Reason ruled until Love came upon the scene. Slowly, Love conquered Reason but released her on the condition that they never fight. Nice goal.
Reason and love are often at odds with one another.
Northcote
From earliest times, if right I read,
Reason and Love have disagreed:
In Reason something too austere
Depress’d the heart she rul’d with fear,
The Paphian queen’s unlucky boy,
Indulged to all unbounded joy,
A wanton sovereign weakly kind,
No laws his laughing subjects bind.
Well might they jar—but love awhile
Took friendship’s name with specious guile.
Now Reason seem’d to share his throne,
And with his influence blend her own,
Yet, truth to tell, ’twas nought but show,
For native hate still lurk’d below;
And soon that hate, with pain conceal’d,
Flam’d out in open war reveal’d.
Their force at first in skirmish try’d,
Th’ advantage fell to Reason’s side:
For then the troops of Love were few,
And those light arm’d, if Fame say true.
But soon deserters round him crowd,
Who once their faith to Reason vow’d.
With foreign force thus potent grown,
Love knew to make those troops his own:
To battle now he press’d the foe,
And aim’d the last decisive blow.
Reason o’er match’d, collects her might—
Despairs, but still renews the fight:
She flew where most the battle rag’d,
And hand to band, with Love engag’d;
In vain her skill and prowess prove,
Disarm’d and captiv’d now by Love:
The god, to reign without controul,
Releas’d his pris’ner on parole;
Whose freedom this condition bore,
She ne’er should serve against him more.
