The firft was Fanfy, like a lovely boy
Of rare afpect, and beautie without peare,
Matchable either to that ympe of Troy
Whom love did love, and chofe his cup to beare,
Or that fame daintie lad which was fo deare
To great Alcides, that whenas he dyde,
He wailed womanlike with many a teare,
And every woode and every valley wyde,
With him went Hope in rancke, a handsome
mayd,
Of chearcfull looke and lovely to behold;
In filken famite fhe was light arayd,
He fild with Hylas' name; the nymphes eke Hy- And her fayre locks were woven up in gold:
His garment neither was of filke nor fay,
But paynted plumes in goodly order dight,
Like as the fun-burnt Indians do aray
Their tawny bodies in their proudest plight :
As thofe fame plumes, fo feemd he vaine and
light,
That by his gate might eafily appeare,
For ftill he far'd as dauncing in delight,
An din his hand a windy fan did beare,
That in the ydle ayre he mov'd ftill here and
theare.
And him befide marcht amorous Defyre,
Who feemd of ryper yeares then the other fwayne,
Yet was that other fwayne this elder's fyre,
And gave him being commune to them twayne:
His garment was difguyfd very vayne,
And his embrodered bonet fat awry;
Twixt both his hands few fparks he clofe did
ftrayne,
Which still he blew and kindled bufily,
She always fmyld, and in her hand did hold
An holy water-sprinkle, dipt in deowe,
With which the fprinkled favours manifold
On whom she lift, and did great liking fheowe,
Great liking unto many, but true love to feowe.
And after them Diffemblaunce and Sufpect
Marcht in one rancke, yet an unequal paire;
For fhe was gentle and of milde afpect,
Courteous to all, and feeming debonaire,
Goodly adorned, and exceeding faire ;
Yet was that all but paynted and pourloynd,
And her bright browes were deckt with borrowed
haire;
Her deeds were forged, and her words falle coynd,
And alwaies in her hand two clewes of filke the
twynd:
But he was fowle, ill favoured, and grim,
Under his eiebrowes looking ftill afkaunce;
And ever as Diffemblaunce laught on him,
He lowrd on her with daungerous eye-glaunce,
Shewing his nature in his countenance;
That foone they life conceiv'd, and forth in flames His rolling eies did never reft in place,
Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a difcolour'd cote of fraunge difguyfe,
That at his backe a brode capuccio had,
And fleeves dependaunt Albanele-wyse;
He lookt afkew with his miftruftfull eyes,
And nicely trode as thornes lay in his way,
Or that the flore to fhrinke he did avyfe;
And on a broken reed he still did stay
His feeble steps, which fhrunk when hard there-
on he lay.
With him went Daunger, cloth'd in ragged weed
Made of beares fkin, that him more dreadfull
made,
Yet his own face was dreadfull, ne did need
Straunge horrour to deforme his griefly fhade:
A net in th' one hand, and a rusty blade
In th' other was, this Mischiefe, that Mishap;
With th' one his foes he threatned to invade,
With th' other he his friends ment to enwrapt;
For whom he could not kill, he practizd to en-
trap.
Next to him was Feare, all armd from top to toe,
Yet thought himfelfe not fafe enough thereby,
But feard each shadow moving to or froe,
And his owne armes when glettering he did spy,
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly;
But walkte each where for feare of hid mil
Holding a lattis ftill before his face,
Through which he till did peep as forward he
did pace.
Next him went Griefe and Fury, matcht yfere;
Grief all in fable forrowfully clad,
Downe hanging his dull head with heavy chere,
Yet inly being more than feeming fad;
A paire of pincers in his hand he had,
With which he pinched many people to the hart,
That from thenceforth a wretched life thay ladd
In wilfull languor and contuming fmart,
Dying each day with inward wounds of Dolour's
dart.
But fury was full ill appareiled
In rags, that naked nigh fhe did appeare,
With ghastly lookes and dreadfull drerihed;
For from her backe her garments she did teare,
And from her head ofte rent her fnarled heare;
In her right hand a firebrand shee did toffe
About her head, ftill roming here and there,
As a difmayed deare in chace embost,
Forgetfull of his fafety hath his right way loft.
After them went Displeasure and Pleafaunce,
He looking lompifh and full fullein fad,
And hanging downe his heavy countenance;
She chearfull, fresh, and full of ioyaunce glad,
As if no forrow fhe ne felt ne drad,
That evill matched paire they feend to bee:
An angry wafpe th' one in a viall had,
Th' other in her's an hony-lady bee.
Repentaunce feeble, forrowfull, and lame; Reproch defpightful, careleffe, and unkinde; Shame moft ill-favourd, beftiall, and blinde : Shame lowred, Repentaunce fighd, Reproch did fcould;
Thus marched thefe fix couples forth in faire Reproch fharpe ftings, Repentaunce whips endegree.
Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand did hold; All three to each unlike, yet all made in one
And after them a rude confused rout
Of perfons flockt, whofe names is hard to read:
Emongst them was fterne Strife, and Anger stout,
Unquiet Care, and fond Unthriftyhead,
Lewd loffe of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead,
Inconftant Chaunge, and falfe Difloyalty,
Confuming Riotife, and guilty Dread
Of heavenly vengeance, faint Infirmity,
Vile Poverty, and, lastly, Death with Infamy.
There were full many moe like maladies,
Whose names and natures I note readen well;
So many moe as there be phantafies
In wavering wemans witt, that none can tell,
Or paines in love, or punishments in hell;
All which disguized, marcht in masking wife
About the chamber by the damozell,
And then returned, having marched thrise
Into the inner rowme, from whence they first did
Fife,
So foone as they were in, the dore ftreightway,
Faft locked, driven with that stormy blast
Which first it opened, and bore all way:
Then the brave maid, which al this while was
In fecret shade, and faw both first and last,
Iffewed forth, and went unto the dore
To enter in, but fownd it locked fast:
It vaine fhe thought with rigorous uprore
For to efforce, when charmes had closed it afore.
Where force might not availe, there fleights and
She caft to use, both fitt for hard emprize : [art
Forthy from that fame rowme not to depart
Till morrow next the did herselfe avize,
When that same mafke againe should forth arize.
The morrowe next appeard with ioyous cheare,
Calling men daily to their exercize,
Then the, as morrow fresh, herselfe did reare
Out of her fecret stand, that day for to out-weare
All that day fhe out-wore in wandering,
And gazing on that chamber's ornament,
Till that againe the fecond evening
Her covered with her fable velliment,
Wherewith the world's faire beautie fhe hath
Then when the fecond watch was almost past,
That brafen dere flew open, and in went
Bold Britomart, as fhe had iate forecast,
Nether of ydle fhowes nor of falfe charmes aghaft.
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