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o6 THE II BOOKE OF THE Cant vn
63
afiaite moe, tormented in like paine '
He there beheld, too long hereto be told
Ne Mammon would there let him long remame,
For terrour of the tortures manifold,
In which the damned soules he did behold,
But roughly him be spake Thoufearefullfoole,
Why takest not of that same fruit of gold,
Ne sittest downe on that same siluer stoole,
'o rest thy wearie person, in the shadow coole
64
II which he did, to doe him deadly fall
In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt,
To which if he inclined had at all,
That dreadfull feend, which did behind him
wayt,
Would him haue rent in thousand peeces stray t
But he was wane wise in all his way,
And well perceiued his deceiptfull sleight,
Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray,
O goodly did beguile the Guyler of the pray
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and now he has so long remained there,
That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and
wan,
Forwantoffood,andsieepe,whichtwovpbeare,
Like mightie pillours, this fraile life of man,
That none without the same enduren can
For now three dayes of men were full out
wrought,
Since he this hardie enterpnzc began
For thy great Mammon fairely he besought,
nto the world to guide him backe, as he him
brought
"he God, though loth,yet was constraind t'obay,
For lenger timeThen that, no huing wight
Below the earth, might suffred be to stay
So backe againe, him brought to humg light
But all so soone as his enfeebled spright
Gan sucke this vitall aire into his brest,
As ouercome with too exceeding might,
The life did flit away out of her nest,
and all his senses were with deadly fit opprest
Cant VIII
Sir Guyon laid in swowne is by
Aerates sonnes despoyld,
Whom Arthur soone haili reskewed
And Paynim brethren foyld
I
And is there care in heaven ? and is there loue
In heauenly spirits to these creatures bace,
That may compassion of their euils moue ?
Thereis elsemuchmore wretched were the cace
Of men, then beasts ButO th'exceeding grace
Of highest God, that loues his creatures so,
And all his workes with mercy doth embrace,
That blessed Angels, he sends to and fro,
To serue to wicked man, to serue his wicked foe
2
How oft do they, their siluer bowers leaue,
To come to succour vs, that succour want ?
How oft do they with golden pmeons, cleaue
The flitting skyes, like flying Pursuiuant,
Against foule feends to aide vs milhtant ?
They for vs fight, they watch and dewly ward,
And their bright Squadrons round about vb
plant,
And all for loue, and nothing for reward
0 why should heauenly God to men haue such
regard
3
During the while, that Guyon did abide
InMammonshouse,the Palmer,whom whyleare
That wanton Mayd of passage had denidc,
By further search had passage found elsewhere,
And being on his way, approched neare,
Where Guyon lay in traunce, when suddenly
He heard a voice, that called loud and cleare,
Come hither, come hither, 0 come hastily,
That all the fields resounded with the ruefull cry
4
The Palmer lent his eare vnto the noyce,
To weet, who called so importunely
Againe he heard a more efforced voyce,
That bad him come in haste He by and by
His feeble feet directed to the cry,
Which to that shadie delue him brought at last,
WiereMammon earst did sunne his threasury
There the good Guyon he found slumbnng fast
In senselesse dreame, which sight at first him
sore aghast