"And yet," quoth she, “a greater wrong r "maines; "For I thereby my former love have loft: "Whom, feeking ever fince with endleffe paines, "Hath me much forrow and much travell cof; "Aye me to fee that gentle maide so toft!" But Scudamour, then lighing deepe, thus faide; "Certes her loffc ought me to forrow moft, "Whofe right the is, wherever she be ftraide, "Through many perils wonne, and many fortune "waide: "Unto that purpofd place I did me draw; "Whereas my love was lodged day and night, "The temple of great Venus, that is hight "For ftrength, and wealth, and happinesse the lends, "And ftrife, and warre, and anger, does fubdew; "Of little much, of foes the maketh frends, The Queene of Beautie, and of Love the mother," And to afflicted minds fweet reft and quiet fends. "There worshipped of every living wight; "Whofe goodly workmanship farre past all other "That ever were on earth, all were they fet to66 gether. "By her the heaven is in his course contained, "And all the world in ftate unmoved stands, "As their almightie Maker first ordained, "And bound them with inviolable bands, "Elfe would the waters over-flow the lands, "And fire devour the ayre, and hell them quight, "But that fhe holds them with her blessed hands. "She is the nourfe of pleasure and delight, "And unto Venus' grace the gate doth open right. "Concord fhe cleeped was in common reed, "And the herfelfe likewife divinely grew, "Right in the midft the goddeffe felfe did ita "Upon an altar of fome coftly maffe, "Whofe fubftance was uneath to underftand, "For neither pretious stone, nor durefull bra "Nor fhining gold, nor mouldring clay, it wa "But much more rare and pretions to cfteen, "Pure in afpect, and like to christall glaffe; "Yet glaffe was not, if one did rightly decme, "But being faire and brickle likeft glas "feeme. IL. "But it in fhape and beautie did excell "All other idoles which the heathen adore, "Farre paffing that which by furpaffing full "Phidias did make in Paphos' ifle of yore, |