Or that fame dainty lad, which was fo deare To great Alcides, that when as he did hide, He wailed woman-like with many a teare, And every wood and every valley wide

$132. Fire.

Hylas cride.

A $ when a fhip that flies fair under faile,

And hidden rock efcaped hath unawares,
That lay in wait her wrack for to bewaile,
The mariner yet half amazed ftares
At peril paft, and yet it doubt ne dares
To joy at his fool-happy over fight.
Another.

As a tall fhip toffed in troublous feas,
Whome raging winds, threating to make the prey
Of the rough rocks, do diverfly disease,
Meets two contrary billows by the way,
That her on either fide do fore affay,

And boaft to fwallow her in greedy grave; She, fcorning both their fpights, does make wide

way,

And with her breast breaking the foamy wave, Does ride on both their backs, and faire her felf

doth fave.

At laft breakes forth with furious unreft,
And ftrives to mount unto his native feat;
All that earft it hinder and moleft,

It now devours with flames and scorching heat, And carries into smoake with rage and horror great.

THE antique world, in his fi.it flowing youth,
§ 133. First Age.
Found no defect in his Creator's grace;
But with glad thanks, and unreproved truth,
The gifts of foveraigne bounty did embrace:
Like angels life was then man's happy cafe;

Abus'd her plenty, and fat fwoln encrcafe,
But later ages pride (like corn-fed steed)
To all licentious luft, and gan exceed

The measure of her meane, and natural first need.
Then gan a curfed hand the quiet wombe
Of his great grandmother with steele to wound,
And the hid treasures in her facred tombe
With facrilege to dig. Therein he found
Fountaines of gold and filver to abound,

Of which the matter of his huge defire And pompous pride eftfoones he did compound, Then avarice gan through his veines to infpire His greedy flames, and kendle life-devouring fire.

With sturdy fteps came talking in his fight, An hideous giant horrible and hie,

loft.

That with his talnefs feem'd to threat the fky; The ground eke groned under him for dreed; His living like faw never living eye,

A

Ne durft behold; his ftature did exceed
The height of three the talleft fons of mortalfeed.

§ 137. Gluttony.

ND by his fide rode loathfome Gluttony, Deformed creature, on a filthy fwine, His belly was up-blown with luxury, And eke with fatnefs fwollen were his eyne: And like a crane his neck was long and fine,

With which he fwallowed up exceffive feast, For want whereof poor people oft did pine;

And all the way, moft like a brutish beast, He fpewed up his gorge, that all did him deteaft. In green vine leaves he was right fitly clad, For other clothes he could not wear for heat,

And on his head an ivy girlond had,

And fouce fo fore, that they the heavens affray. The wife fouthfayer feeing fo fad a fight, The amazed vulgar tells of warres and mortal fight.

§ 141.

Grove.

INTO that forrest farre they thence him led,
Where was their dwelling, in a pleafant glade
With mountains round about environed,
And mighty woods, which did the valley fhade,
And like a ftately theatre it made,

Spreading it felf into a spatious plaine,

And in the midft a little river plaid

Emongst the pumyftones, which feem'd to plaine With gentle murmur that his courfe they did reftraine.

Enforc't to feek fome covert nigh at hand, A fhady grove not farre away they fpide, That promis't ayde the tempeft to withstand:

Still as he rode he fomewhat did eat,

And in his hand did bear a bouzing cann, On which he fupt fo oft, that on his feat

His drunken corfe he scarce upholden can, In fhape and life more like a monster than a man. Unfit he was før any worldly thing, And eke unable once to stirre or go;

Not meet to be a councel to a king, Whoes minde in meat and drink was drowned fo; Full of difcafe was his carcaile blue,

And a dry d opfy thro' his flesh did flow, Which by mifdiet daily greater grew : Such one was Gluttony, the fecond of that crew.

Did fpread fo broad that heaven's light did hide,
Not perceable with power of any starre :
And all within were paths and alleies wide,
With footing worne, and leading inward farre:
Faire harboure, that them feemes; fo in they
entred are.

142. Harmony. EFTSOONES they heard a most melodious

found,

Of all that mote delight a dainty care,

Such as at once might not on living ground, Save in this paradise, be heard elsewhere: Right hard it was for wight that did it heare,

To read what manner mufick that mote be: For all that pleafing is to living eare,

Was there conforted in one harmonie,
Birds, voices, inftruments, windes, waters, all
agree.

The joyous birds, fhrouded in cheatful shade, Their notes unto the voyce attempred sweet;

The angel call foft treambling voyces made To the inftruments divine respondence meet: The filver founding inftruments did meet

With the bafe murmure of the waters fall:

The waters fall, with difference discreet,

Now foft, now loud, unto the wind did call;
The gentle warbling wind lowe answering to all.

144. Hermitage.

A Little lowly hermitage it was,

Down in a dale hard by a foreft side,
Farre from 1efort of people that did pafs
In travell to and fro: a little wide
There was an holy chappell edified,
Wherein the hermit duly went to say

His holy things each morn and even tide: Thereby a crystal streame did gently play, Which from a facred fountain welled forth away.

He thence led me into this hermitage, Letting his feeds to graze upon the green:

Smail was his houfe, and like a little cage, For his own turne, yet inly neat and clean, Deckt with green boughes, and flowers gay be feene;

Therein he them full faire did entertaine, Not with fuch forged fhowes, as fitter beene

For courting fools that courtifies would faine, But with entire affe&ion, and appearance plaine.

§ 145. Hippolytus.

HIPPOLYTUS a jolly huntfman was,

That wont in charot chase the foaming boar; He all his peers in beauty did furpafs, But lady's love, as lofs of time, forbore; His wanton ftepdame loved him the more,

But when the faw her offer'd fweet refufed,
Her love the turn'd to hate, and him before
His father fierce, of treafon falfe accufed,
Andwith her jealous termes lis open ears abufed.
Who all in rage his fea-god fire besought
Some curfed vengeance on his fon to caft;
From furging gulph two monsters straight were
brought,

With dread whereof his chafing fteeds aghaft
Both charot fwift and huntsman overcaft;

His goodly corps on ragged clifts yrent Was quite difmembred, and his members chaft Scattred on every mountaine, as he went, That of Hippolytus was left no monument.

$146. Honour.

WHOSO in pompe of proud eftate (quoth fhe)
Does fwim, and bathes himself in courtly blifs,
Dees waft his daies in darke obfcurity,
And in oblivion ever buried is:
Where cafe abounds, it's cafie to doe amifs;

But who his limbs with labours, and his mind Behaves with cares, cannot fo eafie mifs,

Abroad in arms, at home in ftudious kind,

To Pleafure's palace; it may foon be fpide, And day and night her dores to all stand open wide.

§ 147. Hope.

WITH him went Hope in rank, a handsome mayd,

Of chearful look, and lovely to behold;
And her faire locks were woven up in gold;
In filken famile fhe was light arraid,
She always fmil'd, and in her hande did hold
An holy water fprinkle dipt in deawe,
In which the fprinkled favours many fold,
On whome the lift, and did great liking thewe;
Great liking unto many, but true love to fewe.
Another.

Her youngest fifter, that Speranza hight,
Was clad in blew, that her befeemed well,
Not all fo chearful feemed the of fight,
As was her fifter; whether dread did dwell,
Or anguish in her heart, is hard to tell :
Upon her arme a filver anchor lay,
Whereon the leaned ever, as befell:

And ever up to Heaven as the did pray,
Her Redfaft eyes were bent,ne fwarved otherway.

§ 148. Hydra.

OR like the hell-borne Hydra, which they faine,
That great Alcides whylome over-threw,
After that he had labour'd long in vaine,
То сгор
his thoufand heads, the which still new
Forth budded, and in greater numbers grew.
Another.

Such own it was, as that renowned fnake
Which great Alcides in Stremona flew,

Long fofter'd in the filth of Lerna lake, Whofe many heads out-budding ever new, Did breed him endless labour to fubdue.

$149. Hypocrite.

AT length they chanc't to meet upon the way
An aged fire, in long black weeds yclad,
His feet all bare, his beard all hoarie graie,
And by his belt his book he hanging had;
Sober he feem'd, and very fagely fad,

And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,
Simple in fhewe, and void of malice bad,
And all the way he prayed as he went, [pent.
And often knockt his breaft, as one that did re-

$150. Idleness.

fooneft find.

In woods, in waves, in warres fae wants to dwell,
And will be found with perill and with prine;
Ne can the man that moulds in idle cell,
Unto her happy manfion attaine:

Before her gate high God did fweat ordaine,
And wakeful watches ever to abide :
But cafic is the way, and paffage plaine

Was fluggish Idlenefs, the nurse of fin;
Upon a flothful afs he chose to ride,
Arraid in habit black, and amis thin,
Like an holy monk the fervis to begin.

And in his hand a porteffe ftill he bare, That much was worne, but therein little red; For of devotion he had little care,

Still drown'd in fleep, and most of his days dead, Scarce

Scarce could he once uphold his heavy head
To looken whether it were night or day.
May feem the waine was very evil led,

When fuch an one had guiding of the way, That knew not whether right he went, or elfe aftray.

From worldly cares himself he did efloine, And greatly fhunned manly exercise:

For every work he challenged effoine, For contemplation fake: yet otherwife, His life he led in lawless riotife;

By which he grew to grievious maladie; For in his luftlefs limbs through evil guife A thaking feaver raign'd continually: Such one was Idlenefs, firft of this company.

§ 151. Ignorance.

came

An old man, with beard as white as fnow,

That on a staffe his feeble fteps did frame, And guide his weary steps both to and fro; For his eye-fight him failed long ago:

And on his arme a bunch of keys he bore, The which, unused, ruft did over-growe:

Thofe were the keys of every inward dore; But he could not them ufe, but kept them ftill in ftore.

But very uncouth fight was to behold How he did fashion his untoward pace:

For as he forward mov'd his footing old, So backward ftill was turn'd his wrinkled face; Unlike to men, who ever as they trace,

Both feet and face one way are wont to lead; This was the ancient keeper of that place, And fofter-father of the giant dead,

His name Ignaro did his nature right aread.

§ 152. Inconftancy. FOR thofe fame islands, fecing now and then,

Are not firme land, or any certein wonne, But ftraggling plots; which to and fro do ronne In the wide waters: therefore are they hight The Wandring Ilands: therefore do them fhonne;

For they have oft drawn many a wandring wight

Into moft deadly danger and diftreffed plight.
Yet well they feem to him, that farre doth view,
Both faire and fruitful, and the ground difpred
With graffic green of delectable hew,
And the tall trees with leaves urrarelled,
Are deckt with bloffoms dyed in white and red,
That mote the paffengers thereto allure;
But whofoever once hath fastened

His foot thercon, may never it recure,
But wandreth evermore uncertain and unfure.

When fairer faces were bid ftanden by:

O! who does know the bent of woman's

fantafie ?

In a green gowne he clothed was full faire,
Which underneath did hide his filthinefs,

And in his hand a burning heart did bare,
Full of vaine follics, and new fanglenefs:
For he was falfe, and fraught with ficklenefs,

And learned had to love with fecrett lookes, And well could dance and fing with ruefulness, And fortunes teli, and read in loveing books, And thousand other waics, to bait his fleshly hooks.

Inconftant man, that loved all he faw, And lufted after all that he did love,

Ne would his loofer life be tied to law, But joy'd weak women's hearts to tempt and prove, If from their loyal loves he might them move; Which lewdnefsfill'd himwith reproachful paine Of that foul evil which all men reprove,

That rots the marrow and confumes the braine: Such one was Lechery, the third of all this traine.

§ 155. Life.

Why doe wretched men fo much defire
To draw their days unto the utmost date,
And doe not rather with them foon expire,
Knowing the milery of their ettate,
And thoufand perils which them still awaite,

Toffing themfelves like a boat amid the maine That every hour they knock at deathes gate? And he that happy feemes, and leaft in paine, Yet is as nigh his end, as he that most doth plaine.

The whiles fome one did chaunt this lovely lay: Ah fee, who fo faire thing doft faine to fee,

In springing flowre the image of thy day; All fee thy virgin rofe, how fweetly fhee Doth firft peep forth with bathful modeftie, That fairer feems, the lefs you fee her may; Lo, fee foon after, how more bold and free Her bared bofom fhe doth broad difplay; Lo, fee foon after, how fhe fades and falls away.

§ 157. Love.

O Sacred fire that burneft mightily

In living brefts, ykindled first above, Emongst th' eternal fpheres and lamping fky, And thence pour'd into men, which men call love;

Not that fame which doth bafe affections move In brutish mindes, and filthy luft inflame; But that fweet fit, that does true beauty love, And chofeth vertue for his dearest dame, Whence fpring all noble deeds, and neverdying fame.

Well did antiquitie a god thee deeme,
That ever mortal minds has fo gicat might,

To order them as beft to thee doth feeme,
And all their actions to direct aright;
The fatal purpose of divine forefight

Thou doft effect in deftined defcents,
Through deep impreffion of thy secret might;
And stirredit up the heroes high intents,
Which the late world admires for wondrous

monuments.

Wondrous it is to fee in diverfe mindes, How diverfly Love doth his pageants play, And fhews his power in variable kinds: The bafer wit, whocs idle thoughts alway, Are wont to cleave unto the lowly clay,

It firreth up to feafual defire, And in lewd floth to waft its careless day; But in brave fprite it kindles goodly fire, That to all high defert and honour doth afpire. Ne fuffereth uncomely idleness

In his free thought to build her fluggish neft; Ne fuffereth it thought of ungentleness,

$160. Mediocrity.

F fecond fifter, who did far excel

The other two; Medina was her name, A fober, fad, and comely courteous dame; Who rich array'd, and yet in modeft guize, In goodly garments, that her well became. Faire marching forth in honourable wife, Him at the threshold met, and well did enterprize.

She led him up into a goodly bowre, And comely courted with meet modestie, Ne in her fpeech, ne in her haviour, Was lightnefs feene, or loofer vanitie, But gratious womanhood, and gravitie,

Above the reafon of her youthful years: Her golden locks the roundly did uptic In brayded trammells, that no loofer hares Did out of order ftray about her dainty cares, Betwixt them both the fair Medina fate, With fober grace, and goodly cariage :

With equall meafure the doth moderate The ftrong extremities of their outrage; That forward pair fhe eye would at wage,

When they would ftrive due reason to exceed; But that fame froward twaine would accourage, And of her plenty adde unto their need: So kept the them in order, and her felf in heed,