Classic Poem

Guyon's Temptation

There the most daintie Paradise on ground
?It selfe doth offer to his sober eye,
?In which all pleasures plenteously abound,
?And none does others happinesse envye:
?The painted flowres, the trees upshooting hye,
?The dales for shade, the hilles for breathing space,
?The trembling groves, the Christall running by;
?And that which all faire workes doth most aggrace,
The art, which all that wrought, appearèd in no place.
One would have thought, (so cunningly, the rude
?And scornèd parts were mingled with the fine,)
?That nature had for wantonnesse ensude
?Art, and that Art at nature did repine;
?So striving each th'other to undermine,
?Each did the others worke more beautifie;
?So diff'ring both in willes, agreed in fine:
?So all agreed through sweete diversitie,
This Gardin to adorne with all varietie.
And in the midst of all a fountaine stood,
?Of richest substaunce that on earth might bee,
?So pure and shiny that the silver flood
?Through every channell running one might see;
?Most goodly it with curious imageree
?Was over-wrought, and shapes of naked boyes,
?Of which some seemed with lively jollitee
?To fly about playing their wanton toyes,
Whilst others did them selves embay in liquid joyes.
And over all, of purest gold was spred,
?A trayle of yvie in his native hew;
?For the rich metall was so colourèd,
?That wight, who did not well avis'd it view,
?Would surely deeme it to bee yvie trew;
?Low his lascivious armes adown did creepe,
?That themselves dipping in the silver dew,
?Their fleecy flowres they tenderly did steepe,
Which drops of Christall seemed for wantonès to weepe.
Infinit streames continually did well
?Out of this fountaine, sweet and faire to see,
?The which into an ample laver fell,
?And shortly grew to great a quantitie,
?That like a litle lake it seemed to bee;
?Whose depth exceeded not three cubits hight,
?That through the waves one might the bottom see,
?All pav'd beneath with Jaspar shining bright,
That seemd the fountaine in that sea did sayle upright.
And all the margent round about was set
?With shady laurell trees, thence to defend
?The sunny beames, which on the billowes bet,
?And those which therein bathèd mote offend.
?As Guyon hapned by the same to wend,
?Two naked damzelles he therein espyde,
?Which, therein bathing, seemèd to contend,
?And wrestle wantonly, ne car'd to hyde
Their dainty partes from view of any which them eyed.
Sometimes the one would lift the other quight
?Above the waters, and then down againe
?Her plong, as over maisterèd by might,
?Where both awhile would coverèd remaine,
?And each the other from to rise restraine;
?The whiles their snowy limbes, as through a vele,
?So through the christall waves appearèd plaine;
?Then suddenly both would themselves unhele,
And th'amarous sweet spoiles to greedy eyes revele.
As that faire starre, the messenger of morne,
?His deawy face out of the sea doth reare,
?Or as the Cyprian goddesse, newly borne
?Of th'oceans fruitfull froth, did first appeare,
?Such seemèd they, and so their yellow heare
?Christalline humour droppèd downe apace.
?Whom such when Guyon saw, he drew him neare,
?And somewhat gan relent his earnest pace;
His subborne brest gan secret pleasaunce to embrace.
The wanton maidens, him espying, stood
?Gazing a while at his unwonted guise;
?Then th'one her selfe low duckèd in the flood,
?Abasht, that her a straunger did avise;
?But th'other rather higher did arise,
?And her two lilly paps aloft displayd,
?And all, that might his melting hart entyse
?To her delights, she unto him bewrayd:
The rest hidd underneath, him more desirous made.
With that the other likewise up arose,
?And her faire lockes, which formerly were bownd
?Up in one knott, she low adowne did lose;
?Which, flowing long and thick, her cloth'd arownd,
?And th'yvorie in golden mantle gownd:
?So that faire spectacle from him was reft,
?Yet that which reft it no lesse faire was fownd:
?So hidd in lockes and waves from lookers theft,
Nought but her lovely face she for his looking left.
Withall she laughèd, and she blusht withall,
?That blushing to her laughter gave more grace,
?And laughter to her blushing, as did fall.
?Now when they spyde the knight to slacke his pace,
?Them to behold, and in his sparkling face
?The secret signes of kindled lust appeare,
?Their wanton meriments they did encreace,
?And to him beckned, to approch more neare,
And shewd him many sights, that corage cold could reare.