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CANTO VII.

Guyon findes Mammon in a delve,
Sunning his threasure bore;

Is by bim tempted, and led downe

To see his secret store.

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1 As pilot well expert in perilous wave,

That to a stedfast starre his course hath bent,
When foggy mistes, or cloudy tempests have
The faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent,
And cover'd heaven with hideous dreriment,
Upon his card and compas firmes his eye,
The maisters of his long experiment,
And to them does the steddy helme apply,
Bidding his winged vessell fairely forward fly:

2 So Guyon having lost his trusty guide,
Late left beyond that Ydle Lake, proceedes
Yet on his way, of none accompanide;
And evermore himselfe with comfort feedes
Of his owne vertues and prayse-worthy deedes.
So, long he yode, yet no adventure found,
Which Fame of her shrill trompet worthy reedes:
For still he traveild through wide wastfull ground,
That nought but desert wildernesse shew'd all around.

3 At last he came unto a gloomy glade,

Cover'd with boughes and shrubs from heavens light;
Whereas he sitting found in secret shade
An uncouth, salvage, and uncivile wight,
Of griesly hew and fowle ill favour'd sight;

His face with smoke was tand, and eyes were bleard,
His head and beard with sout were ill bedight,
His cole-blacke hands did seeme to have ben seard
In smithes fire-spitting forge, and nayles like clawes appeard.

4 His yron coate, all overgrowne with rust,
Was underneath enveloped with gold,

Whose glistring glosse, darkned with filthy dust,
Well yet appeared to have beene of old
A worke of rich entayle and curious mould,
Woven with antickes and wild imagery:
And in his lap a masse of coyne he told,
And turned upsidowne, to feede his eye
And covetous desire with his huge threasury.

5 And round about him lay on every side
Great heapes of gold, that never could be spent;
Of which some were rude owre, not purifide

Of Mulcibers devouring element;

Some others were new driven, and distent
Into great ingoes and to wedges square;
Some in round plates withouten moniment:

But most were stampt, and in their metal bare
The antique shapes of kings and kesars straunge and rare.

6 Soone as he Guyon saw, in great affright
And haste he rose, for to remove aside

Those pretious hils from straungers envious sight,
And downe them poured through an hole full wide
Into the hollow earth, them there to hide.

But Guyon, lightly to him leaping, stayd
His hand, that trembled as one terrifyde;
And though him selfe were at the sight dismayd,

Yet him perforce restraynd, and to him doubtfull sayd;

7 What art thou, man, (if man at all thou art,) That here in desert hast thine habitaunce,

And these rich heapes of wealth doest hide apart From the worldes eye, and from her right usaunce? Thereat with staring eyes fixed askaunce, In great disdaine, he answerd; Hardy Elfe, That darest view my direful countenaunce, I read thee rash, and heedlesse of thy selfe, To trouble my still seate, and heapes of pretious pelfe.

8 God of the world and worldlings I me call,
Great Mammon, greatest god below the skye,
That of my plenty poure out unto all,
And unto none my graces do envye:
Riches, renowme, and principality,
Honour, estate, and all this worldes good,

For which men swinck and sweat incessantly,
Fro me do flow into an ample flood,

And in the hollow earth have their eternall brood.

9 Wherefore if me thou deigne to serve and sew,
At thy commaund lo all these mountaines bee:
Or if to thy great mind, or greedy vew,

All these may not suffise, there shall to thee
Ten times so much be nombred francke and free.
Mammon (said he) thy godheades vaunt is vaine,
And idle offers of thy golden fee;

To them that covet such eye-glutting gaine
Proffer thy giftes, and fitter servaunts entertaine.

10 Me ill besits, that in der-doing armes

And honours suit my vowed dayes do spend,
Unto thy bounteous baytes and pleasing charmes,
With which weake men thou witchest, to attend;
Regard of worldly mucke doth fowly blend
And low abase the high heroicke spright,

That joyes for crownes and kingdomes to contend: Faire shields, gay steedes, bright armes, be my delight; Those be the riches fit for an advent'rous knight.

11 Vaine glorious Elfe (saide he) doest not thou weet, That money can thy wantes at will supply?

Shields, steeds, and armes, and all things for thee meet,
It can purvay in twinckling of an eye;

And crownes and kingdomes to thee multiply.
Do not I kings create, and throw the crowne
Sometimes to him, that low in dust doth ly?
And him that raignd into his rowme thrust downe,
And whom I lust, do heape with glory and renowne?

12 All otherwise (saide he) I riches read,

And deeme them roote of all disquietnesse;

First got with guile, and then preserv'd with dread,
And after spent with pride and lavishnesse,
Leaving behind them griefe and heavinesse :
Infinite mischiefes of them doe arize;

Strife, and debate, bloodshed, and bitternesse,
Outrageous wrong, and hellish covetize,
That noble heart as great dishonour doth despize.

13 Ne thine be kingdomes, ne the scepters thine;
But realmes and rulers thou doest both confound,
And loyall truth to treason doest incline:
Witnesse the guiltlesse bloud pourd oft on ground,
The crowned often slaine, the slayer cround,
The sacred diademe in peeces rent,

And purple robe gored with many a wound;
Castles surprizd, great cities sackt and brent:

So mak'st thou kings, and gaynest wrongfull government.

14 Long were to tell the troublous stormes, that tosse
The private state, and make the life unsweet:
Who swelling sayles in Caspian sea doth crosse,
And in frayle wood on Adrian gulf doth fleet,
Doth not, I weere, so many evils meet.

Then Mammon wexing wroth, And why then, sayd,
Are mortall men so fond and undiscreet,

So evill thing to seeke unto their ayd;

And having not complaine, and having it upbrayd?

15 Indeede (quoth he) through fowle intemperaunce,
Frayle men are oft captiv'd to covetise:

But would they thinke, with how small allowaunce
Untroubled nature doth herselfe suffise,

Such superfluities they would despise,

Which with sad cares empeach our native joyes.
At the well-head the purest streames arise;
But mucky filth his braunching armes annoyes,
And with uncomely weedes the gentle wave accloyes.

16 The antique world, in his first flowring youth,
Found no defect in his Creatours grace;
But with glad thankes, and unreproved truth,
The giftes of soveraigne bounty did embrace:
Like angels life was then mens happy cace;
But later ages pride, like corn-fed steed,
Abusd her plenty, and fat-swolne encreace
To all licentious lust, and gan exceed
The measure of her meane, and naturall first need.

17 Then gan a cursed hand the quiet wombe

Of his great grandmother with steele to wound,
And the hid treasures in her sacred tombe
With sacriledge to dig. Therein he found
Fountaines of gold and silver to abound,
Of which the matter of his huge desire
And pompous pride eftsoones he did compound;
Then Avarice gan through his veines inspire
His greedy flames, and kindled life-devouring fire.

18 Sonne (said he then) let be thy bitter scorne,
And leave the rudenesse of that antique age
To them, that liv'd therein in state forlorne:
Thou that doest live in later times must wage
Thy workes for wealth, and life for gold engage.
If then thee list my offred grace to use,
Take what thou please of all this surplusage;
If thee list not, leave have thou to refuse:
But thing refused do not afterward accuse.

19 Me list not (said the Elfin knight) receave
Thing offred, till I know it well be got;
Ne wote I, but thou didst these goods bereave
From rightfull owner by unrighteous lot,
Or that bloud guiltinesse or guile them blot.
Perdy (quoth he) yet never eye did vew,
Ne toung did tell, ne hand these handled not;
But safe I have them kept in secret mew

From hevens sight, and powre of all which them pursew.

G

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