Nay, nay, thou greedie _Tantalus_ (quoth he) lx Abide the fortune of thy present fate, And vnto all that liue in high degree, Ensample be of mind intemperate[691], To teach them how to vse their present state. Then gan the cursed wretch aloud to cry, Accusing highest _Ioue_ and gods ingrate, And eke blaspheming heauen bitterly, As authour of vniustice, there to let him dye. He lookt a little further, and espyde lxi Another wretch, whose carkasse deepe was drent Within the riuer, which the same did hyde: But both his hands most filthy feculent, Aboue the water were on high extent, And faynd to wash themselues incessantly; Yet nothing cleaner were for such intent, But rather fowler seemed to the eye; So lost his labour vaine and idle industry. The knight him calling, asked who he was, lxii Who lifting vp his head, him answerd thus: I _Pilate_ am the falsest Iudge, alas, And most vniust, that by vnrighteous And wicked doome, to Iewes despiteous Deliuered vp the Lord of life to die, And did acquite a murdrer felonous; The whiles my hands I washt in puritie, The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie. Infinite moe, tormented in like paine lxiii He there beheld, too long here to be told: Ne _Mammon_ would there let him long remaine, For terrour of the tortures manifold, In which the damned soules he did behold, But roughly him bespake. Thou fearefull foole, Why takest not of that same fruit of gold, Ne sittest downe on that same siluer stoole, To rest thy wearie person, in the shadow coole. All which he did, to doe him deadly fall lxiv In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt; To which if he inclined had at all, That dreadfull feend, which did behind him wayt, Would him haue rent in thousand peeces strayt: But he was warie wise in all his way, And well perceiued his deceiptfull sleight, Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray; So goodly did beguile the Guyler of the pray[692]. And now he has so long remained there, lxv That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and wan, For want of food, and sleepe, which two vpbeare, Like mightie pillours, this fraile life of man, That none without the same enduren can. For now three dayes of men were full outwrought, Since he this hardie enterprize began: For thy great _Mammon_ fairely he besought, Into the world to guide him backe, as he him brought.