While flashing beams doe daze his feeble eyen,

He leeves the wilkin way most beaten plaine, And wrapt with whirling wheels enflame the skyen

With fire not made to burn, but fairly for to shine.

§ 102. Sight.

THE first troupe was a monstrous rabblement Of fowle mishapen wights, of which some were Headed like owles, with beakes uncomely

bent,

Others like dogs, others like gryphons dreare, And some had wings, and some had clawes to teare,

And every one of them had lynces eyes, And every one did bowe and arrowes beare. All those were lawless lusts, corrupt envies, And covetous aspects, all cruel enemies. Those same against the bulwarke of the fight Did lay strong siege, and battailous assault, Ne once did yield it respit day or night, But soon as Titan gan his head exault, And soon again as he his light withhault, Their wicked engines they against it bent: That is, each thing by which the eyes may fault; But two than all more huge and violent, Beauty and money, they that bulwark sorely

rent.

§ 103. Slander.

So when that forest they had passed well, A little cottage farre away they spide,

To which they drew, ere night upon them fell:

And entering in, found none therein abide,
But an old woman sitting there beside,

Upon the ground, in ragged rude attire, With filthy locks about her scatter'd wide, Gnawing her nayles for felness and for ire, And thereout sucking venom to her parts intire. A foule and loathly creature sure in sight, And in conditions to be loath'd no less:

For shee was stuft with rancour and despight

Up to the throat; that oft with bitterness
It forth would break, and gush with great excess,
Pouring out streams of poyson and of gall,
Gainst all that truth or virtue doe professe;
Whome she with lessings lewdly did miscall
And wickedly back-bite: her name men Slander
call.

Her nature is, all goodness to abuse,
And causeless crimes continually to frame;
With which she guiltless persons may accuse,
And steale away the crowne of their good name:
Ne ever knight so bold, ne ever dame

So chast and loyall liv'd, but she would strive With forged cause them falsely to defame : Ne ever thing was done so well alive, But she with blame would blot, and of due praise deprive.

And seem'd to be of infinite great strength;
Horrible, hideous, and of hellish race,
Borne of the brooding of Echidna base,

Or other like infernal furies kind:
For of a maide she had the outwarde face,

To hide the horrour which did lurk behind, The better to beguile whom she so fond did find.

Thereto the body of a dog she had, Full of fell ravin and fierce greediness;

A lyon's clawes with power and rigour clad, To rend and teare what so she can oppress; And dragon's taile, whose sting without redress

Full deadly wounds, when so it is empight; An eagle's wings for scope, and speediness, That nothing might escape her ravening might,

Whereto she ever list to make her hardy flight.

Much like in foulness and deformitie

Unto that monster, whom the Theban knight,
The father of that fatal progeny,
Made kill herself for very heart's despight,
That he had red her riddle, which no wight
Could ever loose, but suffred deadly doole :
So also did this monster use like slight

To many a one, which came into her school, Whom she did put to death, deceived like a fool.

§ 106. Suspicion.

BUT he was foule, ill-favoured, and grim, Under his eye-brows looking still ascaunce;

And ever as dissemblance laught on him, He lower'd on her with dangerous eye-glance, Shewing his nature in his countenance;

His rolling eyes did never rest in place, But walkt each way for fear of hid mischance, Holding a lattice still before his face, Thro' which he still did peep as forward he did pass.

§ 107. Venus.

And all about her neck and shoulders flew A flock of little loves, and sports, and joyes,

With nimble wings of gold and purple hew; Whoes shapes seem'd not like to terrestrial boyes, But like to angels playing heavenly toyes;

The whilst their elder brother was away, Cupid, their elder brother; he enjoys

'The wide kingdome of love with lordly sway, And to his law compels all creatures to obey.

And all about her altar scatter'd lay, Great sorts of lovers piteously complaining,

Some of their loss, some of their love's delay, Some of their pride, some paragons disdaining, Some fearing fraude, some fraudulently fayning, As ever one had cause of good or ill.

§ 108. Temple of Venus.

THE temple of great Venus, that is hight The queen of beauty, and of love the mother, There worshipped of every living wight: Whose goodly workmanship farre past all other That ever were on earth, all were they set together.

Not that same famous temple of Diane, Whose height all Ephesus did oversee,

And which all Asia sought with vows profane, One of the world's seven wonders said to be, Might match with this by many a degree:

Nor that, which that wise king of Jurie framed,

stand,

Upon an altar of some costly masse,

Whose substance was uneath to understand: For neither precious stones, nor durefull brasse, Nor shining gold, nor mouldring clay it was; But yet more rare and precious to esteeme, Pure in aspect, and like to chrystall glass;

Yet glass was not, if one did rightly deem; But being faire and brittle, likest glass did

seeme.

But it in shape and beauty did excell All other idols which the heathen adore :

Farre passing that, which by surpassing skill Phidias did make in Paphos isle of yore, With which that wretched Greeke that life forlore

Did fall in love: yet this much fairer shined, But covered with slender veil afore,

And both her feet and legs together twined Were with a snake, whose head and taile were fast combined.

Nor all that else thro' all the world is named To all the heathen gods, might like to this be clamed.

I, much admiring that so goodly frame, Unto the porch approacht, which open stood, But therein sat an amiable dame, That seem'd to be of very sober mood, And in her semblant show'd great womanhood:

Strange was her tire; for on her head a crown She wore, much like unto a Danisk hood,

Poudred with pearl and stone; and all her

That she them forced hand to join in hand,

Albe that Hatred was thereof full loth, And turn'd his face away as he did stand, Unwilling to behold that lovely band.

Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might, That her commandment he could not withstand,

But bit his lips for felonous despight, And gnasht his iron tusks at that displeasing sight.

Concord she cleeped was in common reed, Mother of blessed Peace, and Friendship true; They both her twins, both born of heavenly seed,

And she herself likewise divinely grew; The which right well her works divine did shew: [lends, For strength, and wealth, and happiness, she And strife, and war, and anger, does subdue:

Of little, much, of foes she maketh friends, And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends.

By her the heaven is in his course contained, And all the world in state unmoved stands,

As their Almighty Maker first ordained, And bound them with inviolable bands; Else would the waters overflow the lands,

And fire devour the aire, and hell them quite, But that she holds them with her blessed hands. She is the nurse of pleasure and delight, And unto Venus grace the gate doth open right. Into the inmost temple thus I came, Which fuming all with frankencense I found, And odours rising from the altars flame: Upon an hundred marble pillers round, The roof up high was reared from the ground, All deckt with crowns, and chains, and girlonds gay,

A thousand precious gifts worth many a pound, The which sad lovers for their vowes did pay;

And all the ground was strew'd with flowers as

fresh as May.

An hundred altars round about were set, All flaming with their sacrifices fire,

That with the steme thereof the temple swet, Which roul'd in cloudes, to heaven did aspire, And in them bore true lovers' vows entire : And eke an hundred brazen cauldrons bright To bathe in joy and amorous desire,

Every which was to a damzell hight; For all the priests were damzells, in soft linnen dight.

§ 109. Wrath.

AFTER that varlet's sight, it was not long Ere on the plaine fast pricking Guion spide, One in bright arms embattailed full strong, That as the sunny beams doe glance and glide

Upon the trembling wave, so shined bright, And round about him threw forth sparkling fire,

His steed was bloody red, and foamed ire, That seemed him to enflame on every side : When with the maist'ring spur he did him roughly stire.

Approaching nigh he never staid to greet, Ne chaffer words, proud courage to provoke, But prickt so fierce, that underneath his feet The smoldring dust did round about him smoke,

;

Both horse and man nigh able for to choke And fairly couching his steel-headed spear, Him first saluted with a sturdy stroke.

And him beside rides fierce revenging Wrath, Upon a lyon, loth for to be led ;

And in his hand a burning brond he hath, The which he brandisheth about his head; His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red,

And stared stern on all that him beheld, As ashes pale of hue, and seeming dead;

And on his dagger still his hand he held, Trembling thro' hasty rage, when choler in him swell'd.

His ruffin raiment all was stain'd in blood Which he had spilt, and all to rage yrent,

Thro' unadvised rashness woxen wood, For of his hands he had no government, Ne car'd for bloud in his avengement;

But when the furious fit was overpast, His cruel facts he often would repent,

Yet, wilful man, he never would forecast, How many mischiefs should ensue his heedless hast!

Full many mischiefs follow cruel Wrath; Abhorred bloudshed, and tumultuous strife, Unmanly murther, and unthrifty scath, Bitter despight, with rancour's rusty knife, And fretting grief, the enemy of life,

And these and many evils more haunt ire, The swelling splene, and phrenzy raging rife, The shaking palsey, and St. Francis' fire, Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly tire.

SPENSER'S FAIRY QUEEN.

$110. Duessa weeping over her Enemy, compared to a Crocodile; and a Description of Night.

As when a weary traveller, that strays By muddy shore of broad seven-mouthed Nile, Unweeting of the perilous wandering ways, Doth meet a cruel crafty crocodile, Which in false grief hiding his harmless guile Doth weep full sore, and sheddeth tender tears: The foolish man, that pities all this while His mournful plight, is swallow'd up unawares, Forgetful of his own, that minds another's

cares.

So wept Duessa until even tide, That shining lamps in Jove's high house were light;

Then forth she rose, ne longer would abide, But comes unto the place where th' heathen knight

In slumb'ring swoon nigh void of vital spright, Lay cover'd with enchanted cloud all day; Whom when she found, as she him left in plight

To wail his woful case, she would not stay, But to the eastern coast of heaven makes speedy way,

Where griesly Night, with visage deadly sad,
That Phoebus' cheerful face durst never view,
And in a foul black pitchy mantle clad,
She finds forth-coming from her darksome

" And all the while she stood upon the ground,
The wakeful dogs did never cease to bay,
As giving warning of th' unusual sound,
With which her iron wheels did them affray,
And her dark griesly look them much dismay.
The messenger of death, the ghastly owl,
With dreary shrieks did also her bewray;
And hungry wolves continually did howl
At her abhorred face, so filthy and so foul.

-On every side them stood
The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood
Chattering their iron teeth, and staring wide
With stony eyes; and all the hellish brood
Of fiends infernal flock'd on every side,
To gaze on earthly wight, that with the Night

durst ride.

§ 111. Description of Lucifer's Palace.

A STATELY palace built of squared brick, Which cunningly was without mortar laid, Whose walls were high, but nothing strong nor thick,

And golden foil all over them display'd;
That purest sky with brightness they dismay'd:
High lifted up were many lofty tow'rs,
And goodly galleries far over-laid,

Full of fair windows, and delightful bow'rs;
And on the top a dial told the timely hours.
It was a goodly heap for to behold,
And spake the praises of the workman's wit;
But full great pity, that so fair a mould
Did on so weak foundation ever sit;
For on a sandy hill, that still did flit
And fall away, it mounted was full high,
That every breath of heaven shaked it;
And all the hinder parts, that few could spy,
Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

§ 112. Lucifera ascending her Coach. SUDDEN upriseth from her stately place The royal dame, and for her coach doth call!

All hurlen forth, and she with princely pace,
As fair Aurora in her purple pall,
Out of the East the dawning day doth call.
So forth she comes: her brightness broad doth
blaze,

The heaps of people thronging in the hall
Do ride each other, upon her to gaze:
Her glorious glittering light doth all men's eyes

amaze.

$114. Description of Diana with her Nymphs, returned from the Chace, and preparing to bathe.

SHORTLY under the wasteful woods she came,
Whereat she found the goddess and her crew,
After late chace of their embrued game
Sitting beside a fountain in a rew,
Some of them washing with the liquid dew
From off their dainty limbs the dusty sweat,
And soil, which did deform their lively hue;
Others lay shaded from the scorching heat;
The rest upon her person gave attendance great.
She having hong upon a bough on high
Her bow and painted quiver, had unfac'd
Her silver buskins from her nimble thigh.
And her lank loins ungirt, and breasts unbrac'd,
After her heat the breathing cold to taste;
Her golden locks that late in tresses bright
Embreeded were for hindering of her haste,
Now loose about her shoulders long undight,
And were with sweet ambrosia all besprinkled
light.

Soon as she Venus saw behind her back,
She was asham'd to be so loose surpris'd;
And wox half wroth against her damsels slack,
That had not her thereof before advis'd,
But suffer'd her so carelessly disguis'd
Be overtaken. Soon her garments loosen
Upgathering in her bosom she compris'd,