Living
Pulchritudo foeminea
From Minerva Britanna (1612)
A VIRGIN naked, on a Dragon sits,
One hand out-stretch'd, a christall glasse doth show:
The other beares a dart, that deadly hits;
Vpon her head, a garland white as snow,
Of print and Lillies. Beautie most desir'd,
Were I her painter, should be thus attir'd.
Her nakednes vs tells, she needes no art:
Her glasse, how we by sight are mooud to loue,
The woundes vnfelt, that's giuen by the Dart
At first, (though deadly we it after prooue)
The Dragon notes loues poison: and the flowers,
The frailtie (Ladies) of that pride of yours.
Cite this poem
MLA
Peacham, Henry. “Pulchritudo foeminea.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/peacham/56/.
Chicago
Peacham, Henry. “Pulchritudo foeminea.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/peacham/56/.
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