The Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti :: :: University of Virginia Library

Do not conceive that I shall here recount
All my own beauty: yet I promise you
That you, by what I tell, shall understand
All that befits and that is well to know.

My bosom, which is very softly made,
Of a white even colour without stain,
Bears two fair apples, fragrant, sweetly-savoured,
Gathered together from the Tree of Life
The which is in the midst of Paradise.
And these no person ever yet has touched;
For out of nurse's and of mother's hands
I was, when God in secret gave them me.
These ere I yield I must know well to whom;
And for that I would not be robbed of them,
I speak not all the virtue that they have;
Yet thus far speaking:—blessed were the man
Who once should touch them, were it but a little;—
See them I say not, for that might not be.

My girdle, clipping pleasure round about,
Over my clear dress even unto my knees
Hangs down with sweet precision tenderly;
And under it Virginity abides.
Faithful and simple and of plain belief
She is, with her fair garland bright like gold;
And very fearful if she overhears
Speech of herself; the wherefore ye perceive
That I speak soft lest she be made ashamed.

Lo! this is she who hath for company
The Son of God and Mother of the Son;
Lo! this is she who sits with many in heaven;
Lo! this is she with whom are few on earth.

Extracted from his long treatise, in unrhymed verse and in prose, “Of the Government and Conduct of Women”; (Del Reggimento e dei Costumi delle Donne).

II
Sentenze

Of sloth against Sin

There is a vice which oft
I've heard men praise; and divers forms it has;
And it is this. Whereas
Some, by their wisdom, lordship, or repute,

When tumults are afoot,
Might stifle them, or at the least allay,—
These certain ones will say,
“The wise man bids thee fly the noise of men.”

485

One says, “Wouldst thou maintain
Worship,—avoid where thou mayst not avail;
And do not breed worse ail
By adding one more voice to strife begun.”

Another, with this one,
Avers, “I could but bear a small expense,
Or yield a slight defence.”
A third says this, “I could but offer words.”

Or one, whose tongue records
Unwillingly his own base heart, will say,
“I'll not be led astray
To bear a hand in others' life or death.”

They have it in their teeth!
For unto this each man is pledged and bound;
And this thing shall be found
Entered against him at the Judgment Day.

This and the three following pieces are extracted from his “Documents of Love” (Documenti d'Amore).

III
Sentenze

Of Sins in Speech

Now these four things, if thou
Consider, are so bad that none are worse.
First,—among counsellors
To thrust thyself, when not called absolutely.

And in the other three
Many offend by their own evil wit.
When men in council sit,
One talks because he loves not to be still;

And one to have his will;
And one for nothing else but only show.
These rules were well to know,
First for the first, for the others afterward.

Where many are repair'd
And met together, never go with them
Unless thou'rt called by name.
This for the first: now for the other three.

What truly thou dost see
Turn in thy mind, and faithfully report;
And in the plainest sort
Thy wisdom may, proffer thy counselling.

There is another thing
Belongs hereto, the which is on this wise.
If one should ask advice
Of thine for his own need whate'er it be,—

This is my word to thee:—
Deny it if it be not clearly of use:
Or turn to some excuse
That may avail, and thou shalt have done well.

486

IV
Sentenze

Of Importunities and Troublesome Persons

There is a vice prevails
Concerning which I'll set you on your guard;
And other four, which hard
It were (as may be thought) that I should blame.

Some think that still of them—
Whate'er is said—some ill speech lies beneath;
And this to them is death:
Whereby we plainly may perceive their sins.

And now let others wince.
One sort there is, who, thinking that they please,
(Because no wit's in these,)
Where'er you go, will stick to you all day,

And answer, (when you say,
“Don't let me tire you out!”) “Oh never mind—
Say nothing of the kind,—
It's quite a pleasure to be where you are!”

A second,—when, as far
As he could follow you, the whole day long
He's sung you his dull song,
And you for courtesy have borne with it,—

Will think you've had a treat.
A third will take his special snug delight,—
Some day you've come in sight
Of some great thought and got it well in view,—

Just then to drop on you.
A fourth, for any insult you've received
Will say he is so grieved,
And daily bring the subject up again.

So now I would be fain
To show you your best course at all such times;
And counsel you in rhymes
That you yourself offend not in likewise.

In these four cases lies
This help:—to think upon your own affair,
Just showing here and there
By just a word that you are listening;

And still to the last thing
That's said to you attend in your reply,
And let the rest go by,—
It's quite a chance if he remembers them.

Yet do not, all the same,
Deny your ear to any speech of weight.
But if importunate
The speaker is, and will not be denied,

487

Just turn the speech aside
When you can find some plausible pretence;
For if you have the sense,
By a quick question or a sudden doubt

You may so put him out
That he shall not remember where he was,
And by such means you'll pass
Upon your way and be well rid of him.

And now it may beseem
I give you the advice I promised you.
Before you have to do
With men whom you must meet continually,

Take notice what they be;
And so you shall find readily enough
If you can win their love,
And give yourself for answer Yes or No.

And finding Yes, do so
That still the love between you may increase.
Yet if they be of these
Whom sometimes it is hard to understand,

Let some slight cause be plann'd,
And seem to go,—so you shall learn their will:
And if but one sit still
As 'twere in thought,—then go, unless he call.

Lastly, if insult gall
Your friend, this is the course that you should take.
At first 'tis well you make
As much lament thereof as you think fit,—

Then speak no more of it,
Unless himself should bring it up again;
And then no more refrain
From full discourse, but say his grief is yours.

V
Sentenze

Of Caution

Say, wouldst thou guard thy son,
That sorrow he may shun?
Begin at the beginning
And let him keep from sinning.
Wouldst guard thy house? One door
Make to it, and no more.
Wouldst guard thine orchard-wall?
Be free of fruit to all.