Of ravenous wilde beasts, and doth beguile 1285 Their greedie mouthes of the expected spoyle; Through power of that his cunning theeveries He wonts to worke, that none the same espies; And through the power of that he putteth on What shape he list in apparition. 1290 That on his head he wore, and in his hand He tooke caduceus, his snakie wand, With which the damned ghosts he governeth, And furies rules, and Tartare tempereth. With that he causeth sleep to seize the eyes, 1295 And feare the harts, of all his enemyes; And when him list, an universall night Throughout the world he makes on everie wight; As when his syre with Alcumena lay. Thus dight, into the court he tooke his way, 1300 Both through the gard, which never him descride, And through the watchmen, who him never spide: Thenceforth he past into each secrete part, Whereas he saw, that sorely griev’d his hart, Each place abounding with fowle iniuries, 1305 And fild with treasure rackt with robberies; Each place defilde with blood of guiltles beasts Which had been slaine to serve the Apes beheasts; Gluttonie, malice, pride, and covetize, And lawlesnes raigning with riotize; 1310 Besides the infinite extortions, Done through the Foxes great oppressions, That the complaints thereof could not be tolde. Which when he did with lothfull eyes beholde, He would no more endure, but came his way, 1315 And cast to seeke the Lion, where he may, [_Cast_, projected.] That he might worke the avengement for this shame On those two caytives which had bred him blame And seeking all the forrest busily, At last he found where sleeping he did ly. 1320 The wicked weed which there the Foxe did lay From underneath his head he tooke away, And then him, waking, forced up to rize. The Lion, looking up, gan him avize, [_Avize_, bethink.] As one late in a traunce, what had of long 1325 Become of him: for fantasie is strong. “Arise,” said Mercurie, “thou sluggish beast, That here liest senseles, like the corpse deceast, The whilste thy kingdome from thy head is rent, And thy throne royall with dishonour blent: 1330 [_Blent_, stained.] Arise, and doo thy selfe redeeme from shame, And be aveng’d on those that breed thy blame.” Thereat enraged, soone he gan upstart, Grinding his teeth, and grating his great hart; And, rouzing up himselfe, for his rough hide 1335 He gan to reach; but no where it espide. Therewith he gan full terribly to rore, And chafte at that indignitie right sore. But when his crowne and scepter both he wanted, Lord! how he fum’d, and sweld, and rag’d, and panted, And threatned death and thousand deadly dolours To them that had purloyn’d his princely honours. With that in hast, disroabed as he was, He toward his owne pallace forth did pas;