Guyon
throughby Palmers gouernauncegovernaunce,
through
paſsingthrough
passingpaſ⁀ſing throughpassing through perilles great,
Doth ouerthrowoverthrow the Bowre of blis,
and Acrasy defeat.
[1]
NOow
ginnes this goodly frame of Temperaunce
Fayrely to rise, and her adorned hed
To pricke of highest prayse forth to aduaunceadvaunce,
Formerly grounded, and
fast setteled
On firme foundation of true bountyhed;
And this brauebrave knight, that for this vertue fightes,
Now comes to point of
that same perilous sted,
Where Pleasure dwelles in sensuall
delights,
Mongst thousand dãgersdangers, &and ten thousãdthousand Magick mights.
[2]
Two
dayes now in that sea he sayled has,
Ne euerever land beheld, ne liuingliving wight,
Ne ought sauesave perill, still as he did pas:
Tho when appeared the
third Morrow bright,
VponUpon the waueswaves to spred her trembling light,
An hideous roring far away they heard,
That all their sences filled with affright,
And streight they saw the raging surges reard
VpUp to the skyes, that them of drowning made affeard.
[3]
Said then the Boteman, Palmer stere
aright,
And keepe an eueneven course; for yonder way
We needes must pas (God doe vsus well acquight,)acquight),
That is the Gulfe of Greedinesse, they say,
That deepe engorgeth all this worldes pray:
Which hauinghaving swallowd vpup
excessiuelyexcessively,
He soone in vomit vpup againe doth lay,
And belcheth forth his superfluity,
That all the seas for feare did seeme away to
fly.
[4]
On thother syde an hideous Rock is
pight,
Of mightie Magnes stone,
whose craggie clift
Depending from on high,
dreadfull to sight,
OuerOver the waueswaves his rugged armes doth lift,
And threatneth downe to throw his ragged rift,
On whoso cometh nigh; yet nigh it drawes
All passengers, that none from it can shift:
For whiles they fly that Gulfes deuouringdevouring
iawesjawes,
They on this Rock are rent, and sunck in
helples wawes.
[5]
Forward they passe, and strongly he them
rowes,
VntillUntill they nigh vntounto that Gulfe arryuearryve,
Where streame more violent and greedy growes:
Then he with all his puisaunce doth stryuestryve
To strike his oares, and mightily doth dryuedryvedryue,dryve,
The hollow vessell through the threatfull wauewave,
Which gaping wide, to
swallow them alyuealyve,
In th’huge abysse of his engulfing grauegrave,
Doth rore at them in vaine, and with great
terrour rauerave.
[6]
They passing by, that grisely mouth did
see,
Sucking the seas into his entralles deepe,
That seemd more horrible 3. then: thanthenthan hell to bee,
Or that darke dreadfull hole of Tartare steepe,
Through which the damned ghosts doen often creep
Backe to the world, bad liuerslivers to torment:
But nought that falles into this direfull deepe,
Ne that approcheth nigh the wyde descent,
May backe retourne, but is condemned to be
drent.
[7] On thother side, they saw that
perilous Rocke,
Threatning it selfe on them to ruinate,
On whose sharp cliftes the ribs of vessels broke,
And shiueredshivered ships, which had beene wrecked late,
Yet stuck, with carcases exanimate
Of such, as hauinghaving all their substance spent
In wanton ioyesjoyes, and lustes intemperate,
Did afterwardes make shipwrack
violent,
Both of their life, and fame
for euerever fowly blent.
[8]
For thy this hight The Rock of vile Reproch,
A daungerous and detestable place,
To which nor fish nor fowle did once approch,
But yelling Meawes, with
Seagulles hoars and bace,
And Cormoyraunts, with
birds of rauenousravenous race,
Which still sat weiting on that wastfull clift,
For spoile of wretches, whose vnhappyunhappy cace,
After lost credit and consumed thrift,
At last them driuendriven hath to this despairefull drift.drift,
[9]
The Palmer seeing them in safetie past,
Thus saide, behold th’ensamples in our sightes,
Of lustfull luxurie and
thriftlesse wast:
What now is left of miserable wightes,
Which spent their looser daies in leud delightes,
But shame and sad reproch, here to be red,
By these rent reliques,
speaking their ill plightes?
Let all that liuelive, hereby be counselled,
To shunne Rock of Reproch and it as death to dread.
[10]
So forth they rowed, and that Ferryman
With his stiffe oares did brush the sea so strong,
That the hoare waters from his frigot ran,
And the light bubles daunced all along,
Whiles the salt brine out of the billowes sprong.
At last far off they many Islandes spy,
On eueryevery side floting the floodes emong:
Then said the knight, Lo I the land descry,
Therefore old Syre thy course doe thereunto
apply.
[11]
That may not bee, said then the
Ferryman
Least wee vnweetingunweeting hap to be fordonne:
For those same Islands, seeming now and 3. than: thenthanthen,
Are not firme land, nor any certein wonne,
But stragling plots,
which to and fro doe ronne
In the wide waters: therefore are they hight
The wandring Islands. Therefore doe them shonne;
For they hauehave ofte drawne many a wandring
wight
Into most deadly daunger and distressed
plight.
[12]
Yet well they seeme to him, that farre doth
vew,
Both faire and fruitfull, and the grownd dispred,
With grassy greene of delectable hew,
And the tall trees with leauesleaves appareled,
Are deckt with blossoms dyde in white and red,
That mote the passengers thereto allure;
But whosoeuerwhosoever once hath fastened
His foot thereon, may neuernever it recure,
But wandreth euerever more vncerteinuncertein and vnsureunsure.
[13]
As
th’Isle of Delos whylome men report
Amid th’ Aegæan sea long time did
stray,
Ne made for shipping any certeine port,
Till that Latona
traueilingtraveiling that way,
Flying from
IunoesJunoes wrath and hard assay,
Of her fayre twins was there deliuereddelivered,
Which afterwards did rule the night and day;
Thenceforth it firmely was established,
And for Apolloes
temple highly
herried.
[14] They to him hearken, as beseemeth
meete,
And passe on forward: so their
way does ly,
That one of those same Islands, which doe fleet
In the wide sea, they needes must passen by,
Which seemd so sweet and pleasaunt to the eye,
That it would tempt a man to touchen there:
VponUpon the banck they sitting did espy
A daintie damsell, dressing of her heare,
By whom a little skippet floting did appeare.
[15]
She them espying, loud to them can
call,
Bidding them nigher draw vntounto the shore;
For she had cause to
busie them withall;
And therewith lowdly laught: But nathemore
Would they once turne, but kept on as afore:afore
Which when she saw, she left her lockes vndightundight,
And running to her boat withoutenwihtoutenwirhouten ore,
From the departing land it launched light,
And after them did driuedrive with all her power and might.
[16]
Whom ouertakingovertaking, she in merry sort
Them gan to bord, and purpose diuerslydiversly,
Now faining dalliaunce and wanton sport,
Now throwing forth lewd wordes immodestly;
Till that the Palmer gan full bitterly
Her to rebuke, for being loose and light:
Which not abiding, but more scornfully
Scoffing at him, that did her iustlyjustly
wite,
She turnd her bote about, and from them
rowed quite.
[17]
That
was the wanton PhædriaPhœdria, which late
Did ferry him ouerover the Idle lake:
Whom nought regarding, they kept on their gate,
And all her vaine allurements did forsake,
When them the wary Boteman thus bespake;
Here now behouethbehoveth
vsus well to auyseavyse,
And of our safety good
heede to take;
For here before a perlous passage lyes,
Where
many Mermayds haunt, making false melodies.
[18]
But by the way, there is a great
Quicksand,
And a whirlepoole of hidden ieopardyjeopardy,
Therefore, Sir Palmer, keepe an eueneven hand;
For twixt them both the narrow
way doth ly.
Scarse had he saide, when hard at hand they spy
That quicksand nigh with water coueredcovered;
But by the checked wauewave they did descry
It plaine, and by the sea discoloured:
It called was the quickesand of
VnthriftyhedUnthriftyhed.
[19]
They passing by, a goodly Ship did see,
Laden from far with precious merchandize,
And brauelybravely furnished, as ship might bee,
Which through great disauenturedisaventure, or mesprize,
Her selfe had ronne into that hazardize;
Whose mariners and merchants with much toyle,
Labour’d in vaine, to hauehave
recur’d their prize,
And the rich wares to sauesave from pitteous spoyle,
But neither toyle nor traueilltraveill might her backe recoyle.
[20]
On th’other side they see that perilous
Poole,
That called was the Whirlepoole of
decay,
In which full many had with haplesse doole
Beene suncke, of whom no memorie did stay:
Whose circled waters rapt with whirling sway,
Like to a restlesse wheele, still ronning round,
Did couetcovet, as they passed by that way,
To draw their bote within the vtmostutmost bound
Of his wide Labyrinth, and then to hauehave them dround.
[21] But th’earnest Boteman strongly forth did
stretch
His brawnie armes, and all his bodie straine,
That th’vtmostutmost sandy breach they shortly fetch,
Whiles the dredd daunger does behind remaine.
Suddeine they see from midst of all the Maine,
The surging waters like a mountaine rise,
And the great sea puft vpup with proud disdaine,
To swell aboueabove the measure of his guise,
As threatning to deuouredevoure all, that his powre despise.
[22]
The waueswaves come rolling, and the billowes rore
Outragiously, as they
enraged were,
Or wrathfull Neptune did them driuedrive before
His whirling charet, for exceeding feare:
For not one puffe of winde there did appeare,
That all the three thereat woxe much afrayd,
VnweetingUnweeting, what such horrour straunge did
reare.
Eftsoones they saw an hideous hoast arrayd,
Of huge Sea monsters, such as liuingliving sence dismayd.
[23]
Most vglyugly shapes, and horrible
aspects,
Such as Dame Nature
selfe mote feare to see,
Or shame, that euerever should so fowle defects
From her most cunning hand
escaped bee;
All dreadfull pourtraicts of deformitee:
Spring-headed Hydres, and
sea-shouldring Whales,
Great whirlpooles, which all fishes make to flee,
Bright Scolopendraes,
arm’d with siluersilver scales,
Mighty Monoceros, with immeasured tayles.
[24]
The dreadfull Fish, that hath deseru’ddeserv’d the name
Of Death, and like him lookes in dreadfull
hew,
The griesly Wasserman,
that makes his game
The flying ships with swiftnes to pursew,
The horrible Sea-satyre,
that doth shew
His fearefull face in time of greatest storme,
Huge Ziffius, whom
Mariners eschew
No lesse, 8. then: thanthenthan rockes, (as trauellerstravellers
informe,)informe),
And greedy Rosmarines with visages deforme.
[25]
All these, and thousand thousands many
more,
And more deformed Monsters thousand fold,
With dreadfull noise, and hollow rombling rore,
Came rushing in the fomy waueswaves
enrold,
Which seem’d to fly for feare, them to behold:
Ne wonder, if these did the knight appall;
For all that here on earth we dreadfull hold,
Be but as bugs to fearen babes withall,
Compared to the creatures in the seas entrall.
[26]
Feare
nought, then saide the Palmer well auiz’daviz’d;
For these same Monsters are not these in deed,
But are into these fearefull shapes disguiz’d
By that same wicked witch, to worke vsus dreed,
And draw from on this iourneyjourney to proceed.
Tho lifting vpup his vertuous staffe on
hye,
He smote the sea, which calmed was with speed,
And all that dreadfull Armie fast gan flye
Into great Tethys bosome, where they hidden lye.
[27]
Quit
from that danger, forth their course they
kept,
And as they went, they heard a ruefull cry
Of one, that wayld and pittifully wept,
That through the sea the resounding plaints did fly:
At last they in an Island did espy
A seemely Maiden, sitting by the shore,
That with great sorrow and sad agony,
Seemed some great misfortune to deplore,
And lowd to them for succour called euermoreevermore.
[28] Which Guyon hearing,
streight his Palmer
bad,
To stere the bote towards that dolefull Mayd,
That he might know, and
ease her sorrow sad:
Who him auizingavizing better, to him sayd;
Faire Sir, be not displeasd if disobayd:
For ill it were to hearken to her cry;
For she is inly nothing
ill apayd,
But onely womanish fine forgery,
Your stubborne hart t’affect with fraile
infirmity.
[29]
To which when she your courage hath inclind
Through foolish pitty, then her guilefull bayt
She will embosome deeper in your mind,
And for your ruine at the last awayt.
The Knight was ruled, and the Boteman strayt
Held on his course with stayed stedfastnesse,
Ne euerever shroncke, ne euerever sought to bayt
His tyred armes for toylesome wearinesse,
But with his oares did sweepe the watry
wildernesse.
[30]
And
now they nigh approched to the sted,
Where as those Mermayds dwelt: it was a
still
And calmy bay, on th’one side sheltered
With the brode shadow of an hoarie hill,
On
th’other side an high rocke toured still,
That twixt them both a
pleasaunt port they made,
And did like an halfe
Theatre fulfill:
There those fiuefive sisters had continuall trade,
And vsdusd to bath themseluesthemselves in that deceiptfull shade.
[31]
They were faire Ladies, till they fondly striu’dstriv’d
With th’Heliconian maides for maystery;
Of whom they ouerover-comen, were depriu’ddepriv’d
Of their proud beautie, and th’one moyity
Transformd to fish, for their bold surquedry,
But th’vpperupper halfe their hew retayned
still,
And their sweet skill in wonted melody;
Which euerever after they abusd to ill,
T’allure weake traueillerstraveillers, whom gotten they did kill.
[32]
So now to Guyon, as he passed by,
Their pleasaunt tunes they sweetly thus applyde;
O thou fayre sonne of gentle Faery,
That art in mightie armes most magnifyde
AboueAbove all knights, that euerever batteill tryde,
O turne thy rudder hetherward a while:
Here may thy storme-bett
vessell safely ryde;
This is the Port of rest from troublous
toyle,
The worldes sweet In, frõfrom paine &and wearisome turmoyle.
[33]
With
that the rolling sea resounding soft,
In his big base them fitly answered,
And on the rocke the waueswaves breaking aloft,
A solemne Meane
vntounto them measured,
The whiles sweet Zephyrus
lowd whisteled
His treble, a straunge kinde of harmony;
Which Guyons
senses softly tickeled,
That he the boteman bad row easily,
And let him heare some part of their rare
melody.
[34]
But him the Palmer from that vanity,
With temperate aduiceadvice discounselled,
That they it past, and shortly gan
descry
The land, to which their course they leueledleveled;
When suddeinly a grosse fog
ouerover spred
With his dull vapour all that desert has,
And heauensheavens chearefull face enuelopedenveloped,
That all things one, and one as nothing was,
And this great VniuerseUniverse seemd one confused mas.
[35] Thereat they greatly were dismayd,
ne wist
How to direct theyr way in darkenes wide,
But feard to wander in that wastefull mist,
For tombling into
mischiefe vnespideunespide.
Worse is the daunger hidden, 5. then: thanthenthan descride.
Suddeinly an innumerable flight
Of harmefull fowles about them fluttering, cride,
And with their wicked wings them ofte did smight,
And sore annoyed, groping in that griesly
night.
[36]
EuenEven all the nation of vnfortunateunfortunate
And fatall birds about them flocked were,
Such as by nature men abhorre and hate,
The ill-faste Owle, deaths dreadfull messengere,
The hoars Night-rauenraven, trump of dolefull drere,
The lether-winged Batt, dayes enimy,
The ruefull Strich, still waiting on the bere,
The whistler shrill, that who so heares, doth dy,
The hellish Harpyes, prophets of sad destiny.
[37]
All those, and all that els does horror breed,
About them
flew, and fild their sayles with feare:
Yet stayd they not,
buthut forward did proceed,
Whiles th’one did row, and th’other stifly steare;
Till that at last the weather gan to cleare,
And the faire land it selfe did playnly sheow.
Said then the Palmer Lo
where does appeare
The sacred soile, where all our
perills grow;
Therfore, Sir knight,
your ready arms about you throw.
[38]
He hearkned, and his armes about him
tooke,
The whiles the nimble bote so well her sped,
That with her crooked
keele the land she strooke,
Then forth the noble GuyonGuyou sallied,
And his sage Palmer, that him gouernedgoverned;
But th’other by his bote behind did stay.
They marched fayrly forth, of nought ydred,
Both firmely armd for eueryevery hard assay,
With constancy and care, gainst daunger and
dismay.
[39]
Ere long they heard an hideous bellowing
Of many beasts, that
roard outrageously,
As if that hungers poynt, or Venus sting
Had them enraged with
fell surquedry;
Yet
nought they feard, but past on hardily,
VntillUntill they came in vew of those wilde beasts:
Who all
attonce, gaping full greedily,
And rearing fercely their vpstaringupstaring crests,
Ran towards, to deuouredevoure those vnexpectedunexpected guests.
[40]
But soone as they approcht with deadly threat,
The Palmer ouerover them his staffe vpheldupheld,
His mighty staffe, that could all charmes
defeat:
Eftesoones their stubborne corages were queld,
And high aduauncedadvaunced crests downe meekely feld,
Instead of fraying, they them seluesselves did feare,
And trembled, as them passing they beheld:
Such wondrous powre did in that staffe appeare,
All monsters to subdew to him, that did it
beare.
[41]
Of that same wood it fram’d was
cunningly,
Of which Caduceus whilome was made,
Caduceus
the rod of Mercury,
With which he
wonts the Stygian realmes
inuadeinvade,
Through ghastly horror, and eternall shade;
Th’infernall feends with it he can asswage,
And
Orcus tame, whome nothing can
persuade,
And rule the Furyes,
when they most doe rage:
Such vertue in his staffe had eke
this Palmer sage.
[42] Thence passing forth, they shortly
doe arryuearryve,
Whereas the Bowre of Blisse was
situate;
A place pickt out by
choyce of best alyuealyve,
That natures worke by art can imitate:
In which what euerever in this worldly state
Is sweete, and pleasing vntounto
liuingliving sense,
Or that may dayntest fantasy aggrate,
Was poured forth with
plentifull dispence,
And made there to abound with lauishlavish
affluence.
[43]
Goodly it was enclosed rownd about,
Aswell theiriheir entred guestes to keep within,
As those vnrulyunruly beasts to hold without;
Yet was the fence thereof but
weake and thin;
Nought feard theyr
force, that fortilage to win,
But wisedomes powre, and temperaunces might,
By which the migtest things efforced bin:
And eke the gate was wrought of substaunce light,
Rather for pleasure, 9. then: thanthenthan for battery or fight.
[44]
Yt
framed was of precious yuoryyvory,
That seemd a worke of admirable witt;
And therein all the famous history
Of
IasonJason and Medæa was ywritt;
Her mighty charmes, her
furious louingloving fitt,
His goodly conquestcouquest of the golden fleece,
His falsed fayth, and louelove too lightly flitt,
The wondred Argo, which in venturous peece
First through the Euxine seas
bore all the flowr of Greece.
[45]
Ye might hauehave seene the frothy billowes fry
VnderUnder the ship, as thorough them she went,
That seemd the waueswaves were into yuoryyvory,
Or yuoryyvory into the waueswaves were sent;
And otherwhere the snowy substaunce sprent
With vermell, like the boyes blood therein
shed,
A piteous spectacle did represent,
And otherwhiles with gold besprinkeled;
Yt seemd th’enchauntedthenchaunted flame, which did Creusa wed.
[46]
All this, and more might in that goodly
gate
Be red; that euerever open stood to all,
Which thether came: but in the Porch 3. their: theretheirthere sate
A comely personage of stature tall,
And semblaunce pleasing, more 5. then: thanthenthan naturall,
That traueilerstraveilers to him seemd to entize;
His looser garment to
the ground did fall,
And flew about his heeles in wanton wize,
Not
fitt for speedy pace, or manly exercize.
[47]
They
in that place him Genius did call:
Not that celestiall powre, to whom the care
Of life, and generation of all
That liueslives, perteines in charge particulare,
Who wondrous things concerning our welfare,
And straunge phantomes doth lett vsus ofte forsee,
And ofte of secret ill bids vsus beware:
That is our Selfe, whom
though we doe not see,
Yet each doth in
him selfe it well perceiueperceive to bee.
[48]
Therefore a God him sage Antiquity
Did wisely make, and good Agdistes
call:
But this same was to that quite contrary,
The foe of life, that good enuyesenvyes to all,
That secretly doth vsus procure to fall,
Through guilefull semblants, which he makes vsus see.
He of thisoft his Gardin had the gouernallgovernall,
And Pleasures porter was deuizddevizd to bee,
Holding a staffe in hand for more formalitee
[49] With diuersediverse flowres he daintily was deckt,
And strowed rownd about, and by his side
A mighty Mazer bowle of wine was sett,
As if it had to him bene sacrifide;
Wherewith all new-come guests he gratyfide:
So did he eke Sir Guyon passing by:
But he his ydle curtesie defide,
And ouerthrewoverthrew his bowle disdainfully;
And broke his staffe, with which he charmed semblants sly.
[50]
Thus
being entred, they behold arownd
A large and spacious plaine, on eueryevery side
Strowed with pleasauns, whose fayre grassy grownd
Mantled with greene, and goodly beautifide
With all the ornaments of Floraes
pride,
Wherewith her mother
Art, as halfe in scorne
Of niggard Nature, like a pompous bride
Did decke her, and too lauishlylavishly adorne,
When forth from virgin bowre she comes
in th’early morne.
[51]
Therewith therhe
HeauensHeavens alwayes IouiallJoviall,
Lookte on them louelylovely, still in stedfast state,
Ne suffred storme nor frost on them to fall,
Their tender buds or leauesleaves to violate,
Nor scorching heat, nor
cold intemperate
T’afflict the creatures, which therein did
dwell,
But the milde ayre with season moderate
Gently attempred, and
disposd so well,
That still it breathed forth sweet spirit
&and holesom smell.
[52]
More sweet and holesome, 1. then: thanthenthan the pleasaunt hill
Of Rhodope, on which the Nimphe, that bore
A gyaunt babe,
her selfe for griefe did kill:
Or the Thessalian Tempe, where
of yore
Fayre Daphne Phœbus hart with louelove did gore;
Or Ida, where
the Gods lou’dlov’d to repayre,
When euerever they their heauenlyheavenly bowres forlore;
Or sweet Parnasse, the
haunt of Muses fayre;
Or Eden selfe, if ought with Eden mote compayre.
[53]
Much wondred Guyon at the fayre aspect
Of that sweet place, yet suffred no delight
To sincke into his sence, nor mind affect,
But passed forth, and lookt
still forward right,
Brydling his will, and maystering his might:
Till that he came vntounto another gate,
No gate, but like one, being goodly
dight
With bowes and braunches, which did broad dilate
Their clasping armes, in wanton wreathings
intricate.
[54]
So
fashioned a Porch with rare deuicedevice,
Archt ouerover head with an embracing vine,
Whose bounches hanging downe, seemd to entice
All passers by, to taste their lushious wine,
And did them seluesselves into their hands incline,
As freely offering to be gathered:
Some deepe empurpled as
the
HyacineHyacint,
Some as the Rubine,
laughing sweetely red,
Some like faire
Emeraudes, not yet well ripened.
[55]
And
them amongst, some were of burnisht gold,
So made by art, to beautify the rest,
Which did themseluesthemselves emongst the leauesleaves enfold,
As lurking from the vew of couetouscovetous guest,
That the weake boughes, with so rich load opprest,
Did bow adowne, as ouerburdenedoverburdened.
VnderUnder that Porch a comely dame did rest,
Clad in fayre weedes, but fowle disordered,
And garments loose, that seemd vnmeetunmeet for womanhed.
[56] In her left hand a Cup of gold she held,
And with her right the riper fruit did reach,
Whose sappy liquor, that with fulnesse
sweld,
Into her cup she scruzd, with daintie
breach
Of her fine fingers, without fowle empeach,
That so faire
winepresse made the wine more sweet:
Thereof she vsdusd to giuegive to drinke to each,
Whom passing by she happened to meet:
It was her guise, all Straungers goodly so
to greet.
[57]
So she to Guyon offred it to tast,
Who taking it out of her tender hond,
The cup to ground did
violently cast,
That all in peeces it was broken fond,
And with the liquor stained all the lond:
Whereat Excesse
exceedinglyexceedinly was wroth,
Yet no’te the same amend, ne yet withstond,
But suffered him to
passe, all were she
loth;
Who nought regarding her displeasure, forward
goth.
[58]
There the most daintie Paradise on ground,
It selfe doth offer to his ſobersoberſobcrsobcr eye,
In which all pleasures plenteously abownd,
And none does others happinesse enuyeenvye:
The painted flowres, the
trees vpshootingupshooting hye,
The dales for shade, the hilles for breathing space,
The trembling grouesgroves, the christall running
by;
And that, which all faire workes doth most aggrace,
The art, which all that wrought, appeared in no place.
[59]
One
would
hauehave thought, (so cunningly, the rude
And scorned partes were mingled with the
fine,)fine),
That nature had for wantonesse
ensude
Art, and that Art at nature did repine;
So striuingstriving each th’other to vndermineundermine,
Each did the others worke more beautify;
So diff’ring both in willes, agreed in fine:
So all agreed through sweete diuersitydiversity,
This Gardin to adorne with all variety.
[60]
And
in the midst of all, a fountaine
stood,
Of richest substance, that on earth might bee,
So pure and shiny, that the siluersilver flood
Through eueryevery channell running one might see;
Most goodly it with curious ymageree
Was ouerwroughtoverwrought, and shapes of naked boyes,
Of which some seemd with liuelylively
iolliteejollitee,
To fly about, playing their wanton toyes,
Whylest others did them seluesselves
embay in liquid ioyesjoyes,
[61]
And ouerover all, of purest gold was
spred,
A trayle of yuieyvie in his natiuenative hew:
For the rich metall was so coloured,
That wight, who did not well auis’davis’d it vew.
Would surely deeme it to bee yuieyvie trew:
Low his lasciuiouslascivious armes adown did creepe,
That themseluesthemselves dipping in the siluersilver dew,
Their fleecy flowres they fearefullytenderly did steepe,
Which drops of Christall seemd for wantones to weep.
[62]
Infinit streames
continually did well
Out of this fountaine, sweet and faire to see,
The which into an ample lauerlaver fell,
And shortly grew tointo so great quantitie,
That like a litle lake it seemd to bee;
Whose depth exceeded not
three cubits hight,
That through the waueswaves one might the bottom see,
All pau’dpav’d beneath with IasparJaspar shining bright,
That seemd
the fountaine in that sea did sayle
vprightupright.
[63] And all the margent round about was sett,
With shady Laurell
trees, thence to defend
The sunny beames, which on the billowes bett,
And those which therein bathed, mote offend:
As Guyon
hapned by the same to wend,
Two naked Damzelles he
therein espyde,
Which therein bathing, seemed to contend,
And wrestle wantonly, ne car’d
to hyde,
Their dainty partes from vew of any, which
them eyd.
[64]
Sometimes the one would lift the other
quight
AboueAbove the waters, and then downe againe
Her plong, as ouerover maystered by might,
Where both awhile would coueredcovered remaine,
And each the other from to rise restraine;
The whiles their snowy limbes, as through a vele,
So through the christall waueswaves appeared plaine:
Then suddeinly both would themseluesthemselves
vnheleunhele,
And th’amarous sweet spoiles to greedy
eyes reuelerevele.
[65]
As that faire Starre, the messenger of morne,
His deawy face out of
the sea doth reare:
Or as the Cyprian
goddesse, newly borne
Of th’Oceans fruitfull
froth, did first appeare:
Such seemed they, and so their yellow heare
Christalline humor dropped downe apace.
Whom such when Guyon saw, he drew him neare,
And somewhat gan relent his earnest pace;
His stubborne brest gan secretsccret pleasaunce to embrace.
[66]
The wanton Maidens him espying, stood
Gazing a while at his vnwontedunwonted
guise;
Then th’one her selfe
low ducked in the flood,
Abasht, that her a straunger did avise:
But
thother rather higher did arise,
And her two lilly paps aloft
displayd,
And all, that might his melting hart entyse
To her delights, she vntounto him bewrayd:
The rest hidd vnderneathunderneath, him more desirous made.
[67]
With
that, the other likewise vpup arose,
And her faire lockes, which formerly were bownd
VpUp in one knott, she low adowne did lose:
Which flowing long and thick, her cloth’d arownd,
And th’yuorieyvorie in golden mantle gownd:
So that faire spectacle from him was reft,
Yet that, which reft it, no lesse faire was fownd:
So hidd in lockes and waueswaves from lookers theft,
Nought but her louelylovely face she for his looking left.
[68]
Withall she laughed, and she blusht withall,
That blushing to
her laughter gauegave more grace,
And laughter to her blushing, as did
fall:
Now when they spyde the knight to slacke his pace,
Them to behold, and in his sparkling face
The secrete signes of kindled lust appeare,
Their wanton meriments they did encreace,
And to him beckned, to approch more neare,
And shewd him many sights, that corage cold could reare.
[69]
On which when gazing him the Palmer saw,
He much rebukt those wandring eyes of his,
And counseld well, him
forward thence did draw.
Now are they come nigh to the Bowre of blis
Of her fond fauoritesfavorites so nam’d amis:
When thus the Palmer, Now Sir, well auiseavise;
For here the end of all our traueilltraveill is:
Here wonnes Acrasia, whom we must surprise,
Els she will slip away, and all our drift despise.
[70] Eftsoones they heard a most
melodious sound,
Of all that mote delight a daintie eare,
Such as attonce might
not on liuingliving ground,
SaueSave in this Paradise, be heard elswhere:
Right hard it was, for wight, which did it heare,
To read, what manner
musicke that mote bee:
For all that pleasing is to liuingliving eare,
Was there consorted in one harmonee,
Birdes, voices, instruments, windes, waters, all agree.
[71]
The ioyousjoyous birdes
shrouded in chearefull
shade,
Their notes vntounto the voice attempred sweet;
Th’Angelicall soft
trembling voyces made
To th’instruments diuinedivine respondence meet:
The siluersilver sounding instruments did meet
With the base murmure of the waters fall:
The waters fall with difference discreet,
Now soft, now loud, vntounto the wind did call:
The gentle warbling wind low answered to
all.
[72]
There, whence that Musick seemed heard to
bee,
Was the faire Witch her selfe now solacing,
With a new LouerLover, whom through sorceree
And witchcraft, she from farre did thether bring:
There she had him now laid a slomberingaslombering,
In secret shade, after long wanton ioyesjoyes:
Whilst round about them pleasauntly did sing
Many faire Ladies, and lasciuiouslascivious boyes,
That euerever mixt their song with light licentious toyes.
[73]
And
all that while, right ouerover him she hong,
With her false eyes fast fixed in his sight,
As seeking medicine,
whence she was stong,
Or greedily depasturing delight:
And oft inclining downe with kisses light,
For feare of waking him,
his lips bedewd,
And through his humid eyes did sucke his
spright,
Quite molten into lust and pleasure lewd;
Wherewith she sighed soft, as if his case she rewd.
[74]
The whiles some one did chaunt
this louelylovely lay;
Ah see, who so fayre thing doest faine to see,
In springing flowre the image of thy day;
Ah see the Virgin Rose,
how sweetly shee
Doth first peepe foorth with bashfull
modestee,
That fairer seemes, the lesse ye see her may;
Lo see soone after, how more bold and free
Her
bared bosome she doth broad display;
Lo see soone after, how she fades, and falls
away.
[75]
So passeth, in the passing of a day,
Of mortall life the leafe, the bud, the flowre,
Ne more doth florish after first decay,
That earst was sought to deck both bed and bowre,
Of many a Lady’, and many a
Paramowre:
Gather therefore the Rose, whilest yet is prime,
For soone comes age, that will her pride deflowre:
Gather the Rose of louelove, whilest yet is time,
Whilest louingloving thou mayst louedloved be with equall crime.
[76]
He ceast, and then gan all the quire of
birdes
Their diuersediverse notes t’attune vntounto his lay,
As in approuaunceapprovaunce of his pleasing wordes.
The constant payre heard all, that he did say,
Yet swaruedswarved not, but kept their forward way,
Through many couertcovert
grouesgroves, and thickets close,
In which they creeping did at
last display
Thot wanton Lady, with her louerlover lose,
Whose
sleepie head she in her lap did soft dispose.
[77]
VponUpon a bed of Roses she was
layd,
As faint through heat,
or dight to pleasant sin,
And was arayd, or rather disarayd,
All in a uelevele of silke and siluersilver thin,
That hid no whit her alablaster skin,
But rather shewd more white, if more might bee:
More subtile web Arachne
cannot spin,
Nor the fine nets, which
oft we wouenwoven see
Of scorched deaw, do not
in th’ayre more lightly flee.
[78]
Her snowy brest was bare to ready spoyle
Of hungry eies, which n’ote therewith be fild,
And yet through languour of her late sweet toyle,
Few drops, more cleare 4. then: thanthenthan Nectar, forth distild,
That like pure Orient perles adowne it trild,
And her faire eyes sweet
smyling in delight,
Moystened their fierie beames, with which
she thrild
Fraile harts, yet quenched not; like starry
light
Which sparckling on the silent waueswaves, does seeme more bright.
[79]
The young man sleeping by her, seemd to
be
Some goodly swayne of honorable place,
That certes it great pitty was to see
Him his nobility so fowle deface;
A sweet regard, and amiable grace,
Mixed with manly sternesse did appeare
Yet sleeping, in his well proportiond face,
And on his tender lips the downy heare
Did now but freshly spring, and silken
blossoms beare.
[80]
His warlike Armes, the ydle instruments
Of sleeping praise, were hong vponupon a tree,
And his brauebrave shield, full of old moniments,
Was fowly ra’st, that none the signes might see,
Ne for them, ne for honour cared hee,
Ne ought, that did to his aduauncementadvauncement tend,
But in lewd louesloves, and wastfull luxuree,
His dayes, his goods, his bodie he did spend:
O horrible enchantment, that him so did
blend.
[81]
The noble Elfe, and carefull Palmer drew
So nigh them, minding nought, but lustfull game,
That suddein forth they on them rusht, and threw
A subtile net, which
only for that same
The skilfull Palmer formally did frame.
So held them vnderunder fast, the whiles the rest
Fled all away for feare of fowler shame.
The faire Enchauntresse, so vnwaresunwares
opprest,
Tryde all her arts, &and all her sleights, thence out to wrest.
[82]
And eke her louerlover
strouestrove: but all in vaine;
For that same net so cunningly was wound,
That neither guile, nor force might it distraine.
They tooke them both, &and both them strongly bound
In captiuecaptive bandes, which there they readie found:
But her in chaines of adamant he tyde;
For nothing else might keepe her safe and sound;
But Verdant (so he hight) he soone vntydeuntyde,
And counsell sage in steed thereof to him
applyde,
[83]
But
all those pleasaunt bowres and Pallace brauebrave,
Guyon broke downe, with rigour
pittilesse;
Ne ought their goodly workmanship might sauesave
Them from the tempest of his
wrathfulnesse,
But that their blisse he turn’d to balefulnesse:
Their grouesgroves he feld, their gardins did deface,
Their arbers spoyle, their Cabinets suppresse,
Their banket houses burne, their buildings race,
And of the fayrest late, now made the
fowlest place.
[84] Then led they her away, and eke
that knight
They with them led, both sorrowfull and sad:
The way they came, the same retourn’d they right,
Till they arriuedarrived, where they lately had
Charm’d those wild-beasts, that
rag’d with furie mad.
Which now awaking, fierce at them gan fly,
As in their mistresse reskew, whom they lad;
But them the Palmer soone did pacify.
Then Guyon askt, what meant
those beastes, which there did ly.
[85]
Sayd
he, these seeming beasts are men indeed,
Whom this Enchauntresse hath transformed thus,
Whylome her louerslovers, which her lustes did feed,
Now turned into figures hideous,
According to their mindes like monstruous.
Sad end (quoth he) of life intemperate,
And mournefull meed of ioyesjoyes delicious:
But Palmer, if it mote thee so aggrate,
Let them returned be vntounto their former state.
[86]
Streight way he with his vertuous staffe
them strooke,
And streight of beastes they comely men became;
Yet being men they did vnmanlyunmanly looke,
And stared ghastly, some for inward shame,
And some for wrath, to see their captiuecaptive Dame:
But one aboueabove the rest in speciall,
That had an hog beene late, hight Grylle by name,
Repyned greatly, and did him
miscall,
That
had from hoggish forme him brought to naturall.
[87]
Saide Guyon, See the mind of beastly man,
That hath so soone forgot the excellence
Of his creation, when he life began,
That now he choosethchooseh, with vile difference,
To be a beast, and lacke intelligence.
To whom the Palmer thus, The donghill kinde
Delightes in filth and fowle incontinence:
Let Gryll be
Gryll, and hauehave his hoggish minde;
But let vsus hence depart, whilest wether seruesserves
&and winde.
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