XLVII.

Which when those wicked Hags from far did spye,
Like two mad dogs they ran about the lands;
And th' one of them with dreadfull yelling crye,
Throwing away her broken chaines and bands,
And having quencht her burning fier-brands,
Hedlong herselfe did cast into that lake:
But Impotence with her owne wilfull hands
One of Malegers cursed darts did take,

So ryv'd' her trembling hart, and wicked end did make.

XLVIII.

Thus now alone he conquerour remaines :

Tho, cumming to his Squyre that kept his steed,
Thought to have mounted; but his feeble vaines

Him faild thereto, and served not his need,

Through losse of blood which from his wounds did bleed,

That he began to faint, and life decay:

But his good Squyre, him helping up with speed,
With stedfast hand upon his horse did stay,

And led him to the Castle by the beaten way.

XLIX.

Where many Groomes and Squiers ready were
To take him from his steed full tenderly ;
And eke the fayrest Alma mett him there
With balme, and wine, and costly spicery,
To comfort him in his infirmity:

1 Ryo'd, divided, pierced.

2 Tho, then.

XLVII. 1.- Which when, &c.] When disease is expelled from the frame, the impatience and irritability which are its consequences also depart.

XLIX. 4. And costly spicery.] This probably means a beverage in which spices had been infused or steeped.

Eftesoones1 she causd him up to be convayd,
And of his armes despoyled easily

In sumptuous bed shee made him to be layd;

And, al the while his wounds were dressing, by him stayd.

1 Eftesoones, immediately.

11*

CANTO XII.

Guyon, by Palmers governaunce,
Passing through perilles great,
Doth overthrow the Bowre of Blis,
And Acrasy defeat.

I.

Now ginnes that goodly frame of Temperaunce
Fayrely to rise, and her adorned hed

To pricke of highest prayse forth to advaunce,
Formerly grounded and fast setteled

On firme foundation of true bountyhed 3:

And this brave Knight, that for this vertue fightes,
Now comes to point of that same perilous sted,4
Where Pleasure dwelles in sensuall delights,

Mongst thousand dangers and ten thousand magick mights.

II.

Two dayes now in that sea he sayled has,

Ne ever land beheld, ne living wight,
Ne ought save perill, still as he did pas:

1 Ginnes, begins.

2 Pricke, pitch, point.

3 Bountyhed, goodness, virtue.
4 Sted, place.

1. 4.- Formerly grounded.] Being, first of all, grounded, or established.

1. 6.

And this brave Knight,] i. e. Sir Guyon, whose adventures are resumed from the beginning of the preceding canto.

I. 8.- Where Pleasure, &c.] This is Acrasia

Tho, when appeared the third Morrow bright
Upon the waves to spred her trembling light,
An hideous roring far away they heard,
That all their sences filled with affright;
And streight they saw the raging surges reard

Up to the skyes, that them of drowning made affeard.

III.

Said then the Boteman, "Palmer, stere aright,
And keepe an even course; for yonder way
We needes must pas (God doe us well acquight!)
That is the Gulfe of Greedinesse, they say,
That deepe engorgeth 2 all this worldës pray ;
Which having swallowd up excessively,
He soone in vomit up againe doth lay,3
And belcheth forth his superfluity,

That all the seas for feare doe seeme away to fly.

IV.

"On th' other syde an hideous Rock is pight1
Of mightie magnes stone,5 whose craggie clift
Depending from on high, dreadfull to sight,
Over the waves his rugged armes doth lift,
And threatneth downe to throw his ragged rift
On whoso cometh nigh; yet nigh it drawes

All passengers, that none from it can shift:
For, whiles they fly that Gulfe's devouring iawes,

They on the rock are rent, and sunck in helples wawes.6"

1 Tho, then.

2 Engorgeth, swallows.
3 Lay, spread, throw.

4 Pight, placed.

5 Magnes-stone, magnet.

6 Wawes, waves.

III. 3. God doe us well acquight.] May God bring us safely through.'

IV. 5. Ragged rift.] Uneven or broken fragments.- Rift means, literally, a rent, or chasm.

V.

Forward they passe, and strongly he them rowes,
Untill they nigh unto that Gulfe arryve,
Where streame more violent and greedy growes:
Then he with all his puisaunce doth stryve
To strike his oares, and mightily doth dryve
The hollow vessell through the threatfull wave;
Which, gaping wide to swallow them alyve
In th' huge abysse of his engulfing grave,

Doth rore at them in vaine, and with great terrour rave.

VI.

They, passing by, that grisely1 mouth did see
Sucking the seas into his entralles deepe,

That seemd more horrible than hell to bee,
Or that darke dreadfull hole of Tartare steepe
Through which the damned ghosts doen often creep
Backe to the world, bad livers to torment:
But nought that falles into this direfull deepe,
Ne that approcheth nigh the wyde descent,
May backe retourne, but is condemned to be drent.2

VII.

On th' other side they saw that perilous Rocke,
Threatning itselfe on them to ruinate,3

On whose sharp cliftes the ribs of vessels broke;
And shivered ships, which had beene wrecked late,
Yet stuck with carcases exanimate 4

Of such, as having all their substance spent
In wanton ioyes and lustes intemperate,

Did afterwardes make shipwrack violent

Both of their life and fame for ever fowly blent.5

1 Grisely, grisly, terrible.

2 Drent, drenched, drowned.
3 Ruinate, fall.

4 Exanimate, lifeless.

5 Blent, polluted, disgraced.