Prefiguring all his love and faith in life and death;

7.

Who should love two things only and only praise

More than all else for ever: even the glory

Of goodly beauty in women, whence all days

Take light whereby death's self seems transitory;

And loftier love than loveliest eyes can raise,

Love that wipes off the miry stains and gory

From Time's worn feet, besmirched on bloodred ways,

And lightens with his light the night of story;

Love that lifts up from dust

Life, and makes darkness just,

And purges as with fire of purgatory

The dense disastrous air,

To burn old falsehood bare

And give the wind its ashes heaped and hoary;

Love, that with eyes of ageless youth

Sees on the breast of Freedom borne her nursling Truth.

8.

For at his birth the sistering stars were one

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