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by Henry Noel (d. 1597)

Beauties excellency
Language: English 
Gaze not on Swanns in whose soft brest,
a full hatcht beauty seems to nest,
nor snow which falling from the skye,
hovers in it's virginity.

Gaze not on Roses, though new blown,
Grac'd with a fresh complexion,
Nor Lilies which no subtle Bee
Hath rob'd by kissing Chymistry.

Gaze not on that pure milky way
Where night uses splendor with the day,
Nor Pearle whose silver walls confine
The Riches of an Indian Mine.

For if my Emp'ress appears,
Swanns moultring dye, snow melts to tears,
Roses do blush and hang their heads,
Pale lillies shrink into their beds.

The milky way Rides post, to shroud
It's baffled glory in a Cloud,
And Pearls do climb into her care,
To hang themselves for Envy there.

So have I seen Stars bigg with light
Prove Lanthorns to the Moon-ey'd night,
Which when Sol's Rayes were once display'd,
Sink in their Sockets, and decay'd.

Text Authorship:

  • by Henry Noel (d. 1597) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Henry Lawes (c1595 - 1662), "Beauties excellency", from the collection Ayres and Dialogues, Book 1 [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2014-04-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 153

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