THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM (13)

 XIII. Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good； A shining gloss¹ that vadeth suddenly； A flower that dies when first it gins to bud； A brittle² glass that's broken presently： A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour.

    And as goods lost are seld or never found, As vaded gloss no rubbing will refresh, As flowers dead lie wither'd on the ground, As broken glass no cement can redress³, So beauty blemish'd once's for ever lost, In spite of physic, painting, pain and cost.