inconsistent with itself. The dream is to make the knight's mistress contradict her natural cha racter. THE CAVE OF MAMMON AND GARDEN OF PROSERPINE. Sir Guyon, crossing a desert, finds Mammon sitting amidst his gold in a gloomy valley. Mammon, taking him down into his cave, tempts him with the treasures there, and also with those in the Garden of Proserpine. 66 Spenser's strength," says Hazlitt, "is not strength of will or action, of bone and muscle, nor is it coarse and palpable; but it assumes a character of vastness and sublimity seen through the same visionary medium" (he has just been alluding to one), “and blended with the appalling associations of preternatural agency. We need only turn in proof of this to the Cave of Despair, or the Cave of Mammon, or to the account of the change of Malbecco into Jealousy."-Lectures, p. 77. That house's form within was rude and strong,13 Like a huge cave hewn out of rocky clift, From whose rough vault the ragged branches hung That heavy ruin they did seem to threat; And over them Arachne high did lift Her cunning web, and spread her subtle net, Enwrapped in foul smoke, and clouds more black than jet. Both roof and floor, and walls were all of gold, But overgrown with dust and old decay, And hid in darkness, that none could behold In all that room was nothing to be seen, But huge great iron chests and coffers strong, All barr'd with double bands, that none could ween On every side they placed were along : But all the ground with skulls was scattered, And dead men's bones, which round about were flung, Whose lives (it seemèd) whilome there were shed, And their vile carcases now left unburied. They forward pass, nor Guyon yet spake word, Till that they came unto an iron door, As eye of man did never see before, The charge thereof unto a covetous sprite From other covetous fiends it to defend, Then Mammon turning to that warrior, said: "Certes" (said he) " I n'ill thine offered grace,14 Another bliss before mine eyes I place, Another happiness, another end : To them that list, these base regards I lend; Than them to have myself, and be their servile slave. The Knight is led further on, and shown more treasures, and afterwards taken into the palace of Ambition; but all in vain. Mammon emmovèd was with inward wrath; With herbs and fruits, whose kinds must not be read : 15 Not such as earth, out of her fruitful womb," There mournful cypress grew in greatest store ;16 14 N'ill, ne-will, will not. Dead sleeping poppy; and black hellebore; Mortal samnitis; and cicuta bad, With which the unjust Athenians made to die The garden of Prosèrpina this hight;17 With branches broad dispread and body great, Clothed with leaves, that none the wood might see, And loaded all with fruit as thick as it might be. Their fruit were golden apples, glistering bright, Here also sprung that goodly golden fruit, Whom he had long time sought with fruitless suit; The which amongst the gods false Até threw ; Till partial Paris deem'd it Venus' due, And had of her fair Helen for his meed, That many noble Greeks and Trojans made to bleed. The warlike elf much wonder'd at this tree So fair and great, that shadow'd all the ground; In which full many souls do endless wail and weep. Which to behold, he climb'd up to the bank; Deep was he drenched to the utmost chin, Of the cold liquor which he waded in: And, stretching forth his hand, did often think But both the fruit from hand and flood from mouth The knight, him seeing labour so in vain, Of whom high Jove wont whilom feasted be! |