Of Beauty

VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and

surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely,

though not of delicate features; and that hath

rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.

Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful per-

sons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were

rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce

excellency.  And therefore they prove accom-

plished, but not of great spirit; and study rather

behavior, than virtue.  But this holds not always:

for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le

Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England,

Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia,

were all high and great spirits; and yet the most

beautiful men of their times.  In beauty, that of

favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent

and gracious motion, more than that of favor.  That

is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot

express; no, nor the first sight of the life.  There is no

excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness

in the proportion.  A man cannot tell whether

Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler;

whereof the one, would make a personage by geo-

metrical proportions; the other, by taking the best

parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent.

Such personages, I think, would please nobody,

but the painter that made them.  Not but I think a

painter may make a better face than ever was; but

he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician

that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by

rule.  A man shall see faces, that if you examine

them part by part, you shall find never a good;

and yet altogether do well.  If it be true that the

principal part of beauty is in decent motion, cer-

tainly it is no marvel, though persons in years

seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum

autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely

but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to

make up the comeliness.  Beauty is as summer

fruits,) which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last;

and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth,

and an age a little out of countenance; but yet cer-

tainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine,

and vices blush.