Though thy beginning hath been retro

grade,

By froward' opposite, where till aspert, Now shall they turn, and look on thee dert: 2

XX.

And therewith all unto the wheel in hye She hath me led, and bade me lear to climb,

Upon the which I stepped suddenly;

Now hold thy grippis, quoth she, for thy time,

An hour and more it runis over prime ;3 To count the whole, the half is near away;

That with thy flesh aye waking art in trouble,

And sleeping eke, of pain so hast thou double.

II.

Covert myself all this mean I to loke,2
Though that my spirit vexèd was tofore,
In suenyng,3 as soon as ever I woke,
By XX fold it was in trouble more,
Bethinking me with sighing heart and sore,
That none other thingis but dreamès had;
Nor sekernes4 my spirit with to glad.

III.

day.

XXI.

Example (quoth she) take of this tofore, That from my wheel be rolled as a ball; For the nature of it is evermore

After an height to vale,4 and give a fall, Thus when we liketh up or down to fall. Farewell, quoth she, and by the ear me toke,

So earnestly, that therewithal I woke.

CANTO VI.

I.

O busy ghost,5 aye flickering to and fro,
That never art in quiet nor in rest,
Till thou come to that place that thou
came fro,

Which is thy first and very proper nest From day to day so sore here art thou drest,"

1 Bold men opposed, enemies.

2 Meaning obscure, but seems to refer to the cruelty of his enemies.

3 First division of the day, six till nine; figuratively applied to life.

4 Descend. 5 Restless spirit. 6 Vexed.

What life is this? where hath my spirit be? Ah! mercy, Lord! what will ye do with me? Is this of my forethought impression ?" Or is it from the heaven a vision?

In good time and seily to begin

Their prenticehood; and furthermore I pray2

XVII.

Blessed mot be the goddis all,

So fair that glitt'ren in the firmament !