Thence to the hall, which was on every side
With rich array and costly arras3 dight.
Infinite sortes of people did abide

There waiting long, to win the wished sight
Of her, that was the Lady of that Pallace bright.

By them they passe, all gazing on them round,
And to the Presence mount; whose glorious vew
Their frayle amazed senses did confound.
In living Princes court none ever knew

Such endlesse richesse, and so sumpteous shew;
Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride,
Like ever saw. And there a noble crew

Of Lords and Ladies stood on every side,

Which with their presence fayre the place much beautifide.

High above all a cloth of State was spred,
And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day;
On which there sate, most brave embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,

4

A mayden Queene that shone as Titans ray,
In glistring gold and perelesse pretious stone;
Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay

To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,
As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone :

Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fayrest childe,
That did presume his fathers fyrie wayne,
And flaming mouthes of steedes, unwonted wilde,
Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne:
Proud of such glory and advancement vayne,
While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,
He leaves the welkin 6 way most beaten playne,
And, rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen 7
With fire not made to burne, but fayrely for to shyne.

8

So proud she shyned in her princely state,
Looking to heaven, for earth she did disdayne;
And sitting high, for lowly she did hate :
Lo! underneath her scornefull feete was layne
A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne;
And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,
Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,
And in her selfe-lov'd semblance took delight;
For she was wondrous faire as any living wight.

Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,

9

And sad Proserpina, the Queene of hell;

Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas
That parentage, with pride so did she swell; 10
And thundring Jove, that high in heaven doth dwell
And wield the world, she claymed for her syre,
Or if that any else did Jove excell;

For to the highest she did still aspyre;

Or, if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

And proud Lucifera men did her call,

That made her selfe a Queene, and crownd to be;
Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all,
Ne heritage of native soveraintie;

But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie
Upon the scepter which she now did hold:
Ne ruld her Realme with lawes, but pollicie,
And strong advizement of six wisards11 old,
That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.

*

Suddein upriseth from her stately place

The roiall Dame, and for her coche doth call:
All hurtlen forth; and she, with princely pace,
As faire Aurora 12 in her purple pall

Out of the East the dawning day doth call.

So forth she comes; her brightnes brode doth blaze. The heapes of people, thronging in the hall,

Doe ride each other upon her to gaze:

Her glorious glitterand 13 light doth all mens eies amaze.

So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme,
Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay,

That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime;
And strove to match, in roiall rich array,
Great Junoes golden chayre; the which, they say,
The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride
To Joves high hous through heavens bras-paved way,
Drawne of fayre Pecocks, that excell in pride,
And full of Argus eyes their tayles dispredden wide.

But this was drawne of six unequall beasts,
On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde,
Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,
With like conditions to their kindes applyde:
Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,
Was sluggish Idlenesse, the nourse of sin;
Upon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde,
Arayd in habit blacke, and amis 14 thin;
Like to an holy Monck, the service to begin.

And in his hand his Portesse 15 still he bare,
That much was worne, but therein little redd:
For of devotion he had little care,

Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his daies dedd:
Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hedd,
To looken whether it were night or day.
May seeme the wayne was very evill ledd,
When such an one had guiding of the way,
That knew not whether right he went, or else astray.

17

From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,16
And greatly shunned manly exercise;
From everie worke he chalenged essoyne,1
For contemplation sake: yet otherwise
His life he led in lawlesse riotise :
By which he grew to grievous malady;
For in his lustlesse limbs, through evill guise,
A shaking fever raignd continually.

Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.

And greedy Avarice by him did ride,

Uppon a Camell loaden all with gold:
Two iron coffers hong on either side,
With precious metall full as they might hold;
And in his lap an heape of coine he told;
For of his wicked pelfe his God he made,
And unto hell him selfe for money sold:
Accursed usury was all his trade,

And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.

His life was nigh unto deaths dore yplaste;

And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes, hee ware;
Ne scarse good morsell all his life did taste,
But both from backe and belly still did spare,
To fill his bags, and richesse to compare :
Yet childe ne kinsman living had he none
To leave them to; but thorough daily care
To get, and nightly feare to lose his owne,
He led a wretched life, unto himselfe unknowne.

Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise;
Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store;
Whose need had end, but no end covetise;
Whose welth was want, whose plenty made him pore;
Who had enough, yett wished ever more;

1

A vile disease: and eke in foote and hand
A grievous gout tormented him full sore,
That well he could not touch, nor goe, nor stand.
Such one was Avarice, the forth of this faire band.

And next to him malicious Envy rode

Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw Between his cankred teeth a venemous tode, That all the poison ran about his chaw; But inwardly he chawed his owne maw At neibors welth, that made him ever sad, For death it was, when any good he saw; And wept, that cause of weeping none he had; But when he heard of harme, he wexed wondrous glad.

All in a kirtle of discolourd say1 18

He clothed was, ypaynted 19 full of eies;
And in his bosome secretly there lay
An hatefull Snake, the which his tail uptyes
In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.
Still as he rode he gnasht his teeth to see
Those heapes of gold with griple Covetyse;
And grudged at the great felicitee
Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companee.

He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds,
And him no lesse, that any like did use;
And who with gratious bread the hungry feeds,
His almes for want of faith he doth accuse.
So every good to bad he doth abuse;
And eke the verse of famous Poets witt
He does backebite, and spightfull poison spues
From leprous mouth on all that ever writt.
Such one vile Envy was, that fifte in row did sitt.