Him followed eke Sir Guyon evermore,

Ne darkenesse him ne daunger might dismay.
Soone as he entred was, the dore streight way
Did shutt, and from behind it forth there lept
An ugly feend, more fowle then dismall day1;
The which with monstrous stalke behind him

stept,

And ever as he went dew watch upon him kept.

27 Well hoped hee, ere long that hardy guest,
If ever covetous hand, or lustfull eye,
Or lips he layd on thing that likte him best,
Or ever sleepe his eie-strings did untye,
Should be his pray: and therefore still on hye
He over him did hold his cruell clawes,
Threatning with greedy gripe to doe him dye,
And rend in peeces with his ravenous pawes,
If ever he transgrest the fatall Stygian lawes.

28 That houses forme within was rude and strong, Lyke an huge cave hewne out of rocky clifte, From whose rough vaut the ragged breaches

hong

Embost with massy gold of glorious guifte,2

And with rich metall loaded every rifte,

That heavy ruine they did seeme to threatt;
And over them Arachne high did lifte

Her cunning web, and spred her subtile nett, Enwrapped in fowle smoke and clouds more black then iett.

1 I. e. day of doom, or death, as in Can. viii. v. 51. 2 Guifte, gift; i. e. gifted with glorious richness.

29 Both roofe, and floore, and walls, were all of gold,
But overgrowne with dust and old decay,
And hid in darkenes, that none could behold
The hew thereof: for vew of cherefull day
Did never in that house itselfe display,
But a faint shadow of uncertein' light;
Such as a lamp, whose life does fade away;
Or as the moone, cloathed with clowdy night,
Does shew to him that walkes in feare and sad affright.

30 In all that rowme was nothing to be seene
But huge great yron chests, and coffers strong,
All bard with double bends,' that none could weene
Them to efforce by violence or wrong;

On every side they placed were along.

But all the grownd with sculs was scattered

And dead mens bones, which round about were

flong;

Whose lives, it seemed, whilome there were shed, And their vile carcases now left unburied.

31 They forward passe; ne Guyon yet spoke word,
Till that they came unto an yron dore,
Which to them opened of his owne accord,
And shewd of richesse such exceeding store,
As eie of man did never see before,

Ne ever could within one place be fownd, Though all the wealth which is, or was of yore, Could gathered be through all the world arownd, And that above were added to that under grownd.

1 Bends, bands.

32 The charge thereof unto a covetous spright Commaunded was, who thereby did attend, And warily awaited day and night,

From other covetous feends it to defend, Who it to rob and ransacke did intend. Then Mammon, turning to that warriour, said: "Loe, here the worldës blis! loe, here the end, To which al men doe ayme, rich to be made! Such grace now to be happy is before thee laid."

33 "Certes," sayd he, "I n'ill1 thine offred grace,
Ne to be made so happy doe intend!
Another blis before mine eyes I place,
Another happines, another end.

8

To them that list, these base regardes I lend: But I in armes, and in atchievements brave, Do rather choose my flitting houres to spend, And to be lord of those that riches have, Then them to have my selfe, and be their servile sclave."

34 Thereat the Feend his gnashing teeth did grate,
And griev'd, so long to lacke his greedie pray;
For well he weened that so glorious bayte
Would tempt his guest to take thereof assay:
Had he so doen, he had him snatcht away
More light then culver 5 in the faulcons fist:
Eternall God thee save from such decay!

1 N'ill, will not have. 2 So, in this way.

8 Regardes, considerations.

4 Assay, trial.
5 Culver, pigeon.

But, whenas Mammon saw his purpose mist, Him to entrap unwares another way he wist.

35 Thence, forward he him ledd and shortly brought
Unto another rowme, whose dore forthright
To him did open as it had beene taught:
Therein an hundred raunges weren pight,1
And hundred fournaces all burning bright;
By every fournace many feendes did byde,
Deformed creatures, horrible in sight;
And every feend his busie paines applyde
To melt the golden metall, ready to be tryde.

36 One with great bellowes gathered filling ayre, And with forst wind the fewell did inflame; Another did the dying bronds repayre

With yron tongs, and sprinckled ofte the same With liquid waves, fiers Vulcans rage to tame, Who, maystring them, renewd his former heat: Some scumd the drosse that from the metall came; Some stird the molten owre with ladles great: And every one did swincke, and every one did sweat.

87 But, when an earthly wight they present saw Glistring in armes and battailous aray,

From their whot work they did themselves withdraw To wonder at the sight; for, till that day,

They never creature saw that cam that way:

Their staring eyes sparckling with fervent fyre

1 Pight, placed.

2 Moystring, mastering, or subduing.

8 Swincke, toil.

And ugly shapes did nigh the man dismay,

That, were it not for shame, he would retyre;

Till that him thus bespake their soveraine lord and syre:

46

38" Behold, thou Faeries sonne, with mortall eye,

That living eye before did never see!

The thing that thou didst crave so earnestly,

To weet whence all the wealth late shewd by mee Proceeded, lo! now is reveald to thee.

Here is the fountaine of the worldës good!

Now therefore, if thou wilt enriched bee,

Avise thee well, and chaunge thy wilfull mood; Least thou perhaps hereafter wish, and be withstood."

39 "Suffise it then, thou Money-god," quoth hee, "That all thine ydle offers I refuse.

All that I need I have; what needeth mee To covet more then I have cause to use? With such vaine shewes thy worldlinges vyle abuse; But give me leave to follow mine emprise." Mammon was much displeasd, yet no'te2 he chuse But beare the rigour of his bold mesprise; And thence him forward ledd, him further to entise.

40 He brought him, through a darksom narrow strayt,
To a broad gate all built of beaten gold:
The gate was open; but therein did wayt
A sturdie villein, stryding stiffe and bold,
As if the highest God defy he would:

1 Avise, bethink.

2 No'te, could not.

VOL. II.

2

8 Mesprise, contempt.