He was amazèd at the wondrous rareness Of his own workmanship's perfection. He thought that Nature ne'er produced such fairness, In which all beauties have their mansion; And, thus admiring, was enamourèd On that fair image himself portrayèd. And naked as it stood before his eyes, Imperious Love declares his deity: 20 O what alluring beauties he descries In each part of his fair imagery! Her nakedness each beauteous shape contains; All beauty in her nakedness remains. He thought he saw the blood run through the vein And leap, and swell with all alluring means; Then fears he is deceived, and then again He thinks he seeth the brightness of the beams Which shoot from out the fairness of her eye; At which he stands as in an ecstasy. 30 Her amber-colourèd, her shining hair, Makes him protest the sun hath spread her head With golden beams, to make her far more fair; But when her cheeks his amorous thoughts have fed, Then he exclaims, "Such red and so pure white, Did never bless the eye of mortal sight!" Then views her lips, no lips did seem so fair In his conceit, through which he thinks doth fly So sweet a breath, that doth perfume the air; Then next her dimpled chin he doth descry, 40 And views and wonders, and yet views her still,-- Love's eyes in viewing never have their fill. Her breasts like polish'd ivory appear, Whose modest mount do bless admiring eye, And makes him wish for such a pillowbear.[334] Thus fond Pygmalion striveth to descry Each beauteous part, not letting over-slip One parcel of his curious workmanship; Until his eye descended so far down That it descrièd Love's pavilion, 50 Where Cupid doth enjoy his only crown, And Venus hath her chiefest mansion: There would he wink, and winking look again, Both eyes and thoughts would gladly there remain. Who ever saw the subtile city-dame In sacred church, when her pure thoughts should pray, Peer through her fingers, so to hide her shame, When that her eye, her mind would fain bewray: So would he view and wink, and view again; A chaster thought could not his eyes retain. 60 He wondered that she blush'd not when his eye Saluted those same parts of secresy: Conceiting not it was imagery That kindly yielded that large liberty. O that my mistress were an image too, That I might blameless her perfections view! But when the fair proportion of her thigh Began appear, "O Ovid!" would he cry, "Did e'en Corinna show such ivory When she appeared in Venus livery!" 70 And thus enamour'd dotes on his own art Which he did work, to work his pleasing smart.