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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=374493" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto IV (excerpts)</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">CANTO IIII<br> To sinfull house of Pride, Duessa<br> guides the faithfull knight,<br> Where brothers death to wreak Sansjoy<br> doth chalenge him to fight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">i<br> Young knight, what ever that dost armes professe,<br> And through long labours huntest after fame,<br> Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,<br> In choice, and change of thy deare loved Dame,<br> Least thou of her beleeve too lightly blame,<br> And rash misweening doe thy hart remove:<br> For unto knight there is no greater shame,<br> Then lightnesse and inconstancie in love;<br> That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly prove.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">ii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Who after that he had faire Una lorne,<br> Through light misdeeming of her loialtie,<br> And false Duessa in her sted had borne,<br> Called Fidess', and so supposd to bee;<br> Long with her traveild, till at last they see<br> A goodly building, bravely garnished,<br> The house of mightie Prince it seemd to bee:<br> And towards it a broad high way that led,<br> All bare through peoples feet, which thither traveiled.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">iii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Great troupes of people traveild thitherward<br> Both day and night, of each degree and place,<br> But few returned, having scaped hard,<br> With balefull beggerie, or foule disgrace,<br> Which ever after in most wretched case,<br> Like loathsome lazars, by the hedges lay.<br> Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace:<br> For she is wearie of the toilesome way,<br> And also nigh consumed is the lingring day.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">iv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> A stately Pallace built of squared bricke,<br> Which cunningly was without morter laid,<br> Whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick,<br> And golden foile all over them displaid,<br> That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid:<br> High lifted up were many loftie towres,<br> And goodly galleries farre over laid,<br> Full of faire windowes, and delightfull bowres;<br> And on the top a Diall told the timely howres.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">v</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> It was a goodly heape for to behould,<br> And spake the praises of the workmans wit;<br> But full great pittie, that so faire a mould<br> Did on so weake foundation ever sit:<br> For on a sandie hill, that still did flit,<br> And fall away, it mounted was full hie,<br> That every breath of heaven shaked it:<br> And all the hinder parts, that few could spie,<br> Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">vi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Arrived there they passed in forth right;<br> For still to all the gates stood open wide,<br> Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight<br> Cald Malven{'u}, who entrance none denide:<br> Thence to the hall, which was on every side,<br> With rich array and costly arras dight:<br> Infinite sorts of people did abide<br> There waiting long, to win the wished sight<br> Of her, that was the Lady of that Pallace bright.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">vii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> By them they passe, all gazing on them round,<br> And to the Presence mount; whose glorious vew<br> Their frayle amazed senses did confound:<br> In living Princes court none ever knew<br> Such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew;<br> Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride<br> Like ever saw. And there a noble crew<br> Of Lordes and Ladies stood on every side<br> Which with their presence faire, the place much beautifide.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">viii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> High above all a cloth of State was spred,<br> And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,<br> On which there sate most brave embellished<br> With royall robes and gorgeous array,<br> A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,<br> In glistring gold, and peerelesse pretious stone:<br> Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay<br> To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,<br> As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">ix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fairest childe,<br> That did presume his fathers firie wayne,<br> And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde<br> Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne;<br> Proud of such glory and advancement vaine,<br> While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,<br> He leaves the welkin way most beaten plaine,<br> And rapt with whirling wheels, inflames the skyen,<br> With fire not made to burne, but fairely for to shyne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">x</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> So proud she shyned in her Princely state,<br> Looking to heaven; for earth she did disdayne,<br> And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:<br> Lo underneath her scornefull feete, was layne<br> A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne,<br> And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,<br> Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,<br> And in her selfe-lov'd semblance tooke delight;<br> For she was wondrous faire, as any living wight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,<br> And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell;<br> Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas<br> That parentage, with pride so did she swell,<br> And thundring Jove, that high in heaven doth dwell,<br> And wield the world, she claymed for her syre,<br> Or if that any else did Jove excell:<br> For to the highest she did still aspyre,<br> Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And proud Lucifera men did her call,<br> That made her selfe a Queene, and crownd to be,<br> Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all,<br> Ne heritage of native soveraintie,<br> But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie<br> Upon the scepter, which she now did hold:<br> Ne ruld her Realme with lawes, but pollicie,<br> And strong advizement of six wisards old,<br> That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xiii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came,<br> And false Duessa seeming Lady faire,<br> A gentle Husher, Vanitie by name<br> Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire:<br> So goodly brought them to the lowest stair<br> Of her high throne, where they on humble knee<br> Making obeyssance, did the cause declare,<br> Why they were come, her royall state to see,<br> To prove the wide report of her great Majestee.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xiv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low,<br> She thanked them in her disdainefull wise,<br> Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show<br> Of Princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise.<br> Her Lordes and Ladies all this while devise<br> Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight:<br> Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise,<br> Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight<br> Their gay attire: each others greater pride does spight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xv </div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Goodly they all that knight do entertaine,<br> Right glad with him to have increast their crew:<br> But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine<br> All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;<br> For in that court whylome her well they knew:<br> Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd<br> Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,<br> And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,<br> That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xvi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Suddein upriseth from her stately place<br> The royall Dame, and for her coche doth call:<br> All hurtlen forth, and she with Princely pace,<br> As faire Aurora in her purple pall,<br> Out of the East the dawning day doth call:<br> So forth she comes: her brightnesse brode doth blaze;<br> The heapes of people thronging in the hall,<br> Do ride each other, upon her to gaze:<br> Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xvii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme,<br> Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay,<br> That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime,<br> And strove to match, in royall rich array,<br> Great Junoes golden chaire, the which they say<br> The Gods stand gazing on, when she does ride<br> To Joves high house through heavens bras-paved way<br> Drawne of faire Pecocks, that excell in pride,<br> And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xviii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> But this was drawne of six unequall beasts,<br> On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde,<br> Taught to obay thelr bestiall beheasts,<br> With like conditions to their kinds applyde:<br> Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,<br> Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin;<br> Upon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde,<br> Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,<br> Like to an holy Monck, the service to begin.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And in his hand his Portesse still he bare,<br> That much was worne, but therein little red,<br> For of devotion he had little care,<br> Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his dayes ded;<br> Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed,<br> To looken, whether it were night or day:<br> May seeme the wayne was very evill led,<br> When such an one had guiding of the way,<br> That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xx</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne.<br> And greatly shunned manly exercise,<br> From every worke he chalenged essoyne.<br> For contemplation sake: yet otherwise,<br> His life he led in lawlesse riotise;<br> By which he grew to grievous malady;<br> For in his lustlesse limbs through evill guise<br> A shaking fever raignd continually:<br> Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,<br> Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne,<br> His belly was up-blowne with luxury,<br> And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne,<br> And like a Crane his necke was long and fyne,<br> With which he swallowd up excessive feast,<br> For want whereof poore people oft did pyne;<br> And all the way, most like a brutish beast,<br> He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> In greene vine leaves he was right fitly clad;<br> For other clothes he could not weare for heat,<br> And on his head an yvie girland had,<br> From under which fast trickled downe the sweat:<br> Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat,<br> And in his hand did beare a bouzing can,<br> Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat<br> His dronken corse he scarse upholden can,<br> In shape and life more like a monster, than man.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxiii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Unfit he was for any worldly thing,<br> And eke unhable once to stirre or go,<br> Not meet to be of counsell to a king,<br> Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so,<br> That from his friend he seldome knew his fo:<br> Full of diseases was his carcas blew,<br> And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow,<br> Which by misdiet daily greater grew:<br> Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxiv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And next to him rode lustfull Lechery,<br> Upon a bearded Goat, whose rugged haire,<br> And whally eyes (the signe of gelosy,)<br> Was like the person selfe, whom he did beare:<br> Who rough, and blacke, and filthy did appeare,<br> Unseemely man to please faire Ladies eye;<br> Yet he of Ladies oft was loved deare,<br> When fairer faces were bid standen by:<br> O who does know the bent of womens fantasy?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire,<br> Which underneath did hide his filthinesse,<br> And in his hand a burning hart he bare,<br> Full of vaine follies, and new fanglenesse:<br> For he was false, and fraught with ficklenesse,<br> And learned had to love with secret lookes,<br> And well could daunce, and sing with ruefulnesse,<br> And fortunes tell, and read in loving bookes,<br> And thousand other wayes, to bait his fleshly hookes.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxvi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Inconstant man, that loved all he saw,<br> And lusted after all, that he did love,<br> Ne would his looser life be tide to law,<br> But joyd weake wemens hearts to tempt, and prove<br> If from their loyall loves he might them move;<br> Which lewdnesse fild him with reprochfull paine<br> Of that fowle evill, which all men reprove,<br> That rots the marrow, and consumes the braine:<br> Such one was Lecherie, the third of all this traine.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxvii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And greedy Avarice by him did ride,<br> Upon a Camell loaden all with gold;<br> Two iron coffers hong on either side,<br> With precious mettall full, as they might hold,<br> And in his lap an heape of coine he told;<br> For of his wicked pelfe his God he made,<br> And unto hell him selfe for money sold;<br> Accursed usurie was all his trade,<br> And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxviii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> His life was nigh unto deaths doore yplast,<br> And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes he ware,<br> Ne scarse good morsell all his life did tast,<br> But both from backe and belly still did spare,<br> To fill his bags, and richesse to compare;<br> Yet chylde ne kinsman living had he none<br> To leave them to; but thorough daily care<br> To get, and nightly feare to lose his owne,<br> He led a wretched life unto him selfe unknowne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise,<br> Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store,<br> Whose need had end, but no end covetise,<br> Whose wealth was want, whose plenty made him pore,<br> Who had enough, yet wished ever more;<br> A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand<br> A grievous gout tormented him full sore,<br> That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand:<br> Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this faire band.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxx</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And next to him malicious Envie rode,<br> Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw<br> Betweene his cankred teeth a venemous tode,<br> That all the poison ran about his chaw;<br> But inwardly he chawed his owne maw<br> At neighbours wealth, that made him ever sad;<br> For death it was, when any good he saw,<br> And wept, that cause of weeping none he had,<br> But when he heard of harme, he wexed wondrous glad.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> All in a kirtle of discolourd say<br> He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes;<br> And in his bosome secretly there lay<br> An hatefull Snake, the which his taile uptyes<br> In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.<br> Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth, to see<br> Those heapes of gold with griple Covetyse,<br> And grudged at the great felicitie<br> Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companie.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds,<br> And him no lesse, that any like did use,<br> And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,<br> His almes for want of faith he doth accuse;<br> So every good to bad he doth abuse:<br> And eke the verse of famous Poets witt<br> He doth backebite, and spightfull poison spues<br> From leprous mouth on all, that ever writt:<br> Such one vile Envie was, that fifte in row did sitt.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxiii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And him beside rides fierce revenging Wrath,<br> Upon a Lion, loth for to be led;<br> And in his hand a burning brond he hath,<br> The which he brandisheth about his hed;<br> His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red,<br> And stared sterne on all, that him beheld,<br> As ashes pale of hew and seeming ded;<br> And on his dagger still his hand he held,<br> Trembling through hasty rage, when choler in him sweld.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxiv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood,<br> Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent,<br> Through unadvized rashnesse woxen wood;<br> For of his hands he had no governement,<br> Ne car'd for bloud in his avengement:<br> But when the furious fit was overpast,<br> His cruell facts he often would repent;<br> Yet wilfull man he never would forecast,<br> How many mischieves should ensue his heedlesse hast.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath;<br> Abhorred bloudshed, and tumultuous strife,<br> Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath,<br> Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife,<br> And fretting griefe the enemy of life;<br> All these, and many evils moe haunt ire,<br> The swelling Splene, and Frenzy raging rife,<br> The shaking Palsey, and Saint Fraunces fire:<br> Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly tire.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxxvi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And after all, upon the wagon beame<br> Rode Sathan, with a smarting whip in hand,<br> With which he forward lasht the laesie teme,<br> So oft as Slowth still in the mire did stand.<br> Huge routs of people did about them band,<br> Showting for joy, and still before their way<br> A foggy mist had covered all the land;<br> And underneath their feet, all scattered lay<br> Dead sculs and bones of men, whose life had gone astray.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Edmund+Spenser">Edmund Spenser</a><div class=q>
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 To sinfull house of Pride, Duessa
 guides the faithfull knight,
 Where brothers death to wreak Sansjoy
 doth chalenge him to fight.

i
 Young knight, what ever that dost armes professe,
 And through long labours huntest after fame,
 Be..."></div>
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