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. LIKE as a fire, the which in hollow cave He fill'd with Hylas' name, the nymphes eke And grudge in fo ftreight prifon to be preft, Hylas cride. A $ when a fhip that flies fair under faile, And hidden rock efcaped hath unawares, As a tall fhip toffed in troublous feas, 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, 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, Abus'd her plenty, and fat fwoln encrcafe, The measure of her meane, and natural first need. 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 § 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, 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: From under which faft trickled down the fweat: Whoes lofty trees yclad with fummer's pride, 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, 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, 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; 144. Hermitage. A Little lowly hermitage it was, Down in a dale hard by a foreft side, 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, With dread whereof his chafing fteeds aghaft 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) 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; Her youngest fifter, that Speranza hight, And ever up to Heaven as the did pray, § 148. Hydra. OR like the hell-borne Hydra, which they faine, Such own it was, as that renowned fnake 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 And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent, $150. Idleness. Who feekes with painefull toile, fhall honour OF which the firft, that all the reft did guide, fooneft find. In woods, in waves, in warres fae wants to dwell, Before her gate high God did fweat ordaine, Was fluggish Idlenefs, the nurse of fin; 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 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. $154. Lechery. AT laft, with creeping crooked pace, forth Yet he of ladys oft was loved dear, 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. His foot thercon, may never it recure, 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, And in his hand a burning heart did bare, 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 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, To order them as beft to thee doth feeme, Thou doft effect in deftined defcents, 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, |