the happiness of times, but the greatest of lies. the love of life, and price of the befallen

[casimiera]

that thou are blam'd shall not be thy defect,
for slander's mark was ever yet the fair;
the ornament of beauty is suspéct,
a crow that flies in heaven's sweetest air.
so thou be good, slander doth but approve
thy worth the greater, being wooed of time,
for vanker vice the sweetest buds doth love,
and thou present'st a pure unstainéd prime.
thou hast passed by the ambush of young days,
either not assailed, or victor being charged,
yet this thy priase cannot be so thy praise
to tie up envy, evermore enlarged:
if some suspéct of ill masked not thy show,
then thou alone kingdoms of hearts shouldst owe.

---sonnet 70, shakespeare