96
The first Booke of
Cant. VII.
From that day forth Duessa was his deare,And highly honourd in his haughtie eye,He gaue her gold and purple pall to weare,And triple crowne set on her head full hye,And her endowd with royall maiestye:Then for to make her dteaded more of men,And peoples hartes with awfull terror tye,A monstrous beast ybredd in filthy fenHe chose, which he had kept long time in darksom den.
Such one it was, as that renowmed SnakeWhich great Alcides in Stremona slew,Long fostred in the filth of Lerna lake,Whose many heades out budding euer new,Did breed him endlesse labor to subdew:But this same Monster much more vgly was;For seuen great heads out of his body grew,An yron brest, and back of scaly bras,And all embrewd in blood, his eyes did shine as glas.
His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length,That to the hous of heuenly gods it raught,And with extorted powre, and borrow'd strength,The euerburning lamps from thence it braught,And prowdly threw to ground, as things of naught;And vnderneath his filthy feer did tread,The sacred thinges, and holy heastes foretaught.Vpon this dreadfull Beast with seuen fold headHe sett the false Duessa, for more aw and dread.
The wofull Dwarfe, which saw his maisters fall,Whiles he had keeping of his grasing steed,And valiant knight become a caytiue thrall,When all was past, tooke vp his forlorne weed,
His
