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Which thither came; but in the porch there As lurking from the view of covetous guest,
A comely personage of stature tall,
And semblance pleasing more than natural,
That travellers to him seem'd to entice;
His looser garments to the ground did fall,
And flew about his heels in wanton wise,
Not fit for speedy pace or manly exercise.

That the weak boughes, with so rich load opprest,
Did bow adown as over-burthened.

The foe of life, that good envies to all,
That secretly doth us procure to fall,
Through guileful semblaunce which he makes
He of this garden had the governall, [us see,
And Pleasure's porter was devis'd to be,
Holding a staffe in hand for more formalitie.

Thus being entred, they behold around
A large and spatious plaine on ev'ry side
Strow'd with pleasaunce, whose faire grassic
ground

Mantled with green, and goodly beatifide
With all the ornaments of Floraes pride,
Wherewith her mother Art, as half in scorne
Of niggard Nature, like a pompous bride,

Did deck her, and too lavishly adorne,
When forth from virgin bowre she comes in th
early morne.

Thereto the heavens always joviall,
Lookt on them lovely, still in stedfast state,
Ne suffer'd storme nor frost on them to fall,
Their tender buds or leaves to violate,
Nor scorching heat, nor cold intemperate,
Tafflict the creatures which therein did dwell;
But the mild air with season moderate
Gently attempred and disposed so well,
That still it breathed forth sweet spirit and

wholesome smell.

More sweet and wholesome than the pleasant
hill

Of Rhodope, on which the nymph that bore
A giant-babe, herselfe for griefe did kill;
Or the Thessalian Tempè, where of yore
aire Daphne Phoebus' heart with love did gore;
Or Ida, where the gods lov'd to repaire,
When-ever they their heavenly bowres forlore;
Orsweet Parnasse, the haunt of muses faire;
Or Eden, if that aught with Eden mote compare.
Till that he came unto another gate,
No gate, but like one, beeing goodly dight
With boughes and branches, which did broad
[tricate.
Their clasping armes, in wanton wreathings in-

dilate

So fashioned a porch with rare divise,
Archt over head with an embracing vine, [tice
Whose bunches hanging downe, seem'd to en-
All passers by to taste their lushious wine,
And did themselves into their hands incline,
As freely offering to be gathered:
some deep empurpled as the hyacint,

Some as the rubine laughing, sweetly red,
Some like fair emerandes not yet ripened.
And them amongst, some were of burnisht
gold,

So made by art, to beautifie the rest,

Which did themselves amongst the leaves enfold,

There the most dainty paradise on ground,
Itself doth offer to his sober eye,

In which all pleasures plentiouly abound,
And none does others happiness envie :
The painted flowres, the trees upshooting hie,
The dales for shade, the hills for breathing
place,

The trembling groves, the crystall running by;
And that which all fair works doth most ag-

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And scorned parts were mingled with the fine)
That Nature had for wantonness ensude
Art, and that Art at Nature did repine;
So striveing each the other to undermine,

Each did the other's worke niore beautify;
So differing both in willes, agreed in fine:
So all agreed through sweet diversitie,
This garden to adorne with all varietie.

And in the midst of all, a fountaine stood, Of richest substance that on earth might be So pure and shiny, that the silver flood Through every channell running, one might see; [boves, Most goodly it with pure imageree

Was over-wrought, and shapes of naked Of which 'some seem'd with lively jollitee

To fly about, playing their wanton toyes, Whiles others did themselves embay in liquid joyes.

And over all, of purest gold, was spred
A trayle of ivie in his native hew:

For the rich metall was so coloured,
That wight that did not well advised view,
Would surely deem it to be ivie true:

Lowe his lascivious armes adowne did creep, That themselves dipping in the silver dew,

Their fleecie flowres they tenderly did steepe, Which drops of crystall seem'd for wantonness to weepe.

Infinite streames continually did well
Out of this fountaine, sweet and faire to see,
The which into an ample laver fell,
And shortly grew to so great quantitie,
That like a little lake it seem'd to bee;

Whose depth exceeded not threecubits height,
That through the waves one might the bottom

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That with the angry working of the wave,
Therein is eaten out an hollow cave,
[keen,
That seems rough mason's hand, with engine
Had long while laboured it to engrave: [seen,
There was his wonne, ne living wight was
Save an old nymph, hight Panope, to keep it

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clean.

$ 32. Bull.

s salvage bull, whom two fierce mastives bait, When rancour doth with rage him once begore,

Forgets with warie ward them to await, But with his dreadful horns them drives afore, Or flings aloft, or treads down in the flore, Breathing out wrath, and bellowing out disdaine, That all the forest quakes to hear him roar. Another.

As two fierce bulls, that strive the rule to get Of all the herd, meet with so hideous maine, That both rebutted, tumble on the plaine:

So these two champions to the ground were feld.

Another.

Like a wild bull, that being at a bay, Is baited of a mastiff and a hound,

And a curre-dog, that do him sharp assay On every side, and beat about him round; But most the curre, barking with bitter sound, And creeping still behind, doth him incomber, That in chauffe he digs the trampled ground, And threats his horns, and bellows like the thunder.

§33. Calumny.

IT is a monster bred of hellish race,

Then answer'd he, which often had annoy'd Good knights and ladies true, and many else destroy'd.

Of Cerberus whylome he was begot, And fell Chimera in her darksome den,

Through foule commixture of his filthy blot, Where he was fostred long in Stygian fen, Till he to perfect ripeness grew, and then

Into this wicked world he forth was sent, To be the plague and scourge of wretched men : Whom with vile tongue and venemous intent Ill sore doth wound, and bite and cruelly tor

ment.

§ 34. Cannon.

s when the devilish iron engine wrought As In deepest hell, and fram'd by furies skill, With windy nitre and quick sulphur fraught, And ramm'd with bullet round ordain'd to kill, Conceiveth fire, the heavens it doth fill

With thundering noise, and all the aire doth choke,

That none can breath, nor see, nor hear, at will, Thro' smouldry cloud of duskish stinking smoke,

That th only breath him daunts who hath escapt his stroke.

§ 35. Charity.

HE was a woman in her freshest age,

SHE

Of wondrous beauty, and of bountie rare, With goodly grace and comely personage, That was on earth not easy to compare; Full of great love, but Cupid's wanton snare

As hell she hated, chast in work and will; Her neck and breasts were ever open bare, That aye thereof her babes might suck ber fill;

The rest was all in yellow robes arraied still.

A multitude of babes about her hang, Plying their sports, that joy'd her to behold, Whom still she fed, whilst they were weis

and young,

But thrust them forth still, as they wexed of And on her head she wore a tire of gold, [

Adorn'd with gemmes and owches wondr Whose passing price uneath was to be told,

And by her side there sate a gentle pair Of turtle doves, she sitting in an ivory chai

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Ladies and lords she every-where mote hear Complaining, how with his empoysned shot Their woful hearts he wounded had whyleare, And so had left them languishing 'twixt hope and feare.

She then the cities sought from gate to gate,
And ev'ry one did ask, did he him see;

And every one her answer'd, and too late
He had him seen, and felt the crueltie
Of his sharp darts, and hot artillerie;

And every one threw forth reproaches rife
Of his mischievous deeds, and said, that hee
Was the disturber of all civil life,
The enemie of peace, and author of all strife.
Then in the country she abroad him sought,
And in the rural cottages enquired;

Where also many plaints to her were brought,
How he their heedless hearts with love had fired,
And false venim thorough their veines inspired;
And eke the gentle shepheard swaines, which
fate

Keeping their fleecy flocks, as they were hired;
She sweetly heard complaine, both how and

what

Her sonne had to them doen; yet she did smile

thereat.

And at the upper end of the faire towne,
There was an altar built of precious stone,
Of passing value, and of great renowne,
On which there stood an image all alone,
Of massie gold, which with his own light shone;
And wings it had with sundry colours dight,
dore sundry colours than the proud pavone
Bears in his boasted fan, or Iris bright,
When her discolour'd bow she spreads thro'
heaven bright.

Blindfold he was, and in his cruel fist
Amertal bow and arrowes keen did hold,
With which he shot at random when he list:
ome headed with sad lead, some with pure gold
Ah, man! beware how thou those darts behold).
A wounded dragon under him did lie,
Whose hideous tayle his left foot did enfold,
And with a shaft was shot through eyther eye,
hat no man forth could draw, ne no man re-
medy.

Next after her, the winged god himself
ame riding on a lyon ravenous,
Taught to obey the menage of that elfe,
hat man and beast with powre imperious
pbdueth to his kingdom tyrannous:
His blindfold eyes he had awhile unbind,
hat his proud spoyle of that same dolorous
Fair dame he night behold in perfect kind;
Which seen he much rejoyceth in his cruel mind.
Of which full proud, himself up-rearing hye,
He looked round about with sterne disdaine;

And did survey his goodly company:
And marshalling the evil ordered traine, [straine,
With that the darts which his right hand did
Full dreadfully he shook, that all did quake,
Aud clapt on high his coloured wings twaine,

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But in the porch did ever more abide
An hideous giant, dredful to behold,

That stopt the entrance with his spatious stride;
And with the terror of his countenance bold,

Full many did affray, that else faine enter would.

His name was Danger, dreaded over all, Who day and night did watch and duly ward, From fearful cowards entrance to forstall, And faint-heart fooles, whom shew of perill hard Could terrifie from Fortune's faire award :

For, oftentimes, faint hearts at first espiall Of his grim face, were from approaching scar'd; Unworthy they of grace, whom one deniall Excludes from faire hope, withouten further

triall.

Yet many doughty heroes, often tride
In greater perils to be stout and bold,

Durst not the sternness of his look abide;
But soon as they his countenance behold,
Began to faint, and feel their courage cold.

Again, some other, that in hard assaies
Were cowards known, and little count did hold,
Either through gifts, or guile, or such like waies,
Crept in by stooping lowe, or stealing of the kaies.

BY

§ 40. Day-break.

this, the northern waggoner had set

His sevenfold teme behind the stedfast star,
That was in ocean waves yet never wet,
But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from far
To all, that in the wide deep wandering are:
And chearful Chaunticlere with his note shrill
Had warned once, that Phoebus' fiery carre

Full envious that night so long his room did fill.
In haste was climbing up the eastern hill;

$41. Death.

AND in his hand a bended bow was scene,

And many arrowes under his right side, All deadly dangerous, all cruel keene, Headed with flint, and feathers bloudie dide,

Such

Such as the Indians in their quivers hide : Those could he well direct, and straite as line, And bid them strike the marke which he had eyde;

Ne was there salve, ne was there medicine, That mote recure their wounds; so inly they did tine.

As pale and wan as ashes was his look, His body lean and meagre as a rake,

And skin all withered as a dried rook, Thereto as cold and drery as a snake, That seem'd to tremble evermore, and quake; All in a canvas thin he was bedight, And girded with a belt of twisted brake, Upon his head he wore an helmet light, Made of a dead man's scull, that seem'd a gastly sight.

$42. Defamation.

HIM in a narrow place he overtook,

And fierce assailing forc't hiin turn againe ; Sternly he turn'd again, when he him strooke With his sharp steele, and ran at him amaine With opon mouth, that seemed to containe

A full good peck within the utmost brim, All set with iron teeth with ranges twaine,

'That terrified his foes, and armed him,

Appearing like the mouth of Orcus, grisly grim. And therein were a thousand tongues empight, Of sundry kindes, and sundry quality;

Some were of dogs, that barked day and night, And some of cats, that wralling still did cry; And some of bears, that ground continually;

And some of tygers that did seem to gren And snar at all that ever passed by:

But most of them were longues of mortal men, That spake reproachfully, not caring where nor when.

And then amongst were mingled here and there

The tongues of serpents, with three forked stings,

That spat out poison, and bore bloudy gere
At all that came within his ravenings,
And spake licentious words, and hateful things,
Of good and bad alike, of low and hie;
Ne Casars spared he a whit, nor kings,

But either blotted them with infamy,
Or bit them with his baneful teeth of injury.

§ 43. Desire.

AND him beside marcht amorous Desire, Who seem'd of riper years than the other swaine;

Yet was that other swaine the elder syre, And gave him being, common to them twaine: His garment was disguised very vaine,

And his embroidered bonet sate awry;

Which still he blew, and kindled busily, That soon they life conceiv'd, and forth is flames did fly.

§ 44. Detraction.

THE other nothing better was than she; Agreeing in bad will and cancred kind, But in bad manner they did disagree; For, what-so Envie good or bad did find, She did conceale and murder her own mind;

But this, whatever evil she conceaved, Did spread abroad, and throw in the open win Yet this in all her words might be perceived That all she sought was men's good namest have bereaved.

For whatsoever good by any said, Or done, she heard, she would strait-waies inver How to deprave, or slanderously upbraid, Or to misconstrue of a man's intent, And turne to till the thing that well was me Therefore she used often to resort To common haunts, and companys frequent,

To hark what any one did good report, To blot the same with blame, or wrest in wicke sort.

Aud if that any ill she heard of any, She would it eke, and make it worse by tell

And take great joy to publish it to many, That every matter worse was for her melling Her name was hight Detraction, and her dwe

Was near to Envy, even her neighbour rat A wicked hagg, and Envy's self excelling

In mischiefe: for, her self she only vext But this same, both herself and others elce plext.

Her face was ugly, and her mouth distor Foaming with poyson round about her gi In which her cursed tongue (full sharp="

short)

Appear'd like aspis sting, that closely kills, Or cruelly does wound whom-so she wills A distaffe in her other hand she had, Upon the which she little spinnes, but spils.

And faines to weave false tales and icasings: To throw among the good, when others disprad.

§ 45. Discord. FIREBRAND of hell, first tin'd in Phlegeton By thousand furies, and from thence thrown,

Into this world, to work confusion. And sett it all on fire (by force unknown), Is wicked Discord, whose small sparkles w^blowne,

None but a god, or godlike man, can slake Such as was Orpheus, that when strife was gre Amongst those famous impes of Greece,did

"Twixt both his hands flew sparkes he close did His silver harp in hand, and shortly friends the

strain,

make.

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§ 46. Discord's House. HARD by the gates of hell her dwelling is, There whereas all plagues and harmes abound,

Which punish wicked men, that walk amiss, It is a darksome delve farre under ground, With thomes and barren brakes enviroud round, That none the same way may out-win; Yet many wayes to enter may be found,

But none to issue forth when one is in ; For discord harder is to end than to begin.

And all within the riven walles were hung With ragged monuments of times fore-past,

Of which, the sad effects of discord sung: There were rent robes, and broken scepters plac't, Altars defil`d, and holy things defac't,

Dishevered spears, and shields ytornein twaine, Great citys ransackt, and strong castles ras't, Nations captived, and huge armies slaine: Of all which ruines there some reliques did! remaine.

There was the signe of antique Babylon,

Of fatal Thebes, of Rome that raigned long,
Of sacred Salem, and sad lion,

For memory of which, on high there hong
The golden apple (cause of all their wrong)
For which the three faire goddesses did strive:
There also was the name of Nimrod strong,
Of Alexander, and his princes five,
Which shar'd to them the spoiles which he

had got alive.

And there the reliques of the drunken fray, The which amongst the Lapithees befell,

And of the bloody feast, which sent away o many centaures drunken soules to hell, That under great Alcides' furie fell:

And of the dreadful discord, which did drive The noble Argonauts to outrage fell,

That each of life sought other to deprive,
All mindless of the golden-lecce which made
them strive.

And cke of private persons many mọc,
That were too long a worke to count them all;
Some of sworne friends, that did their faith
force;

Some of borne brethren, prov'd unnatural;
Some of deare lovers, foes perpetual ;

Witnes, their broken bands there to be seen,
Their girlouds rent, their bowres dispoiled ait;
The monuments whereof there by ding bea,
As plaine as at the first, when they were fresh
and green.

And those same cursed seedes do also serve
To her for bread, and yield a living food:

For life it is to her, when others sterve
Thro' mischievous debate, and deadly feood,
That she may suck their life, and drink their blood,
With which she from her childhood had been
For she at first was born of hellish brood, [fed,
And by infernal furies nourished, [read.
That by her monstrous shape might easily be

Her face most foule and filthy was to see,
With squinted eyes contrary ways entended,

Such was the house within; but all without
The barren ground was full of wicked weeds,
Which she herself had sowen all about,
Now growen great, at first of little seedes,
The stedes of evil words, and factious deedes;
Which when to ripeness due they growen are,
Bring forth an infinite increase, that breedes

And loathly mouth, unmeet a mouth to be; That nought but gall and venim comprehended, And wicked words that God and man offended: Her lying tongue was in two parts divided, And both the parts did speak, and both contended, And as her tongue, so was her heart decided, That never thought one thing, but doubly still was guided.

Als as she double spake, so heard she double, With matchless eares deformed and distort,

Tumultuous trouble; and contentious jarre, The which most often end in blood-shed and in

warre.

Fil'd with false rumors, and seditious trouble, Bred in assemblies of the vulgar sort, That still are led with every light report.

And as her eares, so eke her feet were odde, And much unlike; th' one long, the other short, And both misplac't; that when th' one forward gode,

The other back retired, and contrary trode.

Likewise unequal were her handes twaine; That one did reach, the other pusht away;

The one did make, the other marr`d againe,. And sought to bring all things unto decay; Whereby great riches, gathered many a day,

She in short space did often bring to nought, And their possessours often did dismay.

For all her study was, and all her thought, How she might over.hrowe the thing that concord wrought.

So much her mallice did her might surpass, That even th' Almighty self she did maligne Because to man so merciful he was, And unto all his creatures so benigne, san she her self was of his grace indigne: For all this world's faire workmanship she Unto his last confusion to bring,

tride

And that great golden chain quite to divide, With which it blessed concord hath together

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