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 FAERZE QUEEN.. 387
And those, with which th' Eubcean young man 1 "Nay, nay, thou greedy Tantalus," the Knight
wan replied, and bade him abide his fate, for an exSwift Atalanta, when through craft he her out- ample to make those temperate who live in high
ran. degree. Tantalus broke out into revilings and
Here also sprang that goodly golden fruit, blasphemy against'Jove and heaven; while
With which Acontius got his lover true, Guyon looked beyond, and saw another wretch,
Whom he had long time sought with fruitless whose carcase was beneath the flood, but whose
suit; 2 filthy hands, lifted up on high, seemed to wash
Here eke that famous golden apple grew, themselves eternally, yet ever seemed fouler for
The which amongst the gods false Ate threw; the lost labour. Asked who he was, he answered,
For which th' Idaan Ladies disagreed,
For which th' Idnearn Ladies disa~greed, "I Pilate am, the falsest judge, alas, and most
Till partial Paris deem'd 3 it Venus' due, unjust!' who washed his hands in purity the
~And had of her fair Helen for his meed,: while his soul was soiled with foul iniquity.
And had of her fair Helen for his meed,
That many noble Greeks and Trojans made to An infinite number more the Knight saw also
bleed. tormented there; but Mammon would not let
him stay, roughly asking'the "fearful fool"
The warlike Elf much wonder'd at this tree, why he did not take of the golden' fruit, and
So fair and great, that shadow'd all the ground; rest him on the silver stool. All this he did to
And his broad branches, laden with rich fee,4 make the Knight fall, "in frail intemperance,
Did stretch themselves without the utmost through sinful bait," and render him a prey to
bound the dreadful fiend waiting behind; but Guyon
Of this great garden, compass'd with a mound: was proof against all temptation.
Which overhanging, they themselves did steep
In a black flood, which flow'd about it round; And now he has so long remained there,
That is the river of Cocytus deep, That vital pow'rs gan wax both weak and wan
In which full many souls do endless wail and For want of food and sleep, which two upbear,
weep. Like mighty pillars, this frail life of man,
That none without the same enduren can:
Which to behold he clomb up to the bank, w o e sme dur c
And, looking down, saw many damnad wights r nowthree days of men were full outwrou
In those sad waves, which direful deadly stank, Since he his hardy-enterprise began:
Plunged continually of5 cruel sprites, Forthy 12 great Mammon fairly he besought
That with their piteous cries, and yelling Into the world to guide him back, as he him
That with their piteous cries, and yelling brought.
shrights,6 brought.
They made the farther shore resounden wide: The god, though loth, yet was constrain'd t' obey;
Amongst the rest of those same rueful sights, For longer time than that no living wight
One cursed creature he by chance espied, Below the earth might suffer'd be to stay:
That drenched 7 lay full deep under the garden So back again him brought to living light.
side. But all so soon as his enfeebled sprite
Deep was he drenched to the utmost chin, Gan suck this vital air into his breast,
Yet gaped still as coveting to drink As overcome with too exceeding might,
Of the cold liquor which he waded in; The life did flit away out of her nest,
And, stretching forth his hand, did often think And all his senses were with deadly fit opprest.
To, reach the fruit which grew upon the brink;
But both the fruit from hand, and flood from
mouth,
Did fly aback, and made him vainly swink; 8
The while he starv'd with hunger, and with CANTO VIII
drouth 9
He daily died, yet never throughly dien couth.10 Sir Guyon, laid in swoon, is by
Aerates' sons despoil'd;
The Knight, him seeing labour so in vain,m s oon hh resc'd
Ask'd who he was, and what he meant thereby? And Paynim brethrenfoil'd.
Who, groaning deep, thus answer'd him again;
" Most cursid of all creatures under sky, AND is there care in heav'n? And is there love
Lo, Tantalus, I here tormented lie! In heav'nly spirits to these creatures base,
Of whom high Jove wont whilom feasted be That may compassion of their evils move?
Lo, here I now for want of food do die I There is: else much more wretched were the case
But, if that thou be such as I thee see,"1 Of men than beasts: but O! th' exceeding grace
Of grace I pray thee give to eat and drink to me! " Of Highest God that loves his creatures so,
1 Hippomenes, the Bceotian (net Eubcean) youth a vow-that she would wed him. The maiden pronounced
who, dropping along the race-course the three'golden the lines, in the presence of the goddess, and was thereapples with which Venus had furnished him, out- fore bound to wed her humble lover.
stripped Atalanta in the race, the prize of which was 3 Decreed, adjudged. 4 Property, wealth.
her hand in marriage-the penalty~of failure, death by 5 By. 6 Shrieks.
her hand. 7 Drowned, immersed. 8 Labour in vain.
2 Acontius, having gone to Delos to the festival of 9 Thirst. o1 Could never thoroughly, really, die.
Diana, fell in love with the beautiful Cydippe, and 11 As I judge thee by thine appearance,
threw into her bosom an apple on.which he had written 12 Therefore.