Though the sweetest vermilion adorn
The cheek of the beautiful fair,
Though her face boasts the freshness of morn
And the graces embellish her air,
Yet the passion which these can inspire
Is cold, and will quickly decay;
Such charms for a while we admire,
But fleeting and short is their sway —
When goodness illumines the face
And good nature enlivens the smile,
Then all that in beauty we prize,
Will the heart of the gazer beguile.
Valentinus