Set white to blacke, and then the white's the fairer. The glorious Sunne, when in his glittring pride, Scowring the heauens, in progresse he doth ride, Who runnes to see? or who his sight doth lacke? But if he chance to shute himselfe in blacke, Then the earths people couet him to see, As if he were some wondrous prodegie. The worlds perfection, at the highest rated, Was of a blacke confused thing created. The sight, wherewith such wonders we behold, The ground of it all darke, and blacke the mold. Since then by blacke, perfection most is knowne, Loue, if not for my sake, yet for your owne. Mole gracing _Venus_ neuer shewed so faire, When as _Vulcan_ the black-fac'd god was there, As thou by me: the people, as we pace, By my defects shall wonder at thy grace; And seeing me so swarthie and so tawnie, Shall haue more cause for to admire thy beautie: And all shall thinke (by whom our charriots go) That tis thy beautie which hath tann'd me so. Thy dangling tresses, if compar'd with mine, Glitter like heauen with lustre from thine eine: And those immortall eies, which like the Sunne, The lookers on with his bright rayes doth burne, If mine be nie, will seeme to shine more cleere, Than glittering _Venus_ in her Hemisphere. So thy rich worth, compared with my pelfe, Will in excelling others match thy selfe: Euen as Merchant that hath out at sea His wealth, the hope of his posteritie, And hauing heard by flying newes, at home, That all is lost by some tempestuous storme; Comming to after-knowledge in the bay, It is arriu'd, and nothing cast away, But with redoubled wealth is backe returnd, For whose supposed losse he oft hath mournd; Is scarse himselfe, with ioy of what he heares, And yet retaines some of his former feares It should proue false, recalling to his mind The certaine tokens which some had assign'd Of his more certaine wracke: So fareth she, Possest with ioy (euen to the highest degree) Of what she heard; and yet in this extreame, Was halfe affrayd she was but in a dreame: For well she knew, that some nights did present As pleasing visions to her owne content; Yet in the morne, when golden sleepe had left her, Of her supposed ioyes it had bereft her. With this conceit, her iuory hand put forth, Drawes wide the curtaines which eclips'd her worth, And then she surely thinks she sees his face, (For none but his could glory of such grace) The same maiesticke courage which was wont To place it selfe vpon his gracefull front; That speaking cheeke, and that same sparkling eie; That powrfull arme, and that same lustie thie; With all those parts, so well compact together, That Nature erd in all for him, or rather Some higher power concurr'd to beautifie So sweet a patterne of humanitie: For neuer Nature (since the world began) Could shew so true a perfect well shap't man. While these conceits busi'd her wit-fraught braine,