And said, 'Why Archimago, lucklesse syre,
What doe I see? what hard mishap is this,
That hath thee hether brought to taste mine yre?
Or thine the fault, or mine the error is,
In stead of foe to wound my friend amis?'
He answered nought, but in a traunce still lay,
And on those guilefull dazed eyes of his
The cloude of death did sit. Which doen away,
He left him lying so, ne would no lenger stay:
But that proud Paynim forward came so ferce And full of wrath, that, with his sharphead speare, [perce; Through vainly crossed shield he quite did But to the virgin comes; who all this while And, had his staggering steed not shronke for Amased stands, her selfe so mockt to see feare, [beare: By him, who has the guerdon of his guile, Through shield and body eke he should him For so misfeigning her true knight to bee: Yet, so great was the puissance of his push, That from his sadle quite he did him beare. He, tombling rudely downe, to ground did rush, And from his gored wound a well of bloud did gush.
Dismounting lightly from his loftie steed,
He to him lept, in minde to reave his life,
And proudly said; 'Lo! there the worthie meed
Of him that slew Sansfoy with bloody knife:
Henceforth his ghost, freed from repining
strife,
Yet is she now in more perplexitie,
Left in the band of that same Paynim bold,
From whom her booteth not at all to flie:
Who, by her cleanly garment catching hold,
Her from her Palfrey pluckt, her visage to
But her fiers servant, full of kingly aw And high disdaine, whenas his soveraine Dame So rudely handled by her foe he saw, With gaping jawes full greedy at him came, And, ramping on his shield, did weene the same [life, Have reft away with his sharp rending clawes: When mourning altars, purgd with enimies But he was stout, and lust did now inflame The black infernall Furies doen aslake: His corage more, that from his griping pawes Life from Sansfoy thou tookst, Sansloy shall He hath his shield redeemd, and forth his
In peace may passen over Lethe lake;
Suddein upriseth from her stately place
The roiall Dame, and for her coche doth call:
All hurtlen forth; and she, with princely pace,
As faire Aurora in her purple pall
Out of the East the dawning day doth call.
So forth she comes; her brightnes brode doth
blaze.
The heapes of people, thronging in the hall,
Doe ride each other upon her to gaze: [amaze.
Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eies
And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,
Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne.
His belly was upblowne with luxury,
And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne;
And like a Crane his necke was long and fyne
With which he swallowed up excessive feast,
For want whereof poore people oft did pyne:
And all the way, most like a brutish beast,
He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.
In greene vine leaves he was right fitly clad, So forth she comes, and to her coche does For other clothes he could not weare for heate; Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay, [clyme, And on his head an yvie girland had, [sweat. That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime; From under which fast trickled downe the And strove to match, in roiall rich array, [say, Still as he rode he somewhat still did eat, Great Junoes golden chayre; the which, they And in his hand did beare a bouzing can, The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat To Joves high hous through heavens bras- His dronken corse he scarse upholden can: In shape and life more like a monster then a
Drawne of fayre Pecocks, that excell in pride, And full of Argus eyes their tayles dispredden wide.
But this was drawne of six unequall beasts,
On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde,
Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,
With like conditions to their kindes applyde:
Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,
Was sluggish Idlenesse, the nourse of sin;
Upon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde,
Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,
Like to an holy Monck, the service to begin.
And in his hand his Portesse still he bare,
That much was worne, but therein little redd;
For of devotion he had little care, [dedd:
Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his daies
Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hedd,
To looken whether it were night or day.
May seeme the wayne was very evill ledd,
When such an one had guiding of the way,
That knew not whether right he went, or else
astray.
From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,
And greatly shunned manly exercise;
From everie worke he chalenged essoyne,
For contemplation sake: yet otherwise
His life he led in lawlesse riotise,
By which he grew to grievous malady;
For in his lustlesse limbs, through evill guise,
A shaking fever raignd continually.
Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.
Unfit he was for any worldly thing,
And eke unhable once to stirre or go;
Not meet to be of counsell to a king,
Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so,
That from his frend he seeldome knew his fo.
Full of diseases was his carcas blew,
And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow,
Which by misdiet daily greater grew.
Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.
And next to him rode lustfull Lechery
Upon a bearded Gote, whose rugged heare,
And whally eies (the signe of gelosy,)
Was like the person selfe whom he did beare:
Whorough, and blacke, and filthy, did appeare,
Unseemely man to please faire Ladies eye;
Yet he of Ladies oft was loved deare,
When fairer faces were bid standen by:
O! who does know the bent of womens fantasy?
In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire,
Which underneath did hide his filthinesse ;
And in his hand a burning hart he bare,
Full of vaine follies and new fanglenesse :
For he was false, and fraught with ficklenesse,
And learned had to love with secret lookes;
And well could daunce, and sing with rueful-
And fortunes tell, and read in loving bookes, And thousand other waies to bait his fleshly hookes.
Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath:
Abhorred bloodshed, and tumultuous strife,
Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath,
Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife,
And fretting griefe, the enemy of life:
All these, and many evils moe haunt ire,
The swelling Splene, and Frenzy raging
rife.
And next to him malicious Envy rode
Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw
Between his cankred teeth a venemous to de,
That all the poison ran about his chaw;
But inwardly he chawed his owne maw
At neighbours welth, that made him ever sad,
For death it was, when any good he saw;
And wept, that cause of weeping noue he had; The shaking Palsey, and Saint Fraunces fire.
But when he heard of harme he wexed won- Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly
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