This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank;
An embryo God; a spark of fire divine.
Bio: Vannoccio Biringuccio, sometimes spelt Vannocio Biringuccio, was an Italian metallurgist. He is best known for his manual on metalworking, De la pirotechnia, published posthumously in 1540.
