Guyon findes Mamon in a deluedelve,
Sunning his threasure hore:
Is by him tempted, & led downe,
To see his secret store.
[1]
A S Pilot well expert in perilous wauewave,
That to a stedfast starre his course hath bent,
When foggy mistes, or cloudy tempests hauehave
The faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent,
And couer’d heauenheaven with hideous dreriment,
VponUpon his card and compas firmes his eye,
The maisters of his long experiment,
And to them does the steddy helme apply,
Bidding his winged vessell fairely forward fly.
[2]
So Guyon hauinghaving lost his trusty guide,
Late left beyond that Ydle lake, proceedes
Yet on his way, of none accompanide;
And euermoreevermore himselfe with comfort feedes,
Of his owne vertues, and prayse-worthy deedes.
So long he yode, yet no aduentureadventure found,
Which fame of her shrill trompet worthy reedes:
For still he traueildtraveild through wide wastfull ground,
That nought but desert wildernesse shew’d all around.
[3]
At last he came vntounto a gloomy glade,
Couer’d with boughes & shrubs from heauens light,
Whereas he sitting found in secret shade
An vncouthuncouth, saluagesalvage, and vnciuileuncivile wight,
Of griesly hew, and fowle ill fauour’d sight;
His face with smoke was tand, and eyes were bleard,
His head and beard with sout were ill bedight,
His cole-blacke hands did seeme to hauehave beene seard
In smithes fire-spitting forge, and nayles like clawes appeard.
[4]
His yron coate all ouergrowneovergrowne with rust,
Was vnderneathunderneath enuelopedenveloped with gold,
Whose glistring glosse darkned with filthy dust,
Well it appeared, to hauehave beene of old
A worke of rich entayle, and curious mould,
WouenWoven with antickes and wild Imagery:
And in his lap a masse of coyne he told,
And turned vpsidowne, to feede his eye
A couetouscovetous desire with his huge threasury.
[5]
And round about him lay on eueryevery side
Great heapes of gold, that neuernever could be spent:
Of which some were rude owre, not purifide
Of Mulcibers deuouringdevouring element;
Some others were new driuendriven, and distent
Into great Ingoes, and to wedges square;
Some in round plates withouten moniment;
But most were stampt, and in their metall bare
The antique shapes of kings and kesars straunge & rare.
[6]
Soone as he Guyon saw, in great affright
And hast he rose, for to remoueremove aside
Those pretious hils from straungers enuiousenvious sight,
And downe them poured through an hole full wide,
Into the hollow earth, them there to hide.
But Guyon lightly to him leaping, stayd
His hand, that trembled, as one terrifyde;
And though him selfe were at the sight dismayd,
Yet him perforce restraynd, and to him doubtfull sayd.
[7]
What art thou man, (if man at all thou art)
That here in desert hast thine habitaunce,
And these rich heapes of wealth doest hide apart
From the worldes eye, and from her right vsaunceusaunce?
Thereat with staring eyes fixed askaunce,
In great disdaine, he answerd; Hardy Elfe,
That darest vew my direfull countenaunce,
I read thee rash, and heedlesse of thy selfe,
To trouble my still seate, and heapes of pretious pelfe.
[8]
God of the world and worldlings I me call,
Great Mammon, greatest god below the skye,
That of my plenty poure out vntounto all,
And vntounto none my graces do enuyeenvye:
Riches, renowme, and principality,
Honour, estate, and all this worldes good,
For which men swinck and sweat incessantly,
Fro me do flow into an ample flood,
And in the hollow earth hauehave their eternall brood.
[9]
Wherefore if me thou deigne to serueserve and sew,
At thy commaund lo all these mountaines bee;
Or if to thy great mind, or greedy vew
All these may not suffise, there shall to thee
Ten times so much be numbred francke and free.
Mammon (said he) thy godheades vaunt is vaine,
And idle offers of thy golden fee;
To them, that couetcovet such eye-glutting gaine,
Proffer thy giftes, and fitter seruauntsservaunts entertaine.
[10]
Me ill besits, that in der-doing armes,
And honours suit my vowed dayes do spend,
VntoUnto thy bounteous baytes, and pleasing charmes,
With which weake men thou witchest, to attend:
Regard of worldly mucke doth fowly blend,
And low abase the high heroicke spright,
That ioyesjoyes for crownes and kingdomes to contend;
Faire shields, gay steedes, bright armes be my delight:
Those be the riches fit for an aduent’rousadvent’rous knight.
[11]
Vaine glorious Elfe (said he) doest not thou weet,
That money can thy wantes at will supply?
Sheilds, steeds, and armes, & all things for thee meet
It can puruaypurvay in twinckling of an eye;
And crownes and kingdomes to thee multiply.
Do not I kings create, throw the crowne
Sometimes to him, that low in dust doth ly?
And him that raignd, into his rowme thrust downe,
And whom I lust, do heape with glory and renowne?
[12]
All otherwise (said he) I riches read,
And deeme them roote of all disquietnesse;
First got with guile, and 1596.bk2.II.vii.12.3. then: thanthenthan preseru’dpreserv’d with dread,
And after spent with pride and lauishnesselavishnesse,
LeauingLeaving behind them griefe and heauinesseheavinesse.
Infinite mischiefes of them do arize,
Strife; and debate, bloudshed, and bitternesse,
Outrageous wrong, and hellish couetizecovetize,
That noble heart as great dishonour doth despize.
[13]
Ne thine be kingdomes, ne the scepters thine;
But realmes and rulers thou doest both confound,
And loyall truth to treason doest incline;
Witnesse the guiltlesse bloud pourd oft on ground,
The crowned often slaine, the slayer cround,
The sacred Diademe in peeces rent,
And purple robe gored with many a wound;
Castles surprizd, great cities sackt and brent:
So mak’st thou kings, & gaynest wrongfull gouernement.
[14]
Long were to tell the troublous stormes, that tosse
The priuateprivate state, and make the life vnsweetunsweet:
Who swelling sayles in Caspian sea doth crosse,
And in frayle wood on Adrian gulfe doth fleet,
Doth not, I weene, so many euilsevils meet.
Then Mammon wexing wroth, And why 1596.bk2.II.vii.14.6. then: thanthenthan, said,
Are mortall men so fond and vndiscreetundiscreet,
So euillevill thing to seeke vntounto their ayd,
And hauinghaving not complaine, and hauinghaving it vpbraid?
[15]
Indeede (quoth he) through fowle intemperaunce,
Frayle men are oft captiu’dcaptiv’d to couetisecovetise:
But would they thinke, with how small allowaunce
VntroubledUntroubled Nature doth her selfe suffise,
Such superfluities they would despise,
Which with sad cares empeach our natiuenative ioyesjoyes:
At the well head the purest streames arise:
But mucky filth his braunching armes annoyes,
And with vncomelyuncomely weedes the gentle wauewave accloyes.
[16]
The antique world, in his first flowring youth,
Found no defect in his Creatours grace,
But with glad thankes, and vnreprouedunreproved truth,
The gifts of soueraigne bountie did embrace:
Like Angels life was 1596.bk2.II.vii.16.5. then: thanthenthan mens happy cace;
But later ages pride, like corn-fed steed,
Abusd her plenty, and fat swolne encreace
To all licentious lust, and gan exceed
The measure of her meane, and naturall first need.
[17]
Then gan a cursed hand the quiet wombe
Of his great Gandmother with steele to wound,
And the hid treasures in her sacred tombe,
With Sacriledge to dig. Therein he found
Fountaines of gold and siluersilver to abound,
Of which the matter of his huge desire
And pompous pride eftsoones he did compound;
Then auariceavarice gan through his veines inspire
His greedy flames, and kindled life-deuouring fire.
[18]
Sonne (said he then) let be thy bitter scorne,
And leaueleave the rudenesse of that antique age
To them, that liu’dliv’d therein in state forlorne;
Thou that doest liuelive in later times, must wage
Thy workes for wealth, and life for gold engage.
If 1596.bk2.II.vii.18.6. then: thanthenthan thee list my offred grace to vseuse,
Take what thou please of all this surplusage;
If thee list not, leaueleave hauehave thou to refuse:
But thing refused, do not afterward accuse.
[19]
Me list not (said the Elfin knight) receauereceave
Thing offred, till I know it well be got,
Ne wote I, but thou didst these goods bereauebereave
From rightfull owner by vnrighteousunrighteous lot,
Or that bloud guiltnesse or guile them blot.
Perdy (quoth he) yet neuernever eye did vew,
Ne toung did tell, ne hand these handled not,
But safe I hauehave them kept in secret mew,
From heauensheavens sight, and powre of all which thẽ pursew.
[20]
What secret place (quoth he) can safely hold
So huge a masse, and hide from heauensheavens eye?
Or where hast thou thy wonne, that so much gold
Thou canst preseruepreserve from wrong and robbery?
Come thou (quoth he) and see. So by and by
Through that thicke couertcovert he him led, and found
A darkesome way, which no man could descry,
That deepe descended through the hollow ground,
And was with dread and horrour compassed around.
[21]
At length they came into a larger space,
That stretcht it selfe into an ample plaine,
Through which a beaten broad high way did trace,
That streight did lead to Plutoes griesly raine:
By that wayes side, there sate infernall Payne,
And fast beside him sat tumultuous Strife:
The one in hand an yron whip did straine,
The other brandished a bloudy knife,
And both did gnash their teeth, & both did threaten life.
[22]
On thother side in one consort there sate,
Cruell ReuengeRevenge, and rancorous Despight,
Disloyall Treason, and hart-burning Hate,
But gnawing Gealosie out of their sight
Sitting alone, his bitter lips did bight,
And trembling Feare still to and fro did fly,
And found no place, where safe he shroud him might,
Lamenting Sorrow did in darknesse lye.
And Shame his vglyugly face did hide from liuingliving eye.
[23]
And ouerover them sad horrour with grim hew,
Did alwayes sore, beating his yron wings;
And after him Owles and Night-rauens flew,
The hatefull messengers of heauyheavy things,
Of death and dolour telling sad tidings;
Whiles sad Celeno, sitting on a clift,
A song of bale and bitter sorrow sings,
That hart of flint a sunder could hauehave rift:
Which hauinghaving ended, after him she flyeth swift.
[24]
All these before the gates of Pluto lay,
By whom they passing, spake vntounto them nought.
But th’Elfin knight with wonder all the way
Did feed his eyes, and fild his inner thought.
At last him to a litle dore he brought,
That to the gate of Hell, which gaped wide,
Was next adioyningadjoyning, ne them parted ought:
Betwixt them both was but a litle stride,
That did the house of Richesse from hell-mouth diuidedivide.
[25]
Before the dore sat selfe-consuming Care,
Day and night keeping wary watch and ward,
For feare least Force or Fraud should vnawareunaware
Breake in, and spoile the treasure there in gard:
Ne would he suffer Sleepe once thither-ward
Approch, albe his drowsie den were next;
For next to death is Sleepe to be compard:
Therefore his house is vntounto his annext;
Here Sleep, there Richesse, & Hel-gate thẽ both betwext.
[26]
So soone as Mammon there arriu’darriv’d, the dore
To him did open, and affoorded way;
Him followed eke Sir Guyon euermoreevermore,
Ne darkenesse him, ne daunger might dismay.
Soone as he entred was, the dore streight way
Did shut, and from behind it forth there lept
An vglyugly feend, more fowle 1596.bk2.II.vii.26.7. then: thanthenthan dismall day,
The which with monstrous stalke behind him stept,
And euerever as he went, dew watch vponupon him kept.
[27]
Well hoped he, ere long that hardy guest,
If euerever couetouscovetous hand, or lustfull eye,
Or lips he layd on thing, that likt him best,
Or euerever sleepe his eye-strings did vntyeuntye,
Should be his pray. And therefore still on hye
He ouerover him did hold his cruell clawes,
Threatning with greedy gripe to do him dye
And rend in peeces with his rauenousravenous pawes,
If euerever he transgrest the fatall Stygian lawes.
[28]
That houses forme within was rude and strong,
Like an huge cauecave, hewne out of rocky clift,
From whose rough vaut the ragged breaches hong,
Embost with massy gold of glorious gift,
And with rich metall loaded eueryevery rift,
That heauyheavy ruine they did seeme to threat;
And ouerover them Arachne high did lift
Her cunning web, and spred her subtile net,
Enwrapped in fowle smoke and clouds more blacke 1596.bk2.II.vii.28.9. then: thanthenthan Iet.
[29]
Both roofe, and floore, and wals were all of gold,
But ouergrowneovergrowne with dust and old decay,
And hid in darkenesse, that none could behold
The hew thereof: for vew of chearefull day
Did neuernever in that house it selfe display,
But a faint shadow of vncertain light;
Such as a lamp, whose life does fade away:
Or as the Moone cloathed with clowdy night,
Does shew to him, that walkes in feare and sad affright.
[30]
In all that rowme was nothing to be seene,
But huge great yron chests and coffers strong,
All bard with double bends, that none could weene
Them to efforce by violence or wrong;
On eueryevery side they placed were along.
But all the ground with sculs was scattered,
And dead mens bones, which round about were flong,
Whose liueslives, it seemed, whilome there were shed,
And their vile carcases now left vnburiedunburied.
[31]
They forward passe, ne Guyon yet spoke word,
Till that they came vntounto an yron dore,
Which to them opened of his owne accord,
And shewd of richesse such exceeding store,
As eye of man did neuernever see before;
Ne euerever could within one place be found,
Though all the wealth, which is, or was of yore,
Could gathered be through all the world around,
And that aboueabove were added to that vnderunder ground.
[32]
The charge thereof vntounto a couetouscovetous Spright
Commaunded was, who thereby did attend,
And warily awaited day and night,
From other couetouscovetous feends it to defend,
Who it to rob and ransacke did intend.
Then Mammon turning to that warriour, said;
Loe here the worldes blis, loe here the end,
To which all men do ayme, rich to be made:
Such grace now to be happy, is before thee laid.
[33]
Certes (said he) I n’ill thine offred grace,
Ne to be made so happy do intend:
Another blis before mine eyes I place,
Another happinesse, another end.
To them, that list, these base regardes I lend:
But I in armes, and in atchieuementsatchievements brauebrave,
Do rather choose my flitting houres to spend,
And to be Lord of those, that riches hauehave,
Then them to hauehave my selfe, and be their seruileservile sclauesclave.
[34]
Thereat the feend his gnashing teeth did grate,
And grieu’dgriev’d, so long to lacke his greedy pray;
For well he weened, that so glorious bayte
Would tempt his guest, to take thereof assay:
Had he so doen, he had him snatcht away,
More light 1596.bk2.II.vii.34.6. then: thanthenthan CuluerCulver in the Faulcons fist.
Eternall God thee sauesave from such decay.
But whenas Mammon saw his purpose mist,
Him to entrap vnwaresunwares another way he wist.
[35]
Thence forward he him led, and shortly brought
VntoUnto another rowme, whose dore forthright,
To him did open, as it had beene taught:
Therein an hundred raunges weren pight,
And hundred fornaces all burning bright;
By eueryevery fornace many feends did bide,
Deformed creatures, horrible in sight,
And eueryevery feend his busie paines applide,
To melt the golden metall, ready to be tride.
[36]
One with great bellowes gathered filling aire,
And with forst wind the fewell did inflame;
Another did the dying bronds repaire
With yron toungs, and sprinckled oft the same
With liquid waueswaves, fiers Vulcans rage to tame,
Who maistring them, renewd his former heat;
Some scumd the drosse, that from the metall came;
Some stird the molten owre with ladles great;
And eueryevery one did swincke, and eueryevery one did sweat.
[37]
But when as earthly wight they present saw,
Glistring in armes and battailous aray,
From their whot worke they did themseluesthemselves withdraw
To wonder at the sight: for till that day,
They neuernever creature saw, that came that way.
Their staring eyes sparckling with feruentfervent fire,
And vglyugly shapes did nigh the man dismay,
That were it not for shame, he would retire,
Till that him thus bespake their soueraigne Lord & sire.
[38]
Behold, thou Faeries sonne, with mortall eye,
That liuingliving eye before did neuernever see:
The thing, that thou didst crauecrave so earnestly,
To weet, whence all the wealth late shewd by mee,
Proceeded, lo now is reuealdreveald to thee.
Here is the fountaine of the worldes good:
Now therefore, if thou wilt enriched bee,
AuiseAvise thee well, and chaunge thy wilfull mood,
Least thou perhaps hereafter wish, and be withstood.
[39]
Suffise it 1596.bk2.II.vii.39.1. then: thanthenthan, thou Money God (quoth hee)
That all thine idle offers I refuse.
All that I need I hauehave; what needeth mee
To couetcovet more, 1596.bk2.II.vii.39.4. then: thanthenthan I hauehave cause to vseuse?
With such vaine shewes thy worldlings vile abuse:
But giuegive me leaueleave to follow mine emprise.
Mammon was much displeasd, yet no’te he chuse,
But beare the rigour of his bold mespise,
And thence him forward led, him further to entise.
[40]
He brought him through a darksome narrow strait,
To a broad gate, all built of beaten gold:
The gate was open, but therein did wait
A sturdy villein, striding stiffe and bold,
As the highest God defie he would;
In his right hand an yron club he held,
But he himselfe was all of golden mould,
Yet had both life and sence, and well could weld
That cursed weapon, when his cruell foes he queld.
[41]
Disdayne he called was, and did disdaine
To be so cald, and who so did him call:
Sterne was to looke, and full of stomacke vaine,
His portaunce terrible, and stature tall,
Far passing th’hight of men terrestriall;
Like an huge Gyant of the Titans race,
That made him scorne all creatures great and small,
And with his pride all others powre deface:
More fit amongst blacke fiendes, 1596.bk2.II.vii.41.9. then: thanthenthan men to hauehave his place.
[42]
Soone as those glitterand armes he did espye,
That with their brightnesse made that darknesse light,
His harmefull club he gan to hurtle hye,
And threaten batteill to the Faery knight;
Who likewise gan himselfe to batteill dight,
Till Mammon did his hasty hand withhold,
And counseld him abstaine from perilous fight:
For nothing might abash the villein bold,
Ne mortall steele emperce his miscreated mould.
[43]
So hauinghaving him with reason pacifide,
And the fiers Carle commaunding to forbeare,
He brought him in. The rowme was large and wide,
As it some Gyeld or solemne Temple weare:
Many great golden pillours did vpbeareupbeare
The massy roofe, and riches huge sustayne,
And eueryevery pillour decked was full deare
With crownes and Diademes, & titles vaine,
Which mortall Princes wore, whiles they on earth did rayne.
[44]
A route of people there assembled were,
Of eueryevery sort and nation vnderunder skye,
Which with great vproreuprore preaced to draw nere
To th’vpper part, where was aduauncedadvaunced hye
A stately siege of soueraigne maiestyemajestye;
And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay,
And richly clad in robes of royaltye,
That neuernever earthly Prince in such aray
His glory did enhaunce, and pompous pride display.
[45]
Her face right wondrous faire did seeme to bee,
That her broad beauties beam great brightnes threw
Through the dim shade, that all men might it see:
Yet was not that same her owne natiuenative hew,
But wrought by art and counterfetted shew,
Thereby more louerslovers vntounto her to call;
Nath’lesse most heauenlyheavenly faire in deed and vew
She by creation was, till she did fall;
Thẽceforth she sought for helps, to cloke her crime withall.
[46]
There, as in glistring glory she did sit,
She held a great gold chaine ylincked well,
Whose vpperupper end to highest heauenheaven was knit,
And lower part did reach to lowest Hell;
And all that preace did round about her swell,
To catchen hold of that long chaine, thereby
To clime aloft, and others to excell:
That was Ambition, rash desire to sty,
And eueryevery lincke thereof a step of dignity.
[47]
Some thought to raise themseluesthemselves to high degree,
By riches and vnrighteousunrighteous reward,
Some by close shouldring, some by flatteree;
Others through friends, others for base regard;
And all by wrong wayes for themseluesthemselves prepard.
Those that were vpup themseluesthemselves, kept others low,
Those that were low themseluesthemselves, held others hard,
Ne suffred them to rise or greater grow,
But eueryevery one did striuestrive his fellow downe to throw.
[48]
Which whenas Guyon saw, he gan inquire,
What meant that preace about that Ladies throne,
And what she was that did so high aspire.
Him Mammon answered; That goodly one,
Whom all that folke with such contention,
Do flocke about, my deare my, daughter is;
Honour and dignitie from her alone,
DeriuedDerived are, and all this worldes blis
For which ye men do striuestrive: few get, but many mis.
[49]
And faire Philotime she rightly hight,
The fairest wight that wonneth vnderunder skye,
But that this darksome neather world her light
Doth dim with horrour and deformitie,
Worthy of heauenheaven and hye felicitie,
From whence the gods hauehave her for enuyenvy thrust:
But sith thou hast found fauourfavour in mine eye,
Thy spouse I will her make, if that thou lust,
That she may thee aduanceadvance for workes and merites iustjust.
[50]
Gramercy Mammon (said the gentle knight)
For so great grace and offred high estate;
But I, that am fraile flesh and earthly wight,
VnworthyUnworthy match for such immortall mate
My selfe well wote, and mine vnequallunequall fate;
And were I not, yet is my trouth yplight,
And louelove auowdavowd to other Lady late,
That to remoueremove the same I hauehave no might:
To chaunge louelove causelesse is reproch to warlike knight.
[51]
Mammon emmouedemmoved was with inward wrath;
Yet forcing it to faine, him forth thence led
Through griesly shadowes by a beaten path,
Into a gardin goodly garnished
With hearbs and fruits, whose kinds mote not be red:
Not such, as earth out of her fruitfull woomb
Throwes forth to men, sweet and well sauoured,
But direfull deadly blacke both leafe and bloom,
Fit to adorne the dead, and decke the drery toombe.
[52]
There mournfull Cypresse grew in greatest store,
And trees of bitter Gall, and Heben sad,
Dead sleeping Poppy, and blacke Hellebore,
Cold Coloquintida, and Tetra mad,
Mortall Samnitis, and Cicuta bad,
Which with thvniust Atheniens made to dy
Wise Socrates, who thereof quaffing glad
Pourd out his life, and last Philosophy
To the faire Critias his dearest Belamy.
[53]
The Gordin of Proserpina this hight;
And in the midst thereof a siluersilver seat,
With a thicke Arber goodly ouerover dight,
In which she often vsdusd from open heat
Her selfe to shroud, and pleasures to entreat.
Next thereunto did grow a goodly tree,
With braunches broad dispred and body great,
Clothed with leauesleaves, that none the wood mote see
And loaden all with fruit as thicke as it might bee.
[54]
Their fruit were golden apples glistring bright,
That goodly was their glory to behold,
On earth like neuernever grew, ne liuingliving wight
Like euerever saw, but they from hence were sold;
For those, which Hercules with conquest bold
Got from great Atlas daughters, hence began,
And planted there, did bring forth fruit of gold:
And those with which th’Eubæan young man wan
Swift Atalanta, when through craft he her out ran.
[55]
Here also sprong that goodly golden fruit,
With which Acontius got his louerlover trew,
Whom he had long time sought with fruitlesse suit:
Here eke that famous golden Apple grew,
The which emongst the gods false Ate threw;
For which th’Idæan Ladies disagreed,
Till partiall Paris dempt it Venus dew,
And had of her, faire Helen for his meed,
That many noble Greekes and TroiansTrojans made to bleed.
[56]
The warlike Elfe, much wondred at this tree,
So faire and great, that shadowed all the ground,
And his broad braunches, laden with rich fee,
Did stretch themseluesthemselves without the vtmostutmost bound
Of this great gardin, compast with a mound,
Which ouer-hanging, they themseluesthemselves did steepe,
In a blacke flood which flow’d about it round;
That is the riuerriver of Cocytus deepe,
In which full many soules do endlesse waile and weepe.
[57]
Which to behold, he clomb vpup to the banke,
And looking downe, saw many damned wights,
In those sad waueswaves, which direfull deadly stanke,
Plonged continually of cruell Sprights,
That with their pitteous cryes, and yelling shrights,
They made the further shore resounden wide:
Emongst the rest of those same ruefull sights,
One cursed creature, he by chaunce espide,
That drenched lay full deepe, vnderunder the Garden side.
[58]
Deepe was he drenched to the vpmostupmost chin,
Yet gaped still, as couetingcoveting to drinke
Of the cold liquor, which he waded in,
And stretching forth his hand, did often thinke
To reach the fruit, which grew vponupon the brincke:
But both the fruit from hand, and floud from mouth
Did flie abacke, and made him vainely swinke:
The whiles he steru’dsterv’d with hunger and with drouth
He daily dyde, yet neuernever throughly dyen couth.
[59]
The knight him seeing labour so in vaine,
Askt who he was, and what he ment thereby:
Who groning deepe, thus answerd him againe;
Most cursed of all creatures vnderunder skye,
Lo Tantalus, I here tormented lye:
Of whom high IoueJove wont whylome feasted bee,
Lo here I now for want of food doe dye:
But if that thou be such, as I thee see,
Of grace I pray thee, giuegive to eat and drinke to mee.
[60]
Nay, nay, thou greedie Tantalus (quoth he)
Abide the fortune of thy present fate,
And vntounto all that liuelive in high degree,
Ensample be of mind intemperate,
To teach them how to vseuse their present state.
Then gan the cursed wretch aloud to cry,
Accusing highest IoueJove and gods ingrate,
And eke blaspheming heauenheaven bitterly,
As authour of vniusticeunjustice, there to let him dye.
[61]
He lookt a little further, and espyde
Another wretch, whose carkasse deepe was drent
Within the riuerriver, which the same did hyde:
But both his hands most filthy feculent,
AboueAbove the water were on high extent,
And faynd to wash themseluesthemselves incessantly;
Yet nothing cleaner were for such intent,
But rather fowler seemed to the eye;
So lost his labour vaine and idle industry.
[62]
The knight him calling, asked who he was,
Who lifting vpup his head, him answerd thus:
I Pilate am the falsest IudgeJudge, alas,
And most vniustunjust, that by vnrighteousunrighteous
And wicked doome, to IewesJewes despiteous
DeliueredDelivered vpup the Lord of life to die,
And did acquite a murdrer felonous;
The whiles my hands I washt in puritie,
The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie.
[63]
Infinite moe, tormented in like paine
He there beheld, too long here to be told:
Ne Mammon would there let him long remaine,
For terrour of the tortures manifold,
In which the damned soules he did behold,
But roughly him bespake. Thou fearefull foole,
Why takest not of that same fruit of gold,
Ne sittest downe on that same siluersilver stoole,
To rest thy wearie person, in the shadow coole.
[64]
All which he did, to doe him deadly fall
In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt;
To which if he inclined had at all,
That dreadfull feend, which did behind him wayt,
Would him hauehave rent in thousand peeces strayt:
But he was warie wise in all his way,
And well perceiuedperceived his deceiptfull sleight,
Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray;
So goodly did beguile the Guyler of the pray.
[65]
And now he has so long remained there,
That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and wan,
For want of food, and sleepe, which two vpbeareupbeare,
Like mightie pillours, this fraile life of man,
That none without the same enduren can.
For now three dayes of men were full outwrought,
Since he this hardie enterprize began:
For thy great Mammon fairely he besought,
Into the world to guide him backe, as he him brought.
[66]
The God, though loth, yet was constraind t’obay,
For lenger time, 1596.bk2.II.vii.66.2. then: thanthenthan that, no liuingliving wight
Below the earth, might suffred be to stay:
So backe againe, him brought to liuingliving light.
But all so soone as his enfeebled spright
Gan sucke this vitall aire into his brest,
As ouercomeovercome with too exceeding might,
The life did flit away out of her nest,
And all his senses were with deadly fit opprest.
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