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
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
might That all my senses were bereaued quight Then brought she me into this desert waste And by my wretched louers side me pight Where now enclosd in wooden wals full faste Banisht from liuing wights our wearie dayes we waste But how long time said then the Elfin knight Are you in this misformed house to dwell We may not chaunge quoth he this euil plight Till we be bathed in a lining well That is the terme prescribed by the spell O how said he mote I that well out find That may restore you to your wonted well Time and suffised fates to former kynd Shall vs restore none else from hence may vs vnbynd The false Duessa now Fidessa hight Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament And knew well all was true But the good knight Full of sad feare and ghastly dreriment When all this speech the liuing tree had spent The bleeding bough did thrust into the ground That from the bloud he might be innocent And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound Then turning to his Lady dead with feare her found Her seeming dead he found with feigned feare As all vnweeting of that well she knew And paynd himselfe with busie care to reare Her out of carelesse swowne Her eylids blew And dimmed sight with pale and deadly hew At last she vp gan lift with trembling cheare Her vp he tooke too simple and too trew And oft her kist At length all passed feare He set her on her steede and forward forth did beare Cant. III. Forsaken Truth long seekes her loue And makes the Lyon mylde Marres blind Deuotions mart and fals In hand of leachour vylde NOught is there vnder heau'ns wide hollownesse That moues more deare compassion of mind Then beautie brought t'vnworthy wretchednesse Through enuies snares or fortunes freakes vnkind I whether lately through her brightnesse blind Or through alleageance and fast fealtie Which I do owe vnto all woman kind Feele my heart perst with so great agonie When such I see that all for pittie I could die And now it is empassioned so deepe For fairest Vnaes sake of whom I sing That my fraile eyes these lines with teares do steepe To thinke how she through guilefull handeling Though true as touch though daughter of a king Though faire as euer liuing wight was faire Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting Is from her knight diuorced in despaire And her due loues deriu'd to that vile witches share Yet she most faithfull Ladie all this while Forsaken wofull solitarie mayd Farre from all peoples prease as in exile In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd To seeke her knight who subtilly betrayd Through that late vision which th' Enchaunter wrought Had her abandond She of nought affrayd Through woods and wastnesse wide him daily sought Yet wished tydings none of him vnto her brought One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way From her vnhastie beast she did alight And on the grasse her daintie limbes did lay In secret shadow farre from all mens sight From her faire head her fillet she vndight And laid her stole aside Her angels face As the great eye of heauen shyned bright And made a sunshine in the shadie place Did neuer mortall eye behold such heauenly grace It fortuned out of the thickest wood A ramping Lyon rushed suddainly Hunting full greedie after saluage blood Soone as the royall virgin he did spy With gaping mouth at her ran greedily To haue attonce deuour'd her tender corse But to the pray when as he drew more ny His bloudie rage asswaged with remorse And with the sight amazd forgat his furious forse In stead thereof he kist her wearie feet And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong As he her wronged innocence did weet O how can beautie maister the most strong And simple truth subdue auenging wrong Whose yeelded pride and proud submission Still dreading death when she had marked long Her hart gan melt in great compassion And drizling teares did shed for pure affection The Lyon Lord of euery beast in field Quoth she his princely puissance doth abate And mightie proud to humble weake does yield Forgetfull of the hungry rage which late Him prickt in pittie of my sad estate But he my Lyon and my noble Lord How does he find in cruell hart to hate Her that him lou'd and euer most adord As the God of my life why hath he me abhord Redounding teares did choke th' end of her plaint Which softly ecchoed from the neighbour wood And sad to see her sorrowfull constraint The kingly beast vpon her gazing stood With pittie calmd downe fell his angry mood At last in close hart shutting vp her paine Arose the virgin borne of heauenly brood And to her snowy Palfrey got againe To seeke her strayed Champion if she might attaine The Lyon would not leaue her desolate But with her went along as a strong gard Of her chast person and a faithfull mate Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard Still when she slept he kept both watch and ward And when she wakt he waited diligent With humble seruice to her will prepard From her faire eyes he tooke commaundement And euer by her lookes conceiued her intent Long she thus traueiled through deserts wyde By which she thought her wandring knight shold pas Yet neuer shew of liuing wight espyde Till that at length she found the troden gras In which the tract of peoples footing was Vnder the steepe foot of a mountaine hore The same she followes till at last she has A damzell spyde slow footing her before That on her shoulders sad a pot of water bore To Whom approching she to her gan call To weet if dwelling place were nigh at hand But the rude wench her answer'd nought at all She could not heare nor speake nor vnderstand Till seeing by her side the Lyon stand With suddaine feare her pitcher downe she threw And fled away for neuer in that land Face of faire Ladie she before did vew And that dread Lyons looke her cast in deadly hew Full fast she fled ne euer lookt behynd As if her life vpon the wager lay And home she came whereas her mother blynd Sate in eternall night nought could she say But suddaine catching hold did her dismay With quaking hands and other signes of feare Who full of ghastly fright and cold affray Gan shut the dore By this arriued there Dame Vna wearie Dame and entrance did requere Which when none yeelded her vnruly Page With his rude clawes the wicket open rent And let her in where of his cruell rage Nigh dead with feare and faint astonishment She found them both in darkesome corner pent Where that old woman day and night did pray Vpon her beades deuoutly penitent Nine hundred Pater nosters euery day And thrise nine hundred Aues she was wont to say And to augment her painefull pennance more Thrise euery weeke in ashes she did sit And next her wrinkled skin rough sackcloth wore And thrise three
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
limbes and terrible his looke And in his clownish hand a sharp bore speare he shooke Which outrage when those gentle knights did see Full of great enuie and fell gealosy They stayd not to auise who first should bee But all spurd after fast as they mote fly To reskew her from shamefull villany The Prince and Guyon equally byliue Her selfe pursewd in hope to win thereby Most goodly meede the fairest Dame aliue But after the foule foster Timias did striue The whiles faire Britomart whose constant mind Would not so lightly follow beauties chace Ne reckt of Ladies Loue did stay behind And them awayted there a certaine space To weet if they would turne backe to that place But when she saw them gone she forward went As lay her iourney through that perlous Pace With stedfast courage and stout hardiment Ne euill thing she fear'd ne euill thing she ment At last as nigh out of the wood she came A stately Castle farre away she spyde To which her steps directly she did frame That Castle was most goodly edifyde And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde But faire before the gate a spatious plaine Mantled with greene it selfe did spredden wyde On which she saw sixe knights that did darraine Fierce battell against one with cruell might and maine Mainly they all attonce vpon him laid And sore beset on euery side around That nigh he breathlesse grew yet nought dismaid Ne euer to them yielded foot of ground All had he lost much bloud through many a wound But stoutly dealt his blowes and euery way To which he turned in his wrathfull stound Made them recoile and fly from dred decay That none of all the sixe before him durst assay Like dastard Curres that hauing at a bay The saluage beast embost in wearie chace Dare not aduenture on the stubborne pray Ne byte before but rome from place to place To get a snatch when turned is his face In such distresse and doubtfull ieopardy When Britomart him saw she ran a pace Vnto his reskew and with earnest cry Bad those same sixe forbeare that single enimy But to her cry they list not lenden eare Ne ought the more their mightie strokes surceasse But gathering him round about more neare Their direfull rancour rather did encreasse Till that she rushing through the thickest preasse Perforce disparted their compacted gyre And soone compeld to hearken vnto peace Tho gan she myldly of them to inquyre The cause of their dissention and outrageous yre Whereto that single knight did answere frame These sixe would me enforce by oddes of might To chaunge my liefe and loue another Dame That death me liefer were then such despight So vnto wrong to yield my wrested right For I loue one the truest one on ground Ne list me chaunge she th' Errant Damzell hight For whose deare sake full many a bitter stownd I haue endur'd and tasted many a bloudy wound Certes said she then bene ye sixe to blame To weene your wrong by force to iustifie For knight to leaue his Ladie were great shame That faithfull is and better were to die All losse is lesse and lesse the infamie Then losse of loue to him that loues but one Ne may loue be compeld by maisterie For soone as maisterie comes sweet loue anone Taketh his nimble wings and soone away is gone Then spake one of those sixe There dwelleth here Within this castle wall a Ladie faire Whose soueraine beautie hath no liuing pere Thereto so bounteous and so debonaire That neuer any mote with her compaire She hath ordaind this law which we approue That euery knight which doth this way repaire In case he haue no Ladie nor no loue Shall doe vnto her seruice neuer to remoue But if he haue a Ladie or a Loue Then must he her forgoe with foule defame Or else with vs by dint of sword approue That she is fairer then our fairest Dame As did this knight before ye hither came Perdie said Britomart the choise is hard But what reward had he that ouercame He should aduaunced be to high regard Said they and haue our Ladies loue for his reward Therefore a read Sir if thou haue a loue Loue haue I sure quoth she but Lady none Yet will I not fro mine owne loue remoue Ne to your Lady will I seruice done But wreake your wrongs wrought to this knight alone And proue his cause With that her mortall speare She mightily auentred towards one And downe him smot ere well aware he weare Then to the next she rode downe the next did beare Ne did she stay till three on ground she layd That none of them himselfe could reare againe The fourth was by that other knight dismayd All were he wearie of his former paine That now there do but two of six remaine Which two did yield before she did them smight Ah said she then now may ye all see plaine That truth is strong and trew loue most of might That for his trusty seruaunts doth so strongly fight Too well we see said they and proue too well Our faulty weaknesse and your matchlesse might For thy faire Sir yours be the Damozell Which by her owne law to your lot doth light And we your liege men faith vnto you plight So vnderneath her feet their swords they shard And after her besought well as they might To enter in and reape the dew reward She graunted and then in they all together far'd Long were it to describe the goodly frame And stately port of Castle Ioyeous For so that Castle hight by commune name Where they were entertaind with curteous And comely glee of many gracious Faire Ladies and many a gentle knight Who through a Chamber long and spacious Eftsoones them brought vnto their Ladies sight That of them cleeped was the Lady of delight But for to tell the sumptuous aray Of that great chamber should be labour lost For liuing wit I weene cannot display The royall riches and exceeding cost Of euery pillour and of euery post Which all of purest bullion framed were And with great pearles and pretious stones embost That the bright glister of their beames cleare Did sparckle forth great light and glorious did appeare These straunger knights through passing forth were led Into an inner rowme whose royaltee And rich purueyance might vneath be red Mote Princes place be seeme so deckt to bee Which stately manner when as they did see The image of superfluous riotize Exceeding much the state of meane degree They greatly wondred whence so sumptuous guize Might be maintaynd and each gan diuersely deuize The wals were round about apparelled With costly clothes of Arras and of Toure In which with cunning hand was pourtrahed The loue of Venus and her Paramoure The faire Adonis turned to a flowre A worke of rare deuice and wondrous wit First did it shew the bitter balefull stowre Which her assayd with many a feruent fit When first her tender hart was with his beautie smit Then
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
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