VIRTUE¹ is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely² ,though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err³, than in labor⁴ to produce excellency.  And therefore they prove accomplished⁵, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue.  But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle⁶ of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most beautiful men of their times.  In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor.  That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the life.  There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.  A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers⁷ faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I think, would please nobody, but the painter that made them.  Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule.  A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well.  If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel⁸, though persons in years seem many times more amiable⁹; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness¹⁰.  Beauty is as summer fruits,) which are easy to corrupt¹¹, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance¹²; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine,and vices¹³ blush.    

    美德好比宝石，在朴素背景的衬托下反而更华丽。同样，一个打扮并不华贵，却端庄严肃而有美德的人是令人肃然起敬的。 
    美貌的人并不都有其他方面的才能。许多容貌俊秀的人却一无所有，他们过于追求外形的美而放弃了内在的美。

    仔细分析起来，形体之美要胜于颜色之美，而优雅行为之美又胜于形体之美。最高的美是画家所无法表现的。因为它是难以直观的。这是一种奇妙的美，曾经有两位画家――阿皮雷斯和丢勒滑稽地认为，可以按照几何比例，或者通过摄取不同人身上最美的特点，加以合成的方法，画出最完美的人像。

其实像这样画出来的美人，恐怕只有画家才喜欢。

    有些老人显得很可爱，因为他们的作风优雅而美。“美人的迟暮也是美的。”而尽管有的年轻人具有美貌，却由于缺乏优美的修养而不配得到赞美。

    美有如盛夏的水果，而容易腐烂而难保持的,世上有许多美人,他们有过放荡青春，却迎受着愧悔的晚年。

  因此，把美的形貌与美的德行结合起来吧。只有这样，美会放射出真正的光辉。