"What do I love, when I love Thee? not beauty of
bodies, nor the fair harmony of time, nor the brightness of the light, so
gladsome to our eyes, nor sweet melodies of varied songs, nor the fragrant
smell of flowers, and ointments, and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs
acceptable to embracements of flesh. None of these I love, when I love my God;
and yet I love a kind of light, and melody, and fragrance, and meat, and
embracement when I love my God, the light, melody, fragrance, meat, embracement
of my inner man: where there shineth unto my soul what space cannot contain,
and there soundeth what time beareth not away, and there smelleth what
breathing disperseth not, and there tasteth what eating diminisheth not, and
there clingeth what satiety divorceth not. This is it which I love when I love
my God".
