341 [from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso Book 34]
68
Thus all that day, they spent in divers talke,
With sollace great, as never wanteth there,
But when the sunne began this earth to balke,
And passe into the tother hemispheare,
5 Then they prepard to fetch a further walke,
And strait the firie charret that did beare
Elyas, when he up to heav’n was caryd,
Was as readie in a trise, and for them taryd.
69
Foure horses fierce as red as flamming fire,
10 Th’Apostle doth into the charret set,
Which when he framed had to his desire,
Astolfo in the Carre by him he set;
Then up they went and still ascending hyer,
Above the firie region they did get,
15 Whose nature so th’Apostle then did turne,
That though they went through fire, they did
not burne.
70
I say although the fire were wondrous hot,
Yet in their passage they no heat did feele,
So that it burnd them, nor offends them not;
20 Thence to the moone he guids the running
wheele,
The Moone was like a glasse all voyd of spot,
Or like a peece of purelie burnisht steele,
And lookt, although to us it seemes so small,
Well nye as bigg as earth, and sea and all.
71
25 Here had Astolfo cause of double wonder,
One, that that region seemeth there so wyde,
That unto us that are so far a sunder,
Seems but a litle circle, and beside,
That to behold the ground that him lay under,
30 A man had need to have been sharply eyd,
And bend his brows, and marke ev’n all they
might,
It seemd so small, now chiefly wanting light.
72
Twere infinit to tell what wondrous things He saw, that passed ours not few degrees, 35 What towns, what hills, what rivers and what springs What dales, what Pallaces, what goodly trees: But to be short, at last his guide him brings, Unto a goodlie vallie, where he sees, A mightie masse of things straungely confused, 40 Things that on earth were lost, or were abused. | This fiction is agreeing |
73
A store house straunge, that what on earth is lost, By fault, by time, by fortune, there is found, And like a marchaundise is there engrost, In straunger sort then I can well expound: 45 Nor speake I sole of wealth, or things of cost, In which blind fortunes powre doth most abound, But ev’n of things quite out of fortunes powre, Which wilfullie we wast each day and houre. |
Looke in the |
74
The precious time that fools mispend in play,
50 The vaine attempts that never take effect,
The vows that sinners make, and never pay,
The counsells wise that carelesse men neglect,
The fond desires that lead us oft astray,
The prayses that with pride the heart infect,
55 And all we loose with follie and mispending,
May there be found unto this place ascending.
75
Now, as Astolfo by those regions past, He asked many questions of his guide, And as he on tone side his eye did cast, 60 A wondrous hill of bladders he espyde; And he was told they had been in time past, The pompous crowns and scepters, full of pride, Of Monarks of Assiria, and of Greece, Of which now scantlie there is left a peece. | Pride of Princes and |
76
65 He saw great store of baited hookes with gold, And those were gifts that foolish men prepard, To give to Princes covetous and old, With fondest hope of future vaine reward: Then were there ropes all in sweet garlands rold, 70 And those were all false flatteries he hard, Then hard he crickets songs like to the verses, The servant in his masters prayse reherses. | Gifts geven to |
77
There did he see fond loves, that men pursew, To looke like golden gives with stones all set, 75 Then things like Eagles talents he did vew, Those offices that favorites do get: Then saw he bellows large that much winde blew, Large promises that Lords make, and forget, Unto their Ganimeds in flowre of youth, 80 But after nought but beggerie insewth. |
Fond loves. |
78
He saw great Cities seated in fayre places, That overthrown quite topsie turvie stood, He askt and learnd, the cause of their defaces Was treason, that doth never turne to good: 85 He saw fowle serpents, with fayre womens faces, Of coyners and of thieves the cursed brood, He saw fine glasses, all in peeces broken, Of service lost in court, a wofull token. |
Treasons and |
79
Of mingled broth he saw a mightie masse, 90 That to no use, all spilt on ground did lye, He askt his teacher, and he heard it was, The fruitlesse almes that men geve when they dye: Then by a fayre green mountain he did passe, That once smelt sweet, but now it stinks perdye, 95 This was that gift (be’t said without offence) That Constantin gave Silvester long since. | Almes and charitable |
80
Of birdlymd rodds, he saw no litle store, And these (O Ladies fayre) your bewties be, I do omit ten thousand things and more 100 Like unto these, that there the Duke did see For all that here is lost, there evermore Is kept, and thither in a trise doth flee, Howbeit more nor lesse there was no folly, For still that here with us remaineth wholly. |
The bewtie of |
81
105 He saw some of his own lost time and deeds,
But yet he knew them not to be his own,
They seemd to him disguisd in so straunge weeds,
Till his instructer made them better known:
But last, the thing which no man thinks he needs,
110 Yet each man needeth most, to him was shown,
By name mans wit, which here we leese so fast,
As that one substance, all the other past.
82
It seemd to be a body moyst and soft, And apt to mount by ev’ry exhalation, 115 And when it hither mounted was aloft, It there was kept in potts of such a fashion, As we call Jarrs, where oyle is kept in oft: The Duke beheld with no small admiration, The Jarrs of wit, amongst which one had writ, 120 Upon the side thereof, Orlandos wit. | Mans wit kept in jarrs |
83
This vessell bigger was then all the rest,
And ev’ry vessell had ingrav’n with art,
His name, that earst the wit therein possest:
There of his own, the Duke did finde a part,
125 And much he musd, and much him selfe he blest,
To see some names of men of great desart,
That thinke they have great store of wit, and bost
it,
And here it playne appeard they quite had lost it.
84
Some loose their wit with love, some with
ambition,
130 Some running to the sea, great wealth to get,
Some following Lords, and men of high condition,
And some in fayre jewells ritch and costlie set,
One hath desire to prove a rare Magicion,
And some with Poetrie their wit forget,
135 An other thinks to be an Alcumist,
Till all be spent, and he his number mist.
85
Astolfo takes his own before he goes, For so th’Evangelist did him permit; He set the vessels mouth but to his nose, 140 And to his place, he snuft up all his wit: Long after wise he liv’d as Turpin shows, Untill one fault he after did commit, By name, the love of one fayre Northern lasse, Sent up his wit unto the place it was. | This is written in the |