There added was, by goodly ordinaunce,
An huge great payre of bellowes, which did Soone as the gracious Alma came in place,
Continually, and cooling breath inspyre.
About the caudron many cookes accoyld
With hookes and ladles, as need did requyre;
The whiles the viaundes in the vessel boyld,
They did about their businesse sweat and forely
toyld.
The maifter cooke was cald Concoction,
A carefull man, and full of comely guife;
The kitchin clerke, that hight Digestion,
Did order all th' achates in feemly wife,
And let them forth, as well he could devife.
The reft had feverall offices affynd;
Some to remove the fcum as it did rife,
Others to beare the fame away did mynd,
And others it to use according to his kynd.
But all the liquour, which was fowle and waste,
Not good nor ferviceable elles for ought,
They in another great rownd vessel plaste,
Till by a conduit pipe it thence were brought;
And all the reft, that noyous was and nought,
By fecret wayes, that none might it espy,
Was clofe convaid, and to the back-gate brought,
That cleped was Port Efquiline, whereby
It was avoided quite, and throwne out privily.
Which goodly order and great workmans skill
Whenas thofe knightes beheld, with rare delight
And gazing wonder they their mindes did fill,
For never had they seene fo ftraunge a fight.
Thence backe againe faire Alma led them right,
And foone into a goodly parlour brought,
That was with royall arras richly dight,
In which was nothing pourtrahed nor wrought,
Not wrought nor pourtrahed, but cafie to be
thought:
And in the midft thereof, upon the floure,
A lovely bevy of faire ladies fate,
Courted of many a iolly paramoure,
The which them did in modeft wife amate,
And each one fought his lady to aggrate;
And eke emongst them litle Cupid playd
His wanton fportes, being retourned late
From his fierce warres, and having from him
layd
His cruell bow, wherewith he thousands hath difmayd.
Diverse delights they fownd themselves to please;
Some fong in fweet confort, fome laught for ioy,
Some plaid with ftrawes, fome ydly fatt at eafe;
But other fome could not abide to toy,
All pleasaunce was to them griefe and annoy :
This fround, that faund, the third for fhame did
blush,
Another feemed envious or coy,
Another in her teeth did gnaw a rush;
They all attonce out of their seates arose,
And to her homage made with humble grace;
Whom when the knights beheld, they gan difpofe
Themselves to court, and each a damzell chofe :
The prince by chaunce did on a lady light,
That was right faire and fresh as morning rofe,
But fomewhat fad and folemne eke in fight,
As if fome penfive thought constraind her gentle
fpright.
In a long purple pall, whose skirt with gold
Was fretted all about, fhe was arayd,
And in her hand a poplar braunch did hold;
To whom the prince in courteous maner fayd,
"Gentle Madame! why beene ye thus difmayd,
"And your faire beautie doe with fadnes fpill?
"Lives any that you hath thus ill apayd?"
"Or doen your love, or doen you lack your will?
"Whatever bee the cause, it fure befeemes you
"ill."
"Fayre Sir!" said she, halfe in difdaineful wife,
"How is it that this word in me ye blame,
"And in yourselfe doe not the fame advise?
"Him ill befeemes another's fault to name,
"That may unwares be blotted with the fame :
"Penfive 1 yeeld I am, and fad in mind,
"Through great defire of glory and of fame;
"Ne ought I weene are ye therein behynd,
"That have twelve months fought one, yet no
"where can her find."
The whiles the Faery Knight did entertaine
Another damfell of that gentle crew,
That was right fayre and modest of demayne,
But that too oft she chaung'd her native hew;
Straunge was her tyre, and al! her garment blew,
Clofe rownd about her tuckt with many a plight;
Upon her fift the bird which fhonneth vew,
And keepes in coverts clofe from living wight,
Did fitt, as yet afhamd how rude Pan did her
dight.
So long as Guyon with her communed,
Unto the grownd the caft her modest eye,
And ever and anone with rofy red
The bashfull blood her fnowy cheekes did dye,
That her became, as polisht yvory,
Which cunning crafteiman hand hath overlayd
With fayre vermilion or pure caftory:
But at thefe ftraungers prefence every one did Great wonder had the knight to fee the mayd
Of thofe that rowme was full; and them among
There fate a man of ripe and perfect age,
Who did them meditate all his life long,
That through continuall practife and ufage
He now was growne right wife and wondrous fage:
Great pleasure had these ftraunger knightes to fee
His goodly reafon and grave perfonage,
That his difciples both defyrd to bee;
But Alma thence them led to th' hindmoft rowme of three.
Of native strength, now that he them furvivd':
His chamber all was hangd about with rolls,
And old records from auncient times deriv'd,
Some made in books, fome in long parchment
fcrolls,
That were all worm-eaten and full of canker
holes.
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