What though an _Apish-Pigmie_, in attire, His Dwarfish Body _Gyant-lyke_, array? Turne _Brave_, and get him _Stilts_ to seem the higher? What would so doing, handsome him I pray? Now, surely, such a Mimicke sight as that, Would with excessive Laughter move your Spleene, Till you had made the little _Dandiprat_, To lye within some Auger-hole, unseene. I must confesse I cannot chuse but smile, When I perceive, how Men that worthlesse are, Piece out their _Imperfections_, to beguile, By making showes, of what they never were. For, in their _borrow’d-Shapes_, I know those Men, And (through their _Maskes_) such insight of them have; That I can oftentimes disclose (ev’n then) How much they savour of the _Foole_ or _Knave_. A _Pigmey-spirit_, and an _Earthly-Minde_, Whose looke is onely fixt on Objects vaine; In my esteeme, so meane a place doth finde, That ev’ry such a one, I much refraine. But, when in honour’d _Robes_ I see it put, Betrimm’d, as if some thing of _Worth_ it were, Looke big, and on the _Stilts_ of _Greatnesse_, strut; From scorning it, I cannot then forbeare. For, when to grosse _Vnworthinesse_, Men adde Those Dues, which to the _Truest-worth_ pertaine; Tis like an _Ape_, in _Humane-Vestments_ clad, Which, when most fine, deserveth most disdaine: And, more absurd, those Men appeare to me, Then this _Fantasticke-Monkey_ seemes to thee. _I =pine=, that others may not perish, And =waste= my =Selfe=, their =Life= to cherish._ [Illustration: DVM NVTRIO CONSVMOR ILLVSTR. XV. _Book. 1._]