enes.

Disburdened her. Their way they forward take,

Nor cared she her course for to apply:

It was a chosen plot of fertile land,
For it was taught the way, which she would have, Amongst wide waves set like a little nest;
And both from rocks and flats itself could wisely As if it had by Nature's cunning hand,

(save: Been choicely picked out from all the rest,
helin
And all the way, the wanton damsel found

And laid forth for ensample of the best :
New mirth, her passenger to entertain :

No dainty flower or herb that grows on ground,
For, she in pleasant purpose did abound,

No arboret with painted blossoms drest,
And greatly joyed merry tales to feign,

And smelling sweet, but there it might be found
Of which a storehouse did with her remain :

To bud out fair, and her sweet smells throw all
Yet seemed, nothing well they her became ;

(around. For, all her words she drown’d with laughter vain, No tree, whose branches did not bravely spring; And wanted grace in utt'ring of the same,

No branch, whereon a fine bird did not sit ;
That turned all her pleasance to a scoffing game. No bird, but did her shrill notes sweetly sing;

No song, but did contain a lovely dit:
And other whiles vain lays she would devise,

Trees, branches, birds, and songs, were framed fit
As her fantastic wit did most delight.

For to allure frail mind to careless ease;
TH.
Sometimes her head she fondly would aguise

Careless the man soon wax, and his weak wit
With gaudy garlands, or fresh flowrets dight

Was overcome of thing that did him please ;
About her neck, or rings of rushes plight;

So pleased, did his wrathful purpose fair appease.
Sometimes to do him laugh, she would essay
To laugh at shaking of the leaves light,

Thus when she had his eyes and senses fed
Or to behold the water work, and play

With false delights, and fill’d with pleasures vain,
About her little frigate therein making way. Into a shady dale she soft him led,

And laid him down upon a grassy plain ;
Her light behaviour, and loose dalliance,

And her sweet self, without dread or disdain,
Gave wondrous great contentment to the knight,

She set beside, laying his head disarın'd
That of his way he had no souvenance,

In her loose lap, it softly to sustain,
Nor care of vow'd revenge, and cruel fight, Where soon he slumber'd, fearing not be harm’d,

But to weak wench did yield his martial might. The while with a loud lay she thus him sweetly id, So easy was to quench his flamed mind

(charm’d. With one sweet drop of sensual delight:

“ Behold! O man, that toilsome pains dost take, easy is t' appease the stormy wind

The flowers, the fields, and all that pleasant grows, Of malice in the calm of pleasant womankind. How they themselves do thine ensample make, Divers discourses in their way they spent;

While nothing envious Nature them forth throws ,

Out of her fruitful lap; how, no man knows,
Mongst which Cymochles of her questioned,
Both what she was, and what that usage meant,

They spring, they bud, they blossom fresh and fair,

And deck the world with their rich pompous shows;
Which in her cot she daily practised.

Yet no man for them taheth pains or care,
Vain man, said she, that would'st be reckoned

Yet no man to them can his careful pains compare.
A stranger in thy home, and ignorant
reathe
Of Phedria (for so my name is read)

“ The lily, lady of the flowering field,
Of Phedria, thine own fellow servant;

The flower de luce her lovely paramour,
For thou to serve Acrasia thyself dost vaunt. Bid thee to them thy fruitless labours yield,

And soon leave off this toilsome weary stour;
In this wide inland sea, that hight by name

Lo, lo, how brave she decks her bounteous bower,
The Idle Lake, my wandring ship I rove,

With silken curtains and gold coverlets,
That knows her port, and thither sails by aim,

Therein to shroud her sumptuous belamour,
Nor
· fear I, how the wind do blow,

Yet neither spins nor cards, nor cares nor frets,
Or whether swift I wend, or whether slow :

But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
Both slow and swift alike do serve my turn,
Nor swelling Neptune, nor lond thund'ring Jove,

Why then dost thou, O man, that of them all
Can change my cheer, or make me ever mourn;

Art lord, and eke of nature sovereign,
My little boat can safely pass this perilous bourne.

Wilfully make thyself a wretched thrall,
While thus she talked, and while thus she toy'd,

And waste thy joyous hours in needless pain,

Seeking for danger and adventures vain ?
They were far past the passage which he spake,

What boots it all to have, and nothing use?
And came unto an island waste and void,
That floated in the midst of that great lake:

Who shall him rue, that swimming in the main,

Will die for thirst, and water doth refuse ?
There her smart gondola her port did make,

Refuse such fruitless toil, and present pleasures
And that gay pair issuing on the shore

[chuse.”

By this, she had him lulled fast asleep, Into the land that lay them fair before, i

[store. That of no worldly thing he care did take; Whose pleasanceshe him shew'd, and plentiful great

Then she with liquors strong his eyes did steep,

So

ent

care,

nor

ighway like food

much to

66

That nothing should him hastily awake :

Riches, renown, and principality, So she him left, and did herself betake

Honour, estate, and all this worldes good,

For which men swink and sweat incessantly,
Unto her boat again, with which she cleft

From me do flow into an ample flood,
The slothful waves of that great grisly lake:
Soon she that island far behind her left, [west. And in the hollow earth have their eternal brood.
And now is come to that same place where first she

Wherefore if me thou deign to serve and sue,

At thy command lo all these mountains be;
THE CAVE OF MAMMON.

Or if to thy great mind, or greedy view,
At last, he came unto a gloomy glade,

All these may not suffice, there shall to thee Cover'd with boughs and shrubs from heaven's light, Ten times so much be numbered frank and free." Whereas he sitting found, in secret shade,

** Mammon" (said he) “thy godhead's vaunt is vain, An uncouth, savage, and uncivil wight,

And idle offers of thy golden fee;
Of grizly hue, and foul ill-favour'd sight;[blear'd, To them that covet such eye-glutting gain,
His face with smoke was tann'd, and eyes were Proffer thy gifts, and fitter servants entertain.
His head and beard with soot were ill bedight,
His coal-black hands did seem to have been sear’d “ Me ill befits, that in dear-doing arms,
In smith's fire-spitting forge, and nails like claws And honour's suit my vowed days do spend,

(appear'd. Unto thy bounteous baits, and pleasing charms, His iron coat all overgrown with rust,

With which weak men thou witchest, to attend: Was underneath enveloped with gold,

Regard of worldly muck doth foully blend Whose glittering gloss darkned with filthy dust, And low abase the high heroic spright, Well it appeared to have been of old

That joys for crowns and kingdoms to contend; A work of rich entail, and curious mould,

Fair shields, gay steeds, bright arms, be my delight:
Woven with anticks and wild imagery:

Those be the riches fit for an advent'rous knight."
And in his lap a mass of coin he told,
And turned upside down, to feed his eye

Vain-glorious elf” (said he) * dost not thou weet,
And covetous desire with his huge treasury. That money can thy wants at will supply? (meet,

Shields, steeds, and arms, and all things for thee
And round about him lay on every side

It can purvey in twinkling of an eye ;
Great heaps of gold that never could be spent; And crowns and kingdoms to thee multiply.
Of which some were rude ore, not purified

Do not I kings create, and throw the crown
Of Mulciber's devouring element;

Sometimes to him, that low in dust doth lie? Some others were new riven, and distent

And him that reign’d, into his room thrust down,
Into great ingots, and to wedges square;

And whom I list, do heap with glory aud renown."
Some in round plates withouten moniment;
But most were stamped, and in their metal bare “All otherwise" (said he) “ I riches read,
The antique shapes of kings and kesars strange and And deem them root of all disquietness;

[rare.
Soon as he Guyon saw, in great affright
And haste he rose, for to remove aside

The antique world, in his first flow'ring youth,
Those precious hills from stranger's envious sight, Found no defect in his Creator's grace ;
And down them poured through an hole full wide, But with glad thanks, and unreproved truth,
Into the hollow earth, them there to hide.

The gists of sovereign bounty did embrace:
But Guyon lightly to him leaping, staid

Like angels' life was then men's happy case;
His hand, that trembled, as one terrified;

But later ages' pride (like corn-fed steed)
And, though himself were at the sight dismay'd, Abus'd her plenty, and fat swoln increase
Yet him perforce restrain'd, and to him doubtful To all licentious lust, and gan exceed
“ What art thou, man, (if man at all thou art)

[said. The measure of her means, and natural first need. That here in desart hast thy habitance,

“ Then gan a cursed hand the quiet womb And these rich heaps of wealth dost hide apart From the world's eye, and from her right usance?"

Of his great grandmother with steel to wound,

And the hid treasures in her sacred tomb,
Thereat, with staring eyes fixed askance,
In great disdain, he answer'd ; “Hardy elf,

With sacrilege to dig. Therein he found

Fountains of gold and silver to abound,
That darest view my direful countenance,

Of which the matter of his huge desire
I read thee rash, and heedless of thyself,
To trouble my still seat, and heaps of precious pelf.

And pompous pride eftsoons he did compound;

Then avarice gan through his veins inspire “ God of the world and worldlings I me call,

His greedy flames, and kindled life-devouring fire.”
Great Mammon, greatest God below the sky, « Son” (said he then)“ let be thy bitter scorn,
That of my plenty pour out unto all,
And unto none my graces do envy:

And leave the rudeness of that antique age
To them, that livid therein in state forlorn;

9

ead:

nd;

ight"

or the

109.

ed.

re.

Though all the wealth, which is, or was of yöre, No gate, but like one, being goodly dight
Could gathered be through all the world around, With bouglis and branches, which did broad dilate
And that above were added to that under ground. Their clasping arms, in wanton wreathings intricate.

SPENSER

Abash'd, that her a stranger did avise:
And in the midst of all, a fountain stood,
of richest substance that on earth might be, But th' other rather higher did arise,

And her two lily paps aloft display'd,
So pure and shiny, that the silver flood
Through every channel running one might see; And all that might his melting heart entice
Most goodly it with pure imagery

To her delights, she unto him betray'd:

The rest hid underneath, him more desirous made.
Was overwrought, and shapes of naked boys,
Of which some seem'd with lively jollity

With that, the other likewise up arose,
To Ay about, playing their wanton toys,
While others did themselves embathe in liquid joys.

And her fair locks, which formerly were bound

Up in one knot, she low adown did loose:
And over all, of purest gold, was spread

Which, flowing long and thick, her cloth'd around
A trail of ivy in his native hue:

And th' ivory in golden mantle gown'd:
For, the rich metal was so coloured,

So that fair spectacle from him was reft,
That wight, who did not well advis'd it view, Yet that which reft it, no less fair was found :
Would surely deem it to be ivy true:

So hid in locks and waves from lookers' theft,
Low his lascivious arms adown did creep,

Nought but her lovely face she for his looking left.
That themselves dipping in the silver dew,
Their fleecy flowers they tenderly did steep, [weep.

Withal she laughed, and she blush'd withal,
Which drops of chrystal seem'd for wantonness to

That blushing to her laughter gave more grace,

And laughter to her blushing, as did fall:
Infinite streams continually did well

Now when they spied the knight to slack his pace,
Out of this fountain, sweet and fair to see,

Them to behold, and in his sparkling face
The which into an ample laver fell,

The secret signs of kindled Just appear,
And shortly grew to so great quantity,

Their wanton merriments they did increase,
That like a little lake it seem'd to be;

Aud to him beckoned, to approach more near, (rear.
Whose depth exceeded not three cubits height, And shew'd him many sights that courage cold could
That through the waves one might the bottom see,
All pav'd beneath with jasper shining bright,

On which when gazing him the Palmer saw,
That seem'd the fountain in that sea did sail upright.

He much rebuked hose wandering eyes of his,

And, counsel'd well, him forward thence did draw. And all the margin round about was set,

Now are they come nigh to the Bower of Bliss,
With shady laurel trees, thence to defend

Of her fond favourites so nam'd amiss:
The synny beams, which on the billows bet,

When thus the Palmer; " Now, Sir, well avise ;
And those which therein bathed, might offend. For, here the end of all our travel is :
As Guyon happened by the same to wend,

Here wonnes Acrasia, whom we must surprise,
Two naked damsels he therein espied,

Else she will slip away, and all our drift despise.”
Which therein bathing, seemed to contend,
And wrestle wantonly, nor cared to hide [eyed.

Eftsoons they heard a most melodious sound
Their dainty parts from view of any which them

Of all that might delight a dainty ear,

Such as at once might not on living ground,
Sometimes the one would lift the other quite Save in this paradise, be heard elsewhere:
Above the waters, and then down again

Right hard it was for wight which did it hear,
Her plunge, as over mastered by might,

To read what manner music that might be:
Where both awhile would covered remain,

For, all that pleasing is to living ear,
And each the other from to rise restrain;

Was there consorted in one harmony,
The while their snowy limbs, as through a veil, Birds, voices, instruments, winds, waters, all agree.
So through the chrystal waves appeared plain ;
Then suddenly both would themselves unhele, The joyous birds, shrouded in chearful shade,
And th' amorous sweet spoils to greedy eyes reveal.

Their notes unto the voice attempered sweet;

Th' angelical soft trembling voices made
As that fair star, the messenger of morn,

To th' instruments divine respondence meet:
His dewy face out of the sea doth rear:

The silver sounding instruments did meet
Ot, as the Cyprian goddess, newly born

With the base murmurs of the water's fall:
Of th' ocean's fruitful froth, did first appear:

The water's fall with difference discreet,
Such seemed they, and so their yellow hair

Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call:
Chrystalline humour dropped down apace.

The gentle warbling wind low answered to all.
Whom such when Guyon saw, he drew him near,

There, whence that music seemed heard to be,
And somewhat gan relent his earnest pace ;

Was the fair Witch, herself now solacing
His stubborn breast gan secret pleasance to embrace.

With a new lover, whom through sorcery
The wanton maidens him espying, stood

And witchcraft, she from far did thither bring;

There she had him now laid aslumbering,
Cazing awhile at his unwonted guise;

In secret shade, afier long wanton joys:
Then th' one herself low ducked in the food,