Beauty doth varnish age, as if new-born, 244
And gives the crutch the cradle's infancy.
O 'tis the sun that maketh all things shine!
King. By heaven, thy love is black as ebony.
Ber. Is ebony like her? O wood divine! 248
A wife of such wood were felicity.
O who can give an oath? where is a book?
That I may swear beauty doth beauty lack,
If that she learn not of her eye to look: 252
No face is fair that is not full so black.
King. O paradox! Black is the badge of hell,
The hue of dungeons and the school of night;
And beauty's crest becomes the heavens well. 256
Ber. Devils soonest tempt, resembling spirits of light.
O, if in black my lady's brows be deck'd,
It mourns that painting [and] usurping hair
Should ravish doters with a false aspect; 260
And therefore is she born to make black fair.
Her favour turns the fashion of the days,
For native blood is counted painting now;
And therefore red, that would avoid dispraise, 264
Paints itself black, to imitate her brow.
Dum. To look like her are chimney-sweepers black.
Long. And since her time are colliers counted bright.
King. And Ethiops of their sweet complexion crack. 268
Dum. Dark needs no candles now, for dark is light.
Ber. Your mistresses dare never come in rain,
For fear their colours should be wash'd away.
255 school of night; cf. n.
256 Cf. n.
257 resembling: taking the form of; cf. n.
259 usurping: false
262 favour: face
267 counted: accounted
268 crack: boast
