XLII

Ah Dame (quoth he) thou temptest me in vaine, 370
  To dare the thing, which daily yet I rew,
  And the old cause of my continued paine
  With like attempt to like end to renew. 
  Is not enough, that thrust from heaven dew
  Here endlesse penance for one fault I pay, 375
  But that redoubled crime with vengeance new
  Thou biddest me to eeke? can Night defray
The wrath of thundring Jove that rules both night and day?

XLIII

Not so (quoth she) but sith that heavens king
  From hope of heaven hath thee excluded quight, 380
  Why fearest thou, that canst not hope for thing;
  And fearest not, that more thee hurten might,
  Now in the powre of everlasting Night? 
  Goe to then, O thou farre renowmed sonne
  Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might 385
  In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne
Great paines, and greater praise,[*] both never to be donne.

XLIV

Her words prevaild:  And then the learned leach
  His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay,
  And all things else, the which his art did teach:  390
  Which having seene, from thence arose away
  The mother of dread darknesse, and let stay
  Aveugles sonne there in the leaches cure,
  And backe returning tooke her wonted way,
  To runne her timely race, whilst Phoebus pure, 395
In westerne waves his weary wagon did recure.

XLV

The false Duessa leaving noyous Night,
  Returnd to stately pallace of Dame Pride;
  Where when she came, she found the Faery knight
  Departed thence, albe his woundes wide 400
  Not throughly heald, unreadie were to ride. 
  Good cause he had to hasten thence away;
  For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spide
  Where in a dongeon deepe huge numbers lay
Of caytive wretched thrals, that wayled night and day. 405

XLVI

A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie;
  Of whom he learned had in secret wise
  The hidden cause of their captivitie,
  How mortgaging their lives to Covetise,
  Through wastfull Pride and wanton Riotise, 410
  They were by law of that proud Tyrannesse,
  Provokt with Wrath, and Envies false surmise,
  Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse,
Where they should live in woe, and die in wretchednesse.

XLVII

There was that great proud king of Babylon,[*] 415
  That would compell all nations to adore,
  And him as onely God to call upon,
  Till through celestiall doome throwne out of dore,
  Into an Oxe he was transform’d of yore: 
  There also was king Croesus,[*] that enhaunst 420
  His hart too high through his great riches store;
  And proud Antiochus,[*] the which advaunst
His cursed hand gainst God and on his altars daunst.