Not Fair

‘T IS very true, I thought you once as fair

As women in th’ idea are;*

Whatever here seems beauteous, seem’d to be

But a faint metaphor of thee:

But then, methoughts, there something shin’d within,

Which casts this lustre o’er thy skin;

Nor could I choose but count it the sun’s light,

Which made this cloud appear so bright.

But, since I knew thy falsehood and thy pride,

And all thy thousand faults beside,

A very Moor, methinks, plac’d near to thee,

White as his teeth would seem to be.

So men (they say) by hell’s delusions led,

Have ta’en a succubus to their bed;

Believe it fair, and themselves happy call,

Till the cleft foot discovers all:

Then they start from ‘t, half ghosts themselves with fear;

And devil, as ‘t is, doth appear.

So, since against my will I found thee foul,

Deform’d and crooked in thy soul,

My reason straight did to my senses shew,

That they might be mistaken too:

Nay, when the world but knows how false you are,

There’s not a man will think you fair;

Thy shape will monstrous in their fancies be,

They’ll call their eyes as false as thee.

Be what thou wilt, hate will present thee so,

As Puritans do the Pope, and Papists Luther do.

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External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

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Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Robert Burns: The Epitaph: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Elegy On Captain Matthew Henderson: A Gentleman who held the Patent for his Honours immediately from Almighty God. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Election Ballad: At the close of the contest for representing the Dumfries Burghs, 1790. Addressed to R. Graham, Esq. of Fintry. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Gudewife, Count The Lawin: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: I Murder Hate: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: The Gowden Locks Of Anna: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Elegy On Willie Nicol’s Mare: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Lines To A Gentleman,: Who had sent the Poet a Newspaper, and offered to continue it free of Expense. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Scots’ Prologue For Mr. Sutherland: On his Benefit-Night, at the Theatre, Dumfries. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Sketch -New Year’s Day [1790]: To Mrs. Dunlop. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Prologue Spoken At The Theatre Of Dumfries: On New Year’s Day Evening, 1790. by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Election Ballad For Westerha’: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: The Five Carlins: An Election Ballad by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Epistle To Dr. Blacklock: Ellisland, 21st Oct., 1789 by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: To Mary In Heaven: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: The Whistle -A Ballad: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: My Heart’s In The Highlands: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: The Captive Ribband: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: A Waukrife Minnie: by Robert Burns
• Robert Burns: Awa’ Whigs, Awa’: by Robert Burns

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

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Doska or the Board – write anything

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Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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