LXVI.

The wanton' maidens him espying, stood
Gazing awhile at his unwonted guife;
Then th'one her felf low ducked in the flood,
Abafht that her a ftranger did avife:
But th❜other rather higher did arife,
And her two lilly paps aloft difplay'd,
And all that might his melting heart entise
To her delights, fhe unto him bewrayd:
The rest hid underneath, him more defirous made.
LXVII.

With that the other likewise up arose,

And her fair locks, which formerly were bound
Up in one knot, fhe low adown did loose:
Which flowing long and thick, her cloth'd around,
And th' Ivory in golden mantle gown'd:
So that fair fpectacle from him was reft,
Yet that which reft it no lefs fair was found:
So hid in locks and waves from lookers theft,
Nought but her lovely face the for his looking left.
LXVIII.

Withal fhe laughed, and she blusht withal, ---
That blushing to her laughter gave more grace,
And laughter to her blushing, as did fall::.
Now when they fpy'd the Knight to flack his pace,
Them to behold, and in his fparkling face
The fecret figns of kindled luft appear,
Their wanton merriments they did encrease,
And to him beckned, to approach more near,

And shew'd him many fights that courage cold could rear.
LXIX.

On which when gazing him the Palmer saw,

He much rebukt thofe wandring eyes of his,
And (counfell'd well) him forward thence did draw.
Now are they come nigh to the Bowre of Blifs,
Of her fond favourites fo nam'd amifs:
When thus the Palmer: Now Sir, well avife;
For here the end of all our travel is:

Here wonns Acrafia, whom we must surprise,
Elfe fhe will flip away, and all our drift defpife.

LXX.

Eftfoons they heard a most melodious found,
Of all that mote delight a dainty ear,
Such as attonce might not on living ground,
Save in this paradife, be heard elsewhere:
Right hard it was for wight which did it hear:
To read what manner mufick that mote be:
For all that pleafing is to living ear,
Was there conforted in one harmony;
Birds, voices, inftruments, winds, waters, all agree.
LXXI.

The joyous birds, fhrouded in chearful shade,
Their notes unto the voice attempred sweet;
Th'Angelical foft trembling voices made
To th'inftruments divine refpondence meet:
The filver founding inftruments did meet
With the base murmur of the waters fall,
The waters fall with difference difcreet,
Now foft, now loud, unto the wind did call:
The gentle warbling wind low answered to all.
LXXII.

There, whence that mufick seemed heard to be,
Was the fair Witch, her felf now folacing
With a new Lover, whom through forcery
And witchcraft, fhe from far did thither bring:
There fhe had him now laid a flumbering,
In fecret fhade, after long wanton joys:
Whilft round about them pleasantly did fing
Many fair Ladies, and lafcivious boys,

That ever mixt their fong with light licentious toys.
LXXIII.

And all the while right over him the hung,
With her false eyes faft fixed in his fight,
As feeking medicine, whence she was stung,
Or greedily depafturing delight:

And oft inclining down with kiffes light,
For fear of waking him, his lips bedewd,
And through his humid eyes did fuck his fpright,
Quite molten into luft and pleasure lewd;
Wherewith the fighed foft, as if his cafe the rewd.

LXXIV.

The whiles, fome one did chaunt this lovely lay:
Ah fee, whofo fair thing doft feign to fee,
In fpringing flowre the image of thy day;
Ah fee the virgin rofe, how sweetly fhe
Doth first peep forth with bashful modefty,
That fairer feems, the less ye fee her may;
Lo fee foon after, how more bold and free
Her bared bofom fhe doth broad display;
Lo fee foon after, how fhe fades and falls away
LXXV.

So paffeth, in the paffing of a day,

Of mortal life the leaf, the bud, the flowre,
Ne more doth flourish after firft decay,

That earft was fought to deck both bed and bowre
Of many a Lady', and many a paramour :
Gather therefore the rofe, whilst yet in prime,
For foon comes age, that will her pride deflowre:
Gather the rofe of love, whilft yet is time,
Whilft loving thou mayit loved be with equal crime.
LXXVI.

He ceaft, and then 'gan all the quire of birds
Their diverse notes t'attune unto his lay,
As in approvance of his pleafing words.
The conftant pair heard all that he did fay,
Yet fwarved not, but kept their forward way,
Through many covert groves, and thickets close,
In which they creeping did at last display
That wanton Lady, with her Lover loofe,
Whose fleepy head the in her lap did soft dispose.
LXXVII.

Upon a bed of roses she was layd,

As faint through heat, or dight to pleasant fin,
And was array'd, or rather difarray'd,

All in a veil of filk and filver thin,

That hid no whit her alabaster skin,

But rather fhew'd more white, if more might be : More fubtile web Arachne cannot spin,

Nor the fine nets, which oft we woven fee Of scorched dew, do not in th' air more lightly flee

LXXVIII.

Her fnowy breast was bare to ready spoil
Of hungry eyes, which n'ote therewith be fill'd;
And yet through languor of her late fweet toil,
Few drops, more clear than nectar, forth diftill'd.
That like pure orient pearls adown it trill'd:
And her fair eyes fweet fmiling in delight,

Moistend their fiery beams, with which the thrill'd Frail hearts, yet quenched not; like ftarry light Which sparkling on thefilent waves, does feem more bright, LXXIX.

The young man fleeping by her, feem'd to be
Some goodly fwain of honourable place,
That certes it great pity was to fee
Him his nobility fo foul deface;
A fweet regard, and amiable grace,
Mixed with manly fternnefs did appear
Yet fleeping in his well proportion'd face,
And on his tender lips the downy hair
Did now but frefhly fpring, and filken bloffoms bear.
LXXX.

His warlike arms (the idle inftruments

Of fleeping praife) were hung upon a tree,
And his brave fhield (full of old monuments)
Was foully ras't, that none the figns might fee;
Ne for them, ne for honour cared he,
Ne ought that did to his advancement tend,
But in lewd loves, and wafteful luxuree,
His days, his goods, his body he did spend:
O horrible enchantment, that him fo did blend!
LXXXI.

The noble Elf, and careful Palmer drew

So nigh them (minding nought but luftful game) That fuddain forth they on them ruht, and threw A fubtile net, which only for that fame The fkilful Palmer formally did frame. So held them under faft, the whiles the rest Fled all away for fear of fouler fhame. The fair Enchauntrefs, fo unwares oppreft, Try'd all her arts, and all her fleights; thence out to wreft.

LXXXII.

And eke her Lover ftrove: but all in vain;
For that fame net fo cunningly was wound,
That neither guile nor force might it diftrain.
They took them both, and both them ftrongly bound
In captive bands, which there they ready found;
But her in chains of adamant he tyde;

For nothing else might keep her fafe and found;
But Verdant (fo he hight) he soon untyde,
And counfel fage instead thereof to him applyde.
LXXXIII.

But all those pleasant bowres, and palace brave,
Guyon broke down, with rigour pitiless;
Ne ought their goodly workmanship might fave
Them from the tempeft of his wrathfulness,
But that their blifs he turn'd to balefulness:
Their groves he feld, their gardens did deface,
Their arbors fpoil'd, their cabinets fupprefs,
Their banket-houfes burn, their buildings raz,
And of the faireft late, now made the fouleft place.
LXXXIV.

Then led they her away, and eke that Knight
They with them led, both forrowful and fad :
The way they came, the fame return'd they right,
Till they arrived where they lately had

Charm'd those wild beafts, that rag'd with fury mad
Which now awaking, fierce at them 'gan fly,
As in their mistress reskew, whom they lad;
But them the Palmer foon did pacifie.

[lie.

Then Guyon askt, what meant thofe beafts which there did

LXXXV.

Said he, these seeming beasts are men indeed,

Whom this Enchauntress hath transformed thus,
Whylome her Lovers, which her lufts did feed,
Now turned into figures hideous,
According to their minds like monftruous.
Sad end, quoth he, of life intemperate,
And mournful meed of joys delicious:
But Palmer, if it mote thee fo aggrate,
Let them returned be unto their former ftate,