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

CANTO VII.] THE FAERIE QUEEN. 385
The charge thereof unto a covetous sprite And ugly shapes, did nigh the man dismay,
Commanded was, who thereby did attend, That, were it not for shame, he would retire;
And warily, awaited day and night, Till that him thus bespake their sov'reign lord
From other covetous fiends it to defend, and sire:
Who it to rob and ransack did intend.'
Then Mammon, turning to that warrior, said Behold, thou aery's son, with mortal eye,
That living eye before did never see I
"Lo; here the worldi's bliss! lo; here the end, ving eye befordid never see
The thing that thou didst crave so earnestl%,
To which all men do aim, rich to be made! T t t t d
chgracenowtobehappyisbeforeTo weet3 whence all the wealth late show'd byme
Such grace now to be happy is before thee laid." Proceeded, lo! now is reveal'd to thee.
"' Certes," said he, "I n' ill 2 thine offer'd grace, Here is the fountain of the worldi's good!
Nor to be made so happy do intend! Now therefore, if thou wilt enriched be,
Another bliss before mine eyes I place, Advise14 thee well, and change thy wilful mood;
Another happiness, another end. Lest thou perhaps hereafter wish, and be withTo them that list these base regards 3 I lend: stood."
But I in arms, and in achievements brave,
But I in arms, and in achievements brave, Guyon again refused the Money-god's offers;
Do rather choose my flitting hours to spend,
Dbut Mammon, though much displeased, resolved
And to be lord of those that riches have,
to tempt him yet further.
Than them to have myself, and be their servile
slave." He brought him, through a darksome narrow
strait,
Thereat the Fiend his gnashing teeth did grate, a b
And griev'd so long to lack his greedy prey To a broad gate all built of beaten gold
The gate was open; but therein did wait
For well he weened that so glorious bait
W;,ould tempt his guest to talke thereof assay: 5 A sturdy villain, striding stiff and bold,
Would tempt his guest to take thereof assay:
As if the Highest God defy he wo'ld:
Had he so done, he had him snatch'd away
In his right hand an iron club he.held,
More light than culver in the falcon's fist:
Eternal Godthee save from such deay!7 But he himself was all of golden mould,
Eternal God thee save from such decay! Yethadbothlifeandsenseandwellcouldwed
But when as Mammon saw his purpose miss'd Yethadbothlife and sense, and well could weldL5
But when as Mammon saw his purpose miss'd,
Him to enp u es a r wy he iThat cursed weapon, when his cruel foes he
Him to entrap unwares another way he wist.8~ q
quell'd.
Thence forward he him led, and shortly brought Disdain he cad was, and did disdain
~Unto another room, whose door forthright
ijuto another room, whose door forthright To be so call'd, and whoso did him call:
To him did open as it had been taught:. 1
To him did open as it had been taught: Stern was his look, and full of stomach 16 vain;
Therein a hundred ranges 9 weren pight 17 terrible, and stature tall,
His portance lz terrible, and stature tall,
A hundred furnaces all burning bright;
A hundred furnaces all bueningd bright; Far passing th' height of men terrestrial;
By every furnace many fiends did bide,
By every furnace many fiends did bide, Like a huge giant of the Titans' race;
eformd creatures, horrible in siht; That made him scorn all creatures great and
And ev'ry fiend his busy pains applied small
To melt the golden metal, ready to be tried. And with his pride all others' pow' deface
One with great bellows gather'd filling air, More fit amongst black fiends than men to have
And with forc'd wind the fuel did inflame; his place.
Another did the dying brands repair Soon as those glitt'ring arms he did espy,
With iron tongs, and sprinkled oft the same That with their brightness made that darkness
With liquid waves, fierce Vulcan'sll rage to light,
tame, His harmful club he gan to hurtle 18 high,
Who, mast'ring them, renew'd his former heat: And threaten battle to the Faery Knight;
Some scumm'd the dross that from the metal Who likewise gan himself to battle dight,l9
came; Till Mammon did his hasty hand withhold,
Some stirr'd the molten ore with ladles great: And counsell'd him abstain from perilous fight;
And ev'ry one did swink,12 and ev'ry one did For nothing might abash the villain bold,
sweat. Normortalsteelempiercehis miscreatedmould.20
But, when an earthly wight they present saw, So having him with reason pacified,.Glist'ning in arms and battailous array, And that fierce carl 2 commanding to forbear,
From their hot work they did themselves with- Hebroughthim in. The room was large andwide,
draw As it some guild 22 or solemn temple were;
To wonder at the sight; for, till that day, Many great golden pillars did upbear
They never creature saw that came that way: The massy roof, and riches huge sustain;
Their staring eyes, sparkling with fervent fire, And ev'ry pillar decked was full dear 23
1 Strive, design. 2 Will not (have). 12 Labour hard.
3 Objects of regard. 13 Know. 14 Consider.
4 The prey for which he was greedy. 5 Trial. 15 Wield. 16 Haughtiness, violence.
6 Pigeon; from Anglo-Saxon, "culfre." 7 Ruin. 17 Carriage, port. 18 Shake, whirl.
8 Contrived, (thought he) knew. 9 Grates. 19 Prepare. 20 Form, body.
o1 Placed. 21 Churl, rude fellow.
11 The name of the god is here used to signify his 22 Hall in which a guild met.
especial element, fire. 23 Richly.
2 B