The Poetry Corner

Astrophel and Stella - Sonnet LXIII

By Philip Sidney (Sir)

O grammer-rules, O now your vertues show; So children still reade you with awfull eyes, As my young doue may, in your precepts wise, Her graunt to me by her owne vertue know: For late, with heart most hie, with eyes most lowe, I crau'd the thing which euer she denies; Shee, lightning loue, displaying Venus skies, Least once should not be heard, twise said, No, no. Sing then, my Muse, now Io Pn sing; Heau'ns enuy not at my high triumphing, But grammers force with sweete successe confirme: For grammer says, (O this, deare Stella, say,) For grammer sayes, (to grammer who sayes nay?) That in one speech two negatiues affirme!