Of a far contrary consideration was the representation of her that
next followed, which was Erona queen of Lycia, who though of so brown
a hair as no man should have injured it to have called it black, and
that in the mixture of her cheeks the white did so much overcome the
red, tho’ what was, was very pure, that it came near to paleness, and
that her face was a thought longer than the exact Symetrians perhaps
would allow; yet love played his part so well in every part that it
caught hold of the judgment before it could judge, making it first
love, and after acknowledge it fair; for there was a certain delicacy,
which in yielding conquered, and with a pitiful look made one find
cause to crave help himself.
After her came two ladies, of noble, but not of royal birth: The
former was named Baccha, who though very fair, and of a fatness rather
to allure, than to mislike, yet her breasts overfamiliarly laid open,
with a made countenance about her mouth, between simpering and
smiling, her head bowed somewhat down, seemed to languish with
over-much idleness, and with an inviting look cast upward, dissuaded
with too much persuading, while hope might seem to over-run desire.
The other, whose name was written Leucippe, was of a fine daintiness
of beauty, her face carrying in it a sober simplicity, like one that
could do much good and meant no hurt, her eyes having in them such a
cheerfulness as nature seemed to smile in them, though her mouth and
cheeks obeyed to that pretty demureness which the more one marked the
more one would judge the poor soul apt to believe, and therefore the
more pity to deceive her.
Next came the queen of Laconia, one that seemed born in the confines
of beauty’s kingdom: For all her lineaments were neither perfect
possessioners thereof, nor absolute strangers thereto: But she was a
queen, and therefore beautiful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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