sith they warlike armes haue layd away They haue exceld in artes and pollicy That now we foolish men that prayse gin eker'enuy Of warlike puissaunce in ages spent Be thou faire Britomart whose prayse I write But of all wisedome be thou precedent Endite I would as dewtie doth excite But ah my rimes too rude and rugged arre When in so high an obiect they do lite And striuing fit to make I feare do marre Thy selfe thy prayses tell and make them knowen farre She trauelling with Guyon by the way Of sundry things faire purpose gan to find T'abridg their iourney long and lingring day Mongst which it fell into that Faeries mind To aske this Briton Mayd what vncouth wind Made her dissemble her disguised kind Faire Lady she him seemd like Lady drest But fairest knight aliue when armed washer brest Thereat she sighing softly had no powre To speake a while ne ready answere make But with hart-thrilling throbs and bitter stowre As if she had a feuer fit did quake And euery daintie limbe with horrour shake And euer and anone the rosy red Flasht through her face as it had beene a flake Oflightning through bright heauen fulmined At last the passion past she thus him answered Faire Sir I let you weete that from the howre I taken was from nourses tender pap I haue beene trained vp in warlike stowre To tossen speare and shield and to affrap The warlike ryder to his most mishap Sithence I loathed haue my life to lead As Ladies wont in pleasures wanton lap To finger the fine needle and nyce thread Me leuer were with point of foemans speare be dead All my delights deedes of armes is set To hunt out perils and aduentures hard By sea by land where so they may be met Onely for honour and for high regard Without respect of richesse or reward For such intent into these parts I came Withouten compasse or withouten card Far fro my natiue soyle that is by name The greater Britaine here to seeke for prayse and fame Fame blazed hath that here in Faery lond Do many famous Knightes and Ladies wonne And many straunge aduentures to be fond Of which great worth and worship may be wonne Which I to proue this voyage haue begonne But mote I weet of you right curteous knight Tydings of one that hath vnto me donne Late foule dishonour and reprochfull spight The which I seeke to wreake and Arthegall he hight The word gone out she backe againe would call As her repenting so to haue missayd But that he it vp-taking ere the fall Her shortly answered Faire martiall Mayd Certes ye misa uised beene t'vpbrayd A gentle knight with so vnknightly blame For weet ye well of all that euer playd At tilt or tourney or like warlike game The noble Arthegall hath euer borne the name For thy great wonder were it if such shame Should euer enter in his bounteous thought Or euer do that mote deseruen blame The noble courage neuer weeneth ought That may vnworthy of it selfe be thought Therefore faire Damzell be ye well aware Least that too farre ye haue your sorrow sought You and your countrey both I wish welfare And honour both for each of other worthy are The royall Mayd woxe inly wondrous glad To heare her Loue so highly magnifide And ioyd that euer she affixed had Her hart on knight so goodly glorifide How euer finely she it faind to hide The louing mother that nine monethes did beare In the deare closet of her paine full side Her tender babe it seeing safe appeare Doth not so much reioyce as she reioyced theare But to occasion him to further talke To feed her humour with his pleasing stile Her list in strifull termes with him to balke Aud thus replide How euer Sir ye file Your curteous tongue his prayses to compile It ill beseemes a knight of gentle sort Such as ye haue him boasted to beguile A simple mayd and worke so haynous tort In shame of knighthood as I largely can report Let be therefore my vengeaunce to disswade And read where I that faytour false may find Ah but if reason faire might you perswade To slake your wrath and mollifie your mind Said he perhaps ye should it better find For hardy thing it is to weene by might That man to hard conditions to bind Or euer hope to match in equall fight Whose prowesse paragon saw neuer liuing wight Ne soothlich is it easie for to read Where now on earth or how he may be found For he ne wonneth in one certaine stead But restlesse walketh all the world around Ay doing things that to his same redound Defending Ladies cause and Orphans right Where so he heares that any doth confound Them comfortlesse through tyranny or might So is his soueraine honour raisde to heavens hight His feeling words her feeble sence much pleased And softly sunck into her molten hart Hart that is inly hurt is greatly eased With hope of thing that may allegge his smart For pleasing words are like to Magick art That doth the charmed Snake in slomber lay Such secret ease felt gentle Britomart Yet list the same efforce with faind gainesay So dischord oft in Musick makes the sweeter lay And said Sir knight these idle termes forbeare And sith it is vneath to find his haunt Tell me some markes by which he may appeare If chaunce I him encounter parauant For perdie one shall other slay or daunt What shape what shield what armes what steed what sted And what so else his person most may vaunt All which the Redcrosse knight to point ared And him in euery part before her fashioned Yet him in euery part before she knew How euer list her now her knowledge faine Sith him whilome in Britaine she did vew To her reuealed in a mirrhour plaine Whereof did grow her first engraffed paine Whose root and stalke so bitter yet did tast That but the fruit more sweetnesse did containe Her wretched dayes in dolour she mote wast And yield the pray of loue to lothsome death at last By strange occasion she did him behold And much more strangely gan to loue his sight As it in bookes hath written bene of old In Deheubarth that now South-wales is hight What time king Ryence raign'd and dealed right The great Magitian Merlin had deuiz'd By his deepe science and hell-dreaded might A looking glasse right wondrously aguiz'd Whose vertues through the wyde world soone were solemniz'd It vertue had to shew in perfect sight What euer thing was in the world contaynd Betwixt the lowest earth and heauens hight So that it to the looker appertaynd What euer foe had wrought or frend had faynd Therein discouered was ne ought mote pas Ne ought in secret from the same remaynd For thy it round and hollow shaped was Like to the world it selfe and seem'd a world of glas Who wonders not that reades so wonderous worke But who does wonder that has red the Towre Wherein th' Aegyptian Phaeo long
which I mote not see Thus did the courteous Knight excuse his blame And to recomfort him all comely meanes did frame In such discourses they together spent Long time as fit occasion forth them led With which the Knight him selfe did much content And with delight his greedy fancy fed Both of his words which he with reason red And also of the place whose pleasures rare With such regard his sences rauished That thence he had no will away to fare But wisht that with that shepheard he mote dwelling share But that enuenimd sting the which of yore His poysnous point deepe fixed in his hart Had left now gan afresh to rancle sore And to renue the rigour of his smart Whch to recure no skill of Leaches art Mote him auaile but to returne againe To his wounds worker that with louely dart Dinting his brest had bred his restlesse paine Like as the wounded Whale to shore flies frō the maine So taking leaue of that same gentle swaine He backe returned to his rusticke wonne Where his faire Pastorella did remaine To whome in sort as he at first begonne He daily did apply him selfe to donne All dewfull seruice voide of thoughts impare Ne any paines ne perill did he shonne By which he might her to his loue allure And liking in her yet vntamed heart procure And euermore the shepheard Coridon What euer thing he did her to aggrate Did striue to match with strong contention And all his paines did closely emulate Whether it were to caroll as they sate Keeping their sheepe or games to exercize Or to present her with their labours late Through which if any grace chaunst to arize To him the Shepheard streight with iealousie did frize One day as they all three together went To the greene wood to gather strawberies There chaunst to them a dangerous accident A Tigre forth out of the wood did rise That with fell clawes full of fierce gourmandize And greedy mouth wide gaping like hell gate Did runne at Pastorell her to surprize Whom she beholding now all desolate Gan cry to them aloud to helpe her all too late Which Coridon first hearing ran in hast To reskue her but when he saw the feend Through cowherd feare he fled away as fast Ne durst abide the daunger of the end His life he steemed dearer then his frend But Calidore soone comming to her ayde When he the beast saw ready now to rend His loues deare spoile in which his heart was prayde He ran at him enraged in stead of being frayde He had no weapon but his shepheards hooke To serue the vengeaunce of his wrathfull will With which so sternely he the monster strooke That to the ground astonished he fell Whence ere he could recour he did him quell And hewing off his head it presented Before the feete of the faire Pastorell Who scarcely yet from former feare exempted A thousand times him thankt that had her death preuented From that day forth she gan him to affect And daily more her fauour to augment But Coridon for cowherdize reiect Fit to keepe sheepe vnfit for loues content The gentle heart scornes base disparagement Yet Calidore did not despise him quight But vsde him friendly for further intent That by his fellowship he colour might Both his estate and loue from skill of any wight So well he wood her and so well he wrought her With humble seruice and with daily sute That at the last vnto his will he brought her Which he so wisely well did prosecute That of his loue he reapt the timely frute And ioyed long in close felicity Till fortune fraught with malice blinde and brute That enuies louers long prosperity Blew vp a bitter storme of foule aduersity It fortuned one day when Calidore Was hunting in the woods as was his trade A lawlesse people Brigants hight of yore That neuer vsde to liue by plough nor spade But fed on spoile and booty which they made Vpon their neighbours which did nigh them border The dwelling of these shepheards did inuade And spoyld their houses and them selues did murder And droue away their flocks with other much disorder Amongst the rest the which they then did pray They spoyld old Melibee of all he had And all his people captiue led away Mongst which this lucklesse mayd away was lad Faire Pastorella sorrowfull and sad Most sorrowfull most sad that euer sight Now made the spoile of theeues and Brigants bad Which was the conquest of the gentlest Knight That euer liu'd and th' onely glory of his might With them also was taken Coridon And carried captiue by those theeues away Who in the couert of the night that none Mote them descry nor reskue from their pray Vnto their dwelling did them close conuay Their dwelling in a little Island was Couered with shrubby woods in which no way Appeard for people in nor out to pas Nor any footing fynde for ouergrowen gras For vnderneath the ground their way was made Through hollow caues that no man mote discouer For the thicke shrubs which did them alwaies shade From view of liuing wight and couered ouer But darkenesse dred and daily night did houer Through all the inner parts wherein they dwelt Ne ligntned was with window nor with louer But with continuall candlelight which delt A doubtfull sense of things not so well seene as felt Hither those Brigants brought their present pray And kept them with continuall watch and ward Meaning so soone as they conuenient may For slaues to sell them for no small reward To merchants which them kept in bondage hard Or sold againe Now when faire Pastorell Into this place was brought and kept with gard Of griesly theeues she thought her self in hell Where with such damned fiends she should in darknesse dwell But for to tell the dolefull dreriment And pittifull complaints which there she made Where day and night she nought did but lament Her wretched life shut vp in deadly shade And waste her goodly beauty which did fade Like to a flowre that feeles no heate of sunne Which may her feeble leaues with comfort glade But what befell her in that theeuish wonne Will in an other Canto better be begonne Cant. XI The theeues fall out for Pastorell VVhilest Melibee is slaine Her Calidore from them redeemes And bringeth backe againe THe ioyes of loue if they should euer last Without affliction or disquietnesse That worldly chaunces doe amongst them cast Would be on earth too great a blessednesse Liker to heauen then mortall wretchednesse Therefore the winged God to let men weet That here on earth is no sure happinesse A thousand sowres hath tempred with one sweet To make it seeme more deare and dainty as is meet Like as is now befalne to this faire Mayd Faire Pastorell of whom is now my song Who being now in dreadfull darknesse layd Amongst those theeues which her in bondage strong Detaynd yet Fortune not with all this wrong Contented greater mischiefe on her threw And
to mourne Now strike your sailes ye iolly Mariners For we be come vnto a quiet rode Where we must land some of our passengers And light this wearie vessell of her lode Here she a while may make her safe abode Till she repaired haue her tackles spent And wants supplide And then againe abroad On the long voyage whereto she is bent Well may she speede and fairely finish her intent FINIS LIB I. THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QVEENE Contayning THE LEGEND OF SIR GVYON OR Of Temperaunce RIght well I wote most mighty Soueraine That all this famous antique history Of some th' aboundance of an idle braine Will iudged be and painted forgery Rather then matter of iust memory Sith none that breatheth liuing aire does know Where is that happy land of Faery Which I so much do và unt yet no where show But vouch antiquities which no body can know But let that man with better sence aduize That of the world least part to vs is red And dayly how through hardy enterprize Many great Regions are discouered Which to late age were neuer mentioned Who euer heard of th' Indian Peru Or who in venturous vessell measured The Amazons huge riuer now found trew Or fruitfullest Virginia who did euer vew Yet all these were when no man did them know Yet haue from wisest ages hidden beene And later times things more vnknowne shall show Why then should witlesse man so much misweene That nothing is but that which he hath seene What if within the Moones faire shining spheare What if in euery other starre vnseene Of other worldes he happily should heare He wōder would much more yet such to some appeare Of Faerie lond yet if he more inquire By certaine signes here set in sundry place He may it find ne let him then admire But yield his sence to be too blunt and bace That note without an hound fine footing trace And thou O fairest Princesse vnder sky In this faire mirrhour maist behold thy face And thine owne realmes in lond of Faery And in this antique Image thy great auncestry The which O pardon me thus to enfold In couert vele and wrap in shadowes light That feeble eyes your glory may behold Which else could not endure those beames bright But would be dazled with exceeding light O pardon and vonchsafe with patient eare The braue aduentures of this Faery knight The good Sir Guyon gratiously to heare In whom great rule of Temp'raunce goodly doth appeare Cant. I. Guyon by Archimage abusd The Redcrosse knight awaytes Findes Mordant and Amauia slaine With pleasures poisoned baytes THat cunning Architect of cancred guile Whom Princes late displeasure left in bands For falsed letters and suborned wile Soone as the Redcrosse knight he vnderstands To beene departed out of Eden lands To serue againe his soueraine Elfin Queene His artes he moues and out of caytiues hands Himselfe he frees by secret meanes vnseene His shackles emptie left him selfe escaped cleene And forth he fares full of malicious mind To worken mischiefe and auenging woe Where euer he that godly knight may find His onely hart sore and his onely foe Sith Vna now he algates must forgoe Whom his victorious hands did earst restore To natiues crowne and kingdome late ygoe Where she enioyes sure peace for euermore As weather-beaten ship arriu'd on happie shore Him therefore now the obiect of his spight And deadly food he makes him to offend By forged treason or by open fight He seekes of all his drift the aymed end Thereto his subtile engins he does bend His practick wit and his faire filed tong With thousand other sleights for well he kend His credit now in doubtfull ballaunce hong For hardly could be hurt who was already stong Still as he went he craftie stales did lay With cunning traines him to entrap vnwares And priuie spials plast in all his way To weete what course he takes and how he fares To ketch him at a vantage in his snares By triall of his former harmes and cares But now so wise and warie was the knight That he descride and shonned still his slight The fish that once was caught new bait will hardly bite Nath'lesse th' Enchaunter would not spare his paine In hope to win occasion to his will Which when he long awaited had in vaine He chaungd his minde from one to other ill For to all good he enimy was still Vpon the way him fortuned to meet Faire marching vnderneath a shady hill A goodly knight all armd in harnesse meete That from his head no place appeared to his feete His carriage was full comely and vpright His countenaunce demure and temperate But yet so sterne and terrible in sight That cheard his friends and did his foes amate He was an Elsin borne of noble state And mickle worship in his natiue land Well could he tourney and in lists debate And knighthood tooke of good Sir Huons hand When with king Oberon he came to Faerie land Him al 's accompanyd vpon the way A comely Palmer clad in blacke attire Of ripest yeares and haires all hoarie gray That with a staffe his feeble steps did stire Least his long way his aged limbes should tire And if by lookes one may the mind aread He seemd to be a sage and sober sire And euer with slow pace the knight did lead Who taught his trampling steed with equall steps to tread Such whenas Archimago them did view He weened well to worke some vncouth wile Estsoones vntwisting his deceiptfull clew He gan to weaue a web of wicked guile And with a faire countenance and flattring stile To them approching thus the knight bespake Faire sonne of Mars that seeke with warlike spoile And great atchieu'ments great your selfe to make Vouchsafe to stay your steed for humble misers sake He stayd his steed for humble misers sake And bad tell on the tenor of his plaint Who feigning then in euery limbe to quake Through inward feare and seeming pale and faint With piteous mone his percing speach gan paint Deare Lady how shall I declare thy cace Whom late I left in langourous constraint Would God thy selfe now present were in place To tell this ruefull tale thy sight could win thee grace Or rather would O would it so had chaunst That you most noble Sir had present beene When that lewd ribauld with vile lust aduaunst Layd first his filthy hands on virgin cleene To spoile her daintie corse so faire and sheene As on the earth great mother of vs all With liuing eye more faire was neuer seene Of chastitie and honour virginall Witnesse ye heauēs whom she in vaine to helpe did call How may it be said then the knight halfe wroth That knight should knighthood euer so haue shent None but that saw quoth he would weene for troth How shamefully that Maid he did torment Her looser golden lockes he rudely rent And drew her on the ground and his sharpe sword Against her snowy brest be fiercely bent And threatned
Bull Europa to withdraw Ah how the fearefull Ladies tender hart Did liuely seeme to tremble when she saw The huge seas vnder her t' obay her seruaunts law Soone after that into a golden showre Him selfe he chaung'd faire Danaë to vew And through the roofe of her strong brasen towre Did raine into her lap an hony dew The whiles her foolish garde that little knew Of such deceipt kept th'yron dore fast bard And watcht that none should enter nor issew Vaine was the watch and bootlesse all the ward Whenas the God to golden hew him selfe transfard Then was he turnd into a snowy Swan To win faire Leda to his louely trade O wondrous skill and sweet wit of the man That her in daffadillies sleeping made From scorching heat her daintie limbes to shade Whiles the proud Bird ruffing his fethers wyde And brushing his faire brest did her inuade She slept yet twixt her eyelids closely spyde How towards her he rusht and smiled at his pryde Then shewd it how the Thebane Semelee Deceiu'd of gealous Iuno did require To see him in his soueraigne maiestee Armd with his thunderbolts and lightning fire Whence dearely she with death bought her desire But faire Alcmena better match did make Ioying his loue in likenesse more entire Three nights in one they say that for her sake He then did put her pleasures lenger to partake Twise was he seene in soaring Eagles shape And with wide wings to beat the buxome ayre Once when he with Asterie did scape Againe when as the Troiane boy so faire He snatcht from Ida hill and with him bare Wondrous delight it was there to behould How the rude Shepheards after him did stare Trembling through feare least down he fallen should And often to him calling to take surer hould In Satyres shape Antiopa he snatcht And like a fire when he Aegin ' assayd A shepheard when Mnemosyne he catcht And like a Serpent to the Thracian mayd Whiles thus on earth great Ioue these pageaunts playd The winged boy did thrust into his throne And scoffing thus vnto his mother sayd Lo now the heauens obey to me alone And take me for their Ioue whiles Ioue to earth is gone And thou faire Phoebus in thy colours bright Wast there enwouen and the sad distresse In which that boy thee plonged for despight That thou bewray'dst his mothers wantonnesse When she with Mars was meynt in ioyfulnesse For thy he thrild thee with a leaden dart To loue faire Daphne which thee loued lesse Lesse she thee lou'd then was thy iust desart Yet was thy loue her death her death was thy smart So louedst thou the lusty Hyacinct So louedst thou the faire Coroxis deare Yet both are of thy haplesse hand extinct Yet both in flowres do liue and loue thee beare The one a Paunce the other a sweet breare For griefe whereof ye mote haue liuely seene The God himselfe rending his golden heare And breaking quite his gyrlond euer greene With other signes of sorrow and impatient teene Both for those two and for his owne deare sonne The sonne of Climene he did repent Who bold to guide the charet of the Sunne Himselfe in thousand peeces fondly rent And all the world with flashing fier brent So like that all the walles did seeme to flame Yet cruell Cupid not herewith content Forst him eftsoones to follow other game And loue a Shepheards daughter for his dearest Dame He loued Isse for his dearest Dame And for her sake her cattell fed a while And for her sake a cowheard vile became The seruant of Admetus cowheard vile Whiles that from heauen he suffered exile Long were to tell each other louely fit Now like a Lyon hunting after spoile Now like a Hag now like a faulcon flit All which in that faire arras was most liuely writ Next vnto him was Neptune pictured In his diuine resemblance wondrous lyke His face was rugged and his hoarie hed Dropped with brackish deaw his three-forkt Pyke He stearnly shooke and therewith fierce did stryke The raging billowes that on euery syde They trembling stood and made a long broad dyke That his swift charet might haue passage wyde Which foure great Hippodames did draw in temewise tyde His sea-horses did seeme to snort amayne And from their nosethrilles blow the brynie streame That made the sparckling waues to smoke agayne And flame with gold but the white fomy creame Did shine with siluer and shoot forth his beame The God himselfe did pensiue seeme and sad And hong adowne his head as he did dreame For priuy loue his brest empierced had Ne ought but deare Bisaltis ay could make him glad He loued eke Iphimedia deare And Aeolus faire daughter Arne hight For whom he turnd him selfe into a Steare And fed on fodder to beguile her sight Also to win Deucalions daughter bright Her turnd him selfe into a Dolphin fayre And like a winged horse he tooke his flight To snaly-locke Medusa to repayre On whom he got faire Pegasus that flitteth in the ayre Next Saturne was but who would euer weene That sullein Saturne euer weend to loue Yet loue is sullein and Saturnlike seene As he did for Erigone it proue That to a Centaure did him selfe transmoue So proou'd it eke that gracious God of wine When for to compasse Philliras hard loue He turnd himselfe into a fruitfull vine And into her faire bosome made his grapes decline Long were to tell the amorous assayes And gentle pangues with which he maked meeke The mighty Mars to learne his wanton playes How oft for Venus and how often eek For many other Nymphes he sore did shreek With womanish teares and with vnwarlike smarts Priuily moystening his horrid cheek There was he painted full of burning darts And many wide woundes launched through his inner parts Ne did he spare so cruell was the Elfe His owne deare mother ah why should he so Ne did he spare sometime to pricke himselfe That he might tast the sweet consuming woe Which he had wrought to many others moe But to declare the mournfull Trage dyes And spoiles wherewith he all the ground did strow More eath to number with how many eyes High heauen beholds sad louers nightly theeueryes Kings Queenes Lords Ladies Knights Damzels gent Were heap'd together with the vulgar sort And mingled with the raskall rablement Without respect of person or of port To shew Dan Cupids powre and great effort And round about a border was entrayld Of broken bowes and arrowes shiuered short And a long bloudy riuer through them rayld So liuely and so like that liuing sence it fayld And at the vpper end of that faire rowme There was an Altar built of pretious stone Of passing valew and of great renowme On which there stood an Image all alone Of massy gold which with his owne light shone And wings it had with sundry colours dight More sundry colours then the proud Pauone Beares in his boasted fan or Iris bright When her discolourd bow she
stricken beene He forced was to strike and saue him selfe from teene Yet from thenceforth more warily he fought As one in feare the Stygian gods t' offend Ne followd on so fast but rather sought Him selfe to saue and daunger to defend Then life and labour both in vaine to spend Which Triamond perceiuing weened sure He gan to faint toward the battels end And that he should not long on foote endure A signe which did to him the victorie assure Whereof full blith eftsoones his mightie hand He heav'd on high in mind with that same blow To make an end of all that did withstand Which Cambell seeing come was nothing slow Him selfe to saue from that so deadly throw And at that instant reaching forth his sweard Close vnderneath his shield that scarce did show Stroke him as he his hand to strike vpreard In th'arm-pit full that through both sides the wound appeard Yet still that direfull stroke kept on his way And falling heauie on Cambelloes crest Strooke him so hugely that in swowne he lay And in his head an hideous wound imprest And sure had it not happily found rest Vpon the brim of his brode plated shield It would haue cleft his braine downe to his brest So both at once fell dead vpon the field And each to other seemd the victorie to yield Which when as all the lookers on beheld They weened sure the warre was at an end And Iudges rose and Marshals of the field Broke vp the listes their armes away to rend And Canacee gan wayle her dearest frend All suddenly they both vpstarted light The one out of the swownd which him did blend The other breathing now another spright And fiercely each assayling gan afresh to fight Long while they then continued in that wize As if but then the battell had begonne Strokes wounds wards weapons all they did despise Ne either car'd to ward or perill shonne Desirous both to haue the battell donne Ne either cared life to saue or spill Ne which of them did winne ne which were wonne So wearie both of fighting had their fill That life it selfe seemd loathsome and long safetie ill Whilst thus the case in doubtfull ballance hong Vnsure to whether side it would incline And all mens eyes and hearts which there among Stood gazing filled were with rufull tine And secret feare to see their fatall fine All suddenly they heard a troublous noyes That seemd some perilous tumult to desine Confusd with womens cries and shouts of boyes Such as the troubled Theaters oftimes annoyes Thereat the Champions both stood still a space To weeten what that sudden clamour ment Lo where they spyde with speedie whirling pace One in a charet of straunge furniment Towards them driuing like a storme out sent The charet decked was in wondrous wize With gold and many a gorgeous ornament After the Persian Monarks antique guize Such as the maker selfe could best by art deuize And drawne it was that wonder is to tell Of two grim lyons taken from the wood In which their powre all others did excell Now made forget their former cruell mood T' obey their riders hest as seemed good And therein sate a Ladie passing faire And bright that seemed borne of Angels brood And with her beautie bountie did compare Whether of them in her should haue the greater share Thereto she learned was in Magicke leare And all the artes that subtill wits discouer Hauing therein bene trained many a yeare And well instructed by the Fay her mother That in the same she farre exceld all other Who vnderstanding by her mightie art Of th' euill plight in which her dearest brother Now stood came forth in hast to take his part And pacifie the strife which causd so deadly smart And as she passed through th'vnruly preace Of people thronging thicke her to behold Her angrie teame breaking their bonds of peace Great heapes of them like sheepe in narrow fold For hast did ouer-runne in dust enrould That thorough rude confusion of the rout Some fearing shriekt some being harmed hould Some laught for sport some did for wonder shout And some that would seeme wise their wonder turnd to dout In her right hand a rod of peace shee bore About the which two Serpents weren wound Entrayled mutually in louely lore And by the tailes together firmely bound And both were with one oliue garland crownd Like to the rod which Maias sonne doth wield Wherewith the hellishfiends he doth confound And in her other hand a cup she hild The which was with Nepenthe to the brim vpfild Nepenthe is a drinck of souerayne grace Deuized by the Gods for to asswage Harts grief and bitter gall away to chace Which stirs vp anguish and contentious rage In stead thereof sweet peace and quiet age It doth establish in the troubled mynd Few men but such as sober are and sage Are by the Gods to drinck thereof assynd But such as drinck eternall happinesse do fynd Such famous men such worthies of the earth As loue will haue aduaunced to the skie And there made gods though borne of mortall berth For their high merits and great dignitie Are wont before they may to heauen flie To drincke hereof whereby all cares forepast Are washt away quite from their memorie So did those olde Heroes hereof taste Before that they in blisse amongst the Gods were plaste Much more of price and of more gratious powre Is this then that same water of Ardenne The which Rinaldo drunck in happie howre Described by that famous Tuscane penne With whom he ledd a long and happie life And Cambel tooke Cambina to his fere The which as life were each to other liefe So all alike did loue and loued were That since their days such louers were not found elswere Cant. IIII. Satyrane makes a Turneyment For loue of Florimell Britomart winnes the prize from all And Artegall doth quell IT often fals as here it earst befell That mortall foes doe turne to faithfull frends And friends profest are chaungd to foemen fell The cause of both of both their minds depends And th' end of both likewise of both their ends For enmitie that of no ill proceeds But of occasion with th' occasion ends And friendship which a faint affection breeds Without regard of good dyes like ill grounded seeds That well me seemes appeares by that oflate Twixt Camhell and Sir Triamond befell As els by this that now a new debate Stird vp twixt Scudamour and Paridell The which by course befals me here to tell Who hauing those two other Knights espide Marching afore as ye remember well Sent forth their Squire to haue them both descride And eke those masked Ladies riding them beside Who backe returning told as he had seene That they were doughtie knights of dreaded name And those two Ladies their two loues vnseene And therefore wisht them without blot or blame To let them passe at will for dread of shame But Blandamour full of vainglorious spright And rather
might That stop out of the way to ouerthroe Scorning the let of so vnequall foe But nathemore would that courageous swayne To her yeeld passage gainst his Lord to goe But with outrageous strokes did him restraine And with his bodie bard the way atwixt them twaine Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup Which still she bore replete with magick artes Death and despeyre did many thereof sup And secret poyson through their inner parts Th' eternall bale of heauie wounded harts Which after charmes and some enchauntments said She lightly sprinkled on his weaker parts Therewith his sturdie courage soone was quayd And all his senses were with suddeine dread dismayd So downe he fell before the cruell beast Who on his necke his bloudie clawes did seize That life night crusht out of his panting brest No powre he had to stirre nor will to rize That when the carefull knight gan well auise He lightly left the foe with whom he fought And to the beast gan turne his enterprise For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought To see his loued Squire into such thraldome brought And high aduauncing his bloud-thirstie blade Stroke one of those deformed heads so sore That of his puissance proud ensample made His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore And that misformed shape mis-shaped more A sea of bloud gusht from the gaping wound That her gay garments staynd with filthy gore And ouerflowed all the field around That ouer shoes in bloud he waded on the ground Thereat he roared for exceeding paine That to haue heard great horror would haue bred And scourging th' emptie ayre with his long traine Through great impatience of his grieued hed His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted Would haue cast downe and trod in durtie myre Had not the Gyant soone her succoured Who all enrag'd with smart and franticke yre Came hurtling in full fierce and forst the knight retyre The force which wont in two to be disperst In one alone left hand he now vnites Which is through rage more strong then both were erst With which his hideous club aloft he dites And at his foe with furious rigour smites That strongest Oake might seeme to ouerthrow The stroke vpon his shield so heauie lites That to the ground it doubleth him full low What mortall wight could euer beare so monstrous blow And in his fall his shield that couered was Did loose his vele by chaunce and open flew The light whereof that heauens light did pas Such blazing brightnesse through the aier threw That eye mote not the same endure to vew Which when the Gyaunt spyde with staring eye He downe let fall his arme and soft withdrew His weapon huge that heaued was on hye For to haue slaine the man that on the ground did lye And eke the fruitfull-headed beast amaz'd At flashing beames of that sunshiny shield Became starke blind and all his senses daz'd That downe he tumbled on the durtie field And seem'd himselfe as conquered to yield Whom when his maistresse proud perceiu'd to fall Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld Vnto the Gyant loudly she gan call O helpe Orgoglio helpe or else we perish all At her so pitteous cry was much amoou'd Her champion stout and for to ayde his frend Againe his wonted angry weapon proou'd But all in vaine for he has read his end In that bright shield and all their forces spend Themselues in vaine for since that glauncing sight He hath no powre to hurt nor to defend As where th' Almighties lightning brond does light It dimmes the dazed eyen and daunts the senses quight Whom when the Prince to battell new addrest And threatning high his dreadfull stroke did see His sparkling blade about his head he blest And smote off quite his right leg by the knee That downe he tombled as an aged tree High growing on the top of rocky clift Whose hartstrings with keene steele nigh hewen be The mightie trunck halfe rent with ragged rift Doth roll adowne the rocks and fall with fearefull drift Or as a Castle reared high and round By subtile engins and malitious slight Is vndermined from the lowest ground And her foundation forst and feebled quight At last downe falles and with her heaped hight Her hastie ruine does more heauie make And yields it selfe vnto the victours might Such was this Gyaunts fall that seemd to shake The stedfast globe of earth as it for feare did quake The knight then lightly leaping to the pray With mortall steele him smot againe so sore That headlesse his vnweldy bodie lay All wallowd in his owne fowle bloudy gore Which flowed from his wounds in wondrous store But soone as breath out of his breast did pas That huge great body which the Gyaunt bore Was vanisht quite and of that monstrous mas Was nothing left but like an emptie bladder was Whose grieuous fall when false Duessa spide Her golden cup she cast vnto the ground And crowned mitre rudely threw aside Such percing griefe her stubborne hart did wound That she could not endure that dolefull stound But leauing all behind her fled away The light-foot Squire her quickly turnd around And by hard meanes enforcing her to stay â—…o brought vnto his Lord as his deserued pray The royall Virgin which beheld from farre In pensiue plight and sad perplexitie The whole atchieuement of this doubtfull warre Came running fast to greet his victorie With sober gladnesse and myld modestie And with sweet ioyous cheare him thus bespake Faire braunch of noblesse flowre of cheualrie That with your worth the world amazed make How shall I quite the paines ye suffer for my sake And you fresh bud of vertue springing fast Whom these sad eyes saw nigh vnto deaths dore What hath poore Virgin for such perill past Wherewith you to reward Accept therefore My simple selfe and seruice euermore And he that high does sit and all things see With equall eyes their merites to restore Behold what ye this day haue done for mee And what I cannot quite requite with vsuree But sith the heauens and your faire handeling Haue made you maister of the field this day Your fortune maister eke with gouerning And well begun end all so well I pray Ne let that wicked woman scape away For she it is that did my Lord bethrall My dearest Lord and deepe in dongeon lay Where he his better dayes hath wasted all O heare how piteous he to you for ayd does call Forthwith he gaue in charge vnto his Squire That scarlot whore to keepen carefully Whiles he himselfe with greedie great desire Into the Castle entred forcibly Where liuing creature none he did espye Then gan he lowdly through the house to call But no man car'd to answere to his crye There raignd a solemne silence ouer all Nor voice was heard nor wight was seene in bowre or hall At last with creeping crooked pace forth came And old old man with beard as white as snow That on a staffe
triall late did teach That like would not for all this worldes wealth His subtill tongue like dropping honny mealt'h Into the hart and searcheth euery vaine That ere one be aware by secret stealth His powre is rest and weaknesse doth remaine O neuer Sir desire to try his guilefull traine Certes said he hence shall I neuer rest Till I that treachours art haue heard and tride And you Sir knight whose name mote I request Of grace do me vnto his cabin guide I that hight Treuisan quoth he will ride Against my liking backe to doe you grace But nor for gold nor glee will I abide By you when ye arriue in that same place For leuer had I die then see his deadly face Ere long they come where that same wicked wight His dwelling has low in an hollow caue Farre vnderneath a craggie clift ypight Darke dolefull drearie like a greedie graue That still for carrion carcases doth craue On top whereof aye dwelt the ghastly Owle Shrieking his balefull note which euer draue Farre from that haunt all other chearefull fowle And all about it wandring ghostes did waile and howle And all about old stockes and stubs of trees Whereon nor fruit nor leafe was euer seene Did hang vpon the ragged rocky knees On which had many wretches hanged beene Whose carcases were scattered on the greene And throwne about the clifts Arriued there That bare-head knight for dread and dolefull teene Would faine haue fled ne durst approchen neare But th' other forst him stay and comforted in feare That darkesome caue they enter where they find That cursed man low sitting on the ground Musing full sadly in his sulle in mind His griesie lockes long growen and vnbound Disordred hong about his shoulders round And hid his face through which his hollow eyne Look deadly dull and stared as astound His raw-bone cheekes through penurie and pine Where shronke into his iawes as he did neuer dine His garment nought but many ragged clouts With thornes together pind and patched was The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts And him beside there lay vpon the gras A drearie corse whose life away did pas All wallowd in his owne yet luke-warme blood That from his wound yet welled fresh alas In which a rustie knife fast fixed stood And made an open passage for the gushing flood Which piteous spectacle approuing trew The wofull tale that Treuisan had told When as the gentle Redcrosse knight did vew With firie zeale he burnt in courage bold Him to auenge before his bloud were cold And to the villein said Thou damned wight The author of this fact we here behold What iustice can but iudge against thee right With thine owne bloud to price his bloud here shed in sight What franticke fit quoth he hath thus distraught Thee foolish man so rash a doome to giue What iustice euer other iudgement taught But he should die who merites not to liue None else to death this man despayring driue But his owne guiltie mind deseruing death Is then vniust to each his due to giue Or let him die that loatheth liniug breath Or let him die at ease that liueth here vneath Who trauels by the wearie wandring way To come vnto his wished home in haste And meetes a flood that doth his passage stay Is not great grace to helpe him ouer past Or free his feet that in the myre sticke fast Most enuious man that grieues at neighbours good And fond that ioyest in the woe thou hast Why wilt not let him passe that long hath stood Vpon the banke yet wilt thy selfe not passe the flood He there does now enioy eternall rest And happie ease which thou doest want and craue And further from it daily wanderest What if some litle paine the passage haue That makes fraile flesh to feare the bitter waue Is not short paine well borne that brings long ease And layes the soule to sleepe in quiet graue Sleepe after toyle port after stormie seas Ease after warre death after life does greatly please The knight much wondred at his suddeine wit And said The terme of life is limited Ne may a man prolong nor shorten it The souldier may not moue from watchfull sted Nor leaue his stand vntill his Captaine bed Who life did limit by almightie doome Quoth he knowes best the termes established And he that points the Centonell his roome Doth license him depart at sound of morning droome Is not his deed what euer thing is donne In heauen and earth did not he all create To die againe all ends that was begonne Their times in his eternall booke of fate Are written sure and haue their certaine date Who then can striue with strong necessitie That holds the world in his still chaunging state Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie Whē houre of death is come let none aske whence nor why The lenger life I wote the greater sin The greater sin the greater punishment All those great battels which thou boasts to win Through strife and bloud-shed and auengement Now praysd hereafter deare thou shalt repent For life must life and bloud must bloud repay Is not enough thy euill life forespent For he that once hath missed the right way The further he doth goe the further he doth stray Then do no further goe no further stray But here lie downe and to thy rest betake Th' ill to preuent that life ensewen may For what hath life that may it loued make And giues not rather cause it to forsake Feare sicknesse age losse labour sorrow strife Paine hunger cold that makes the hart to quake And euer fickle fortune rageth rife All which and thousands mo do make a loathsome life Thou wretched man of death hast greatest need If in true ballance thou wilt weigh thy state For neuer knight that dared warlike deede More lucklesse disauentures did amate Witnesse the dongeon deepe wherein of late Thy life shut vp for death so oft did call And though good lucke prolonged hath thy date Yet death then would the like mishaps forestall Into the which hereafter thou maiest happen fall Why then doest thou ô man of sin desire To draw thy dayes forth to their last degree Is not the measure of thy sinfull hire High heaped vp with huge iniquitie Against the day of wrath to burden thee Is not enough that to this Ladie milde Thou falsed hast thy faith with periurie And sold thy selfe to serue Duessa vilde With whom in all abuse thou hast thy selfe defilde Is not he iust that all this doth behold From highest heauen and beares an equall eye Shall he thy sins vp in his knowledge fold And guiltie be of thine impietie Is not his law Let euery sinner die Die shall all flesh what then must needs be donne Is it not better to doe willinglie Then linger till the glasse be all out ronne Death is the end of woes die soone O faeries sonne The knight was much enmoued with his speach That as a swords point
so dearely bought What need of armes where peace doth ay remaine Said he and battailes none are to be fought As for loose loues are vaine and vanish into nought O let me not quoth he then turne againe Backe to the world whose ioyes so fruitlesse are But let me here for aye in peace remaine Or streight way on that last long voyage fare That nothing may my present hope empare That may not be said he ne maist thou yit Forgo that royall maides bequeathed care Who did her cause into thy hand commit Till from her cursed foe thou haue her freely quit Then shall I soone quoth he so God me grace Abet that virgins cause disconsolate And shortly backe returne vnto this place To walke this way in Pilgrims poore estate But now aread old father why of late Didst thou behight me borne of English blood Whom all a Faeries sonne doen then nominate That word shall I said he auouchen good Sith to thee is vnknowne the cradle of thy brood For well I wote thou springst from ancient race Of Saxon kings that haue with mightie hand And many bloudie battailes fought in place High reard their royall throne in Britane land And vanquisht them vnable to withstand From thence a Faerie thee vnweeting rest There as thou slepst in tender swadling band And her base Elfin brood there for thee left Such men do Chaungelings call so chaungd by Faeries theft Thence she thee brought into this Faerie lond And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde Where thee a Ploughman all vnweeting fond As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde And brought thee vp in ploughmans state to byde Whereof Georgos he thee gaue to name Till prickt with courage and thy forces pryde To Faery court thou cam'st to seeke for fame And proue thy puissaunt armes as seemes thee best became O holy Sire quoth he how shall I quight The many fauours I with thee haue found That hast my name and nation red aright And taught the way that does to heauen bound This said adowne he looked to the ground To haue returnd but dazed were his eyne Through passing brightnesse which did quite cōfoun His feeble sence and too exceeding shyne So darke are earthly things compard to things diuine At last whenas himselfe he gan to find To Vna back he cast him to retire Who him awaited still with pensiue mind Great thankes and goodly meed to that good syre He thence departing gaue for his paines hyre So came to Vna who him ioyd to see And after litle rest gan him desire Of her aduenture mindfull for to bee So leaue they take of Coelia and her daughters three Cant. XI The knight with that old Dragon fights two dayes incessantly The third him ouerthrowes and gayns most glorious victory HIgh time now gan it wex for Vna faire To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare And their forwasted kingdome to repaire Whereto whenas they now approched neare With hartie words her knight she gan to cheare And in her modest manner thus bespake Deare knight as deare as euer knight was deare That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake High heauen behold the tedious toyle ye for me take Now are we come vnto my natiue soyle And to the place where all our perils dwell Here haunts that feend and does his dayly spoyle Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well And euer ready for your foeman fell The sparke of noble courage now awake And striue your excellent selfe to excell That shall ye euermore renowmed make Aboue all knights on earth that batteill vndertake And pointing forth lo yonder is said she The brasen towre in which my parents deare For dread of that huge feend emprisond be Whom I from far see on the walles appeare Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare And on the top of all I do espye The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare That ô my parents might I happily Vnto you bring to ease you of your misery With that they heard a roaring hideous sound That all the ayre with terrour filled wide And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide Where stretch he lay vpon the sunny side Of a great hill himselfe like a great hill But all so soone as he from far descride Those glistring armes that heauen with light did fill He rousd himselfe full blith and hastned them vntill Then bad the knight this Lady yede aloofe And to an hill her selfe with draw aside From whence she might behold that battailles proof And eke be safe from daunger far descryde She him obayd and turnd a little wyde Now O thou sacred Muse most learned Dame Faire ympe of Phoebus and his aged bride The Nourse of time and euerlasting fame That warlike hands ennoblest with immortall name O gently come into my feeble brest Come gently but not with that mighty rage Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doest infest And harts of great Heroes doest enrage That nought their kindled courage may aswage Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to sownd The God of warre with his fiers equipage Thou doest awake sleepe neuer he so sownd And feared nations doest with horrour sterne astownd Faire Goddesse lay that furious fit aside Till I of warres and bloudy Mars do sing And Briton fields with Sarazin bloud bedyde Twixt that great faery Queene and Paynim king That with their horrour heauen and earth did ring A worke of labour long and endlesse prayse But now a while let downe that haughtie string And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse That I this man of God his godly armes may blaze By this the dreadfull Beast drew nigh to hand Halfe flying and halfe footing in his hast That with his largenesse measured much land And made wide shadow vnder his huge wast As mountaine doth the valley ouercast Approching nigh he reared high afore His body monstrous horrible and wast Which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more Was swolne with wrath poyson with bloudy gore And ouer all with brasen scales was armd Like plated coate of steele so couched neare That nought mote perce ne might his corse be harmd With dint of sword nor push of pointed speare Which as an Eagle seeing pray appeare His aery plumes doth rouze full rudely dight So shaked he that horrour was to heare For as the clashing of an Armour bright Such noyse his rouzed scales did send vnto the knight His flaggy wings when forth he did display Were like two sayles in which the hollow wynd Is gathered full and worketh speedy way And eke the pennes that did his pineons bynd Were like mayne-yards with flying canuas lynd With which whenas him list the ayre to beat And there by force vnwonted passage find The cloudes before him fled for terrour great And all the heauens stood still amazed with his threat His huge long tayle wound vp in hundred foldes Does ouerspred his long bras-scaly backe Whose wreathed boughts when
hellish entrailes did expire It chaunst eternall God that chaunce did guide As he recoyled backward in the mire His nigh forwearied feeble feet did slide And downe he fell with dread of shame sore terrifide There grew a goodly tree him faire beside Loaden with fruit and apples rosie red As they in pure vermilion had beene dide Whereof great vertues ouer all were red For happie life to all which thereon fed And life eke euerlasting did befall Great God it planted in that blessed sted With his almightie hand and did it call The tree of life the crime of our first fathers fall In all the world like was not to be found Saue in that soile where all good things did grow And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground As incorrupted Nature did them sow Till that dread Dragon all did ouerthrow Another like faire tree eke grew thereby Whereof who so did eat eftsoones did know Both good and ill O mornefull memory That tree through one mans fault hath doen vs all to dy From that first tree forth flowd as from a well A trickling streame of Balme most soueraine And daintie deare which on the ground still fell And ouerflowed all the fertill plaine As it had deawed bene with timely raine Life and long health that gratious ointment gaue And deadly woundes could heale and reare againe The senselesse corse appointed for the graue Into that same he fell which did from death him saue For nigh thereto the euer damned beast Durst not approch for he was deadly made And all that life preserued did detest Yet he it oft aduentur'd to inuade By this the drouping day-light gan to fade And yeeld his roome to sad succeeding night Who with her sable mantle gan to shade The face of earth and wayes of liuing wight And high her burning torch set vp in heauen bright When gentle Vna saw the second fall Of her deare knight who wearie of long fight And faint through losse of blond mou'd not at all But lay as in a dreame of deepe delight Besmeard with pretious Balme whose vertuous might Did heale his wounds and scorching heat alay Againe she stricken was with sore affright And for his safetie gan deuoutly pray And watch the noyous night and wait for ioyous day The ioyous day gan early to appeare And faire Aurora from her deawy bed Of aged Tithone gan her selfe to reare With rosie cheekes for shame as blushing red Her golden lockes for haste were loosely shed About her eares when Vna her did marke Clymbe to her charet all with flowers spred From heauen high to chase the chearelesse darke With merry note her loud salutes the mounting larke Then freshly vp arose the doughtie knight All healed of his hurts and woundes wide And did himselfe to battell readie dight Whose early foe awaiting him beside To haue deuourd so soone as day he spyde When now he saw himselfe so freshly reare As if late fight had nought him damnifyde He woxe dismayd and gan his fate to feare Nathlesse with wonted rage he him aduaunced neare And in his first encounter gaping wide He thought attonce him to haue swallowd quight And rusht vpon him with outragious pride Who him r'encountring fierce as hauke in flight Perforce rebutted backe The weapon bright Taking aduantage of his open iaw Ran through his mouth with so importune might That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw And back retyrd his life bloud forth with all did draw So downe he fell and forth his life did breath That vanisht into smoke and cloudes swift So downe he fell that th' earth him vnderneath Did grone as feeble so great load to lift So downe he fell as an huge rockie clift Whose false foundation waues haue washt away With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift And rolling downe great Neptune doth dismay So downe he fell and like an heaped mountaine lay The knight himselfe euen trembled at his fall So huge and horrible a masse it seem'd And his deare Ladie that beheld it all Durst not approch for dread which she misdeem'd But yet at last when as the direfull feend She saw not stirre off-shaking vaine affright She nigher drew and saw that ioyous end Then God she praysd and thankt her faithfull knight That had atchieu'd so great a conquest by his might Cant. XII Faire Vna to the Redcrosse knight betrouthed is with ioy Though false Duessa it to barre her false sleights doe imploy BEhold I see the hauen nigh at hand To which I meane my wearie course to bend Vere the maine shete and beare vp with the land The which afore is fairely to be kend And seemeth safe from stormes that may offend There this faire virgin wearie of her way Must landed be now at her iourneyes end There eke my feeble barke a while may stay Till merry wind and weather call her thence away Scarsely had Phoebus in the glooming East Yet harnessed his firie-footed teeme Ne reard aboue the earth his flaming creast When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme Vnto the watchman on the castle wall Who thereby dead that balefull Beast did deeme And to his Lord and Ladie lowd gan call To tell how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall Vprose with hastie ioy and feeble speed That aged Sire the Lord of all that land And looked forth to weet if true indeede Those tydings were as he did vnderstand Which whenas true by tryall he out found He bad to open wyde his brazen gate Which long time had bene shut and out of hond Proclaymed ioy and peace through all his state For dead now was their foe which them forrayed late Then gan triumphant Trompets sound on hie That sent to heauen the ecchoed report Of their new ioy and happie victorie Gainst him that had them long opprest with tort And fast imprisoned in sieged fort Then all the people as in solemne feast To him assembled with one full consort Reioycing at the fall of that great beast From whose eternall bondage now they were releast Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground And sad habiliments right well beseene A noble crew about them waited round Of sage and sober Peres all grauely gownd Whom farre before did march a goodly band Of tall young men all hable armes to sownd But now they laurell braunches bore in hand Glad signe of victorie and peace in all their land Vnto that doughtie Conquerour they came And him before themselues prostrating low Their Lord and Patrone loud did him proclame And at his feet their laurell boughes did throw Soone after them all dauncing on a row The comely virgins came with girlands dight As fresh as flowres in medow greene do grow When morning deaw vpon their leaues doth light And in their hands sweet Timbrels all vpheld on hight And them before the fry of children young Their wanton sports and childish mirth did
Thy spouse I will her make if that thou lust That she may thee aduance for workes and merites iust Gramercy Mammon said the gentle knight For so great grace and offred high estate But I that am fraile flesh and earthly wight Vnworthy match for such immortall mate My selfe well wote and mine vnequall fate And were I not yet is my trouth yplight And loue auowd to other Lady late That to remoue the same I haue no might To chaunge loue causelesse is reproch to warlike knight Mammon emmoued was with inward wrath Yet forcing it to faine him forth thence led Through griesly shadowes by a beaten path Into a gardin goodly garnished With hearbs and fruits whose kinds mote not be red Not such as earth out of her fruitfull woomb Throwes forth to men sweet and well sauoured But direfull deadly blacke both leafe and bloom Fit to adorne the dead and decke the drery toombe There mournfull Cypresse grew in greatest store And trees of bitter Gall and Heben sad Dead sleeping Poppy and blacke Hellebore Cold Coloquintida and Tetra mad Mortall Samnitis and Cicuta bad Which with th'vniust Atheniens made to dy Wise Socrates who thereof quaffing glad Pourd out his life and last Philosophy To the faire Critias his dearest Belamy The Gordin of Proserpina this hight And in the midst thereof a siluer seat With a thicke Arber goodly ouer dight In which she often vsd from open heat Her selfe to shroud and pleasures to entreat Next thereunto did grow a goodly tree With braunches broad dispred and body great Clothed with leaues that none the wood mote see And loaden all with fruit as thicke as it might bee Their fruit were golden apples glistring bright That goodly was their glory to behold On earth like neuer grew ne liuing wight Like euer saw but they from hence were sold For those which Hercules with conquest bold Got from great Atlas daughters hence began And planted there did bring forth fruit of gold And those with which th' Eubaean young man wan Swift Atalanta when through craft he her out ran Here also sprong that goodly golden fruit With which Acontius got his louer trew Whom he had long time sought with fruitlesse suit Here eke that famous golden Apple grew The which emongst the gods false Ate threw For which th' Idaean Ladies disagreed Till partiall Paris dempt it Venus dew And had of her faire Helen for his meed That many noble Greekes and Troians made to bleed The warlike Elfe much wondred at this tree So faire and great that shadowed all the ground And his broad braunches laden with rich fee Did stretch themselues without the vtmost bound Of this great gardin compast with a mound Which ouer-hanging they themselues did steepe In a blacke flood which flow'd about it round That is the riuer of Cocytus deepe In which full many soules do endlesse waile and weepe Which to behold he clomb vp to the banke And looking downe saw many damned wights In those sad waues which direfull deadly stanke Plonged continually of cruell Sprights That with their pitteous cryes and yelling shrights They made the further shore resounden wide Emongst the rest of those same ruefull sights One cursed creature he by chaunce espide That drenched lay full deepe vnder the Garden side Deepe was he drenched to the vpmost chin Yet gaped still as coueting to drinke Of the cold liquor which he waded in And stretching forth his hand did often thinke To reach the fruit which grew vpon the brincke But both the fruit from hand and floud from mouth Did flie abacke and made him vainely swinke The whiles he steru'd with hunger and with drouth He daily dyde yet neuer throughly dyen couth The knight him seeing labour so in vaine Askt who he was and what he ment thereby Who groning deepe thus answerd him againe Most cursed of all creatures vnder skye Lo Tantalus I here tormented lye Of whom high Ioue wont whylome feasted bee Lo here I now for want of food doe dye But if that thou be such as I thee see Of grace I pray thee giue to eat and drinke to mee Nay nay thou greedie Tantalus quoth he Abide the fortune of thy present fate And vnto all that liue in high degree Ensample be of mind intemperate To teach them how to vse their present state Then gan the cursed wretch aloud to cry Accusing highest Ioue and gods ingrate And eke blaspheming heauen bitterly As authour of vniustice there to let him dye He lookt a little further and espyde Another wretch whose carkasse deepe was drent Within the riuer which the same did hyde But both his hands most filthy feculent Aboue the water were on high extent And faynd to wash themselues incessantly Yet nothing cleaner were for such intent But rather fowler seemed to the eye So lost his labour vaine and idle industry The knight him calling asked who he was Who lifting vp his head him answerd thus I Pilate am the falsest Iudge alas And most vniust that by vnrighteous And wicked doome to Iewes despiteous Deliuered vp the Lord of life to die And did acquite a murdrer felonous The whiles my hands I washt in puritie The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie Infinite moe tormented in like paine He there beheld too long here to be told Ne Mammon would there let him long remaine For terrour of the tortures manifold In which the damned soules he did behold But roughly him bespake Thou fearefull foole Why takest not of that same fruit of gold Ne sittest downe on that same siluer stoole To rest thy wearie person in the shadow coole All which he did to doe him deadly fall In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt To which if he inclined had at all That dreadfull feend which did behind him wayt Would him haue rent in thousand peeces strayt But he was warie wise in all his way And well perceiued his deceiptfull sleight Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray So goodly did beguile the Guyler of the pray And now he has so long remained there That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and wan For want of food and sleepe which two vpbeare Like mightie pillours this fraile life of man That none without the same enduren can For now three dayes of men were full outwrought Since he this hardie enterprize began For thy great Mammon fairely he besought Into the world to guide him backe as he him brought The God though loth yet was constraind t' obay For lenger time then that no liuing wight Below the earth might suffred be to stay So backe againe him brought to liuing light But all so soone as his enfeebled spright Gan sucke this vitall aire into his brest As ouercome with too exceeding might The life did flit away out of her nest And all his senses were with deadly fit opprest Cant. VIII Sir Guyon laid in swowne is by Acrates sonnes despoyld Whom Arthur soone hath reskewed And Paynim brethren foyld ANd is
wisest men I weene that liued in their ages Not he whom Greece the Nourse of all good arts By Phoebus doome the wisest thought aliue Might be compar'd to these by many parts Nor that sage Pylian syre which did suruiue Three ages such as mortall men contriue By whose aduise old Priams cittie fell With these in praise of pollicies mote striue These three in these three roomes did sundry dwell And counselled faire Alma how to gouerne well The first of them could things to come foresee The next could of things present best aduize The third things past could keepe in memoree So that no time nor reason could arize But that the same could one of these comprize For thy the first did in the forepart sit That nought mote hinder his quicke preiudize He had a sharpe foresight and working wit That neuer idle was ne once could rest a whit His chamber was dispainted all within With sundry colours in the which were writ Infinite shapes of things dispersed thin Some such as in the world were neuer yit Ne can deuized be of mortall wit Some daily seene and knowen by their names Such as in idle fantasies doe flit Infernall Hags Centaurs feendes Hippodames Apes Lions Aegles Owles fooles louers children Dames And all the chamber filled was with flyes Which buzzed all about and made such sound That they encombred all mens eares and eyes Like many swarmes of Bees assembled round After their hiues with honny do abound All those were idle thoughts and fantasies Deuices dreames opinions vnsound Shewes visions sooth-sayes and prophesies And all that fained is as leasings tales and lies Emongst them all sate he which wonned there That hight Phantastes by his nature trew A man of yeares yet fresh as mote appere Of swarth complexion and of crabbed hew That him full of melancholy did shew Bent hollow beetle browes sharpe staring eyes That mad or foolish seemd one by his vew More deeme him borne with ill disposed skyes When oblique Saturne sate in the house of agonyes Whom Alma hauing shewed to her guestes Thence brought thē to the second roome whose wals Were painted faire with memorable gestes Of famous Wisards and with picturals Of Magistrates of courts of tribunals Of commen wealthes of states of pollicy Of lawes of iudgements and of decretals All artes all science all Philosophy And all that in the world was aye thought wittily Of those that roome was full and them among There sate a man of ripe and perfect age Who did them meditate all his life long That through continuall practise and vsage He now was growne right wise and wondrous sage Great pleasure had those stranger knights to see His goodly reason and graue personage That his disciples both desir'd to bee But Alma thence thē led to th'hindmost roome of three That chamber seemed ruinous and old And therefore was remoued farre behind Yet were the wals that did the same vphold Right firme strong though somewhat they declind And therein sate an old oldman halfe blind And all decrepit in his feeble corse Yet liuely vigour rested in his mind And recompenst him with a better scorse Weake body well is chang'd for minds redoubled forse This man of infinite remembrance was And things foregone through many ages held Which he recorded still as they did pas Ne suffred them to perish through long eld As all things else the which this world doth weld But laid them vp in his immortall scrine Where they for euer incorrupted dweld The warres he well remembred of king Nine Of old Assaracus and Inachus diuine The yeares of Nestor nothing were to his Ne yet Mathusalem though longest liu'd For he remembred both their infancies Ne wonder then if that he were depriu'd Of natiue strength now that he them suruiu'd His chamber all was hangd about with rolles And old records from auncient times deriu'd Some made in books some in long parchmēt scrolles That were all worme-eaten and full of canker holes Amidst them all he in a chaire was set Tossing and turning them withouten end But for he was vnhable them to set A litle boy did on him still attend To reach when euer he for ought did send And oft when things were lost or laid amis That boy them sought and vnto him did lend Therefore he Anamnestes cleped is And that old man Eumnestes by their propertis The knights there entring did him reuerence dew And wondred at his endlesse exercise Then as they gan his Librarie to vew And antique Registers for to auise There chaunced to the Princes hand to rize An auncient booke hight Briton moniments That of this lands first conquest did deuize And old diuision into Regiments Till it reduced was to one mans gouernments Sir Guyon chaunst eke on another booke That hight Antiquitie of Faerie lond In which when as he greedily did looke Th'off-spring of Elues and Faries there he fond As it deliuered was from hond to hond Whereat they burning both with feruent fire Their countries auncestry to vnderstond Crau'd leaue of Alma and that aged sire To read those bookes who gladly graunted their desire Cant. X. A chronicle of Briton kings from Brute to Vthers rayne And rolles of Elfin Emperours till time of Gloriane WHo now shall giue vnto me words and sound Equall vnto this haughtie enterprise Or who shal lend me wings with which from ground My lowly verse may loftily arise And lift it selfe vnto the highest skies More ample spirit then hitherto was wount Here needes me whiles the famous auncestries Of my most dreaded Soueraigne I recount By which all earthly Princes she doth farre surmount Ne vnder Sunne that shines so wide and faire Whence all that liues does borrow life and light Liues ought that to her linage may compaire Which though from earth it be deriued right Yet doth it selfe stretch forth to heauens hight And all the world with wonder ouerspred A labour huge exceeding farre my might How shall fraile pen with feare disparaged Conceiue such soueraine glory and great bountihed Argument worthy of Moenian quill Or rather worthy of great Phoebus rote Whereon the ruines of great Ossa hill And triumphes of Phelegraean Ioue he wrote That all the Gods admird his loftie note But if some relish of that heauenly lay His learned daughters would to me report To decke my song withall I would assay Thy name ô soueraine Queene to blazon farre away Thy name ô soueraine Queene thy realme and race From this renowmed Prince deriued arre Whom mightily vpheld that royall mace Which now thou bearst to thee descended farre From mightie kings and conquerours in warre Thy fathers and great Grandfathers of old Whose noble deedes aboue the Northerne starre Immortall fame for euer hath enrold As in that old mans booke they were in order told The land which warlike Britons now possesse And therein haue their mightie empire raysd In antique times was saluage wildernesse Vnpeopled vnmanurd vnprou'd vnpraysd Ne was it Island then ne was it
the bud the flowre Ne more doth flourish after first decay That earst was sought to decke both bed and bowre Of many a Ladie and many a Paramowre Gather therefore the Rose whilest yet is prime For soone comes age that will her pride deflowre Gather the Rose of loue whilest yet is time Whilest louing thou mayst loued be with equall crime He ceast and then gan all the quire of birdes Their diuerse notes t'attune vnto his lay As in approuance of his pleasing words The constant paire heard all that he did say Yet swarued not but kept their forward way Through many couert groues and thickets close In which they creeping did at last display That wanton Ladie with her louer lose Whose sleepie head she in her lap did soft dispose Vpon a bed of Roses she was layd As faint through heat or dight to pleasant sin And was arayd or rather disarayd All in a vele of silke and siluer thin That hid no whit her alablaster skin But rather shewd more white if more might bee More subtile web Arachne can not spin Nor the fine nets which oft we wouen see Of scorched deaw do not in th' aire more lightly flee Her snowy brest was bare to readie spoyle Of hungry eies which n'ote therewith be fild And yet through languour of her late sweet toyle Few drops more cleare then Nectar forth distild That like pure Orient perles adowne it trild And her faire eyes sweet smyling in delight Moystened their fierie beames with which she thrild Fraile harts yet quenched not like starry light Which sparckling on the silent waues does seeme more bright The young man sleeping by her seemd to bee Some goodly swayne of honorable place That certes it great pittie was to see Him his nobilitie so foule deface A sweet regard and amiable grace Mixed with manly sternnesse did appeare Yet sleeping in his well proportiond face And on his tender lips the downy heare Did now but freshly spring and silken blossomes beare His warlike armes the idle instruments Of sleeping praise were hong vpon a tree And his braue shield full of old moniments Was fowly ra'st that none the signes might see Ne for them ne for honour cared hee Ne ought that did to his aduauncement tend But in lewd loues and wastfull luxuree His dayes his goods his bodie he did spend O horrible enchantment that him so did blend The noble Elfe and carefull Palmer drew So nigh them minding nought but lustfull game That suddein forth they on them rusht and threw A subtile net which onely for the same The skilfull Palmer formally did frame So held them vnder fast the whiles the rest Fled all away for feare of fowler shame The faire Enchauntresse so vnwares opprest Tryde all her arts all her sleights thence out to wrest And eke her louer stroue but all in vaine For that same net so cunningly was wound That neither guile nor force might it distraine They tooke them both both them strongly bound In captiue bandes which there they readie found But her in chaines of adamant he tyde For nothing else might keepe her safe and sound But Verdant so he hight he soone vntyde And counsell sage in steed thereof to him applyde But all those pleasant bowres and Pallace braue Guyon broke downe with rigour pittilesse Ne ought their goodly workmanship might saue Them from the tempest of his wrathfulnesse But that their blisse he turn'd to balefulnesse Their groues he feld their gardins did deface Their arbers spoyld their Cabinets suppresse Their banket houses burne their buildings race And of the fairest late now made the fowlest place Then led they her away and eke that knight They with them led both sorrowfull and sad The way they came the same retourn'd they right Till they arriued where they lately had Charm'd those wild-beasts that rag'd with furie mad Which now awaking fierce at them gan fly As in their mistresse reskew whom they lad But them the Palmer soone did pacify Then Guyon askt what meant those beastes which there didly Said he these seeming beasts are men indeed Whom this Enchauntresse hath transformed thus Whylome her louers which her lusts did feed Now turned into figures hideous According to their mindes like monstruous Sad end quoth he of life intemperate And mournefull meed of ioyes delicious But Palmer if it mote thee so aggrate Let them returned be vnto their former state Streight way he with his vertuous staffe them strooke And streight of beasts they comely men became Yet being men they did vnmanly looke And stared ghastly some for inward shame And some for wrath to see their captiue Dame But one aboue the rest in speciall That had an hog beene late hight Grille by name Repined greatly and did him miscall That had from hoggish forme him brought to naturall Said Guyon See the mind of beastly man That hath so soone forgot the excellence Of his creation when he life began That now he chooseth with vile difference To be a beast and lacke intelligence To whom the Palmer thus The donghill kind Delights in filth and foule incontinence Let Grill be Grill and haue his hoggish mind But let vs hence depart whilest wether serues and wind THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QVEENE Contayning THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS OR Of Chastitie IT falles me here to write of Chastity That fairest vertue farre aboue the rest For which what needs me fetch from Faery Forreine ensamples it to haue exprest Sith it is shrined in my Soueraines brest And form'd so liuely in each perfect part That to all Ladies which haue it profest Need but behold the pourtraict of her hart If pourtrayd it might be by any liuing art But liuing art may not least part expresse Nor life-resembling pencill it can paint All were it Zeuxis or Praxiteles His daedale hand would faile and greatly faint And her perfections with his error taint Ne Poets wit that passeth Painter farre In picturing the parts of beautie daint So hard a workmanship aduenture darre For fear through want of words her excellence to marre How then shall I Apprentice of the skill That whylome in diuinest wits did raine Presume so high to stretch mine humble quill Yet now my lucklesse lot doth me constraine Hereto perforce But ô dred Soueraine Thus farre forth pardon sith that choicest wit Cannot your glorious pourtraict figure plaine That I in colourd showes may shadow it And antique praises vnto present persons fit But if in liuing colours and right hew Your selfe you couet to see pictured Who can it doe more liuely or more trew Then that sweet verse with Nectar sprinckeled In which a gracious seruant pictured His Cynthia his heauens fairest light That with his melting sweetnesse rauished And with the wonder of her beames bright My senses lulled are in slomber of delight But let that same delitious Poet lend A little leaue vnto a rusticke Muse To sing his mistresse prayse and let him mend If ought amis her
remoue But whether willed or nilled friend or foe I me resolu'd the vtmost end to proue And rather then my loue abandon so Both sire and friends and all for euer to forgo Thenceforth I sought by secret meanes to worke Time to my will and from his wrathfull sight To hide th' intent which in my heart did lurke Till I thereto had all things ready dight So on a day vnweeting vnto wight I with that Squire agreede away to flit And in a priuy place betwixt vs hight Within a groue appointed him to meete To which I boldly came vpon my feeble feete But ah vnhappy houre me thither brought For in that place where I him thought to find There was I found contrary to my thought Of this accursed Carle of hellish kind The shame of men and plague of womankind Who trussing me as Eagle doth his pray Me hether brought with him as swift as wind Where yet vntouched till this present day I rest his wretched thrall the sad AEmylia Ah sad AEmylia then sayd Amoret Thy ruefull plight I pitty as mine owne But read to me by what deuise or wit Hast thou in all this time from him vnknowne Thine honor sau'd though into thraldome throwne Through helpe quoth she of this old woman here I haue so done as she to me hath showne For euer when he burnt in lustfull fire She in my stead supplide his bestiall desire Thus of their euils as they did discourse And each did other much bewaile and mone Loe where the villaine selfe their sorrowes sourse Came to the caue and rolling thence the stone Which wont to stop the mouth thereof that none Might issue forth came rudely rushing in And spredding ouer all the flore alone Gan dight him selfe vnto his wonted sinne Which ended then his bloudy banket should beginne Which when as fearefull Amoret perceiued She staid not the vtmost end thereof to try But like a ghastly Gelt whose wits are reaued Ran forth in hast with hideous outcry For horrour of his shamefull villany But after her full lightly he vprose And her pursu'd as fast as she did flie Full fast she flies and farre afore him goes Ne feeles the thorns and thickets pricke her tender toes Nor hedge nor ditch nor hill nor dale she staies But ouerleapes them all like Robucke light And through the thickest makes her nighest waies And euermore when with regardfull sight She looking backe espies that griesly wight Approching nigh she gins to mend her pace And makes her feare a spur to hast her flight More swift then Myrrh ' or Daphne in her race Or any of the Thracian Nimphes in saluage chase Long so she fled and so he follow'd long Ne liuing aide for her on earth appeares But if the heauens helpe to redresse her wrong Moued with pity of her plenteous teares It fortuned Belphebe with her peares The woody Nimphs and with that louely boy Was hunting then the Libbards and the Beares In these wild woods as was her wonted ioy To banish sloth that oft doth noble mindes annoy It so befell as oft it fals in chace That each of them from other sundred were And that same gentle Squire arriu'd in place Where this same cursed caytiue did appeare Pursuing that faire Lady full of feare And now he her quite ouertaken had And now he her away with him did beare Vnder his arme as seeming wondrous glad That by his grenning laughter mote farre off be rad With drery sight the gentle Squire espying Doth hast to crosse him by the nearest way Led with that wofull Ladies piteous crying And him assailes with all the might he may Yet will not he the louely spoile downe lay But with his craggy club in his right hand Defends him selfe and saues his gotten pray Yet had it bene right hard him to withstand But that he was full light and nimble on the land Thereto the villaine vsed craft in fight For euer when the Squire his iauelin shooke He held the Lady forth before him right And with her body as a buckler broke The puissance of his intended stroke And if it chaunst as needs it must in fight Whilest he on him was greedy to be wroke That any little blow on her did light Then would he laugh aloud and gather great delight Which subtill sleight did him encumber much And made him oft when he would strike forbeare For hardly could he come the carle to touch But that he her must hurt or hazard neare Yet he his hand so carefully did beare That at the last he did himselfe attaine And therein left the pike head of his speare A streame of coleblacke bloud thence gusht amaine That all her silken garments did with bloud bestaine With that he threw her rudely on the flore And laying both his hands vpon his glaue With dreadfull strokes let driue at him so sore That forst him flie abacke himselfe to saue Yet he therewith so felly still did raue That scarse the Squire his hand could once vpreare But for aduantage ground vnto him gaue Tracing and trauersing now here now there For bootlesse thing it was to think such blowes to beare Whilest thus in battell they embusied were Belphebe raunging in that forrest wide The hideous noise of their huge strokes did heare And drew thereto making her eare her guide Whom when that theefe approching nigh espide With bow in hand and arrowes ready bent He by his former combate would not bide But fled away with ghastly dreriment Well knowing her to be his deaths sole instrument Whom seeing flie she speedily poursewed With winged feete as nimble as the winde And euer in her bow she ready shewed The arrow to his deadly marke desynde As when Latonaes daughter cruell kynde In vengement of her mothers great disgrace With fell despight her cruell arrowes tynde Gainst wofull Niobes vnhappy race That all the gods did mone her miserable case So well she sped her and so far she ventred That ere vnto his hellish den he raught Euen as he ready was there to haue entred She sent an arrow forth with mighty draught That in the very dore him ouercaught And in his nape arriuing through it thrild His greedy throte therewith in two distraught That all his vitall spirites thereby spild And all his hairy brest with gory bloud was fild Whom when on ground she groueling saw to rowle She ran in hast his life to haue berest But ere she could him reach the sinfull sowle Hauing his carrion corse quite sencelesse left Was fled to hell surcharg'd with spoile and theft Yet ouer him she there long gazing stood And oft admir'd his monstrous shape and oft His mighty limbs whilest all with filthy bloud The place there ouerflowne seemd like a sodaine flood Thenceforth she past into his dreadfull den Where nought but darkesome drerinesse she found Ne creature saw but hearkned now and then Some litle whispering and soft groning sound With that she askt what ghosts there vnder ground
High God whose goodnesse he despaired quight Or curst the hand which did that vengeāce on him dight His corps was carried downe along the Lee Whose waters with his filthy bloud it stayned But his blasphemous head that all might see He pitcht vpon a pole on high ordayned Where many years it afterwards remayned To be a mirrour to all mighty men In whose right hands great power is contayned That none of them the feeble ouerren But alwaies doe their powre within iust compasse pen. That done vnto the Castle he did wend In which the Paynims daughter did abide Guarded of many which did her defend Of whom he entrance sought but was denide And with reprochfull blasphemy defide Beaten with stones downe from the battilment That he was forced to withdraw aside And bad his seruant Talus to inuent Which way he enter might without endangerment Eftsoones his Page drew to the Castle gate And with his iron flale at it let flie That all the warders it did sore amate The which erewhile spake so reprochfully And made them stoupe that looked earst so hie Yet still he bet and bounst vppon the dore And thundred strokes thereon so hideouslie That all the peece he shaked from the flore And filled all the house with feare and great vprore With noise whereof the Lady forth appeared Vppon the Castle wall and when she saw The daungerous state in which she stood she feared The sad effect of her neare ouerthrow And gan entreat that iron man below To cease his outrage and him faire besought Sith neither force of stones which they did throw Nor powr of charms which she against him wrought Might otherwise preuaile or make him cease for ought But when as yet she saw him to proceede Vnmou'd with praiers or with piteous thought She ment him to corrupt with goodly meede And causde great sackes with endlesse riches fraught Vnto the battilment to be vpbrought And powred forth ouer the Castle wall That she might win some time though dearly bought Whilest he to gathering of the gold did fall But he was nothing mou'd nor tempted therewithall But still continu'd his assault the more And layd on load with his huge yron flaile That at the length he has yrent the dore And made way for his maister to assaile Who being entred nought did then auaile For wight against his powre them selues to reare Each one did flie their hearts began to faile And hid them selues in corners here and there And eke their dame halfe dead did hide her self for feare Long they her sought yet no where could they finde her That sure they ween'd she was escapt away But Talus that could like a limehound winde her And all things secrete wisely could bewray At length found out whereas she hidden lay Vnder an heape of gold Thence he her drew By the faire lockes and fowly did array Withouten pitty of her goodly hew That Artegall him selfe her seemelesse plight did rew Yet for no pitty would he change the course Of Iustice which in Talus hand did lye Who rudely hayld her forth without remorse Still holding vp her suppliant hands on hye And kneeling at his feete submissiuely But he her suppliant hands those hands of gold And eke her feete those feete of siluer trye Which sought vnrighteousnesse and iustice sold Chopt off and nayld on high that all might thē behold Her selfe then tooke he by the sclender wast In vaine loud crying and into the flood Ouer the Castle wall adowne her cast And there her drowned in the durty mud But the streame washt away her guilty blood Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke The spoile of peoples euill gotten good The which her sire had scrap't by hooke and crooke And burning all to ashes powr'd it downe the brooke And lastly all that Castle quite he raced Euen from the sole of his foundation And all the hewen stones thereof defaced That there mote be no hope of reparation Nor memory thereof to any nation All which when Talus throughly had perfourmed Sir Artegall vndid the euill fashion And wicked customes of that Bridge refourmed Which done vnto his former iourney he retourned In which they measur'd mickle weary way Till that at length nigh to the sea they drew By which as they did trauell on a day They saw before them far as they could vew Full many people gathered in a crew Whose great assembly they did much admire For neuer there the like resort they knew So towardes them they coasted to enquire What thing so many nations met did there desire There they beheld a mighty Gyant stand Vpon a rocke and holding forth on hie An huge great paire of ballance in his hand With which he boasted in his surquedrie That all the world he would weigh equallie If ought he had the same to counterpoys For want whereof he weighed vanity And fild his ballaunce full of idle toys Yet was admired much of fooles women and boys He sayd that he would all the earth vptake And all the sea deuided each from either So would he of the fire one ballaunce make And one of th' ayre without or wind or wether Then would he ballaunce heauen and hell together And all that did within them all containe Of all whose weight he would not misse a fether And looke what surplus did of each remaine He would to his owne part restore the same againe For why he sayd they all vnequall were And had encroched vppon others share Like as the sea which plaine he shewed there Had worne the care so did the fire the aire So all the rest did others parts empaire And so were realmes and nations run awry All which he vndertooke for to repaire In sort as they were formed aunciently And all things would reduce vnto equality Therefore the vulgar did about him flocke And cluster thicke vnto his leasings vaine Like foolish flies about an hony crocke In hope by him great benefite to gaine And vncontrolled freedome to obtaine All which when Artegall did see and heare How he mis-led the simple peoples traine In sdeignfull wize he drew vnto him neare And thus vnto him spake without regard or feare Thou that presum'st to weigh the world anew And all things to an equall to restore In stead of right me seemes great wrong dost shew And far aboue thy forces pitch to sore For ere thou limit what is lesse or more In euery thing thou oughtest first to know What was the poyse of euery part of yore And looke then how much it doth ouerflow Or faile thereof so much is more then iust to trow For at the first they all created were In goodly measure by their Makers might And weighed out in ballaunces so nere That not a dram was missing of their right The earth was in the middle centre pight In which it doth immoueable abide Hemd in with waters like a wall in sight And they with aire that not a drop can slide Al which the heauens
heauens hard direction That ye were runne so fondly far astray As for to lead your selfe vnto your owne decay Much was the man confounded in his mind Partly with shame and partly with dismay That all astonisht he him selfe did find And little had for his excuse to say But onely thus Most haplesse well ye may Me iustly terme that to this shame am brought And made the scorne of Knighthod this same day But who can scape what his owne fate hath wrought The worke of heauens will surpasseth humaine thought Right true but faulty men vse oftentimes To attribute their folly vnto fate And lay on heauen the guilt of their owne crimes But tell Sir Terpin ne let you amate Your misery how fell ye in this state Then sith ye needs quoth he will know my shame And all the ill which chaunst to me of late I shortly will to you rehearse the same In hope ye will not turne misfortune to my blame Being desirous as all Knights are woont Through hard aduentures deedes of armes to try And after fame and honour for to hunt I heard report that farre abrode did fly That a proud Amazon did late defy All the braue Knights that hold of Maidenhead And vnto them wrought all the villany That she could forge in her malicious head Which some hath put to shame and many done be dead The cause they say of this her cruell hate Is for the sake of Bellodant the bold To whom she bore most feruent loue of late And wooed him by all the waies she could But when she saw at last that he ne would For ought or nought be wonne vnto her will She turn'd her loue to hatred manifold And for his sake vow'd to doe all the ill Which she could doe to Knights which now she doth fulfill For all those Knights the which by force or guile She doth subdue she fowly doth entreate First she doth them of warlike armes despoile And cloth in womens weedes And then with threat Doth them compell to worke to earne their meat To spin to card to sew to wash to wring Ne doth she giue them other thing to eat But bread and water or like feeble thing Them to disable from reuenge aduenturing But if through stout disdaine of manly mind Any her proud obseruaunce will withstand Vppon that gibbet which is there behind She causeth them be hang'd vp out of hand In which condition I right now did stand For being ouercome by her in fight And put to that base seruice of her band I rather chose to die in lines despight Then lead that shamefull life vnworthy of a Knight How hight that Amazon sayd Artegall And where and how far hence does she abide Her name quoth he they Radigund doe call A Princesse of great powre and greater pride And Queene of Amazons in armes well tride And sundry battels which she hath atchieued With great successe that her hath glorifide And made her famous more then is belieued Ne would I it haue ween'd had I not late it prieued Now sure said he and by the faith that I To Maydenhead and noble knighthood owe I will not rest till I her might doe trie And venge the shame that she to Knights doth show Therefore Sir Terpin from you lightly throw This squalid weede the patterne of dispaire And wend with me that ye may see and know How Fortune will your ruin'd name repaire And knights of Maidenhead whose praise she would empaire With that like one that hopelesse was repry'ud From deathes dore at which he lately lay Those yron fetters wherewith he was gyu'd The badges ofreproch he threw away And nimbly did him dight to guide the way Vnto the dwelling of that Amazone Which was from thence not past a mile or tway A goodly citty and a mighty one The which of her owne name she called Radegone Where they arriuing by the watchmen were Descried streight who all the citty warned How that three warlike persons did appeare Of which the one him seem'd a Knight all armed And th' other two well likely to haue harmed Estsoones the people all to harnesse ran And like a sort of Bees in clusters swarmed Ere long their Queene her selfe halfe like a man Came forth into the rout and them t'array began And now the Knights being arriued neare Did beat vppon the gates to enter in And at the Porter skorning them so few Threw many threats if they the towne did win To teare his flesh in peeces for his sin Which when as Radigund there comming heard Her heart for rage did grate and teeth did grin She bad that streight the gates should be vnbard And to them way to make with weapons well prepard Soone as the gates were open to them set They pressed forward entraunce to haue made But in the middle way they were ymet With a sharpe showre of arrowes which them staid And better bad aduise ere they assaid Vnknowen perill of bold womens pride Then all that rout vppon them rudely laid And heaped strokes so fast on euery side And arrowes haild so thicke that they could not abide But Radigund her selfe when she espide Sir Terpin from her direfull doome acquit So cruell doile amongst her maides dauide T' auenge that shame they did on him commit All sodainely enflam'd with furious fit Like a fell Lionesse at him she flew And on his head-peece him so fiercely smit That to the ground him quite she ouerthrew Dismayd so with the stroke that he no colours knew Soone as she saw him on the ground to grouell She lightly to him leapt and in his necke Her proud foote setting at his head did leuell Weening at once her wrath on him to wreake And his contempt that did her iudg'ment breake As when a Beare hath seiz'd her cruell clawes Vppon the carkasse of some beast too weake Proudly stands ouer and a while doth pause To heare the piteous beast pleading her plaintiffe cause Whom when as Artegall in that distresse By chaunce beheld he left the bloudy slaughter In which he swam and ranne to his redresse There her assayling fiercely fresh he raught her Such an huge stroke that it of sence distraught her And had she not it warded warily It had depriu'd her mother of a daughter Nathlesse for all the powre she did apply It made her stagger oft and stare with ghastly eye Like to an Eagle in his kingly pride Soring through his wide Empire of the aire To weather his brode sailes by chaunce hath spide A Goshauke which hath seized for her share Vppon some fowle that should her feast prepare With dreadfull force he flies at her byliue That with his souce which none enduren dare Her from the quarrey he away doth driue And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth riue But soone as she her sence recouer'd had She fiercely towards him her selfe gan dight Through vengeful wrath sdeignfull pride half mad For neuer had she suffred such despight But ere she could
vndertane to Gloriane But left his loue albe her strong request Faire Britomart in languor and vnrest And rode him selfe vppon his first intent Ne day nor night did euer idly rest Ne wight but onely Talus with him went The true guide of his way and vertuous gouernment So trauelling he chaunst far off to heed A Damzell flying on a palfrey fast Before two Knights that after her did speed With all their powre and her full fiercely chast In hope to haue her ouerhent at last Yet fled she fast and both them farre outwent Carried with wings of feare like fowle aghast With locks all loose and rayment all to rent And euer as she rode her eye was backeward bent Soone after these he saw another Knight That after those two former rode apace With speare in rest and prickt with all his might So ran they all as they had bene at bace They being chased that did others chase At length he saw the hindmost ouertake One of those two and force him turne his face How euer loth he were his way to slake Yet mote he algates now abide and answere make But th' other still pursu'd the fearefull Mayd Who still from him as fast away did flie Ne once for ought her speedy passage stayd Till that at length she did before her spie Sir Artegall to whom she streight did hie With gladfull hast in hope of him to get Succour against her greedy enimy Who seeing her approch gan forward set To saue her from her feare and him from force to let But he like hound full greedy of his pray Being impatient of impediment Continu'd still his course and by the way Thought with his speare him quight haue ouerwent So both together ylike felly bent Like fiercely met But Artegall was stronger And better skild in Tilt and Turnament And bore him quite out of his saddle longer Then two speares length So mischiefe ouermatcht the wronger And in his fall misfortune hm mistooke For on his head vnhappily he pight That his owne waight his necke asunder broke And left there dead Meane while the other Knight Defeated had the other faytour quight And all his bowels in his body brast Whom leauing there in that dispiteous plight He ran still on thinking to follow fast His other fellow Pagan which before him past In stead of whom finding there ready prest Sir Artegall without discretion He at him ran with ready speare in rest Who seeing him come still so fiercely on Against him made againe So both anon Together met and strongly either strooke And broke their speares yet neither has forgon His horses backe yet to and fro long shooke And tottred like two towres which through a tempest quooke But when againe they had recouered sence They drew their swords in mind to make amends For what their speares had fayld of their pretence Which when the Damzell who those deadly ends Of both her foes had seene and now her frends For her beginning a more fearefull fray She to them runnes in hast and her haire rends Crying to them their cruell hands to stay Vntill they both doe heare what she to them will say They stayd their hands when she thus gan to speake Ah gentle Knights what meane ye thus vnwise Vpon your selues anothers wrong to wreake I am the wrong'd whom ye did enterprise Both to redresse and both redrest likewise Witnesse the Paynims both whom ye may see There dead on ground What doe ye then deuise Of more reuenge if more then I am shee Which was the roote of all end your reuenge on mee Whom when they heard so say they lookt about To weete if it were true as she had told Where when they saw their foes dead out of doubt Eftsoones they gan their wrothfull hands to hold And Ventailes reare each other to behold Tho when as Artegall did Arthure vew So faire a creature and so wondrous bold He much admired both his heart and hew And touched with intire affection nigh him drew Saying sir Knight of pardon I you pray That all vnweeting haue you wrong'd thus sore Suffring my hand against my heart to stray Which if ye please forgiue I will therefore Yeeld for amends my selfe yours euermore Or what so penaunce shall by you be red To whom the Prince Certes me needeth more To craue the same whom errour so misled As that I did mistake the liuing for the ded But sith ye please that both our blames shall die Amends may for the trespasse soone be made Since neither is endamadg'd much thereby So can they both them selues full eath perswade To faire accordaunce and both faults to shade Either embracing other louingly And swearing faith to either on his blade Neuer thenceforth to nourish enmity But either others cause to maintaine mutually Then Artegall gan of the Prince enquire What were those knights which there on groūd were layd And had receiu'd their follies worthy hire And for what cause they chased so that Mayd Certes I wote not well the Prince then sayd But by aduenture found them faring so As by the way vnweetingly I strayd And lo the Damzell selfe whence all did grow Of whom we may at will the whole occasion know Then they that Damzell called to then nie And asked her what were those two her fone From whom she earst so fast away did flie And what was she her selfe so woe begone And for what cause pursu'd of them attone To whom she thus Then wote ye well that I Doe serue a Queene that not far hence doth wone A Princesse of great powre and maiestie Famous through all the world and honor'd far and nie Her name Mercilla most men vse to call That is a mayden Queene of high renowne For her great bounty knowen ouer all And soueraine grace with which her royall crowne She doth support and strongly beateth downe The malice of her foes which her enuy And at her happinesse do fret and frowne Yet she her selfe the more doth magnify And euen to her foes her mercies multiply Mongst many which maligne her happy state There is a mighty man which wonnes here by That with most fell despight and deadly hate Seekes to subuert her Crowne and dignity And all his powre doth thereunto apply And her good Knights of which so braue a band Serues her as any Princesse vnder sky He either spoiles if they against him stand Or to his part allures and bribeth vnder hand Ne him sufficeth all the wrong and ill Which he vnto her people does each day But that he seekes by traytrous traines to spill Her person and her sacred selfe to slay That ô ye heauens defend and turne away From her vnto the miscreant him selfe That neither hath religion nor fay But makes his God of his vngodly pelfe And Idols serues so let his Idols serue the Elfe To all which cruell tyranny they say He is prouokt and stird vp day and night By his bad wife that hight Adicia Who
stay Was forced there to leaue them both behynd In that good Hermits charge whom he did pray To tend them well So forth he went his way And with him eke the saluage that whyleare Seeing his royall vsage and array Was greatly growne in loue of that braue pere Would needes depart as shall declared be elsewhere Cant. VI. The Hermite heales both Squire and dame Of their sore maladies He Turpine doth defeate and shame For his late villanies NO wound which warlike hand of enemy Inflicts with dint of sword so sore doth light As doth the poysnous sting which infamy Infixeth in the name of noble wight For by no art nor any leaches might It euer can recured be againe Ne all the skill which that immortall spright Of Podalyrius did in it retaine Can remedy such hurts such hurts are hellish paine Such were the wounds the which that Blatant Beast Made in the bodies of that Squire and Dame And being such were now much more increast For want of taking heede vnto the same That now corrupt and curelesse they became Howbe that carefull Hermite did his best With many kindes of medicines meete to tame The poysnous humour which did most infest Their ranckling wounds euery day them duely drest For he right well in Leaches craft was seene And through the long experience of his dayes Which had in many fortunes tossed beene And past through many perillous assayes He knew the diuerse went of mortall wayes And in the mindes of men had great insight Which with sage counsell when they went astray He could enforme and them reduce aright And al the passiōs heale which woūd the weaker spright For whylome he had bene a doughty Knight As any one that liued in his daies And proued oft in many perillous fight Of which he grace and glory wonne alwaies And in all battels bore away the baies But being now attacht with timely age And weary of this worlds vnquiet waies He tooke him selfe vnto this Hermitage In which he liu'd alone like carelesse bird in cage One day as he was searching of their wounds He found that they had festred priuily And ranckling inward with vnruly stounds The inner parts now gan to putrify That quite they seem'd past helpe of surgery And rather needed to be disciplinde With holesome reede of sad sobriety To rule the stubborne rage of passion blinde Giue salues to euery sore but counsell to the minde So taking them apart into his cell He to that point fit speaches gan to frame As he the art of words knew wondrous well And eke could doe as well as say the same And thus he to them sayd faire daughter Dame And you faire sonne which here thus long now lie In piteous languor since ye hither came In vaine of me ye hope for remedie And I likewise in vaine doe salues to you applie For in your selfe your onely helpe doth lie To heale your selues and must proceed alone From your owne will to cure your maladie Who can him cure that will be cur'd of none If therefore health ye seeke obserue this one First learne your outward sences to refraine From things that stirre vp fraile affection Your eies your eares your tongue your talke restaine From that they most affect and in due termes containe For from those outward sences ill affected The seede of all this euill first doth spring Which at the first before it had infected Mote easie be supprest with little thing But being growen strong it forth doth bring Sorrow and anguish and impatient paine In th'inner parts and lastly scattering Contagious poyson close through euery vaine It neuer rests till it haue wrought his finall bane For that beastes teeth which wounded you tofore Are so exceeding venemous and keene Made all of rusty yron ranckling sore That where they bite it booteth not to weene With salue or antidote or other mene It euer to amend ne maruaile ought For that same beast was bred of hellish strene And long in darksome Stygian den vpbrought Begot of foule Echidna as in bookes is taught Echidna is a Monster direfull dred Whom Gods doe hate and heauens abhor to see So hideous is her shape so huge her hed That euen the hellish fiends affrighted bee At sight thereof and from her presence flee Yet did her face and former parts professe A faire young Mayden full of comely glee But all her hinder parts did plaine expresse A monstrous Dragon full of fearefull vglinesse To her the Gods for her so dreadfull face In fearefull darkenesse furthest from the skie And from the earth appointed haue her place Mongst rocks and caues where she enrold doth lie In hideous horrour and obscurity Wasting the strength of her immortall age There did Typhaon with her company Cruell Typhaon whose tempestuous rage Make th' heauens tremble oft him with vowes asswage Of that commixtion they did then beget This hellish Dog that hight the Blatant Beast A wicked Monster that his tongue doth whet Gainst all both good and bad both most and least And poures his poysnous gall forth to infest The noblest wights with notable defame Ne euer Knight that bore so lofty creast Ne euer Lady of so honest name But he them spotted with reproch or secrete shame In vaine therefore it were with medicine To goe about to salue such kynd of sore That rather needes wise read and discipline Then outward salues that may augment it more Aye me sayd then Serena sighing sore What hope of helpe doth then for vs remaine If that no salues may vs to health restore But sith we need good counsell sayd the swaine Aread good sire some counsell that may vs sustaine The best sayd he that I can you aduize Is to auoide the occasion of the ill For when the cause whence euill doth arize Remoued is th' effect surceaseth still Abstaine from pleasure and restraine your will Subdue desire and bridle loose delight Vse scanted diet and forbeare your fill Shun secresie and talke in open sight So shall you soone repaire your present euill plight Thus hauing sayd his sickely patients Did gladly hearken to his graue beheast And kept so well his wise commaundements That in short space their malady was ceast And eke the biting of that harmefull Beast Was throughly heal'd Tho when they did perceaue Their wounds recur'd and forces reincreast Of that good Hermite both they tooke their leaue And went both on their way ne ech would other leaue But each th' other vow'd t' accompany The Lady for that she was much in dred Now left alone in great extremity The Squire for that he courteous was indeed Would not her leaue alone in her great need So both together traueld till they met With a faire Mayden clad in mourning weed Vpon a mangy iade vnmeetely set And a lewd foole her leading thorough dry and wet But by what meanes that shame to her befell And how thereof her selfe she did acquite I must a while forbeare to you