palfrey. The poet then describes the combat of the Paynim with the lion.]

XLI.

But her fiers servant, full of kingly aw

And high disdaine, whenas his soveraine Dame 380 So rudely handled by her foe he saw,

With gaping iawes full greedy at him came, And, ramping in his shield, did weene the same Have reft away with his sharp rending clawes: But he was stout, and lust did now inflame His corage more, that from his griping pawes He hath his shield redeemd; and forth his sword he drawes.

XLII.

O then, too weake and feeble was the forse
Of salvage beast, his puissance to withstand!
For he was strong, and of so mightie corse,
As ever wielded speare in warlike hand;
And feates of armes did wisely understand.
Eftsoones he perced through his chaufed chest
With thrilling point of deadly yron brand,

385

390

And launcht his lordly hart: with death opprest 395 He ror'd aloud, whiles life forsooke his stubborne

brest.

XLIII.

Who now is left to keepe the forlorne Maid
From raging spoile of lawlesse victors will?
Her faithful gard remov'd; her hope dismaid;
Her selfe a yielded pray to save or spill!
He now, lord of the field, his pride to fill,
With foule reproches and disdaineful spright
Her vildly entertaines; and, will or nill
Beares her away upon his courser light

400

Her prayers naught prevaile; his rage is more of

might.

405

XLIV.

And all the way, with great lamenting paine,
And piteous plaintes she filleth his dull eares,
That stony hart could riven have in twaine;
And all the way she wetts with flowing teares;
But he, enrag'd with rancor, nothing heares.
Her servile beast yet would not leave her so,
But followes her far of, ne ought he feares
To be partaker of her wandring woe,

410

More mild in beastly kind, then that her beastly foe.

[After many mishaps and adventures the Book ends with the happy union of the Red Cross Knight and Una; the marriage of Holiness and Truth.]

BOOK II.

CANTO VI.

THE STORY OF SIR GUYON, OR THE KNIGHT OF
TEMPERANCE

Guyon is of immodest Merth
Led into loose desyre;

Fights with Chymochles, whiles his bro-
ther burnes in furious fyre.

I.

A harder lesson to learne Continence
In ioyous pleasure then in grievous paine;
For sweetnesse doth allure the weaker sence
So strongly, that uneathes it can refraine
From that which feeble nature covets faine;
But griefe and wrath, that be her enemies,
And foes of life, she better can abstaine:
Yet Vertue vauntes in both her victories;

And Guyon in them all shewes goodly mysteries.

5

[Sir Guyon having met a damsel who represents intemperate pleasure, is tempted by her to neglect duty in inglorious idleness and self-indulgence. He falls under the spell of her blandishments and his coming under her allurements to the Idle Lake, the home of pleasure, is thus described:]

XI.

Whiles thus she talked, and whiles thus she toyd,
They were far past the passage which he spake, 101
And come unto an island waste and voyd,
That floted in the midst of that great lake;
There her small gondelay her port did make,
And that gay payre, issewing on the shore,
Disburdened her. Their way they forward take
Into the land that lay them faire before,

105

Whose pleasaunce she him shewde, and plentifull great store.

XII.

110

It was a chosen plott of fertile land, Emongst wide waves sett, like a little nest, As if it had by Nature's cunning hand Bene choycely picked out from all the rest, And laid forth for ensample of the best: No daintie flowre or herbe that growes on grownd, No arborett with painted blossomes drest And smelling sweete, but there it might be fownd To bud out faire, and throwe her sweete smels al

115

around.

XIII.

No tree whose braunches did not bravely spring;
No braunch, whereon a fine bird did not sitt;
No bird, but did her shrill notes sweetly sing; 120
No song but did containe a lovely ditt.

Trees, braunches, birds, and songs, were framed fitt For to allure fraile mind to careless ease:

125

Carelesse the man soone woxe, and his weake witt Was overcome of thing that did him please; So pleased did his wrathfull purpose faire appease.

XIV.

Thus when shee had his eyes and sences fed
With false delights, and fild with pleasures vayn,
Into a shady dale she soft him led,

And layd him downe upon a grassy playn;

And her sweete selfe without dread or disdayn
She sett beside, laying his head disarmd
In her loose lap, it softly to sustayn,

130

Where soone he slumbred fearing not be harm'd, The whils with a love lay she thus him sweetly

charmd:

XV.

135

“Behold, O man! that toilsome paines doest take,
The flowrs, the fields, and all that pleasaunt growes,
How they themselves doe thine ensample make,
Whiles nothing envious nature them forth throwes
Out of her fruitfull lap; how, no man knowes,
They spring, they bud, they blossome fresh and faire,
And decke the world with their rich pompous

showes;

Yet no man for them taketh paines or care,

140

Yet no man to them can his carefull paines compare.

XVI.

"The lilly, lady of the flowring field,

The flowre-de-luce, her lovely paramoure,

Bid thee to them thy fruitlesse labors yield,
And soone leave off this toylsome weary stoure:

145

Loe! loe; how brave she decks her bounteous boure, With silkin curtens, and gold coverletts,

150

Therein to shrowd her sumptuous belamoure! Yet neither spinnes nor cards, ne cares nor fretts, But to her mother Nature all her care she letts.

XVII.

"Why then doest thou, O man, that of them all
Art lord, and eke of nature soveraine,
Wilfully make thyselfe a wretched thrall,

And waste thy ioyous howres in needelesse paine,
Seeking for daunger and adventures vaine?
What bootes it al to have, and nothing use?

155

Who shall him rew that swimming in the maine 160 Will die for thrist, and water doth refuse? Refuse such fruitlesse toile, and present pleasures chuse."

XVIII.

By this she had him lulled fast asleepe,

That of no worldly thing he care did take:
Then she with liquors strong his eies did steepe, 165
That nothing should him hastily awake.

So she him lefte, and did herselfe betake
Unto her boat again, with which she clefte
The slouthfull wave of that great griesy lake:
Soone shee that Island far behind her lefte,
And now is come to that same place where first she
wefte.

170

[Sir Guyon, having escaped from the temptations of Idle Pleasure, next encounters Mammon, or the temptations of Avarice.]