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The Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Edited with Preface and Notes by William M. Rossetti: Revised and Enlarged Edition
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel (1828-1882)

expand sectionI. 
PRINCIPAL POEMS
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II.—MISCELLANEOUS POEMS
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VERSICLES AND FRAGMENTS
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FOREIGN
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JUVENILIA AND GROTESQUES
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TRANSLATIONS
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DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE
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PART I Dante's Vita Nuova, etc. Poets of Dante's Circle
  
[dedication]
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THE NEW LIFE.
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[DANTE ALIGHIERI]
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GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 I. 
I TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
 II. 
II Sonnet
 III. 
III Sonnet
 IV. 
IV Sonnet
 V. 
V Ballata
 VI. 
VI TO GUIDO ORLANDI
  
GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 VII. 
VII Sonnet
 VIII. 
VIII Ballata
  
DANTE ALIGHIERI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 IX. 
IX TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
 X. 
X TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
 XI. 
XI TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
 XII. 
XII Sonnet
 XIII. 
XIII Sonnet
 XIV. 
XIV Ballata
 XV. 
XV Sonnet
 XVI. 
XVI Ballata
 XVII. 
XVII Sonnet
  
GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
  
GIANNI ALFANI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
  
BERNARDO DA BOLOGNA TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 XVIII. 
XVIII TO BERNARDO DA BOLOGNA
  
DINO COMPAGNI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 XIX. 
XIX TO GUIDO ORLANDI
  
GUIDO ORLANDI TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
 XX. 
XX TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
 XXI. 
XXI Ballata
 XXII. 
XXII Sonnet
 XXIII. 
XXIII TO POPE BONIFACE VIII
 XXIV. 
XXIV Ballata
 XXV. 
XXV Canzone
 XXVI. 
XXVI Canzone
 XXVII. 
XXVII Canzone
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII Canzone
  
DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE
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CINO DA PISTOIA
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DANTE DA MAIANO
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CECCO ANGIOLIERI, DA SIENA
  
GUIDO ORLANDI
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LAPO GIANNI
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DINO FRESCOBALDI
  
GIOTTO DI BONDONE
  
SIMONE DALL' ANTELLA
  
GIOVANNI QUIRINO TO DANTE ALIGHIERI
  
DANTE ALIGHIERI TO GIOVANNI QUIRINO
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APPENDIX TO PART I
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PART II POETS CHIEFLY BEFORE DANTE
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TRANSLATIONS from the GERMAN, ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND GREEK

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369

XIX
TO GUIDO ORLANDI

Sonnet

In praise of Guido Orlandi's Lady

A lady in whom love is manifest—
That love which perfect honour doth adorn—
Hath ta'en the living heart out of thy breast,
Which in her keeping to new life is born:
For there by such sweet power it is possest
As even is felt of Indian unicorn:
And all its virtue now, with fierce unrest,
Unto thy soul makes difficult return.
For this thy lady is virtue's minister
In suchwise that no fault there is to show,
Save that God made her mortal on this ground.
And even herein His wisdom shall be found:
For only thus our intellect could know
That heavenly beauty which resembles her.
 

In old representations, the unicorn is often seen with his head in a virgin's lap.

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