hat time forward Love lorded it over my soul, which had been so
speedily wedded to him: and he began to exercise over me such control
and such lordship, through the power which my imagination gave to him,
that it behooved me to do completely all his pleasure. He commanded me
ofttimes that I should seek to see this youthful angel; so that I in
my boyhood often went seeking her, and saw her of such noble and
praiseworthy deportment that truly of her might be said that word of
the poet Homer, "She seems not the daughter of mortal man, but of
God." And tho her image, which stayed constantly with me, gave
assurance to Love to hold lordship over me, yet it was of such noble
virtue that it never suffered Love to rule me without the faithful
counsel of the reason in those matters in which it was useful to hear
such counsel. And since to dwell upon the passions and actions of such
early youth seems like telling an idle tale, I will leave them, and,
passing over many things which might be drawn from the original where
these lie hidden, I will come to those words which are written in my
memory under larger paragraphs.

When so many days had passed that nine years were exactly complete
since the above-described apparition of this most gentle lady, on the
last of these days it happened that this admirable lady appeared to
me, clothed in purest white, between two gentle ladies, who were of
greater age; and, passing along a street, she turned her eyes toward
that place where I stood very timidly, and by her ineffable courtesy,
which is to-day rewarded in the eternal world, saluted me with such
virtue that it seemed to be then that I saw all the bounds of
bliss.... And since it was the first time that her words came to my
ears, I took in such sweetness that, as it were, intoxicated, I turned
away from the folk, and betaking myself to the solitude of my own
chamber, I sat myself down to think of this most courteous lady.

Then it came to pass that, walking on a road alongside of which was
flowing a very clear stream, so great a desire to say somewhat in
verse came upon me, that I began to consider the method I should
observe; and I thought that to speak of her would not be becoming
unless I were to speak to ladies in the second person; and not to
every lady, but only to those who are gentle, and are not women
merely. Then I say that my tongue spoke as if moved of its own accord,
and said, Ladies that have the intelligence of Love. Thes