Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
MammonIII. Edmund Spenser
A
Cover’d with boughes and shrubs from heaven’s light,
Where as he sitting found in secret shade
An uncouth salvage and uncivile wight,
Of griesley hew and fowle ill-favour’d sight:
His face with smoke was tand, and eies were bleard,
His head and beard with sout were ill bedight,
His cole-blacke hands did seem to have beene seard
In smythe’s fire-spitting forge, and nayles like clawes appeard.
Was underneath enveloped with gold;
Whose glistring glosse, darkned with filthy dust,
Well yet appeared to have beene of old
A worke of rich entayle and curious mould,
Woven with antickes and wyld ymagery:
And in his lap a masse of coyne he told,
And turned upside downe, to feede his eye
And covetous desire with his huge threasury.
Great heapes of gold that never could be spent;
Of which some were rude oure, not purifide
Of Mulciber’s devouring element;
Some others were new driven, and distent
Into great ingowes and to wedges square;
Some in round plates withouten moniment:
But most were stampt, and in their metal bare
The antique shapes of Kings and Kesars straung and rare.