60 Nay, nay, thou greedie Tantalus (quoth he)
Abide the fortune of thy present fate,
And unto all that live in high degree,
Ensample be of mind intemperate.
To teach them how to use their present state.
Then gan the cursed wretch aloud to cry,
Accusing highest Jove and gods ingrate;
And eke blaspheming heaven bitterly,
As author of unjustice, there to let him dye.
61 He lookt a little further, and espyde
Another wretch, whose carcasse deepe was drent
Within the river, which the same did hyde:
But both his handes most filthy feculent,
Above the water were on high extent,
And faynd to wash themselves incessantly,
Yet nothing cleaner were for such intent,
But rather fowler seemed to the eye;
So lost his labour vaine and idle industry.
62 The knight him calling, asked who he was,
Who lifting up his head, him answerd thus;
I Pilate am the falsest judge, alas,
And most unjust, that by unrighteous
And wicked doome, to Jewes despiteous
Delivered up the Lord of life to die,
And did acquite a murdrer felonous;
The whiles my handes I washt in puritie,
The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie.
63 Infinite moe, tormented in like paine
He there beheld, too long here to be told:
Ne Mammon would there let him long remaine,
For terrour of the tortures manifold,
In which the damned soules he did behold,
But roughly him bespake: Thou fearefull foole,
Why takest not of that same fruite of gold,
Ne sittest downe on that same silver stoole,
To rest thy wearie person in the shadow coole.
64 All which he did, to do him deadly fall
In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt;
To which if he inclined had at all,
That dreadfull feend, which did behinde him wayt,
Would him have rent in thousand peeces strayt:
But he was warie wise in all his way,
And wel perceived his deceiptfull sleight,
Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray;
So goodly did beguile the guyler of his pray.
65 And now he has so long remained there,
That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and wan,
For want of food, and sleepe, which two upbeare,
Like mightie pillours, this fraile life of man,
That none without the same enduren can.
For now three dayes of men were full outwrought,
Since he this hardie enterprize began:
For thy great Mammon fairely he besought
Into the world to guide him backe, as he him brought.
66 The god, though loth, yet was constraind ťobay;
For lenger time, then that, no living wight
Below the earth might suffred be to stay:
So backe againe him brought to living light.
But all so soone as his enfeebled spright
Gan sucke this vitall aire into his brest,
As overcome with too exceeding might,
The life did flit away out of her nest,
And all his senses were with deadly fit opprest.
Sir Guyon, layd in swowne is by
Acrates sonnes despoyld,
Whom Arthur soone bath reskewed,
And Paynim brethren foyld.
I AND is there care in heaven? And is there love
In heavenly spirits to these creatures bace,
That may compassion of their evils move?
There is: else much more wretched were the cace
Of men then beasts. But O th' exceeding grace
Of highest God, that loves his creatures so,
And all his workes with mercy doth embrace,
That blessed angels he sends to and fro,
To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe.
2 How oft do they their silver bowers leave
To come to succour us, that succour want,
How oft do they with golden pineons cleave
The flitting skyes, like flying pursuivant,
Against foule feendes to aide us militant:
They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us plant;
And all for love, and nothing for reward:
O, why should heavenly God to men have such regard?
3 During the while, that Guyon did abide
In Mammons house, the palmer, whom whyleare
That wanton mayd of passage had denide,
By further search had passage found elsewhere,
And being on his way, approched neare
Where Guyon lay in traunce; when suddenly
He heard a voice that called loud and cleare,
Come hither, hither, O come hastily;
That all the fields resounded with the ruefull cry.
4 The palmer lent his eare unto the noyce,
To weet who called so importunely:
Againe he heard a more efforced voyce,
That bad him come in haste. He by and by
His feeble feet directed to the cry;
Which to that shady delve him brought at last,
Where Mammon earst did sunne his threasury:
There the good Guyon he found slumbring fast
In senselesse dreame; which sight at first him sore aghast.
5 Beside his head there sate a faire young man,
Of wondrous beautie and of freshest yeares,
Whose tender bud to blossome new began,
And flourish faire above his equall peares:
His snowy front curled with golden heares,
Like Phoebus face adornd with sunny rayes,
Divinely shone; and two sharpe winged sheares,
Decked with diverse plumes, like painted jayes,
Were fixed at his backe to cut his ayerie wayes.
6 Like as Cupido on Idaean hill,
When having laid his cruell bow away,
And mortall arrowes, wherewith he doth fill
The world with murdrous spoiles and bloudie pray,
With his faire mother he him dights to play,
And with his goodly sisters, Graces three;
The goddess pleased with his wanton play,
Suffers her selfe through sleepe beguild to bee,
The whiles the other ladies mind their merry glee.
7 Whom when the palmer saw, abasht he was
Through fear and wonder, that he nought could say,
Till him the childe bespoke, Long lackt, alas,
Hath bene thy faithfull aide in hard assay,
Whiles deadly fit thy pupill doth dismay,
Behold this heavie sight, thou reverend sire,
But dread of death and dolor doe away;
For life ere long shall to her home retire,
And he that breathlesse seems shal corage bold respire.
8 The charge, which God doth unto me arret, Of his deare safetie I to thee commend; Yet will I not forgoe, ne yet forget
The care thereof my selfe unto the end,
But evermore him succour, and defend
Against his foe and mine: watch thou I pray;
For evil is at hand him to offend.
So having said, eftsoones he gan display
His painted nimble wings, and vanisht quite away.
9 The palmer seeing his left empty place,
And his slow eyes beguiled of their sight,
Woxe sore affraid, and standing still a space
Gaz'd after him, as fowle escapt by flight:
At last him turning to his charge behight,
With trembling hand his troubled pulse gan try;
Where finding life not yet dislodged quight,
He much rejoyst, and courd it tenderly,
As chicken newly hacht, from dreaded destiny.
10 At last he spide where towards him did pace
Two Paynim knights, all armd as bright as skie,
And them beside an aged sire did trace,
And farre before a light-foot page did flie,
That breathed strife and troublous enmitie.
Those were the two sonnes of Acrates old,
Who meeting earst with Archimago slie,
Foreby that idle strond, of him were told,
That he, which earst them combatted, was Guyon bold.
II Which to avenge on him they dearly vowd,
Whereever that on ground they mote him find:
False Archimage provokt their courage prowd,
And stryfull Atin in their stubborne mind
Coles of contention and whot vengeaunce tind.
Now bene they come whereas the palmer sate,
Keeping that slombred corse to him assind:
Well knew they both his person, sith of late
With him in bloudie armes they rashly did debate.
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