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Foule witch, begon; and let thy dismall shade
Forsake this place; Let thy darke fogs obey
Great Vulcans charge; In Vulcans name, away;
Or if thy stout rebellion shall disclaime
His soueraignty, in my Parthenia's name
I charme thee hence. And as that word flew out,
He steps to that sad bed, where round about,
Clos'd were the curtaines, as if darknesse did
Command that such a Iewell should be hid:
His left hand held the tapour, and his right
Enforc'd the curtaines, to absolue the light;
Which done; appear'd before his wondring eye
The truest pourtrait of deformity,
As e're the Sun beheld: That louely face
That was, of late, the modell of all grace
And peerelesse beauty, whose imperious eyes
Rauisht where e're they lookt, and did surprise
The very soules of men; she, she of whom
Nature her selfe was proud, is now become
So loath'd an obiect, so deform'd, disguiz'd,
As darknesse, for mans sake, was well aduis'd
To cloath in mists, lest any were incited
To see that face, and so depart affrighted.
All this when Argalus beheld, and found
It was no dreame, he fell vpon the ground;
And rau'd; and rose agen; stood still; and gaz'd;
At first he startled, then he stood amaz'd;
Lookes now vpon the light; and now on her;
One while his tyred fancy does refer
His thoughts to silence; as his thoughts encrease,
His passion striues for vent, and breakes that peace,
Which conquer'd reason had, of late, concluded,
And thus began; Are these false eyes deluded?
Or haue inchanted mists stept in betweene
My abused eyes, and what mine eyes haue seene?
No; mischiefe cannot act so faire a part,
T'affright in iest; it goes beyond the art
Of all blacke bookes, to maske, with such disguise,
So sweet a face; I know, that these are eyes;
And this a light; False mists could neuer be
Betwixt my poore Parthenia, and me.