Summary

The speaker now talks about a stately old oak tree. The countess used to visit it, the tallest of the estate, to admire her property. It is compared to other trees, and then admired for the ability of its branches to give cooling shelter on hot days. The speaker argues that this tree is enough to please kings and better than any other destination in Europe.

Sitting by the tree and meditating on its beauty allows people to learn more about the universe. Particularly, it brings them into closer appreciation with the divine. The speaker sees the perfection of creation through this tree, and appreciates several figures from biblical history, culminating in the description of the countess's virtue.

The speaker admires her, and yet mourns that they can no longer be together. She grieves the fact that fortune has separated them, and the inconstancy...