The Character of a Perfect Woman

A pelles curious eye must gaze upon
all beauties, and from choice of all make one;
Thais must lend a lipp, Lais a Cheeke,
then for a browe we must Oenone seeke,
spoyle Hermia for a nose, ravish an eye
from Helen, and from Omphale snatch a thighe;
stopp Atalanta in her nimble race
to borrow Leggs, and parcell of her face;
robbe Ledaes Twinns, and Venus breast must weare,
and Cozen Ariadne of her haire;
wee make noe shott, nor to encrease our store
of beauty, tane on trust, leaue others poore,
Like such as thriue by breaking; this is shee
Of whom the double faire Penelope,
Lucrece and Pallas all but Copies are,
and not examples; this is that one rare
eternall forme of woman, which we finde
Platonick dreame in none but in the minde
of the great workeman, by which he creates
the rest oth' sexe, and as their seuerall fates
giues them like her th' are blest, their excellence
brings but reflection of a light from hence:
soe perfect, as if natures care had beene
to fitt the Inne a guest, the Guest an Inne;
her soule and body equally divine,
neuer dwelt holyer saint in statelier shrine;
in euery member some great vertue liues
that like the soule informes the part, and giues
his heauen a motion, that they all appeare
soe many Angells in their proper spheare:
I will not say her haire(s) are finest wires
of gold or siluer, (drosse the world admires)
nor silkewormes toyles spunne by a subtle thread,
but they are crownes of rayes throwne round her head,
Beames that shoote glory forth by whose bright shine
we know the Orbe the Circle is diuine;
Her browe is fairer then the parian stone
fitt to make Altars on, where in a Throne
sitts maiesty triumphant, in her hand
she beares a powerfull scepter to command,
and Checke proud mortalls whose bold hopes might bee
such Gyants as to court divinitye;
under the Lidd that Canopies her eyes
pure bashfullnesse in mayden Curtaines Lyes,
from which, as morning, breakes a double sunne
more bright then Eagles dare to gaze upon;
which when in zeale they fix on heauen, and then
deigne to bestow a lower Looke on men,
amazed in my thoughts I know not whether
they kindle more heate here, or send more thither;
which though in us some wanton flames they moue,
againe their brightnes curbes ambitious Loue;
As misty fogges which into clouds are swelld
by the same heate that raised them are dispelld;
view in her Cheekes pure bloud, nere tainted more
then what an apple surfetted long before,
and that refined, that in those Christall tydes
but Little of Originall blott resides;
There modesty her virgin pallace keepes,
behold yon bedd of Roses where she sleepes,
Looke on that blush, for nought her selfe hath done,
her only shame is this that we haue none;
Her Corrall Lips for God and man prepare
A stately banquet then the Gods more rare;
Where to a friend if curtesie graunt a kisse
tis frost in hers, yet Lightning shott from his;
within there runne two Ivory pales along,
a needlesse fence for such a vertuous tongue,
which are but as a Guard to a good prince
not giuen for safety but magnificence;
when that Instrument that seldome speakes
though all attend, unwellcome silence breakes,
how admiration takes our eares that bee
soe rapt they thinke the ayre turnd Harmony;
who sees her fingers in their quaint device
With cunning needle worke a paradice,
where flowers, and trees, beasts, fish and fowle appeare,
would thinke that peece Arts first Creation were;
But when she takes her Lute, and strikes the strings
themselues with wonder, at the hand that brings
Diuinity into them, you might see
Each fowle, each fish, each beast, each flower and tree
runne from the worke, as if they Orpheus heare,
and to the hand that wrought them lend an eare;
yet here another royall vertue dwells
her Charity, that all the rest excells,
and workes of mercy in more plenty powres
then Ceres eares of wheate, or Ioue his showres;
Her waste is untoucht snow girt with a Zone
that bounds my course, as that in heauen the sunne;
Let wanton pencills her hid parts expresse,
the sexe, and not perfection lyes in these;
To shadow euery part will pose my skill
whose meditation is aboue my quill;
she is the workemans glory, the Creation
knowes her a master-peece; mans admiration
(though all his Limbes rebell) could not reveale
to such perfection, so much Loue as zeale;
she hath a heart of soe strange temper framed
it cannot simply hard or soft be named;
the cause can make it Adamant, and then
can melt that Adamant to waxe againe;
And this is natures phaenix I presume
that Chastly Liues and dyes in a perfume.
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