Category: PART III

Life scums the cream of beauty with time’s spoon,
And draws the claret wine of blushes soon.
Then¹ boils it in a skillet clean of youth,
And² thicks it well with crumbled bread of truth,
And sets it on³ the fire of life, which does⁴                           5
Burn clearer much when health her bellows⁵ blows.
Then takes the eggs of fair and bashful eyes,
And puts them in a countenance that’s wise,
And cuts a lemon in of⁶ sharpest wit;
Discretion, as a knife, is used for it.⁷                                      10
A handful of chaste thoughts double refined,
Six spoonfuls of a nobl’and⁸ gentle mind,
A grain of mirth, to give’t a little taste,
Then takes it off, for fear the substance waste,
And puts it in a basin of good health,⁹                                   15
And with¹⁰ this meat doth Nature please herself.

¹

Life takes a young and tender lover’s heart
That hunted was, and struck² by Cupid’s dart,
Then sets it on³ the fire of love, and blows
That fire with sighs, by which the flame high grows,
And boils it with the water of fresh tears,                            5
Flings in a bunch of hope, desires, and fears.
More sprigs of passions⁴ throws into the pot,
Then takes it off⁵ when it is seething hot,
And puts it in a clean dish of delight,
That scoured was from envy and from spite.                      10
Then doth she press and squeeze in juice of youth,
And casts⁶ therein some sugar of sweet truth.
Sharp melancholy gives a quick’ning taste,
And temperance doth cause it long to last.
Then she with smiles doth garnish it⁷ and dress,               15
And serves it up, a fair and beauteous mess.
But Nature’s apt to surfeit of this meat,
Which makes that she doth seldom of it⁸ eat.

A forehead which is high,¹ broad, smooth, and sleek;²
A large great eye that’s black³ and very quick;
A brow that’s arched, or like a bow that’s⁴ bent;
A rosy cheek, and in the midst a dent;
Two cherry lips, whereon the dew lies wet;                         5
A nose between the eyes that’s even set;
A chin that’s neither short nor very long;
A sharp, and quick, and ready pleasing tongue;
A breath of musk and amber; breasts which silk⁵
In softness do resembl’in whiteness milk;⁶                          10
A body plump, white, of an even growth,
That’s active, lively, quick, and⁷ void of sloth;
A heart that’s firm and sound;⁸ a liver good;
A speech that’s plain and eas’ly⁹ understood;
A hand that’s fat, and smooth,¹⁰ and very white,                15
The¹¹ inside moist, and red like rubies bright;
A brawny arm; a wrist that’s round and small;
And fingers long, and joints not big withal;
A stomach strong and easy to digest;
A swan-like neck; and an out-bearing chest.                        20
All these when mixed¹² with pleasure and delight,
And strewed upon with eyes most¹³ quick of sight,
Are put into¹⁴ a dish of admiration,
And so served¹⁵ up with praises of a nation.

A wanton eye that seeks but¹ to allure;
Dissembling countenance that looks demure;
A griping hand that holds what’s none of his;
A jealous mind, which thinks all is amiss;
A purple face, where mattery pimples stood;                     5
A slandering tongue that still dispraises² good;
A frowning brow, with rage and anger bent;
A good proceeding³ from an ill intent;
Large promises, which for performance stayed,⁴
And proffered gifts, which no acceptance had;⁵                10
Affected words that signified⁶no thing,
And feignèd laughter which no mirth doth bring;⁷
Thoughts idle, foolish, unuseful, and⁸ vain,
Which are created in⁹ a lover’s brain;
Antic postures, where no coherence¹⁰ is;                            15
Well-meaning mind,¹¹ which¹² always doth¹³ amiss;
A voice that’s hoarse, where notes cannot agree;
And squinting¹⁴ eyes, that no true shape can see;
Wrinkles, which¹⁵ time hath set in every face;
Vainglory brave that falls¹⁶ in full disgrace;                       20
A self-conceited pride without a cause;
A painful desperate act¹⁷ without applause;
Verses no sense nor fancy have, but¹⁸ rhyme;
Ambitious¹⁹ falls, when²⁰ highest hopes do climb.
All these Life i’th’pot of dislike boils²¹ fast,                         25
And stirs them with the²² ladle of distaste.
She makes therein the fat of gluttons²³ flow,
And roots of several vices throws into,²⁴
With²⁵ several herbs —as agèd thyme²⁶ that’s dry,
Heart-burning parsley, funeral²⁷ rosemary—                    30
Then pours²⁸ it out into repentant dishes,
And sends it up by shadows of vain wishes.

Life takes a heart, and passions puts therein,
And covers it with a dissembling skin.
Takes anger, which like pepper keen doth¹ bite,
And vinegar that’s sharp and made of spite.
Ginger of revenge, grated, in is² flung,                         5
To which she adds a lying cloven tongue.
A lazy flake of mace, which³ lies down flat;
Some salt of slander she doth put⁴ to that.
Then serves it up with sauce of jealousy,
In dishes of most careful⁵ industry.                              10

¹

A brain wherein no dullness doth appear,²
From gross opinions washed with reasons clear;³
A⁴ judgement hard and sound, grated therein;⁵
Quick wit squeezed into it, with⁶ fancies thin;
A bunch of scent⁷, sounds, colours, tied up fast             5
With threads of motion, and strong nerves to last.
In memory then stew them with long time,⁸
So take them up, and put in spirits of wine.⁹
Then pour it¹⁰ forth into a dish of touch;
The meat is good, although it is¹¹ not much.                   10

Life took some flour of white complexions made;¹
Churned nourishment as butter she did add,²
And knead³ it well; then on a board it placed,⁴
And rolled it oft, until a pie was raised.⁵
Then did she take some lips, like cherries⁶ red,                      5
And sloe-black eyes from a fair virgin’s head,
And strawberry teats from high banks of⁷ white breast,
And juice from raspis fingers ends did press.⁸
These she put in the pie, and did it⁹ bake
Within a heart, which she straight hot did make.                  10
Then drew it out with reason’s peel, and sends¹⁰
It up to Nature; she it much commends.¹¹

¹

Sweet marmalade of kisses newly² gathered;
Preserved children which were never³ fathered;
Sugar of beauty, which melts away⁴ soon;
Marchpane of youth, and childish macaroon;
Sugar-plum words, which fall sweet from⁵ the lips;            5
And wafer promises, which waste into⁶ chips;
Biscuits of love, which crumble⁷ all away;
Jelly of fear that quaking,⁸ quivering lay.
Then was a fresh green-sickness cheese brought in,⁹
And tempting fruit, like that which Eve made sin,¹⁰           10
With cream of honor, which was thick and good;¹¹
Firm nuts of sincere friendship¹² by it stood.
Grapes of delight, dull spirits to revive,
Whose juice, ’tis said, doth Nature keep alive.
All this dessert did Nature might’ly please:¹³                        15
She ate and drank, then went to rest in ease.¹⁴

Eternity, as usher, goes¹ before.
And Destiny, as porter, keeps the door
Of the great world, who lets Life out and in.
The Fates, her maids, this² thread of Life do spin.
Mutability orders with great³ care.                                         5
Motion, her footboy, runneth everywhere.
Time, as her page, doth carry up her train,
But in his service he doth little⁴ gain.
The Days are the surveyors, which do⁵ view
All Nature’s works, which⁶ are both old and new.               10
The Seasons four by turns their circuits⁷ take,
Like judges sit, and distributions⁸ make;
The Months, their⁹ pen-clerks, write down everything,
Make deeds of gifts, and bonds of all that spring.
Life’s office is to pay and give out all                                      15
To her receiver, Death, when he doth¹⁰ call.

The ground on which this house is built so strong¹
Is² honesty, that hates to do a wrong.
Foundations deep were laid, and very sure,
By love, which to all times will³ firm endure.
The walls, strong friendship; hearts for brick lay thick,        5
And constancy, as mortar, made them stick.
Freestones⁴ of obligations pillars raise,
To bear high-roofèd thanks, sealèd⁵ with praise.
Windows of knowledge let in light of truth;
Curtains of joy are⁶ drawn by pleasant youth.                         10
Chimneys with⁷ touchstone of affection made,
Wherein is beauty, as love’s fuel,⁸ laid.
The hearth is innocent marble⁹ white,
Whereon the fire of love burns clear and¹⁰ bright.
The doors are cares, misfortunes out to keep,¹¹                      15
Lest poverty that’s cold might thorough creep.¹²
Besides there,¹³ rooms of several passions stand,¹⁴
Some on the right, and some on th’other hand.¹⁵
This house’s outside’s¹⁶ tiled with noble deeds,
With¹⁷ high ambition covered, as¹⁸ with leads.                       20
Turrets of fame are built on every side,
And in this palace Nature takes great pride.
It is best furnished of all¹⁹ Nature’s courts,
For it is hung²⁰ with virtues of all sorts,
As²¹ moral virtues, and with those of art:                                 25
The last from acts, the first come²² from the heart.