XV.

But he was foul, ill-favoured, and grim,
Under his eye-brows looking ftill afcance;
And ever as Diffemblance laught on him,
He lour'd on her with dangerous eye-glance;
Shewing his nature in his countenance;
His rolling eyes did never reft in place,
But walkt each where, for fear of hid mifchance,
Holding a lattice ftill before his face,

Through which he ftill did peep, as forward he did pace.
XVI.

Next him went Grief, and Fury matcht yfere;
Grief all in fable forrowfully clad,

Down hanging his dull head with heavy chear,
Yet inly being more than feeming fad:
A pair of pincers in his hand he had,
With which he pinched people to the heart,
That from thenceforth a wretched life they lad,
In wilful langour and confuming fmart,
Dying each day with inward wounds of dolours dart.
XVII.

But Fury was full ill apparelled

In rags, that naked nigh she did

appear,
With ghaftly looks and dreadful drerihed;
For from her back her garments she did tear,
And from her head oft rent her fnarled hair:
In her right hand a fire-brand she did tofs
About her head, ftill roaming here and there;
As a dismayed Deer in chace embost,
Forgetful of his fafety, hath his right way lost.
XVIII.

After them, went Difpleafure and Pleafance;
He looking lumpish and full fullen fad,
And hanging down his heavy countenance;
She chearful fresh and full of joyance glad,
As if no forrow fhe ne felt, ne drad;
That evil matched pair they feem'd to be:
An angry Wafp th' one in a vial had :
Th'other in hers an hony-lady Bee;

Thus marched thete fix couples forth in fair degree.

XIX.

After all thefe, there marcht a most fair Dame,
Led of two griflie villains, th' one Despight,
The other cleped Cruelty by name:
She doleful Lady, like a dreary spright,
Call'd by ftrong charms out of eternal night,
Had deaths own image figur'd in her face,
Full of fad figns, fearful to living fight;
Yet in that horrour fhew'd a feemly grace,
And with her feeble feet did move a comely pace.
XX.

Her breast all naked, as neat ivory,

Without adorn of gold or filver bright,
Wherewith the craftsman wonts it beautifie,
Of her due honour was defpoiled quight,
And a wide wound therein (O rueful fight!)
Entrenched deep with knife accurfed keen,
Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting spright
(The work of cruel hand) was to be feen,
That dy'd in fanguine red her skin all snowy clean.
XXI.

At that wide orifice, her trembling heart
Was drawn forth, and in filver bafin layd,
Quite through transfixed with a deadly dart,
And in her blood yet fteaming fresh embay'd:
And those two villains which her steps upstayd,
When her weak feet could fcarcely her fuftain,
And fading vital powers 'gan to fade,

Her forward ftill with torture did constrain,
And evermore encreased her confuming pain.
XXII.

Next after her, the winged God himself
Came riding on a Lyon ravenous,
Taught to obey the menage of that Elf,
That man and beaft with powre imperious.
Subdueth to his kingdom tyrannous :
His blindfold eyes he bade a while unbind,
That his proud fpoil of that fame dolorous
Fair Dame he might behold in perfect kind;
Which feen, he much rejoyced in his cruel mind

XXIII.

Of which full proud, himfelf up-rearing high,
He looked round about with ftern difdain;
And did furvey his goodly company:
And marshalling the evil order'd train,

With that the darts which his right hand did ftrain,
Full dreadfully he fhook that all did quake,
And clapt on high his colour'd wingës twain,
That all his many it afraid did make:

Tho blinding him again, his way he forth did take.

XXIV.

Behind him was Reproach, Repentance, Shame;
Reproach the first, Shame next, Repent behind:
Repentance feeble, forrowful and lame:
Reproach difpightful, careless, and unkind;
Shame moft ill-favour'd, bestial, and blind:
Shame lour'd, Repentance figh'd, Reproach did fcold;
Reproach fharp ftings, Repentance whips entwin'd,
Shame burning brond-irons in her hand did hold:
All three to each unlike, yet all made in one mould...
XXV.

And after them a rude confufed rout

Of perfonis flockt, whofe names is hard to read:
Emongst them was ftern Strife, and Anger ftout,
Unquiet Care, and fond Unthriftyhead,
Lewd Lofs of Time, and Sorrow feeming dead,
Inconftant Change, and falfe Difloyalty,
Confuming Riotife, and guilty Dread
Of heavenly vengeance, faint Infirmity,
Vile Poverty, and laftly Death with infamy.
XXVI.

There were full many more like maladies,
Whofe names and natures I no'te readen well;
So many more, as there be fantasies

In wavring womens wit, that none can tell,
Or pains in Love, or punishments in hell;
All which difguifed marcht in masking wife,
About the chamber by that Damozell,
And then returned (having marched thrice)
Into the inner room from whence they firft did rife.

XXVII.

So foon as they were in, the door ftreightway
Fast locked, driven with that ftormy blaft,
Which firft it open'd; and bore all away.

Then the brave maid, which all this while was pla ft,
In facret fhade, and faw both first and last,
Iffued forth, and went unto the dore,

To enter in, but found it locked faft:

In vain fhe thought with rigorous uprore

For to efforce, when charms had clofed it afore.
XXVIII.

Where force might not avail, there fleights and art
She caft to use, both fit for hard emprise;
Forthy, from that fame room not to depart
Till morrow next, fhe did herself avife,
When that fame mask again fhould forth arife.
The morrow next appear'd with joyous chear,
Calling men to their daily exercise;

Then the, as morrow fresh, herself did rear
Out of her fecret stand, that day for to outwear;
XXIX.

All that day fhe outwore in wandering,
And gazing on that chambers ornament,
Till that again the fecond evening

Her cover'd with her fable veftiment,
Wherewith the world's fair beauty fhe hath blent:
Then when the second watch was almost past,
That brazen door flew open, and in went
Bold Britomart, as fhe had late forecaft,
Neither of idle fhews, nor of falfe charms aghaft.
XXX.

So foon as she was entred, round about
She caft her eyes, to fee what was become
Of all those perfons, which the faw without:
But lo, they straight were vanifht all and fome,
Ne living wight fhe faw in all that room,
Save that fame woeful Lady; both whofe hands
Were bounden faft, that did her ill become,
And her small waift girt round with iron bands,
Unto a brazen pillour, by the which fhe ftands.

XXXI.

And her before, the vile Enchanter fate,
Figuring ftrange characters of his art:
With living blood he those characters wrote,
Dreadfully dropping from her dying heart,
Seeming transfixed with a cruel dart;
And all perforce to make her him to love.
Ah! who can love the worker of her smart?
A thousand charms he formerly did prove;

Yet thousand charms could not her ftedfaft heart remove.
XXXII.

Soon as that virgin-Knight he faw in place,
His wicked books in hafte he overthrew,
Not caring his long labours to deface;
And fiercely running to that Lady true,
A murd'rous knife out of his pocket drew;
The which he thought, for villainous defpight;
In her tormented body to embrue :

But the ftout damzel to him leaping light,
His cursed hand withheld, and maistered his might.
XXXIII.

From her, to whom his fury first he meant,
The wicked weapon rafhly he did wreft;
And turning to her felf his fell intent,
Unwares it ftrook into her fnowy cheft,
That little drops empurpled her fair breast.
Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew,
Albe the wound were nothing deep impreft,
And fiercely forth her mortal blade the drew,
To give him the reward for fuch vile outrage due.
XXXIV.

So mightily fhe fmote him, that to ground

He fell half dead; next stroke him fhould have flain,
Had not the Lady which by him stood bound,

Dernly unto her called to abftain,

From doing him to dye. For elfe her pain
Should be remedilefs, fith none but he,

Which wrought it, could the fame recure again.
Therewith fhe ftaid her hand loth staid to be;
For life fhe him envy'd, and long'd revenge to fee