Wherewith his hands did help his feet to bear,

Else could they ill so huge a burthen steer:

His clothes were all of leaves, no armour could he wear.
LXXXIII.

Only a target light, upon his arm

He careless bore, on which old Gryll was drawn,
Transform'd into a hog with cunning charm ;
In head, and paunch, and soul itself a brawn
Half drown'd within; without, yet still did hunt
In his deep trough for swill, as he was wont :
Cas'd all in loathsome mire : no word; Gryll could but grunt.
LXXXIV.

Him serv'd sweet seeming lusts, self pleasing lies,
But bitter death flow'd from those sweets of sin;
And at the rear of these in secret guise

Crept Thievery, and Detraction, near akin,

No twins more like they seem'd almost the same; One stole the goods, the other the good name : The latter lives in scorn, the former dies in shame.

LXXXV.

Their boon companions in their jovial feasting

Were new-shap'd oaths, and damning perjuries ;
Their cates, fit for their taste, profanest jesting;
Sauc'd with the salt of Hell, dire blasphemies.
But till th' ambitious Sun, yet still aspiring,
Allays his flaming gold with gentler firing,
We'll rest our weary song, to that thick grove retiring.

1

CANTO VIII.

I.

THE

sun began to slack his bended bow, And more obliquely, dart his milder ray;

When cooler airs gently 'gan to blow,

And fan the fields, parch'd with the scorching day: The shepherds to their wonted seats repair; Thirsil, refresh'd with this soft breathing air, Thus 'gan renew his task, and broken song repair. II.

What watchful care must fence that weary state,

Which deadly foes begirt with cruel siege;

And frailest wall of glass, and trait'rous gate
Strive which should first yield up their woeful liege?
By enemies assail'd, by friends betray'd;

When others hurt, himself refuses aid :

By weakeness' self his strength is foil'd and overlay'd. III.

How comes it then, that in so near decay

We deadly sleep in deep security, When every hour is ready to betray

Our lives to that still watching enemy?

Wake then, thy soul, that deadly slumbereth; For when thy foe hath seiz'd thy captive breath, Too late to wish past life, too late to wish for death. IV.

Caro the vanguard with the Dragon led,

Cosmos* the battle guides, with loud alarms;

Cosmos the first son to the Dragon red,

Shining in seeming gold and glitt'ring arms;

*The world or Mammon.

Well might he seem a strong and gentle knight,
As e'er was clad in steel and armour bright;
But was a recreant base, a foul, false cheating spright.
V.

And as himself, such were his arms; appearing
Bright burnish'd gold, indeed base alchymy,
Dim beetle eyes, and greedy worldlings blearing;
His shield was dress'd in night's sad livery,
Where man-like apes a glow-worm compass round,
Glad that in wintry night they fire had found:
Busy they puff and blow: the word, 'Mistake the ground.'
VI.

Mistake points all his darts; his sun shines bright,
(Mistaken) light appear, sad lightning prove:
His elouds (mistook) seem lightnings, turn'd to light;
His love true hatred is, his hatred love;

His shop, a pedlar's pack of apish fashion;

His honours, pleasures, joys, are all vexation: His wages, glorious care, sweet surfeits, woo'd damnation. VII.

His lib'ral favours, complimental arts;

His high advancements, Alpine slipp'ry straits; His smiling glances, death's most pleasing darts; And (what he vaunts) his gifts are gilded baits: Indeed he nothing is, yet all appears.

Hapless earth's happy fools, that know no tears! 'Who bathes in worldly joys, swims in a world of fears.' VIII.

Pure Essence! who hast made a stone descry
"Twixt nature's hid, and check that metal's pride

That dares aspire to gold's high sov'reignty;

Ah, leave some touchstone erring eyes to guide,

And judge dissemblance! see by what devices,
Sin with fair gloss our mole-ey'd sight entices,
That vices virtues seem to most; and virtues vices.
IX.

Strip thou their meretricious seemliness,
And tinfold glitt'ring, bare to ev'ry sight,
That we may loath their inward ugliness;
Or else uncloud the soul, whose shady light
Adds a fair lustre to false earthly bliss:
Thine and their beauty differs but in this;
Theirs what it is not, seems; thine seems not what it is.
X.

Next to the captain, coward * Deilos far'd

Him right before he as his shield projected, And following troops to back him as his guard ; Yet both his shield and guard (faint heart) suspected: And sending often back his doubtful eye,

By fearing, taught unthought-of treachery; So made him enemies, by fearing enmity.

XI.

Still did he look for some ensuing cross,
Fearing such hap as never man befel :
No mean he knows, but dreads each little loss

(With tyranny of fear distraught) as Hell,

His sense, he dare not trust (nor eyes, nor ears) ;
And when no other cause of fright appears,

Himself he much suspects, aud fears his causeless fears.
XII.

Harness'd with massy steel, for fence not fight;

His sword unseemly long he ready drew :

At sudden shine of his own armour bright,
He started oft, and star'd with ghastly hue :

*Fearfulness.

His shrieks at ev'ry danger that appears,

Shaming the knight-like arms he goodly bears:

His word: Safer, that all, than he that nothing fears.'
XIII.

With him went Doubt, stagg'ring with steps unsure;
That every way, and neither way inclin'd;
And fond Distrust, whom nothing could secure :
Suspicion lean, as if he never din'd :

He keeps intelligence by thousand spies;
Argus to him bequeath'd his hundred eyes :
So waking, still he sleeps, and sleeping, wakeful lies.
XIV.

Fond Deilos all; Tolmetes* nothing fears;

Just frights he laughs, all terrors counteth base; And when of danger or sad news he hears,

He meets the thund'ring fortune face to face:

Yet oft in words he spends his boist'rous threat; That his hot blood driv'n from the native seat, Leaves his faint coward heart empty of lively heat.† XV.

Himself (weak help!) was all his confidence;

He scorns low ebbs, but swims in highest rises: His limbs with arms or shield he would not fence, Such coward fashion (fool!) he much despises :

Ev'n for his single sword the world seems scant;

For hundred worlds his conqu'ring arm could daunt : Much would he boldly do ; but, much more boldly vaunt.

Overboldness, or fool-hardiness.

+ The philosopher rightly calls such garudelhos Ethic. 3. cap. 7. not only fool-hardy but faint-hardy.