144
The first Booke of
Cant. X.
And on her head she wore a tyre of gold,Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous fayre,Whose passing price vneath was to be told;And by her syde there sate a gentle payreOf turtle doues, she sitting in an yuory chayre.
The knight and Vna entring, fayre her greet,And bid her ioy of that her happy brood;Who them requites with court'sies seeming meet,And entertaynes with friendly chearefull mood.Then Vna her besought, to be so good,As in her vertuous rules to schoole her knight,Now after all his torment well withstood,In that sad house of Penaunce, where his sprightHad past the paines of hell, and long enduring night.
She was rightioyious of her iust request,And taking by the hand that Faeries sonne,Gan him instruct in euerie good behest,Of loue, and righteousnes, and well to donne,And wrath, and hatred warely to shonne,That drew on men Gods hatred, and his wrath,And many soules in dolours had fordonne:In which when him she well instructed hath,From thence to heauē she teacheth him the ready path.
Wherein his weaker wandring steps to guyde,An auncient matrone she to her does call,Whose sober lookes her wisedome well descryde:Her name was Mercy, well knowne ouer all,To be both gratious, and eke liberall:To whom the carefull charge of him she gaue,To leade aright, that he should neuer fallIn all his waies through this wide worldes waue,That Mercy in the end his righteous soule might saue.
The
