By them they paffe, all gazing on them round, And to the prefence mount; whofe glorious view Their frayle amazed fences did confound. In living princes court none ever knew Such endleffe richeffe, and fo fumptuous fhew; Ne Perfia felfe, the nourse of pompous Pride, Like ever faw; and there a noble crew, Of lords and ladies stood on every fide,
A gentle hufher, Vanitie by name, Made rowme, and paffage for them did prepair So goodly brought them to the loweft ftayre Of her high throne, where they on humble knee Making obeyfaunce, did the caufe declare Why they were come her roiall state to fee, Το prove the wide report of her great maieftee
With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke fo lowe,
Which with their prefence fayre the place much She thancked them in her disdainfull wife;
Ne other grace vouchsafed them to showe Of princeffe worthy; fcarfe them bad arise. Her lordes and ladies all this while devise Themselves to fetten forth to ftraungers fight: Some frounce their curled heare in courtly guife, Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dig Their gay attyre: each others greater pride do fpight.
Whofe mind in meat and drinke was drowned fo, That well he could not touch, nor goe, nor ftand.
That from his frend he feldome knew his fo: Fall of diseases was his carcas blew, And a dry dropfie through his flesh did flow," Which by mifdiet daily greater grew.
Such one was Gluttony, the fecond of that crew.
And next to him rode luftful Lechery Upon a bearded goat, whofe rugged heare, And whally eies, (the fign of gelofy) Was like the perfon felfe whom he did beare, Who rough and blacke, and filthy, did appeare; Unfeemly man to please fair ladies eye: Yet he of ladies oft was loved deare, When fairer faces were bid ftanden by.
O who does know the bent of womens fantasy?
In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire, Which underneath did hide his filthiness; And in his hand a burning harte he bare, Full of vaine follies and new-fangleneffe; For he was falfe, and fraught with fickleneffe, And learned had to love with fecret lookes, And well could daunce and fing with ruefulnesse,
Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this faire band,
And next to him malicious Envy rode Upon a ravenous wolfe, and ftill did chaw Between his cankred teeth a venemous tode, That all the poison ran about his jaw; But inwardly he chawed his owne maw At neibors welth that made him ever fad; For death it was when any good he faw, And wept, that cause of weeping none he had; But when he hearde of harme he wexed wondrous glad.
All in a kirtle of difcoloured fay He clothed was, ypaynted full of eies; And in his bofume fecretly there lay An hateful fnake, the which his taile uptyes In many folds, and mortall sting implyes. Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth to fee Thofe heapes of gold with griple Covetyfe, And grudged at the great felicitee Of proud Lucifera and his owne compance.
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