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Therein resembling Janus auncient,

Which hath in charge the ingate of the yeare: And evermore his eyes about him went,

As if some proved perill he did feare,

All in a kirtle of discolour'd say He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes; And in his bosom secretly there lay

Or did misdoubt some ill, whoes cause did An hateful snake, the which his tail up ties

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In many folds, and mortal sting implies.

Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth, to see Those heaps of gold with griple coveuise, And grudged at the great felicity Of proud Lucifera, and his own company.

He hated all good works and virtuous deeds, And him no less, that any like did use;

And who with gracious bread the hungry f His almes for want of faith he doth accuse: So every good to bad he doth abuse;

And eke the verse of famous poet's wit He doth back-bite, and spightful poyson spet From leprous mouth, on all that ever wr Such on vile Envy was, that first in rowe did sit Another.

The one of them, that elder did appear, With her dull eyes, did seem to look askew,

That her mis-shape much helpt; and herid

haire

Hung loose and loathsomely: thereto her he Was wan and leane, that all her teeth arew, [

Her lips were like raw leather, pale and blue And all her bones might thro' her chees And as she spake, therewith she slaver'd; Yet spake she seldome, but thought more t

less she said.

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And vexeth so, that makes her eat her gall. For when she wanteth other things to eat, She feeds on her own maw unnatural, [meat; And of her own foul entrailes makes her Meat fit for such a monster's monstrous diat.

And if she hapt of any good to hear, That had to any body happily betid, [teare Then would she inly fret, and grieve, and Her flesh for felness, which she inward hid : But if she heard of ill that any did,

Or harm that any had, then would she make Great cheare, like one unto a banquet bid; And in another's loss great pleasure take, As she had got thereby, and gained a great stake.

§ 58. Error.

THIS is a wandring wood, this Error's den;

A monster vile, whom God and man does hate.

By which he saw the ugly monster plaine, Half like a serpent horribly displaide,

But th'other half did woman's shape retaine, Most lothsome, filty, foul, and full of vile disdaine.

As she lay upon the dirtie grownd, Her huge long taile her den all over-spread, Yet was in knots and many boughs upwound, Pointed with mortal sting. Of her there bred A thousand young ones, and she daily fed, Sucking upon her poisonous dugs, each one Of sundry shape, yet all ill-favoured:

Soon as that uncouth light upon them shone, Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all

were gone.

§ 54. Excess.

Bur young Perissa was of other mind,
Full of disport, still laughing, loosely light,
And quite contrary to her sister's kind;
No measure in her mood, no rule of right,
But poured out in pleasure and delight;

In wine and meats she flow'd above the bank, And in excess exceeded her own might;

In sumptuous tire she joy'd herself to prank;

§ 55. Faith.

which the eldest, that Fidelia bight, Like sunny beames threw from her crys tal face, (sight, That could have daz'd the rash beholder's And round her head did shine like heaven's light.

She was arraid all in lily white,
And in her right hand bore a cup of gold,

With wine and water fill'd up to the height,
In which a serpent did himself enfold,
That horror inade to all that did behold;

. But she no whit did change her constant And in her other hand she fast did hold [mood: A book that was both sign'd and seal'd with blood, Wherein dark things were writ, hard to be understood.

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§ 57. Fancy.

But of her love to lavish, little have she thank. EMONGST them all sate he which wonned

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there,

That hight Phantastes by his nature trew;

A man in yeares, yet fresh as mote appeare, Of swarth complexion, and of crabbed hue, That him full of melancholy did shew;

Bent hollow beetle browes, sharp stairing eyes That mad or foolish seem'd: one by his view Mote deem him borne with ill-disposed

skyes,

When oblique Saturne sate in the house of agonies.

Another.

The first was Fancy, like a lovely boy, Of rare aspect, and beauty withont peare; Matchable eyther to that impe of Troy, Whom Jore did love, and chose his cup to beare,

Or the same dainty lad that was so deare
To great Alcides, that when as he did hide,
He wailed woman-like with many a teare,
And every wood and every valley wide
He fill'd with Hylas' name, the nymphes eke
Hylas cride.

His garment neither was of silk nor say, But painted plumes in goodly order dight, Like as the sun-burnt Indians do array Their tawny bodies in their proudest plight : As those same plumes, so seem'd he vain and That by his gate might easily appeare: [light, For still he far'd as dancing in delight,

And in his hand a windy fan did beare, That in the idle aire he mov'd still here and

there.

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§ 60. Feeling.
Bor the fift troupe most horrible of hue,
And fierce of force, was dreadful to reporte:
For some like snails, some did like spiders
shew,

And some like agly urchins, thick and short;
They cruelly assailed that fift fort,

Armed with darts of sensuall delight,.
With stings of carnall lust, and strong effort
Of feeling pleasure, with which day and

§ 61. Fire. LIKE as a fire, the which in hollow cave Hath long been underkept and down sup

prest,

With murmurous disdain doth inly rave, And grudge in so streight prison to be prest, At last breakes forth with furious unrest,

And strives to mount unto his native seat; All that earst it hinder and molest, [best, It now devours with flames and scorching And carries into smoake with rage and her great.

$62. First Age. THE antique world, in his first flowing youth, Found no defect in his Creator's grace; But with glad thanks, and unreproved truth, The gifts of soveraigne bounty did embrace: Like angels life was then man's happy case;

But later ages pride (like corn-fed steed) Abus'd her plenty, and fat-swoln encrease, To all licentious lust, and gan exceed [need The measure of her meane, and natural int

Then gan a cursed hand the quiet wombe Of his great grandmother with steele to wourd,

And the hid treasures in her sacred tombe With sacrilege to dig. Therein he found Fountaines of gold and silver to abound,

Of which the matter of his huge desire And pompous pride eftsoones he did compour!, Then avarice gan through his veines to tr spire

His greedy flames, and kendle life-devouri fire.

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§ 65. Giant. His monstrous enemy. [fight. With sturdy steps came stalking in his sight, Against that same fift bulwark they continued An hideous giant horrible and hie,

night

That

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THAT is the Gulfe of Greediness, they say,
That deep engorgeth all this world's prey
Which having swallowed up excessively,
He soon in vomit up again doth lay,
And belcheth forth his superfluitie,

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Of all that mote delight a dainty eare,

Such as at once might not on living ground, Save in this paradise, be heard elewhere: Right hard it was for wight that did it heare,

To read what manner musick that mote be: For all that pleasing is to living care, Birds, voices, instruments, windes, waters, Was there consorted in one harmonie, all agree.

The joyous birds shrouded in chearful shade,

That all the seas for fear doe seem away to fly. Their notes unto the voyce attempted sweet;

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The angel call soft treambling voyces made To the instruments divine respondence meet:

The silver sounding instruments did meet

With the base murmure of the waters fall: Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call; The waters fall, with difference discreet, The gentle warbling wind lowe answering to all.

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Slandrous reproches, and foule infamies, Leasings, back bitings, and vain-glorious crakes, Bad counsels, prayses, and false flatteries, All those against that fort did build their batteries.

$73. Hermitage.

A LITTLE lowly hermitage it was,
Down in a dale hard by a forest side,
Farre from resort of people that did pass
In travell to and fro : a little wide
There was an holy chapell edified,

Wherein the hermit duly went to say
His holy things each morn and even tide :
Thereby a crystal streame did gently play,
Which from a sacred fountain welled forth
away.

He thence led me into this hermitage, Letting his steeds to graze upon the green; Sinall was his house, and like a little cage, For his own turne, yet inly neat and clean, Deckt with green boughes, and flowers gay be

seene;

Therein he them full faire did entertaine, Not with such forged showes, as fitter beene For courting fools that courtisies would faine, [plaine. But with entire affection, and appearance

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$74. Hippolitus.

IPPOLYTUS a jolly huntsman was,
That wont in charot chase the foaming
boar,

He all his peers in beauty did surpass,
But lady's love, as loss of time, forbore;
His wanton step-dame loved him the more.

But when she saw her offer'd sweet refused, Her love she turn'd to hate, and him before

His father fierce, of treason false accused, And with her jealous terms his open ears abused.

Who all in rage his sea-god sire besought Some cursed vengeance on his son to cast; From surging gulph two monsters straight were brought,

With dread whereof his chasing steeds aghast Both charot swift and huntsman overcast ;

His goodly corps on ragged clifts yrent Was quite dismembred, and his members chast Scattred on every mountaine, as he went, That of Hippolytus was left no monument. $75. Honour.

WHOSO in pompe of proud estate (quoth she)

Does swim, and bathes himself in courtly bliss,
Does wast his daies in darke obscurity
And in oblivion ever buried is;
Where ease abounds, it's easie to doc amiss;

Abroad in arms, at home in studious kind, Who seekes with painefull toile, shall honour soonest find.

In woods, in waves, in wars she wonts to
dwell,

And will be found with perill and with paine;
Ne can the man that moulds in idle cell,
Unto her happy mansion attaine:
Before her gate high God did sweat ordaine,
And wakeful watches ever to abide;
But easie is the way, and passage plaine

To pleasure's palace; it may soon be spie, And day and night her doors to all stand open wide.

WITH

$76. Hope.

ITH him went Hope in rank, a handsome
mayd,

Of chearful look, and lovely to behold;
In silken samile she was light arraid,
And her faire locks were woven up in gold;
She always smil'd, and in her hande did hoid

An holy water sprinkle dipt in deawe,
In which she sprinkled favours manyfold,
On whome she list, and did great liking
shewe;

Great liking unto many, but true love to fewe Another.

Her youngest sister, that Speranza hight, Was clad in blue, that her beseemed well,

Not all so chearful seemed she of sight, As was her sister; whether dread did dwell, Or anguish in her heart, is hard to tell:

Upon her arme a silver anchor lay, Whereon she leaned ever, as befell:

And ever up to Heaven as she did pray, Her stedfast eyes were bent, ne swarved other

way.

§ 77. Hydra.

OR
That great Alcides whylome over-threw,
After that he had labour'd long in vaine,
To crop his thousand heads, the which s

like the hell-borne Hydra, which the
faine,

new

Forth budded, and in greater numbers grew

Another.

Such own it was, as that renowned snake Which great Alcides in Stremona slew,

Long foster'd in the filth of Lerna lake, Whose many heads out-budding ever new, Did breed him endless labour to subdue.

$78. Hypocrite.

But who his limbs with labours, and his A length they chanc't to meet upon the way

mind

Behaves with cares, cannot so easie miss.

An aged sire, in long black weeds yclad, His feet all bare, his beard all hoarie grate, And

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