The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

326 THE FAERIE QUEEN. [BOOK I.
A grievous gout tormented him full sore; The shaking Palsy, and Saint Francis' fire:
That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand: Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly
Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this fair band. tire.12
And next to him malicious Envy rode And after all, upon the waggon beam,
Upon a ravenous wolf, and still did chaw Rode Satan with a smarting whip in hand,
Between his canker'd teeth a venomous toad, With which he forward lash'd the lazy team,
That all the poison ran about his jaw; So oft as Sloth still in the mire did stand.
But inwardly he chawed his own maw Huge routs 1 of people did about them band,14
At neighbour's wealth, that made him ever sad; Shouting for joy; and still before their way
For death it was, when any good he saw; A foggy mist had cover'd all the land;
And wept, that cause of weeping none he had; And, underneath their feet, all scatter'd lay
But when he heard of harm, he waxed wondrous Dead skulls and bones of men, whose life had
glad. gone astray.
All in a kirtle of discolour'd say 1 So forth they marchen in this goodly sort,
He clothed was, y-painted full of eyes; To take the solace of the open air,
And in his bosom secretly there lay And in fresh flow'ring fields themselves to sport;
A hateful snake, the which his tail upties 2 Amongst the rest rode that false lady fair,
In many folds, and mortal sting implies 3 The foul Duessa, next unto the chair 15
Still as he rode, he gnash'd his teeth to see Of proud Lucifer', as one of the train:
Those heaps of gold with griple Covetise; 4 But that good Knight would not so nigh repair,
And grudged at the great felicity Himself estranging from their joyance vain,
Of proud Lucifera, and his own company. Whose fellowship seem'd far unfit for warlike
He hated all good works and virtuous deeds, swain.
And him no less that any like did use; So, having solaced themselves a space,
And, who with gracious bread the hungry feeds, With pleasance of the breathing fields y-fed,l'
His alms for want of faith he doth accuse; They back returned to the princely place;
So ev'ry good to bad he doth abuse: Where as an errant knight in arms y-cled,
And eke the verse of famous poets' wit And heathenish shield, wherein with letters red
He does backbite, and spiteful poison spues Was writ Sacnsjoy, they new arrived find:
From leprous mouth on all that ever writ: Inflam'd with fury and fierce hardihead,17
Such one vile Envy was, that fifth in row5 did sit. e seem'd inheart to harbour thoughts unkind,'
And nourishbloody vengeance in his bitter mind,
And him beside rides fierce revenging Wrath,
Upon a lion, loth6 for to be led; Who, when the shamed shield of slain Sansfoy
And in his hand a burning brand he hath, e spied with that same Faery champion's page,
The which he brandisheth about his head: Betraying him that did of late destroy
His eyes did hurl forth sparkles fiery red, His eldest brother; burning all with rage,
Atnd stared stern on all that him beheld; Hie to him leapt, and that same envious 19 gage
As ashes pale of hue, and seeming dead; Of victor's glory from him snatch'd away:
And on his dagger still his hand he held, ut th' Elfinnight, which ought20 thatwarlike
Trembling through hasty rage, when choler in wage,2
him swell'd.Disdain'd to loose the meed he won in fray;
i. s. ri r t al ws And, him encountering fierce, rescued the noble
His ruffian raiment all was stain'd with blood prey
Which he had spilt, and all to rags y-rent;
Through unadvised rashness waxen wood 7 Therewith they gan to hurtle 2 greedily,
For of his hands he had no government, Redoubted battle ready to darrain,23
Nor car'd for blood in his avengement s And clash their shields, and shake their swords
But when the furious fit was overpast, on high,
His cruel facts 9 he often would repent; That with their stowre 24 they troubled all the
Yet, wilful man, he never would forecast train:
How many mischiefs should ensue l his heed- Till that great queen, upon eternal pain
less haste. Of high displeasure that ensuen might,
FumanymischiefsfollowcruelWrath; Commanded them their fury to refrain;
And, if that either to that shield had right,
Abhorred Bloodshed, and tumultuous Strife, quallisth'Unmanly Murder, and unthrifty Scath,"
Bitter Despite, with Rancour's rusty knife; "Ah, dearest Dame," quoth then the Paynim
And fretting Grief, the enemy of life: bold,
All these, and many evils more, haunt Ire, " Pardon the error of enraged wight,
The swelling Spleen, and Frenzy raging rife, Whom great grief made forget the reins to hold
1 Many-coloured silk; French, "soie." 13 Crowds. 14 Gather.
2 Twists or knots up. 3 Contains in the folds. 15 Chariot.
4 In the possession of grasping or tenacious Avarice. 16 Refreshed, satisfied.
5 Order. 6 Unwilling. 17 Courage. 18 Unnatural.
7 Grown mad. 8 In revenging himself. 19 Envy-inspiring. 20 Owned.
9 Deeds. 10 Result from. 21 Prize, reward of combat. 22 Rush together.
11 Mischief. 12 Procession, row. 23 Wage.' 4 Struggle.