Which whenas _Guyon_ saw, he gan inquire, xlviii What meant that preace about that Ladies throne, And what she was that did so high aspire. Him _Mammon_ answered; That goodly one, Whom all that folke with such contention, Do flocke about, my deare, my[683] daughter is; Honour and dignitie from her alone[684] Deriued are, and all this worldes blis For which ye men do striue: few get, but many mis. And faire _Philotime_ she rightly hight, xlix The fairest wight that wonneth vnder skye, But that this darksome neather world her light Doth dim with horrour and deformitie, Worthy of heauen and hye felicitie, From whence the gods haue her for enuy thrust: But sith thou hast found fauour in mine eye, Thy spouse I will her make, if that thou lust, That she may thee aduance for workes and merites iust. Gramercy _Mammon_[685] (said the gentle knight) l For so great grace and offred high estate; But I, that am fraile flesh and earthly wight, Vnworthy match for such immortall mate My selfe well wote, and mine vnequall fate; And were I not, yet is my trouth yplight, And loue auowd to other Lady late, That to remoue the same I haue no might: To chaunge loue causelesse is reproch to warlike knight. _Mammon_ emmoued was with inward wrath; li Yet forcing it to faine, him forth thence led Through griesly shadowes by a beaten path, Into a gardin goodly garnished With hearbs and fruits, whose kinds mote not be red: Not such, as earth out of her fruitfull woomb Throwes forth to men, sweet and well sauoured, But direfull deadly blacke both leafe and bloom, Fit to adorne the dead, and decke the drery toombe. There mournfull _Cypresse_ grew in greatest store, lii And trees of bitter _Gall_, and _Heben_ sad, Dead sleeping _Poppy_, and blacke _Hellebore_, Cold _Coloquintida_, and _Tetra_ mad, Mortall _Samnitis_, and _Cicuta_ bad, With which[686] th’vniust _Atheniens_ made to dy Wise _Socrates_, who thereof quaffing glad Pourd out his life, and last Philosophy To the faire _Critias_ his dearest Belamy. The _Gardin_[687] of _Proserpina_ this hight; liii And in the midst thereof a siluer seat, With a thicke Arber goodly ouer dight, In which she often vsd from open heat Her selfe to shroud, and pleasures to entreat. Next thereunto did grow a goodly tree, With braunches broad dispred and body great, Clothed with leaues, that none the wood mote see And loaden all with fruit as thicke as it might bee.