THE shape and colours of the best Sweet-meats of these kinds, are here so luckily represented by a skilful Hand, that Art seems to have design’d rather to rival Nature, than barely to imitate Her, and a Lover of Junkets that approches not too near to these, must have much quickness of sight, or but little of appetite, if such inviting Objects do not tempt him both to mistake and to desire them. But, though at this distance these alluring Sweet-meats appear very pleasing; yet if one should be so unadvis’d as to endeavour to eat them, instead of enjoying them more fully by the taste than he did by the sight, he would both spoil and disfigure them, and perhaps be so near choaking himself, that he would more earnestly wish them out of his mouth, than ever he wish’d them in it.
There are some pleasures and conditions too in the world, which make so fine a shew at a distance, that in those that gaze at them aloof off, they frequently beget envy at them, and wishes for them; and yet he that calmly beholds them takes the best way of enjoying them: since that which whilst ‘tis but aim’d at, is expected to be very satisfactory upon a nearer and fuller fruition, would be so far from proving so, and would so little be as sweet to the palate as specious to the eye, that it would not onely cease to afford them any delight, but would make them wish they had let those deluding Sweets alone, and would make attainments more uneasie and troublesome than even desire was.
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