Quote#Nature
Brittle beauty, that Nature made so frail
Quote byHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey · 1516–1547
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: "The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty", line 1.
English (original)
Brittle beauty, that Nature made so frail, Whereof the gift is small, and short the season; Flowering to-day, to-morrow apt to fail; Tickle treasure, abhorred of reason: Dangerous to deal with, vain, of none avail; Costly in keeping, past not worth two peason.
— Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
More from Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
But by and by, the cause of my disease Gives me a pang, that inwardly doth sting, When that I think what grief it is again To live and lack the thing should rid my pain.
Then think I thus: "Sith such repair, So long time war of valiant men, Was all to win a lady fair, Shall I not learn to suffer then? And think my life well spent to be, Serving a worthier wight than she?"
And thus I see among these pleasant things Each care decays, and yet my sorrow springs!
Love, that liveth and reigneth in my thought, That built his seat within my captive breast; Clad in the arms wherein with me he fought, Oft in my face he doth his banner rest.
The soote season, that bud and bloom forth brings, With green hath clad the hill, and eke the vale: The nightingale with feathers new she sings; The turtle to her make hath told her tale; Summer is come, for every spray now springs.
O happy dames! that may embrace The fruit of your delight; Help to bewail the woful case, And eke the heavy plight Of me, that wonted to rejoice The fortune of my pleasant choice: