Her face most fowle and filthy was to see, xxvii With squinted eyes contrarie wayes intended, And loathly mouth, vnmeete a mouth to bee, That nought but gall and venim comprehended, And wicked wordes that God and man offended: Her lying tongue was in two parts diuided, And both the parts did speake, and both contended; And as her tongue, so was her hart discided, That neuer thoght one thing, but doubly stil was guided. Als as she double spake, so heard she double, xxviii With matchlesse eares deformed and distort, Fild with false rumors and seditious trouble, Bred in assemblies of the vulgar sort, That still are led with euery light report. And as her eares so eke her feet were odde, And much vnlike, th’one long, the other short, And both misplast; that when th’one forward yode, The other backe retired, and contrarie trode. Likewise vnequall were her handes twaine, xxix That one did reach, the other pusht away, That one did make, the other mard againe, And sought to bring all things vnto decay; Whereby great riches gathered manie a day, She in short space did often bring to nought, And their possessours often did dismay. For all her studie was and all her thought, How she might ouerthrow the things that Concord wrought. So much her malice did her might surpas, xxx That euen th’Almightie selfe she did maligne, Because to man so mercifull he was, And vnto all his creatures so benigne, Sith she her selfe was of his grace indigne: For all this worlds faire workmanship she tride, Vnto his last confusion to bring, And that great golden chaine quite to diuide, With which it blessed Concord hath together tide. Such was that hag, which with _Duessa_ roade, xxxi And seruing her in her malitious vse, To hurt good knights, was as it were her baude, To sell her borrowed beautie to abuse. For though like withered tree, that wanteth iuyce, She old and crooked were, yet now of late, As fresh and fragrant as the floure deluce She was become, by chaunge of her estate, And made full goodly ioyance to her new found mate. Her mate he was a iollie youthfull knight, xxxii That bore great sway in armes and chiualrie, And was indeed a man of mickle might: His name was _Blandamour_, that did descrie His fickle mind full of inconstancie. And now himselfe he fitted had right well, With two companions of like qualitie, Faithlesse _Duessa_, and false _Paridell_, That whether were more false, full hard it is to tell.