Page:The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.djvu/66

 was showed on the wall in portraiture with the lustiness thereof and all the garden. The porter Idleness was not forgotten, nor Narcissus the fair of yore ago, nor yet King Solomon's folly, nor yet the great strength of Hercules, the enchantments of Circe and Medea, nor Turnus, of spirit hardy and fierce, nor the rich Croesus, caitiff in bondage. Thus may ye see that wisdom nor riches, beauty nor cunning, strength nor hardiness may hold copartnership with Venus, for she can guide the world as she will. Lo! all these folk were so caught in her snare, till for woe they said full oft "Alas!" Here one or two ensamples I let suffice, though I could reckon a thousand.

The naked statue of Venus, glorious for to behold, was floating in the wide sea, and from the middle down was covered all with green waves bright as any glass. A psaltery she had in her right hand, and on her head, full seemly to see, a rose garland, fresh and well smelling. Above her head fluttered her doves, and before her stood Cupid, her son, two wings upon his shoulders, and he was blind, as he is oft portrayed, and bare a bow with bright and keen arrows.

Why should I not eke tell you all the portraiture that was upon the wall within the temple of Mars the red and mighty? All painted was it in length and breadth like to the inner parts of the grisly abode that is called the great temple of Mars in Thrace, in that cold and frosty region where Mars hath his supreme dwelling-place. First on the wall a forest was painted in which dwelt neither man nor beast, with aged barren trees, knotted and gnarled, sharp stumps and hideous to behold, through which there ran a rumbling and a gusty wind, as though the storm should rend every bough. And downward under an hill there stood the temple of Mars armipotent, wrought all of burnished