Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 3.pdf/70

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Art, falling on his knees before

Dame Nature humbly doth implore,

Beseech, and earnestly require

In suppliant form, that she inspire

His heart, if but in small degree.

How he may copy carefully

Her handiwork, and reproduce

Its form, for ornament or use,

Acknowledging inferior far

His works to be than Nature’s are.

Each method Art doth closely watch

And painfully essay to catch

Of Nature’s working, as an ape

His doings upon man’s doth shape;

But vainly, vainly, Art may try

To come near Nature’s mastery.

To nought that through man’s hand doth live

Can he her touch supernal give.

For Art, though he no labour shirk

To imitate great Nature’s work,

And set his hand to every kind

Of thing he may around him find,

Of whatsoever sort it be,

Painting and decking curiously

(And none of all the arts men leave

Untried, but paint, dye, carve and weave)

Armed warriors on their coursers dight,

Adorned and trapped in colours bright,

Purple and yellow, green and blue,

And many another varied hue;

Fair birds that pipe ’mid branches green,

And fish in crystal waters seen,