XLIII.
[The Salamander liues in fire and flame]
The sense or matter of this Passion is taken out of Seraphine in
his Strambotti, who writeth thus,
Se Salamandra in fiamma viue, e in fuoco,
Non me stupisce quel che fà natura,
Ma costei che è di giaccio, & io di fuoco,
E in mezo del mio cuor viue sicura;
Chi la defende in cosi ardente fuoco,
Che douendo sguagliar diuenta dura?
Solo Amor di Natura aspro aduersario,
Che à suo dispetto vnisce ogni contrario.
The
Salamander liues in fire and flame,
And yet but wonder small in Natures worke:
By straunger force loue winnes away her fame,
As causing colde in midst of heat to lurke.
Who list of these my paines to take the view,
Will soone confesse that what I say, is true.
For one as colde as hardest frozen yse,
Is fixed fast, and lodgeth in my brest;
Whome reason can remoue by no deuise,
Nor any force can cause to let me rest:
And yet I still so swimme in hoate desire,
That more I burne then either flame or fire.
How straunge is this? can contraries so gree,
That Ise in flame will neither waste nor melt,
But still encrease, and harder growe to bee,
Then erst before? all this my selfe haue felt.
For Loue Dame Natures foe, without remorse,
Thus coopleth contraries in me by force.
