XIX
So wept Duessa untill eventide, That shyning lampes in Joves high house were light: Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide, 165 But comes unto the place, where th' Hethen knight In slombring swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright, Lay cover'd with inchaunted cloud all day: Whom when she found, as she him left in plight, To wayle his woefull case she would not stay, 170 But to the easterne coast of heaven makes speedy way.
XX
Where griesly Night,° with visage deadly sad, That Phoebus chearefull face durst never vew, And in a foule blacke pitchie mantle clad, She findes forth comming from her darkesome mew, 175 Where she all day did hide her hated hew. Before the dore her yron charet stood, Alreadie harnessed for journey new; And coleblacke steedes yborne of hellish brood, That on their rustie bits did champ, as they were wood. 180
XXI
Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright, Adornd with gold and jewels shining cleare, She greatly grew amazed at the sight, And th' unacquainted light began to feare: For never did such brightnesse there appeare, 185 And would have backe retyred to her cave, Until the witches speech she gan to heare, Saying, Yet, O thou dreaded Dame, I crave Abide, till I have told the message which I have.
XXII
She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede 190 O thou most auncient Grandmother of all, More old then Jove, whom thou at first didst breede, Or that great house of Gods cælestiall, Which wast begot in Daemogorgons hall, And sawst the secrets of the world unmade, 195 Why suffredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade? Lo where the stout Sansjoy doth sleepe in deadly shade.
XXIII
And him before, I saw with bitter eyes The bold Sansfoy shrinke underneath his speare; 200 And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes, Nor wayld of friends, nor layd on groning beare,° That whylome was to me too dearely deare. O what of Gods° then boots it to be borne, If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare? 205 Or who shall not great Nightes children scorne, When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne?
XXIV
Up then, up dreary Dame, of darknesse Queene, Go gather up the reliques of thy race, Or else goe them avenge, and let be seene, 210 That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place, And can the children of faire light deface. Her feeling speeches some compassion moved In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face: Yet pittie in her hart was never proved 215 Till then: for evermore she hated, never loved.
XXV
And said, Deare daughter rightly may I rew The fall of famous children borne of mee, And good successes,° which their foes ensew: But who can turne the streame of destinee, 220 Or breake the chayne° of strong necessitee, Which fast is tyde to Joves eternall seat? The sonnes of Day he favoureth, I see, And by my ruines thinkes to make them great: To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat.° 225
XXVI
Yet shall they not escape so freely all; For some shall pay the price of others guilt: And he the man that made Sansfoy to fall, Shall with his owne bloud° price that he has spilt. But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt? 230 I that do seeme not I, Duessa am, (Quoth she) how ever now in garments gilt, And gorgeous gold arrayd I to thee came; Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame.
XXVII
Then bowing downe her aged backe, she kist 235 The wicked witch, saying; In that faire face The false resemblance of Deceipt I wist Did closely lurke; yet so true-seeming grace It carried, that I scarce in darkesome place Could it discerne, though I the mother bee 240 Of falshood, and roote of Duessaes race. O welcome child, whom I have longd to see, And now have seene unwares. Lo now I go with thee.
XXVIII
Then to her yron wagon she betakes, And with her beares the fowle welfavourd witch: 245 Through mirkesome aire her readie way she makes. Her twyfold Teme, of which two blacke as pitch, And two were browne, yet each to each unlich, Did softly swim away, ne ever stampe, Unlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch; 250 Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champe, And trampling the fine element would fiercely rampe.
XXIX
So well they sped, that they be come at length Unto the place, whereas the Paynim lay, Devoid of outward sense, and native strength, 255 Coverd with charmed cloud from vew of day And sight of men, since his late luckelesse fray. His cruell wounds with cruddy bloud congeald They binden up so wisely, as they may, And handle softly, till they can be healed: 260 So lay him in her charet close in night concealed.
XXX
And all the while she stood upon the ground, The wakefull dogs did never cease to bay,° As giving warning of th' unwonted sound, With which her yron wheeles did them affray, 265 And her darke griesly looke them much dismay: The messenger of death, the ghastly Owle° With drery shriekes did also her bewray; And hungry Wolves continually did howle, At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle. 270
XXXI
Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole, And brought the heavie corse with easie pace To yawning gulfe of deepe Avernus hole.° By that same hole an entrance darke and bace With smoake and sulphure hiding all the place, 275 Descends to hell: there creature never past, That backe returned without heavenly grace; But dreadfull Furies which their chaines have brast, And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.
XXXII
By that same way the direfull dames doe drive 280 Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood, And downe to Plutoes house are come bilive: Which passing through, on every side them stood The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood, Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide 285 With stonie eyes; and all the hellish brood Of feends infernall flockt on every side, To gaze on earthly wight that with the Night durst ride.
XXXIII
They pas the bitter waves of Acheron, Where many soules sit wailing woefully, 290 And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton, Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry, And with sharpe shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry, Cursing high Jove, the which them thither sent. The house of endlesse paine is built thereby, 295 In which ten thousand sorts of punishment The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.
XXXIV
Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus° His three deformed heads did lay along, Curled with thousand adders venemous, 300 And lilled forth his bloudie flaming tong: At them he gan to reare his bristles strong, And felly gnarre, until Dayes enemy Did him appease; then downe his taile he hong And suffred them to passen quietly: 305 For she in hell and heaven had power equally.
XXXV
There was Ixion turned on a wheele,° For daring tempt the Queene of heaven to sin; And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele Against an hill, ne might from labour lin; 310 There thirsty Tantalus hong by the chin; And Tityus fed a vulture on his maw; Typhoeus joynts were stretched on a gin, Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth by law, And fifty sisters water in leake vessels draw. 315
XXXVI
They all beholding worldly wights in place, Leave off their worke, unmindfull of their smart, To gaze on them; who forth by them doe pace, Till they be come unto the furthest part; Where was a Cave ywrought by wondrous art, 320 Deepe, darke, uneasie, dolefull, comfortlesse, In which sad Aesculapius° farre apart Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse, For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse.
XXXVII
Hippolytus a jolly huntsman was 325 That wont in charett chace the foming Bore: He all his Peeres in beauty did surpas, But Ladies love as losse of time forbore: His wanton stepdame loved him the more, But when she saw her offred sweets refused, 330 Her love she turnd to hate, and him before His father fierce of treason false accused, And with her gealous termes his open eares abused.