A stately pallace built of squared bricke,
Which cunningly was without morter laid,

Whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick,
And golden foile all over them displaid,

That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid:
High lifted up were many loftie towres,

And goodly galleries far over laid,

Full of faire windowes and delightful bowres ; And on the top a diall told the timely howres.

5 It was a goodly heape for to behould,

And spake the praises of the workmans wit;
But full great pittie, that so faire a mould
Did on so weake foundation ever sit:
For on a sandie hill, that still did flit
And fall away, it mounted was full hie,
That every breath of heaven shaked it:
And all the hinder parts, that few could spie,
Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

6 Arrived there, they passed in forth right;
For still to all the gates stood open wide :
Yet charge of them was to a porter hight,
Cald Malvenù, who entrance none denide:
Thence to the hall, which was on every side
With rich array and costly arras dight:
Infinite sorts of people did abide

There waiting long, to win the wished sight
Of her, that was the lady of the pallace bright.

7 By them they passe, all gazing on them round,
And to the presence mount; whose glorious vew
Their frayle amazed senses did confound:
In living Princes court none ever knew
Such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew;
Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride,
Like ever saw. And there a noble crew

Of lordes and ladies stood on every side,

Which with their presence faire the place much beautifide.

8 High above all a cloth of state was spred,
And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day;
On which there sate, most brave embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,

A mayden Queene that shone, as Titans ray,
In glistring gold and peerelesse pretious stone:
Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay

To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,
As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.

9 Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fairest childe, That did presume his fathers firie wayne, And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde, Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne; Proud of such glory and advancement vaine, While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen, He leaves the welkin way most beaten plaine, And, rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen With fire not made to burne, but fairely for to shyne.

10 So proud she shyned in her princely state,

Looking to heaven; for earth she did disdayne:
And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:
Lo underneath her scornefull feete was layne
A dreadfull dragon with an hideous trayne;
And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,
Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,
And in her selfe-lov'd semblance tooke delight;
For she was wondrous faire, as any living wight.

11 Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,

And sad Proserpina, the Queene of hell;
Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas
That parentage, with pride so did she swell;
And thundring Jove, that high in heaven doth dwell
And wield the world, she claymed for her syre;
Or if that any else did Jove excell:

For to the highest she did still aspyre;

Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

12 And proud Lucifera men did her call,

That made her selfe a queene, and crownd to be, Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all, Ne heritage of native soveraintie, But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie Upon the scepter, which she now did hold: Ne ruld her realme with lawes, but pollicie, And strong advizement of six wizards old, That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.

13 Soone as the elfin knight in presence came, And false Duessa, seeming lady faire,

A gentle husher, Vanitie by name,

Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire :
So goodly brought them to the lowest staire
Of her high throne, where they on humble knee
Making obeysaunce, did the cause declare,
Why they were come, her royall state to see,
To prove the wide report of her great majestee.

14 With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low,
She thanked them in her disdainefull wise;
Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show
Of princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise.
Her lordes and ladies all this while devise
Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight:
Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise,
Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight
Their gay attire: each others greater pride does spight.

15 Goodly they all that knight do entertaine,

Right glad with him to have increast their crew: But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew; For in that court whylome her well they knew: Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew, And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd, That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

16. Suddein upriseth from her stately place
The royall dame, and for her coche did call:
All hurtlen forth; and she, with princely pace,
As faire Aurora in her purple pall,

Out of the east the dawning day doth call;

So forth she comes; her brightnesse brode doth blaze;
The heapes of people, thronging in the hall,

Do ride each other, upon her to gaze:

Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.

17 So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme, Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay,

That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime,
And strove to match, in royall rich array,
Great Junoes golden chaire, the which they say
The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride
To Joves high house through heavens bras-paved way,
Drawne of faire pecocks, that excell in pride,
And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide.

18 But this was drawne of six unequall beasts,
On which her six sage counsellours did ryde,
Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,
With like conditions to their kinds applyde:
Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,
Was sluggish Idlenesse, the nourse of sin;

Upon a slouthfull asse he chose to ryde,
Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,

Like to an holy monck, the service to begin.

19 And in his hand his portesse still he bare,
That much was worne, but therein little red;
For of devotion he had little care,

Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his dayes ded;
Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed,
To looken whether it were night or day.

May seeme the wayne was very evill led,
When such an one had guiding of the way,

That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.

20 From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,
And greatly shunned manly exercise;
From every worke he chalenged essoyne,
For contemplation sake: yet otherwise
His life he led in lawlesse riotise;
By which he grew to grievous malady;
For in his lustlesse limbs, through evill guise,
A shaking fever raignd continually:

Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.

21 And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,
Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne;
His belly was up-blowne with luxury,
And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne,
And like a crane his neck was long and fyne,
With which he swallowed up excessive feast,
For want whereof poore people oft did pyne;
And all the way, most like a brutish beast,
He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.
22 In greene vine leaves he was right fitly clad;
For other clothes he could not wear for heat;
And on his head an yvie girland had,
From under which fast trickled downe the sweat:
Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat,
And in his hande did beare a bouzing can,
Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat
His dronken corse he scarse upholden can;
In shape and life more like a monster, then a man.
23 Unfit he was for any wordly thing,

And eke unhable once to stirre or go,

Not meet to be of counsell to a king,

Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so,
That from his friend he seldome knew his fo:

Full of diseases was his carcas blew,

And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow,
Which by misdiet daily greater grew:

Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.