XIII
Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came, And false Duessa seeming Lady faire, 110 A gentle Husher, Vanitie by name Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire: So goodly brought them to the lowest staire Of her high throne, where they on humble knee Making obeyssance, did the cause declare, 115 Why they were come, her royall state to see, To prove the wide report of her great Majestee.
XIV
With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low, She thanked them in her disdainefull wise; Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show 120 Of Princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise. Her Lordes and Ladies all this while devise Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight: Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise, Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight 125 Their gay attire: each others greater pride does spight.
XV
Goodly they all that knight do entertaine, Right glad with him to have increast their crew: But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew; 130 For in that court whylome her well they knew: Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew, And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd, That to strange knight no better countenance allowd. 135
XVI
Suddein upriseth from her stately place The royall Dame, and for her coche did call: All hurtlen forth, and she with Princely pace, As faire Aurora in her purple pall, Out of the east the dawning day doth call: 140 So forth she comes: her brightnesse brode doth blaze; The heapes of people thronging in the hall, Do ride each other, upon her to gaze: Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.
XVII
So forth she comes, and to her coche° does clyme, 145 Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay, That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime, And strove to match, in royall rich array, Great Junoes golden chaire, the which they say The Gods stand gazing on, when she does ride 150 To Joves high house through heavens bras-paved way Drawne of faire Pecocks, that excell in pride, And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide.
XVIII
But this was drawne of six unequall beasts, On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde, 155 Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts, With like conditions° to their kinds applyde: Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde, Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin; Upon a slouthful Asse he chose to ryde, 160 Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin, Like to an holy Monck, the service to begin.
XIX
And in his hand his Portesse still he bare, That much was worne, but therein little red, For of devotion he had little care, 165 Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his dayes ded; Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed, To looken, whether it were night or day: May seeme the wayne was very evill led, When such an one had guiding of the way, 170 That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.
XX
From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne, And greatly shunned manly exercise, From every worke he chalenged essoyne,° For contemplation sake: yet otherwise, 175 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. 180
XXI
And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony, Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne; His belly was up-blowne with luxury, And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne, And like a Crane° his necke was long and fyne, 185 With which he swallowed up excessive feast, For want whereof poore people oft did pyne; And all the way, most like a brutish beast, He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.
XXII
In greene vine leaves he was right fitly clad; 190 For other clothes he could not weare for heat, And on his head an yvie girland had, From under which fast trickled downe the sweat: Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat, And in his hand did beare a bouzing can, 195 Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat His dronken corse he scarse upholden can, In shape and life more like a monster, then a man.
XXIII
Unfit he was for any worldly thing, And eke unhable once to stirre or go, 200 Not meet to be of counsell to a king, Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so, That from his friend he seldome knew his fo: Full of diseases was his carcas blew, And a dry dropsie° through his flesh did flow: 205 Which by misdiet daily greater grew: Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.
XXIV
And next to him rode lustfull Lechery, Upon a bearded Goat, whose rugged haire, And whally eyes (the signe of gelosy), 210 Was like the person selfe, whom he did beare: Who rough, and blacke, and filthy did appeare, Unseemely man to please faire Ladies eye; Yet he of Ladies oft was loved deare, When fairer faces were bid standen by: 215 O who does know the bent of womens fantasy?
XXV
In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire, Which underneath did hide his filthinesse, And in his hand a burning hart he bare, Full of vaine follies, and new fanglenesse, 220 For he was false, and fraught with ficklenesse; And learned had to love with secret lookes; And well could daunce, and sing with ruefulnesse, And fortunes tell, and read in loving bookes, And thousand other wayes, to bait his fleshly hookes. 225
XXVI
Inconstant man, that loved all he saw, And lusted after all that he did love; Ne would his looser life be tide to law, But joyd weak wemens hearts to tempt and prove, If from their loyall loves he might them move; 230 Which lewdnesse fild him with reprochfull paine Of that fowle evill, which all men reprove, That rots the marrow and consumes the braine: Such one was Lecherie, the third of all this traine.
XXVII
And greedy Avarice by him did ride, 235 Upon a Camell° loaden all with gold; Two iron coffers hong on either side, With precious mettall full as they might hold; And in his lap an heape of coine he told; For of his wicked pelfe his God he made, 240 And unto hell him selfe for money sold; Accursed usurie was all his trade, And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.
XXVIII
His life was nigh unto deaths doore yplast, And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes he ware, 245 Ne scarse good morsell all his life did tast, But both from backe and belly still did spare, To fill his bags, and richesse to compare; Yet chylde ne kinsman living had he none To leave them to; but thorough daily care 250 To get, and nightly feare to lose his owne, He led a wretched life unto him selfe unknowne.°
XXIX
Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise, Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store, Whose need had end, but no end covetise, 255 Whose wealth was want, whose plenty made him pore, Who had enough, yet wished ever more; A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand A grievous gout tormented him full sore, That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand; 260 Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this faire band.
XXX
And next to him malicious Envie rode, Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw Betweene his cankred teeth a venemous tode, That all the poison ran about his chaw; 265 But inwardly he chawed his owne maw At neighbours wealth, 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. 270
XXXI
All in a kirtle of discolourd say He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes; And in his bosome secretly there lay An hatefull Snake, the which his taile uptyes In many folds, and mortall sting implyes. 275 Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth, to see Those heapes of gold with griple Covetyse; And grudged at the great felicitie Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companie.