Cant. V.
the Faery Queene.
73
Not throughly heald, vnready were to ryde.Good cause he had to hasten thence away;For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spyde,Where in a dungeon deepe huge nombers layOf caytiue wretched thralls, that wayled night and day.
A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie;Of whom he learned had in secret wiseThe hidden cause of their captiuitie,How mortgaging their liues to Couetise,Through wastfull Pride, and wanton Riotise,They were by law of that proud TyrannesseProuokt with Wrath, and Enuyes false surmise,Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse,Where they should liue in wo, & dye in wretchednesse.
There was that great proud king of Babylon,That would compell all nations to adore,And him as onely God to call vpon,Till through celestiall doome thrown out of dore,Into an Oxe he was transformd of yore:There also was king Crœsus, that enhaunstHis hart too high through his great richesse store;And proud Antiochus, the which aduaunstHis cursed hand gainst God, and on his altares daunst.
And them long time before, great Nimrod was,That first the world with sword and fire warrayd;And after him old Ninus far did pasIn princely pomp, of all the world obayd;There also was that mightie Monarch laydLow vnder all, yet aboue all in pride,That name of natiue syre did fowle vpbrayd,And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide,Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he dide.
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