"But this was drawne of six unequall beasts,
On which her six sage cousellours did ryde,
Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,
With like conditions to their kinds applyde:
Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,
Was sluggish Idleness, the nourse of sin;
Upon a slouthfull asse he chose to ryde,
Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,
Like to an holy monck, the service to begin.
And in his hand his portesse still he bare,
That much was worne, but therein little red;
For of devotion he had little care,
Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his dayes ded;
Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed,
To looken whether it were night or day.
May seeme to wayne was very evill led,
When such a one had guiding of the way,
That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.
From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,
And greatly shunned manly exercise;
From every worke he chalenged essoyne,
For contemplation sake: yet otherwise
His life he led in lawlesse riotise;
By which he grew to grievous malady;
For in his lustlesse limbs, through evill guise,
A shaking fever raignd continually:
Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company. "
IV:XVIII
"And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,
Deformed creature, on a filthie swine;
His belly was up-blowne with luxury,
And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne,
And like a crane his neck was long and fine,
With which he swallowed up excessive feast,
For want whereof poore people oft did pyne;
And all the way, most like a brutish beast,
He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.
In green vine leaves he was right fitly clad;
For other clothes he could not wear for heat;
And on his head an yvie girland had,
From under which fast trickled downe the sweat:
Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat,
And in his hande did beare a boozing can,
Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat
His drunken corse he scares upholden can;
In shape and life more like a monster, then a man.
Unfit he was for any wordly thing,
And eke unhable once to stirre or go,
Not meet to be of counsel to a king,
Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so,
That from his friend he seldome knew his fo:
Full of diseases was his carcas blew,
And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow,
Which by misdiet daily greater grew:
Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew."
IV:XXI
"And greedy Avarice by him did ride,
Upon a camel loaden all with gold:
Two iron coffers hong on either side,
With precious metal full as they might hold;
And in his lap an heap of coine he told;
For of his wicked pelfe his God he made,
And unto hell him selfe for money sold;
Accursed usurie was all his trade;
And right and wrong ylike in equal ballaunce waide.
His life was nigh unto deaths doore yplast,
And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes he ware;
Ne scarse good morsel all his life did tast;
But both from backe and belly still did spare,
To fill his bags, and richnesse to compare;
Yet childe ne kinsman living had he none
To leave them to; but thorough daily care
To get, and nightly feare to lose, his owne,
He led a wretched life unto him selfe unknowne.
Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise,
Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store,
Whose need had end, but no end covetise,
Whose welth was want, whose plenty made him pore,
Who had enough, yet wished ever more;
A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand
A grievous gout tormented him full sore,
That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand:
Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this faire band."
IV:XXVII
"And next to him malicious Envie rode
Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw
Between his cankred teeth a venomous tode,
That all the poison ran about his chaw;
But inwardly he chawed his owne maw;
At neighbours welth, that made him ever sad;
For death it was, when any good he saw,
And wept, that cause of weeping none he had,
But when he heard of harme, he wexed wondrous glad.
All in a kirtle of discoloured say
He clothed was, yplaynted full of eyes;
And in his bosome secretly there lay
An hatefull snake, the which his taile uptypes
In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.
Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth to see
Those heapes of gold with griple covetyse;
And grudged at the great felicitie
Of proude Lucifera, and his owne companie.
He hated all good workes and virtuous deeds,
And him no lesse, that any like did use;
And who with gratious bread the hungry feeds,
His almes for want of faith he doth accuse:
So every good to bad he doth abuse:
And eke the verse of famous poets witt
He does backebite, and spightfull poison spues
From leprous mouth on all, that ever writt:
Such one vile Envy was, that fifte in row did sitt."
IV:XXX
"And him beside rides fierce revenging Wrath,
Upon a lion, loth for to be led;
And in his hand a burning brond he hath,
The which he brandisheth about his hed:
His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red,
And stared sterne on all, that him beheld;
As ashes pale of hew and seeming ded;
And on his dagger still his hand he held,
Trembling through hasty rage, when choler in him sweld.
His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood
Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent;
Through unadvized rashnesse woxen wood;
For of his hands he had no governement,
Ne car'd for bloud in his avengement:
But when the furious fit was overpast,
His cruell facts he often would repent;
Yet willful man he never would forecast,
How many mischieves should ensue his heedlesse hast.
Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath;
Abhorred bloodshed, and tumultuous strife,
Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath,
Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife;
And fretting griefe the enemy of life;
All these, and many evils moe haunt ire,
The swelling spleen, and frenzy raging rife,
The shaking palsey, and Saint Fraunces fire:
Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly tire."
IV:XXXIII