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LVII.

So she to Guyon offred it to tast;
Who, taking it out of her tender hond,
The cup to ground did violently cast,
That all in peeces it was broken fond,
And with the liquor stained all the lond:
Whereat Excesse exceedinly was wroth,
Yet no'te the same amend, ne yet withstond,
But suffered him to passe, all were she loth;
Who nought regarding her displeasure, forward

LVIII.

There the most daintie paradise on ground
Itselfe doth offer to his sober eye,

[goth.

In which all pleasures plenteously abownd,
And none does other's happinesse envye;
The painted flowres, the trees upshooting hye;
The dales for shade; the hilles for breathing space;
The trembling groves; the christall running by;
And, that which all faire workes doth most aggrace,
The art which all thatwrought appeared in no place.

LIX.

One would have thought, (so cunningly the rude *
And scorned partes were mingled with the fine,)
That Nature had for wantonesse ensude

Art, and that Art at Nature did repine;
So striving each th' other to undermine,
Each did the other's worke more beautify,
So diff'ring both in willes agreed in fine:
So all agreed, through sweete diversity,
This gardin to adorne with all variety.

LX.

And in the midst of all a fountaine stood,
Of richest substance that on earth might bee,
So pure and shiny that the silver flood

Through every channell running one might see;
Most goodly it with curious ymageree

Was over-wrought, and shapes of naked boyes,
Of which some seemd, with lively iollitee,
To fly about, playing their wanton toyes;
Whylest others did themselves embay in liquid ioyes.

LXI.

And over all of purest gold was spred

A trayle of yvie in his native hew;
For the rich metall was so coloured,

That wight, who did not well avis'd it vew,
Would surely deeme it to bee yvie trew:
Low his lascivious armes adown did creepe,
That themselves dipping in the silver dew
Their fleecy flowres they fearfully did steepe,
Which drops of christall seemd for wantones to
[weep.

LXII.

Infinit streames continually did well

Out of this fountaine, sweet and faire to see,
The which into an ample laver fell,
And shortly grew to so great quantitie,
That like a litle lake it seemd to bee;

Whose depth exceeded not three cubits hight,
That through the waves one might the bottom see,
All pav'd beneath with jasper shining bright,
That seemd the fountaine in that sea did sayle up.

LXIII.

And all the margent round about was sett * With shady laurell trees, thence to defend The sunny beames which on their billowes bett, And those which therein bathed mote offend. As Guyon hapned by the same to wend, Two naked damzelles he therein espyde, Which therein bathing seemed to contend, And wrestle wantonly, ne car'd to hyde [eyde. Their dainty partes from vew of any which them

LXIV.

Sometimes the one would lift the other quight
Above the waters, and then downe againe
Her plong, as over-maystered by might,
Where both awhile would covered remaine,
And each the other from to rise restraine;
The whiles their snowy limbes, as through a vele,
So through the christall waves appeared plaine :
Then suddeinly both would themselves unhele,
And th' amorous sweet spoiles to greedy eyes re-
[vele.
As that faire starre, the messenger of morne,
His deawy face out of the sea doth reare:
Or as the Cyprian goddesse, newly borne
Of th' ocean's fruitfull froth, did first appeare:
Such seemed they, and so their yellow heare
Christalline humor dropped downe apace.
Whom such when Guyon saw,
And somewhat gan relent his earnest pace;

LXV.

he drew him neare,

His stubborne brest gan secret pleasaunce to em

G 3

[brace.

LXVI.

The wanton maidens him espying, stood
Gazing awhile at his unwonted guise;

Then th' one herselfe low ducked in the flood,
Abasht that her a straunger did avise:

But th' other rather higher did arise,
And her two lilly paps aloft displayd,

And all, that might his melting hart entyse
To her delights, she unto him bewrayd;
The rest, hidd underneath, him more desirous made,

LXVII.

With that the other likewise up arose,

And her faire lockes, which formerly were bownd
Up in one knott, she low adowne did lose,
Which flowing long and thick her cloth'd arownd,
And th' yvorie in golden mantle gownd:

So that faire spectacle from him was reft,
Yet that which reft it no lesse faire was fownd:
So hidd in lockes and waves from lookers theft,
Nought but her lovely face she for his looking left,

LXVIII.

Withall she laughed, and she blusht withall,
That blushing to her laughter gave more grace,
And laughter to her blushing, as did fall.
Now when they spyde the knight to slack his pace
Them to behold, and in his sparkling face
The secrete signes of kindled lust appeare,
Their wanton merriments they did encreace,
And to him beckned to approch more neare,
And shewd him many sights that corage cold could

reare:

1

LXIX.

On which, when gazing, him the palmer saw,
He much rebukt those wandring eyes of his,
And, counseld well, him forward thence did draw.
Now are they come nigh to the Bowre of Blis,
Of her fond favorites so nam'd amis;
When thus the palmer; 'Now, Sir! well avise,
For bere the end of all our traveill is;

'Here wonnes Acrasia, whom we must surprise, Els she will slip away, and all our drift despise.'

LXX.

Eftsoones they heard a most melodious sound,
Of all that mote delight a daintie eare,
Such as attonce might not on living ground,
Save in this paradise, be heard elswhere:
Right hard it was for wight which did it heare
To reade what manner musicke that mote bee,
For all that pleasing is to living eare
Was there consorted in one harmonee;
Birds, voices, instruments, windes, waters, all agree.

LXXI.

The ioyous birdes, shrouded in chearefull shade,
Their notes unto the voice attempred sweet;
Th' angelicall soft trembling voyces made
To th' instruments divine respondence meet;
The silver sounding instruments did meet
With the base murmure of the waters fall;
The waters fall with difference discreet,
Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call;
The gentle warbling wind low answered to all.

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