To punish: yet it better first I thought
Gainst fort of Reason, it to overthrow :
To wreake my wrath on him that first it Wrath, gelosy, griefe, love, this Squyre have wrought:
To Philemon, false faytour Philemon,
I cast to pay that I so dearely bought.
Of deadly drugs I gave him drinke anon,
And washt away his guilt with guilty potion.
'Wrath, gealosic, griefe, love, do thus expell:
Wrath is a fire; and gealosie a weede;
Griefe is a flood; and love a monster fell;
The fire of sparkes, the weede of little seede,
The flood of drops, the Monster filth did breede:
'Thus heaping crime on crime, and griefe on But sparks, seed, drops, and filth, do thus delay;
The sparks soone quench, the springing seed outweed,
The drops dry up, and filth wipe cleane away: So shall wrath, gealosy, griefe, love, die and decay.'
'Unlucky Squire,' (saide Guyon) 'sith thou hast
Falne into mischiefe through intemperaunce,
Henceforth take heede of that thou now hast
past,
And guyde thy waies with warie_governaunce,
Least worse betide thee by some later chaunce.
But read how art thou nam'd, and of what kin?'
Phaon I hight,' (quoth he) and do advaunce
Mine auncestry from famous Coradin,
Who first to rayse our house to honour did
begin.'
Thus as he spake, lo! far away they spyde
Whose flying feet so fast their way applyde,
A varlet ronning towardes hastily,
That round about a cloud of dust did fly,
He soone approched, panting, breathlesse, whot,
Which, mingled all with sweate, did dim his eye.
And all so soyld that none could him descry:
His countenaunce was bold, and bashed not
For Guyons lookes, but scornefull eyeglaunce
at him shot.
Behind his backe he bore a brasen shield,
on which was drawen faire, in colours fit,
A flaming fire in midst of bloody field,
And round about the wreath this word was
writ,
Burnt I doe burne. Right well beseemed it
To be the shield of some redoubted knight;
And in his hand two dartes, exceeding flit
And deadly sharp, he held, whose heads were
dight
In poyson and in blood of malice and despight.
When he in presence came, to Guyon first
He boldly spake; 'Sir knight, if knight thou
Abandon this forestalled place at erst, [bee,
For feare of further harme, I counsell thee;
'Mad man,' (said then the Palmer) 'that does seeke
Occasion to wrath, and cause of strife:
Shee comes unsought, and shonned followes eke.
Happy! who can abstaine, when Rancor rife
Kindles Revenge, and threats his rusty knife.
Woe never wants where every cause is caught;
And rash Occasion makes unquiet life!'
Then loe! wher bound she sits, whom thou
hast sought,'
[brought.'
'How hight he then,' (sayd Guyon) and Said Guyon: 'let that message to thy Lord be
That hasty wroth, and heedlesse hazardry, He hewd, and lasht, and foynd, and thondred Doe breede repentaunce late, and lasting in
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