VIII.

Forthy this hight 2 the Rock of vile Reproch,
A daungerous and détestable place,

To which nor fish nor fowle did once approch,
But yelling meawes,3 with seagulles hoars and bace,
And cormoyraunts, with birds of ravenous race,
Which still sat wayting on that wastfull clift
For spoile of wretches, whose unhappy cace,
After lost credit and consumed thrift,

At last them driven hath to this despairefull drift.

IX.

The Palmer, seeing them in safetie past,

Thus saide; "Behold th' ensamples in our sightes
Of lustfull luxurie and thriftlesse wast!

What now is left of miserable wightes

Which spent their looser daies in leud delightes,
But shame and sad reproch, here to be red

By these rent reliques speaking their ill plightes!
Let all that live hereby be counselled

To shunne Rock of Reproch, and it as death to dread!"

X.

So forth they rowed; and that Ferryman

With his stiffe oares did brush the sea so strong,

That the hoare waters from his frigot ran,

And the light bubles daunced all along,

Whiles the salt brine out of the billowes sprong.
At last far off they many Islandes spy

On every side floting the floodes emong:

1 Forthy, hence.
2 Hight, is called.

VIII. 9.

3 Meares, sea-mews.

4 Hoare, white with foam.

This despairefull drift.] This miserable course or di

rection.

Then said the Knight: "Lo! I the land descry; Therefore, old Syre, thy course doe thereunto apply."

4

XI.

"That may not bee," said then the Ferryman, "Least wee unweeting1 hap to be fordonne 2: For those same Islands, seeming now and than, Are not firme land, nor any certein wonne,3 But stragling plots, which to and fro doe ronne In the wide waters: therefore are they hight 5 The Wandring Islands: Therefore doe them shonne; For they have oft drawn many a wandring wight Into most deadly daunger and distressed plight.

XII.

"Yet well they seeme to him, that farre doth vew, Both faire and fruitfull, and the grownd dispred With grassy greene of délectable hew;

And the tall trees with leaves appareled

Are deckt with blossoms dyde in white and red,
That mote the passengers thereto allure;
But whosoever once hath fastened

His foot thereon, may never it recure,6
But wandreth evermore uncertein and unsure.

XIII.

"As th' isle of Delos whylome,' men report,

1 Unweeting, unknowing.

2 Fordonne, undone.

3 Wonne, habitation.

4 Plots, pieces of ground.

XI. 3.- Seeming now and than.]

5 Hight, called.

6 Recure, recover.

7 Whylome, formerly.

Appearing now and then.

XIII. 1. As th' isle of Delos, &c.] This island is represented by the ancients as having been floating under water until it was made to appear and remain fixed, in order that Latona might give birth there tc Apollo and Diana, the earth having been bound by an oath imposed

Amid th' Aegean sea long time did stray,
Ne made for shipping any certeine port,
Till that Latona traveiling that way,
Flying from Iunoes wrath and hard assay,1
Of her fayre twins was there delivered,
Which afterwards did rule the night and day;
Thenceforth it firmely was established,
And for Apolloes temple highly herried.2"

XIV.

They to him hearken, as beseemeth meete;
And passe on forward: so their way does ly,
That one of those same Islands, which doe fleet 3
In the wide sea, they needes must passen by,
Which seemd so sweet and pleasaunt to the eye,
That it would tempt a man to touchen there:
Upon the banck they sitting did espy

A daintie Damsell dressing of her heare,
By whom a little skippet floting did appeare.

4

XV.

She, them espying, loud to them gan call,
Bidding them nigher draw unto the shore,
For she had cause to busie them withall;
And therewith lowdly laught: But nathëmore 5
Would they once turne, but kept on as afore:
Which when she saw, she left her lockes undight,

1 Assay, pursuit.

2 Herried, honored. 3 Fleet, float.

4

Skippet, skiff.

Nathemore, none the more.

6

6 Undight, undressed, loosely flowing.

by Juno not to give her a resting-place, by which oath this island was not deemed to be bound. Hence the name of Delos, which is a Greek word, meaning manifest.

XIV. 3.- One of those same islands.] This was the island to which Guyon had been carried by Phædria, as described in the sixth canto.

And running to her boat withouten ore,

From the departing land it launched light,

And after them did drive with all her power and might.

XVI.

Whom overtaking, she in merry sort

Them gan to bord,1 and purpose diversly 2;
Now faining dalliaunce and wanton sport,
Now throwing forth lewd wordes immodestly;
Till that the Palmer gan full bitterly
Her to rebuke for being loose and light:
Which not abiding, but more scornfully

Scoffing at him that did her iustly wite,3

She turnd her bote about, and from them rowed quite.

XVII.

That was the wanton Phædria, which late

Did ferry him over the Idle Lake:

Whom nought regarding they kept on their gate,
And all her vaine allurements did forsake;

When them the wary Boteman thus bespake;
"Here now behoveth us well to avyse,5

And of our safety good heede to take;
For here before a perlous passage lyes,

Where many Mermayds haunt making false melodies:

XVIII.

"But by the way there is a great Quicksand,

And a Whirlepoole of hidden ieopardy ;

1 Bord, accost.

• Purpose diversly, speak of vari

ous things.

3 Wite, blame.

4 Gate, way.

Aryse, consider.

6 Perlous, perilous.

XV. 7.— Withouten ore.] This boat, it will be remembered, was

moved by turning a pin. See canto VI. stanza V.

XVII. 1.- Which late.] See canto VI.

Therefore, Sir Palmer, keepe an even hand;
For twixt them both the narrow way doth ly."
Scarse had he saide, when hard at hand they spy
That Quicksand nigh with water covered;
But by the checked' wave they did descry
It plaine, and by the sea discoloured:

It called was the Quickesand of Unthriftyhed.

XIX.

They, passing by, a goodly ship did see Laden from far with precious merchandize, And bravely furnished as ship might bee, Which through great disaventure, or mesprize,2 Herselfe had ronne into that hazardize3; Whose mariners and merchants with much toyle Labour'd in vaine to have recur'd their prize, And the rich wares to save from pitteous spoyle; But neither toyle nor traveill might her backe recoyle.

XX.

On th' other side they see that perilous Poole,
That called was the Whirlepoole of Decay;
In which full many had with haplesse doole 5
Beene suncke, of whom no memorie did stay:
Whose circled waters rapt with whirling sway,
Like to a restlesse wheele, still ronning round,
Did covet, as they passed by that way,

To draw their bote within the utmost 6 bound

Of his wide labyrinth, and then to have them dround.

1 Checked, checkered.

2 Mesprize, mistake.

3 Hazardize, hazardous situation.

Recur'd, recovered.

• Doole, sorrow.

6 Utmost, outmost.

XIX. 9. Might her backe recoyle.] Might cause her to go back, or be removed off the quicksand.