PET. BLES. The world is deceitful: her end is doubtful; her con clusion horrible; her judge is terrible; and her punishment is intolerable. S. AUGUST. Lib. Confess. The vain glory of this world is a deceitful sweetness, a fruitless labour, a perpetual fear, a dangerous honour : her beginning is without providence, and her end not without repentance. EPIG. 5. World, thou'rt a traitor; thou hast stampt thy base And with thy bastard bullion thou hast barter'd JOB VI. JOB vi. 81. Let not him that is deceived, trust in vanity; for vanity shall be his recompence. B 1. ELIEVE her not, her glass diffuses No true reflection: she abuses Her mis-inform'd beholder's eye; Her crystal's falsely steel'd; it scatters Deceitful beams; believe her not, she flatters. 2. This flaring mirror represents No right proportion, view, or feature: Her very looks are compliments; They make thee fairer, goodlier, greater: The skilful gloss of her reflection But paints the context of thy coarse complexion. 3. Were thy dimension but a stride, Nay, wert thou statur'd but a span, Such as the long-bill'd troops defy'd. A very fragment of a man! She'll make thee Mimas, which you will, The Jove slain tyrant, or th' lonic hill. 4. Had surfeits, or th' ungracious star, Of all deformities that are Within the volume of thy face, She'd lend the favour should outmove The Troy-bane Helen, or the Queen of Love. 5. Were thy consum'd estate as poor As Laz'rus or afflicted Job's: She'll change thy wants to seeming store, She'll make thy hide-bound flank appear 6. Look off, let not thy optics be Abus'd thou see'st not what thou should'st: Thyself's the object thou should'st see, But 'tis thy shadow thou behold'st : And shadows thrive the more in stature, The nearer we approach the light of nature. 7. Where heav'n's bright beams look more direct, The bold-fac'd shade grows larger, longer : 8. The soul that seeks the noon of grace, HUGO |