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
there care in heauen and is there loue In heauenly spirits to these creatures bace That may compassion of their euils moue There is else much more wretched were the cace Of men then beasts But ô th'exceeding grace Of highest God that loues his creatures so And all his workes with mercy doth embrace That blessed Angels he sends to and fro To serue to wicked man to serue his wicked foe How oft do they their siluer bowers leaue To come to succour vs that succour want How oft do they with golden pineons cleaue The flitting skyes like flying Pursuiuant Against foule feends to aide vs millitant They for vs fight they watch and dewly ward And their bright Squadrons round about vs plant And all for loue and nothing for reward O why should heauenly God to men haue such regard During the while that Guyon did abide In Mamons house the Palmer whom whyleare That wanton Mayd of passage had denide By further search had passage found elsewhere And being on his way approched neare Where Guyon lay in traunce when suddenly He heard a voice that called loud and cleare Come hither come hither ô come hastily That all the fields resounded with the ruefull cry The Palmer lent his eare vnto the noyce To weet who called so importunely Againe he heard a more efforced voyce That bad him come in haste He by and by His feeble feet directed to the cry Which to that shadie delue him brought at last Where Mammon earst did sunne his threasury There the good Guyon he found slumbring fast In senselesse dreame which sight at first him sore aghast Beside his head there sate a faire young man Of wondrous beautie and of freshest yeares Whose tender bud to blossome new began And flourish faire aboue his equall peares His snowy front curled with golden heares Like Phoebus face adornd with sunny rayes Diuinely shone and two sharpe winged sheares Decked with diuerse plumes like painted Iayes Were fixed at his backe to cut his ayerie wayes Like as Cupido on Idaean hill When hauing laid his cruell bow away And mortall arrowes wherewith he doth fill The world with murdrous spoiles and bloudie pray With his faire mother he him dights to play And with his goodly sisters Graces three The Goddesse pleased with his wanton play Suffers her selfe through sleepe beguild to bee The whiles the other Ladies mind their merry glee Whom when the Palmer saw abasht he was Through feare and wonder that he nought could say Till him the child bespoke Long lackt alas Hath bene thy faithfull aide in hard assay Whiles deadly fit thy pupill doth dismay Behold this heauie sight thou reuerend Sire But dread of death and dolour doe away For life ere long shall to her home retire And he that breathlesse seemes shal corage bold respire The charge which God doth vnto me arret Of his deare safetie I to thee commend Yet will I not forgoe ne yet forget The care thereof my selfe vnto the end But euermore him succour and defend Against his foe and mine watch thou I pray For euill is at hand him to offend So hauing said eftsoones he gan display His painted nimble wings and vanisht quite away The Palmer seeing his left empty place And his slow eyes beguiled of their sight Woxe fore affraid and standing still a space Gaz'd after him as fowle escapt by flight At last him turning to his charge behight With trembling hand his troubled pulse gan try Where finding life not yet dislodged quight He much reioyst and courd it tenderly As chicken newly hatcht from dreaded destiny At last he spide where towards him did pace Two Paynim knights all armd as bright as skie And them beside an aged Sire did trace And farre before a light-foot Page did flie That breathed strife and troublous enmitie Those were the two sonnes of Acrates old Who meeting earst with Archimago slie Foreby that idle strond of him were told That he which earst them combatted was Guyon bold Which to auenge on him they dearely vowd Where euer that on ground they mote him fynd False Archimage prouokt their courage prowd And stryfull Atin in their stubborne mynd Coles of contention and whot vengeance tynd Now bene they come whereas the Palmer sate Keeping that slombred corse to him assynd Well knew they both his person sith of late With him in bloudie armes they rashly did debate Whom when Pyrrhochles saw inflam'd with rage That sire he soule bespake Thou dotard vile That with thy brutenesse shendst thy comely age Abandone soone I read the caitiue spoile Of that same outcast carkasse that erewhile Made it selfe famous through false trechery And crownd his coward crest with knightly stile Loe where he now inglorious doth lye To proue he liued ill that did thus foully dye To whom the Palmer fearelesse answered Certes Sir knight ye bene too much to blame Thus for to blot the honour of the dead And with foule cowardize his carkasse shame Whose liuing hands immortalizd his name Vile is the vengeance on the ashes cold And enuie base to barke at sleeping fame Was neuer wight that treason of him told Your selfe his prowesse prou'd found him fiers bold Then said Cymochles Palmer thou doest dote Ne canst of prowesse ne of knighthood deeme Saue as thou seest or hearst But well I wote That of his puissance tryall made extreeme Yet gold all is not that doth golden seeme Ne all good knights that shake well speare and shield The worth of all men by their end esteeme And then due praise or due reproch them yield Bad therefore I him deeme that thus lies dead on field Good or bad gan his brother fierce reply What doe I recke sith that he dyde entire Or what doth his bad death now satisfy The greedy hunger of reuenging ire Sith wrathfull hand wrought not her owne desire Yet since no way is left to wreake my spight I will him reaue of armes the victors hire And of that shield more worthy of good knight For why should a dead dog be deckt in armour bright Faire Sir said then the Palmer suppliaunt For knighthoods loue do not so foule a deed Ne blame your honour with so shamefull vaunt Of vile reuenge To spoile the dead of weed Is sacrilege and doth all sinnes exceed But leaue these relicks of his liuing might To decke his herce and trap his tomb-blacke steed What herce or steede said he should he haue dight But be entombed in the rauen or the kight With that rude hand vpon his shield he laid And th' other brother gan his helme vnlace Both fiercely bent to haue him disaraid Till that they spide where towards them did pace An armed knight of bold and bounteous grace Whose squire bore after him an heben launce And couerd shield Well kend him so farre space Th' enchaunter by his armes and amenaunce When vnder him he saw his Lybian steed to praunce And to those brethren said Rise rise by liue And vnto battell
brother did ellope streight way Who taking her from me his owne loue left astray She seeing then her selfe forsaken so Through dolorous despaire which she conceyued Into the Sea her selfe did headlong throw Thinking to haue her griefe by death bereaued But see how much her purpose was deccaued Whilest thus amidst the billowes beating of her Twixt life and death long to and fro she weaued She chaunst vnwares to light vppon this coffer Which to her in that daunger hope of life did offer The wretched mayd that earst desir'd to die When as the paine of death she tasted had And but halfe seene his vgly visnomie Gan to repent that she had beene so mad For any death to chaunge life though most bad And catching hold of this Sea-beaten chest The lucky Pylot of her passage sad After long tossing in the seas distrest Her weary barke at last vppon mine Isle did rest Where I by chaunce then wandring on the shore Did her espy and through my good endeuour From dreadfull mouth of death which threatned sore Her to haue swallow'd vp did helpe to saue her She then in recompence of that great fauour Which I on her bestowed bestowed on me The portion of that good which Fortune gaue her Together with her selfe in dowry free Both goodly portions but of both the better she Yet in this coffer which she with her brought Great threasure sithence we did finde contained Which as our owne we tooke and so it thought But this same other Damzell since hath fained That to her selfe that threasure appertained And that she did transport the same by sea To bring it to her husband new ordained But suffred cruell shipwracke by the way But whether it be so or no I can not say But whether it indeede be so or no This doe I say that what so good or ill Or God or Fortune vnto me did throw Not wronging any other by my will I hold mine owne and so will hold it still And though my land he first did winne away And then my loue though now it little skill Yet my good lucke he shall not likewise pray But I will it defend whilst euer that I may So hauing sayd the younger did ensew Full true it is what so about our land My brother here declared hath to you But not for it this ods twixt vs doth stand But for this threasure throwne vppon his strand Which well I proue as shall appeare by triall To be this maides with whom I fastned hand Known by good markes and perfect good espiall Therefore it ought be rendred her without deniall When they thus ended had the Knight began Certes your strife were easie to accord Would ye remit it to some righteous man Vnto your selfe said they we giue our word To bide what iudgement ye shall vs afford Then for assuraunce to my doome to stand Vnder my foote let each lay downe his sword And then you shall my sentence vnderstand So each of them layd downe his sword out of his hand Then Artegall thus to the younger sayd Now tell me Amidas if that ye may Your brothers land the which the sea hath layd Vnto your part and pluckt from his away By what good right doe you withhold this day What other right quoth he should you esteeme But that the sea it to my share did lay Your right is good sayd he and so I deeme That what the sea vnto you sent your own should seeme Then turning to the elder thus he sayd Now Bracidas let this likewise be showne Your brothers threasure which from him is strayd Being the dowry of his wife well knowne By what right doe you claime to beyour owne What other right quoth he should you esteeme But that the sea hath it vnto me throwne Your right is good sayd he and so I deeme That what the sea vnto you sent your own should seeme For equall right in equall things doth stand For what the mighty Sea hath once possest And plucked quite from all possessors hand Whether by rage of waues that neuer rest Or else by wracke that wretches hath distrest He may dispose by his imperiall might As thing at randon left to whom he list So Amidas the land was yours first hight And so the threasure yours is Bracidas by right When he his sentence thus pronounced had Both Amidas and Philtra were displeased But Bracidas and Lucy were right glad And on the threasure by that iudgement seased So was their discord by this doome appeased And each one had his right Then Artegall When as their sharpe contention he had ceased Departed on his way as did befall To follow his old quest the which him forth did call So as he trauelled vppon the way He chaunst to come where happily he spide A rout of many people farre away To whom his course he hastily applide To weete the cause of their assemblaunce wide To whom when he approched neare in sight An vncouth sight he plainely then descride To be a troupe of women warlike dight With weapons in their hands as ready for to fight And in the midst of them he saw a Knight With both his hands behinde him pinnoed hard And round about his necke an halter tight As ready for the gallow tree prepard His face was couered and his head was bar'd That who he was vneath was to descry And with full heauy heart with them he far'd Grieu'd to the soule and groning inwardly That he of womens hands so base a death should dy But they like tyrants mercilesse the more Reioyced at his miserable case And him reuiled and reproched sore With bitter taunts and termes of vile disgrace Now when as Artegall arriu'd in place Did aske what cause brought that man to decay They round about him gan to swarme apace Meaning on him their cruell hands to lay And to haue wrought vnwares some villanous assay But he was soone aware of their ill minde And drawing backe deceiued their intent Yet though him selfe did shame on womankinde His mighty hand to shend he Talus sent To wrecke on them their follies hardyment Who with few sowces of his yron flale Dispersed all their troupe incontinent And sent them home to tell a piteous tale Of their vaine prowesse turned to their proper bale But that same wretched man ordaynd to die They left behind them glad to be so quit Him Talus tooke out of perplexitie And horrour of fowle death for Knight vnfit Who more then losse of life ydreaded it And him restoring vnto liuing light So brought vnto his Lord where he did sit Beholding all that womanish weake fight Whom soone as he beheld he knew and thus behight Sir Turpine haplesse man what make you here Or haue you lost your selfe and your discretion That euer in this wretched case ye were Or haue ye yeelded you to proude oppression Of womens powre that boast of mens subiection Or else what other deadly dismall day Is falne on you by
not be amended He at the length was slaine and layd on ground Yet holding fast twixt both his armes extended Fayre Pastorell who with the selfe same wound Launcht through the arme fell down with him in drerie swound There lay she couered with confused preasse Of carcases which dying on her fell Tho when as he was dead the fray gan ceasse And each to other calling did compell To stay their cruell hands from slaughter fell Sith they that were the cause of all were gone Thereto they all attonce agreed well And lighting candles new gan search anone How many of their friends were slaine how many sone Their Captaine there they cruelly found kild And in his armes the dreary dying mayd Like a sweet Angell twixt two clouds vphild Her louely light was dimmed and decayd With cloud of death vpon her eyes displayd Yet did the cloud make euen that dimmed light Seeme much more louely in that darknesse layd And twixt the twinckling of her eye-lids bright To sparke out litle beames like starres in foggie night But when they mou'd the carcases aside They found that life did yet in her remaine Then all their helpes they busily applyde To call the soule backe to her home againe And wrought so well with labour and long paine That they to life recouered her at last Who sighing sore as if her hart in twaine Had riuen bene and all her hart strings brast With drearie drouping eyne lookt vp like one aghast There she beheld that sore her grieu'd to see Her father and her friends about her lying Her selfe sole left a second spoyle to bee Of those that hauing saued her from dying Renew'd her death by timely death denying What now is left her but to wayle and weepe Wringing her hands and ruefully loud crying Ne cared she her wound in teares to steepe Albe with all their might those Brigants her did keepe But when they saw her now reliu'd againe They left her so in charge of one the best Of many worst who with vnkind disdaine And cruell rigour her did much molest Scarse yeelding her due food or timely rest And scarsely suffring her infestred wound That sore her payn'd by any to be drest So leaue we her in wretched thraldome bound And turne we backe to Calidore where we him found Who when he backe returned from the wood And saw his shepheards cottage spoyled quight And his loue reft away he wexed wood And halfe enraged at that ruefull sight That euen his hart for very fell despight And his owne flesh he readie was to teare He chauft he grieu'd he fretted and he sight And fared like a furious wyld Beare Whose whelpes are stolne away she being otherwhere Ne wight he found to whom he might complaine Ne wight he found of whom he might inquire That more increast the anguish of his paine He sought the woods but no man could see there He sought the plaines but could no tydings heare The woods did nought but ecchoes vaine rebound The playnes all waste and emptie did appeare Where wont the shepheards oft their pypes resound And feed an hundred flocks there now not one he found At last as there he romed vp and downe He chaunst one comming towards him to spy That seem'd to be some sorie simple clowne With ragged weedes and lockes vpstaring hye As if he did from some late daunger fly And yet his feare did follow him behynd Who as he vnto him approched nye He mote perceiue by signes which he did fynd That Coridon it was the silly shepherds hynd Tho to him running fast he did not stay To greet him first but askt where were the rest Where Pastorell who full of fresh dismay And gushing forth in teares was so opprest That he no word could speake but smit his brest And vp to heauen his eyes fast streming threw Whereat the knight amaz'd yet did not rest But askt againe what ment that rufull hew Where was his Pastorell where all the other crew Ah well away sayd he then sighing sore That euer I did liue this day to see This dismall day and was not dead before Before I saw faire Pastorella dye Die out alas then Calidore did cry How could the death dare euer her to quell But read thou shepheard read what destiny Or other dyrefull hap from heauen or hell Hath wrought this wicked deed doe feare away and tell Tho when the shepheard breathed had a whyle He thus began where shall I then commence This wofull tale or how those Brigants vyle With cruell rage and dreadfull violence Spoyld all our cots and caried vs from hence Or how faire Pastorell should haue bene sold To marchants but was sau'd with strong defence Or how those theeues whilest one sought her to hold Fell all at ods and fought through fury fierce and bold In that same conflict woe is me befell This fatall chaunce this dolefull accident Whose heauy tydings now I haue to tell First all the captiues which they here had hent Were by them slaine by generall consent Old Meliboe and his good wife withall These eyes saw die and dearely did lament But when the lot to Pastorell did fall Their Captaine long withstood did her death forstall But what could he gainst all them doe alone It could not boot needs mote she die at last I onely scapt through great confusione Of cryes and clamors which amongst them past In dreadfull darknesse dreadfully aghast That better were with them to haue bene dead Then here to see all desolate and wast Despoyled of those ioyes and iolly head Which with those gentle shepherds here I wont to lead When Calidore these ruefull newes had raught His hart quite deaded was with anguish great And all his wits with doole were nigh distraught That he his face his head his brest did beat And death it selfe vnto himselfe did threat Oft cursing th' heauens that so cruell were To her whose name he often did repeat And wishing oft that he were present there When she was slaine or had bene to her succour nere But after griefe awhile had had his course And spent it selfe in mourning he at last Began to mitigate his swelling sourse And in his mind with better reason cast How he might saue her life if life did last Or if that dead how he her death might wreake Sith otherwise he could not mend thing past Or if it to reuenge he were too weake Then for to die with her and his liues threed to breake Tho Coridon he prayd sith he well knew The readie way vnto that theeuish wonne To wend with him and be his conduct trew Vnto the place to see what should be donne But he whose hart through feare was late fordonne Would not for ought be drawne to former drede But by all meanes the daunger knowne did shonne Yet Calidore so well him wrought with meed And faire bespoke with words that he at last agreed So forth they goe together God before Both clad in
and wilde Breedes dreadfull doubts Oft fire is without smoke And perill without show therefore your hardy stroke Sir knight with-hold till further triall made Ah Ladie said he shame were to reuoke The forward footing for an hidden shade Vertue giues her selfe light through darkenesse for to wade Yea but quoth she the perill of this place I better wot then you though now too late To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace Yet wisedome warnes whilest foot is in the gate To stay the steppe ere forced to retrate This is the wandring wood this Errours den A monster vile whom God and man does hate Therefore I read beware Fly fly quoth then The fearefull Dwarfe this is no place for liuing men But full of fire and greedy hardiment The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide But forth vnto the darksome hole he went And looked in his glistring armor made A litle glooming light much like a shade By which he saw the vgly monster plaine Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide But th' other halfe did womans shape retaine Most lothsom filthie foule and full of vile disdaine And as she lay vpon the durtie ground Her huge long taile her den all ouerspred Yet was in knots and many boughtes vpwound Pointed with mortall sting Of her there bred A thousand yong ones which she dayly fed Sucking vpon her poisonous dugs eachone Of sundry shapes yet all ill fauored Soone as that vncouth light vpon them shone Into her mouth they crept and suddain all were gone Their dam vpstart out of her den effraide And rushed forth hurling her hideous taile About her cursed head whose folds displaid Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile She lookt about and seeing one in mayle Armed to point sought backe to turne againe For light she hated as the deadly bale Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine Where plaine none might her see nor she see any plaine Which when the valiant Elfe perceiu'ed he lept As Lyon fierce vpon the flying pray And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept From turning backe and forced her to stay Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray And turning fierce her speckled taile aduaunst Threatning her angry sting him to dismay Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst The stroke down frō her head vnto her shoulder glaunst Much daunted with that dint her sence was dazd Yet kindling rage her selfe she gathered round And all attonce her beastly body raizd With doubled forces high aboue the ground Tho wrapping vp her wrethed sterne arownd Lept fierce vpon his shield and her huge traine All suddenly about his body wound That hand or foot to stirre he stroue in vaine God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine His Lady sad to see his sore constraint Cride out Now now Sir knight shew what ye bee Add faith vnto your force and be not faint Strangle her else she sure will strangle thee That when he heard in great perplexitie His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine And knitting all his force got one hand free Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine Therewith she spewd out of her filthy maw A floud of poyson horrible and blacke Full of great lumpes of flesh and gobbets raw Which stunck so vildly that it forst him slacke His grasping hold and from her turne him backe Her vomit full of bookes and papers was With loathly frogs and toades which eyes did lacke And creeping sought way in the weedy gras Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has As when old father Nilus gins to swell With timely pride aboue the Aegyptian vale His fattie waues do fertile slime outwell And ouerflow each plaine and lowly dale But when his later ebbe gins to auale Huge heapes of mudd he leaues wherein there breed Ten thousand kindes of creatures partly male And partly female of his fruitfull feed Such vgly monstrous shapes elswhere may no man reed The same so sore annoyed has the knight That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke His forces faile ne can no longer fight Whose corage when the feend perceiu'd to shrinke She poured forth out of her hellish sinke Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small Deformed monsters fowle and blacke as inke Which swarming all about his legs did crall And him encombred sore but could not hurt at all As gentle Shepheard in sweete euen-tide When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west High on an hill his flocke to vewen wide Markes which do byte their hasty supper best A cloud of combrous gnattes do him molest All striuing to infixe their feeble stings That from their noyance he no where can rest But with his clownish hands their tender wings He brusheth oft and oft doth mar their murmurings Thus ill bestedd and fearefull more of shame Then of the certaine perill he stood in Halfe furious vnto his foe he came Resolv'd in minde all suddenly to win Or soone to lose before he once would lin And strooke at her with more then manly force That from her body full of filthie sin He rafther hatefull head without remorse A streame of cole black bloud forth gushed frō her corse Her scattred brood soone as their Parent deare They saw so rudely falling to the ground Groning full deadly all with troublous feare Gathred themselues about her body round Weening their wonted entrance to haue found At her wide mouth but being there withstood They flocked all about her bleeding wound And sucked vp their dying mothers blood Making her death their life and eke her hurt their good That detestable sight him much amazde To see th'vnkindly Impes of heauen accurst Deuoure their dam on whom while so he gazd Hauing all satisfide their bloudy thurst Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst And bowels gushing forth well worthy end Of such as drunke her life the which them nurst Now needeth him no lenger labour spend His foes haue slaine themselues with whom he should contend His Ladie seeing all that chaunst from farre Approcht in hast to greet his victorie And said Faire knight borne vnder happy starre Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye Well worthy be you of that Armorie Wherein ye haue great glory wonne this day And proou'd your strength on a strong enimie Your first aduenture many such I pray And henceforth euer wish that like succeed it may Then mounted he vpon his Steede againe And with the Lady backward sought to wend That path he kept which beaten was most plaine Ne euer would to any by-way bend But still did follow one vnto the end The which at last out of the wood them brought So forward on his way with God to frend He passeth forth and new aduenture sought Long way he trauelled before he heard of ought At length they chaunst to meet vpon the way An aged Sire in long blacke weedes yclad His feete all bare his beard all
was vp-blowne with luxury And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne And like a Crane his necke was long and fyne With which he swallowd vp excessiue feast For want whereof poore people oft did pyne And all the way most like a brutish beast He spued vp his gorge that all did him deteast In greene vine leaues he was right fitly clad For other clothes he could not weare for heat And on his head an yuie girland had From vnder which fast trickled downe the sweat Still as he rode he somewhat still did eat And in his hand did beare a bouzing can Of which he supt so oft that on his seat His dronken corse he scarse vpholden can In shape and life more like a monster then a man Vnfit he was for any worldly thing And eke vnhable once to stirre or go Not meet to be of counsell to a king Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so That from his friend he seldome knew his so Full of diseases was his carcas blew And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow Which by misdiet daily greater grew Such one was Gluttony the second of that crew And next to him rode lustfull Lechery Vpon a bearded Goat whose rugged haire And whally eyes the signe of gelosy Was like the person selfe whom he did beare Who rough and blacke and filthy did appeare Vnseemely man to please faire Ladies eye Yet he of Ladies oft was loued deare When fairer faces were bid standen by O who does know the bent of womens fantasy In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire Which vnderneath did hide his filthinesse And in his hand a burning hart he bare Full of vaine follies and new fanglenesse For he was false and fraught with sicklenesse And learned had to loue with secret lookes And well could daunce and sing with ruefulnesse And fortunes tell and read in louing bookes And thousand other wayes to bait his fleshly hookes Inconstant man that loued all he saw And lusted after all that he did loue Ne would his looser life be tide to law But ioyd weake wemens hearts to tempt and proue If from their loyall loues he might them moue Which lewdnesse fild him with reprochfull paine Of that fowle euill which all men reproue That rots the marrow and consumes the braine Such one was Lecherie the third of all this traine And greedy Auarice by him did ride Vpon a Camell loaden all with gold Two iron coffers hong on either side With precious mettall full as they might hold And in his lap an heape of coine he told For of his wicked pelfe his God he made And vnto hell him selfe for money sold Accursed vsurie was all his trade And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide His life was nigh vnto deaths doore yplast And thred-bare cote and cobled shoes he ware Ne scarse good morsell all his life did tast But both from backe and belly still did spare To fill his bags and richesse to compare Yet chylde ne kinsman liuing had he none To leaue them to but thorough daily care To get and nightly feare to lose his owne He led a wretched life vnto him selfe vnknowne Most wretched wight whom nothing might suffise Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store Whose need had end but no end couetise Whose wealth was want whose plēty made him pore Who had enough yet wished euer more A vile disease and eke in foote and hand A grieuous gout tormented him full sore That well he could not touch nor go nor stand Such one was Auarice the fourth of this faire band And next to him malicious Enuie rode Vpon a rauenous wolfe and still did chaw Betweene his cankred teeth a venemous tode That all the poison ran about his chaw But inwardly he chawed his owne maw At neighbours wealth that made him euer sad For death it was when any good he saw And wept that cause of weeping none he had But when he heard of harme he wexed wondrous glad All in a kirtle of discolourd say He clothed was ypainted full of eyes And in his bosome secretly there lay An hatefull Snake the which his taile vptyes In many folds and mortall sting implyes Still as he rode he gnasht his teeth to see Those heapes of gold with griple Couetyse And grudged at the great felicitie Of proud Lucifera and his owne companie He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds And him no lesse that any like did vse And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds His almes for want of faith he doth accuse So euery good to bad he doth abuse And eke the verse of famous Poets witt He does backebite and spightfull poison spues From leprous mouth on all that euer writt Such one vile Enuie was that first in row did sitt And him beside rides fierce reuenging VVrath Vpon a Lion loth for to be led And in his hand a burning brond he hath The which he brandisheth about his hed His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red And stared sterne on all that him beheld As ashes pale of hew and seeming ded And on his dagger still his hand he held Trembling through hasty rage whē choler in him sweld His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood Which he had spilt and all to rags yrent Through vnaduized rashnesse woxen wood For of his hands he had no gouernement Ne car'd for bloud in his auengement But when the furious fit was ouerpast His cruell facts he often would repent Yet wilfull man he neuer would forecast How many mischieues should ensue his heedlesse hast Full many mischiefes follow cruell VVrath Abhorred bloudshed and tumultuous strife Vnmanly murder and vnthrifty scath Bitter despight with rancours rusty knife And fretting griefe the enemy of life All these and many euils moe haunt ire The swelling Splene and Frenzy raging rife The shaking Palsey and Saint Fraunces fire Such one was VVrath the last of this vngodly tire And after all vpon the wagon beame Rode Sathan with a smarting whip in hand With which he forward lasht the laesie teme So oft as Slowth still in the mire did stand Huge routs of people did about them band Showting for ioy and still before their way A foggy mist had couered all the land And vnderneath their feet all scattered lay Dead sculs bones of men whose life had gone astray So forth they marchen in this goodly sort To take the solace of the open aire And in fresh flowring fields themselues to sport Emongst the rest rode that false Lady faire The fowle Duessa next vnto the chaire Of proud Lucifera as one of the traine But that good knight would not so nigh repaire Him selfe estraunging from their ioyaunce vaine Whose fellowship seemd far vnfit for warlike swaine So hauing solaced themselues a space With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed They backe returned to the Princely Place Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled And heathnish shield wherein with letters red Was writ Sans
when iust time expired should appeare But whether dreames delude or true it were Was neuer hart so rauisht with delight Ne liuing man like words did euer heare As she to me deliuered all that night And at her parting said She Queene of Faeries hight When I awoke and found her place deuoyd And nought but pressed gras where she had lyen I sorrowed all so much as earst I ioyd And washed all her place with watry eyen From that day forth I lou'd that face diuine From that day forth I cast in carefull mind To seeke her out with labour and long tyne And neuer vow to rest till her I find Nine monethes I seeke in vaine yet ni'll that vow vnbind Thus as he spake his visage wexed pale And chaunge of hew great passion did bewray Yet still he stroue to cloke his inward bale And hide the smoke that did his fire display Till gentle Vna thus to him gan say O happy Queene of Faeries that hast found Mongst many one that with his prowesse may Defend thine honour and thy foes confound True Loues are oftē sown but seldom grow on ground Thine O then said the gentle Redcrosse knight Next to that Ladies loue shal be the place O fairest virgin full of heauenly light Whose wondrous faith exceeding earthly race Was firmest fixt in mine extremest case And you my Lord the Patrone of my life Of that great Queene may well gaine worthy grace For onely worthy you through prowes priefe Yf liuing man mote worthy be to be her liefe So diuersly discoursing of their loues The golden Sunne his glistring head gan shew And sad remembraunce now the Prince amoues With fresh desire his voyage to pursew Al 's Vna earnd her traueill to renew Then those two knights fast friendship for to bynd And loue establish each to other trew Gaue goodly gifts the signes of gratefull mynd And eke the pledges firme right hands together ioynd Prince Arthur gaue a boxe of Diamond sure Embowd with gold and gorgeous ornament Wherein were closd few drops of liquor pure Of wondrous worth and vertue excellent That any wound could heale incontinent Which to requite the Redcrosse knight him gaue A booke wherein his Saueours testament Was writ with golden letters rich and braue A worke of wondrous grace and able soules to saue Thus beene they parted Arthur on his way To seeke his loue and th' other for to fight With Vnaes foe that all her realme did pray But she now weighing the decayed plight And shrunken synewes of her chosen knight Would not a while her forward course pursew Ne bring him forth in face of dreadfull fight Till he recouered had his former hew For him to be yet weake and wearie well she knew So as they traueild lo they gan espy An armed knight towards them gallop fast That seemed from some feared foe to fly Or other griesly thing that him agast Still as he fled his eye was backward cast As if his feare still followed him behind Al 's flew his steed as he his bands had brast And with his winged heeles did tread the wind As he had beene a fole of Pegasus his kind Nigh as he drew they might perceiue his head To be vnarmd and curld vncombed heares Vpstaring stiffe dismayd with vncouth dread Nor drop of bloud in all his face appeares Nor life in limbe and to increase his feares In fowle reproch of knighthoods faire degree About his neck an hempen rope he weares That with his glistring armes does ill agree But he of rope or armes has now no memoree The Redcrosse knight toward him crossed fast To weet what mister wight was so dismayd There him he finds all sencelesse and aghast That of him selfe he seemd to be afrayd Whom hardly he from flying forward stayd Till he these wordes to him deliuer might Sir knight aread who hath ye thus arayd And eke from whom make ye this hasty flight For neuer knight I saw in such misseeming plight He answerd nought at all but adding new Feare to his first amazment staring wide With stony eyes and hartlesse hollow hew Astonisht stood as one that had aspide Infernall furies with their chaines vntide Him yet againe and yet againe bespake The gentle knight who nought to him replide But trembling euery ioynt did inly quake And foltring tongue at last these words seemd forth to shake For Gods deare loue Sir knight do me not stay For loe he comes he comes fast after mee Eft looking backe would faine haue runne away But he him forst to stay and tellen free The secret cause of his perplexitie Yet nathemore by his bold hartie speach Could his bloud-frosen hart emboldned bee But through his boldnesse rather feare did reach Yet forst at last he made through silence suddein breach And am I now in safetie sure quoth he From him that would haue forced me to dye And is the point of death now turnd fro mee That I may tell this haplesse history Feare nought quoth he no daunger now is nye Then shall I you recount a ruefull cace Said he the which with this vnlucky eye I late beheld and had not greater grace Me reft from it had bene partaker of the place I lately chaunst Would I had neuer chaunst With a faire knight to keepen companee Sir Terwin hight that well himselfe aduaunst In all affaires and was both bold and free But not so happie as mote happie bee He lou'd as was his lot a Ladie gent That him againe lou'd in the least degree For she was proud and of too high intent And ioyd to see her louer languish and lament From whom returning sad and comfortlesse As on the way together we did fare We met that villen God from him me blesse That cursed wight from whom I scapt whyleare A man of hell that cals himselfe Despaire Who first vs greets and after faire areedes Of tydings strange and of aduentures rare So creeping close as Snake in hidden weedes Inquireth of our states and of our knightly deedes Which when he knew and felt our feeble harts Embost with bale and bitter byting griefe Which loue had launched with his deadly darts With wounding words and termes of foule repriefe He pluckt from vs all hope of due reliefe That earst vs held in loue of lingring life Then hopelesse hartlesse gan the cunning thiefe Perswade vs die to stint all further strife To me he lent this rope to him a rustie knife With which sad instrument of hastie death That wofull louer loathing lenger light A wide way made to let forth liuing breath But I more fearefull or more luckie wight Dismayd with that deformed dismall sight Fled fast away halfe dead with dying feare Ne yet assur'd of life by you Sir knight Whose like infirmitie like chaunce may beare But God you neuer let his charmed speeches heare How may a man said he with idle speach Be wonne to spoyle the Castle of his health I wote quoth he whom
when the cause of that outrageous deede Demaunded I made plaine and euident Her faultie Handmayd which that bale did breede Confest how Philemon her wrought to chaunge her weede Which when I heard with horrible affright And hellish fury all enragd I sought Vpon my selfe that vengeable despight To punish yet it better first I thought To wreake my wrath on him that first it wrought To Philemon false faytour Philemon I cast to pay that I so dearely bought Of deadly drugs I gaue him drinke anon And washt away his guilt with guiltie potion Thus heaping crime on crime and griefe on griefe To losse of loue adioyning losse of frend I meant to purge both with a third mischiefe And in my woes beginner it to end That was Pryene she did first offend She last should smart with which cruell intent When I at her my murdrous blade did bend She fled away with ghastly dreriment And I pursewing my fell purpose after went Feare gaue her wings and rage enforst my flight Through woods and plaines so long I did her chace Till this mad man whom your victorious might Hath now fast bound me met in middle space As I her so he me pursewd apace And shortly ouertooke I breathing yre Sore chauffed at my stay in such a cace And with my heat kindled his cruell fyre Which kindled once his mother did more rage inspyre Betwixt them both they haue me doen to dye Through wounds strokes stubborne handeling That death were better then such agony As griefe and furie vnto me did bring Of which in me yet stickes the mortall sting That during life will neuer be appeasd When he thus ended had his sorrowing Said Guyon Squire sore haue ye beene diseasd But all your hurts may soone through tēperance be easd Then gan the Palmer thus most wretched man That to affections does the bridle lend In their beginning they are weake and wan But soone through suff'rance grow to fearefull end Whiles they are weake betimes with them contend For when they once to perfect strength do grow Strong warres they make and cruell battry bend Gainst fort of Reason it to ouerthrow Wrath gelosie griefe loue this Squire haue layd thus low Wrath gealosie griefe loue do thus expell Wrath is a fire and gealosie a weede Griefe is a flood and loue a monster fell The fire of sparkes the weede of little seede The flood of drops the Monster filth did breede But sparks seed drops and filth do thus delay The sparks soone quench the springing seed outweed The drops dry vp and filth wipe cleane away So shall wrath gealosie griefe loue dye and decay Vnlucky Squire said Guyon sith thou hast Falne vnto mischiefe through intemperaunce Henceforth take heede of that thou now hast past And guide thy wayes with warie gouernaunce Least worse betide thee by some later chaunce But read how art thou nam'd and of what kin Phedon I hight quoth he and do aduaunce Mine auncestry from famous Coradin Who first to rayse our house to honour did begin Thus as he spake lo far away they spyde A varlet running towards hastily Whose flying feet so fast their way applyde That round about a cloud of dust did fly Which mingled all with sweate did dim his eye He soone approched panting breathlesse whot And all so soyld that none could him descry His countenaunce was bold and bashed not For Guyons lookes but scornefull eyglaunce at him shot Behind his backe he bore a brasen shield On which was drawen faire in colours fit A flaming fire in midst of bloudy field And round about the wreath this word was writ Burnt I do burne Right well beseemed it To be the shield of some redoubted knight And in his hand two darts exceeding flit And deadly sharpe he held whose heads were dight In poyson and in bloud of malice and despight When he in presence came to Guyon first He boldly spake Sir knight if knight thou bee Abandon this fore stalled place at erst For feare of further harme I counsell thee Or bide the chaunce at thine owne ieoperdie The knight at his great boldnesse wondered And though he scornd his idle vanitie Yet mildly him to purpose answered For not to grow of nought he it coniectured Varlet this place most dew to me I deeme Yielded by him that held it forcibly But whēce should come that harme which thou doest seeme To threat to him that minds his chaunce t'abye Perdy said he here comes and is hard by A knight of wondrous powre and great assay That neuer yet encountred enemy But did him deadly daunt or fowle dismay Ne thou for better hope if thou his presence stay How hight he then said Guyon and from whence Pyrrhochles is his name renowmed farre For his bold feats and hardy confidence Full oft approu'd in many a cruell warre The brother of Cymochles both which arre The sonnes of old Acrates and Despight Acrates sonne of Phlegeton and Iarre But Phlegeton is sonne of Herebus and Night But Herebus sonne of Aeternitie is hight So from immortall race he does proceede That mortall hands may not withstand his might Drad for his derring do and bloudy deed For all in bloud and spoile is his delight His am I Atin his in wrong and right That matter make for him to worke vpon And stirre him vp to strife and cruell fight Fly therefore fly this fearefull stead anon Least thy foolhardize worke thy sad confusion His be that care whom most it doth concerne Said he but whither with such hasty flight Art thou now bound for well mote I discerne Great cause that carries thee so swift and light My Lord quoth he me sent and streight behight To seeke Occasion where so she bee For he is all disposd to bloudy fight And breathes out wrath and hainous crueltie Hard is his hap that first fals in his ieopardie Madman said then the Palmer that does seeke Occasion to wrath and cause of strife She comes vnsought and shonned followes eke Happy who can abstaine when Rancour rife Kindles Reuenge and threats his rusty knife Woe neuer wants where euery cause is caught And rash Occasion makes vnquiet life Then loe where bound she fits whō thou hast sought Said Guyon let that message to thy Lord be brought That when the varlet heard and saw streight way He wexed wondrous wroth and said Vile knight That knights knighthood doest with shame vpbray And shewst th'enfāple of thy childish migbt With silly weake old woman thus to fight Great glory and gay spoile sure hast thou got And stoutly prou'd thy puissaunce here in sight That shall Pyrrhochles well requite I wot And with thy bloud abolish so reprochfull blot With that one of his thrillant darts he threw Headed with ire and vengeable despight The quiuering steele his aymed end well knew And to his brest it selfe intended right But he was warie and ere it empight In the meant marke aduaunst his shield atweene On which it seizing
befall And say that I not ouercome do dye But in despight of life for death do call Wroth was the Prince and sory yet withall That he so wilfully refused grace Yet sith his fate so cruelly did fall His shining Helmet he gan soone vnlace And left his headlesse body bleeding all the place By this Sir Guyon from his traunce awakt Life hauing maistered her sencelesse foe And looking vp when as his shield he lakt And sword saw not he wexed wondrous woe But when the Palmer whom he long ygoe Hast lost he by him spide right glad he grew And said Deare sir whom wandring to and fro I long haue lackt I ioy thy face to vew Firme is thy faith whom daunger neuer fro me drew But rend what wicked hand hath robbed mee Of my good sword and shield The Palmer glad With so fresh hew vprising him to see Him answered faire sonne be no whit sad For want of weapons they shall soone be had So gan he to discourse the whole debate Which that straunge knight for him sustained had And those two Sarazins confounded late Whose carcases on ground were horribly prostrate Which when he heard and saw the tokens trew His hart with great affection was embayd And to the Prince with bowing reuerence dew As to the Patrone of his life thus sayd My Lord my liege by whose most gratious ayd I liue this day and see my foes subdewd What may suffise to be for meede repayd Of so great graces as ye haue me shewd But to be euer bound To whom the Insant thus Faire Sir what need Good turnes be counted as a seruile bond To bind their doers to receiue their meede Are not all knights by oath bound to withstond Oppressours powre by armes and puissant hond Suffise that I haue done my dew in place So goodly purpose they together fond Of kindnesse and of curteous aggrace The whiles false Archimage and Atin fled apace Cant. IX The house of Temperance in which doth sober Almadwell Besiegd of many foes whom straunger knightes to fight compell O Fall Gods workes which do this world adorne There is no one more faire and excellent Then is mans body both for powre and forme Whiles it is kept in sober gouernment But none then it more fowle and indecent Distempred through misrule and passions bace It growes a Monster and incontinent Doth loose his dignitie and natiue grace Behold who list both one and other in this place After the Paynim brethren conquer'd were The Briton Prince recou'ring his stolne sword And Guyon his lost shield they both yfere Forth passed on their way in faire accord Till him the Prince with gentle court did bord Sir knight mote I of you this curt'sie read To weet why on your shield so goodly scord Beare ye the picture of that Ladies head Full liuely is the semblaunt though the substance dead Faire Sir said he if in that picture dead Such life ye read and vertue in vaine shew What mote ye weene if the trew liuely-head Of that most glorious visage ye did vew But if the beautie of her mind ye knew That is her bountie and imperiall powre Thousand times fairer then her mortall hew O how great wonder would your thoughts deuoure And infinite desire into your spirite poure She is the mighty Queene of Faerie Whose faire retrait I in my shield do beare She is the flowre of grace and chastitie Throughout the world renowmed far and neare My liefe my liege my Soueraigne my deare Whose glory shineth as the morning starre And with her light the earth enlumines cleare Far reach her mercies and her prayses farre As well in state of peace as puissaunce in warre Thrise happy man said then the Briton knight Whom gracious lot and thy great valiaunce Haue made thee souldier of that Princesse bright Which with her bounty and glad countenance Doth blesse her seruaunts and them high aduaunce How may straunge knight hope euer to aspire By faithfull seruice and meet amenance Vnto such blisse sufficient were that hire For losse of thousand liues to dye at her desire Said Guyon Noble Lord what meed so great Or grace of earthly Prince so soueraine But by your wondrous worth and warlike feat Ye well may hope and easely attaine But were your will her sold to entertaine And numbred be mongst knights of Maydenhed Great guerdon well I wote should you remaine And in her fauour high be reckoned As Arthegall and Sophy now beene honored Certes then said the Prince I God auow That sith I armes and knighthood first did plight My whole desire hath beene and yet is now To serue that Queene with all my powre and might Now hath the Sunne with his lamp-burning light Walkt round about the world and I no lesse Sith of that Goddesse I haue sought the sight Yet no where can her find such happinesse Heauen doth to me enuy and fortune fauourlesse Fortune the foe of famous cheuisaunce Seldome said Guyon yields to vertue aide But in her way throwes mischiefe and mischaunce Whereby her course is stopt and passage staid But you faire Sir be not herewith dismaid But constant keepe the way in which ye stand Which were it not that I am else delaid With hard aduenture which I haue in hand I labour would to guide you through all Faery land Gramercy Sir said he but mote I wote What straunge aduenture do ye now pursew Perhaps my succour or aduizement meete Mote stead you much your purpose to subdew Then gan Sir Guyon all the story shew Of false Acrasia and her wicked wiles Which to auenge the Palmer him forth drew From Faery court So talked they the whiles They wasted had much way and measurd many miles And now faire Phoebus gan decline in hast His weary wagon to the Westerne vale Whenas they spide a goodly castle plast Foreby a riuer in a pleasaunt dale Which choosing for that euenings hospitale They thither marcht but when they came in sight And from their sweaty Coursers did auale They found the gates fast barred long ere night And euery loup fast lockt as fearing foes despight Which when they saw they weened fowle reproch Was to them doen their entrance to forstall Till that the Squire gan nigher to approch And wind his horne vnder the castle wall That with the noise it shooke as it would fall Eftsoones forth looked from the highest spire The watch and lowd vnto the knights did call To weete what they so rudely did require Who gently answered They entrance did desire Fly fly good knights said he fly fast away If that your liues ye loue as meete ye should Fly fast and saue your selues from neare decay Here may ye not haue entraunce though we would We would and would againe if that we could But thousand enemies about vs raue And with long siege vs in this castle hould Seuen yeares this wize they vs besieged haue And many good knights slaine that haue vs sought to saue Thus
of euerlasting fame He with his victour sword first opened The bowels of wide Fraunce a forlorne Dame And taught her first how to be conquered Since which with sundrie spoiles she hath beene ransacked Let Scaldis tell and let tell Hania And let the marsh of Estham bruges tell What colour were their waters that same day And all the moore twixt Eluersham and Dell With bloud of Henalois which therein fell How oft that day did sad Brunchildis see The greene shield dyde in dolorous vermell That not Scuith guiridh it mote seeme to bee But rather y Scuith gogh signe of sad crueltee His sonne king Leill by fathers labour long Enioyd an heritage of lasting peace And built Cairleill and built Cairleon strong Next Huddibras his realme did not encrease But taught the land from wearie warres to cease Whose footsteps Bladud following in arts Exceld at Athens all the learned preace From whence he brought them to these saluage parts And with sweet science mollifide their stubborne harts Ensample of his wondrous faculty Behold the boyling Bathes at Cairbadon Which seeth with secret fire eternally And in their entrails full of quicke Brimston Nourish the flames which they are warm'd vpon That to her people wealth they forth do well And health to euery forreine nation Yet he at last contending to excell The reach of men through flight into fond mischief fell Next him king Leyr in happie peace long raind But had no issue male him to succeed But three faire daughters which were well vptraind In all that seemed sit for kingly seed Mongst whom his realme he equally decreed To haue diuided Tho when feeble age Nigh to his vtmost date he saw proceed He cald his daughters and with speeches sage Inquyrd which of them most did loue her parentage The eldest Gonorill gan to protest That she much more then her owne life him lou'd And Regan greater loue to him profest Then all the world when euer it were proou'd But Cordeill said she lou'd him as behoou'd Whose simple answere wanting colours faire To paint it forth him to displeasance moou'd That in his crowne he counted her no haire But twixt the other twaine his kingdome whole did shaire So wedded th' one to Maglan king of Scots And th' other to the king of Cambria And twixt them shayrd his realme by equall lots But without dowre the wise Cordelia Was sent to Aganip of Celtica Their aged Syre thus cased of his crowne A priuate life led in Albania With Gonorill long had in great renowne That nought him grieu'd to bene from rule deposed downe But true it is that when the oyle is spent The light goes out and weeke is throwne away So when he had resignd his regiment His daughter gan despise his drouping day And wearie waxe of his continuall stay Tho to his daughter Rigan he repayrd Who him at first well vsed euery way But when of his departure she despayrd Her bountie she abated and his cheare empayrd The wretched man gan then auise too late That loue is not where most it is profest Too truely tryde in his extreamest state At last resolu'd likewise to proue the rest He to Cordelia him selfe addrest Who with entire affection him receau'd As for her Syre and king her seemed best And after all an army strong she leau'd To war on those which him had of his realme bereau'd So to his crowne she him restor'd againe In which he dyde made ripe for death by eld And after wild it should to her remaine Who peaceably the same long time did weld And all mens harts in dew obedience held Till that her sisters children woxen strong Through proud ambition against her rebeld And ouercommen kept in prison long Till wearie of that wretched life her selfe she hong Then gan the bloudie brethren both to raine But fierce Cundah gan shortly to enuie His brother Morgan prickt with proud disdaine To haue a pere in part of soueraintie And kindling coles of cruell enmitie Raisd warre and him in battell ouerthrew Whence as he to those woodie hils did flie Which hight of him Glamorgan there him slew Then did he raigne alone when he none equall knew His sonne Riuallo his dead roome did supply In whose sad time bloud did from heauen raine Next great Gurgustus then faire Caecily In constant peace their kingdomes did containe After whom Lago and Kinmarke did raine And Gorbogud till farre in yeares he grew Till his ambitious sonnes vnto them twaine Arraught the rule and from their father drew Stout Ferrex and sterne Porrex him in prison threw But ô the greedy thirst of royall crowne That knowes no kinred nor regardes no right Stird Porrex vp to put his brother downe Who vnto him assembling forreine might Made warre on him and fell him selfe in fight Whose death t' auenge his mother mercilesse Most mercilesse of women VVyden hight Her other sonne fast sleeping did oppresse And with most cruell hand him murdred pittilesse Here ended Brutus sacred progenie Which had seuen hundred yeares this scepter borne With high renowme and great felicitie The noble braunch from th'antique stocke was torne Through discord and the royall throne forlorne Thenceforth this Realme was into factions rent Whilest each of Brutus boasted to be borne That in the end was left no moniment Of Brutus nor of Britons glory auncient Then vp arose a man of matchlesse might And wondrous wit to menage high affaires Who stird vp pitty of the stressed plight Of this sad Realme cut into sundry shaires By such as claymd themselues Brutes rightfull haires Gathered the Princes of the people loose To taken counsell of their common cares Who with his wisedom won him streight did choose Their king and swore him fealty to win or loose Then made he head against his enimies And Ymner slew or Logris miscreate Then Ruddoc and proud Stater both allyes This of Albanie newly nominate And that of Cambry king confirmed late He ouerthrew through his owne valiaunce Whos 's countreis he redus'd to quiet state And shortly brought to ciuill gouernaunce Now one which earst were many made through variaunce Then made he sacred lawes which some men say Were vnto him reueald in vision By which he freed the Traueilers high way The Churches part and Ploughmans portion Restraining stealth and strong extortion The gracious Numa of great Britanie For till his dayes the chiefe dominion By strength was wielded without pollicie Therefore he first wore crowne of gold for dignitie Donwallo dyde for what may liue for ay And left two sonnes of pearelesse prowesse both That sacked Rome too dearely did assay The recompence of their periured oth And ransackt Greece well tryde whē they were wroth Besides subiected Fraunce and Germany Which yet their prayses speake all be they loth And inly tremble at the memory Of Brennus and Bellinus kings of Britany Next them did Gurgunt great Bellinus sonne In rule succeede and eke in fathers prayse He Easterland subdewd and Danmarke
was that woman this that deadly wound That Proteus prophecide should him dismay The which his mother vainely did expound To be hart-wounding loue which should assay To bring her sonne vnto his last decay So tickle be the termes of mortall state And full of subtile sophismes which do play With double senses and with false debate Tapproue the vnknowen purpose of eternall fate Too true the famous Marinell it fownd Who through late triall on that wealthy Strond Inglorious now lies in senselesse swownd Through heauy stroke of Britomartis hond Which when his mother deare did vnderstond And heauy tydings heard whereas she playd Amongst her watry sisters by a pond Gathering sweet daffadillyes to haue made Gay girlonds from the Sun their forheads faire to shade Eftsoones both flowres and girlonds farre away She flong and her faire deawy lockes yrent To sorrow huge she turnd her former play And gameson merth to grieuous dreriment She threw her selfe downe on the Continent Ne word did speake but lay as in a swowne Whiles all her sisters did for her lament With yelling outcries and with shrieking sowne And euery one did teare her girlond from her crowne Soone as she vp out of her deadly fit Arose she bad her charet to be brought And all her sisters that with her did sit Bad eke attonce their charets to be sought Tho full of bitter griefe and pensiue thought She to her wagon clombe clombe all the rest And forth together went with sorrow fraught The waues obedient to their beheast Them yielded readie passage and their rage surceast Great Neptune stood amazed at their sight Whiles on his broad round backe they softly slid And eke himselfe mournd at their mournfull plight Yet wist not what their wailing ment yet did For great compassion of their sorrow bid His mightie waters to them buxome bee Eftsoones the roaring billowes still abid And all the griefly Monsters of the See Stood gaping at their gate and wondred them to see A teme of Dolphins raunged in aray Drew the smooth charet of sad Cymoent They were all taught by Triton to obay To the long traines at her commaundement As swift as swallowes on the waues they went That their broad flaggie finnes no fome did reare Ne bubbling roundell they behind them sent The rest of other fishes drawen weare Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did sheare Soone as they bene arriu'd vpon the brim Of the Rich strond their charets they forlore And let their temed fishes softly swim Along the margent of the fomy shore Least they their finnes should bruze and surbate sore Their tender feet vpon the stony ground And comming to the place where all in gore And cruddy bloud enwallowed they found The lucklesse Marinell lying in deadly swound His mother swowned thrise and the third time Could scarce recouered be out of her paine Had she not bene deuoyd of mortall slime She should not then haue bene reliu'd againe But soone as life recouered had the raine She made so piteous mone and deare wayment That the hard rocks could scarse from teares refraine And all her sister Nymphes with one consent Supplide her sobbing breaches with sad complement Deare image of my selfe she said that is The wretched sonne of wretched mother borne Is this thine high aduauncement ô is this Th' immortall name with which thee yet vnborne Thy Gransire Nereus promist to adorne Now lyest thou of life and honor reft Now lyest thou a lumpe of earth forlorne Ne of thy late life memory is left Ne can thy irreuocable destiny be weft Fond Proteus father of false prophecis And they more fond that credit to thee giue Not this the worke of womans hand ywis That so deepe wound through these deare members driue I feared loue but they that loue do liue But they that die doe neither loue nor hate Nath'lesse to thee thy folly I forgiue And to my selfe and to accursed fate The guilt I doe ascribe deare wisedome bought too late O what auailes it of immortall seed To beene ybred and neuer borne to die Farre better I it deeme to die with speed Then waste in woe and wailefull miserie Who dyes the vtmost dolour doth abye But who that liues is left to waile his losse So life is losse and death felicitie Sad life worse then glad death and greater crosse To see friends graue thē dead the graue selfe to engrosse But if the heauens did his dayes enuie And my short blisse maligne yet mote they well Thus much afford me ere that he did die That the dim eyes of my deare Marinell I mote haue closed and him bed farewell Sith other offices for mother meet They would not graunt Yet maulgre them farewell my sweetest sweet Farewell my sweetest sonne sith we no more shall meet Thus when they all had sorrowed their fill They softly gan to search his griesly wound And that they might him handle more at will They him disarm'd and spredding on the ground Their watchet mantles frindgd with siluer round They softly wipt away the gelly blood From th'orifice which hauing well vpbound They pourd in soueraine balme and Nectar good Good both for earthly med'cine and for heauenly food Tho when the lilly handed Liagore This Liagore whylome had learned skill In leaches craft by great Appolloes lore Sith her whylome vpon high Pindus hill He loued and at last her wombe did fill With heauenly seed whereof wise Paeon sprong Did feele his pulse she knew their staied still Some litle life his feeble sprites emong Which to his mother told despeire she from her flong Tho vp him taking in their tender hands They easily vnto her charet beare Her teme at her commaundement quiet stands Whiles they the corse into her wagon reare And strow with flowres the lamentable beare Then all the rest into their coches clim And through the brackish waues their passage sheare Vpon great Neptunes necke they softly swim And to her watry chamber swiftly carry him Deepe in the bottome of the sea her bowre Is built of hollow billowes heaped hye Like to thicke cloudes that threat a stormy showre And vauted all within like to the sky In which the Gods do dwell eternally There they him laid in easie couch well dight And sent in haste for Tryphon to apply Salues to his wounds and medicines of might For Tryphon of sea gods the soueraine leach is hight The whiles the Nymphes sit all about him round Lamenting his mishap and heauy plight And oft his mother vewing his wide wound Cursed the hand that did so deadly smight Her dearest sonne her dearest harts delight But none of all those curses ouertooke The warlike Maid th'ensample of that might But fairely well she thriu'd and well did brooke Her noble deeds ne her right course for ought forsooke Yet did false Archimage her still pursew To bring to passe his mischieuous intent Now that he had her singled from the crew Of courteous knights the Prince and Faery
seruice may I do vnto thee meete That hast from darkenesse me returnd to light And with thy heauenly salues and med'cines sweete Hast drest my sinfull wounds I kisse thy blessed feete Thereat she blushing said Ah gentle Squire Nor Goddesse I nor Angell but the Mayd And daughter of a woody Nymphe desire No seruice but thy safety and ayd Which if thou gaine I shal be well apayd We mortall wights whose liues and fortunes bee To commun accidents still open layd Are bound with commun bond of frailtee To succour wretched wights whom we captiued see By this her Damzels which the former chace Had vndertaken after her arriu'd As did Belphoebe in the bloudy place And thereby deemd the beast had bene depriu'd Of life whom late their Ladies arrow ryu'd For thy the bloudy tract they follow fast And euery one to runne the swiftest stryu'd But two of them the rest far ouerpast And where their Lady was arriued at the last Where when they saw that goodly boy with blood Defowled and their Lady dresse his wownd They wondred much and shortly vnderstood How him in deadly case their Lady fownd And reskewed out of the heauy stownd Eftsoones his warlike courser which was strayd Farre in the woods whiles that he lay in swownd She made those Damzels search which being stayd They did him set thereon and forthwith them conuayd Into that forest farre they thence him led Where was their dwelling in a pleasant glade With mountaines round about enuironed And mighty woods which did the valley shade And like a stately Theatre it made Spreading it selfe into a spatious plaine And in the midst a little riuer plaide Emongst the pumy stones which seemd to plaine With gentle murmure that his course they did restraine Beside the same a dainty place there lay Planted with mirtle trees and laurels greene In which the birds song many a louely lay Of gods high prayse and of their loues sweet teene As it an earthly Paradize had beene In whose enclosed shadow there was pight A faire Pauilion scarcely to be seene The which was all within most richly dight That greatest Princes liuing it mote well delight Thither they brought that wounded Squire and layd In easie couch his feeble limbes to rest He rested him a while and then the Mayd His ready wound with better salues new drest Dayly she dressed him and did the best His grieuous hurt to garish that she might That shortly she his dolour hath redrest And his foule sore reduced to faire plight It she reduced but himselfe destroyed quight O foolish Physick and vnfruitfull paine That heales vp one and makes another wound She his hurt thigh to him recur'd againe But hurt his hart the which before was sound Through an vnwary dart which did rebound From her faire eyes and gracious countenaunce What bootes it him from death to be vnbound To be captiued in endlesse duraunce Of sorrow and despaire without aleggeaunce Still as his wound did gather and grow hole So still his hart woxe sore and health decayd Madnesse to saue a part and lose the whole Still whenas he beheld the heauenly Mayd Whiles dayly plaisters to his wound she layd So still his Malady the more increast The whiles her matchlesse beautie him dismayd Ah God what other could he do at least But loue so faire a Lady that his life releast Long while he stroue in his courageous brest With reason dew the passion to subdew And loue for to dislodge out of his nest Still when her excellencies he did vew Her soueraigne bounty and celestiall hew The same to loue he strongly was constraind But when his meane estate he did renew He from such hardy boldnesse was restraind And of his lucklesse lot and cruell loue thus plaind Vnthankfull wretch said he is this the meed With which her soueraigne mercy thou doest quight Thy life she saued by her gracious deed But thou doest weene with villeinous despight To blot her honour and her heauenly light Dye rather dye then so disloyally Deeme of her high desert or seeme so light Faire death it is to shonne more shame to dy Dye rather dy then euer loue disloyally But if to loue disloyalty it bee Shall I then hate her that from deathes dore Me brought ah farre be such reproch fro mee What can I lesse do then her loue therefore Sith I her dew reward cannot restore Dye rather dye and dying do her serue Dying her serue and liuing her adore Thy life she gaue thy life she doth deserue Dye rather dye then euer from her seruice swerue But foolish boy what bootes thy seruice bace To her to whom the heauens do serue and sew Thou a meane Squire of meeke and lowly place She heauenly borne and of celestiall hew How then of all loue taketh equall vew And doth not highest God vouchsafe to take The loue and seruice of the basest crew If she will not dye meekly for her sake Dye rather dye then euer so faire loue forsake Thus warreid he long time against his will Till that through weaknesse he was forst at last To yield himselfe vnto the mighty ill Which as a victour proud gan ransack fast His inward parts and all his entrayles wast That neither bloud in face nor life in hart It left but both did quite drye vp and blast As percing leuin which the inner part Of euery thing consumes and calcineth by art Which seeing faire Belphoebe gan to feare Least that his wound were inly well not healed Or that the wicked steele empoysned were Litle she weend that loue he close concealed Yet still he wasted as the snow congealed When the bright sunne his beams thereon doth beat Yet neuer he his hart to her reuealed But rather chose to dye for sorrow great Then with dishonorable termes her to entreat She gracious Lady yet no paines did spare To do him ease or do him remedy Many Restoratiues of vertues rare And costly Cordialles she did apply To mitigate his stubborne mallady But that sweet Cordiall which can restore A loue-sick hart she did to him enuy To him and to all th'vnworthy world forlore She did enuy that soueraigne salue in secret store That dainty Rose the daughter of her Morne More deare then life she tendered whose flowre The girlond of her honour did adorne Ne suffred she the Middayes scorching powre Ne the sharp Northerne wind thereon to showre But lapped vp her silken leaues most chaire When so the froward skye began to lowre But soone as calmed was the Christall aire She did it faire dispred and let to florish faire Eternall God in his almighty powre To make ensample of his heauenly grace In Paradize whilome did plant this flowre Whence he it fetcht out of her natiue place And did in stocke of earthly flesh enrace That mortall men her glory should admire In gentle Ladies brest and bounteous race Of woman kind it fairest flowre doth spire And beareth fruit of honour and all chast
he himselfe himselfe loath'd so forlorne So shamefully forlorne of womankind That as a Snake still lurked in his wounded mind Still fled he forward looking backward still Ne stayd his flight nor fearefull agony Till that he came vnto a rockie hill Ouer the sea suspended dreadfully That liuing creature it would terrify To looke adowne or vpward to the hight From thence he threw himselfe dispiteously All desperate of his fore-damned spright That seem'd no helpe for him was left in liuing sight But through long anguish and selfe-murdring thought He was so wasted and forpined quight That all his substance was consum'd to nought And nothing left but like an aery Spright That on the rockes he fell so flit and light That he thereby receiu'd no hurt at all But chaunced on a craggy cliff to light Whence he with crooked clawes so long did crall That at the last he found a caue with entrance small Into the same he creepes and thenceforth there Resolu'd to build his balefull mansion In drery darkenesse and continuall feare Of that rockes fall which euer and anon Threates with huge ruine him to fall vpon That he dare neuer sleepe but that one eye Still ope he keepes for that occasion Ne euer rests he in tranquillity The roring billowes beat his bowre so boystrously Ne euer is he wont on ought to feed But toades and frogs his pasture poysonous Which in his cold complexion do breed A filthy bloud or humour rancorous Matter of doubt and dread suspitious That doth with curelesse care consume the hart Corrupts the stomacke with gall vitious Croscuts the liuer with internall smart And doth transfixe the soule with deathes eternall dart Yet can he neuer dye but dying liues And doth himselfe with sorrow new sustaine That death and life attonce vnto him giues And painefull pleasure turnes to pleasing paine There dwels he euer miserable swaine Hatefull both to him selfe and euery wight Where he through priuy griefe and horrour vaine Is woxen so deform'd that he has quight Forgot he was a man and Gealosie is hight Cant. XI Britomart chaceth Ollyphant findes Scudamour distrest Assayes the house of Busyrane where Loues spoyles are exprest O Hatefull hellish Snake what furie furst Brought thee from balefull house of Proserpine Where in her bosome she thee long had nurst And fostred vp with bitter milke of tine Fowle Gealosie that turnest loue diuine To ioylesse dread and mak'st the louing hart With hatefull thoughts to languish and to pine And feed it selfe with selfe-consuming smart Of all the passions in the mind thou vilest art O let him far be banished away And in his stead let Loue for euer dwell Sweet Loue that doth his golding wings embay In blessed Nectar and pure Pleasures well Vntroubled of vile feare or bitter fell And ye faire Ladies that your kingdomes make In th'harts of men them gouerne wisely well And of faire Britomart ensample take That was as trew in loue as Turtle to her make Who with Sir Satyrane as earst ye red Forth ryding from Malbeccoes hostlesse hous Far off aspyde a young man the which fled From an huge Geaunt that with hideous And hatefull outrage long him chaced thus It was that Ollyphant the brother deare Of that Argante vile and vitious From whom the Squire of Dames was rest why lere This all as bad as she and worse if worse ought were For as the sister did in feminine And filthy lust exceede all woman kind So he surpassed his sex masculine In beastly vse that I did euer find Whom when as Britomart beheld behind The fearefull boy so greedily pursew She was emmoued in her noble mind T' employ her puissaunce to his reskew And pricked fiercely forward where she him did vew Ne was Sir Satyrane her far behinde But with like fiercenesse did ensew the chace Whom when the Gyaunt saw he sooone resinde His former suit and from them fled apace They after both and boldly bad him bace And each did striue the other to out-goe But he them both outran a wondrous space For he was long and swift as any Roe And now made better speed t' escape his feared foe It was not Satyrane whom he did feare But Britomart the flowre of chastity For he the powre of chast hands might not beare But alwayes did their dread encounter fly And now so fast his feet he did apply That he has gotten to a forrest neare Where he is shrowded in security The wood they enter and search euery where They searched diuersely so both diuided were Faire Britomart so long him followed That she at last came to a fountaine sheare By which there lay a knight all wallowed Vpon the grassy ground and by him neare His haberieon his helmet and his speare A little off his shield was rudely throwne On which the winged boy in colours cleare Depeincted was full easie to be knowne And he thereby where euer it in field was showne His face vpon the ground did groueling ly As if he had bene slombring in the shade That the braue Mayd would not for courtesy Out of his quiet slomber him abrade Nor seeme too suddeinly him to inuade Still as she stood she heard with grieuous throb Him grone as if his hart were peeces made And with most painefull pangs to sigh and sob That pitty did the Virgins hart of patience rob At last forth breaking into bitter plaintes He said ô soueraigne Lord that sit'st on hye And raignst in blis emongst thy blessed Saintes How suffrest thou such shamefull cruelty So long vnwreaked of thine enimy Or hast thou Lord of good mens cause no heed Or doth thy iustice sleepe and silent ly What booteth then the good and righteous deed If goodnesse find no grace nor righteousnesse no meed If good find grace and righteousnesse reward Why then is Amoret in caytiue band Sith that more bounteous creature neuer far'd On foot vpon the face of liuing land Or if that heauely iustice may withstand The wrongfull outrage of vnrighteous men Why then is Busirane with wicked hand Suffred these seuen monethes day in secret den My Lady and my loue so cruelly to pen My Lady and my loue is cruelly pend In dolefull darkenesse from the vew of day Whilest deadly torments do her chast brest rend And the sharpe steele doth riue her hart in tway All for she Scudamore will not denay Yet thou vile man vile Scudamore art sound Ne canst her ayde ne canst her foe dismay Vnworthy wretch to tread vpon the ground For whom so faire a Lady feeles so sore a wound There an huge heape of singulfes did oppresse His strugling soule and swelling throbs empeach His foltring toung with pangs of drerinesse Choking the remnant of his plaintife speach As if his dayes were come to their last reach Which when she heard and saw the ghastly fit Threatning into his life to make a breach Both with great ruth and terrour she was smit Fearing least from her cage the wearie soule
She cast to vse both fit for hard emprize For thy from that same roome not to depart Till morrow next she did her selfe auize When that same Maske againe should forth arize The morrow next appeard with ioyous cheare Calling men to their daily exercize Then she as morrow fresh her selfe did reare Out of her secret stand that day for to out weare All that day she outwore in wandering And gazing on that Chambers ornament Till that againe the second euening Her couered with her sable vestiment Wherewith the worlds faire beautie she hath blent Then when the second watch was almost past That brasen dore flew open and in went Bold Britomart as she had late forecast Neither of idle shewes nor of false charmes aghast So soone as she was entred round about She cast her eies to see what was become Of all those persons which she saw without But lo they streight were vanisht all and some Ne liuing wight she saw in all that roome Saue that same woefull Ladie both whose hands Were bounden fast that did her ill become And her small wast girt round with yron bands Vnto a brasen pillour by the which she stands And her before the vile Enchaunter sate Figuring straunge characters of his art With liuing bloud he those characters wrate Dreadfully dropping from her dying hart Seeming transfixed with a cruell dart And all perforce to make her him to loue Ah who can loue the worker of her smart A thousand charmes he formerly did proue Yet thousand charmes could not her stedfast heart remoue Soone as that virgin knight he saw in place His wicked bookes in hast he ouerthrew Not caring his long labours to deface And fiercely ronning to that Lady trew A murdrous knife out of his pocket drew The which he thought for villeinous despight In her tormented bodie to embrew But the stout Damzell to him leaping light His cursed hand withheld and maistered his might From her to whom his fury first he ment The wicked weapon rashly he did wrest And turning to her selfe his fell intent Vnwares it strooke into her snowie chest That little drops empurpled her faire brest Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew Albe the wound were nothing deepe imprest And fiercely forth her mortall blade she drew To giue him the reward for such vile outrage dew So mightily she smote him that to ground He fell halfe dead next stroke him should haue slaine Had not the Lady which by him stood bound Dernely vnto him called to abstaine From doing him to dy For else her paine Should be remedilesse sith none but hee Which wrought it could the same recure againe Therewith she stayd her hand loth stayd to bee For life she him enuyde and long'd reuenge to see And to him said Thou wicked man whose meed For so huge mischiefe and vile villany Is death or if that ought do death exceed Be sure that nought may saue thee from to dy But if that thou this Dame doe presently Restore vnto her health and former state This doe and line else die vndoubtedly He glad of life that lookt for death but late Did yield himselfe right willing to prolong his date And rising vp gan streight to ouerlooke Those cursed leaues his charmes backe to reuerse Full dreadfull things out of that balefull booke He red and measur'd many a sad verse That horror gan the virgins hart to perse And her faire lockes vp stared stiffe on end Hearing him those same bloudy lines reherse And all the while he red she did extend Her sword high ouer him if ought he did offend Anon she gan perceiue the house to quake And all the dores to rattle round about Yet all that did not her dismaied make Nor slacke her threatfull hand for daungers dout But still with stedfast eye and courage stout Abode to weet what end would come of all At last that mightie chaine which round about Her tender waste was wound adowne gan fall And that great brasen pillour broke in peeces small The cruell steele which thrild her dying hart Fell softly forth as of his owne accord And the wyde wound which lately did dispart Her bleeding brest and riuen bowels gor'd Was closed vp as it had not bene bor'd And euery part to safety full sound As she were neuer hurt was soone restor'd Tho when she felt her selfe to be vnbound And perfect hole prostrate she fell vnto the ground Before faire Britomart she fell prostrate Saying Ah noble knight what worthy meed Can wretched Lady quit from wofull state Yield you in liew of this your gratious deed Your vertue selfe her owne reward shall breed Euen immortall praise and glory wyde Which I your vassall by your prowesse freed Shall through the world make to be notifyde And goodly well aduance that goodly well was tryde But Britomart vprearing her from ground Said Gentle Dame reward enough I weene For many labours more then I haue found This that in safety now I haue you seene And meane of your deliuerance haue beene Henceforth faire Lady comfort to you take And put away remembrance of late teene In stead thereof know that your louing Make Hath no lesse griefe endured for your gentle sake She much was cheard to heare him mentiond Whom of all liuing wights she loued best Then laid the noble Championesse strong hond Vpon th' enchaunter which had her distrest So sore and with foule outrages opprest With that great chaine wherewith not long ygo He bound that pitteous Lady prisoner now relest Himselfe she bound more worthy to be so And captiue with her led to wretchednesse and wo. Returning backe those goodly roomes which erst She saw so rich and royally arayd Now vanisht vtterly and cleane subuerst She found and all their glory quite decayd That sight of such a chaunge her much dismayd Thence forth descending to that perlous Porch Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd And quenched quite like a consumed torch That erst all entrers wont so cruelly to scorch More easie issew now then entrance late She found for now that fained dreadfull flame Which chokt the porch of that enchaunted gate And passage bard to all that thither came Was vanisht quite as it were not the same And gaue her leaue at pleasure forth to passe Th' Enchaunter selfe which all that fraud did frame To haue efforst the loue of that faire lasse Seeing his worke now wasted deepe engrieued was But when the victoresse arriued there Where late she left the pensife Scudamore With her owne trusty Squire both full of feare Neither of them she found where she them lore There at her noble hart was stonisht sore But most faire Amoret whose gentle spright Now gan to feede on hope which she before Conceiued had to see her owne deare knight Being thereof beguyld was fild with new affright But he sad man when he had long in drede Awayted there for Britomarts returne Yet saw her not nor signe of her good speed His expectation
men plainely wot It was no mortall worke that seem'd and yet was not Her goodly lockes adowne her backe did flow Vnto her waste with flowres bescattered The which ambrosiall odours forth did throw To all about and all her shoulders spred As a new spring and likewise on her hed A Chapelet of sundry flowers she wore From vnder which the deawy humour shed Did tricle downe her haire like to the hore Congealed litle drops which doe the morne adore On her two pretty handmaides did attend One cald the Theise the other cald the Crane Which on her waited things amisse to mend And both behind vpheld her spredding traine Vnder the which her feet appeared plaine Her siluer feet faire washt against this day And her before there paced Pages twaine Both clad in colours like and like array The Doune eke the Frith both which prepard her way And after these the Sea Nymphs marched all All goodly damzels deckt with long greene haire Whom of their sire Nereides men call All which the Oceans daughter to him bare The gray eyde Doris all which fifty are All which she there on her attending had Swift Proto milde Eucrate Thetis faire Soft Spio sweete Endore Sao sad Light Doto wanton Glauce and Galene glad White hand Eunica proud Dynamene Ioyous Thalia goodly Amphitrite Louely Pasithee kinde Eulimene Light foote Cymothoe and sweete Melite Fairest Pherusa Phao lilly white Wondred Agaue Poris and Nesaea With Erato that doth in loue delite And Panopae and wise Protomedaea And snowy neckd Doris and milkewhite Galathaea Speedy Hippothoe and chaste Actea Large Lisianassa and Pronaea sage Euagore and light Pontoporea And she that with her least word can asswage The surging seas when they do sorest rage Cymodoce and stout Autonoe And Neso and Eione well in age And seeming still to smile Glauconome And she that hight of many heastes Polynome Fresh Alimeda deckt with girlond greene Hyponeo with salt bedewed wrests Laomedia like the christall sheene Liagore much praisd for wise behests And Psamathe for her brode snowy brests Cymo Eupompe and Themiste iust And she that vertue loues and vice detests Euarna and Menippe true in trust And Nemertea learned well to rule her lust All these the daughters of old Nereus were Which haue the sea in charge to them assinde To rule his tides and surges to vprere To bring forth stormes or fast them to vpbinde And sailers saue from wreckes of wrathfull winde And yet besides three thousand more there were Of th' Oceans seede but Ioues and Phoebus kinde The which in floods and fountaines doe appere And all mankinde do nourish with their waters clere The which more eath it were for mortall wight To tell the sands or count the starres on hye Or ought more hard then thinke to reckon right But well I wote that these which I descry Were present at this great solemnity And there amongst the rest the mother was Of luckelesse Marinell Cymodoce Which for my Muse her selfe now tyred has Vnto an other Canto I will ouerpas Cant. XII Marin for loue of Florimell In languor wastes his life The Nymph his mother getteth her And giues to him for wife O What an endlesse worke haue I in hand To count the seas abundant progeny Whose fruitfull seede farre passeth those in land And also those which wonne in th' azure sky For much more eath to tell the starres on hy Albe they endlesse seeme in estimation Then to recount the Seas posterity So fertile be the flouds in generation So huge their numbers and so numberlesse their nation Therefore the antique wisards well inuented That Venus of the fomy sea was bred For that the seas by her are most augmented Witnesse th'exceeding fry which there are fed And wondrous sholes which may of none be red Then blame me not if I haue err'd in count Of Gods of Nymphs Of riuers yet vnred For though their numbers do much more surmount Yet all those same were there which erst I did recount All those were there and many other more Whose names and nations were too long to tell That Proteus house they fild euen to the dore Yet were they all in order as befell According their degrees disposed well Amongst the rest was faire Cymodoce The mother of vnlucky Marinell Who thither with her came to learne and see The manner of the Gods when they at banquet be But for he was halfe mortall being bred Of mortall sire though of immortall wombe He might not with immortall food be fed Ne with th' eternall Gods to bancket come But walkt abrode and round about did rome To view the building of that vncouth place That seem'd vnlike vnto his earthly home Where as he to and fro by chaunce did trace There vnto him betid a disauentrous case Vnder the hanging of an hideous clieffe He heard the lamentable voice of one That piteously complaind her carefull grieffe Which neuer she before disclosd to none But to her selfe her sorrow did bemone So feelingly her case she did complaine That ruth it moued in the rocky stone And made it seeme to feele her grieuous paine And oft to grone with billowes beating from the maine Though vaine I see my sorrowes to vnfold And count my cares when none is nigh to heare Yet hoping griefe may lessen being told I will them tell though vnto no man neare For heauen that vnto all lends equall eare Is farre from hearing of my heauy plight And lowest hell to which I lie most neare Cares not what euils hap to wretched wight And greedy seas doe in the spoile of life delight Yet loe the seas I see by often beating Doe pearce the rockes and hardest marble weares But his hard rocky hart for no entreating Will yeeld but when my piteous plaints he heares Is hardned more with my aboundant teares Yet though he neuer list to me relent But let me waste in woe my wretched yeares Yet will I neuer of my loue repent But ioy that for his sake I suffer prisonment And when my weary ghost with griefe outworne By timely death shall winne her wished rest Let then this plaint vnto his eares be borne That blame it is to him that armes profest To let her die whom he might haue redrest There did she pause inforced to giue place Vnto the passion that her heart opprest And after she had wept and wail'd a space She gan afresh thus to renew her wretched case Ye Gods of seas if any Gods at all Haue care of right or ruth of wretches wrong By one or other way me woefull thrall Deliuer hence out of this dungeon strong In which I daily dying am too long And if ye deeme me death for louing one That loues not me then doe it not prolong But let me die and end my daies attone And let him liue vnlou'd or loue him selfe alone But if that life ye vnto me decree Then let mee liue as louers ought to do And of my lifes deare loue beloued
that same fatall read That warned him of womens loue beware Which being ment of mortall creatures sead For loue of Nymphes she thought she need not care But promist him what euer wight she weare That she her loue to him would shortly gaine So he her told but soone as she did heare That Florimell it was which wrought his paine She gan a fresh to chafe and grieue in euery vaine Yet since she saw the streight extremitie In which his life vnluckily was layd It was no time to scan the prophecie Whether old Proteus true or false had sayd That his decay should happen by a mayd It 's late in death of daunger to aduize Or loue forbid him that is life denayd But rather gan in troubled mind deuize How she that Ladies libertie might enterprize To Proteus selfe to sew she thought it vaine Who was the root and worker of her woe Nor vnto any meaner to complaine But vnto great king Neptune selfe did goe And on her knee before him falling lowe Made humble suit vnto his Maiestie To graunt to her her sonnes life which his foe A cruell Tyrant had presumpteouslie By wicked doome condemn'd a wretched death to die To whom God Neptune softly smyling thus Daughter me seemes of double wrong ye plaine Gainst one that hath both wronged you and vs For death t'adward I ween'd did appertaine To none but to the seas sole Soueraine Read therefore who it is which this hath wrought And for what cause the truth discouer plaine For neuer wight so euill did or thought But would some rightfull cause pretend though rightly nought To whom she answerd Then it is by name Proteus that hath ordayn'd my sonne to die For that a waist the which by fortune came Vpon your seas he claym'd as propertie And yet nor his nor his in equitie But yours the waift by high prerogatiue Therefore I humbly craue your Maiestie It to repleuie and my sonne repriue So shall you by one gift saue all vs three aliue He graunted it and streight his warrant made Vnder the Sea-gods seale autenticall Commaunding Proteus straight t' enlarge the mayd Which wandring on his seas imperiall He lately tooke and sithence kept as thrall Which she receiuing with meete thankefulnesse Departed straight to Proteus therewithall Who reading it with inward loathfulnesse Was grieued to restore the pledge he did possesse Yet durst he not the warrant to withstand But vnto her deliuered Florimell Whom she receiuing by the lilly hand Admyr'd her beautie much as she mote well For she all liuing creatures did excell And was right ioyous that she gotten had So faire a wife for her sonne Marinell So home with her she streight the virgin lad And shewed her to him then being sore bestad Who soone as he beheld that angels face Adorn'd with all diuine perfection His cheared heart eftsoones away gan chace Sad death reuiued with her sweet inspection And feeble spirit inly felt refection As withered weed through cruell winters tine That feeles the warmth of sunny beames reflection Liftes vp his head that did before decline And gins to spread his leafe before the faire sunshine Right so himselfe did Marinell vpreare When he in place his dearest loue did spy And though his limbs could not his bodie beare Ne former strength returne so suddenly Yet chearefull signes he shewed outwardly Ne lesse was she in secret hart affected But that she masked it with modestie For feare she should of lightnesse be detected Which to another place I leaue to be perfected THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QVEENE Contayning THE LEGEND OF ARTEGALL OR OF IVSTICE SO oft as I with state of present time The image of the antique world compare When as mans age was in his freshest prime And the first blossome of faire vertue bare Such oddes I finde twixt those and these which are As that through long continuance of his course Me seemes die world is runne quite out of square From the first point of his appointed sourse And being once amisse growes daily wourse and wourse For from the golden age that first was named It 's now at earst become a stonie one And men themselues the which at first were framed Of earthly mould and form'd of flesh and bone Are now transformed into hardest stone Such as behind their backs so backward bred Were throwne by Pyrrha and Deucalione And if then those may any worse be red They into that ere long will be degendered Let none then blame me if in discipline Of vertue and of ciuill vses lore I doe not forme them to the common line Of present dayes which are corrupted sore But to the antique vse which was of yore When good was onely for it selfe desyred And all men sought their owne and none no more When Iustice was not for most meed outhyred But simple Truth did rayne and was of all admyred For that which all men then did vertue call Is now cald vice and that which vice was hight Is now hight vertue and so vs'd of all Right now is wrong and wrong that was is right As all things else in time are chaunged quight Ne wonder for the heauens reuolution Is wandred farre from where it first was pight And so doe make contrarie constitution Of all this lower world toward his dissolution For who so list into the heauens looke And search the courses of the rowling spheares Shall find that from the point where they first tooke Their setting forth in these few thousand yeares They all are wandred much that plaine appeares For that same golden fleecy Ram which bore Phrixus and Helle from their stepdames feares Hath now forgot where he was plast of yore And shouldred hath the Bull which fayre Europa bore And eke the Bull hath with his bow-bent horne So hardly butted those two twinnes of Ioue That they haue crusht the Crab and quite him borne Into the great Nemoean lions groue So now all range and doe at randon roue Out of their proper places farre away And all this world with them amisse doe moue And all his creatures from their course astray Till they arriue at their last ruinous decay Ne is that same great glorious lampe of light That doth enlumine all these lesser fyres In better case ne keepes his course more right But is miscaried with the other Spheres For since the terme of fourteene hundred yeres That learned Ptolomaee his hight did take He is declyned from that marke of theirs Nigh thirtie minutes to the Southerne lake That makes me feare in time he will vs quite forsake And if to those Aegyptian wisards old Which in Star-read were wont haue best insight Faith may be giuen it is by them told That since the time they first tooke the Sunnes hight Foure times his place he shifted hath in sight And twice hath risen where he now doth West And wested twice where he ought rise aright But mostis Mars amisse of all the rest And next to him old Saturne
of my plight Spake as was meet for ease of my regret Whereof befell what now is in your sight Now sure then said Sir Calidore and right Me seemes that him befell by his owne fault Or through support of count'nance proud and hault To wrong the weaker oft falles in his owne assault Then turning backe vnto that gentle boy Which had himselfe so stoutly well acquit Seeing his face so louely sterne and coy And hearing th'answeres of his pregnant wit He praysd it much and much admyred it That sure he weend him borne of noble blood With whom those graces did so goodly fit And when he long had him beholding stood He burst into these words as to him seemed good Faire gentle swayne and yet as stout as fayre That in these woods amōgst the Nymphs dost wonne Which daily may to thy sweete lookes repayre As they are wont vnto Latonaes sonne After his chace on woodie Cynthus donne Well may I certes such an one thee read As by thy worth thou worthily hast wonne Or surely borne of some Heroicke sead That in thy face appeares and gratious goodly head But should it not displease thee it to tell Vnlesse thou in these woods thy selfe conceale For loue amongst the woodie Gods to dwell I would thy selfe require thee to reueale For deare affection and vnfayned zeale Which to thy noble personage I beare And wish thee grow in worship and great weale For since the day that armes I first did reare I neuer saw in any greater hope appeare To whom then thus the noble youth may be Sir knight that by discouering my estate Harme may arise vnweeting vnto me Nathelesse sith ye so courteous seemed late To you I will not feare it to relate Then wote ye that I am a Briton borne Sonne of a King how euer thorough fate Or fortune I my countrie haue forlorne And lost the crowne which should my head by right adorne And Tristram is my name the onely heire Of good king Meliogras which did rayne In Cornewale till that he through liues despeire Vntimely dyde before I did attaine Ripe yeares of reason my right to maintaine After whose death his brother seeing mee An infant weake a kingdome to sustaine Vpon him tooke the roiall high degree And sent me where him list instructed for to bee The widow Queene my mother which then hight Faire Emiline conceiuing then great feare Of my fraile safetie resting in the might Of him that did the kingly Scepter beare Whose gealous dread induring not a peare Is wont to cut off all that doubt may breed Thought best away me to remoue somewhere Into some forrein land where as no need Of dreaded daunger might his doubtfull humor feed So taking counsell of a wise man red She was by him aduiz'd to send me quight Out of the countrie wherein I was bred The which the fertile Lionesse is hight Into the land of Faerie where no wight Should weet of me nor worke me any wrong To whose wise read she hearkning sent me streight Into this land where I haue wond thus long Since I was ten yeares old now growen to stature strong All which my daies I haue not lewdly spent Nor spilt the blossome of my tender yeares In ydlesse but as was conuenient Haue trayned bene with many noble feres In gentle thewes and such like seemely leres Mongst which my most delight hath alwaies been To hunt the saluage chace amongst my peres Of all that raungeth in the forrest greene Of which none is to me vnknowne that eu'r was seene Ne is there hauke which mantleth her on pearch Whether high towring or accoasting low But I the measure of her flight doe search And all her pray and all her diet know Such be our ioyes which in these forrests grow Onely the vse of armes which most I ioy And fitteth most for noble swayne to know I haue not tasted yet yet past a boy And being now high time these strong ioynts to imploy Therefore good Sir sith now occasion fit Doth fall whose like hereafter seldome may Let me this craue vnworthy though of it That ye will make me Squire without delay That from henceforth in batteilous array I may beare armes and learne to vse them right The rather since that fortune hath this day Giuen to me the spoile of this dead knight These goodly gilden armes which I haue won in fight All which when well Sir Calidore had heard Him much more now then earst he gan admire For the rare hope which in his yeares appear'd And thus replide faire chyld the high desire To loue of armes which in you doth aspire I may not certes without blame denie But rather wish that some more noble hire Though none more noble then is cheualrie I had you to reward with greater dignitie There him he causd to kneele and made to sweare Faith to his knight and truth to Ladies all And neuer to be recreant for feare Of perill or of ought that might befall So he him dubbed and his Squire did call Full glad and ioyous then young Tristram grew Like as a flowre whose silken leaues small Long shut vp in the bud from heauens vew At length breakes forth and brode displayes his smyling hew Thus when they long had treated to and fro And Calidore betooke him to depart Chyld Tristram prayd that he with him might goe On his aduenture vowing not to start But wayt on him in euery place and part Whereat Sir Calidore did much delight And greatly ioy'd at his so noble hart In hope he sure would proue a doughtie knight Yet for the time this answere he to him behight Glad would I surely be thou courteous Squire To haue thy presence in my present quest That mote thy kindled courage set on fire And flame forth honour in thy noble brest But I am bound by vow which I profest To my dread Soueraine when I it assayd That in atchieuement of her high behest I should no creature ioyne vnto mine ayde For thy I may not graunt that ye so greatly prayde But since this Ladie is all desolate And needeth safegard now vpon her way Ye may doe well in this her needfull state To succour her from daunger of dismay That thankfull guerdon may to you repay The noble ympe of such new seruice fayne It gladly did accept as he did say So taking courteous leaue they parted twayne And Calidore forth passed to his former payne But Tristram then despoyling that dead knight Of all those goodly implements of prayse Long fed his greedie eyes with the faire sight Of the bright mettall shyning like Sunne rayes Handling and turning them a thousand wayes And after hauing them vpon him dight He tooke that Ladie and her vp did rayse Vpon the steed of her owne late dead knight So with her marched forth as she did him behight There to their fortune leaue we them awhile And turne we backe to good Sir Calidore Who ere he thence had traueild many a
Then one of them aloud vnto him cryde Bidding him turne againe false traytour knight Foule womanwronger for he him defyde With that they both at once with equall spight Did bend their speares and both with equall might Against him ran but th' one did misse his marke And being carried with his force forthright Glaunst swiftly by like to that heauenly sparke Which glyding through the ayre lights all the heauens darke But th' other ayming better did him smite Full in the shield with so impetuous powre That all his launce in peeces shiuered quite And scattered all about fell on the flowre But the stout Prince with much more steddy stowre Full on his beuer did him strike so sore That the cold steele through piercing did deuowre His vitall breath and to the ground him bore Where still he bathed lay in his owne bloody gore As when a cast of Faulcons make their flight At an Herneshaw that lyes aloft on wing The whyles they strike at him with heedlesse might The warie foule his bill doth backward wring On which the first whose force her first doth bring Her selfe quite through the bodie doth engore And falleth downe to ground like senselesse thing But th' other not so swift as she before Fayles of her souse and passing by doth hurt no more By this the other which was passed by Himselfe recouering was return'd to fight Where when he saw his fellow lifelesse ly He much was daunted with so dismall sight Yet nought abating of his former spight Let driue at him with so malitious mynd As if he would haue passed through him quight But the steele-head no stedfast hold could fynd But glauncing by deceiu'd him of that he desynd Not so the Prince for his well learned speare Tooke surer hould and from his horses backe Aboue a launces length him forth did beare And gainst the cold hard earth so sore him strake That all his bones in peeces nigh he brake Where seeing him so lie he left his steed And to him leaping vengeance thought to take Of him for all his former follies meed With flaming sword in hand his terror more to breed The fearefull swayne beholding death so nie Cryde out aloud for mercie him to saue In lieu whereof he would to him descrie Great treason to him meant his life to reaue The Prince soone hearkned and his life forgaue Then thus said he There is a straunger knight The which for promise of great meed vs draue To this attempt to wreake his hid despight For that himselfe thereto did want sufficient might The Prince much mused at such villenie And sayd Now sure ye well haue earn'd your meed For th' one is dead and th' other soone shall die Vnlesse to me thou hether bring with speed The wretch that hyr'd you to this wicked deed He glad of life and willing eke to wreake The guilt on him which did this mischiefe breed Swore by his sword that neither day nor weeke He would surceasse but him where so he were would seeke So vp he rose and forth streight way he went Backe to the place where Turpine late he lore There he him found in great astonishment To see him so bedight with bloodie gore And griesly wounds that him appalled sore Yet thus at length he said how now Sir knight What meaneth this which here I see before How fortuneth this foule vncomely plight So different from that which earst ye seem'd in sight Perdie said he in euill houre it fell That euer I for meed did vndertake So hard a taske as life for hyre to sell The which I earst aduentur'd for your sake Witnesse the wounds and this wyde bloudie lake Which ye may see yet all about me steeme Therefore now yeeld as ye did promise make My due reward the which right well I deeme I yearned haue that life so dearely did redeeme But where then is quoth he halfe wrothfully Where is the bootie which therefore I bought That cursed caytiue my strong enemy That recreant knight whose hated life I sought And where is eke your friend which halfe it ought He lyes said he vpon the cold bare ground Slayne of that errant knight with whom he fought Whom afterwards my selfe with many a wound Did slay againe as ye may see there in the stound Thereof false Turpin was full glad and faine And needs with him streight to the place would ryde Where he himselfe might see his foeman slaine For else his feare could not be satisfyde So as they rode he saw the way all dyde With streames of bloud which tracting by the traile Ere long they came whereas in euill tyde That other swayne like ashes deadly pale Lay in the lap of death rewing his wretched bale Much did the Crauen seeme to mone his case That for his sake his deare life had forgone And him bewayling with affection base Did counterfeit kind pittie where was none For wheres no courage there 's no ruth nor mone Thence passing forth not farre away he found Whereas the Prince himselfe lay all alone Loosely displayd vpon the grassie ground Possessed of sweete sleepe that luld him soft in swound Wearie of trauell in his former fight He there in shade himselfe had layd to rest Hauing his armes and warlike things vndight Fearelesse of foes that mote his peace molest The whyles his saluage page that wont be prest Was wandred in the wood another way To doe some thing that seemed to him best The whyles his Lord in siluer slomber lay Like to the Euening starre adorn'd with deawy ray Whom when as Turpin saw so loosely layd He weened well that he in deed was dead Like as that other knight to him had sayd But when he nigh approcht he mote aread Plaine signes in him of life and liuelihead Whereat much grieu'd against that straunger knight That him too light of credence did mislead He would haue backe retyred from that sight That was to him on earth the deadliest despight But that same knight would not once let him start But plainely gan to him declare the case Of all his mischiefe and late lucklesse smart How both he and his fellow there in place Were vanquished and put to foule disgrace And how that he in lieu of life him lent Had vow'd vnto the victor him to trace And follow through the world where so he went Till that he him deliuered to his punishment He therewith much abashed and affrayd Began to tremble euery limbe and vaine And softly whispering him entyrely prayd T'aduize him better then by such a traine Him to betray vnto a straunger swaine Yet rather counseld him contrarywize Sith he likewise did wrong by him sustaine To ioyne with him and vengeance to deuize Whylest time did offer meanes him sleeping to surprize Nathelesse for all his speach the gentle knight Would not be tempted to such villenie Regarding more his faith which he did plight All were it to his mortall enemie Then to entrap him by false treacherie Great
false shewes abuse his fantasy In sort as he him schooled priuily And that new creature borne without her dew Full of the makers guile with vsage fly He taught to imitate that Lady trew Whose semblance she did carrie vnder feigned hew Thus well instructed to their worke they hast And comming where the knight in slomber lay The one vpon his hardy head him plast And made him dreame of loues and lustfull play That nigh his manly hart did melt away Bathed in wanton blis and wicked ioy Then seemed him his Lady by him lay And to him playnd how that false winged boy Her chast hart had subdewd to learne Dame pleasures toy And she her selfe of beautie soueraigne Queene Faire Venus seemde vnto his bed to bring Her whom he waking euermore did weene To be the chastest flowre that ay did spring On earthly braunch the daughter of a king Now a loose Leman to vile seruice bound And eke the Graces seemed all to sing Hymen ιο̃ Hymen dauncing all around Whilst freshest Flora her Yuie girlond crownd In this great passion of vnwonted lust Or wonted feare of doing ought amis He started vp as seeming to mistrust Some secret ill or hidden foe of his Lo there before his face his Lady is Vnder blake stole hyding her bayted hooke And as halfe blushing offred him to kis With gentle blandishment and louely looke Most like that virgin true which for her knight him took All cleane dismayd to see so vncouth sight And halfe enraged at her shamelesse guise He thought haue slaine her in his fierce despight But hasty heat tempring with sufferance wise He stayde his hand and gan himselfe aduise To proue his sense and tempt her faigned truth Wringing her hands in wemens pitteous wise Tho can she weepe to stirre vp gentle ruth Both for her noble bloud and for her tender youth And said Ah Sir my liege Lord and my loue Shall I accuse the hidden cruell fate And mightie causes wrought in heauen aboue Or the blind God that doth me thus amate For hoped loue to winne me certaine hate Yet thus perforce he bids me do or die Die is my dew yet rew my wretched state You whom my hard auenging destinie Hath made iudge of my life or death indifferently Your owne deare sake forst me at first to leaue My Fathers kingdome There she stopt with teares Her swollen hart her speach seemd to bereaue And then againe begun My weaker yeares Captiu'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares Fly to your faith for succour and sure ayde Let me not dye in languor and long teares Why Dame quoth he what hath ye thus dismayd What frayes ye that were wont to comfort me affrayd Loue of your selfe she said and deare constraint Le ts me not sleepe but wast the wearie night In secret anguish and vnpittied plaint Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned quight Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knight Suspect her truth yet since no' vntruth he knew Her fawning loue with foule disdainefull spight He would not shend but said Deare dame I rew That for my sake vnknowne such griefe vnto you grew Assure your selfe it fell not all to ground For all so deare as life is to my hart I deeme your loue and hold me to you bound Ne let vaine feares procure your needlesse smart Where cause is none but to your rest depart Not all content yet seemd she to appease Her mournefull plaintes beguiled of her art And fed with words that could not chuse but please So slyding softly forth she turnd as to her ease Long after lay he musing at her mood Much grieu'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light For whose defence he was to shed his blood At last dull wearinesse of former fight Hauing yrockt a sleepe his irkesome spright That troublous dreame gan freshly tosse his braine With bowres and beds and Ladies deare delight But when he saw his labour all was vaine With that misformed spright he backe returnd againe Cant. II. The guilefull great Enchaunter parts The Redcrosse Knight from Truth Into whose stead faire falshood steps And workes him wofull ruth BY this the Northerne wagoner had set His seuenfold teme behind the stedfast starre That was in Ocean waues yet neuer wet But firme is fixt and sendeth light from farre To all that in the wide deepe wandring arre And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill Had warned once that Phoebus fiery carre In hast was climbing vp the Easterne hill Full enuious that night so long his roome did fill When those accursed messengers of hell That feigning dreame and that faire-forged Spright Came to their wicked maister and gan tell Their bootelesse paines and ill succeeding night Who all in rage to see his skilfull might Deluded so gan threaten hellish paine And sad Proserpines wrath them to affright But when he saw his threatning was but vaine He cast about and searcht his balefull bookes againe Eftsoones he tooke that miscreated faire And that false other Spright on whom he spred A seeming body of the subtile aire Like a young Squire in loues and lusty-hed His wanton dayes that euer loosely led Without regard of armes and dreaded fight Those two he tooke and in a secret bed Couered with darknesse and misdeeming night Them both together laid to ioy in vaine delight Forthwith he runnes with feigned faithfull hast Vnto his guest who after troublous sights And dreames gan now to take more sound repast Whom suddenly he wakes with fearefull frights As one aghast with feends or damned sprights And to him cals Rise rise vnhappy Swaine That here wex old in sleepe whiles wicked wights Haue knit themselues in Venus shamefull chaine Come see where your false Lady doth her honour staine All in amaze he suddenly vp start With sword in hand and with the old man went Who soone him brought into a secret part Where that false couple were full closely ment In wanton lust and lewd embracement Which when he saw he burnt with gealous fire The eye of reason was with rage yblent And would haue slaine them in his furious ire But hardly was restreined of that aged sire Returning to his bed in torment great And bitter anguish of his guiltie sight He could not rest but did his stout heart eat And wast his inward gall with deepe despight Yrkesome of life and too long lingring night At last faire Hesperus in highest skie Had spent his lampe brought forth dawning light Then vp he rose and clad him hastily The Dwarfe him brought his steed so both away do fly Now when the rosy-fingred Morning faire Weary of aged Tithones saffron bed Had spred her purple robe through deawy aire And the high hils Titan discouered The royall virgin shooke off drowsy-hed And rising forth out of her baser bowre Lookt for her knight who far away was fled And for her Dwarfe that wont to wait each houre Then gan she waile weepe to see that woefull stowre And after him
soust in swelling Tethys saltish teare And long time hauing tand his tawney hide With blustring breath of heauen that none can bide And scorching flames of fierce Orions hound Soone as the port from farre he has espide His chearefull whistle merrily doth sound And Nereus crownes with cups his mates him pledg around Such ioy made Vna when her knight she found And eke th' enchaunter ioyous seemd no lesse Then the glad marchant that does vew from ground His ship farre come from watrie wildernesse He hurles out vowes and Neptune oft doth blesse So forth they past and all the way they spent Discoursing of her dreadfull late distresse In which he askt her what the Lyon ment Who told her all that fell in iourney as she went They had not ridden farre when they might see One pricking towards them with hastie heat Full strongly armd and on a courser free That through his fiercenesse fomed all with swear And the sharpe yron did for anger eat When his hot ryder spurd his chauffed side His looke was sterne and seemed still to threat Cruell reuenge which he in hart did hyde And on his shield Sans loy in bloudie lines was dyde When nigh he drew vnto this gentle payre And saw the Red-crosse which the knight did beare He burnt in fire and gan eftsoones prepare Himselfe to battell with his couched speare Lo thwas that other and did faint through fea To taste th'vntryed dint of deadly steele But yet his Lady did so well him cheare That hope of new goodhap he gan to feele So bent his speare and spurnd his horse with yron heele But that proud Paynim forward came so fierce And full of wrath that with his sharp-head speare Through vainely crossed shield he quite did pierce And had his staggering steede not shrunke for feare Through shield and bodie eke he should him beare Yet so great was the puissance of his push That from his saddle quite he did him beare He tombling rudely downe to ground did rush And from his gored wound a well of bloud did gush Dismounting lightly from his loftie steed He to him lept in mind to reaue his life And proudly said Lo there the worthie meed Of him that slew Sansfoy with bloudie knife Henceforth his ghost freed from repining strife In peace may passen ouer Lethe lake When morning altars purgd with enemies life The blacke infernall Furies doen aslake Life from Sansfoy thou tookst Sansloy shall frō thee take Therewith in haste his helmet gan vnlace Till Vna cride O hold that heauie hand Deare Sir what euer that thou be in place Enough is that thy foe doth vanquisht stand Now at thy mercy Mercie not withstand For he is one the truest knight aliue Though conquered now he lie on lowly land And whilest him fortune fauourd faire did thriue In bloudie field therefore of life him not depriue Her piteous words might not abate his rage But rudely rending vp his helmet would Haue slaine him straight but when he sees his age And hoarie head of Archimago old His hastie hand he doth amazed hold And halfe ashamed wondred at the sight For the old man well knew he though vntold In charmes and magicke to haue wondrous might Ne euer wont in field ne in round lists to fight And said Why Archimago lucklesse syre What doe I see what hard mishap is this That hath thee hither brought to taste mineyre Or thine the fault or mine the error is In stead of foe to wound my friend amis He answered nought but in a traunce still lay And on those guilefull dazed eyes of his The cloud of death did sit Which doen away He left him lying so ne would no lenger stay But to the virgin comes who all this while Amased stands her selfe so mockt to see By him who has the guerdon of his guile For so misfeigning her true knight to bee Yet is she now in more perplexitie Left in the hand of that same Paynim bold From whom her booteth not at all to flie Who by her cleanly garment catching hold Her from her Palfrey pluckt her visage to behold But her fierce seruant full of kingly awe And high disdaine whenas his soueraine Dame So rudely handled by her foe he sawe With gaping iawes full greedy at him came And ramping on his shield did weene the same Haue reft away with his sharpe rending clawes But he was stout and lust did now inflame His corage more that frō his griping pawes He hath his shield redeem'd and foorth his swerd he drawes O then too weake and feeble was the forse Of saluage beast his puissance to withstand For he was strong and of so mightie corse As euer wielded speare in warlike hand And feates of armes did wisely vnderstand Eftsoones he perced through his chaufed chest With thrilling point of deadly yron brand And launcht his Lordly hart with death opprest He roar'd aloud whiles life forsooke his stubborne brest Who now is left to keepe the forlorne maid From raging spoile of lawlesse victors will Her faithfull gard remou'd her hope dismaid Her selfe a yeelded pray to saue or spill He now Lord of the fied his pride to fill With foule reproches and disdainfull spight Her vildly entertaines and will or nill Beares her away vpon his courser light Her prayers nought preuaile his rage is more of might And all the way with great lamenting paine And piteous plaints she filleth his dull eares That stony hart could riuen haue in twaine And all the way she wets with flowing teares But he enrag'd with rancor nothing heares Her seruile beast yet would not leaue her so But followes her farre off ne ought he feares To be partaker of her wandring woe More mild in beastly kind then that her beastly foe Cant. IIII To sinfull house of Pride Duessa guides the faithfull knight Where brothers death to wreak Sansioy doth chalenge him to fight YOung knight what euer that dost armes professe And through long labours huntest after fame Beware of fraud beware of ficklenesse In choice and change of thy deare loued Dame Least thou of her beleeue too lightly blame And rash misweening doe thy hart remoue For vnto knight there is no greater shame Then lightnesse and inconstancie in loue That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly proue Who after that he had faire Vna lorne Through light misdeeming of her loialtie And false Duessa in her sted had borne Called Fidess ' and so supposd to bee Long with her traueild till at last they see A goodly building brauely garnished The house of mightie Prince it seemd to bee And towards it a broad high way that led All bare through peoples feet which thither traueiled Great troupes of people traueild thitherward Both day and night of each degree and place But few returned hauing scaped hard With balefull beggerie or foule disgrace Which euer after in most wretched case Like loathsome lazars by the hedges lay Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace
did delight A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld By straunge aduenture as it did betyde And there begotten of a Lady myld Faire Thyamis the daughter of Labryde That was in sacred bands of wedlocke tyde To Therion a loose vnruly swayne Who had more ioy to raunge the forrest wyde And chase the saluage beast with busie payne Then serue his Ladies loue and wast in pleasures vayne The forlorne mayd did with loues longing burne And could not lacke her louers company But to the wood she goes to serue her turne And seeke her spouse that from her still does fly And followes other game and venery A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to find And kindling coles of lustin brutish eye The loyall links of wedlocke did vnbind And made her person thrall vnto his beastly kind So long in secret cabin there he held Her captiue to his sensuall desire Till that with timely fruit her belly sweld And bore a boy vnto that saluage fire Then home he suffred her for to retire For ransome leauing him the late borne childe Whom till to ryper yeares he gan aspire He noursled vp in life and manners wilde Emongst wild beasts and woods from lawes of men exilde For all he taught the tender ymp was but To banish cowardize and bastard feare His trembling hand he would him force to put Vpon the Lyon and the rugged Beare And from the she Beares teats her whelps to teare And eke wyld roring Buls he would him make To tame and ryde their backes not made to beare And the Robuckes in flight to ouertake That euery beast for feare of him did fly and quake Thereby so fearelesse and so fell he grew That his owne sire and maister of his guise Did often tremble at his horrid vew And oft for dread of hurt would him aduise The angry beasts not rashly to despise Nor too much to prouoke for he would learne The Lyon stoup to him in lowly wise A lesson hard and make the Libbard sterne Leaue roaring when in rage he for reuenge did earne And for to make his powre approued more Wyld beasts in yron yokes he would compell The spotted Panther and the tusked Bore The Pardale swift and the Tigre cruell The Antelope and Wolfe both fierce and fell And them constraine in equall teme to draw Such ioy he had their stubborne harts to quell And sturdie courage tame with dreadfull aw That his beheast they feared as tyrans law His louing mother came vpon a day Vnto the woods to see her little sonne And chaunst vnwares to meet him in the way After his sportes and cruell pastime donne When after him a Lyonesse did runne That roaring all with rage did lowd requere Her children deare whom he away had wonne The Lyon whelpes she saw how he did beare And lull in rugged armes withouten childish feare The fearefull Dame all quaked at the sight And turning backe gan fast to fly away Vntill with loue reuokt from vaine affright She hardly yet perswaded was to stay And then to him these womanish words gan say Ah Satyrane my dearling and my ioy For loue of me leaue off this dreadfull play To dally thus with death is no fit toy Go find some other play-fellowes mine own sweet boy In these and like delights of bloudy game He trayned was till ryper yeares he raught And there abode whilst any beast of name Walkt in that forest whom he had not taught To feare his force and then his courage haught Desird of forreine foemen to be knowne And far abroad for straunge aduentures sought In which his might was neuer ouerthrowne But through all Faery lond his famous worth was blown Yet euermore it was his manner faire After long labours and aduentures spent Vnto those natiue woods for to repaire To see his fire and ofspring auncient And now he thither came for like intent Where he vnwares the fairest Vna found Straunge Lady in so straunge habiliment Teaching the Satyres which her sat around Trew sacred lore which from her sweet lips did redound He wondred at her wisedome heauenly rare Whose like in womens wit he neuer knew And when her curteous deeds he did compare Gan her admire and her sad sorrowes rew Blaming of Fortune which such troubles threw And ioyd to make proofe of her crueltie On gentle Dame so hurtlesse and so trew Thenceforth he kept her goodly company And learnd her discipline of faith and veritie But she all vowd vnto the Redcrosse knight His wandring perill closely did lament Ne in this new acquaintaunce could delight But her deare heart with anguish did torment And all her wit in secret counsels spent How to escape At last in priuie wise To Satyrane she shewed her intent Who glad to gain such fauour gan deuise How with that pensiue Maid he best might thence arise So on a day when Satyres all were gone To do their seruice to Syluanus old The gentle virgin left behind alone He led away with courage stout and bold Too late it was to Satyres to be told Or euer hope recouer her againe In vaine he seekes that hauing cannot hold So fast he carried her with carefull paine That they the woods are past come now to the plaine The better part now of the lingring day They traueild had when as they farre espide A wearie wight forwandring by the way And towards him they gan in hast to ride To weet of newes that did abroad betide Or tydings of her knight of the Redcrosse But he them spying gan to turne aside For feare as seemd or for some feigned losse More greedy they of newes fast towards him do crosse A silly man in simple weedes forworne And soild with dust of the long dried way His sandales were with toilesome trauell torne And face all tand with scorching sunny ray As he had traueild many a sommers day Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde And in his hand a Iacobs staffe to stay His wearie limbes vpon and eke behind His scrip did hang in which his needments he did bind The knight approching nigh of him inquerd Tydings of warre and of aduentures new But warres nor new aduentures none he herd Then Vna gan to aske if ought he knew Or heard abroad of that her champion trew That in his armour bare a croslet red Aye me Deare dame quoth he well may I rew To tell the sad sight which mine eies haue red These eyes did see that knight both liuing and eke ded That cruell word her tender hart so thrild That suddein cold did runne through euery vaine And stony horrour all her sences fild With dying fit that downe she fell for paine The knight her lightly reared vp againe And comforted with curteous kind reliefe Then wonne from death she bad him tellen plaine The further processe of her hidden griefe The lesser pangs can beare who hath endur'd the chiefe Then gan the Pilgrim thus I chaunst this day This fatall day that shall I euer rew
his feeble steps did frame And guide his wearie gate both too and fro For his eye sight him failed long ygo And on his arme a bounch of keyes he bore The which vnused rust did ouergrow Those were the keyes of euery inner dore But he could not them vse but kept them still in store But very vncouth sight was to behold How he did fashion his vntoward pace For as he forward moou'd his footing old So backward still was turnd his wrincled face Vnlike to men who euer as they trace Both feet and face one way are wont to lead This was the auncient keeper of that place And foster father of the Gyant dead His name Ignaro did his nature right aread His reuerend haires and holy grauitie The knight much honord as beseemed well And gently askt where all the people bee Which in that stately building wont to dwell Who answerd him full soft he could not tell Againe he askt where that same knight was layd Whom great Orgoglio with his puissaunce fell Had made his caytiue thrall againe he sayde â—e could not tell ne euer other answere made Then asked he which way he in might pas He could not tell againe he answered Thereat the curteous knight displeased was And said Old sire it seemes thou hast not red How ill it fits with that same siluer hed In vaine to mocke or mockt in vaine to bee But if thou be as thou art pourtrahed With natures pen in ages graue degree Aread in grauer wise what I demaund of thee His answere likewise was he could not tell Whose sencelesse speach and doted ignorance When as the noble Prince had marked well He ghest his nature by his countenance And calmd his wrath with goodly temperance Then to him stepping from his arme did reach Those keyes and made himselfe free enterance Each dore he opened without any breach There was no barre to stop nor foe him to empeach There all within full rich arayd he found With royall arras and resplendent gold And did with store of euery thing abound That greatest Princes presence might behold But all the floore too filthy to be told With bloud of guiltlesse babes and innocents trew Which there were slaine as sheepe out of the fold Defiled was that dreadfull was to vew And sacred ashes ouer it was strowed new And there beside of marble stone was built An Altare caru'd with cunning imagery On which true Christians bloud was often spilt And holy Martyrs often doen to dye With cruell malice and strong tyranny Whose blessed sprites from vnderneath the stone To God for vengeance cryde continually And with great griefe were often heard to grone That hardest heart would bleede to heare their piteous mone Through euery rowme he sought and euery bowr But no where could he find that wofull thrall At last he came vnto an yron doore That fast was lockt but key found not at all Emongst that bounch to open it withall But in the same a little grate was pight Through which he sent his voyce and lowd did call With all his powre to weet if liuing wight Were housed there within whom he enlargen might â—herewith an hollow dreary murmuring voyce These piteous plaints and dolours did resound O who is that which brings me happy choyce Of death that here lye dying euery stound Yet liue perforce in balefull darkenesse bound For now three Moones haue chaÌ„ged thrice their hew And haue beene thrice hid vnderneath the ground Since I the heauens chearefull face did vew O welcome thou that doest of death bring tydings trew Which when that Champion heard with percing point Of pitty deare his hart was thrilled sore And trembling horrour ran through euery ioynt For ruth of gentle knight so fowle forlore Which shaking off he rent that yron dore With furious force and indignation fell Where entred in his foot could find no flore But all a deepe descent as darke as hell â—â—at breathed euer forth a filthie banefull smell But neither darkenesse fowle nor filthy bands Nor noyous smell his purpose could withhold Entire affection hateth nicer hands But that with constant zeale and courage bold After long paines and labours manifold He found the meanes that Prisoner vp to reare Whose feeble thighes vnhable to vphold His pined corse him scarse to light could beare A ruefull spectacle of death and ghastly drere His sad dull eyes deepe sunck in hollow pits Could not endure th'vnwonted sunne to view His bare thin cheekes for want of better bits And empty sides deceiued of their dew Could make a stony hart his hap to rew His rawbone armes whose mighty brawned bowres Were wont to riue steele plates helmets hew Were cleane consum'd and all his vitall powres Decayd and all his flesh shronk vp like withered flowres Whom when his Lady saw to him she ran With hasty ioy to see him made her glad And sad to view his visage pale and wan Who earst in flowres of freshest youth was clad Tho when her well of teares she wasted had She said Ah dearest Lord what euill starre On you hath fround and pourd his influence bad That of your selfe ye thus berobbed arre And this misseeming hew your manly looks doth marre But welcome now my Lord in wele or woe Whose presence I kaue lackt too long a day And fie on Fortune mine auowed foe Whose wrathfull wreakes them selues do now alay And for these wrongs shall treble penaunce pay Of treble good good growes of euils priefe The chearelesse man whom sorrow did dismay Had no delight to treaten of his griefe â—is long endured famine needed more reliefe â—â—ire Lady then said that victorious knight The things that grieuous were to do or beare Them to renew I wote breeds no delight Best musicke breeds delight in loathing eare But th' onely good that growes of passed feare Is to be wise and ware of like agein This dayes ensample hath this lesson deare Deepe written in my heart with yron pen â—hat blisse may not abide in state of mortall men â—enceforth sir knight take to you wonted strength And maister these mishaps with patient might Loe where your foe lyes stretcht in monstrous length And loe that wicked woman in your sight The roote of all your care and wretched plight Now in your powre to let her liue or dye To do her dye quoth Vna were despight And shame t' auenge so weake an enimy â—ut spoile her of her scarlot robe and let her fly â—o as she bad that witch they disaraid And robd of royall robes and purple pall And ornaments that richly were displaid Ne spared they to strip her naked all Then when they had despoild her tire and call Such as she was their eyes might her behold That her mishaped parts did them appall A loathly wrinckled hag ill fauoured old â—hose secret filth good manners biddeth not be told Her craftie head was altogether bald And as in hate of honorable eld Was ouergrowne with scurfe and filthy scald Her
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
ground as hating life and light The gentle knight her soone with carefull paine Vplifted light and softly did vphold Thrise he her reard and thrise she sunke againe Till he his armes about her sides gan fold And to her said Yet if the stony cold Haue not all seized on your frozen hart Let one word fall that may your griefe vnfold And tell the secret of your mortall smart He oft finds present helpe who does his griefe impart Then casting vp a deadly looke full low Shee sight from bottome of her wounded brest And after many bitter throbs did throw With lips full pale and foltring tongue opprest These words she breathed forth from riuen chest Leaue ah leaue off what euer wight thou bee To let a wearie wretch from her dew rest And trouble dying soules tranquilitee Take not away now got which none would giue to me Ah farre be it said he Deare dame fro mee To hinder soule from her desired rest Or hold sad life in long captiuitee For all I seeke is but to haue redrest The bitter pangs that doth your heart infest Tell then ô Lady tell what fatall priefe Hath with so huge misfortune you opprest That I may cast to compasse your reliefe Or die with you in sorrow and partake your griefe With feeble hands then stretched forth on hye As heauen accusing guiltie of her death And with dry drops congealed in her eye In these sad words she spent her vtmost breath Heare then ô man the sorrowes that vneath My tongue can tell so farre all sense they pas Loe this dead corpse that lies here vnderneath The gentlest knight that euer on greene gras Gay steed with spurs did pricke the good Sir Mortdant was Was ay the while that he is not so now My Lord my loue my deare Lord my deare loue So long as heauens iust with equall brow Vouchsafed to behold vs from aboue One day when him high courage did emmoue As wont ye knights to seeke aduentures wilde He pricked forth his puissant force to proue Me then he left enwombed of this child This lucklesse child whom thus ye see with bloud defild Him fortuned hard fortune ye may ghesse To come where vile Acrasia does wonne Acrasia a false enchaunteresse That many errant knights hath foule fordonne Within a wandring Island that doth ronne And stray in perilous gulfe her dwelling is Faire Sir if euer there ye trauell shonne The cursed land where many wend amis And know it by the name it hight the Bowre of blis Her blisse is all in pleasure and delight Wherewith she makes her louers drunken mad And then with words weedes of wondrous might On them she workes her will to vses bad My lifest Lord she thus beguiled had For he was flesh all flesh doth frailtie breed Whom when I heard to beene so ill bestad Weake wretch I wrapt my selfe in Palmers weed And cast to seeke him forth through daunger and great dreed Now had faire Cynthia by euen tournes Full measured three quarters of her yeare And thrise three times had fild her crooked hornes When as my wombe her burdein would forbeare And bad me call Lucina to me neare Lucina came a manchild forth I brought The woods the Nymphes my bowres my midwiues weare Hard helpe at need So deare thee babe I bought Yet nought too deare I deemd while so my dear I sought Him so I sought and so at last I found Where him that witch had thralled to her will In chaines of lust and lewd desires ybound And so transformed from his former skill That me he knew not neither his owne ill Till through wise handling and faire gouernance I him recured to a better will Purged from drugs of foule intemperance Then meanes I gan deuise for his deliuerance Which when the vile Enchaunteresse perceiu'd How that my Lord from her I would repriue With cup thus charmd him parting she deceiu'd Sad verse giue death to him that death does giue And losse of loue to her that loues to liue So soone as Bacchus with the Nymphe does lincke So parted we and on our iourney driue Till comming to this well he stoupt to drincke The charme fulfild dead suddenly he downe did sincke Which when I wretch Not one word more she sayd But breaking off the end for want of breath And slyding soft as downe to sleepe her layd And ended all her woe in quiet death That seeing good Sir Guyon could vneath From teares abstaine for griefe his hart did grate And from so heauie sight his head did wreath Accusing fortune and too cruell fate Which plunged had faire Ladie in so wretched state Then turning to his Palmer said Old syre Behold the image of mortalitie And feeble nature cloth'd with fleshly tyre When raging passion with fierce tyrannie Robs reason of her due regalitie And makes it seruant to her basest part The strong it weakens with infirmitie And with bold furie armes the weakest hart The strong through pleasure soonest falles the weake through smart But temperance said he with golden squire Betwixt them both can measure out a meane Neither to melt in pleasures whot desire Nor fry in hartlesse griefe and dolefull teene Thrise happie man who fares them both atweene But sith this wretched woman ouercome Of anguish rather then of crime hath beene Reserue her cause to her eternall doome And in the meane vouchsafe her honorable toombe Palmer quoth he death is an euill doome To good and bad the common Inne of rest But after death the tryall is to come When best shall be to them that liued best But both alike when death hath both supprest Religious reuerence doth buriall teene Which who so wants wants so much of his rest For all so great shame after death I weene As selfe to dyen bad vnburied bad to beene So both agree their bodies to engraue The great earthes wombe they open to the sky And with sad Cypresse seemely it embraue Then couering with a clod their closed eye They lay therein those corses tenderly And bid them sleepe in euerlasting peace But ere they did their vtmost obsequy Sir Guyon more affection to increace Bynempt a sacred vow which none should aye releace The dead knights sword out of his sheath he drew With which he cut a locke of all their heare Which medling with their bloud and earth he threw Into the graue and gan deuoutly sweare Such and such euill Godon Guyon reare And worse and worse young Orphane be thy paine If I or thou dew vengeance doe forbeare Till guiltie bloud her guerdon doe obtaine So shedding many teares they closd the earth againe Cant. II. Babes bloudie hands may not be clensd the face of golden Meane Her sisters two Extremities striue her to banish cleane THus when Sir Guyon with his faithfull guide Had with due rites and dolorous lament The end of their sad Tragedie vptyde The litle babe vp in his armes he hent Who with sweet pleasance and bold blandishment
Vnworthie of the commune breathed aire Why liuest thou dead dog a lenger day And doest not vnto death thy selfe prepaire Dye or thy selfe my captiue yield for ay Great fauour I thee graunt for aunswere thus to stay Hold ô deare Lord hold your dead-doing hand Then loud he cryde I am your humble thrall Ah wretch quoth he thy destinies withstand My wrathfull will and do for mercy call I giue thee life therefore prostrated fall And kisse my stirrup that thy homage bee The Miser threw him selfe as an Offall Streight at his foot in base humilitee And cleeped him his liege to hold of him in fee. So happy peace they made and faire accord Eftsoones this liege-man gan to wexe more bold And when he felt the folly of his Lord In his owne kind he gan him selfe vnfold For he was wylie witted and growne old In cunning sleights and practick knauery For that day forth he cast for to vphold His idle humour with fine flattery And blow the bellowes to his swelling vanity Trompart fit man for Braggadochio To serue at court in view of vaunting eye Vaine-glorious man when fluttring wind does blow In his light wings is lifted vp to skye The scorne of knighthood and trew cheualrye To thinke without desert of gentle deed And noble worth to be aduaunced hye Such prayse is shame but honour vertues meed Doth beare the fairest flowre in honorable seed So forth they pas a well consorted paire Till that at length with Archimage they meet Who seeing one that shone in armour faire On goodly courser thundring with his feet Eftsoones supposed him a person meet Of his reuenge to make the instrument For since the Redcrosse knight he earst did weet To beene with Guyon knit in one consent The ill which earst to him he now to Guyon ment And comming close to Trompart gan inquere Of him what mighty warriour that mote bee That rode in golden sell with single spere But wanted sword to wreake his enmitee He is a great aduenturer said he That hath his sword through hard assay forgone And now hath vowd till he auenged bee Of that despight neuer to wearen none That speare is him enough to doen a thousand grone Th' enchaunter greatly ioyed in the vaunt And weened well ere long his will to win And both his foen with equall foyle to daunt Tho to him louting lowly did begin To plaine of wrongs which had committed bin By Guyon and by that false Redcrosse knight Which two through treason and deceiptfull gin Had slaine Sir Mordant and his Lady bright That mote him honour win to wreake so foule despight Therewith all suddeinly he seemd enraged And threatned death with dreadfull countenaunce As if their liues had in his hand beene gaged And with stiffe force shaking his mortall launce To let him weet his doughtie valiaunce Thus said Old man great sure shal be thy meed If where those knights for feare of dew vengeaunce Do lurke thou certainly to me areed That I may wreake on them their hainous hatefull deed Certes my Lord said he that shall I soone And giue you eke good helpe to their decay But mote I wisely you aduise to doon Giue no ods to your foes but do puruay Your selfe of sword before that bloudy day For they be two the prowest knights on ground And oft approu'd in many hard assay And eke of surest steele that may be found Do arme your selfe against that day them to confound Dotard said he let be thy deepe aduise Seemes that through many yeares thy wits thee faile And that weake eld hath left thee nothing wise Else neuer should thy iudgement be so fraile To measure manhood by the sword or maile Is not enough foure quarters of a man Withouten sword or shield an host to quaile Thou little wotest what this right hand can Speake they which haue beheld the battailes which it wan The man was much abashed at his boast Yet well he wist that who so would contend With either of those knights on euen coast Should need of all his armes him to defend Yet feared least his boldnesse should offend When Braggadocchio said Once I did sweare When with one sword seuen knights I brought to end Thence forth in battell neuer sword to beare But it were that which noblest knight on earth doth weare Perdie Sir knight said then th' enchaunter bliue That shall I shortly purchase to your hond For now the best and noblest knight aliue Prince Arthur is that wonnes in Faerie lond He hath a sword that flames like burning brond The same by my aduise I vndertake Shall by to morrow by thy side be fond At which bold word that boaster gan to quake And wondred in his mind what mote that monster make He stayd not for more bidding but away Was suddein vanished out of his sight The Northerne wind his wings did broad display At his commaund and reared him vp light From off the earth to take his aerie flight They look about but no where could espie Tract of his foot then dead through great affright They both nigh were and each bad other flie Both fled attonce ne euer backe returned eie Till that they come vnto a forrest greene In which they shrowd thēselues from causelesse feare Yet feare them followes still where so they beene Each trembling leafe and whistling wind they heare As ghastly bug their haire on end does reare Yet both doe striue their fearfulnesse to faine At last they heard a horne that shrilled cleare Throughout the wood that ecchoed againe And made the forrest ring as it would riue in twaine Eft through the thicke they heard one rudely rush With noyse whereof he from his loftie steed Downe fell to ground and crept into a bush To hide his coward head from dying dreed But Trompart stoutly stayd to taken heed Of what might hap Eftsoone there stepped forth A goodly Ladie clad in hunters weed That seemd to be a woman of great worth And by her stately portance borne of heauenly birth Her face so faire as flesh it seemed not But heauenly pourtraict of bright Angels hew Cleare as the skie withouten blame or blot Through goodly mixture of complexions dew And in her cheekes the vermeill red did shew Like roses in a bed of lillies shed The which ambrosiall odours from them threw And gazers sense with double pleasure fed Hable to heale the sicke and to reuiue the ded In her faire eyes two liuing lamps did flame Kindled aboue at th'heauenly makers light And darted fyrie beames out of the same So passing persant and so wondrous bright That quite bereau'd the rash beholders sight In them the blinded god his lustfull fire To kindle oft assayd but had no might For with dredd Maiestie and awfull ire She broke his wanton darts and quenched base desire Her iuorie forhead full of bountie braue Like a broad table did it selfe dispred For Loue his loftie triumphes to engraue And write the battels of his great godhed
all his head vnto the bone Wherewith astonisht still he stood as senselesse stone Still as he stood faire Phaedria that beheld That deadly daunger soone atweene them ran And at their feet her selfe most humbly feld Crying with pitteous voice and count'nance wan Ah well away most noble Lords how can Your cruell eyes endure so pitteous sight To shed your liues on ground wo worth the man That first did teach the oursed steele to bight In his owne flesh and make way to the liuing spright If euer loue of Ladie did empierce Your yron brestes or pittie could find place Withhold your bloudie hands from battell fierce And sith for me ye fight to me this grace Both yeeld to stay your deadly strife a space They stayd a while and forth she gan proceed Most wretched woman and of wicked race That am the author of this hainous deed And cause of death betweene two doughtie knights doe breed But if for me ye fight or me will serue Not this rude kind of battell nor these armes Are meet the which doe men in bale to sterue And dolefull sorrow heape with deadly harmes Such cruell game my scarmoges disarmes Another warre and other weapons I Doe loue where loue does giue his sweet alarmes Without bloudshed and where the enemy Does yeeld vnto his foe a pleasant victory Debatefull strife and cruell enmitie The famous name of knighthood fowly shent But louely peace and gentle amitie And in Amours the passing houres to spend The mightie martiall hands doe most commend Of loue they euer greater glory bore Then of their armes Mars is Cupidoes frend And is for Venus loues renowmed more Then all his wars and spoiles the which he did of yore Therewith she sweetly smyld They though full bent To proue extremities of bloudie fight Yet at her speach their rages gan relent And calme the sea of their tempestuous spight Such powre haue pleasing words such is the might Of courteous clemencie in gentle hart Now after all was ceast the Faery knight Besought that Damzell suffer him depart And yield him readie passage to that other part She no lesse glad then he desirous was Of his departure thence for of her ioy And vaine delight she saw he light did pas A foe of folly and immodest toy Still solemne sad or still disdainfull coy Delighting all in armes and cruell warre That her sweet peace and pleasures did annoy Troubled with terrour and vnquiet iarre That she well pleased was thence to amoue him farre Tho him she brought abord and her swift bote Forthwith directed to that further strand The which on the dull waues did lightly flote And soone arriued on the shallow sand Where gladsome Guyon salied forth to land And to that Damzell thankes gaue for reward Vpon that shore he spied Atin stand Thereby his maister left when late he far'd In Phadrias flit barke ouer that perlous shard Well could he him remember sith of late He with Pyrrhochles sharp debatement made Streight gan he him reuile and bitter rate As shepheards curre that in darke euenings shade Hath tracted forth some saluage beastes trade Vile Miscreant said he whither doest thou flie The shame and death which will thee soone inuade What coward hand shall doe thee next to die That art thus foully fled from famous enemie With that he stiffely shooke his steelehead dart But sober Guyon hearing him so raile Though somewhat moued in his mightie hart Yet with strong reason maistred passion fraile And passed fairely forth He turning taile Backe to the strond retyrd and there still stayd Awaiting passage which him late did faile The whiles Cymochles with that wanton mayd The hastie heat of his auowd reuenge delayd Whylest there the varlet stood he saw from farre An armed knight that towards him fast ran He ran on foot as if in lucklesse warre His forlorne steed from him the victourwan He seemed breathlesse hartlesse faint and wan And all his armour sprinckled was with bloud And soyld with durtie gore that no man can Discerne the hew thereof He neuer stood But bent his hastie course towards the idle flood The varlet saw when to the flood he came How without stop or stay he fiercely lept And deepe him selfe beduked in the same That in the lake his loftie crest was steept Ne of his safetie seemed care he kept But with his raging armes he rudely flasht The waues about and all his armour swept That all the bloud and filth away was washt Yet still he bet the water and the billowes dasht Atin drew nigh to weet what it mote bee For much he wondred at that vncouth sight Whom should he but his owne deare Lord there see His owne deare Lord Pyrrhochles in sad plight Readie to drowne himselfe for fell despight Harrow now out and well away he cryde What dismall day hath lent this cursed light To see my Lord so deadly damnifyde Pyrrhochles ô Pyrrhochles what is thee betyde I burne I burne I burne then loud he cryde O how I burne with implacable fire Yet nought can quench mine inly flaming syde Nor sea of licour cold nor lake of mire Nothing but death can doe me to respire Ah be it said he from Pyrrhochles farre After pursewing death once to require Or think that ought those puissant hands may marre Death is for wretches borne vnder vnhappie starre Perdie then is it fit for me said he That am I weene most wretched man aliue But in flames yet no flames can I see And dying daily daily yet reuiue O Atin helpe to me last death to giue The varlet at his plaint was grieued so sore That his deepe wounded hart in two did riue And his owne health remembring now no more Did follow that ensample which he blam'd afore Into the lake he lept his Lord to ayd So Loue the dread of daunger doth despise And of him catching hold him strongly stayd From drowning But more happie he then wise Of that seas nature did him not auise The waues thereof so slow and sluggish were Engrost with mud which did them foule agrise That euery weightie thing they did vpbeare Ne ought mote euer sinke downe to the bottome there Whiles thus they strugled in that idle waue And stroue in vaine the one himselfe to drowne The other both from drowning for to saue Lo to that shore one in an auncient gowne Whose hoarie locks great grauitie did crowne Holding in hand a goodly arming sword By fortune came led with the troublous sowne Where drenched deepe he found in that dull ford The carefull seruant striuing with his raging Lord. Him Atin spying knew right well of yore And loudly cald Helpe helpe ô Archimage To saue my Lord in wretched plight forlore Helpe with thy hand or with thy counsell sage Weake hands but counsell is most strong in age Him when the old man saw he wondred sore To see Pyrrhochles there so rudely rage Yet sithens helpe he saw he needed more Then pittie he in hast
ward that deadly stowre For in his shield as thicke as stormie showre Their strokes did raine yet did he neuer quaile Ne backward shrinke but as a stedfast towre Whom foe with double battry doth assaile Them on her bulwarke beares and bids them nought auaile So stoutly he withstood their strong assay Till that at last when he aduantage spyde His poinant speare he thrust with puissant sway At proud Cymochles whiles his shield was wyde That through his thigh the mortall steele did gryde He swaruing with the force within his flesh Did breake the launce and let the head abyde Out of the wound the red bloud flowed fresh That vnderneath his feet soone made a purple plesh Horribly then he gan to rage and rayle Cursing his Gods and himselfe damning deepe Al 's when his brother saw the red bloud rayle Adowne so fast and all his armour steepe For very felnesse lowd he gan to weepe And said Caytiue curffe on thy cruell hond That twise hath sped yet shall it not thee keepe From the third brunt of this my fatall brond Loe where the dreadfull Death behind thy backe doth stond With that he strooke and th' other strooke withall That nothing seem'd mote beare so monstrous might The one vpon his couered shield did fall And glauncing downe would not his owner byte But th' other did vpon his troncheon smyte Which hewing quite a sunder further way It made and on his hacqueton did lyte The which diuiding with importune sway It seizd in his right side and there the dint did stay Wyde was the wound and a large lukewarme flood Red as the Rose thence gushed grieuously That when the Paynim spyde the streaming blood Gaue him great hart and hope of victory On th' other side in huge perplexity The Prince now stood hauing his weapon broke Nought could he hurt but still at ward did ly Yet with his troncheon he so rudely stroke Cymochles twise that twise him forst his foot reuoke Whom when the Palmer saw in such distresse Sir Guyons sword he lightly to him raught And said faire Son great God thy right hand blesse To vse that sword so wisely as it ought Glad was the knight with fresh courage fraught When as againe he armed felt his hond Then like a Lion which hath long time saught His robbed whelpes and at the last them fond Emongst the shepheard swaynes then wexeth wood yond So fierce he laid about him and dealt blowes On either side that neither mayle could hold Ne shield defend the thunder of his throwes Now to Pyrrhochles many strokes he told Eft to Cymochles twise so many fold Then backe againe turning his busie hond Them both attonce compeld with courage bold To yield wide way to his hart-thrilling brond And though they both stood stiffe yet could not both withstond As saluage Bull whom two fierce mastiues bayt When rancour doth with rage him once engore Forgets with warie ward them to awayt But with his dreadfull hornes them driues afore Or flings aloft or treads downe in the flore Breathing out wrath and bellowing disdaine That all the forrest quakes to heare him rore So rag'd Prince Arthur twixt his foemen twaine That neither could his mightie puissance sustaine But euer at Pyrrhochles when he smit Who Guyons shield cast euer him before Whereon the Faery Queenes pourtract was writ His hand relented and the stroke forbore And his deare hart the picture gan adore Which ost the Paynim sau'd from deadly stowre But him henceforth the same can saue no more For now arriued is his fatall howre That no'te auoyded be by earthly skill or powre For when Cymochles saw the fowle reproch Which them appeached prickt with gulty shame And inward griefe he fiercely gan approch Resolu'd to put away that loathly blame Or dye with honour and desert of fame And on the hauberk stroke the Prince so sore That quite disparted all the linked frame And pierced to the skin but bit no more Yet made him twise to reele that neuer moou'd afore Whereat renfierst with wrath and sharpe regret He stroke so hugely with his borrowd blade That it empierst the Pagans burganet And cleauing the hard steele did deepe inuade Into his head and cruell passage made Quite through his braine He tombling downe on ground Breathd out has ghost which to th' infernall shade Fast flying there eternall torment found For all the sinnes wherewith his lewd life did abound Which when his german saw the stony feare Ran to his hart and all his sence dismayd Ne thenceforth life ne courage did appeare But as a man whom hellish feends haue frayd Long trembling still he stood at last thus sayd Traytour what hast thou doen how euer may Thy cursed hand so cruelly haue swayd Against that knight Horrow and well away After so wicked deed why liu'st thou lenger day With that all desperate as loathing light And with reuenge desiring soone to dye Assembling all his force and vtmost might With his owne sword he fierce at him did flye And strooke and foynd and lasht outrageously Withouten reason or regard Well knew The Prince with patience and sufferaunce sly So hasty heat soone cooled to subdew Tho when this breathlesse woxe that batteil gan renew As when a windy tempest bloweth hye That nothing may withstand his stormy stowre The cloudes as things affrayd before him flye But all so soone as his outrageous powre Is layd they fiercely then begin to shoure And as in scorne of his spent stormy spight Now all attonce their malice forth do poure So did Sir Guyon beare himselfe in fight And suffred rash Pyrrhochles wast his idle might At last when as the Sarazin perceiu'd How that straunge sword refusd to serue his need But when he stroke most strong the dint deceiu'd He flong it from him and deuoyd of dreed Vpon him lightly leaping without heed Twixt his two mighty armes engrasped fast Thinking to ouerthrow and downe him tred But him in strength and skill the Prince surpast And through his nimble sleight did vnder him down cast Nought booted it the Paynim then to striue For as a Bittur in the Eagles claw That may not hope by flight to scape aliue Still waites for death with dread and trembling aw So he now subiect to the victours law Did not once moue nor vpward cast his eye Forvile disdaine and rancour which did gnaw His hart in twaine with sad melancholy As one that loathed life and yet despisd to dye But full of Princely bounty and great mind The Conquerour nought cared him to slay But casting wrongs and all reuenge behind More glory thought to giue life then decay And said Paynim this is thy dismall day Yet if thou wilt renounce thy miscreaunce And my trew liegeman yield thy selfe for ay Life will I graunt thee for thy valiaunce And all thy wrongs will wipe out of my souenaunce Foole said the Pagan I thy gift defye But vse thy fortune as it doth
wonne And of them both did foy and tribute raise The which was dew in his dead fathers dayes He also gaue to fugitiues of Spayne Whom he at sea found wandring from their wayes A seate in Ireland safely to remayne Which they should hold of him as subiect to Britayne After him raigned Guitheline his hayre The iustest man and trewest in his dayes Who had to wife Dame Mertia the fayre A woman worthy of immortall prayse Which for this Realme found many goodly layes And wholesome Statutes to her husbahd brought Her many deemd to haue beene of the Fayes As was Aegerie that Numa tought Those yet of her be Mertiā lawes both nam'd thought Her sonnes Sifillus after her did rayne And then Kimarus and then Danius Next whom Morindus did the crowne sustaine Who had he not with wrath outrageous And cruell rancour dim'd his valorous And mightie deeds should matched haue the best As well in that same field victorious Against the forreine Morands he exprest Yet liues his memorie though carcas sleepe in rest Fiue sonne he left begotten of one wife All which successiuely by turnes did raine First Gorboman a man of vertuous life Next Archigald who for his proud disdaine Deposed was from Princedome soueraine And pitteous Elidure put in his sted Who shortly it to him restord againe Till by his death he it recouered But Peridure and Vigent him disthronized In wretched prison long he did remaine Till they outraigned had their vtmost date And then therein reseized was againe And ruled long with honorable state Till he surrendred Realme and life to fate Then all the sonnes of these fiue brethren raynd By dew successe and all their Nephewes late Euen thrise eleuen descents the crowne retaynd Till aged Hely by dew heritage it gaynd He had two sonnes whose eldest called Lud Left of his life most famous memory And endlesse moniments of his great good The ruin'd wals he did reaedifye Of Troynouant gainst force of enimy And built that gate which of his name is hight By which he lyes entombed solemnly He left two sonnes too young to rule aright Androgeus and Tenantius pictures of his might Whilst they were young Cassibalane their Eme Was by the people chosen in their sted Who on him tooke the royall Diademe And goodly well long time it gouerned Till the prowd Romanes him disquieted And warlike Caesar tempted with the name Of this sweet Island neuer conquered And enuying the Britons blazed fame O hideous hunger of dominion hither came Yet twise they were repulsed backe againe And twise renforst backe to their ships to fly The whiles with bloud they all the shore did staine And the gray Ocean into purple dy Ne had they footing found at last perdie Had not Androgeus false to natiue soyle And enuious or Vncles soueraintie Betrayd his contrey vnto forreine spoyle Nought else but treason from the first this lād did foyle So by him Caesar got the victory Through great bloushed and many a sad assay In which him selfe was charged heauily Of hardy Nennius whom he yet did slay But lost his sword yet to be seene this day Thenceforth this land was tributarie made T'ambitious Rome and did their rule obay Till Arthur all that reckoning did defray Yet oft the Briton kings against them strongly swayd Next him Tenantius raignd then Kimbeline What time th' eternall Lord in fleshly slime Enwombed was from wretched Adams line To purge away the guilt of sinfull crime O ioyous memorie of happytime That heauenly grace so plenteously displayd O too high ditty for my simple rime Soone after this the Romanes him wrrayd For that their tribute he refusd to let be payd Good Claudius that next was Emperour An army brought and with him battell fought In which the king was by a Treachetour Disguised slaine ere any thereof thought Yet ceased not the bloudy fight for ought For Aruirage his brothers place supplide Both in armes and crowne and by that draught Did driue the Romanes to the weaker side That they to peace agreed So all was pacifide Was neuer king more highly magnifide Nor dred of Romanes then was Aruirage For which the Emperour to him allide His daughter Genuiss ' in marriage Yet shortly he renounst the vassalage Of Rome againe who hither hastly sent Vespasian that with great spoile and rage Forwasted all till Genuissa gent Perswaded him to ceasse and her Lord to relent He dyde and him succeeded Marius Who ioyd his dayes in great tranquillity Then Coyll and after him good Lucius That first receiued Christianitie The sacred pledge of Christes Euangely Yet true it is that long before that day Hither came Ioseph of Arimathy Who brought with him the holy grayle they say And preacht the truth but since it greatly did decay This good king shortly without issew dide Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew That did her selfe in sundry parts diuide And with her powre her owne selfe ouerthrew Whilest Romanes dayly did the weake subdew Which seeing stout Bunduca vp arose And taking armes the Britons to her drew With whom she marched streight against her foes And them vnwares besides the Seuerne did enclose There she with them a cruell battell tride Not with so good successe as she deseru'd By reason that the Captaines on her side Corrupted by Paulinus from her sweru'd Yet such as were through former flight perseru'd Gathering againe her Host she did renew And with fresh courage on the victour seru'd But being all defeated saue a few Rather then fly or be captiu'd her selfe she slew O famous moniment of womens prayse Matchable either to Semiramis Whom antique history so high doth raise Or to Hysiphil ' or to Thomiris Her Host two hundred thousand numbred is Who whiles good fortune fauoured her might Triumphed oft against her enimis And yet though ouercome in haplesse fight She triumphed on death in enemies despight Her reliques Fulgent hauing gathered Fought with Scuerus and him ouerthrew Yet in the chace was slaine of them that fled So made them victours whom he did subdew Then gan Carausius tirannize anew And gainst the Romanes bent their proper powre But him Allectus treacherously slew And tooke on him the robe of Emperoure Nath'lesse the same enioyed but short happy howre For Asclepiodate him ouercame And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne Without or robe or rag to hide his shame Then afterwards he in his stead did rayne But shortly was by Coyll in battell slaine Who after long debate since Lucies time Was of the Britons first crownd Soueraine Then gan this Realme renewe her passed prime He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime Which when the Romanes heard they hither sent Constantius a man of mickle might With whom king Coyll made an agreement And to him gaue for wife his daughter bright Faire Helena the fairest liuing wight Who in all godly thewes and goodly prayse Did far excell but was most famous hight For skill in Musicke of all in
of Temperaunce besiege her dwelling place Prince Arthur them repelles and fowle Maleger doth deface WHat warre so cruell or what siege so sore As that which strong affections do apply Against the fort of reason euermore To bring the soule into captiuitie Their force is fiercer through infirmitie Of the fraile flesh relenting to their rage And exercise most bitter tyranny Vpon the parts brought into their bondage No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage But in a body which doth freely yeeld His partes to reasons rule obedient And letteth her that ought the scepter weeld All happy peace and goodly gouernment Is setled there in sure establishment There Alma like a virgin Queene most bright Doth florish in all beautie excellent And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight Attempted goodly well for health and delight Early before the Morne with cremosin ray The windowes of bright heauen opened had Through which into the world the dawning day Might looke that maketh euery creature glad Vprose Sir Guyon in bright armour clad And to his purposd iourney him prepar'd With him the Palmer eke in habit sad Him selfe addrest to that aduenture hard So to the riuers side they both together far'd Where them awaited ready at the ford The Ferriman as Alma had behight With his well rigged boate They go abord And eftsoones gan launch his barke forthright Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight And fast the land behind them fled away But let them pas whiles wind and weather right Do serue their turnes here I a while must stay To see a cruell fight doen by the Prince this day For all so soone as Guyon thence was gon Vpon his voyage with his trustie guide That wicked band of villeins fresh begon That castle to assaile on euery side And lay strong siege about it far and wide So huge and infinite their numbers were That all the land they vnder them did hide So fowle and vgly that exceeding feare Their visages imprest when they approched neare Them in twelue troupes their Captain did dispart And round about in sittest steades did place Where each might best offend his proper part And his contrary obiect most deface As euery one seem'd meetest in that cace Seuen of the same against the Castle gate In strong entrenchments he did closely place Which with incessaunt force and endlesse hate They battred day and night and entraunce did awate The other fiue fiue sundry wayes he set Against the fiue great Bulwarkes of that pile And vnto each a Bulwarke did arret T' assayle with open force or hidden guile In hope thereof to win victorious spoile They all that charge did seruently apply With greedie malice and importune toyle And planted there their huge artillery With which they dayly made most dreadfull battery The first troupe was a monstrous rablement Of fowle misshapen wights of which some were Headed like Owles with beckes vncomely bent Others like Dogs others like Gryphons dreare And some had wings and some had clawes to teare And euery one of them had Lynces eyes And euery one did bow and arrowes beare All those were lawlesse lustes corrupt enuies And couetous aspectes all cruell enimies Those same against the bulwarke of the Sight Did lay strong siege and battailous assault Ne once did yield it respit day nor night But soone as Titan gan his head exault And soone againe as he his light with hault Their wicked engins they against it bent That is each thing by which the eyes may fault But two then all more huge and violent Beautie and money they that Bulwarke sorely rent The second Bulwarke was the Hearing sence Gainst which the second troupe dessignment makes Deformed creatures in straunge difference Some hauing heads like Harts some like to Snakes Some like wild Bores late rouzd out of the brakes Slaunderous reproches and fowle infamies Leasings backbytings and vaine-glorious crakes Bad counsels prayses and false flatteries All those a gainst that fort did bend their batteries Likewise that same third Fort that is the Smell Of that third troupe was cruelly assayd Whose hideous shapes were like to feends of hell Some like to hounds some like to Apes dismayd Some like to Puttockes all in plumes arayd All shap't according their conditions For by those vgly formes weren pourtrayd Foolish delights and fond abusions Which do that sence besiege with light illusions And that fourth band which cruell battry bent Against the fourth Bulwarke that is the Tast Was as the rest a grysie rablement Some mouth'd like greedy Oystriges some fast Like loathly Toades some fashioned in the wast Like swine for so deformd is luxury Surfeat misdiet and vnthriftie wast Vaine feasts and idle superfluity All those this sences Fort assayle incessantly But the fift troupe most horrible of hew And fierce or force was dreadfull to report For some like Snailes some did like spyders shew And some like vgly Vrchins thicke and short Cruelly they assayled that fift Fort Armed with darts of sensuall delight With stings of carnall lust and strong effort Of feeling pleasures with which day and night Against that same fift bulwarke they continued fight Thus these twelue troupes with dreadfull puissance Against that Castle restlesse siege did lay And euermore their hideous Ordinance Vpon the Bulwarkes cruelly did play That now it gan to threaten neare decay And euermore their wicked Capitaine Prouoked them the breaches to assay Somtimes with threats somtimes with hope of gaine Which by the ransack of that peece they should attaine On th' other side th'assieged Castles ward Their stedfast stonds did mightily maintaine And many bold repulse and many hard Atchieuement wrought with perill and with paine That goodly frame from ruine to sustaine And those two brethren Giants did defend The walles so stoutly with their sturdie maine That neuer entrance any durst pretend But they to direfull death their groning ghosts did send The noble virgin Ladie of the place Was much dismayed with that dreadfull sight For neuer was she in so euill cace Till that the Prince seeing her wofull plight Gan her recomfort from so sad affright Offring his seruice and his dearest life For her defence against that Carle to fight Which was their chiefe and th' author of that strife She him remercied as the Patrone of her life Eftsoones himselfe in glitterand armes he dight And his well proued weapons to him hent So taking courteous conge he behight Those gates to be vnbar'd and forth he went Faire mote he thee the prowest and most gent That euer brandished bright steele on hye Whom soone as that vnruly rablement With his gay Squire issuing did espy They reard a most outrageous dreadfull yelling cry And therewith all attonce at him let fly Their fluttring arrowes thicke as flakes of snow And round about him flocke impetuously Like a great water flood that tombling low From the high mountaines threats to ouerflow With suddein fury all the fertile plaine And the sad husbandmans
liking may abuse Ne let his fairest Cynthia refuse In mirrours more then one her selfe to see But either Gloriana let her chuse Or in Belphoebe fashioned to bee In th' one her rule in th' other her rare chastitee Cant. I. Guyon encountreth Britomart faire Florimell is chaced Duessaes traines and Materastaes champions are defaced THe famous Briton Prince and Faerie knight After long wayes and perilous paines endured Hauing their wearie limbes to perfect plight Restord and sory wounds right well recured Of the faire Alma greatly were procured To make there lenger soiourne and abode But when thereto they might not be allured From seeking praise and deeds of armes abrode They courteous conge tooke and forth together yode But the captiu'd Acrasia he sent Because of trauell long a nigher way With a strong gard all reskew to preuent And her to Faerie court safe to conuay That her for witnesse of his hard assay Vnto his Faerie Queene he might present But he himselfe betooke another way To make more triall of his hardiment And seeke aduentures as he with Prince Arthur went Long so they trauelled through wastefull wayes Where daungers dwelt and perils most did wonne To hunt for glorie and renowmed praise Full many Countries they did ouerronne From the vprising to the setting Sunne And many hard aduentures did atchieue Of all the which they honour euer wonne Seeking the weake oppressed to relieue And to recouer right for such as wrong did grieue At last as through an open plaine they yode They spide a knight that towards pricked faire And him beside an aged Squire there rode That seem'd to couch vnder his shield three-square As if that age bad him that burden spare And yield it those that stouter could it wield He them espying gan himselfe prepare And on his arme addresse his goodly shield That bore a Lion passant in a golden field Which seeing good Sir Guyon deare besought The Prince of grace to let him runne that turne He graunted then the Faery quickly raught His poinant speare and sharpely gan to spurne His fomy steed whose fierie feete did burne The verdant grasse as he thereon did tread Ne did the other backe his foot returne But fiercely forward came withouten dread And bent his dreadfull speare against the others head They bene ymet and both their points arriued But Guyon droue so furious and fell That seem'd both shield plate it would haue riued Nathelesse it bore his foe not from his sell But made him stagger as he were not well But Guyon selfe ere well he was aware Nigh a speares length behind his crouper fell Yet in his fall so well him selfe he bare That mischieuous mischance his life limbes did spare Great shame and sorrow of that fall he tooke For neuer yet sith warlike armes he bore And shiuering speare in bloudie field first shooke He found himselfe dishonored so sore Ah gentlest knight that euer armour bore Let not thee grieue dismounted to haue beene And brought to ground that neuer wast before For not thy fault but secret powre vnseene That speare enchaunted was which layd thee on the greene But weenedst thou what wight thee ouerthrew Much greater griefe and shamefuller regret For thy hard fortune then thou wouldst renew That of a single damzell thou wert met On equall plaine and there so hard beset Euen the famous Britomart it was Whom straunge aduenture did from Britaine fet To seeke her louer loue farre sought alas Whose image she had feene in Venus looking glas Full of disdainefull wrath he fierce vprose For to reuenge that foule reprochfull shame And snatching his bright sword began to close With her on foot and stoutly forward came Die rather would he then endure that same Which when his Palmer saw he gan to feare His toward perill and vntoward blame Which by that new rencounter he should reare For death sate on the point of that enchaunted speare And hasting towards him gan faire perswade Not to prouoke misfortune nor to weene His speares default to mend with cruell blade For by his mightie Science he had seene The secret vertue of that weapon keene That mortall puissance mote not withstond Nothing on earth mote alwaies happie beene Great hazard were it and aduenture fond To loose long gotten honour with one euill hond By such good meanes he him discounselled From prosecuting his reuenging rage And eke the Prince like treaty handeled His wrathfull will with reason to asswage And laid the blame not to his carriage But to his starting steed that swaru'd asyde And to the ill purueyance of his page That had his furnitures not firmely tyde So is his angry courage fairely pacifyde Thus reconcilement was betweene them knit Through goodly temperance and affection chaste And either vowd with all their power and wit To let not others honour be defaste Of friend or foe who euer it embaste Ne armes to beare against the others syde In which accord the Prince was also plaste And with that golden chaine of concord tyde So goodly all agreed they forth yfere did ryde O goodly vsage of those antique times In which the sword was seruant vnto right When not for malice and contentious crimes But all for praise and proofe of manly might The martiall brood accustomed to fight Then honour was the meed of victorie And yet the vanquished had no despight Let later age that noble vse enuie Vile rancour to auoid and cruell surquedrie Long they thus trauelled in friendly wise Through countries waste and eke well edifyde Seeking aduentures hard to exercise Their puissance whylome full dernely tryde At length they came into a forrest wyde Whose hideous horror and sad trembling sound Full griesly seem'd Therein they long did ryde Yet tract of liuing creatures none they found Saue Beares Lions Buls which romed them around All suddenly out of the thickest brush Vpon a milke-white Palfrey all alone A goodly Ladie did foreby them rush Whose face did seeme as cleare as Christall stone And eke through feare as white as whales bone Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone Which fled so fast that nothing mote him hold And scarse them leasure gaue her passing to behold Still as she fled her eye she backward threw As fearing euill that pursewd her fast And her faire yellow locks behind her flew Loosely disperst with puffe of euery blast All as a blazing starre doth farre outcast His hearie beames and flaming lockes dispred At sight whereof the people stand aghast But the sage wisard telles as he has red That it importunes death and dolefull drerihed So as they gazed after her a while Lo where a griesly Foster forth did rush Breathing out beastly lust her to defile His tyreling iade he fiercely forth did push Through thicke and thin both ouer banke and bush In hope her to attaine by hooke or crooke That from his gorie sides the bloud did gush Large were his
did lurke From all mens vew that none might her discoure Yet she might all men vew out of her bowre Great Ptolomaee it for his lemans sake Ybuilded all of glasse by Magicke powre And also it impregnable did make Yet when his loue was false he with a peaze it brake Such was the glassie globe that Merlin made And gaue vnto king Ryence for his gard That neuer foes his kingdome might inuade But he it knew at home before he hard Tydings thereof and so them still debar'd It was a famous Present for a Prince And worthy worke of infinite reward That treasons could bewray and foes conuince Happie this Realme had it remained euer since One day it fortuned faire Britomart Into her fathers closet to repayre For nothing he from her reseru'd apart Being his onely daughter and his hayre Where when she had espyed that mirrhour fayre Her selfe a while therein she vewd in vaine Tho her auizing of the vertues rare Which thereof spoken were she gan againe Her to be thinke of that mote to her selfe pertaine But as it falleth in the gentlest harts Imperious Loue hath highest set his throne And tyrannizeth in the bitter smarts Of them that to him buxome are and prone So thought this Mayd as maydens vse to done Whom fortune for her husband would allot Not that she lusted after any one For she was pure from blame of sinfull blot Yet wist her life at last must lincke in that same knot Eftsoones there was presented to her eye A comely knight all arm'd in complet wize Through whose bright ventayle lifted vp on hye His manly face that did his foes agrize And friends to termes of gentle truce entize Lookt foorth as Phoebus face out of the east Betwixt two shadie mountaines doth arize Portly his person was and much increast Through his Heroicke grace and honorable gest His crest was couered with a couchant Hound And all his armour seem'd of antique mould But woundrous massie and assured sound And round about yfretted all with gold In which there written was with cyphers old Achilles armes which Arthegall did win And on his shield enueloped seuenfold He bore a crowned litle Ermilin That deckt the azure field with her faire pouldred skin The Damzell well did vew his personage And like well ne further fastned not But went her way ne her vnguilty age Did weene vnwares that her vnlucky lot Lay hidden in the bottome of the pot Of hurt vnwift most daunger doth redound But the false Archer which that arrow shot So slyly that she did not feele the wound Did smyle full smoothly at her weetlesse wofull stound Thenceforth the feather in her loftie crest Ruffed of loue gan lowly to auaile And her proud portance and her princely gest With which she earst tryumphed now did quaile Sad solemne sowre and full of fancies fraile She woxe yet wist she neither how nor why She wist not silly Mayd what she did aile Yet wist she was not well at ease perdy Yet thought it was not loue but some melancholy So soone as Night had with her pallid hew Defast the beautie of the shining sky And reft from men the worlds desired vew She with her Nourse adowne to sleepe did lye But sleepe full farre away from her did fly In stead there of fad sighes and sorrowes deepe Kept watch and ward about her warily That nought she did but wayle and often steepe Her daintie couch with teares which closely she did weepe And if that any drop of slombring rest Did chaunce to still into her wearie spright When feeble nature felt her selfe opprest Streight way with dreames and with fantasticke sight Of dreadfull things the same was put to flight That oft out of her bed she did astart As one with vew of ghastly feends affright Tho gan she to renew her former smart And thinke of that faire visage written in her hart One night when she was tost with such vnrest Her aged Nurse whose name was Glauce hight Feeling her leape out of her loathed nest Betwixt her feeble armes her quickly keight And downe againe in her warme bed her dight Ah my deare daughter ah my dearest dread What vncouth fit said she what euill plight Hath thee opprest and with sad drearyhead Chaunged thy liuely cheare and liuing made thee dead For not of nought these suddeine ghastly feares All night afflict thy naturall repose And all the day when as thine equall peares Their fit disports with faire delight doe chose Thou in dull corners doest thy selfe inclose Ne tastest Princes pleasures ne doest spred Abroad thy fresh youthes fairest flowre but lose Both leafe and fruit both too vntimely shed As one in wilfull bale for euer buried The time that mortall men their weary cares Do lay away and all wilde beastes do rest And euery riuer eke his course forbeares Then doth this wicked euill thee infest And riue with thousand throbs thy thrilled brest Like an huge Aetn ' of deepe engulfed griefe Sorrow is heaped in thy hollow chest Whence forth it breakes in sighes and anguish rife As smoke and sulphure mingled with confused strife Aye me how much I feare least loue it bee But if that loue it be as sure I read By knowen signes and passions which I see Be it worthy of thy race and royall sead Then I auow by this most sacred head Of my deare foster child to ease thy griefe And win thy will Therefore away doe dread For death nor daunger from thy dew reliefe Shall me debarre tell me therefore my liefest liefe So hauing said her twixt her armes twaine She straightly straynd and colled tenderly And euery trembling ioynt and euery vaine She softly felt and rubbed busily To doe the frosen cold away to fly And her faire deawy eies with kisses deare She oft did bath and oft againe did dry And euer her importund not to feare To let the secret of her hart to her appeare The Damzell pauzd and then thus fearefully Ah Nurse what needeth thee to eke my paine Is not enough that I alone doe dye But it must doubled be with death of twaine For nought for me but death there doth remaine O daughter deare said she despaire no whit For neuer sore but might a salue obtaine That blinded God which hath ye blindly smit Another arrow hath your louers hart to hit But mine is not quoth she like others wound For which no reason can find remedy Was neuer such but mote the like be found Said she and though no reason may apply Salue to your sore yet loue can higher stye Then reasons reach and oft hath wonders donne But neither God of loue nor God of sky Can doe said she that which cannot be donne Things oft impossible quoth she seeme ere begonne These idle words said she doe nought asswage My stubborne smart but more annoyance breed For no no vsuall fire no vsuall rage It is ô Nurse which on my life doth feed And suckes the bloud which from
A fit occasion for his turne to find False loue why do men say thou canst not see And in their foolish fancie feigne thee blind That with thy charmes the sharpest sight doest bind And to thy will abuse Thou walkest free And seest euery secret of the mind Thou seest all yet none at all sees thee All that is by the working of thy Deitee So perfect in that art was Paridell That he Melbeccoes halfen eye did wyle His halfen eye he wiled wondrous well And Hellenors both eyes did eke beguyle Both eyes and hart attonce during the whyle That he there soiourned his wounds to heale That Cupid selfe it seeing close did smyle To weet how he her loue away did steale And bad that none their ioyous treason should reueale The learned louer lost no time nor tyde That least auantage mote to him afford Yet bore so faire a saile that none espyde His secret drift till he her layd abord When so in open place and commune bord He fortun'd her to meet with commune speach He courted her yet bayted euery word That his vngentle hoste n'ote him appeach Of vile vngentlenesse or hospitages breach But when apart if euer her apart He found then his false engins fast he plyde And all the sleights vnbosomd in his hart He sigh'd he sobd he swownd he perdy dyde And cast himselfe on ground her fast besyde Tho when againe he him bethought to liue He wept and wayld and false laments belyde Saying but if she Mercie would him giue That he mote algates dye yet did his death forgiue And otherwhiles with amorous delights And pleasing toyes he would her entertaine Now singing sweetly to surprise her sprights Now making layes of loue and louers paine Bransles Ballads virelayes and verses vaine Oft purposes oft riddles he deuysd And thousands like which flowed in his braine With which he fed her fancie and entysd To take to his new loue and leaue her old despysd And euery where he might and euery while He did her seruice dewtifull and sewed At hand with humble pride and pleasing guile So closely yet that none but she it vewed Who well perceiued all and all indewed Thus finely did he his false nets dispred With which he many weake harts had subdewed Of yore and many had ylike misled What wonder then if she were likewise carried No fort so sensible no wals so strong But that continuall battery will riue Or daily siege through dispuruayance long And lacke of reskewes will to parley driue And Peace that vnto parley eare will giue Will shortly yeeld it selfe and will be made The vassall of the victors will by liue That stratageme had oftentimes assayd This crafty Paramoure and now it plaine displayd For through his traines he her intrapped hath That she her loue and hart hath wholy sold To him without regard of gaine or scath Or care of credite or of husband old Whom she hath vow'd to dub a faire Cucquold Nought wants but time and place which shortly shee Deuized hath and to her louer told It pleased well So well they both agree So readie rype to ill ill wemens counsels bee Darke was the Euening fit for louers stealth When chaunst Melbecco busie be elsewhere She to his closet went where all his wealth Lay hid thereof she countlesse summes did reare The which she meant away with her to beare The rest she fyr'd for sport or for despight As Hellene when she saw aloft appeare The Troiane flames and reach to heauens hight Did clap her hands and ioyed at that dolefull sight This second Hellene faire Dame Hellenore The whiles her husband ranne with sory haste To quench the flames which she had tyn'd before Laught at his foolish labour spent in waste And ranne into her louers armes right fast Where streight embraced she to him did cry And call aloud for helpe ere helpe were past For loe that Guest would beare her forcibly And meant to rauish her that rather had to dy The wretched man hearing her call for ayd And readie seeing him with her to fly In his disquiet mind was much dismayd But when againe he backward cast his eye And saw the wicked fire so furiously Consume his hart and scorch his Idoles face He was therewith distressed diuersly Ne wist he how to turne nor to what place Was neuer wretched man in such a wofull cace Ay when to him she cryde to her he turnd And left the fire loue money ouercame But when he marked how his money burnd He left his wife money did loue disclame Both was he loth to loose his loued Dame And loth to leaue his liefest pelfe behind Yet sith he n'ote saue both he sau'd that same Which was the dearest to his donghill mind The God of his desire the ioy of misers blind Thus whilest all things in troublous vprore were And all men busie to suppresse the flame The louing couple need no reskew feare But leasure had and libertie to frame Their purpost flight free from all mens reclame And Night the patronesse of loue-stealth faire Gaue them safe conduct till to end they came So bene they gone yfeare a wanton paire Of louers loosely knit where list them to repaire Soone as the cruell flames yslaked were Malbecco seeing how his losse did lye Out of the flames which he had quencht whylere Into huge waues of griefe and gealosye Full deepe emplonged was and drowned nye Twixt inward doole and felonous despight He rau'd he wept he stampt he lowd did cry And all the passions that in man may light Did him attonce oppresse and vex his caytiue spright Long thus he chawd the cud of inward griefe And did consume his gall with anguish sore Still when he mused on his late mischiefe Then still the smart thereof increased more And seem'd more grieuous then it was before At last when sorrow he saw booted nought Ne griefe might not his loue to him restore He gan deuise how her he reskew mought Ten thousand wayes he cast in his confused thought At last resoluing like a pilgrim pore To seach her forth where so she might be fond And bearing with him treasure in close store The rest he leaues in ground So takes in hond To seeke her endlong both by sea and lond Long he her sought he sought her farre and nere And euery where that he mote vnderstond Of knights and ladies any meetings were And of eachone he met he tydings did inquere But all in vaine his woman was too wise Euer to come into his clouch againe And he too simple euer to surprise The iolly Paridell for all his paine One day as he forpassed by the plaine With weary pace he farre away espide A couple seeming well to be his twaine Which houed close vnder a forrest side As if they lay in waite or else themselues did hide Well weened he that those the same mote bee And as he better did their shape auize Him seemed more their manner did agree For
th' one was armed all in warlike wize Whom to be Paridell he did deuize And th' other all yclad in garments light Discolour'd like to womanish disguise He did resemble to his Ladie bright And euer his faint hart much earned at the sight And euer faine he towards them would goe But yet durst not for dread approchen nie But stood aloofe vnweeting what to doe Till that prickt forth with loues extremitie That is the father of foule gealosy He closely nearer crept the truth to weet But as he nigher drew he easily Might scerne that it was not his sweetest sweet Ne yet her Belamour the partner of his sheet But it was scornefull Braggadocchio That with his seruant Trompart houerd there Sith late he fled from his too earnest foe Whom such when as Malbecco spyed clere He turned backe and would haue fled arere Till Trompart ronning hastily him did stay And bad before his soueraine Lord appere That was him loth yet durst he not gainesay And comming him before low louted on the lay The Boaster at him sternely bent his browe As if he could haue kild him with his looke That to the ground him meekely made to bowe And awfull terror deepe into him strooke That euery member of his bodie quooke Said he thou man of nought what doest thou here Vnfitly furnisht with thy bag and booke Where I expected one with shield and spere To proue some deedes of armes vpon an equall pere The wretched man at his imperious speach Was all abasht and low prostrating said Good Sir let not my rudedesse be no breach Vnto your patience ne be ill ypaid For I vnwares this way by fortune straid A silly Pilgrim driuen to distresse That seeke a Lady There he suddein staid And did the rest with grieuous sighes suppresse While teares stood in his eies few drops of bitternesse What Ladie man said Trompart take good hart And tell thy griefe if any hidden lye Was neuer better time to shew thy smart Then now that noble succour is thee by That is the whole worlds commune remedy That chearefull word his weake hart much did cheare And with vaine hope his spirits faint supply That bold he said ô most redoubted Pere Vouchsafe with mild regard a wretches cace to heare Then sighing sore It is not long said hee Sith I enioyd the gentlest Dame aliue Of whom a knight no knight at all perdee But shame of all that doe for honor striue By treacherous deceipt did me depriue Through open outrage he her bore away And with fowle force vnto his will did driue Which all good knights that armes do beare this day Are bound for to reuenge and punish if they may And you most noble Lord that can and dare Redresse the wrong of miserable wight Cannot employ your most victorious speare In better quarrell then defence of right And for a Ladie gainst a faithlesse knight So shall your glory be aduaunced much And all faire Ladies magnifie your might And eke my selfe albe I simple such Your worthy paine shall well reward with guerdon rich With that out of his bouget forth he drew Great store of treasure therewith him to tempt But he on it lookt scornefully askew As much disdeigning to be so misdempt Or a war-monger to be basely nempt And said thy offers base I greatly loth And eke thy words vncourteous and vnkempt I tread in dust thee and thy money both That were it not for shame So turned from him wroth But Trompart that his maisters humor knew In lofty lookes to hide an humble mind Was inly tickled with that golden vew And in his eare him grounded close behind Yet stoupt he not but lay still in the wind Waiting aduauntage on the pray to sease Till Trompart lowly to the ground inclind Besought him his great courage to appease And pardon simple man that rash did him displease Bigge looking like a doughtie Doucepere At last he thus Thou clod of vilest clay I pardon yield and with thy rudenesse beare But weete henceforth that all that golden pray And all that else the vaine world vaunten may I loath as doung ne deeme my dew reward Fame is my meed and glory vertues pray But minds of mortall men are muchell mard And mou'd amisse with massie mucks vnmeet regard And more I graunt to thy great miserie Gratious respect thy wife shall backe be sent And that vile knight who euer that he bee Which hath thy Lady rest and knighthood shent By Sanglamort my sword whose deadly dent The bloud hath of so many thousands shed I sweare ere long shall dearely it repent Ne he twixt heauen and earth shall hide his hed But soone he shall be found and shortly doen be ded The foolish man thereat woxe wondrous blith As if the word so spoken were halfe donne And humbly thanked him a thousand sith That had from death to life him newly wonne Tho forth the Boaster marching braue begonne His stolen steed to thunder furiously As if he heauen and hell would ouerronne And all the world confound with cruelty That much Malbecco ioyed in his iollity Thus long they three together traueiled Through many a wood and many an vncouth way To seeke his wife that was farre wandered But those two sought nought but the present pray To weete the treasure which he did bewray On which their eies and harts were wholly set With purpose how they might it best betray For sith the houre that first he did them let The same behold therewith their keene desires were whet It fortuned as they together far'd They spide where Paridell came pricking fast Vpon the plaine the which himselfe prepar'd To giust with that braue straunger knight a cast As on aduenture by the way he past Alone he rode without his Paragone For hauing filcht her bels her vp he cast To the wide world and let her fly alone He nould be clogd So had he serued many one The gentle Lady loose at randon left The greene-wood long did walke and wander wide At wilde aduenture like a forlorne west Till on a day the Satyres her espide Straying alone withouten groome or guide Her vp they tooke and with them home her led With them as housewife euer to abide To milke their gotes and make them cheese and bred And euery one as commune good her handeled That shortly she Malbecco has forgot And eke Sir Paridell all were he deare Who from her went to seeke another lot And now by fortune was arriued here Where those two guilers with Malbecco were Soone as the oldman saw Sir Paridell He fainted and was almost dead with feare Ne word he had to speake his griefe to tell But to him louted low and greeted goodly well And after asked him for Hellenore I take no keepe of her said Paridell She wonneth in the forrest there before So forth he rode as his aduenture fell The whiles the Boaster from his loftie sell Faynd to alight something amisse to mend But
would flit Tho stooping downe she him amoued light Who therewith somewhat starting vp gan looke And seeing him behind a straunger knight Whereas no liuing creature he mistooke With great indignaunce he that sight forsooke And downe againe himselfe disdainefully Abiecting th' earth with his faire forhead strooke Which the bold Virgin seeing gan apply Fit medcine to his griefe and spake thus courtesly Ah gentle knight whose deepe cenceiued griefe Well seemes t' exceede the powre of patience Yet if that heauenly grace some good reliefe You send submit you to high prouidence And euer in your noble hart prepense That all the sorrow in the world is lesse Then vertues might and values confidence For who nill bide the burden of distresse Must not here thinke to liue for life is wretchednesse Therefore faire Sir do comfort to you take And freely read what wicked felon so Hath outrag'd you and thrald your gentle make Perhaps this hand may helpe to ease your woe And wreake your sorrow on your cruell foe And least it faire endeuour will apply Those feeling wordes so neare the quicke did goe That vp his head he reared easily And leaning on his elbow these few wordes let fly What boots it plaine that cannot be redrest And sow vaine sorrow in a fruilesse care Sith powre of hand nor skill of learned brest Ne worldly price cannot redeeme my deare Out of her thraldome and continuall feare For he the tyraunt which her hath in ward By strong enchauntments and blacke Magicke leare Hath in a dungeon deepe her close embard And many dreadfull feends hath pointed to her gard There he tormenteth her most terribly And day and night afflicts with mortall paine Because to yield him loue she doth deny Once to me yold not to be yold againe But yet by torture he would her constraine Loue to conceiue in her disdainfull breast Till so she do she must in doole remaine Ne may by liuing meanes be thence relest What boots it then to plaine that cannot be redrest With this sad hersall of his heauy stresse The warlike Damzell was empassiond sore And said Sir knight your cause is nothing lesse Then is your sorrow certes if not more For nothing so much pitty doth implore As gentle Ladies helplesse misery But yet if please ye listen to my lore I will with proofe of last extremity Deliuer her fro thence or with her for you dy Ah gentlest knight aliue said Scudamore What huge heroicke magnanimity Dwels in thy bounteous brest what couldst thou more If she were thine and thou as now am I O spare thy happy dayes and them apply To better boot but let me dye that ought More is more losse one is enough to dy Life is not lost said she for which is bought Endlesse renowm that more then death is to be sought Thus she at length perswaded him to rise And with her wend to see what new successe Mote him befall vpon new enterprise His armes which he had vowed to disprofesse She gathered vp and did about him dresse And his for wandred steed vnto him got So forth they both yfere make their progresse And march not past the mountenaunce of a shot Till they arriu'd whereas their purpose they did plot There they dismounting drew their weapons bold And stoutly came vnto the Castle gate Whereas no gate they found them to withhold Nor ward to wait at morne and euening late But in the Porch that did them sore amate A flaming fire ymixt with smouldry smoke And stinking Sulphure that with griesly hate And dreadfull horrour did all entraunce choke Enforced them their forward footing to reuoke Greatly thereat was Britomart dismayd Ne in that stownd wist how her selfe to beare For daunger vaine it were to haue assayd That cruell element which all things feare Ne none can suffer to approchen neare And turning backe to Scudamour thus sayd What monstrous enmity prouoke we heare Foolhardy as th'Earthes children the which made Battell against the Gods so we a God inuade Daunger without discretion to attempt Inglorious and beastlike is therefore Sir knight A read what course of you is safest dempt And how we with our foe may come to fight This quoth he the dolorous despight Which earst to you I playnd for neither may This fire be quencht by any wit or might Ne yet by any meanes remou'd away So mighty be th'enchauntments which the same do stay What is there else but cease these fruitlesse paines And leaue me to my former languishing Faire Amoret must dwell in wicked chaines And Scudamore here dye with sorrowing Perdy not so said she for shamefull thing It were t' abandon noble cheuisaunce For shew of perill without venturing Rather let try extremities of chaunce Then enterprised prayse for dread to disauaunce Therewith resolu'd to prone her vtmost might Her ample shield she threw before her face And her swords point directing forward right Assayld the flame the which eftsoones gaue place And did it selfe diuide with equall space That throngh she passed as a thunder bolt Perceth the yielding ayre and doth displace The soring clouds into sad showres ymolt So to her yold the flames and did their force reuolt Whom whenas Scudamour saw past the fire Safe and Vntoucht he likewise gan assay With greedy will and enuious desire And bad the stubborne flames to yield him way But cruell Mulciber would not obay His threatfull pride but did the more augment His mighty rage and imperious sway Him forst maulgre his fiercenesse relent And backe retire all scorcht and pitifully brent With huge impatience he inly swelt More for great sorrow that he could not pas Then for the burning torment which he felt That with fell woodnesse he effierced was And wilfully him throwing on the gras Did beat and bounse his head and brest full sore The whiles the Championesse now entred has The vtmost rowme and past the formest dore The vtmost rowme abounding with all precious store For round about the wals yclothed were With goodly arras of great maiesty Wouen with gold and silke so close and nere That the rich metall lurked priuily As faining to be hid from enuious eye Yet here and there and euery where vnwares It shewd it sfelfe and shone vnwillingly Like a discolourd Snake whose hidden snares Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht backe declares And in those Tapets weren fashioned Many faire pourtraicts and many a faire feate And all of loue and all of lusty-hed As seemed by their semblaunt did entreat And eke all Cupids warres they did repeate And cruell battels which he whilome fought Gainst all the Gods to make his empire great Besides the huge massacres which he wrought On mighty kings and kesars into thraldome brought Therein was writ how often thundring Ioue Had felt the point of his hart-percing dart And leauing heauens kingdome here did roue In straunge disguize to slake his scalding smart Now like a Ram faire Helle to peruart Now like a
she the terme of each mans life For nought may lessened nor enlarged bee Graunt this that when ye shred with fatall knife His line which is the eldest of the three Which is of them the shortest as I see Eftsoones his life may passe into the next And when the next shall likewise ended bee That both their liues may likewise be annext Vnto the third that his may so be trebly wext They graunted it and then that carefull Fay Departed thence with full contented mynd And comming home in warlike fresh aray Them found all three according to their kynd But vnto them what destinie was assynd Or how their liues were eekt she did not tell But euermore when she fit time could fynd She warned them to tend their safeties well And loue each other deare what euer them befell So did they surely during all their dayes And neuer discord did amongst them fall Which much augmented all their other praise And now t' increase affection naturall In loue of Canacee they ioyned all Vpon which ground this same great battell grew Great matter growing of beginning small The which for length I will not here pursew But rather will reserue it for a Canto new Cant. III. The battell twixt three brethren with Cambell for Canacee Cambina with true friendships bond doth their long strife agree O Why doe wretched men so much desire To draw their dayes vnto the vtmost date And doe not rather wish them soone expire Knowing the miserie of their estate And thousand perills which them still awate Tossing them like a boate amid the mayne That euery houre they knocke at deathes gate And he that happie seemes and least in payne Yet is as nigh his end as he that most doth playne Therefore this Fay I hold but fond and vaine The which in seeking for her children three Long life thereby did more prolong their paine Yet whilest they liued none did euersee More happie creatures then they seem'd to bee Nor more ennobled for their courtesie That made them dearely lou'd of each degree Ne more renowmed for their cheualrie That made them dreaded much of all men farre and nie These three that hardie chalenge tooke in hand For Canacee with Cambell for to fight The day was set that all might vnderstand And pledges pawnd the same to keepe a right That day the dreddest day that liuing wight Did euer see vpon this world to shine So soone as heauens window shewed light These warlike Champions all in armour shine Assembled were in field the chalenge to define The field with listes was all about enclos'd To barre the prease of people farre away And at th' one side sixe iudges were dispos'd To view and deeme the deedes of armes that day And on the other side in fresh aray Fayre Canacee vpon a stately stage Was set to see the fortnne of that fray And to be seene as his most worthie wage That could her purchase with his liues aduentur'd gage Then entred Cambell first into the list With stately steps and fearelesse countenance As if the conquest his he surely wist Soone after did the brethren three aduance In braue aray and goodly amenance With scutchins gilt and banners broad displayd And marching thrise in warlike ordinance Thrise lowted lowly to the noble Mayd The whiles shril trompets loud clarions sweetly playd Which doen the doughty chalenger came forth All arm'd to point his chalenge to abet Gainst whom Sir Priamond with equall worth And equall armes himselfe did forward set A trompet blew they both together met With dreadfull force and furious intent Carelesse of perill in their fiers affret As if that life to losse they had forelent And cared not to spare that should be shortly spent Right practicke was Sir Priamond in fight And throughly skild in vse of shield and speare Ne lesse approued was Cambelloes might Ne lesse his sill in weapons did appeare That hard it was to weene which harder were Full many mightie strokes on either side Were sent that seemed death in them to beare But they were both so watchfull and well eyde That they auoyded were and vainely by did slyde Yet one of many was so strongly bent By Priamond that with vnluckie glaunce Through Cambels shoulder it vnwarely went That forced him his shield to disaduaunce Much was he grieued with that gracelesse chaunce Yet from the wound no drop of bloud there fell But wondrous paine that did the more enhaunce His haughtie courage to aduengement fell Smart daunts not mighty harts but makes them more to swell With that his poynant speare he fierce auentred With doubled force close vnderneath his shield That through the mayles into his thigh it entred And there arresting readie way did yield For bloud to gush forth on the grassie field That he for paine himselfe not right vpreare But too and fro in great amazement reel'd Like an old Oke whose pith and sap is seare At puffe of euery storme doth stagger here and theare Whom so dismayd when Cambell had espide Againe he droue at him with double might That nought mote stay the steele till in his side The mortall point most cruelly empight Where fast infixed whilest he sought by slight It forth to wrest the staffe a sunder brake And left the head behind with which despight He all enrag'd his shiuering speare did shake And charging him a fresh thus felly him bespake Lo faitour there thy meede vnto thee take The meede of thy mischalenge and abet Not for thine owne but for thy sisters sake Haue I thus long thy life vnto thee let But to forbeare doth not forgiue the det The wicked weapon heard his wrathfull vow And passing forth with furious affret Pierst through his beuer quite into his brow That with the force it backward forced him to bow Therewith a sunder in the midst it brast And in his hand nought but the troncheon left The other halfe behind yet sticking fast Out of his headpeece Cambell fiercely rest And with such furie backe at him it heft That making way vnto his dearest life His weasand pipe it through his gorget cleft Thence streames of purple bloud issuing rife Let forth his wearie ghost and made an end of strife His wearie ghost assoyld from fleshly band Did not as others wont directly fly Vnto her rest in Plutoes griesly land Ne into ayre did vanish presently Ne chaunged was into a starre in sky But through traduction was eftsoones deriued Like as his mother prayd the Destinie Into his other brethren that suruiued In whom he liu'd a new of former life depriued Whom when on ground his brother next beheld Though sad and sorie for so heauy sight Yet leaue vnto his sorrow did not yeeld But rather stird to vengeance and despight Through secret feeling of his generous spright Rusht fiercely forth the battell to renew As in reuersion of his brothers right And chalenging the Virgin as his dew His foe was soone addrest the trompets freshly
beget True loue and faithfull friendship she by her did set Backe to that desert forrest they retyred Where sorie Britomart had lost her late There they her sought and euery where inquired Where they might tydings get of her estate Yet found they none But by what haplesse fate Or hard misfortune she was thence conuayd And stolne away from her beloued mate Were long to tell therefore I here will stay Vntill another tyde that I it finish may Cant. VII Amoret rapt by greedie lust Belphebe saues from dread The Squire her loues and being blam'd his dayes in dole doth lead GReat God of loue that with thy cruell dart Doest conquer greatest conquerors on ground And setst thy kingdome in the captiue harts Of Kings and Keasars to thy seruice bound What glorie or what guerdon hast thou found In feeble Ladies tyranning so sore And adding anguish to the bitter wound With which their liues thou lanchedst long afore By heaping stormes of trouble on them daily more So whylome didst thou to faire Florimell And so and so to noble Britomart So doest thou now to her of whom I tell The louely Amoret whose gentle hart Thou martyrest with sorow and with smart In saluage forrests and in deserts wide With Beares and Tygers taking heauie part Withouten comfort and withouten guide That pittie is to heare the perils which she tride So soone as she with that braue Britonesse Had left that Turneyment for beauties prise They trauel'd long that now for wearinesse Both of the way and warlike exercise Both through a forest ryding did deuise T' alight and rest their wearie limbs awhile There heauie sleepe the eye-lids did surprise Of Britomart after long tedious toyle That did her passed paines in quiet rest assoyle The whiles faire Amoret of nought affeard Walkt through the wood for pleasure or for need When suddenly behind her backe she heard One rushing forth out of the thickest weed That ere she backe could turne to taken heed Had vnawares her snatched vp from ground Feebly she shriekt but so feebly indeed That Britomart heard not the shrilling sound There where through weary trauel she lay sleeping soūd It was to weet a wilde and saluage man Yet was no man but onely like in shape And eke in stature higher by a span All ouer growne with haire that could awhape An hardy hart and his wide mouth did gape With huge great teeth like to a Bore For he liu'd all on rauin and on rape Of men and beasts and fed on fleshly gore The signe whereof yet stain'd his bloudy lips afore His neather lip was not like man nor beast But like a wide deepe poke downe hanging low In which he wont the relickes of his feast And cruell spoyle which he had spard to stow And ouer it his huge great nose did grow Full dreadfully empurpled all with bloud And downe both sides two wide long eares did glow And raught downe to his waste when vp he stood More great then th' eares of Elephants by Indus flood His wast was with a wreath of yuie greene Engirt about ne other garment wore For all his haire was like a garment seene And in his hand a tall young oake he bore Whose knottie snags were sharpned all afore And beath'd in fire for steele to be in sted But whence he was or of what wombe ybore Of beasts or of the earth I haue not red But certes was with milke of Wolues and Tygres fed This vgly creature in his armes her snatcht And through the forrest bore her quite away With briers and bushes all to rent and scratcht Ne care he had ne pittie of the pray Which many a knight had sought so many a day He stayed not but in his armes her bearing Ran till he came to th' end of all his way Vnto his caue farre from all peoples hearing And there he threw her in nought feeling ne nought fearing For she deare Ladie all the way was dead Whilest he in armes her bore but when she felt Her selfe downe soust she waked out of dread Streight into griefe that her deare hart nigh swelt And eft gan into tender teares to melt Then when she lookt about and nothing found But darknesse and dread horrour where she dwelt She almost fell againe into a swound Ne wist whether aboue she were or vnder ground With that she heard some one close by her side Sighing and sobbing sore as if the paine Her tender hart in peeces would diuide Which she long listning softly askt againe What mister wight it was that so did plaine To whom thus aunswer'd was Ah wretched wight That seekes to know anothers griefe in vaine Vnweeting of thine owne like haplesse plight Selfe to forget to mind another is ouersight Aye me said she where am I or with whom Emong the liuing or emong the dead What shall of me vnhappy maid become Shall death be th' end or ought else worse aread Vnhappy mayd then answerd she whose dread Vntride is lesse then when thou shalt it try Death is to him that wretched life doth lead Both grace and gaine but he in hell doth lie That liues a loathed life and wishing cannot die This dismall day hath thee a caytiue made And vassall to the vilest wretch aliue Whose cursed vsage and vngodly trade The heauens abhorre and into darkenesse driue For on the spoile of women he doth liue Whose bodies chast when euer in his powre He may them catch vnable to gainestriue He with his shamefull lust doth first deflowre And afterwards themselues doth cruelly deuoure Now twenty daies by which the sonnes of men Diuide their works haue past through heuen sheene Since I was brought into this dolefull den During which space these sory eies haue seen Seauen women by him slaine and eaten clene And now no more for him but I alone And this old woman here remaining beene Till thou cam'st hither to augment our mone And of vs three to morrow he will sure eate one Ah dreadfull tidings which thou doest declare Quoth she of all that euer hath bene knowen Full many great calamities and rare This feeble brest endured hath but none Equall to this where euer I haue gone But what are you whom like vnlucky lot Hath linckt with me in the same chaine attone To tell quoth she that which ye see needs not A wofull wretched maid of God and man forgot But what I was it irkes me to reherse Daughter vnto a Lord of high degree That ioyd in happy peace till fates peruerse With guilefull loue did secretly agree To ouerthrow my state and dignitie It was my lot to loue a gentle swaine Yet was he but a Squire of low degree Yet was he meet vnlesse mine eye did faine By any Ladies side for Leman to haue laine But for his meannesse and disparagement My Sire who me too dearely well did loue Vnto my choise by no meanes would assent But often did my folly fowle reproue Yet nothing could my fixed mind
scard Vnworthy they of grace whom one deniall Excludes from fairest hope withouten further triall Yet many doughty warriours often tride In greater perils to bestout and bold Durst not the sternnesse of his looke abide But soone as they his countenance did behold Began to faint and feele their corage cold Againe some other that in hard assaies Were cowards knowne and litle count did hold Either through gifts or guile or such like waies Crept in by stouping low or stealing of the kaies But I though nearest man of many moe Yet much disdaining vnto him to lout Or creepe betweene his legs so in to goe Resolu'd him to assault with manhood stout And either beat him in or driue him out Eftsoones aduauncing that enchaunted shield With all my might I gan to lay about Which when he saw the glaiue which he did wield He gan forthwith t'auale and way vnto me yield So as I entred I did backeward looke For feare of harme that might lie hidden there And loe his hindparts whereof heed I tooke Much more deformed fearefull vgly were Then all his former parts did earst appere For hatred murther treason and despight With many moe lay in ambushment there Awayting to entrap the warelesse wight Which did not them preuent with vigilant foresight Thus hauing past all perill I was come Within the compasse of that Islands space The which did seeme vnto my simple doome The onely pleasant and delightfull place That euer troden was of footings trace For all that nature by her mother wit Could frame in earth and forme of substance base Was there and all that nature did omit Art playing second natures part supplyed it No tree that is of count in greenewood growes From lowest Iuniper to Ceder tall No flowre in field that daintie odour throwes And deckes his branch with blossomes ouer all But there was planted or grew naturall Nor sense of man so coy and curious nice But there mote find to please it selfe withall Nor hart could wish for any queint deuice But there it present was and did fraile sense entice In such luxurious plentie of all pleasure It seem'd a second paradise to bee So lauishly enricht with natures threasure That if the happie soules which doe possesse Th' Elysian fields and liue in lasting blesse Should happen this with liuing eye to see They soone would loath their lesser happinesse And wish to life return'd againe to ghesse That in this ioyous place they mote haue ioyance free Fresh shadowes fit to shroud from sunny ray Faire lawnds to take the sunne in season dew Sweet springs in which a thousand Nymphs did play Soft rombling brookes that gentle slomber drew High reared mounts the lands about to vew Low looking dales disloignd from common gaze Delightfull bowres to solace louers trew False Labyrinthes fond runners eyes to daze All which by nature made did nature selfe amaze And all without were walkes and all eyes dight With diuers trees enrang'd in euen rankes And here and there were pleasant arbors pight And shadie seates and sundry flowring bankes To sit and rest the walkers wearie shankes And therein thousand payres of louers walkt Praysing their god and yeelding him great thankes Ne euer ought but of their true loues talkt Ne euer for rebuke or blame of any balkt All these together by themselues did sport Their spotlesse pleasures and sweet loues content But farre away from these another sort Of louers lincked in true harts consent Which loued not as these for like intent But on chast vertue grounded their desire Farre from all fraud or fayned blandishment Which in their spirits kindling zealous fire Braue thoughts and noble deedes did euermore aspire Such were great Hercules and Hyllus deare Trew Ionathan and Dauid trustie tryde Stout Theseus and Pirithous his feare Pylades and Orestes by his syde Myld Titus and Gesippus without pryde Damon and Pythias whom death could not seuer All these and all that euer had bene tyde In bands of friendship there did liue for euer Whose liues although decay'd yet loues decayed neuer Which when as I that neuer tasted blis Nor happie howre beheld with gazefull eye I thought there was none other heauen then this And gan their endlesse happinesse enuye That being free from feare and gealosye Might frankely there their loues desire possesse Whilest I through paines and perlous ieopardie Was forst to seeke my lifes deare patronesse Much dearer be the things which come through hard distresse Yet all those sights and all that else I saw Might not my steps withhold but that forthright Vnto that purposd place I did me draw Where as my loue was lodged day and night The temple of great Venus that is hight The Queene of beautie and of loue the mother There worshipped of euery liuing wight Whose goodly workmanship farre past all other That euer were on earth all were they set together Not that same famous Temple of Diane Whose hight all Ephesus did ouersee And which all Asia sought with vowes prophane One of the worlds seuen wonders sayd to bee Might match with this by many a degree Nor that which that wise King of Iurie framed With endlesse cost to be th' Almighties see Nor all that else through all the world is named To all the heathen Gods might like to this be clamed I much admyring that so goodly frame Vnto the porch approcht which open stood But therein sate an amiable Dame That seem'd to be of very sober mood And in her semblant shewed great womanhood Strange was her tyre for on her head a crowne She wore much like vnto a Danisk hood Poudred with pearle and stone and all her gowne Enwouen was with gold that taught full low a downe On either side of her two young men stood Both strongly arm'd as fearing one another Yet were they brethren both of halfe the blood Begotten by two fathers of one mother Though of contrarie natures each to other The one of them hight Loue the other Hate Hate was the elder Loue the younger brother Yet was the younger stronger in his state Then th' elder and him maystred still in all debate Nathlesse that Dame so well them tempted both That she them forced hand to ioyne in hand Albe that Hatred was thereto full loth And turn'd his face away as he did stand Vnwilling to behold that louely band Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might That her commaundment he could notwithstand But bit his lip for felonous despight And gnasht his yron tuskes at that displeasing sight Concord she cleeped was in common reed Mother of blessed Peace and Friendship trew They both her twins both borne of heauenly seed And she her selfe likewise diuinely grew The which right well her workes diuine did snew For strength and wealth and happinesse she lends And strife and warre and anger does subdew Of litle much of foes she maketh frends And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends By her the heauen is in his
time the warlike Amazon Whose wandring fancie after lust did raunge Gan cast a secret liking to this captiue straunge Which long concealing in her couert brest She chaw'd the cud of louers carefull plight Yet could it not so thoroughly digest Being fast fixed in her wounded spright But it tormented her both day and night Yet would she not thereto yeeld free accord To serue the lowly vassall of her might And of her seruant make her souerayne Lord So great her pride that she such basenesse much abhord So much the greater still her anguish grew Through stubborne handling of her loue-sicke hart And still the more she stroue it to subdew The more she still augmented her owne smart And wyder made the wound of th'hidden dart At last when long she struggled had in vaine She gan to stoupe and her proud mind conuert To meeke obeysance of loues mightie raine And him entreat for grace that had procur'd her paine Vnto her selfe in secret she did call Her nearest handmayd whom she most did trust And to her said Clarinda whom of all I trust a liue sith I thee fostred first Now is the time that I vntimely must Thereof make tryall in my greatest need It is so hapned that the heauens vniust Spighting my happie freedome haue agreed To thrall my looser life or my last bale to breed With that she turn'd her head as halfe abashed To hide the blush which in her visage rose And through her eyes like sudden lightning flashed Decking her cheeke with a vermilion rose But soone she did her countenance compose And to her turning thus began againe This griefes deepe wound I would to thee disclose Thereto compelled through hart-murdring paine But dread of shame my doubtfull lips doth still restraine Ah my deare dread said then the faithfull Mayd Can dread of ought your dreadlesse hart withhold That many hath with dread of death dismayd And dare euen deathes most dreadfull face behold Say on my souerayne Ladie and be bold Doth not your handmayds life at your foot lie Therewith much comforted she gan vnfold The cause of her conceiued maladie As one that would confesse yet faine would it denie Clarin sayd she thou seest yond Fayry Knight Whom not my valour but his owne braue mind Subiected hath to my vnequall might What right is it that he should thraldome find For lending life to me a wretch vnkind That for such good him recompence with ill Therefore I cast how I may him vnbind And by his freedome get his free goodwill Yet so as bound to me he may continue still bound vnto me but not with such hard bands Of strong compulsion and streight violence As now in miserable state he stands But with sweet loue and sure beneuolence Voide of malitious mind or foule offence To which if thou canst win him any way Without discouerie of my thoughts pretence Both goodly meede of him it purchase may And eke with gratefull seruice me right well apay Which that thou mayst the better bring to pas Loe here this ring which shall thy warrant bee And token true to old Eumenias From time to time when thou it best shalt see That in and out thou mayst haue passage free Goe now Clarinda well thy wits aduise And all thy forces gather vnto thee Armies of louely lookes and speeches wise With which thou canst euen Ioue himselfe to loue entise The trustie Mayd conceiuing her intent Did with sure promise of her good indeuour Giue her great comfort and some harts content So from her parting she thenceforth did labour By all the meanes she might to curry fauour With th'Elfin Knight her Ladies best beloued With daily shew of courteous kind behauiour Euen at the markewhite of his hart she roued And with wide glauncing words one day she thus him proued Vnhappie Knight vpon whose hopelesse state Fortune enuying good hath felly frowned And cruell heauens haue heapt an heauy fate I rew that thus thy better dayes are drowned In sad despaire and all thy senses swowned In stupid sorow sith thy iuster merit Might else haue with felicitie bene crowned Looke vp at last and wake thy dulled spirit To thinke how this long death thou mightest disinherit Much did he maruell at her vncouth speach Whose hidden drift he could not well perceiue And gan to doubt least she him sought t'appeach Of treason or some guilefull traine did weaue Through which she might his wretched life bereaue Both which to barre he with this answere met her Faire Damzell that with ruth as I perceaue Of my mishaps art mou'd to wish me better For such your kind regard I can but rest your detter Yet weet ye well that to a courage great It is no lesse beseeming well to beare The storme of fortunes frowne or heauens threat Then in the sunshine of her countenance cleare Timely to ioy and carrie comely cheare For though this cloud haue now me ouercast Yet doe I not of better times despeyre And though vnlike they should for euer last Yet in my truthes assurance I rest fixed fast But what so stonie mind she then replyde But if in his owne powre occasion lay Would to his hope a windowe open wyde And to his fortunes helpe make readie way Vnworthy sure quoth he of better day That will not take the offer of good hope And eke pursew if he attaine it may Which speaches she applying to the scope Of her intent this further purpose to him shope Then why doest not thou ill aduized man Make meanes to win thy libertie forlorne And try if thou by faire entreatie can Moue Radigund who though she still haue worne Her dayes in warre yet weet thou was not borne Of Beares and Tygres nor so saluage mynded As that albe all loue of men she scorne She yet forgets that she of men was kynded And sooth oft seene that proudest harts base loue hath blynded Certes Clarinda not of cancred will Sayd he nor obstinate disdainefull mind I haue forbore this duetie to fulfill For well I may this weene by that I fynd That she a Queene and come of Princely kynd Both worthie is for to be sewd vnto Chiefely by him whose life her law doth bynd And eke of powre her owne doome to vndo And al 's of princely grace to be inclyn'd thereto But want of meanes hath bene mine onely let From seeking fauour where it doth abound Which if I might by your good office get I to your selfe should rest for euer bound And readie to deserue what grace I found She feeling him thus bite vpon the bayt Yet doubting least his hold was but vnsound And not well fastened would not strike him strayt But drew him on with hope fit leasure to awayt But foolish Mayd whyles heedlesse of the hooke She thus oft times was beating off and on Through slipperie footing fell into the brooke And there was caught to her confusion For seeking thus to salue the Amazon She wounded was with her deceipts owne
And them repaide againe with double more So long they fought that all the grassie flore Was fild with bloud which from their sides did flow And gushed through their armes that all in gore They trode and on the ground their liues did strow Like fruitles seede of which vntimely death should grow At last proud Radigund with fell despight Hauing by chaunce espide aduantage neare Let driue at her with all her dreadfull might And thus vpbrayding said This token beare Vnto the man whom thou doest loue so deare And tell him for his sake thy life thou gauest Which spitefull words she sore engrieu'd to heare Thus answer'd Lewdly thou my loue deprauest Who shortly must repent that now so vainely brauest Nath'lesse that stroke so cruell passage found That glauncing on her shoulder plate it bit Vnto the bone and made a griesly wound That she her shield through raging smart of it Could scarse vphold yet soone she it requit For hauing force increast through furious paine She her so rudely on the helmet smit That it empierced to the very braine And her proud person low prostrated on the plaine Where being layd the wrothfull Britonesse Stayd not till she came to her selfe againe But in reuenge both of her loues distresse And her late vile reproch though vaunted vaine And also of her wound which sore did paine She with one stroke both head and helmet cleft Which dreadfull sight when all her warlike traine There present saw each one of sence bereft Fled fast into the towne and her sole victor left But yet so fast they could not home retrate But that swift Talus did the formost win And pressing through the preace vnto the gate Pelmell with them attonce did enter in There then a piteous slaughter did begin For all that euer came within his reach He with his yron flale did thresh so thin That he no worke at all left for the leach Like to an hideous storme which nothing may empeach And now by this the noble Conqueresse Her selfe came in her glory to partake Where though reuengefull vow she did professe Yet when she saw the heapes which he did make Of slaughtred carkasses her heart did quake For very ruth which did it almost riue That she his fury willed him to slake For else he sure had left not one aliue But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue Tho when she had his execution stayd She for that yron prison did enquire In which her wretched loue was captiue layd Which breaking open with indignant ire She entred into all the partes entire Where when she saw that lothly vncouth sight Of men disguiz'd in womanishe attire Her heart gan grudge for very deepe despight Of so vnmanly maske in misery misdight At last when as to her owne Loue she came Whom like disguize no lesse deformed had At sight thereof abasht with secrete shame She turnd her head aside as nothing glad To haue beheld a spectacle so bad And then too well beleeu'd that which tofore Iealous suspect as true vntruely drad Which vaine conceipt now nourishing no more She sought with ruth to salue his sad misfortunes sore Not so great wonder and astonishment Did the most chast Penelope possesse To see her Lord that was reported drent And dead long since in dolorous distresse Come home to her in piteous wretchednesse After long trauell of full twenty yeares That she knew not his fauours likelynesse For many scarres and many hoary heares But stood long staring on him mongst vncertaine feares Ah my deare Lord what sight is this quoth she What May-game hath misfortune made of you Where is that dreadfull manly looke where be Those mighty palmes the which ye wont t'embrew In bloud of Kings and great hoastes to subdew Could ought on earth so wondrous change haue wrought As to haue robde you of that manly hew Could so great courage stouped haue to ought Then farewell fleshly force I see thy pride is nought Thenceforth she streight into a bowre him brought And causd him those vncomely weedes vndight And in their steede for other rayment sought Whereof there was great store and armors bright Which had bene reft from many a noble Knight Whom that proud Amazon subdewed had Whilest Fortune fauourd her successe in fight In which when as she him anew had clad She was reuiu'd and ioyd much in his semblance glad So there a while they afterwards remained Him to refresh and her late wounds to heale During which space she there as Princes rained And changing all that forme of common weale The liberty of women did repeale Which they had long vsurpt and them restoring To mens subiection did true Iustice deale That all they as a Goddesse her adoring Her wisedome did admire and hearkned to her loring For all those Knights which long in captiue shade Had shrowded bene she did from thraldome free And magistrates of all that city made And gaue to them great liuing and large fee And that they should for euer faithfull bee Made them sweare fealty to Artegall Who when him selfe now well recur'd did see He purposd to proceed what so be fall Vppon his first aduenture which him forth did call Full sad and sorrowfull was Britomart For his departure her new cause of griefe Yet wisely moderated her owne smart Seeing his honor which she tendred chiefe Consisted much in that aduentures priefe The care whereof and hope of his successe Gaue vnto her great comfort and reliefe That womanish complaints she did represse And tempred for the time her present heauinesse There she continued for a certaine space Till through his want her woe did more increase Then hoping that the change of aire and place Would change her paine and sorrow somewhat ease She parted thence her anguish to appease Meane while her noble Lord sir Artegall Went on his way ne euer howre did cease Till he redeemed had that Lady thrall That for another Canto will more fitly fall Cant. VIII Prince Arthure and Sir Artegall Free Samient from feare They slay the Soudan driue his wife A dicia to despaire NOught vnder heauen so strongly doth allure The sence of man and all his minde possesse As beauties lonely baite that doth procure Great warriours oft their rigour to represse And mighty hands forget their manlinesse Drawne with the powre of an heart-robbing eye And wrapt in fetters of a golden tresse That can with melting pleasaunce mollifye Their hardned hearts enur'd to bloud and cruelty So whylome learnd that mighty Iewish swaine Each of whose lockes did match a man in might To lay his spoiles before his lemans traine So also did that great Octean Knight For his loues sake his Lions skin vndight And so did warlike Antony neglect The worlds whole rule for Cleopatras sight Such wondrous powre hath wemens faire aspect To captiue men and make them all the world reiect Yet could it not sterne Artegall retaine Nor hold from suite of his auowed quest Which he had
doth remaine And that so wretched one as ye do see Is liker lingring death then loathed life to bee Much was he moued with her piteous plight And low dismounting from his loftie steede Gan to recomfort her all that he might Seeking to driue away deepe rooted dreede With hope of helpe in that her greatest neede So thence he wished her with him to wend Vnto some place where they mote rest and feede And she take comfort which God now did send Good hart in euils doth the euils much amend Ay me sayd she and whether shall I goe Are not all places full of forraine powres My pallaces possessed of my foe My cities sackt and their sky-threating towres Raced and made smooth fields now full of flowres Onely these marishes and myrie bogs In which the fearefull ewftes do build their bowres Yeeld me an hostry mongst the croking frogs And harbour here in safety from those rauenous dogs Nathlesse said he deare Ladie with me goe Some place shall vs receiue and harbour yield If not we will it force maugre your foe And purchase it to vs with speare and shield And if all fayle yet farewell open field The earth to all her creatures lodging lends With such his chearefull speaches he doth wield Her mind so well that to his will she bends And bynding vp her locks and weeds forth with him wends They came vnto a Citie farre vp land The which whylome that Ladies owne had bene But now by force extort out of her hand By her strong foe who had defaced cleene Her stately towres and buildings sunny sheene Shut vp her hauen mard her marchants trade Robbed her people that full rich had beene And in her necke a Castle huge had made The which did her cōmaund without needing perswade That Castle was the strength of all that state Vntill that state by strength was pulled downe And that same citie so now ruinate Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne Both goodly Castle and both goodly Towne Till that th' offended heauens list to lowre Vpon their blisse and balefull fortune frowne When those gainst states and kingdomes do coniure Who then can thinke their hedlong ruine to recure But he had brought it now in seruile bond And made it beare the yoke of inquisition Stryuing long time in vaine it to withstond Yet glad at last to make most base submission And life enioy for any composition So now he hath new lawes and orders new Imposd on it with many a hard condition And forced it the honour that is dew To God to doe vnto his Idole most vntrew To him he hath before this Castle greene Built a faire Chappell and an Altar framed Of costly Iuory full rich beseene On which that cursed Idole farre proclamed He hath set vp and him his God hath named Offring to him in sinfull sacrifice The flesh of men to Gods owne likenesse framed And powring forth their bloud in brutishe wize That any yron eyes to see it would agrize And for more horror and more crueltie Vnder that cursed Idols altar stone An hideous monster doth in darknesse lie Whose dreadfull shape was neuer seene of none That liues on earth but vnto those alone The which vnto him sacrificed bee Those he deuoures they say both flesh and bone What else they haue is all the Tyrants fee So that no whit of them remayning one may see There eke he placed a strong garrisone And set a Seneschall of dreaded might That by his powre oppressed euery one And vanquished all ventrous knights in fight To whom he wont shew all the shame he might After that them in battell he had wonne To which when now they gan approch in sight The Ladie counseld him the place to shonne Whereas so many knights had fouly bene fordonne Her fearefull speaches nought he did regard But ryding streight vnder the Castle wall Called aloud vnto the watchfull ward Which there did wayte willing them forth to call Into the field their Tyrants Seneschall To whom when tydings thereof came he streight Cals for his armes and arming him withall Eftsoones forth pricked proudly in his might And gan with courage fierce addresse him to the fight They both encounter in the middle plaine And their sharpe speares doe both together smite Amid their shields with so huge might and maine That seem'd their soules they wold haue ryuen quight Out of their breasts with furious despight Yet could the Seneschals no entrance find Into the Princes shield where it empight So pure the mettall was and well refynd But shiuered all about and scattered in the wynd Not so the Princes but with restlesse force Into his shield it readie passage found Both through his haberieon and eke his corse Which tombling downe vpon the senselesse ground Gaue leaue vnto his ghost from thraldome bound To wander in the griesly shades of night There did the Prince him leaue in deadly swound And thence vnto the castle marched right To see if entrance there as yet obtaine he might But as he nigher drew three knights he spyde All arm'd to point issuing forth a pace Which towards him with all their powre did ryde And meeting him right in the middle race Did all their speares attonce on him enchace As three great Culuerings for battrie bent And leueld all against one certaine place Doe all attonce their thunders rage forth rent That makes the wals to stagger with astonishment So all attonce they on the Prince did thonder Who from his saddle swarued nought asyde Ne to their force gaue way that was great wonder But like a bulwarke firmely did abyde Rebutting him which in the midst did ryde With so huge rigour that his mortall speare Past through his shield pierst through either syde That downe he fell vppon his mother deare And powred forth his wretched life in deadly dreare Whom when his other fellowes saw they fled As fast as feete could carry them away And after them the Prince as swiftly sped To be aueng'd of their vnknightly play There whilest they entring th' one did th' other stay The hindmost in the gate he ouerhent And as he pressed in him there did slay His carkasse tumbling on the threshold sent His groning soule vnto her place of punishment The other which was entred laboured fast To sperre the gate but that same lumpe of clay Whose grudging ghost was thereout fled and past Right in the middest of the threshold lay That it the Posterne did from closing stay The whiles the Prince hard preased in betweene And entraunce wonne Streight th' other fled away And ran into the Hall where he did weene Him selfe to saue but he there slew him at the skreene Then all the rest which in that Castle were Seeing that sad ensample them before Durst not abide but fled away for feare And them conuayd out at a Posterne dore Long sought the Prince but when he found no more T' oppose against his powre he forth issued Vnto that
streight went forth his gladnesse to partake With Belge who watcht all this while full sad Wayting what end would be of that same daunger drad Whom when she saw so ioyously come forth She gan reioyce and shew triumphant chere Lauding and praysing his renowmed worth By all the names that honorable were Then in he brought her and her shewed there The present of his paines that Monsters spoyle And eke that Idoll deem'd so costly dere Whom he did all to peeces breake and foyle In filthy durt and left so in the loathely soyle Then all the people which beheld that day Gan shout aloud that vnto heauen it rong And all the damzels of that towne in ray Came dauncing forth and ioyous carrols song So him they led through all their streetes along Crowned with girlonds of immortall baies And all the vulgar did about them throng To see the man whose euerlasting praise They all were bound to all posterities to raise There he with Belgae did a while remaine Making great feast and ioyous merriment Vntill he had her settled in her raine With safe assuraunce and establishment Then to his first emprize his mind he lent Full loath to Belgae and to all the rest Of whom yet taking leaue thenceforth he went And to his former iourney him addrest On which long way he rode ne euer day did rest But turne we now to noble Artegall Who hauing left Mercilla streight way went On his first quest the which him forth did call To weet to worke Irenaes franchisement And eke Grantortoes worthy punishment So forth he fared as his manner was With onely Talus wayting diligent Through many perils and much way did pas Till nigh vnto the place at length approcht he has There as he traueld by the way he met An aged wight wayfaring all alone Who through his yeares long since aside had set The vse of armes and battell quite forgone To whom as he approcht he knew anone That it was he which whilome did attend On faire Irene in her affliction When first to Faery court he saw her wend Vnto his soueraine Queene her suite for to commend Whom by his name saluting thus he gan Haile good Sir Sergis truest Knight aliue Well tride in all thy Ladies troubles than When her that Tyrant did of Crowne depriue What new ocasion doth thee hither driue Whiles she alone is left and thou here found Or is she thrall or doth she not suruiue To whom he thus She liueth sure and sound But by that Tyrant is in wretched thraldome bound For she presuming on th' appointed tyde In which ye promist as ye were a Knight To meete her at the saluage Ilands syde And then and there for triall of her right With her vnrigteous enemy to fight Did thither come where she afrayd of nought By guilefull treason and by subtill slight Surprized was and to Grantorto brought Who her imprisond hath and her life often sought And now he hath to her prefixt a day By which if that no champion doe appeare Which will her cause in battailous array Against him iustifie and proue her cleare Of all those crimes that he gainst her doth reare She death shall by Those tidings sad Did much abash Sir Artegall to heare And grieued sore that through his fault she had Fallen into that Tyrants hand and vsage bad Then thus replide Now sure and by my life Too much am I too blame for that faire Maide That haue her drawne to all this troublous strife Through promise to afford her timely aide Which by default I haue not yet defraide But witnesse vnto me ye heauens that knew How cleare I am from blame of this vpbraide For ye into like thraldome me did throw And kept from complishing the faith which I did owe. But now aread Sir Sergis how long space Hath he her lent a Champion to prouide Ten daies quoth he he graunted hath of grace For that he weeneth well before that tide None can haue tidings to assist her side For all the shores which to the sea accoste He day and night doth ward both far and wide That none can there arriue without an hoste So her he deemes already but a damned ghoste Now turne againe Sir Artegall then sayd For if I liue till those ten daies haue end Assure your selfe Sir Knight she shall haue ayd Though I this dearest life for her doe spend So backeward he attone with him did wend. Tho as they rode together on their way A rout of people they before them kend Flocking together in confusde array As if that there were some tumultuous affray To which as they approcht the cause to know They saw a Knight in daungerous distresse Of a rude rout him chasing to and fro That sought with lawlesse powre him to oppresse And bring in bondage of their brutishnesse And farre away amid their rakehell bands They spide a Lady left all succourlesse Crying and holding vp her wretched hands To him for aide who long in vaine their rage withstands Yet still he striues ne any perill spares To reskue her from their rude violence And like a Lion wood amongst them fares Dealing his dreadfull blowes with large dispence Gainst which the pallid death findes no defence But all in vaine their numbers are so great That naught may boot to banishe them from thence For soone as he their outrage backe doth beat They turne afresh and oft renew their former threat And now they doe so sharpely him assay That they his shield in peeces battred haue And forced him to throw it quite away Fro dangers dread his doubtfull life to saue Albe that it most safety to him gaue And much did magnifie his noble name For from the day that he thus did it leaue Amongst all Knights he blotted was with blame And counted but a recreant Knight with endles shame Whom when they thus distressed did behold They drew vnto his aide but that rude rout Them also gan assaile with outrage bold And forced them how euer strong and stout They were as well approu'd in many a doubt Backe to recule vntill that yron man With his huge flaile began to lay about From whose sterne presence they diffused ran Like scattred chaffe the which the wind away doth fan So when that Knight from perill cleare was freed He drawing neare began to greete them faire And yeeld great thankes for their so goodly deed In sauing him from daungerous despaire Of those which sought his life for to empaire Of whom Sir Artegall gan then enquire The whole occasion of his late misfare And who he was and what those villaines were The which with mortall malice him pursu'd so nere To whom he thus My name is Burbon hight Well knowne and far renowmed heretofore Vntill late mischiefe did vppon me light That all my former praise hath blemisht sore And that faire Lady which in that vprore Ye with those caytiues saw Flourdelis hight Is mine owne loue though me she haue
so strong No loue so lasting then that may endure long Witnesse may Burbon be whom all the bands Which may a Knight assure had surely bound Vntill the loue of Lordship and of lands Made him become most faithlesse and vnsound And witnesse be Gerioneo found Who for like cause faire Belge did oppresse And right and wrong most cruelly confound And so be now Grantorto who no lesse Then all the rest burst out to all outragiousnesse Gainst whom Sir Artegall long hauing since Taken in hand th'exploit being theretoo Appointed by that mightie Faerie Prince Great Gloriane that Tyrant to fordoo Through other great aduentures hethertoo Had it forslackt But now time drawing ny To him assynd her high beheast to doo To the sea shore he gan his way apply To weete if shipping readie he mote there descry Tho when they came to the sea coast they found A ship all readie as good fortune fell To put to sea with whom they did compound To passe them ouer where them list to tell The winde and weather serued them so well That in one day they with the coast did fall Whereas they readie found them to repell Great hostes of men in order martiall Which them forbad to land and footing did forstall But nathemore would they from land refraine But when as nigh vnto the shore they drew That foot of man might sound the bottome plaine Talus into the sea did forth issew Though darts from shore stones they at him threw And wading through the waues with stedfast sway Maugre the might of all those troupes in vew Did win the shore whence he them chast away And made to fly like doues whom the Eagle doth affray The whyles Sir Artegall with that old knight Did forth descend there being none them neare And forward marched to a towne in sight By this came tydings to the Tyrants eare By those which earst did fly away for feare Of their arriuall wherewith troubled sore He all his forces streight to him did reare And forth issuing with his scouts afore Meant them to haue incountred ere they left the shore But ere he marched farre he with them met And fiercely charged them with all his force But Talus sternely did vpon them set And brusht and battred them without remorse That on the ground he left full many a corse Ne any able was him to withstand But he them ouerthrew both man and horse That they lay scattred ouer all the land As thicke as doth the seede after the sowers hand Till Artegall him seeing so to rage Willd him to stay and signe of truce did make To which all harkning did a while asswage Their forces furie and their terror slake Till he an Herauld cald and to him spake Willing him wend vnto the Tyrant streight And tell him that not for such slaughters sake He thether came but for to trie the right Of fayre Irenaes cause with him in single fight And willed him for to reclayme with speed His scattred people ere they all were slaine And time and place conuenient to areed In which they two the combat might darraine Which message when Grantorto heard full fayne And glad he was the slaughter so to stay And pointed for the combat twixt them twayne The morrow next ne gaue him longer day So sounded the retraite and drew his folke away That night Sir Artegall did cause his tent There to be pitched on the open plaine For he had giuen streight commaundement That none should dare him once to entertaine Which none durst breake though many would right faine For fayre Irena whom they loued deare But yet old Sergis did so well him paine That from close friends that dar'd not to appeare He all things did puruay which for them needfull weare The morrow next that was the dismall day Appointed for Irenas death before So soone as it did to the world display His chearefull face and light to men restore The heauy Mayd to whom none tydings bore Of Artegals arryuall her to free Lookt vp with eyes full sad and hart full sore Weening her lifes last howre then neare to bee Sith no redemption nigh she did nor heare nor see Then vp she rose and on her selfe did dight Most squalid garments fit for such a day And with dull countenance and with doleful spright She forth was brought in sorrowfull dismay For to receiue the doome of her decay But comming to the place and finding there Sir Artegall in battailous array Wayting his foe it did her dead hart cheare And new life to her lent in midst of deadly feare Like as a tender Rose in open plaine That with vntimely drought nigh withered was And hung the head soone as few drops of raine Thereon distill and deaw her daintie face Gins to looke vp and with fresh wonted grace Dispreds the glorie of her leaues gay Such was Irenas countenance such her case When Artegall she saw in that array There wayting for the Tyrant till it was farre day Who came at length with proud presumpteous gate Into the field as if he fearelesse were All armed in a cote of yron plate Of great defence to ward the deadly feare And on his head a steele cap he did weare Of colour rustie browne but sure and strong And in his hand an huge Polaxe did beare Whose steale was yron studded but not long With which he wont to fight to iustifie his wrong Of stature huge and hideous he was Like to a Giant for his monstrous hight And did in strength most sorts of men surpas Ne euer any found his match in might Thereto he had great skill in single fight His face was vgly and his countenance sterne That could haue frayd one with the very sight And gaped like a gulfe when he did gerne That whether man or monster one could scarse discerne Soone as he did within the listes appeare With dreadfull looke he Artegall beheld As if he would haue daunted him with feare And grinning griesly did against him weld His deadly weapon which in hand he held But th'Elfin swayne that oft had seene like fight Was with his ghastly count'nance nothing queld But gan him streight to buckle to the fight And cast his shield about to be in readie plight The trompets sound and they together goe With dreadfull terror and with fell intent And their huge strokes full daungerously bestow To doe most dammage where as most they ment But with such force and furie violent The tyrant thundred his thicke blowes so fast That through the yron walles their way they rent And euen to the vitall parts they past Ne ought could them endure but all they cleft or brast Which cruell outrage when as Artegall Did well auize thenceforth with warie heed He shund his strokes where euer they did fall And way did giue vnto their gracelesse speed As when a skilfull Marriner doth reed A storme approching that doth perill threat He will not bide the daunger of such dread But strikes
Yet goodly court he made still to his Dame Pourd out in loosnesse on the grassy grownd Both carelesse of his health and of his fame Till at the last he heard a dreadfull sownd Which through the wood loud bellowing did rebownd That all the earth for terrour seemd to shake And trees did tremble Th'Elfe therewith astownd Vpstarted lightly from his looser make And his vnready weapons gan in hand to take But ere he could his armour on him dight Or get his shield his monstrous enimy With sturdie steps came stalking in his sight An hideous Geant horrible and hye That with his talnesse seemd to threat the skye The ground eke groned vnder him for dreed His liuing like saw neuer liuing eye Ne durst behold his stature did exceed The hight of three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed The greatest Earth his vncouth mother was And blustring AEolus his boasted sire Who with his breath which through the world dot◠pas Her hollow womb did secretly inspire And fild her hidden caues with stormie yre That she conceiu'd and trebling the dew time In which the wombes of women do expire Brought forth this monstrous masse of earthly slime Puft vp with emptie wind and fild with sinfull crime So growen great through arrogant delight Of th' high descent whereof he was yborne And through presumption of his matchlesse might All other powres and knighthood he did scorne Such now he marcheth to this man forlorne And left to losse his stalking steps are stayde Vpon a snaggy Oke which he had torne Out of his mothers bowelles and it made His mortall mace wherewith his foemen he dismayde That when the knight he spide he gan aduance With huge force and insupportable mayne And towardes him with dreadfull fury praunce Who haplesse and eke hopelesse all in vaine Did to him pace sad battaile to darrayne Disarmd disgrast and inwardly dismayde And eke so faint in euery ioynt and vaine Through that fraile foūtaine which him feeble made That scarsely could he weeld his bootlesse single blade The Geaunt strooke so maynly mercilesse That could haue ouerthrowne a stony towre And were not heauenly grace that him did blesse He had beene pouldred all as thin as flowre But he was wary of that deadly stowre And lightly lept from vnderneath the blow Yet so exceeding was the villeins powre That with the wind it did him ouerthrow And all his sences stound that still he lay full low As when that diuelish yron Engin wrought In deepest Hell and framd by Furies skill With windy Nitre and quick Sulphur fraught And ramd with bullet round ordaind to kill Conceiueth fire the heauens it doth fill With thundring noyse and all the ayre doth choke That none can breath nor see nor heare at will Through smouldry cloud of duskish stincking smoke That th' onely breath him daunts who hath escapt the stroke So daunted when the Geaunt saw the knight His heauie hand he heaued vp on hye And him to dust thought to haue battred quight Vntill Duessa loud to him gan crye O great Orgoglio greatest vnder skye O hold thy mortall hand for Ladies sake Hold for my sake and do him not to dye But vanquisht thine eternall bondslaue make And me thy worthy meed vnto thy Leman take He hearkned and did stay from further harmes To gayne so goodly guerdon as she spake So willingly she came into his armes Who her as willingly to grace did take And was possessed of his new found make Then vp he tooke the slombred sencelesse corse And ere he could out of his swowne awake Him to his castle brought with hastie forse And in a Dongeon deepe him threw without remorse From that day forth Duessa was his deare And highly honourd in his haughtie eye He gaue her gold and purple pall to weare And triple crowne set on her head full hye And her endowd with royall maiestye Then for to make her dreaded more of men And peoples harts with awfull terrour tye A monstrous beast ybred in filthy fen He chose which he had kept long time in darksome den Such one it was as that renowmed Snake Which great Alcides in Stremona slew Long fostred in the filth of Lerna lake Whose many heads out budding euer new Did breed him endlesse labour to subdew But this same Monster much more vgly was For seuen great heads out of his body grew An yron brest and backe of scaly bras And all embrewd in bloud his eyes did shine as glas His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length That to the house of heauenly gods it raught And with extorted powre and borrow'd strength The euer-burning lamps from thence it brought And prowdly threw to ground as things of nought And vnderneath his filthy feet did tread The sacred things and holy heasts foretaught Vpon this dreadfull Beast with seuenfoldhead He set the false Duessa for more aw and dread The wofull Dwarfe which saw his maisters fall Whiles he had keeping of his grasing steed And valiant knight become a caytiue thrall When all was past tooke vp his forlorne weed His mightie armour missing most at need His siluer shield now idle maisterlesse His poynant speare that many made to bleed The ruefull moniments of heauinesse And with them all departes to tell his great distresse He had not trauaild long when on the way He wofull Ladie wofull Vna met Fast flying from the Paynims greedy pray Whilest Satyrane him from pursuit did let Who when her eyes she on the Dwarfe had set And saw the signes that deadly tydings spake She fell to ground for sorrowfull regret And liuely breath her sad brest did forsake Yet might her pitteous hart be seene to pant and quake The messenger of so vnhappie newes Would faine haue dyde dead was his hart within Yet outwardly some little comfort shewes At last recouering hart he does begin To rub her temples and to chause her chin And euery tender part does tosse and turne So hardly he the flitted life does win Vnto her natiue prison to retourne Then gins her grieued ghost thus to lament and mourne Ye dreary instruments of dolefull sight That doe this deadly spectacle behold Why do ye lenger feed on loathed light Or liking find to gaze on earthly mould Sith cruell fates the carefull threeds vnfould The which my life and loue together tyde Now let the stony dart of senselesse cold Perce to my hart and pas through euery side And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hide O lightsome day the lampe of highest Ioue First made by him mens wandring wayes to guyde When darkenesse he in deepest dongeon droue Henceforth thy hated face for euer hyde And shut vp heauens windowes shyning wyde For earthly sight can nought but sorrow breed And late repentance which shall long abyde Mine eyes no more on vanitie shall feed But seeled vp with death shall haue their deadly meed Then downe againe she fell vnto the ground But he her quickly reared vp againe Thrise
did she sinke adowne in deadly swownd And thrise he her reviu'd with busie paine At last when life recouer'd had the raine And ouer-wrestled his strong enemie With foltring tong and trembling euery vaine Tell on quoth she the wofull Tragedie The which these reliques sad present vnto mine eie Tempestuous fortune hath spent all her spight And thrilling sorrow throwne his vtmost dart Thy sad tongue cannot tell more heauy plight Then that I feele and harbour in mine hart Who hath endur'd the whole can beare each part If death it be it is not the first wound That launched hath my brest with bleeding smart Begin and end the bitter balefull stound If lesse then that I feare more fauour I haue found Then gan the Dwarfe the whole discourse declare The subtill traines of Archimago old The wanton loues of false Fidessa faire Bought with the bloud of vanquisht Paynim bold The wretched payre transform'd to treen mould The house of Pride and perils round about The combat which he with Sansioy did hould The lucklesse conflict with the Gyant stout Wherein captiu'd of life or death he stood in doubt She heard with patience all vnto the end And stroue to maister sorrowfull assay Which greater grew the more she did contend And almost rent her tender hart in tway And loue fresh coles vnto her fire did lay For greater loue the greater is the losse Was neuer Ladie loued dearer day Then she did loue the knight of the Redcrosse For whose deare sake so many troubles her did tosse At last when feruent sorrow slaked was She vp arose resoluing him to find A liue or dead and forward forth doth pas All as the Dwarfe the way to her assynd And euermore in constant care full mind She fed her wound with fresh renewed bale Long tost with stormes and bet with bitter wind High ouer hils and low adowne the dale She wandred many a wood and measurd many a vale At last she chaunced by good hap to meet A goodly knight faire marching by the way Together with his Squire arayed meet His glitterand armour shined farre away Like glauncing light of Phoebus brightest ray From top to toe no place appeared bare That deadly dint of steele endanger may Athwart his brest a bauldrick braue he ware That shynd like twinkling stars with stons most pretious rare And in the midst thereof one pretious stone Of wondrous worth and eke of wondrous mights Shapt like a Ladies head exceeding shone Like Hesperus emongst the lesser lights And stroue for to amaze the weaker sights Thereby his mortall blade full comely hong In yuory sheath ycaru'd with curious slights Whose hilts were burnisht gold and handle strong Of mother pearle and buckled with a golden tong His haughtie helmet horrid all with gold Both glorious brightnesse and great terrour bred For all the crest a Dragon did enfold With greedie pawes and ouer all did spred His golden wings his dreadfull hideous hed Close couched on the beuer seem'd to throw From flaming mouth bright sparkles fierie red That suddeine horror to faint harts did show And scaly tayle was stretcht adowne his backe full low Vpon the top of all his loftie crest A bunch of haires discolourd diuersly With sprincled pearle and gold full richly drest Did shake and seem'd to daunce for iollity Like to an Almond tree ymounted hye On top of greene Selinis all alone With blossomes braue bedecked daintily Whos 's tender locks do tremble euery one At euery little breath that vnder heauen is blowne His warlike shield all closely couer'd was Ne might of mortall eye be euer seene Not made of steele nor of enduring bras Such earthlymettals soone consumed bene But all of Diamond perfect pure and cleene It framed was one massie entire mould Hewen out of Adamant rocke with engines keene That point of speare it neuer percen could Ne dint of direfull sword diuide the substance would The same to wight he neuer wont disclose But when as monsters huge he would dismay Or daunt vnequall armies of his foes Or when the flying heauens he would affray For so exceeding shone his glistring ray That Phoebus golden face it did attaint As when a cloud his beames doth ouer-lay And siluer Cynthia wexed pale and faint As when her face is staynd with magicke arts constraint No magicke arts hereof had any might Nor bloudie wordes of bold Enchaunters call But all that was not such as seemd in sight Before that shield did fade and suddeine fall And when him list the raskall routes appall Men into stones therewith he could transmew And stones to dust and dust to nought at all And when him list the prouder lookes subdew He would them gazing blind or turne to other hew Ne let it seeme that credence this exceedes For he that made the same was knowne right well To haue done much more admirable deedes It Merlin was which whylome did excell All liuing wightes in might of magicke spell Both shield and sword and armour all he wrought For this young Prince when first to armes he fell But when he dyde the Faerie Queene it brought To Faerie lond where yet it may be seene if sought A gentle youth his dearely loued Squire His speare of heben wood behind him bare Whose harmefull head thrice heated in the fire Had riuen many a brest with pikehead square A goodly person and could menage faire His stubborne steed with curbed canon bit Who vnder him did trample as the aire And chauft that any on his backe should sit The yron rowels into frothy some he bit When as this knight nigh to the Ladie drew With louely court he gan her entertaine But when he heard her answeres loth he knew Some secret sorrow did her heart distraine Which to allay and calme her storming paine Faire feeling words he wisely gan display And for her humour fitting purpose faine To tempt the cause it selfe for to bewray Wherewith emmou'd these bleeding words she gan to say What worlds delight or ioy of lining speach Can heart so plung'd in sea of sorrowes deepe And heaped with so huge misfortunes reach The carefull cold beginneth for to creepe And in my heart his yron arrow steepe Soone as I thinke vpon my bitter bale Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keepe Then rip vp griefe where it may not auaile My last left comfort is my woes to weepe and waile Ah Ladie deare quoth then the gentle knight Well may I weene your griefe is wondrous great For wondrous great griefe groneth in my spright Whiles thus I heare you of your sorrowes treat But wofull Ladie let me you intrete For to vnfold the anguish of your hart Mishaps are maistred by aduice discrete And counsell mittigates the greatest smart Found neuer helpe who neuer would his hurts impart O but quoth she great griefe will not be tould And can more easily be thought then said Right so quoth he but he that neuer would Could neuer will to might giues greatest