And all the chamber filled was with flyes, li Which buzzed all about, and made such sound, That they encombred all mens eares and eyes, Like many swarmes of Bees assembled round, After their hiues with honny do abound: All those were idle thoughts and fantasies, Deuices, dreames, opinions vnsound, Shewes, visions, sooth-sayes, and prophesies; And all that fained is, as leasings, tales, and lies. Emongst them all sate he, which wonned there, lii That hight _Phantastes_ by his nature trew; A man of yeares yet fresh, as mote appere, Of swarth complexion, and of crabbed hew, That him full of melancholy did shew; Bent hollow beetle browes, sharpe staring eyes, That mad or foolish seemd: one by his vew Mote deeme him borne with ill disposed skyes, When oblique _Saturne_ sate in the house[757] of agonyes. Whom _Alma_ hauing shewed to her guestes, liii Thence brought them to the second roome, whose wals Were painted faire with memorable gestes, Of famous Wisards, and with picturals Of Magistrates, of courts, of tribunals, Of commen wealthes, of states, of pollicy, Of lawes, of iudgements, and of decretals; All artes, all science, all Philosophy, And all that in the world was aye thought wittily. Of those that roome was full, and them among liv There sate a man of ripe and perfect age, Who did them meditate all his life long, That through continuall practise and vsage, He now was growne right wise, and wondrous sage. Great pleasure had those stranger knights, to see His goodly reason, and graue personage, That his disciples both desir’d to bee; But _Alma_ thence them led to th’hindmost roome of three. That chamber seemed ruinous and old, lv And therefore was remoued farre behind, Yet were the wals, that did the same vphold, Right firme and strong, though somewhat they declind; And therein sate an old oldman, halfe blind, And all decrepit in his feeble corse, Yet liuely vigour rested in his mind, And recompenst him with a better scorse: Weake body well is[758] chang’d for minds redoubled forse. This man of infinite remembrance was, lvi And things foregone through many ages held, Which he recorded still, as they did pas, Ne suffred them to perish through long eld, As all things else, the which this world doth weld, But laid them vp in his immortall scrine, Where they for euer incorrupted dweld: The warres he well remembred of king _Nine_, Of old _Assaracus_, and _Inachus_ diuine.