws the intent of his subject away from all low things. The other was this: The dominion of Love is not good, since the more fidelity his subject has towards him, the more deep and 2. sorrowful wailings he must pass through. The other was this: The name of Love is so sweet a sound, that it appears to me impossible that his working could be with things other than sweet, since names are in harmony with the things named, as it is written: Names are the consequents of things. The fourth was this: The lady for whom Love thus binds thee fast, is not like other ladies, and would not easily give away her

che mi facea stare come colui, che non sa per qual via pigli il suo cammino, e che vuole andare, e non sa onde si vada. E se

io pensava di voler cercare una comune via di costoro, cioè là ove tutti si accordassero, questa via era molto inimica verso di me, cioè di chiamare e mettermi nelle braccia della Pietà. Ed in questo stato dimorando, mi giunse volontà di scriverne parole rimate ; e dissine allora questo sonetto :

Tutti li miei pensier parlan d' Amore,
Ed hanno in lor si gran varietate,
Ch'altro mi fa voler sua potestate,
Altro forte ragiona il suo valore.
Altro sperando m'apporta dolzore;
Altro pianger mi fa spesse fïate;
E sol s' accordano in chieder pietate,
Tremando di paura ch'è nel core.
Ond' io non so da qual materia
prenda ;

E vorrei dire, e non so ch' io mi dica:
Così mi trovo in amorosa erranza.

E se con tutti vo' fare accordanza,
Convenemi chiamar la mia nemica,
Madonna la Pietà, che mi difenda.

heart. And each assailed me so, that they made me stand like one who does not know through which road to take his journey, and who wishes to go and does not know wherefore he goes. And if I thought of wanting to seek a common road with others, that is, one where all should meet, this road was very hostile towards me; that is to say, to call and place myself in the arms of Pity. And living in this state of mind, there came to me the longing to write some words in rhyme ; and I composed then this sonnet :

Now all my thoughts on nought but love are bent,

In such variety do they appear,

One makes me wish to feel Love's presence

near,

Another speaks to his worth's detriment. One, bringing hope, hath joyful sweetness lent;

Another, bearing sorrow, claims a tear; But all agree in claiming Pity's ear, Though in my heart a trembling fear is pent. Which wish 'twere best to choose I cannot tell,

Fain would I speak, but no words come to

me.

Then in a lover's maze myself I find,

And wishing all in unity to bind, 'Tis right I call upon mine enemy, Dame Pity, 'neath whose shield I needs must dwell,

D