CONSTANCY

About the walls and gates of Canton
Are many pleasing and entertaining maidens;
Indeed, in the eyes of their friends and of the passers-by
Some of them are exceptionally adorable.
The person who is inscribing these lines, however,
Sees before him, as it were, an assemblage of deformed and
un-prepossessing hags,
Venerable in age and inconsiderable in appearance;
For the dignified and majestic image of Mian is ever before him,
Making all others very inferior.

Within the houses and streets of Canton
Hang many bright lanterns.
The ordinary person who has occasion to walk by night
Professes to find them highly lustrous.
But there is one who thinks contrary facts,
And when he goes forth he carries two long curved poles
To prevent him from stumbling among the dark and hidden places;
For he has gazed into the brilliant and pellucid orbs of Mian,
And all other lights are dull and practically opaque.

In various parts of the literary quarter of Canton
Reside such as spend their time in inward contemplation.
In spite of their generally uninviting exteriors
Their reflexions are often of a very profound order.
Yet the unpopular and persistently-abused Ling
Would unhesitatingly prefer his own thoughts to theirs,
For what makes this person's thoughts far more pleasing
Is that they are invariably connected with the virtuous and
ornamental Mian.

Becoming very amiably disposed after this agreeable occupation, Ling
surveyed himself at the disc of polished metal, and observed with
surprise and shame the rough and uninviting condition of his person. He
had, indeed, although it was not until some time later that he became
aware of the circumstance, slept for five days without interruption, and
it need not therefore be a matter of wonder or of reproach to him that
his smooth surfaces had become covered with short hair. Reviling himself
bitterly for the appearance which he conceived he must have exhibited
when he conducted his business, and to which he now in part attributed
his ill-success, Ling went forth without delay, and quickly discovering
one of those who remove hair publicly for a very small sum, he placed
himself in the chair, and directed that his face, arms, and legs should
be denuded after the manner affected by the ones who make a practice of
observing the most recent customs.

"Did the illustrious individual who is now conferring distinctio