(Liv. III, ch. IV, 33.)
He making speedy way through spersed ayre,
And through the world of waters wide and deepe,
To Morpheus' house doth hastily repaire.
Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,
And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,
His dwelling is, there Tethys his wet bed
Doth ever wash, and Cynthia still doth steepe,
In silver deaw his ever drouping hed,
Whiles sad Night over him her mantle black doth spred.
And more to lulle him in his slumber soft,
A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe,
And ever-drizling raine upon the loft,
Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne
Of swarming bees, did cast him in a swowne.
No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes,
As still are wont t' annoy the walled towne,
Might there be heard; but careless Quiet lyes
Wrapt in eternal silence farre from enimyes.
The houses form within was rude and strong,
Like an huge cave hewne out of rocky clifte,
From whose rough vault the ragged breaches hong
Ëmbost with massy gold of glorious guifte,
And with rich metall loaded every rifte,
That heavy ruine they did seeme to threatt;
And over them Arachne high did lifte
Her cunning web, and spred her subtile nett,
Enwrapped in fowle smoke and clouds more black then jett.
Both roof and floor and walls were all of gold,
But overgrown with dust and old decay,
And hid in darknes, that none could behold
The hew thereof; for vew of cherefull day
Did never in that house itselfe display,
But a faint shadow of uncertein light,
Such as a lamp whose life does fade away;
Or as the moon, cloathed with clowdy night,
Does shew to him that walkes in feare and sad affright.
In all that rowme was nothing to be sene,
But huge grete yron chests and coffers strong,
All bart with double bends, that none could weene
Them to enforce by violence or wrong.
On every side they placed were along.
But all the grownd with sculs was scattered
And dead mens bones which round about were flong;
Whose lives, it seemed, whilome there were shed,
And their vile carcases now left unburied....
Thence forward he him led and shortly brought
Unto another rowme, whose dore forthright
To him did open as it had beene taught;
Therein an hundred raunges were pight,
And hundred fournaces all burning bright;
By every fournace many Feends did byde,
Defourmed creatures horrible in sight;
And every Feend his busie paines applyde
To melt the golden metall ready to be tryde.
One with great bellowes gathered filling ayre,
And with forst wind the fewell did inflame;
Another did the dying bronds repayre
With yron tongs, and sprinkled ofte same
With liquid waves, fiers Vulcans rage to tame
Who, maystring them, renewd his former heat.
Some scumd the drosse that from the metall came,
Some stird the molten owre with ladles great.
And every one did swincke, and every one did sweat....