worthless prove
    Offer’d by thee—­herein Love leads to err
    Who often makes the sound eye to see wrong—­
    My counsel this, instant on Heaven above
    Thy soul to elevate, thy heart to spur,
    For though the time be short, the way is long.

    MACGREGOR.

SONNET CCVII.

Due rose fresche, e colte in paradiso.

THE TWO ROSES.

      Two brilliant roses, fresh from Paradise,
    Which there, on May-day morn, in beauty sprung
    Fair gift, and by a lover old and wise
    Equally offer’d to two lovers young: 
    At speech so tender and such winning guise,
    As transports from a savage might have wrung,
    A living lustre lit their mutual eyes,
    And instant on their cheeks a soft blush hung. 
    The sun ne’er look’d upon a lovelier pair,
    With a sweet smile and gentle sigh he said,
    Pressing the hands of both and turn’d away. 
    Of words and roses each alike had share. 
    E’en now my worn heart thrill with joy and dread,
    O happy eloquence!  O blessed day!

    MACGREGOR.

SONNET CCVIII.

L’ aura che ‘l verde Lauro e l’ aureo crine.

HE PRAYS THAT HE MAY DIE BEFORE LAURA.

      The balmy gale, that, with its tender sigh,
    Moves the green laurel and the golden hair,
    Makes with its graceful visitings and rare
    The gazer’s spirit from his body fly. 
    A sweet and snow-white rose in hard thorns set! 
    Where in the world her fellow shall we find? 
    The glory of our age!  Creator kind! 
    Grant that ere hers my death shall first be met. 
    So the great public loss I may not see,
    The world without its sun, in darkness left,
    And from my desolate eyes their sole light reft,
    My mind with which no other thoughts agree,
    Mine ears which by no other sound are stirr’d
    Except her ever pure and gentle word.

    MACGREGOR.

SONNET CCIX.

Parra forse ad alcun, che ’n lodar quella.

HE INVITES THOSE TO WHOM HIS PRAISES SEEM EXCESSIVE TO BEHOLD THE OBJECT OF THEM.

      Haply my style to some may seem too free
    In praise of her who holds my being’s chain,
    Queen of her sex describing her to reign,
    Wise, winning, good, fair, noble, chaste to be: 
    To me it seems not so; I fear that she
    My lays as low and trifling may disdain,
    Worthy a higher and a better strain;
    —­Who thinks not with me let him come and see. 
    Then will he say, She whom his wishes seek
    Is one indeed whose grace and worth might tire
    The muses of all lands and either lyre. 
    But mortal tongue for state divine is weak,
    And may not soar; by flattery and force,
    As Fate not choice ordains, Love rules its course.