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Art of Beauty

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 81 sections

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   Once more, ye fair, attend your master's song,

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   And learn what method will your charms prolong;

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   What happy heart best recommends a face;

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   What heightens beauty; what preserves a grace.

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   Art improves nature; 'twas by art we found

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   The vast advantages of furrow'd ground:

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   The soil manur'd, a fruitful harvest bore,

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   Where thorns and hungry brambles grew before.

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   By art the gard'ner grafts his trees, to bear

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    A kinder fruit, and recompense his care.

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    A gilded roof delights our captive eyes,

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    And stately monuments the sight surprise,

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    Tho' sordid earth beneath the polish'd marble lies.

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    The fleece may be with royal purple died,

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    And India precious ivory provide,

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    To please your fancies and supply your pride.

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    When Tatius rul'd the ancient Sabine race,

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    Then, rough and careless of a handsome face,

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    The women took more pains to earn their bread

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    At plough and cart, than how to dress the head;

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    All day their task the busy matrons plied,

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    Or spinning sat, as to their distaffs tied.

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    The mother then at night would fold the sheep

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    Her little daughter us'd by day to keep;

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    And when at home, would cleave out logs of wood,

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    Or kindle up a fire to boil their food.

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    But you, by nature form'd in finer moulds,

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    Must wrap your tender limbs in silken folds;

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    Wear lawns and tissue, sleep in damask beds,

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    And with gay knots and wires adorn your heads:

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    Your ears with pendants, lockets on your arms,

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    Besides a thousand other nameless charms.

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    Nor needs this care to please a blush create;

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    The men themselves have learned to dress of late.

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    You are not now particular in clothes,

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    The husband and the bridegroom both are beaux;

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    Dress then, and 'tis no sin to dress with art,

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    For that's the way to wound the lover's heart.

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    E'en those that live remote in country towns,

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    Will dress their hair with flowers and daisy crowns,

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    And deck and prank themselves, to please the clowns.

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    Besides, all women take a secret pride

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    In being fine, or else they are belied;

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    For when the conscious maid her glass explores,

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    And finds she's handsome, she herself adores.

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    Thus Juno's bird with silent pride will raise

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    And spread his starry plumes, whene'er he meets with praise.

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    This method will oblige our sex to love,

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    And more than magic herbs their passions move.

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    Trust not to philtres; all such stuff forbear;

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    Nor try the venom of the lustful mare.

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    'Tis all a jest; no snakes by such a force

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    Enchanted burst, no rivers change their course;

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    Nor can they make the moon from heaven descent

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    Whate'er some superstitious fools pretend.

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    First learn good breeding; that I first advise;

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    Good carriage oft the other wants supplies.

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    For when ill-natur'd age shall rudely plough

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    Injurious furrows on your wrinkled brow,

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    You then perhaps may chide the tell-tale glass,

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    That shews the frightful ruins of your face;

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    But if good humour to the last remain,

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    E'en age may please, and love his force retain.

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    Now on, my muse, and tell 'em, when they rise,

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    When downy sleep forsakes their tender eyes,

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    How they may look as fair as morning skies.

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    Vetches, and beaten barley, let 'em take,

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    And with the whites of eggs a mixture make;

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    Then dry the precious paste with sun and wind

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    And into powder very gently grind.

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    Get hart's-horn next (but let it be the first

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    That creature sheds), and beat it well to dust.

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    Six pound in all; then mix and sift 'em well,

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    And think the while how fond Narcissus fell;

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    Six roots to you that pensive flower must yield

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    To mingle with the rest, well bruis'd and cleanly pill'd.

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    Two ounces next of gum, and thural seed,

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    That for the gracious gods does incense breed,

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    And let a double share of honey last succeed.

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    With this whatever damsel paints her face,

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    Will need no flattering glass to show a grace.

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0959.phi003.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.