Page:The New Life (Rossetti 1899) Siddal ed.djvu/109

herself after the vision of her servant. And even if thou go about to consider her right name, it is also as one should say, 'She shall come first;' inasmuch as her name, Joan, is taken from that John who went before the True Light, saying: 'Ego vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini.'"^[1] And also it seemed to me that he added other words, to wit: "He who should inquire delicately touching this matter, could not but call Beatrice by mine own name, which is to say, Love; beholding her so like unto me."

Then I, having thought of this, imagined to write it with rhymes and send it unto my chief friend; but setting aside certain words^[2] which seemed

1. "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord.'"
2. That is (as I understand it), suppressing, from delicacy towards his friend, the words in which Love describes Joan as merely the forerunner of Beatrice. And perhaps in the