XV.

Goodly they all that Knight do entertain,
Right glad with him to have increast their crew:
But to Duefs' each one himself did pain
All kindness and fair courtefie to fhew;
For in that court whylome her well they knew:
Yet the ftout Fairy 'mongst the middeft croud,
Thought all their glory vain in knightly view,
And that great Princefs too exceeding proud,
That to ftrange Knight no better countenance allow'd,
XVI.

Suddain up-rifeth from her ftately place

The Royal Dame, and for her coach doth call:
All hurtlen forth, and fhe with princely pace,
As fair Aurora in her purple pall,

Out of the east the dawning day doth call:
So forth fhe comes: her brightnefs broad doth blaze:
The heaps of people thronging in the hall,

Do ride each other upon her to gaze:

Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.

XVII.

So forth fhe comes, and to her coach does climb,
Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay,
That feem'd as fresh as Flora in her prime,
And ftrove to match, in royal rich array,
Great Junos golden chair, the which they fay
The Gods ftand gazing on, when she does ride,
To Jove's high house through heavens brass-paved way
Drawn of fair Peacocks, that excell in pride,
And full of Argus eyes their tails diffpredden wide.
XVIII.

But this was drawn of fix unequal beafts.
On which her fix fage Counfellors did ride,
Taught to obey their beaftial beheasts,
With like conditions to their kinds applide:
Of which the first that all the reft did guide,
Was fluggish Idleness; the nurfe of fin;
Upon a flothful Affe he chofe to ride,
Arraid in habit black, and amis thin,
Like to an holy Monk, the fervice to begin.

XIX.

And in his hand his portefs ftill he bare,

That much was worn, but therein little read:
For, of devotion he had little care,

Still drown'd in fleep, and moft of his days dead;
Scarce could he once uphold his heavy head,
To looken whether it were night or day.
May feem the waine was very evil led,

When fuch an one had guiding of the way,
That knew not, whether right he went, or else aftray.
XX.

From worldly cares himself he did efloin,
And greatly fhunned manly exercife!
For every work he chalenged effoine,
For contemplation fake: yet otherwise,
His life he led in lawless riotife;
By which he grew to grievous malady;
For in his luftless limbs through evil guife
A fhaking fever reign'd continually:
Such one was Idleness, firft of this company.
XXI.

And by his fide rode loathfome Gluttony,
Deformed creature, on a filthy fwine,
His belly was up-blown with luxury,
And eke with fatnefs fwollen were his eyne:
And like a Crane his neck was long and fine,
With which he fwallow'd up exceffive feast,
For want whereof poor people oft did pine;
And all the way moft like a brutish beast,
He fpewed up his gorge, that all did him deteaft.
XXII.

In green vine-leaves he was right fitly clad;
For other clothes he could not wear for heat,
And on his head an ivy girlond had,

From under which faft trickled down the fweat :
Still as he rode, he fomewhat still did eat,
And in his hand did bear a bouzing can;
Of which he fupt fo oft, that on his feat
His drunken corfe he fcarce upholden can;

In shape and life, more like a monster than a man.

XXIII.

Unfit he was for any worldly thing,
And eke unable once to ftir or go,
Not meet to be of counfel to a King,

Whose mind in meat and drink was drowned fo,
That from his friend he feldom knew his foe:
Full of diseases was his carcass blue,

And a dry dropfie through his flesh did flow;
Which by mifdiet daily greater grew;
Such one was Gluttony, the fecond of that crew.
XXIV.

And next to him rode luftful Lechery,

Upon a bearded Goat, whofe rugged hair
And whally eyes (the fign of jealoufie)
Was like the perfon felf, whom he did bear:
Who rough, and black, and filthy did appear,
Unfeemly man to please fair Ladies eye;
Yet he, of Ladies oft was loved dear,
When fairer faces were bid ftanden by :
O! who does know the bent of womens fantafy.
XXV.

In a green gown he clothed was full fair,

Which underneath did hide his filthinefs; And in his hand a burning heart he bare, Full of vain follies, and new-fangleness: For, he was falfe, and fraught with fickleness, And learned had to love with fecret looks, And well could dance and fing with ruefulness, And fortunes tell, and read in loving books, And thousand others ways, to bait his fleshly hooks. XXVI.

Inconftant man, that loved all he faw,

And lufted after all that he did love,
Ne would his loofer life be ty'd to law,

But joy'd weak womens hearts to tempt and prove If from their loyal loves he might them move; Which lewdness, fill'd him with reproachful pain Of that foul evil which all men reprove; That rots the marrow, and confumes the brain: Such one was Lechery the third of all this train.

XXVII.

And greedy Avarice by him did ride,
Upon a Camel loaden all with gold;
Two iron coffers hung on either fide,
With precious metal, full as they might hold,
And in his lap an heap of coin he told;
For of his wicked pelf his God he made,
And unto hell himfelf for money fold;
Accurfed ufury was all his trade,

And right and wrong ylike in equal ballance weigh'd. XXVIII.

His life was nigh unto death's door yplact,

And thred-bare coat, and cobled fhoes he ware,
Ne scarce good morfel all his life did taft,
But both from back and belly ftill did fpare,
To fill his bags, and riches to compare ;
Yet child ne kinfman living had he none
To leave them to; but thorough daily care
To get, and nightly fear to lofe his own,
He led a wretched life unto himself unknown.
XXIX.

Moft wretched wight, whom nothing might fuffice,
Whose greedy luft did lack in greatest store,
Whofe need had end, but no end covetife,
Whose wealth was want, whofe plenty made him 'poor,
Who had enough, yet wifhed ever more;

A vile disease, and eke in foot and hand
A griveous gout tormented him full fore,

That well he could not touch, nor go, nor ftand. Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this fair band. XXX.

And next to him malicious Envy rode,

Upon a ravenous Wolf, and still did chaw Between his cankred teeth a venemous tode, That all the poifon ran about his jaw; But inwardly he chawed his own maw At neighbours wealth, that made him ever fad For death it was, when any good he faw, And wept, that cause of weeping none he had : But when he heard of harm, he wexed wondrous glad.

XXXI.

All in a kirtle of difcolour'd Say

He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes;
And in his bofom fecretly there lay

An hateful Snake, the which his tail up-ties
In many folds, and mortal fting implies.
Still as he rode, he gnafht his teeth, to fee
Those heaps of gold with griple covetife,
And grudged at the great felicity

Of proud Lucifera, and his own company.
XXXII.

He hated all good works and vertuous deeds,
And him no lefs, that any like did use:
And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,
His alms for want of faith he doth accufe;
So every good to bad he doth abuse;
And eke the verfe of famous Poets wit
He does backbite, and fpiteful poifon fpues
From leprous mouth on all that ever writ:
Such one vile Envy was, that fifth in row did fit.
XXXIII.

And him befide rides fierce revenging Wrath,
Upon a Lyon, loth for to be led;

And in his hand a burning brond he hath,
The which he brandifheth about his head;
His eyes did hurl forth fparkles firy red,
And ftared stern on all that him beheld,
As afhes pale of hew, and feeming dead;
And on his dagger ftill his hand he held,
Trembling through hafty rage, when choler in him fweld.
XXXIV.

His ruffin raiment all was ftain'd with blood
Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent,
Through unadvised rafhness woxen wood;
For of his hands he had no government,
Ne car'd for blood in his avengement:
But when the furious fit was over-past,
His cruel facts he often would repent;
Yet wilfull man he never would forecast,
How many mifchiefs fhould enfue his heedlefs haft,