For on a sandie hill, that still did flitt
And fall away, it mounted was full hie:
That every breath of heaven shaked itt:
And all the hinder partes, that few could spie,
Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

• Arrived there, they passed in forth right;
For still to all the gates stood open wide:
Yet charge of them was to a porter hight,1
Cald Malvenú, who entrance none denide:
Thence to the hall, which was on every side
With rich array and costly arras dight 2:
Infinite sortes of people did abide
There waiting long, to win the wished sight
Of her, that was the Lady of that pallace bright.

By them they passe, all gazing on them round,
And to the Presence3 mount; whose glorious vew
Their frayle amazed senses did confound.
In living princes court none ever knew

Such endlesse richesse, and so sumpteous shew:
Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride,
Like ever saw: And there a noble crew

Of lords and ladies stood on every side,

Which, with their presence fayre, the place much

beautifide.

8 High above all a cloth of state was spred, And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day;

1 Hight, intrusted. Dight, furnished.

8 Presence, reception-room.

P..

On which there sate, most brave embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,

A mayden Queene that shone as Titans ray,
In glistring gold and perelesse pretious stone;
Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay1

To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,
As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone:

9 Exceeding shone, like Phœbus fayrest childe,
That did presume his fathers fyrie wayne,
And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde,
Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne;
Proud of such glory and advancement vayne,
While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,
He leaves the welkin2 way most beaten playne,
And, rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen
With fire not made to burne, but fayrely for to shyne.

10 So proud she shyned in her princely state,
Looking to heaven; for earth she did disdayne.
And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:
Lo, underneath her scornefull feete was layne
A dreadfull dragon with an hideous trayne;
And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,
Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,3
And in her selfe-lov'd semblance tooke delight;
For she was wondrous faire, as any living wight.

11 Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,
And sad Proserpina, the queene of hell;

1 Assay, attempt.

2 Welkin, heavenly.

3 Fayne, gladly.

Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas1 That parentage, with pride so did she swell;

And thundring Iove, that high in heaven doth dwell
And wield the world, she claymed for her syre;
Or if that any else did Iove excell;

For to the highest she did still aspyre;
Or, if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

12 And proud Lucifera men did her call,

That made her selfe a queene, and crownd to be; Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all, Ne heritage of native soveraintie; But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie Upon the scepter, which she now did hold: Ne ruld her realme with lawes, but pollicie, And strong advizement of six wisards old, That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.

13 Soone as the Elfin Knight in presence came,
And false Duessa, seeming lady fayre,
A gentle husher,2 Vanitie by name,

Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire :
So goodly brought them to the lowest stayre
Of her high throne; where they, on humble knee
Making obeysaunce, did the cause declare,
Why they were come, her roiall state to see,
To prove the wide report of her great maiestee.

14 With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so lowe, She thancked them in her disdainefull wise;

Ne other grace vouchsafed them to showe Of princesse worthy; scarse them bad arise. Her lordes and ladies all this while devise Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight: Some frounce their curled heare in courtly guise ; Some prancke their ruffes; and others trimly dight Their gay attyre: each others greater pride does spight.

15 Goodly they all that Knight doe entertayne,
Right glad with him to have increast their crew;
But to Duess' each one himselfe did payne
All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;
For in that court whylome her well they knew:
Yet the stout Faery mongst the middest crowd
Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,
And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,
That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

16 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:

Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eies amaze.

1 Frounce, frizzle.

2 Prancke, make a display of.

3 Dight, adjust.

4 Whylome, formerly.

5 Hurtlen, rush.

XIV. 9.- Each others greater pride does spight.] Each one is annoyed by the greater attractions of another. H.

17 So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay,

That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime;
And strove to match, in roiall rich array,
Great Iunoes golden chayre; the which, they say,
The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride
To loves high hous through heavens bras-paved

way,

Drawne of fayre pecocks, that excell in pride, And full of Argus eyes their tayles dispredden wide.

18 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 2 thin;
Like to an holy monck, the service to begin.

19 And in his hand his portesse3 still he bare, That much was worne, but therein little redd; For of devotion he had little care,

Still drownd in sleepe and most of his dates dedd: Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hedd,

1 Chayre, chariot.

2 Amis, robe.

8 Portesse, breviary.

XVIII. 2. - Six sage counsellours.] Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, and her six counsellors are the other six.-4. The beasts were under the domination of some passion analogous to the vice of the rider. C.