XXX

And all the while she stood upon the ground,
  The wakefull dogs did never cease to bay,[*]
  As giving warning of th’ unwonted sound,
  With which her yron wheeles did them affray, 265
  And her darke griesly looke them much dismay: 
  The messenger of death, the ghastly Owle[*]
  With drery shriekes did also her bewray;
  And hungry Wolves continually did howle,
At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle. 270

XXXI

Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole,
  And brought the heavie corse with easie pace
  To yawning gulfe of deepe Avernus hole.[*]
  By that same hole an entrance darke and bace
  With smoake and sulphure hiding all the place, 275
  Descends to hell:  there creature never past,
  That backe returned without heavenly grace;
  But dreadfull Furies which their chaines have brast,
And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

XXXII

By that same way the direfull dames doe drive 280
  Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood,
  And downe to Plutoes house are come bilive: 
  Which passing through, on every side them stood
  The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood,
  Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide 285
  With stonie eyes; and all the hellish brood
  Of feends infernall flockt on every side,
To gaze on earthly wight that with the Night durst ride.

XXXIII

They pas the bitter waves of Acheron,
  Where many soules sit wailing woefully, 290
  And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,
  Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry,
  And with sharpe shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry,
  Cursing high Jove, the which them thither sent. 
  The house of endlesse paine is built thereby, 295
  In which ten thousand sorts of punishment
The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.

XXXIV

Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus[*]
  His three deformed heads did lay along,
  Curled with thousand adders venemous, 300
  And lilled forth his bloudie flaming tong: 
  At them he gan to reare his bristles strong,
  And felly gnarre, until Dayes enemy
  Did him appease; then downe his taile he hong
  And suffred them to passen quietly:  305
For she in hell and heaven had power equally.

XXXV

There was Ixion turned on a wheele,[*]
  For daring tempt the Queene of heaven to sin;
  And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele
  Against an hill, ne might from labour lin; 310
  There thirsty Tantalus hong by the chin;
  And Tityus fed a vulture on his maw;
  Typhoeus joynts were stretched on a gin,
  Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth by law,
And fifty sisters water in leake vessels draw. 315