The flowre-deluce,' her lovely paramoure,

Bid thee to them thy fruitlesse labors yield,

And soone leave off this toylsome weary stoure 2:
Loe! loe, how brave she decks her bounteous boure,
With silkin curtens and gold coverletts,

Therein to shrowd her sumptuous belamoure 3!
Yet neither spinnes nor cards, ne cares nor fretts,
But to her mother nature all her care she letts.

XVII.

"Why then doest thou, O man, that of them all
Art Lord, and eke of nature Soveraine,
Wilfully make thyselfe a wretched thrall,

And waste thy joyous howres in needelesse paine,
Seeking for daunger and adventures vaine?
What bootes it al to have and nothing use?

Who shall him rew that swimming in the maine

Will die for thirst, and water doth refuse?

Refuse such fruitlesse toile, and present pleasures chuse."

XVIII.

By this she had him lulled fast asleepe,

That of no worldly thing he care did take:

Then she with liquors strong his eies did steepe,

That nothing should him hastily awake.

So she him lefte, and did herselfe betake
Unto her boat again, with which she clefte

The slouthfull wave of that great griesy 5 Lake:

Flowre-deluce, (fleur de lis, Fr.) the iris. 2 Stoure, anxiety.

3 Belamoure, lover. 4 Rew, pity. 3 Griesy, sluggish, or thick.

notice the alliteration of which Spenser was so fond-"lilly, lady," "flowring field," "bounteous boure," "shrowd her sumptuous," cards, ne cares."

"nor

XVIII. 7.— Great griesy Lake.] Some editions have griesly, terrible, instead of griesy, thick or sluggish.

Soone shee that Island far behind her lefte,

And now is come to that same place where first she wefte.1

XIX.

By this time was the worthy Guyon brought
Unto the other side of that wide strond

2

Where she was rowing, and for passage sought:
Him needed not long call; shee soone to hond
Her ferry brought, where him she byding fond
With his sad 3 Guide: himselfe she tooke aboord,
But the Blacke Palmer suffred still to stond,
Ne would for price or prayers once affoord
To ferry that old man over the perlous 5 foord.

XX.

Guyon was loath to leave his Guide behind,
Yet being entred might not backe retyre;
For the flitt barke, obaying to her mind,
Forth launched quickly as she did desire,
Ne gave him leave to bid that aged sire
Adieu, but nimbly ran her wonted course
Through the dull billowes thicke as troubled mire,
Whom nether wind out of their seat could forse,
Nor timely tides did drive out of their sluggish sourse.

XXI.

And by the way, as was her wonted guize,

Her merry fitt she freshly gan to reare,

1 Wefte, put off.
Byding, waiting.

3 Sad, grave.

Affoord, grant, consent.
5 Perlous, dangerous.
• Reare, display.

XIX. 4. To hond.] Upton suggests "lond" [land] for "hond," which, however, is not found in any edition.

XIX. 8.- Ne would, &c.] When Temperance or Self-government embarks on the waters of Idleness, under the guidance of immodest Mirth, Reason is left behind.

And did of ioy and iollity devize,

Herselfe to cherish, and her guest to cheare.
The Knight was courteous, and did not forbeare
Her honest merth and pleasaunce to partake;
But when he saw her toy, and gibe,1 and geare,2
And passe the bonds of modest merimake,
Her dalliaunce he despis'd and follies did forsake.3

XXII.

Yet she still followed her former style,
And said, and did, all that mote him delight,
Till they arrived in that pleasaunt Ile,
Where sleeping late she left her other Knight.
But, whenas Guyon of that land had sight,
He wist himselfe amisse, and angry said;
"Ah! Dame, perdy 4 ye have not doen me right,
Thus to mislead mee, whiles I you obaid :

Me litle needed from my right way to have straid."

XXIII.

"Faire Sir," quoth she, “be not displeased at all; Who fares on sea may not commaund his way, Ne wind and weather at his pleasure call: The sea is wide, and easy for to stray; The wind unstable, and doth never stay. But here a while ye may in safety rest, Till season serve new passage to assay: Better safe port then be in seas distrest.” Therewith she laught, and did her earnest end in iest.

1 Gibe, jest.

2 Gcare, jeer.

3 Forsake, turn from, neglect.
4 Perdy, truly.

XXI. 8.- The bonds.] Some editions have "bounds."

XXII. 6. He wist himselfe amisse, &c.] He perceived that he was out of his proper course.

XXIV.

But he, halfe discontent, mote nathëlesse
Himselfe appease, and issewd forth on shore:
The ioyes whereof and happy fruitfulnesse,
Such as he saw, she gan him lay before,1

And all, though pleasaunt, yet she made much more.
The fields did laugh, the flowres did freshly spring,
The trees did bud, and early blossomes bore;
And all the quire of birds did sweetly sing,
And told that Gardins pleasures in their caroling.

XXV.

And she, more sweete than any bird on bough,
Would oftentimes emongst them beare a part,
And strive to passe 2 (as she could well enough)
Their native musicke by her skilful art:
So did she all, that might his constant hart
Withdraw from thought of warlike enterprize,
And drowne in dissolute delights apart,

Where noise of armes, or vew of martiall guize,
Might not revive desire of knightly exercize:

XXVI.

But he was wise, and wary of her will,

And ever held his hand upon his hart;

Yet would not seeme so rude, and thewed 3 ill.
As to despise so curteous seeming part
That gentle Lady did to him impart :

But, fairly tempring,4 fond 5 desire subdewd,

1 Lay before, describe to.

2 Passe, surpass.

3 Theteed, nurtured.

Tempring, governing himself.

5 Fond, weak, foolish.

XXVI. Wary of her will.] Careful to prevent her accomplishing her wishes,

And ever her desired to depart.

She list not heare, but her disports poursewd, And ever bad him stay till time the tide renewd.

XXVII.

And now by this Cymochles howre was spent,
That he awoke out of his ydle dreme;
And, shaking off his drowsy dreriment,1
Gan him avize, howe ill did him beseme
In slouthfull sleepe his molten hart to steme,3
And quench the brond of his conceived yre.
Tho up he started, stird with shame extreme,
Ne staied for his Damsell to inquire,

But marched to the strond, there passage to require.

XXVIII.

And in the way he with Sir Guyon mett,
Accompanyde with Phædria the faire:
Eftsoones he gan to rage, and inly frett,

6

Crying; "Let be that Lady debonaire,7

Thou recreaunt Knight, and soone thyselfe prepaire
To batteile, if thou meane her love to gayn.
Loe! loe already how the fowles in aire

Doe flocke, awaiting shortly to obtayn

Thy carcas for their pray, the guerdon of thy payn."

XXIX.

And there-withall be fiersly at him flew,

8

And with importune outrage him assayld;

Who, soone prepard to field, his sword forth drew,

1 Dreriment, heaviness.

2 Him avize, reflect.

3 Steme, exhale.

▲ Tho, then.

Eftsoones, immediately.

• Let be, let go.

7 Debonaire, gracious, gentle.

8 Importune, cruel.

• Field, battle.

XXVIII. 9. - The guerdon of thy payn.] The reward of thy attempt

to gain the lady.