Page images
PDF
EPUB

A

CANTO VII.

Guyon finds Mammon in a delve,
Sunning his treasure bore:
Is by bim tempted, and led down
To fee his fecret ftore.

I.

S Pilot well expert in per❜lous wave,

That to a ftedfast star his courfe hath bent,
When foggy mifts, or cloudy tempefts have
The faithful light of that fair lamp yblent,
And cover'd heaven with hideous dreriment,
Upon his card and compass firms his eye,
The mafters of his long experiment,
And to them does the fteady help apply,
Bidding his winged veffel fairly forward fly:

II.

So Guyon having loft his trufty guide,
Late left beyond that Idle lake, proceeds
Yet on his way, of none accompanide;
And evermore himfelf with comfort feeds,
Of his own vertues, and praife-worthy deeds.
So long he yode, yet no adventure found,
Which Fame of her fhrill trumpet worthy reads:
For still he traveld through wide wafteful ground,
That nought but defert wilderness fhew'd all around.
III.

At last he came unto a gloomy glade,

Cover'd with boughs, and fhrubs from heavens light, Whereas he fitting found in fecret shade,

An uncouth, falvage, and uncivil wight, Of griefly hew, and foul ill favour'd fight; His face with fmoak was tand, and eyes were bleard, His head and beard with foot were ill bedight, His coal-black hands did feem to have been feard In fmiths fire-fpitting forge, and nails like claws appeard.

IV.

His Iron coat all overgrown with rust,
Was underneath enveloped with gold,
Whofe gliftring gloffe darkned with filthy duft,
Well it appeared to have been of old
A work of rich entail, and curious mold,
Woven with anticks and wild Imagery:
And in his lap a mafs of coin he told,
And turned upfide down, to feed his eye
And covetous defire with his huge treasury.

V.

And round about him lay on every fide
Great heaps of gold that never could be spent:
Of which, fome were rude ore, not purifide
Of Mulcibers devouring element;

Some others were new driven, and diftent Into great ingots, and to wedges fquare; Some in round plates withouten monument; But most were stampt, and in their metal bare The antique shapes of Kings and Kefars ftrange and rare. VI.

Soon as he Guyon faw, in great affright

And hafte he rofe, for to remove aside
Those pretious hills from ftrangers envious fight,
And down them poured through an hole full wide,
Into the hollow earth, them there to hide.

But Guyon lightly to him leaping, ftayd

His hand, that trembled as one terrifide; And though himself were at the fight dismaid, Yet him perforce restrain'd, and to him doubtful faid. VII.

What art thou man (if man at all thou art)

That here in defert haft thine habitance, And these rich heaps of wealth doft hide apart From the worlds eye, and from her right ufance? Thereat with staring eyes fixed afcaunce, In great difdain he anfwerd; Hardy Elf, That dareft view my direful countenance, I read thee rash, and heedlefs of thyself, To trouble my ftill feat, and heaps of pretious pelf.

VIII.

God of the world and worldlings I me call,
Great Mammon, greatest God below the sky,
That of my plenty poure out unto all,
And unto none my graces do envy :
Riches, renown, and principality,
Honour, eftate, and all this worldës good,
For which men swink and sweat inceffantly,
From me do flow into an ample flood,

And in the hollow earth have their eternal brood.
IX.

Wherefore if me thou deign to serve and few,
At thy command lo all thefe mountains be;
Or if to thy great mind, or greedy view,
All these may not fuffice, there fhall to thee
Ten times fo much be numbred frank and free.
Mammon, faid he, thy Godheads vaunt is vain,
And idle offers of thy golden fee;

To them that covet fuch eye-glutting gain,
Proffer thy gifts, and fitter fervants entertain.

X..

Me ill befits, that in der-doing arms,

And honours fuit my vowed days do fpend,
Unto thy bounteous baytes, and pleasing charms,
With which weak men thou witcheft, to attend :
Regard of worldly muck doth fouly blend
And low abase the high heroick spright,
That joys for crowns and kingdoms to contend;
Fair fhields, gay fteeds, bright arms be my delight:
Those be the riches fit for an advent'rous knight.
XI.

Vain-glorious Elfe, faid he, doft not thou weet,
That money can thy wants at will supply?
Shields, fteeds, and arms, and all things for thee meet
It can purvey in twinkling of an eye;

And crowns and Kingdoms to thee multiply.
Do not I Kings create, and throw the crown
Sometimes to him, that low in duft doth lye?
And him that reign'd, into his room thrust down,
And whom I luft, do heap with glory and renown?

XII.

All otherwise, faid he, I riches read,
And deem them root of all difquietness;

First got with guile, and then preferv'd with dread,
And after spent with pride and lavishness,
Leaving behind them grief and heaviness.
Infinite mifchiefs of them do arife;

Strife, and debate, bloodfhed, and bitterness,
Outrageous wrong, and hellifh covetife,
That noble heart (as great difhonour) doth despise,
XIII.

Ne thine be kingdoms, ne the fcepters thine;
But realms and rulers thou doft both confound,
And loyal truth to treafon doft incline;
Witness the guiltlefs blood pour'd oft on ground;
The crowned often flain, the flayer crown'd
The facred diadem in pieces rent,

And purple robe gored with many a wound;
Caftles furpriz'd, great cities fackt and brent:
So mak'ft thou Kings, and gaineft wrongful government.
XIV.

Long were to tell the troublous ftorms, that tofs
The private ftate, and make the life unfweet:
Who fwelling fails in Cafpian sea doth cross
And in frail wood on Adrian gulf doth fleet,
Doth not (I ween) fo many evils meet.
Then Mammon wexing wroth, And why then, faid,
Are mortal men fo fond and undifcreet,

So evil thing to feek unto their ayd,

And having not complain, and having it upbrayd?
XV.

Indeed, quoth he, through foul intemperance,
Frail men are oft captiv'd to covetise :

But would they think, with how fmall allowance
Untroubled nature doth herself fuffice,
Such fuperfluities they would defpife,

Which with fad cares empeach our native joys:
At the Well-head the pureft ftreams arise:
But mucky filth his branching arms annoys,
And with uncomely weeds the gentle wave accloys.

XVI.

The antique world, in his first flowring youth,
Found no defect in his Creators grace;
But with glad thanks, and unreproved truth,
The gifts of foveraine bounty did embrace:
Like Angels life was then mens happy case;
But later ages pride, like corn-fed fteed,
Abus'd her plenty, and fat fwoln encrease
To all licentious luft and 'gan exceed

The measure of her mean, and natural first need.
XVII.

Then 'gan a curfed hand the quiet womb

Of his great grandmother with steel to wound,
And the hid treasures in her fecret tomb,
With facrilege to dig. Therein he found
Fountains of gold and filver to abound,
Of which the matter of his huge defire
And pompous pride eftfoons he did compound;
Then avarice 'gan through his veins inspire
His greedy flames, and kindled life-devouring fire.
XVIII.

Son, faid he then, let be thy bitter scorn,
And leave the rudeness of that antique age
To them, that liv'd therein in ftate forlorn;
Thou that doft live in later times, muft wage
Thy works for wealth, and life for gold engage..
If then thee lift my offred grace to use,
Take what thou please of all this furplufage;
If thee lift not, leave have thou to refuse :
But thing refufed, do not afterward accuse.
XIX,

Me lift not, faid the Elfin Knight, receive
Thing offred, till I know it well be got:
Ne wote I, but thou didst these goods bereave
From rightful owner by unrighteous lot,
Or that blood-guiltinefs or guile them blot.
Perdy, quoth he, yet never eye did view
Ne tongue did tell, ne hand these handled not,
But fafe I have them kept in fecret mew,

From heavens fight, and powre of all which them purfue.

5

« PreviousContinue »