——wilt thou not haply saie
Truth needs no collour with his collour fixt,
Beautie no pensell, beauties truth to lay:
But best is best, if neuer intermixt
Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?
Excuse not silence so, for’t lies in thee,
To make him much out-liue a gilded tombe:
And to be praised of ages yet to be.
Then do thy office ——
Contents of numbers 8–9 (not included in the original text)
Karen by Alexander Kielland, translated by Thyge Sógård