Royall Tyler (1757–1826)

FLUTTERING lovers, giddy boys,

Sighing soft for Hymen’s joys,

Would you shun the tricking arts,

Beauty’s traps for youthful hearts,

Would you treasure in a wife,

Riches, which shall last through life;

Would you in your choice be nice,

Hear Minerva’s sage advice.

Be not caught with shape, nor air,

Coral lips, nor flowing hair;

Shape and jaunty air may cheat,

Coral lips may speak deceit.

Girls unmask’d would you descry,

Fix your fancy on the eye;

Nature there has truth design’d,

’T is the eye, that speaks the mind.

Shun the proud, disdainful eye,

Frowning fancied dignity,

Shun the eye with vacant glare;

Cold indifference winters there.

Shun the eager orb of fire,

Gloating with impure desire;

Shun the wily eye of prude,

Looking coy to be pursued.

From the jilting eye refrain,

Glancing love, and now disdain.

Fly the fierce, satiric eye,

Shooting keen severity;

For nature thus, her truth design’d

And made the eye proclaim the mind.