Much fairer than the former, was that room,
And richlier by many parts array'd:
For not with arras made in painful loom,
But with pure gold, it all was overlayd,
Wrought with wild anticks, which their follies plaid,
In the rich metal, as they living were:
A thousand monftrous forms therein were made,
Such as falfe Love doth oft upon him wear.
For Love in thousand monftrous forms doth oft
appear.
LII.
And all about, the gliftring walls were hong
With warlike spoils, and with victorious preys
Of mighty conquerours and captains ftrong,
Which were whylome captived in their days
To cruel love, and wrought their own decays:
Their fwords and fpears were broke, and hauberques rent,
And their proud girlonds of triumphant bays
Trodden in duft with fury infolent,
To fhew the victors might and merciless intent.
LIII.
The warlike maid, beholding earnestly
The goodly ordinance of this rich place,
Did greatly wonder, ne could fatisfy
Her greedy eyes with gazing, a long space:
But more the marvail'd, that no footings trace,
Nor wight appear'd, but wasteful emptinefs,
And folemn filence over all that place :
Strange thing it feem'd that none was to poffefs
So rich purveyance, ne them keep with carefulness.
LIV.
And as the lookt about, fhe did behold
How over that fame door was likewife writ,
Be bold, Be bold, and every where Be bold;
That much the muz'd, yet could not conftrue it
By any ridling fkill, or common wit.
At last the fpide, at that rooms upper end,
Another iron door, on which was writ
Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend
Her earnest mind, yet wift not what it might intend.
Thus there fhe waited until even-tide,
Yet living creature none she saw appear:
And now fad shadows 'gan the world to hide,
From mortal view, and wrap in darkness drear;
Yet n'ould she doff her weary arms, for fear
Of fecret danger, ne let fleep oppress
Her heavy eyes with natures burden dear,
But drew herself afide in fickernefs,
And her well-pointed weapons did about her drefs.
CANTO XII.
The Mask of Cupid, and th'enchanted
Chamber are difplayd;
Whence Britomart redeemes fair
Amoret, through charms decay'd.
ho whenas chearless night ycovred had
Fair heaven with an univerfal cloud,
That every wight, difmay'd with darkness fad,
In filence and in fleep themselves did fhroud,
She heard a fhrilling trumpet found aloud,
Sign of nigh battle, or got victory ;
Nought therewith daunted was her courage proud,
But rather ftir'd to cruel enmity,
Expecting ever, when fome foe fhe might defcry.
II.
With that, an hideous ftorm of wind arofe,
With dreadful thunder and lightning atwixt,
And an earth-quake, as if it ftreight would loose
The worlds foundations from his centre fixt,
A direful stench of fmoak and fulphur mixt
Enfu'd, whofe noyance fill'd the fearful fted,
From the fourth hour of night until the fixt;
Yet the bold Britonefs was nought ydred,
Though much emmov'd, but stedfaft ftill perfevered.
All fuddainly a stormy whirlwind blew
Throughout the house, that clapped every dore:
With which, that iron wicket open flew,
As it with mighty levers had been tore:
And forth iffu'd, as on the ready flore
Of fome theatre, a grave perfonage,
That in his hand a branch of Laurel bore,
With comely haviour and count'nance sage,
Yclad in coftly garments fit for tragick stage.
IV.
Proceeding to the midft, he ftill did ftand,
As if in mind he fomewhat had to fay;
And to the vulgar beckning with his hand,
In fign of filence as to hear a play,
By lively actions he 'gan bewray
Some argument of matter paffioned;
Which doen, he back retired foft away;
And paffing by, his name discovered,
Eafe, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.
The noble maid, still standing, all this view'd,
And marvail'd at his ftrange intendiment.
With that, a joyous fellowship iffu'd
Of minstrels, making goodly merriment,
With wanton Bards, and rhimers impudent;
All which together fung full chearfully
A lay of loves delight, with fweet concent:
After whom, marcht a jolly company,
In manner of a mask, enranged orderly.
The whiles a moft delicious harmony,
In full ftrange notes was fweetly heard to found,
That the rare sweetness of the melody
The feeble fenfes wholly did confound,
And the frail foul in deep delight nigh drown'd:
And when it ceaft fhrill trumpets loud did bray,
That their report did far away rebound,
And when they ceaft, it 'gan again to play,
The whiles the mafkers marched forth in trim array.
The first was Fancy, like a lovely boy,
Of rare aspect, and beauty without peer;
Matchable either to that imp of Troy,
Whom Jove did love, and chofe his cup to bear,
Or that fame dainty Lad, which was fo dear
To great Alcides, that whenas he dy'd,
He wailed woman-like with many a tear,
And every wood and every valley wide
He fill'd with Hylas name; the Nymphs eke Hylas cry'd.
VIII.
His garment neither was of filk nor fay,
But painted plumes, in goodly order dight,
Like as the fun-burnt Indians do array
Their tawny bodies, in their proudest plight:
As those fame plumes, fo feem'd he vain and light,
That by his gate might eafily appear;
For ftill he far'd as dancing in delight,
And in his hand a windy fan did bear,
That in the idle air he mov'd ftill here and there.
And him befide marcht amorous Defire,
Who feem'd of riper years than th'other fwain;
Yet was that other fwain this elders fire,
And gave him being, common to them twain:
His garment was disguised very vain,
And his embroidred bonnet fat awry;
Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did strain,
Which still he blew, and kindled bufily,
That foon they life conceiv'd, and forth in flames did fly.
X.
Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a difcolour'd coat, of ftrange difguife,
That at his back a broad capuccio had,
And fleeves dependant Albanefe-wife:
He lookt afkew with his mistrustfull eyes,
And nicely trode, as thorns lay in his way,
Or that the flore to fhrink he did avife,
And on a broken reed he ftill did stay
His feeble fteps, which fhrunk, when hard thereon he lay.
With him went Danger, cloth'd in ragged weed,
Made of Bears fkin, that him more dreadfull made:
Yet his own face was dreadful, ne did need
Strange horrour, to deform his griefly fhade;
A net in th'one hand, and a rusty blade
In th❜other was: this mischief, that mishap;
With th❜one his foes he threatned to invade,
With th❜other he his friends meant to enwrap;
For whom he could not kill, he practiz'd to entrap :
XII.
Next him was Fear, all arm'd from top to toe,
Yet thought himself not safe enough thereby,
But feard each fhadow moving to and fro:
And his own arms when glittering he did spy,
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,
As afhes pale of hue, and wingy heeld;
And evermore on Danger fixt his eye,
Gainft whom he always bent a brazen shield,
Which his right hand unarmed fearfully did wield.
XIII.
With him went Hope in rank, a handsome maid,
Of chearful look, and lovely to behold;
In filken famite fhe was light arrayd,
And her fair locks were woven up in gold;
She always fmil'd, and in her hand did hold
An holy water-fprinkle, dipt in dew,
With which the fprinkled favours manifold,
On whom she lift, and did great liking fhew;
Great liking unto many, but true love to few.
XIV.
And after them Diffemblance and Sufpect
Marcht in one rank, yet an unequal pair:
For fhe was gentle and of mild afpect,
Courteous to all, and feeming debonair,
Goodly adorned, and exceeding fair:
Yet was that all but painted, and purloind,
And her bright brows were deckt with borrow'd hair, Her deeds were forged, and her words faife coind, And always in her hand two clews of filk fhe twind.
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