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54

E[a]uty and Maiesty are falne at ods,

Th'one claimes his cheeke, the other claimes his chin;

Then Vertue comes, and puts her title in.

(Quoth she) I make him like th'immortall Gods.

(Quoth Maiestie) I owne his lookes, his Brow,

His lips, (quoth Loue) his eies, his faire is mine.

And yet (quoth Maiesty) he is not thine,

I mixe Disdaine with Loues congealed Snow.

I, but (quoth Loue) his lockes are mine (by right)

His stately gate is mine (quoth Maiestie,)

And mine (quoth Vertue) is his Modestie.

Thus as they striue about this heauenly wight,

At last the other two to Vertue yeeld,

The lists of Loue, fought in faire Beauties field.

He Stoicks thinke, (and they come neere the truth,)

That vertue is the chiefest good of all,

The Academicks on Idea call.

The Epicures in pleasure spend their youth,

The Perrepatetickes iudge felicitie,

To be the chiefest good aboue all other,

One man, thinks this: and that conceaues another:

So that in one thing very few agree.

Let Stoicks haue their Vertue if they will,

And all the rest their chiefe-supposed good,

Let cruell Martialists delight in blood,

And Mysers ioy their bags with gold to fill:

My chiefest good, my chiefe felicity,

Is to be gazing on my loues faire eie.