Was served out to the Chinese till they asked no more.
The Romans argued: “Colour or design is vain;
We simply have to banish soil and filth amain.”50
They closed their gate. To burnish then they set themselves;
As heaven’s vault, simplicity filled all their shelves.
Vast difference there is ’twixt colours and not one.
The colours are as clouds; simplicity’s the moon.
Whatever tinge you see embellishing the clouds,
You know comes from the sun, the moon, or stars in crowds.
At length the Chinamen their task had quite fulfilled.