He was soon drest in these temporary cloaths, which
neither fitted him now became the light my passion plac'd
him in, to me at least; yet, as they were on him, they look'd
extremely well, in virtue of that magic charm which love put
into everything that he touch'd, or had relation to him: and
where, indeed, was that dress that a figure like this would
not give grace to? For now, as I ey'd him more in detail, I
could not but observe the even favourable alteration which
the time of his absence had produced in his person.
There were still the requisite lineaments, still the
same vivid vermilion and bloom reigning in his face: but now
the roses were more fully blown; the tan of his travels, and
a beard somewhat more distinguishable, had, at the expense
of no more delicacy than what he could well spare, given it
an air of becoming manliness and maturity, that symmetriz'd
nobly with that air of distinction and empire with which
nature had stamp'd it, in a rare mixture with the sweetness
of it; still nothing had he lost of that smooth plumpness of
flesh, which, glowing with freshness, blooms florid to the
eye, and delicious to the touch; then his shoulders were
grown more square, his shape more form'd, more portly, but
still free and airy. In short, his figure show'd riper,
greater, and perfecter to the experienced eye than in his
tender youth; and now he was not much more than two and
twenty.
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