Yet stiles herself holy Devotion,

And so is call'd, and seems in shady night:
Fearful as is the hare, or hunted hind;

Her face, and breast, she oft with crosses sign'd: No custom would she break, or change her settled mind. XLIV.

If hare, or snake, her way, herself she crosses,
And stops her mazed steps; sad fears affright her
When falling salt points out some fatal losses,
Till Bacchus' grapes with holy sprinkle quite her :
Her only *bible is an Erra Patert;

Her antidote are hallow'd wax and water:

I' th' dark, all lights are sprights, all noises chains that clatter.

XLV.

With them march'd (sunk in deep security)
Profaneness, to be fear'd, for never fearing;
And by him, new oaths coining Blasphemy,
Who names not God, but in a curse, or swearing:
And thousand other fiends in diverse fashion,
Dispos'd in several ward, and certain station :
Under, Hell widely yawn'd; and over, flew Damnation.
XLVI.

Next Adicus his sons;-first Ecthros sly,

Whose prick'd-up ears kept open house for lies; And's leering eyes still watch, and wait to spy

When to return still-living injuries:

* Alluding to the erroneous Fopish translation.

In contradistinction to Vera Mater, i. e. the true mother; the church of

Rome so calling herself.

Hatred
P

Fair weather smil'd upon his painted face,

And eyes spoke peace, till he had time and place, Then pours down show'rs of rage, and streams of rancour base.

XLVILA

So when a sable cloud, with swelling sail

Comes swimming through calm skies, the silent air (While fierce winds sleep in Eol's rocky jail)

With spangled beams embroider'd, glitters fair ;
But soon 'gins low'r straight clatt'ring hail is bred,
Scatt'ring cold shot; light hides his golden head,
And with untimely winter, earth's o'er-silvered.

XLVIII.

His arms well suit his mind, where smiling skies
Breed thund'ring tempests on his lofty crest
Asleep the spotted panther couching lies,

And by sweet scents, and skin so quaintly drest,
Draws on her prey upon his shield he bears
The dreadful monster which great Nilus fears;
(The weeping crocodile) his word, I kill with tears.'
XLIX.

With him Dissemblance went, his paramour,

Whose painted face might hardly be detected;
Arms of offence he seld' or never wore,

Lest thence his close designs might be suspected;
But clasping close his foe, as loth to part,

He steals his dagger with false smiling art,

And sheaths the trait'rous steel in his own master's heart.

L.

Two Jewish captains, close themselves enlacing

In love's sweet twines, his target broad display'd; One th' other's beard with his left hand embracing,

But in his right a shining sword he sway'd,

Which unawares thro' th' other's ribs he smites; There lay the wretch without all burial rites: His word, He deepest wounds, that in his fawning bites." LI.

Eris* the next, of sex unfit for war;

Her arms were bitter words from flaming tongue,
Which never quiet, wrangle, fight and jar ;·
Ne would she weigh report with right, or wrong:

1

What once she held, that would she ever hold, 2. And non-obstantes force with courage bold: WE The last word must she have, or never leave to scold. LII.

She is the trumpet to this angry train,

And whets their fury with loud-railing spite:: But when no open foes did more remain,

Against themselves, themselves she would incite.

Her clacking mill, driv'n by her flowing gall,

Could never stand, but chide, rail, bark, and bawl: Her shield no word could find, her tongue engross'd them all.

LIII.

Zelost the third, whose spiteful emulation
Could not endure a fellow in excelling;

Yet slow in any virtue's imitation,

At easy rate that fair possession selling :
Still as he went he hidden sparkles blew,

Till to a mighty flame they sudden grew,

And like fierce light'ning all in quick destruction drew.
LIV.

Upon his shield lay that Tirinthian swain,

Swelt'ring in fiery gore, and pois'nous flame,

His wife's sad gift venom'd with bloody stain :

Well could he bulls, snakes, Hell, all monsters tame; † Emulation.

* Variance.

Well could he Heav'n support, and prop alone:

But by fell jealousy soon overthrown,

Without a foe, or sword: his motto, First, or none.'

LV.

Thumos* the fourth, a dire, revengeful swain ;

Whose soul was made of flames, whose flesh of fire, Wrath in his heart, hate, rage, and fury reign! Fierce was his look, when clad in sparkling tire; But when dead paleness in his cheek took seizure, And all the blood in's boiling heart did treasure, Then in his wild revenge, kept he nor mean nor measure. LVI.

Like as when waters wall'd with brazen wreath,

;

Are sieg'd with crackling flames, their common foe The angry seas 'gin foam and hotly breathe, Then swell, rise, rave, and still more furious grow; Nor can be held; but fore'd with fires below,

Tossing their waves, break out, and all o'erflow: So boil'd his rising blood, and dash'd his angry brow. LVII.

For in his face, red heat and ashy cold,

Strove which should paint revenge in proper colours: That, like consuming fire, most dreadful roll'd; This, liker death, threatens all deadly dolours: His trembling hand a dagger still embrac❜d, Which in his friend he rashly oft encas'd :

His shield's device, fresh blood with foulest stain defac'd, LVIII.

Next him Erithiust, most unquiet swain,

That all in law, and fond contention spent ; Not one was found in all this num'rous train, With whom in any thing he would consent :

His will his law, he weigh'd not wrong or right;

Much scorn'd to bear, much more forgive a spight: Patience, he, th' asses' load, and coward's virtue, hight, LIX.

His weapons all were fram'd of shining gold,
Wherewith he subtly fought close under hand :
Thus would he right from right by force with-hold,
Nor suits, nor friends, nor laws his slights withstand :
Ah, pow'rful weapon! how dost thou bewitch

Great, but base minds, and spott'st with leprous itch, That never are in thought, nor ever can be rich!

LX.

Upon his belt (fasten'd with leather laces)

Black boxes hung, sheaths of his paper-swords,
Fill'd up with writs, subpoenas, trial-cases;
This trespass'd him in cattle, that in words:
Fit his device, and well his shield became,
A salamander drawn in lively frame :

His word was this, 'I live, I breathe, I feed on flame.'

LXI.

Next after him march'd proud Dichostasis*,

That wont but in the factious court to dwell;

But now to shepherd-swains close linked is;

And taught them (fools!) to change their humble cell,
And lowly weeds, for courts, and purple gay,

To sit aloft, and states and princes sway:
A hook, no sceptre needs our erring sheep to stay.
LXIL

A mitre trebly crown'd th' impostor wore ;

For Heav'n, Earth, Hell, he claims with lofty pride : Not in his lips, but hands, two keys he bore,

Heav'n's doors and Hell's to shut, and open

* Sedition, or Schism.

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