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THE FAERIE　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

QVEENE.

Disposed into twelue books,

Fashioning

XII. Morall vertues.

LONDON

Printed for William Ponsonbie.

1590.

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TO THE MOST MIGH-

TIE AND MAGNIFI-

CENT EMPRESSE ELI-

ZABETH, BY THE

GRACE OF GOD QVEENE

OF ENGLAND, FRANCE

AND IRELAND DE-

FENDER OF THE FAITH

&c.

Her most humble

Seruant:

Ed. Spenser.

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The first Booke of

the Faerie Queene.

Contayning

The Legend of the Knight

of the Red Crosse,

Of Holinesse.

LO I the man, whose Muse whylome did maske,

As time her taught, in lowly Shephards weeds,

Am now enforst a farre vnfitter taske,

For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds:

And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds,

Whose praises hauing slept in silence long,

Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds

To blazon broade emongst her learned throng:

Fierce warres and faithfull loues shall moralize my song.

Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of nyne,

Thy weaker Nouice to performe thy will,

Lay forth out of thine euerlasting scryne

The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,

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Of Faerie knights and fayrest Tanaquill,

Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long

Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,

That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:

O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

And thou most dreaded impe of highest Ioue,

Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart

At that good knight so cunningly didst roue,

That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,

Lay now thy deadly Heben bowe apart,

And with thy mother mylde come to mine ayde:

Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,

In loues and gentle iollities arraid,

After his murdrous spoyles and bloudie rage allayd.

And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenly bright,

Mirrour of grace and Maiestie diuine,

Great Ladie of the greatest Isle, whose light

Like Ph bus lampe throughout the world doth shine,

Shed thy faire beames into mine feeble eyne,

And raise my thoughtes too humble and too vile,

To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,

The argument of mine afflicted stile:

The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dread a while.

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Canto I.

The Patrone of true Holinesse,

Foule Errour doth defeate:

Hypocrisie him to entrappe,

Doth to his home entreate.

A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,

Ycladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,

Wherein old dints of deepe woundes did remaine,

The cruell markes of many' a bloody fielde;

Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:

His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,

As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:

Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,

As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

And on his brest a bloodie Crosse he bore,

The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,

For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,

And dead as liuing euer him ador'd:

Vpon his shield the like was also scor'd,

For soueraine hope, which in his helpe he had:

Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,

But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;

Yet nothing did he dread, but euer was ydrad.

Vpon a great aduenture he was bond,

That greatest Gloriana to him gaue,

That greatest Glorious Queene of Faery lond,

To winne him worshippe, and her grace to haue,

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Which of all earthly thinges he most did craue;

And euer as he rode his hart did earne,

To proue his puissance in battell braue

Vpon his foe, and his new force to learne;

Vpon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.

A louely Ladie rode him faire beside,

Vpon a lowly Asse more white then snow,

Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide

Vnder a vele, that wimpled was full low,

And ouer all a blacke stole shee did throw,

As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,

And heauie sate vpon her palfrey slow:

Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,

And by her in a line a milkewhite lambe she lad.

So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,

She was in life and euery vertuous lore,

And by descent from Royall lynage came

Of ancient Kinges and Queenes, that had of yore

Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,

And all the world in their subiection held,

Till that infernall feend with foule vprore

Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:

Whom to auenge, she had this Knight from far compeld.

Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,

That lasie seemd in being euer last,

Or wearied with bearing of her bag

Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,

The day with cloudes was suddeine ouercast,

And angry Ioue an hideous storme of raine

Did poure into his Lemans lap so fast,

That euerie wight to shrowd it did constrain,

And this faire couple eke to shroud themselues were fain.

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Enforst to seeke some couert nigh at hand,

A shadie groue not farr away they spide,

That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:

Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride,

Did spred so broad, that heauens light did hide,

Not perceable with power of any starr:

And all within were pathes and alleies wide,

With footing worne, and leading inward farr:

Faire harbour that them seemes, so in they entred ar.

And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led,

Ioying to heare the birdes sweete harmony,

Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred,

Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky.

Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy,

The sayling Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,

The vine-propp Elme, the Poplar neuer dry,

The builder Oake, sole king of forrests all,

The Aspine good for staues, the Cypresse funerall.

The Laurell, meed of mightie Conquerours

And Poets sage, the Firre that weepeth still,

The Willow worne of forlorne Paramours,

The Eugh obedient to the benders will,

The Birch for shaftes, the Sallow for the mill,

The Mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound,

The warlike Beech, the Ash for nothing ill,

The fruitfull Oliue, and the Platane round,

The caruer Holme, the Maple seeldom inward sound.

Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,

Vntill the blustring storme is ouerblowne;

When weening to returne, whence they did stray,

They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,

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But wander too and fro in waies vnknowne,

Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene,

That makes them doubt, their wits be not their owne:

So many pathes, so many turnings seene,

That which of them to take, in diuerse doubt they been.

At last resoluing forward still to fare,

Till that some end they finde or in or out,

That path they take, that beaten seemd most bare,

And like to lead the labyrinth about;

Which when by tract they hunted had throughout,

At length it brought them to a hollowe caue,

Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout

Eftsoones dismounted from his courser braue,

And to the Dwarfe a while his needlesse spere he gaue.

Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde,

Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash prouoke:

The danger hid, the place vnknowne and wilde,

Breedes dreadfull doubts: Oft fire is without smoke,

And perill without show: therefore your stroke

Sir knight with-hold, till further tryall made.

Ah Ladie (sayd 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 nowe 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.

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But full of fire and greedy hardiment,

The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,

But forth vnto the darksom 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 poisnous dugs, eachone

Of sundrie 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 darknes to remaine,

Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.

Which when the valiant Elfe perceiu'd, 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:

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Therewith enrag'd, she loudly gan to bray,

And turning fierce, her speckled taile aduaunst,

Threatning her angrie sting, him to dismay:

Who nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst:

The stroke down from 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 bodie 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 stirr 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, els 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 filthie maw

A floud of poyson horrible and blacke,

Full of great lumps 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 filthie parbreake all the place defiled has.

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As when old father Nilus gins to swell

With timely pride aboue the Aegyptian vale,

His fattie waues doe fertile slime outwell,

And ouerflow each plaine and lowly dale:

But when his later spring gins to auale,

Huge heapes of mudd he leaues, wherin there breed

Ten thousand kindes of creatures partly male

And partly femall of his fruitful seed;

Such vgly monstrous shapes elswher 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 lenger fight.

Whose corage when the feend perceiud 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 euentide,

When ruddy Phebus gins to welke in west,

High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide,

Markes which doe byte their hasty supper best,

A cloud of cumbrous gnattes doe him molest,

All striuing to infixe their feeble stinges,

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 certeine perill he stood in,

Halfe furious vnto his foe he came,

Resolud in minde all suddenly to win,

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Or soone to lose, before he once would lin;

And stroke at her with more then manly force,

That from her body full of filthie sin

He raft her hatefull heade without remorse;

A streame of cole black blood forth gushed from 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 bloud,

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 Lady seeing all, that chaunst, from farre

Approcht in hast to greet his victorie,

And saide, Faire knight, borne vnder happie starre,

Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye:

Well worthie be you of that Armory,

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.

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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 byway 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 passed forth, and new aduenture sought,

Long way he traueiled, 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 hoarie gray,

And by his belt his booke he hanging had;

Sober he seemde, and very sagely sad,

And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,

Simple in shew, and voide of malice bad,

And all the way he prayed as he went,

And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.

He faire the knight saluted, louting low,

Who faire him quited, as that courteous was:

And after asked him, if he did know

Of straunge aduentures, which abroad did pas.

Ah my deare Sonne (quoth he) how should, alas,

Silly old man, that liues in hidden cell,

Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,

Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?

With holy father sits not with such thinges to mell.

But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell,

And homebredd euil ye desire to heare,

Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,

That wasteth all this countrie farre and neare.

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Of such (saide he) I chiefly doe inquere,

And shall thee well rewarde to shew the place,

In which that wicked wight his dayes doth weare:

For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace,

That such a cursed creature liues so long a space.

Far hence (quoth he) in wastfull wildernesse

His dwelling is, by which no liuing wight

May euer passe, but thorough great distresse.

Now (saide the Ladie) draweth toward night,

And well I wote, that of your later fight

Ye all forwearied be: for what so strong,

But wanting rest will also want of might?

The Sunne that measures heauen all day long,

At night doth baite his steedes the Ocean waues emong.

Then with the Sunne take Sir, your timely rest,

And with new day new worke at once begin:

Vntroubled night they say giues counsell best.

Right well Sir knight ye haue aduised bin,

Quoth then that aged man; the way to win

Is wisely to aduise: now day is spent;

Therefore with me ye may take vp your In

For this same night. The knight was well content:

So with that godly father to his home they went.

A litle lowly Hermitage it was,

Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side,

Far from resort of people, that did pas

In traueill to and froe: a litle wyde

There was an holy chappell edifyde,

Wherein the Hermite dewly wont to say

His holy thinges each morne and euentyde:

Thereby a christall streame did gently play,

Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.

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Arriued there the litle house they fill,

Ne looke for entertainement, where none was:

Rest is their feast, and all thinges at their will;

The noblest mind the best contentment has.

With faire discourse the euening so they pas:

For that olde man of pleasing wordes had store,

And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas,

He told of Saintes and Popes, and euermore

He strowd an Aue-Mary after and before.

The drouping Night thus creepeth on them fast,

And the sad humor loading their eye liddes,

As messenger of Morpheus on them cast

Sweet slombring deaw, the which to sleep them biddes:

Vnto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes:

Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes,

He to his studie goes, and there amiddes

His magick bookes and artes of sundrie kindes,

He seekes out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy minds.

Then choosing out few words most horrible,

(Let none them read) thereof did verses frame,

With which and other spelles like terrible,

He bad awake blacke Plutoes griesly Dame,

And cursed heuen, and spake reprochful shame

Of highest God, the Lord of life and light,

A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by name

Great Gorgon, prince of darknes and dead night,

At which Cocytus quakes and Styx is put to flight.

And forth he cald out of deepe darknes dredd

Legions of Sprights, the which like litle flyes

Fluttring about his euerdamned hedd,

A waite whereto their seruice he applyes,

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To aide his friendes, or fray his enimies:

Of those he chose out two, the falsest twoo,

And fittest for to forge true-seeming lyes;

The one of them he gaue a message too,

The other by him selfe staide other worke to doo.

He making speedy way through spersed ayre,

And through the world of waters wide and deepe,

To Morpheus house doth hastily repaire.

Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,

And low, where dawning day doth neuer peepe,

His dwelling is; there Tethys his wet bed

Doth euer wash, and Cynthia still doth steepe

In siluer deaw his euer-drouping hed,

Whiles sad Night ouer him her mantle black doth spred.

Whose double gates he findeth locked fast,

The one faire fram'd of burnisht Yuory,

The other all with siluer ouercast;

And wakeful dogges before them farre doe lye,

Watching to banish Care their enimy,

Who oft is wont to trouble gentle Sleepe.

By them the Sprite doth passe in quietly,

And vnto Morpheus comes, whom drowned deepe

In drowsie fit he findes: of nothing he takes keepe.

And more, to lulle him in his slumber soft,

A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe

And euer drizling raine vpon the loft,

Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne

Of swarming Bees, did cast him in a swowne:

No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes,

As still are wont t'annoy the walled towne,

Might there be heard: but carelesse Quiet lyes,

Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enimyes.

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The Messenger approching to him spake,

But his waste wordes retournd to him in vaine:

So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.

Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine,

Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe

Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.

As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine

Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,

He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.

The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,

And threatned vnto him the dreaded name

Of Hecate: whereat he gan to quake,

And lifting vp his lompish head, with blame

Halfe angrie asked him, for what he came.

Hether (quoth he) me Archimago sent,

He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,

He bids thee to him send for his intent

A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.

The God obayde, and calling forth straight way

A diuerse dreame out of his prison darke,

Deliuered it to him, and downe did lay

His heauie head, deuoide of careful carke,

Whose sences all were straight benumbd and starke.

He backe returning by the Yuorie dore,

Remounted vp as light as chearefull Larke,

And on his litle winges the dreame he bore,

In hast vnto his Lord, where he him left afore.

Who all this while with charmes and hidden artes,

Had made a Lady of that other Spright,

And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender partes

So liuely and so like in all mens sight,

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That weaker sence it could haue rauisht quight:

The maker selfe for all his wondrous witt,

Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight:

Her all in white he clad, and ouer it

Cast a black stole, most like to seeme for Vna fit.

Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought,

Vnto that Elfin knight he bad him fly,

Where he slept soundly void of euil thought,

And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,

In sort as he him schooled priuily:

And that new creature borne without her dew,

Full of the makers guyle with vsage sly

He taught to imitate that Lady trew,

Whose semblance she did carrie vnder feigned hew.

Thus well instructed, to their worke they haste,

And comming where the knight in slomber lay,

The one vpon his hardie head him plaste,

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 chaste hart had subdewd, to learne Dame pleasures toy.

And she her selfe of beautie soueraigne Queene,

Fayre Venus seemde vnto his bed to bring

Her, whom he waking euermore did weene,

To bee the chastest flowre, that aye 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 io Hymen, dauncing all around,

Whylst freshest Flora her with Yuie girlond crownd.

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In this great passion of vnwonted lust,

Or wonted feare of doing ought amis,

He starteth vp, as seeming to mistrust,

Some secret ill, or hidden foe of his:

Lo there before his face his Ladie is,

Vnder blacke 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 hastie 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 blood, and for her tender youth.

And sayd, 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 kingdom, There she stopt with teares;

Her swollen hart her speech seemd to bereaue,

And then againe begonne, My weaker yeares

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Captiu'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares

Fly to your fayth for succour and sure ayde:

Let me not die 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 saide, and deare constraint

Lets me not sleepe, but waste 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 chose 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 wearines 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.

_#B3r

Cant. II.

The guilefull great Enchaunter parts

The Redcrosse Knight from Truth:

Into whose stead faire falshood steps,

And workes him woefull 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 al, that in the wide deepe wandring arre:

And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill

Had warned once, that Ph bus 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 tel

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 baleful bokes 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

_#B3v

His wanton daies that euer loosely led,

Without regard of armes and dreaded fight:

Those twoo he tooke, and in a secrete bed,

Couered with darkenes 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 fearful 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 shameful chaine;

Come see, where your false Lady doth her honor 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 leud embracement:

Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,

The eie of reason was with rage yblent,

And would haue slaine them in his furious ire,

But hardly was restreined of that aged sire.

Retourning to his bed in torment great,

And bitter anguish of his guilty 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, and brought forth dawning light,

Then vp he rose, and clad him hastily;

The dwarfe him brought his steed: so both away do fly.

_#B4r

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 drousy 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 howre;

Then gan she wail and weepe, to see that woeful stowre.

And after him she rode with so much speede,

As her slowe beast could make; but all in vaine:

For him so far had borne his light-foot steede,

Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce disdaine,

That him to follow was but fruitlesse paine;

Yet she her weary limbes would neuer rest,

But euery hil and dale, each wood and plaine

Did search, sore grieued in her gentle brest,

He so vngently left her, whome she loued best.

But subtill Archimago when his guests

He saw diuided into double parts,

And Vna wandring in woods and forrests,

Th'end of his drift, he praisd his diuelish arts,

That had such might ouer true meaning harts:

Yet rests not so, but other meanes doth make,

How he may worke vnto her further smarts:

For her he hated as the hissing snake,

And in her many troubles did most pleasure take.

He then deuisde himselfe how to disguise;

For by his mighty science he could take

As many formes and shapes in seeming wise,

As euer Proteus to himselfe could make:

_#B4v

Sometime a fowle, sometime a fish in lake,

Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell,

That of himselfe he ofte for feare would quake,

And oft would flie away. O who can tell

The hidden powre of herbes, and might of Magick spel?

But now seemde best, the person to put on

Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest:

In mighty armes he was yclad anon:

And siluer shield, vpon his coward brest

A bloody crosse, and on his crauen crest

A bounch of heares discolourd diuersly:

Full iolly knight he seemde, and wel addrest,

And when he sate vppon his courser free,

Saint George himselfe ye would haue deemed him to be.

But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did beare,

The true Saint George was wandred far away,

Still flying from his thoughts and gealous feare;

Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray.

At last him chaunst to meete vpon the way

A faithlesse Sarazin all armde to point,

In whose great shield was writ with letters gay

Sans foy: full large of limbe and euery ioint

He was, and cared not for God or man a point.

Hee had a faire companion of his way,

A goodly Lady clad in scarlot red,

Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay,

And like a Persian mitre on her hed

Shee wore, with crowns and owches garnished,

The which her lauish louers to her gaue;

Her wanton palfrey all was ouerspred

With tinsell trappings, wouen like a waue,

Whose bridle rung with golden bels and bosses braue.

_#B5r

With faire disport and courting dalliaunce

She intertainde her louer all the way:

But when she saw the knight his speare aduaunce,

Shee soone left off her mirth and wanton play,

And bad her knight addresse him to the fray:

His foe was nigh at hand. He prickte with pride

And hope to winne his Ladies hearte that day,

Forth spurred fast: adowne his coursers side

The red bloud trickling staind the way, as he did ride.

The knight of the Redcrosse when him he spide,

Spurring so hote with rage dispiteous,

Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride:

Soone meete they both, both fell and furious,

That daunted with theyr forces hideous,

Their steeds doe stagger, and amazed stand,

And eke themselues too rudely rigorous,

Astonied with the stroke of their owne hand,

Doe backe rebutte, and ech to other yealdeth land.

As when two rams stird with ambitious pride,

Fight for the rule of the rich fleeced flocke,

Their horned fronts so fierce on either side,

Doe meete, that with the terror of the shocke

Astonied both, stand sencelesse as a blocke,

Forgetfull of the hanging victory:

So stood these twaine, vnmoued as a rocke,

Both staring fierce, and holding idely,

The broken reliques of their former cruelty.

The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe

Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies;

Who well it wards, and quyteth cuff with cuff:

Each others equall puissaunce enuies,

_#B5v

And through their iron sides with cruell spies

Does seeke to perce: repining courage yields

No foote to foe. The flashing fier flies

As from a forge out of their burning shields,

And streams of purple bloud new dies the verdant fields.

Curse on that Crosse (quoth then the Sarazin)

That keepes thy body from the bitter fitt;

Dead long ygoe I wote thou haddest bin,

Had not that charme from thee forwarned itt:

But yet I warne thee now assured sitt,

And hide thy head. Therewith vpon his crest

With rigor so outrageous he smitt,

That a large share it hewd out of the rest,

And glauncing downe his shield, from blame him fairely blest.

Who thereat wondrous wroth, the sleeping spark

Of natiue vertue gan eftsoones reuiue,

And at his haughty helmet making mark,

So hugely stroke, that it the steele did riue,

And cleft his head. He tumbling downe aliue,

With bloudy mouth his mother earth did kis,

Greeting his graue: his grudging ghost did striue

With the fraile flesh; at last it flitted is,

Whether the soules doe fly of men, that liue amis.

The Lady when she saw her champion fall,

Like the old ruines of a broken towre,

Staid not to waile his woefull funerall,

But from him fled away with all her powre;

Who after her as hastily gan scowre,

Bidding the dwarfe with him to bring away

The Sarazins shield, signe of the conqueroure,

Her soone he ouertooke, and bad to stay,

For present cause was none of dread her to dismay.

_#B6r

Shee turning backe with ruefull countenaunce,

Cride, Mercy mercy Sir vouchsafe to show

On silly Dame, subiect to hard mischaunce,

And to your mighty wil. Her humblesse low

In so ritch weedes and seeming glorious show,

Did much emmoue his stout heroicke heart,

And said, Deare dame, your suddein ouerthrow

Much rueth me; but now put feare apart,

And tel, both who ye be, and who that tooke your part.

Melting in teares, then gan shee thus lament;

The wreched woman, whom vnhappy howre

Hath now made thrall to your commandement,

Before that angry heauens list to lowre,

And fortune false betraide me to thy powre,

Was, (O what now auaileth that I was?)

Borne the sole daughter of an Emperour,

He that the wide West vnder his rule has,

And high hath set his throne, where Tiberis doth pas.

He in the first flowre of my freshest age,

Betrothed me vnto the onely haire

Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage;

Was neuer Prince so faithfull and so faire,

Was neuer Prince so meeke and debonaire;

But ere my hoped day of spousall shone,

My dearest Lord fell from high honors staire,

Into the hands of hys accursed fone,

And cruelly was slaine, that shall I euer mone.

His blessed body spoild of liuely breath,

Was afterward, I know not how, conuaid

And fro me hid: of whose most innocent death

When tidings came to mee vnhappy maid,

_#B6v

O how great sorrow my sad soule assaid.

Then forth I went his woefull corse to find,

And many yeares throughout the world I straid,

A virgin widow, whose deepe wounded mind

With loue, long time did languish as the striken hind.

At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin,

To meete me wandring, who perforce me led

With him away, but yet could neuer win

The Fort, that Ladies hold in soueraigne dread.

There lies he now with foule dishonor dead,

Who whiles he liude, was called proud Sans foy,

The eldest of three brethren, all three bred

Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans ioy,

And twixt them both was born the bloudy bold Sansloy.

In this sad plight, friendlesse, vnfortunate,

Now miserable I Fidessa dwell,

Crauing of you in pitty of my state,

To doe none ill, if please ye not doe well.

He in great passion al this while did dwell,

More busying his quicke eies, her face to view,

Then his dull eares, to heare what shee did tell,

And said, Faire Lady hart of flint would rew

The vndeserued woes and sorrowes, which ye shew.

Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest,

Hauing both found a new friend you to aid,

And lost an old foe, that did you molest:

Better new friend then an old foe is said.

With chaunge of chear the seeming simple maid

Let fal her eien, as shamefast to the earth,

And yeelding soft, in that she nought gain-said,

So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth,

And shee coy lookes: so dainty they say maketh derth.

_#B7r

Long time they thus together traueiled,

Til weary of their way, they came at last,

Where grew two goodly trees, that faire did spred

Their armes abroad, with gray mosse ouercast,

And their greene leaues trembling with euery blast,

Made a calme shadowe far in compasse round:

The fearefull Shepheard often there aghast

Vnder them neuer sat, ne wont there sound

His mery oaten pipe, but shund th'vnlucky ground.

But this good knight soone as he them can spie,

For the coole shade him thither hastly got:

For golden Phoebus now ymounted hie,

From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot

Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot,

That liuing creature mote it not abide;

And his new Lady it endured not.

There they alight, in hope themselues to hide

From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide.

Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes,

With goodly purposes there as they sit:

And in his falsed fancy he her takes

To be the fairest wight, that liued yit;

Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit,

And thinking of those braunches greene to frame

A girlond for her dainty forehead fit,

He pluckt a bough; out of whose rifte there came

Smal drops of gory bloud, that trickled down the same.

Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard,

Crying, O spare with guilty hands to teare

My tender sides in this rough rynd embard,

But fly, ah fly far hence away, for feare

_#B7v

Least to you hap, that happened to me heare,

And to this wretched Lady, my deare loue,

O too deare loue, loue bought with death too deare.

Astond he stood, and vp his heare did houe,

And with that suddein horror could no member moue.

At last whenas the dreadfull passion

Was ouerpast, and manhood well awake,

Yet musing at the straunge occasion,

And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake;

What voice of damned Ghost from Limbo lake,

Or guilefull spright wandring in empty aire,

Both which fraile men doe oftentimes mistake,

Sends to my doubtful eares these speaches rare,

And ruefull plaints, me bidding guiltlesse blood to spare?

Then groning deep, Nor damned Ghost, (quoth he,)

Nor guileful sprite to thee these words doth speake,

But once a man Fradubio, now a tree,

Wretched man, wretched tree; whose nature weake

A cruell witch her cursed will to wreake,

Hath thus transformd, and plast in open plaines,

Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleake,

And scorching Sunne does dry my secret vaines:

For though a tree I seme, yet cold and heat me paines.

Say on Fradubio then, or man, or tree,

Quoth then the knight, by whose mischieuous arts

Art thou misshaped thus, as now I see?

He oft finds med'cine, who his griefe imparts;

But double griefs afflict concealing harts,

As raging flames who striueth to suppresse.

The author then (said he) of all my smarts,

Is one Duessa a false sorceresse,

That many errant knights hath broght to wretchednesse.

_#B8r

In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hott

The fire of loue and ioy of cheualree

First kindled in my brest, it was my lott

To loue this gentle Lady, whome ye see,

Now not a Lady, but a seeming tree;

With whome as once I rode accompanyde,

Me chaunced of a knight encountred bee,

That had a like faire Lady by his syde,

Lyke a faire Lady, but did fowle Duessa hyde.

Whose forged beauty he did take in hand,

All other Dames to haue exceded farre;

I in defence of mine did likewise stand,

Mine, that did then shine as the Morning starre:

So both to batteill fierce arraunged arre,

In which his harder fortune was to fall

Vnder my speare: such is the dye of warre:

His Lady left as a prise martiall,

Did yield her comely person, to be at my call.

So doubly lou'd of ladies vnlike faire,

Th'one seeming such, the other such indeede,

One day in doubt I cast for to compare,

Whether in beauties glorie did exceede;

A Rosy girlond was the victors meede:

Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee,

So hard the discord was to be agreede.

Fralissa was as faire, as faire mote bee,

And euer false Duessa seemde as faire as shee.

The wicked witch now seeing all this while

The doubtfull ballaunce equally to sway,

What not by right, she cast to win by guile,

And by her hellish science raisd streight way

_#B8v

A foggy mist, that ouercast the day,

And a dull blast, that breathing on her face,

Dimmed her former beauties shining ray,

And with foule vgly forme did her disgrace:

Then was she fayre alone, when none was faire in place.

Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight,

Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine

To haue before bewitched all mens sight;

O leaue her soone, or let her soone be slaine.

Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine,

Eftsoones I thought her such, as she me told,

And would haue kild her; but with faigned paine,

The false witch did my wrathfull hand with-hold:

So left her, where she now is turnd to treen mould.

Thens forth I tooke Duessa for my Dame,

And in the witch vnweeting ioyd long time,

Ne euer wist, but that she was the same,

Till on a day (that day is euerie Prime,

When Witches wont do penance for their crime)

I chaunst to see her in her proper hew,

Bathing her selfe in origane and thyme:

A filthy foule old woman I did vew,

That euer to haue toucht her, I did deadly rew.

Her neather partes misshapen, monstruous,

Were hidd in water, that I could not see,

But they did seeme more foule and hideous,

Then womans shape man would beleeue to bee.

Thens forth from her most beastly companie

I gan refraine, in minde to slipp away,

Soone as appeard safe opportunitie:

For danger great, if not assurd decay

I saw before mine eyes, if I were knowne to stray.

_#C1r

The diuelish hag by chaunges of my cheare

Perceiu'd my thought, and drownd in sleepie night,

With wicked herbes and oyntments did besmeare

My body all, through charmes and magicke 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 daies we waste.

But how long time, said then the Elfin knight,

Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?

We may not chaunge (quoth he) this euill plight,

Till we be bathed in a liuing well;

That is the terme prescribed by the spell.

O how, sayd 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 blood he might be innocent,

And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound:

Then turning to his Lady, dead with feare her fownd.

Her seeming dead he fownd 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

_#C1v

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'vnworthie wretchednesse

Through enuies snares or fortunes freakes vnkind:

I, whether lately through her brightnes blynd,

Or through alleageance and fast fealty,

Which I do owe vnto all womankynd,

Feele my hart perst with so great agony,

When such I see, that all for pitty I could dy.

And now it is empassioned so deepe,

For fairest Vnaes sake, of whom I sing,

That my frayle eies these lines with teares do steepe,

To thinke, how she through guyleful handeling,

Though true as touch, though daughter of a king,

Though faire as euer liuing wight was fayre,

Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting,

Is from her knight diuorced in despayre

And her dew loues deryu'd to that vile witches shayre.

_#C2r

Yet she most faithfull Ladie all this while

Forsaken, wofull, solitarie mayd

Far from all peoples preace, as in exile,

In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd,

To seeke her knight; who subtily betrayd

Through that late vision, which th'Enchaunter wrought,

Had her abandond. She of nought affrayd,

Through woods and wastnes wide him daily sought;

Yet wished tydinges 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 dainty limbs did lay

In secrete shadow, far from all mens sight:

From her fayre head her fillet she vndight,

And layd her stole aside. Her angels face

As the great eye of heauen shyned bright,

And made a sunshine in the shady place;

Did neuer mortall eye behold such heauenly grace.

It fortuned out of the thickest wood

A ramping Lyon rushed suddeinly,

Hunting full greedy after saluage blood;

Soone as the royall virgin he did spy,

With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,

To haue attonce deuourd her tender corse:

But to the pray when as he drew more ny,

His bloody rage aswaged 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,

_#C2v

And simple truth subdue auenging wrong?

Whose yielded pryde 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 euerie 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 payne,

Arose the virgin borne of heauenly brood,

And to her snowy Palfrey got agayne,

To seeke her strayed Champion, if she might attayne.

The Lyon would not leaue her desolate,

But with her went along, as a strong gard

Of her chast person, and a faythfull mate

Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard:

Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward,

And when she wakt, he wayted diligent,

With humble seruice to her will prepard:

From her fayre eyes he tooke commandement,

And euer by her lookes conceiued her intent.

_#C3r

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 answerd nought at all,

She could not heare, nor speake, nor vnderstand;

Till seeing by her side the Lyon stand,

With suddeine feare her pitcher downe she threw,

And fled away: for neuer in that land

Face of fayre Lady she before did vew,

And that dredd 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 suddeine 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, weary Dame, and entrance did requere.

Which when none yielded, 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,

_#C3v

Shee found them both in darkesome corner pent;

Where that old woman day and night did pray

Vpon her beads deuoutly penitent;

Nine hundred Pater nosters euery day,

And thrise nine hundred Aues she was wont to say.

And to augment her painefull penaunce more,

Thrise euery weeke in ashes shee did sitt,

And next her wrinkled skin rough sackecloth wore,

And thrise three times did fast from any bitt:

But now for feare her beads she did forgett.

Whose needelesse dread for to remoue away,

Faire Vna framed words and count'naunce fitt:

Which hardly doen, at length she gan them pray,

That in their cotage small that night she rest her may.

The day is spent, and commeth drowsie night,

When euery creature shrowded is in sleepe;

Sad Vna downe her laies in weary plight,

And at her feete the Lyon watch doth keepe:

In stead of rest, she does lament, and weepe

For the late losse of her deare loued knight,

And sighes, and grones, and euermore does steepe

Her tender brest in bitter teares all night,

All night she thinks too long, and often lookes for light.

Now when Aldeboran was mounted hye

Aboue the shinie Cassiopeias chaire,

And all in deadly sleepe did drowned lye,

One knocked at the dore, and in would fare;

He knocked fast, and often curst, and sware,

That ready entraunce was not at his call:

For on his backe a heauy load he bare

Of nightly stelths and pillage seuerall,

Which he had got abroad by purchas criminall.

_#C4r

He was to weete a stout and sturdy thiefe,

Wont to robbe Churches of their ornaments,

And poore mens boxes of their due reliefe,

Which giuen was to them for good intents;

The holy Saints of their rich vestiments

He did disrobe, when all men carelesse slept,

And spoild the Priests of their habiliments,

Whiles none the holy things in safety kept;

Then he by conning sleights in at the window crept.

And all that he by right or wrong could find,

Vnto this house he brought, and did bestow

Vpon the daughter of this woman blind,

Abessa daughter of Corceca slow,

With whom he whoredome vsd, that few did know,

And fed her fatt with feast of offerings,

And plenty, which in all the land did grow;

Ne spared he to giue her gold and rings:

And now he to her brought part of his stolen things.

Thus long the dore with rage and threats he bett,

Yet of those fearfull women none durst rize,

The Lyon frayed them, him in to lett:

He would no lenger stay him to aduize,

But open breakes the dore in furious wize,

And entring is; when that disdainfull beast

Encountring fierce, him suddein doth surprize,

And seizing cruell clawes on trembling brest,

Vnder his Lordly foot him proudly hath supprest.

Him booteth not resist, nor succour call,

His bleeding hart is in the vengers hand,

Who streight him rent in thousand peeces small,

And quite dismembred hath: the thirsty land

_#C4v

Dronke vp his life; his corse left on the strand.

His fearefull freends weare out the wofull night,

Ne dare to weepe, nor seeme to vnderstand

The heauie hap, which on them is alight,

Affraid, least to themselues the like mishappen might.

Now when broad day the world discouered has,

Vp Vna rose, vp rose the lyon eke,

And on their former iourney forward pas,

In waies vnknowne, her wandring knight to seeke,

With paines far passing that long wandring Greeke,

That for his loue refused deitye;

Such were the labours of this Lady meeke,

Still seeking him, that from her still did flye,

Then furthest from her hope, when most she weened nye.

Soone as she parted thence, the fearfull twayne,

That blind old woman and her daughter dear

Came forth, and finding Kirkrapine there slayne,

For anguish great they gan to rend their heare,

And beat their brests, and naked flesh to teare.

And when they both had wept and wayld their fill,

Then forth they ran like two amazed deare,

Halfe mad through malice, and reuenging will,

To follow her, that was the causer of their ill.

Whome ouertaking, they gan loudly bray,

With hollow houling, and lamenting cry,

Shamefully at her rayling all the way,

And her accusing of dishonesty,

That was the flowre of faith and chastity;

And still amidst her rayling, she did pray,

That plagues, and mischiefes, and long misery

Might fall on her, and follow all the way,

And that in endlesse error she might euer stray.

_#C5r

But when she saw her prayers nought preuaile,

Shee backe retourned with some labour lost;

And in the way, as shee did weepe and waile,

A knight her mett in mighty armes embost,

Yet knight was not for all his bragging bost,

But subtill Archimag, that Vna sought

By traynes into new troubles to haue toste:

Of that old woman tidings he besought,

If that of such a Lady shee could tellen ought.

Therewith she gan her passion to renew,

And cry, and curse, and raile, and rend her heare,

Saying, that harlott she too lately knew,

That causd her shed so many a bitter teare,

And so forth told the story of her feare:

Much seemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce,

And after for that Lady did inquere;

Which being taught, he forward gan aduaunce

His fair enchaunted steed, and eke his charmed launce.

Ere long he came, where Vna traueild slow,

And that wilde Champion wayting her besyde:

Whome seeing such, for dread hee durst not show

Him selfe too nigh at hand, but turned wyde

Vnto an hil; from whence when she him spyde,

By his like seeming shield her knight by name

Shee weend it was, and towards him gan ride:

Approching nigh she wist, it was the same,

And with faire fearefull humblesse towards him shee came.

And weeping said, Ah my long lacked Lord,

Where haue ye bene thus long out of my sight?

Much feared I to haue bene quite abhord,

Or ought haue done, that ye displeasen might,

_#C5v

That should as death vnto my deare heart light:

For since mine eie your ioyous sight did mis,

My chearefull day is turnd to chearelesse night,

And eke my night of death the shadow is;

But welcome now my light, and shining lampe of blis.

He thereto meeting said, My dearest Dame,

Far be it from your thought, and fro my wil,

To thinke that knighthood I so much should shame,

As you to leaue, that haue me loued stil,

And chose in Faery court of meere goodwil,

Where noblest knights were to be found on earth:

The earth shall sooner leaue her kindly skil

To bring foth fruit, and make eternall derth,

Then I leaue you, my liefe, yborn of heuenly berth.

And sooth to say, why I lefte you so long,

Was for to seeke aduenture in straunge place,

Where Archimago said a felon strong

To many knights did daily worke disgrace;

But knight he now shall neuer more deface:

Good cause of mine excuse, that mote ye please

Well to accept, and euer more embrace

My faithfull seruice, that by land and seas

Haue vowd you to defend. Now then your plaint appease.

His louely words her seemd due recompence

Of all her passed paines: one louing howre

For many yeares of sorrow can dispence:

A dram of sweete is worth a pound of sowre:

Shee has forgott, how many, a woeful stowre

For him she late endurd; she speakes no more

Of past: true is, that true loue hath no powre

To looken backe; his eies be fixt before.

Before her stands her knight, for whom she toyld so sore.

_#C6r

Much like, as when the beaten marinere,

That long hath wandred in the Ocean wide,

Ofte 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 far he has espide,

His chearfull whistle merily 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 seemde no lesse,

Then the glad marchant, that does vew from ground

His ship far 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 dreadful 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 far, when they might see

One pricking towards them with hastie heat,

Full strongly armd, and on a courser free,

That through his fiersnesse fomed all with sweat,

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 bloody 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 batteill with his couched speare.

_#C6v

Loth was that other, and did faint through feare,

To taste th'vntryed dint of deadly steele;

But yet his Lady did so well him cheare,

That hope of new good hap he gan to feele;

So bent his speare, and spurd his horse with yron heele.

But that proud Paynim forward came so ferce,

And full of wrath, that with his sharphead speare

Through vainly crossed shield he quite did perce,

And had his staggering steed not shronke for feare,

Through shield and body eke he should him beare:

Yet so great was the puissance of his push,

That from his sadle 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 minde to reaue his life,

And proudly said, Lo there the worthie meed

Of him, that slew Sansfoy with bloody knife;

Henceforth his ghost freed from repining strife,

In peace may passen ouer Lethe lake,

When mourning altars purgd with enimies life,

The black infernall Furies doen aslake:

Life from Sansfoy thou tookst, Sansloy shall from 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: Mercy not withstand:

For he is one the truest knight aliue,

Though conquered now he lye on lowly land,

And whilest him fortune fauourd, fayre did thriue

In bloudy field: therefore of life him not depriue.

_#C7r

Her piteous wordes might not abate his rage,

But rudely rending vp his helmet, would

Haue slayne him streight: but when he sees his age,

And hoarie head of Archimago old,

His hasty hand he doth amased hold,

And halfe ashamed, wondred at the sight:

For that old man well knew he, though vntold,

In charmes and magick 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 hether brought to taste mine yre?

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 cloude 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 fiers seruant full of kingly aw

And high disdaine, whenas his soueraine Dame

So rudely handled by her foe he saw,

With gaping iawes full greedy at him came,

_#C7v

And ramping on his shield, did weene the same

Haue reft away with his sharp rending clawes:

But he was stout, and lust did now inflame

His corage more, that from his griping pawes

He hath his shield redeemd, and forth 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 ror'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 yielded pray to saue or spill.

He now Lord of the field, his pride to fill,

With foule reproches, and disdaineful 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 plaintes she filleth his dull eares,

That stony hart could riuen haue in twaine,

And all the way she wetts with flowing teares:

But he enrag'd with rancor, nothing heares.

Her seruile beast yet would not leaue her so,

But followes her far off, ne ought he feares,

To be partaker of her wandring woe,

More mild in beastly kind, then that her beastly foe.

_#C8r

Can. IIII.

To sinfull hous of Pryde, Duessa

guydes the faithfull knight,

Where brothers death to wreak Sansioy

doth chaleng 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 chaunge of thy deare loued Dame,

Least thou of her belieue 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 be;

Long with her traueild, till at last they see

A goodly building, brauely garnished,

The house of mightie Prince it seemd to be:

And towards it a broad high way that led,

All bare through peoples feet, which thether traueiled.

Great troupes of people traueild thetherward

Both day and night, of each degree and place,

But few returned, hauing scaped hard,

With balefull beggery, or foule disgrace,

_#C8v

Which euer after in most wretched case,

Like loathsome lazars, by the hedges lay.

Thether Duessa badd him bend his pace:

For she is wearie of the toilsom way,

And also nigh consumed is the lingring day.

A stately Pallace built of squared bricke,

Which cunningly was without morter laid,

Whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick

And golden foile all ouer them displaid,

That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid:

High lifted vp were many loftie towres,

And goodly galleries far ouer laid,

Full of faire windowes, and delightful bowres;

And on the top a Diall told the timely howres.

It was a goodly heape for to behould,

And spake the praises of the workmans witt;

But full great pittie, that so faire a mould

Did on so weake foundation euer sitt:

For on a sandie hill, that still did flitt,

And fall away, it mounted was full hie,

That euery breath of heauen shaked itt:

And all the hinder partes, that few could spie,

Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

Arriued there they passed in forth right;

For still to all the gates stood open wide,

Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight

Cald Maluenu, who entrance none denide:

Thence to the hall, which was on euery side

With rich array and costly arras dight:

Infinite sortes of people did abide

There waiting long, to win the wished sight

Of her, that was the Lady of that Pallace bright.

_#D1r

By them they passe, all gazing on them round,

And to the Presence mount; whose glorious vew

Their frayle amazed senses did confound:

In liuing Princes court none euer knew

Such endlesse richesse, and so sumpteous shew;

Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride

Like euer saw. And there a noble crew

Of Lords and Ladies stood on euery side,

Which with their presence fayre, the place much beautifide.

High aboue all a cloth of State was spred,

And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,

On which there sate most braue embellished

With royall robes and gorgeous array,

A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,

In glistring gold, and perelesse pretious stone;

Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay

To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,

As enuying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.

Exceeding shone, like Ph bus fayrest childe,

That did presume his fathers fyrie wayne,

And flaming mouthes of steedes vnwonted wilde

Through highest heauen with weaker hand to rayne;

Proud of such glory and aduancement vayne,

While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,

He leaues the welkin way most beaten playne,

And rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen,

With fire not made to burne, but fayrely for to shyne.

So proud she shyned in her princely state,

Looking to heauen; for earth she did disdayne,

And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:

Lo vnder neath her scornefull feete, was layne

_#D1v

A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne,

And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,

Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,

And in her selfe-lou'd semblance tooke delight;

For she was wondrous faire, as any liuing wight.

Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,

And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell;

Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas

That parentage, with pride so did she swell,

And thundring Ioue, that high in heauen doth dwell,

And wield the world, she claymed for her syre,

Or if that any else did Ioue excell:

For to the highest she did still aspyre,

Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

And proud Lucifera men did her call,

That made her selfe a Queene, and crownd to be,

Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all,

Ne heritage of natiue soueraintie,

But did vsurpe with wrong and tyrannie

Vpon the scepter, which she now did hold:

Ne ruld her Realme with lawes, but pollicie,

And strong aduizement of six wisards old,

That with their counsels bad her kingdome did vphold.

Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came,

And false Duessa seeming Lady fayre,

A gentle Husher, Vanitie by name

Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire:

So goodly brought them to the lowest stayre

Of her high throne, where they on humble knee

Making obeysaunce, did the cause declare,

Why they were come, her roiall state to see,

To proue the wide report of her great Maiestee.

_#D2r

With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so lowe,

She thancked them in her disdainefull wise,

Ne other grace vouchsafed them to showe

Of Princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise.

Her Lordes and Ladies all this while deuise

Themselues to setten forth to straungers sight:

Some frounce their curled heare in courtly guise,

Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight

Their gay attyre: each others greater pride does spight.

Goodly they all that knight doe entertayne,

Right glad with him to haue increast their crew;

But to Duess' each one himselfe did payne

All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;

For in that court whylome her well they knew:

Yet the stout Faery mongst the middest crowd

Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,

And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,

That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

Suddein vpriseth from her stately place

The roiall Dame, and for her coche doth call;

All hurtlen forth, and she with princely pace,

As faire Aurora in her purple pall,

Out of the East the dawning day doth call:

So forth she comes: her brightnes brode doth blaze;

The heapes of people thronging in the hall,

Doe ride each other, vpon her to gaze:

Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eies amaze.

So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme,

Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay,

That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime,

And stroue to match, in roiall rich array,

_#D2v

Great Iunoes golden chayre, the which they say

The Gods stand gazing on, when she does ride

To Ioues high hous through heauens bras-paued way

Drawne of fayre Pecocks, that excell in pride,

And full of Argus eyes their tayles dispredden wide.

But this was drawne of six vnequall beasts,

On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde,

Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,

With like conditions to their kindes applyde:

Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,

Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin;

Vpon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde,

Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,

Like to an holy Monck, the seruice to begin.

And in his hand his Portesse still he bare,

That much was worne, but therein little redd,

For of deuotion he had little care,

Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his daies dedd;

Scarse could he once vphold his heauie hedd,

To looken, whether it were night or day:

May seeme the wayne was very euill ledd,

When such an one had guiding of the way,

That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.

From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,

And greatly shunned manly exercise,

From euerie worke he chalenged essoyne,

For contemplation sake: yet otherwise,

His life he led in lawlesse riotise;

By which he grew to grieuous malady;

For in his lustlesse limbs through euill guise

A shaking feuer raignd continually:

Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.

_#D3r

And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,

Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne,

His belly was vpblowne 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 wordly 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 frend he seeldome knew his fo:

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 Gote, whose rugged heare,

And whally eies (the signe of gelosy,)

Was like the person selfe, whom he did beare:

_#D3v

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 ficklenesse,

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 waies, 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 lewdnes fild him with reprochfull pain

Of that foule euill, which all men reproue,

That rotts the marrow, and consumes the braine:

Such one was Lechery, the third of all this traine.

And greedy Auarice by him did ride,

Vppon a Camell loaden all with gold;

Two iron coffers hong on either side,

With precious metall full, as they might hold,

And in his lap an heap of coine he told;

For of his wicked pelf his God he made,

And vnto hell him selfe for money sold;

Accursed vsury was all his trade,

And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.

_#D4r

His life was nigh vnto deaths dore yplaste,

And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes hee ware,

Ne scarse good morsell all his life did taste,

But both from backe and belly still did spare,

To fill his bags, and richesse to compare;

Yet childe 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 welth was want, whose plenty made him pore,

Who had enough, yett 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 goe, nor stand:

Such one was Auarice, the fourth of this faire band.

And next to him malicious Enuy 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 neibors welth, 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, ypaynted full of eies;

And in his bosome secretly there lay

An hatefull Snake, the which his taile vptyes

_#D4v

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 felicitee

Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companee.

He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds,

And him no lesse, that any like did vse,

And who with gratious 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 Enuy was, that fifte in row did sitt.

And him beside rides fierce reuenging Wrath,

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 eies did hurle forth sparcles 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, when choler in him sweld.

His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood,

Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent,

Through vnaduized rashnes woxen wood;

For of his hands he had no gouernement,

Ne car'd for blood in his auengement:

But when the furious fitt was ouerpast,

His cruell facts he often would repent;

Yet wilfull man he neuer would forecast,

How many mischieues should ensue his heedlesse hast.

_#D5r

Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath;

Abhorred bloodshed, 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 Wrath, 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 laesy 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 sculls and 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 foule Duessa, next vnto the chaire

Of proud Lucifer', 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 vnfitt for warlike swaine.

So hauing solaced themselues a space,

With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed,

They backe retourned to the princely Place;

Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled,

_#D5v

And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red

Was writt Sans ioy, they new arriued find:

Enflam'd with fury and fiers hardy hed,

He seemd in hart to harbour thoughts vnkind,

And nourish bloody vengeaunce in his bitter mind.

Who when the shamed shield of slaine Sans foy

He spide with that same Fary champions page,

Bewraying him, that did of late destroy

His eldest brother, burning all with rage

He to him lept, and that same enuious gage

Of victors glory from him snacht away:

But th'Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage,

Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray,

And him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray.

Therewith they gan to hurtlen greedily,

Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne,

And clash their shields, and shake their swerds on hy,

That with their sturre they troubled all the traine;

Till that great Queene vpon eternall paine

Of high displeasure, that ensewen might,

Commaunded them their fury to refraine,

And if that either to that shield had right,

In equall lists they should the morrow next it fight.

Ah dearest Dame, quoth then the Paynim bold,

Pardon the error of enraged wight,

Whome great griefe made forgett the raines to hold

Of reasons rule, to see this recreaunt knight,

No knight, but treachour full of false despight

And shameful treason, who through guile hath slayn

The prowest knight, that euer field did fight,

Euen stout Sans foy (O who can then refrayn?)

Whose shield he beares renuerst, the more to heap disdayn.

_#D6r

And to augment the glorie of his guile,

His dearest loue the faire Fidessa loe

Is there possessed of the traytour vile,

Who reapes the haruest sowen by his foe,

Sowen in bloodie field, and bought with woe:

That brothers hand shall dearely well requight

So be, O Queene, you equall fauour showe.

Him litle answerd th'angry Elfin knight;

He neuer meant with words, but swords to plead his right.

But threw his gauntlet as a sacred pledg,

His cause in combat the next day to try:

So been they parted both, with harts on edg,

To be aueng'd each on his enimy.

That night they pas in ioy and iollity,

Feasting and courting both in bowre and hall;

For Steward was excessiue Gluttony,

That of his plenty poured forth to all;

Which doen, the Chamberlain Slowth did to rest them call.

Now whenas darkesome night had all displayd

Her coleblacke curtein ouer brightest skye,

The warlike youthes on dayntie couches layd,

Did chace away sweet sleepe from sluggish eye,

To muse on meanes of hoped victory.

But whenas Morpheus had with leaden mace,

Arrested all that courtly company,

Vprose Duessa from her resting place,

And to the Paynims lodging comes with silent pace.

Whom broad awake she findes, in troublous fitt,

Forecasting, how his foe he might annoy,

And him amoues with speaches seeming fitt:

Ah deare Sansioy, next dearest to Sansfoy,

_#D6v

Cause of my new griefe, cause of my new ioy,

Ioyous, to see his ymage in mine eye,

And greeud, to thinke how foe did him destroy,

That was the flowre of grace and cheualrye;

Lo his Fidessa to thy secret faith I flye.

With gentle wordes he can her fayrely greet,

And bad say on the secrete of her hart.

Then sighing soft, I learne that litle sweet

Oft tempred is (quoth she) with muchell smart:

For since my brest was launcht with louely dart

Of deare Sansfoy, I neuer ioyed howre,

But in eternall woes my weaker hart

Haue wasted, louing him with all my powre,

And for his sake haue felt full many an heauie stowre.

At last when perils all I weened past,

And hop'd to reape the crop of all my care,

Into new woes vnweeting I was cast,

By this false faytor, who vnworthie ware

His worthie shield, whom he with guilefull snare

Entrapped slew, and brought to shamefull graue.

Me silly maid away with him he bare,

And euer since hath kept in darksom caue,

For that I would not yeeld, that to Sansfoy I gaue.

But since faire Sunne hath sperst that lowring clowd,

And to my loathed life now shewes some light,

Vnder your beames I will me safely shrowd,

From dreaded storme of his disdainfull spight:

To you th'inheritance belonges by right

Of brothers prayse, to you eke longes his loue.

Let not his loue, let not his restlesse spright,

Be vnreueng'd, that calles to you aboue

From wandring Stygian shores, where it doth endlesse moue.

_#D7r

Thereto said he, Faire Dame be nought dismaid

For sorrowes past; their griefe is with them gone:

Ne yet of present perill be affraid:

For needlesse feare did neuer vantage none,

And helplesse hap it booteth not to mone.

Dead is Sansfoy, his vitall paines are past,

Though greeued ghost for vengeance deep do grone:

He liues, that shall him pay his dewties last,

And guiltie Elfin blood shall sacrifice in hast.

O But I feare the fickle freakes (quoth shee)

Of fortune false, and oddes of armes in field.

Why dame (quoth he) what oddes can euer bee,

Where both doe fight alike, to win or yield?

Yea but (quoth she) he beares a charmed shield,

And eke enchaunted armes, that none can perce,

Ne none can wound the man, that does them wield.

Charmd or enchaunted (answerd he then ferce)

I no whitt reck, ne you the like need to reherce.

But faire Fidessa, sithens fortunes guile,

Or enimies powre hath now captiued you,

Returne from whence ye came, and rest a while

Till morrow next, that I the Elfe subdew,

And with Sansfoyes dead dowry you endew.

Ay me, that is a double death (she said)

With proud foes sight my sorrow to renew:

Where euer yet I be, my secrete aide

Shall follow you. So passing forth she him obaid.

_#D7v

Cant. V.

The faithfull knight in equall field

subdewes his faithlesse foe,

Whom false Duessa saues, and for

his cure to hell does goe.

THe noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought,

And is with childe of glorious great intent,

Can neuer rest, vntill it forth haue brought

Th'eternall brood of glorie excellent:

Such restlesse passion did all night torment

The flaming corage of that Faery knight,

Deuizing, how that doughtie turnament

With greatest honour he atchieuen might;

Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light.

At last the golden Orientall gate

Of greatest heauen gan to open fayre,

And Phoebus fresh, as brydegrome to his mate,

Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie hayre:

And hurld his glistring beams through gloomy ayre.

Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiud, streight way

He started vp, and did him selfe prepayre,

In sunbright armes, and battailous array:

For with that Pagan proud he combatt will that day.

And forth he comes into the commune hall,

Where earely waite him many a gazing eye,

To weet what end to straunger knights may fall.

There many Minstrales maken melody,

_#D8r

To driue away the dull melancholy,

And many Bardes, that to the trembling chord

Can tune their timely voices cunningly,

And many Chroniclers, that can record

Old loues, and warres for Ladies doen by many a Lord.

Soone after comes the cruell Sarazin,

In wouen maile all armed warily,

And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin

Does care for looke of liuing creatures eye.

They bring them wines of Greece and Araby,

And daintie spices fetcht from furthest Ynd,

To kindle heat of corage priuily:

And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd

T'obserue the sacred lawes of armes, that are assynd.

At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene,

With royall pomp and princely maiestie;

She is ybrought vnto a paled greene,

And placed vnder stately canapee,

The warlike feates of both those knights to see.

On th'other side in all mens open vew

Duessa placed is, and on a tree

Sansfoy his shield is hangd with bloody hew:

Both those the lawrell girlonds to the victor dew.

A shrilling trompett sownded from on hye,

And vnto battaill bad them selues addresse:

Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye,

And burning blades about their heades doe blesse,

The instruments of wrath and heauinesse:

With greedy force each other doth assayle,

And strike so fiercely, that they doe impresse

Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle:

The yron walles to ward their blowes are weak and fraile.

_#D8v

The Sarazin was stout, and wondrous strong,

And heaped blowes like yron hammers great:

For after blood and vengeance he did long.

The knight was fiers, and full of youthly heat,

And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders threat:

For all for praise and honour he did fight.

Both stricken stryke, and beaten both doe beat,

That from their shields forth flyeth firie light,

And helmets hewen deepe shew marks of eithers might.

So th'one for wrong, the other striues for right:

As when a Gryfon seized of his pray,

A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,

Through widest ayre making his ydle way,

That would his rightfull rauine rend away:

With hideous horror both together smight,

And souce so sore, that they the heauens affray:

The wise Southsayer seeing so sad sight,

Th'amazed vulgar telles of warres and mortall fight.

So th'one for wrong, the other striues for right,

And each to deadly shame would driue his foe:

The cruell steele so greedily doth bight

In tender flesh, that streames of blood down flow,

With which the armes, that earst so bright did show,

Into a pure vermillion now are dyde:

Great ruth in all the gazers harts did grow,

Seeing the gored woundes to gape so wyde,

That victory they dare not wish to either side.

At last the Paynim chaunst to cast his eye,

His suddein eye, flaming with wrathfull fyre,

Vpon his brothers shield, which hong thereby:

Therewith redoubled was his raging yre,

_#E1r

And said, Ah wretched sonne of wofull syre,

Doest thou sit wayling by blacke Stygian lake,

Whylest here thy shield is hangd for victors hyre,

And sluggish german doest thy forces slake,

To after-send his foe, that him may ouertake?

Goe caytiue Elfe, him quickly ouertake,

And soone redeeme from his long wandring woe,

Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make,

That I his shield haue quit from dying foe.

Therewith vpon his crest he stroke him so,

That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall;

End of the doubtfull battaile deemed tho

The lookers on, and lowd to him gan call

The false Duessa, Thine the shield, and I, and all.

Soone as the Faerie heard his Ladie speake,

Out of his swowning dreame he gan awake,

And quickning faith, that earst was woxen weake,

The creeping deadly cold away did shake:

Tho mou'd with wrath, and shame, and Ladies sake,

Of all attonce he cast auengd to be,

And with so'exceeding furie at him strake,

That forced him to stoupe vpon his knee;

Had he not stouped so, he should haue clouen bee.

And to him said, Goe now proud Miscreant,

Thy selfe thy message do to german deare,

Alone he wandring thee too long doth want:

Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare.

Therewith his heauie hand he high gan reare,

Him to haue slaine; when lo a darkesome clowd

Vpon him fell: he no where doth appeare,

But vanisht is. The Elfe him calls alowd,

But answer none receiues: the darknes him does shrowd.

_#E1v

In haste Duessa from her place arose,

And to him running sayd, O prowest knight,

That euer Ladie to her loue did chose,

Let now abate the terrour of your might,

And quench the flame of furious despight,

And bloodie vengeance; lo th'infernall powres

Couering your foe with cloud of deadly night,

Haue borne him hence to Plutoes balefull bowres.

The conquest yours, I yours, the shield, and glory yours.

Not all so satisfide, with greedy eye

He sought all round about, his thristy blade

To bathe in blood of faithlesse enimy;

Who all that while lay hid in secret shade:

He standes amazed, how he thence should fade.

At last the trumpets Triumph sound on hie,

And running Heralds humble homage made,

Greeting him goodly with new victorie,

And to him brought the shield, the cause of enmitie.

Wherewith he goeth to that soueraine Queene,

And falling her before on lowly knee,

To her makes present of his seruice seene:

Which she accepts, with thankes, and goodly gree,

Greatly aduauncing his gay cheualree.

So marcheth home, and by her takes the knight,

Whom all the people followe with great glee,

Shouting, and clapping all their hands on hight,

That all the ayre it fils, and flyes to heauen bright.

Home is he brought, and layd in sumptuous bed:

Where many skilfull leaches him abide,

To salue his hurts, that yet still freshly bled.

In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide,

_#E2r

And softly gan embalme on euerie side.

And all the while, most heauenly melody

About the bed sweet musicke did diuide,

Him to beguile of griefe and agony:

And all the while Duessa wept full bitterly.

As when a wearie traueiler that strayes

By muddy shore of broad seuen-mouthed Nile,

Vnweeting of the perillous wandring wayes,

Doth meete a cruell craftie Crocodile,

Which in false griefe hyding his harmefull guile,

Doth weepe full sore, and sheddeth tender teares:

The foolish man, that pitties all this while

His mournefull plight, is swallowd vp vnwares,

Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

So wept Duessa vntill euentyde,

That shyning lampes in Ioues high house were light:

Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide,

But comes vnto the place, where th'Hethen knight

In slombring swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright,

Lay couer'd with inchaunted cloud all day:

Whom when she found, as she him left in plight,

To wayle his wofull case she would not stay,

But to the Easterne coast of heauen makes speedy way.

Where griesly Night, with visage deadly sad,

That Ph bus chearefull face durst neuer vew,

And in a foule blacke pitchy mantle clad,

She findes forth comming from her darksome mew,

Where she all day did hide her hated hew.

Before the dore her yron charet stood,

Already harnessed for iourney new;

And coleblacke steedes yborne of hellish brood,

That on their rusty bits did champ, as they were wood.

_#E2v

Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright,

Adornd with gold and iewels shining cleare,

She greatly grew amazed at the sight,

And th'vnacquainted light began to feare:

For neuer did such brightnes there appeare,

And would haue backe retyred to her caue,

Vntill the witches speach she gan to heare,

Saying, Yet O thou dreaded Dame, I craue

Abyde, till I haue told the message, which I haue.

She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede,

O thou most auncient Grandmother of all,

More old then Ioue, whom thou at first didst breede,

Or that great house of Gods c lestiall,

Which wast begot in D mogorgons hall,

And sawst the secrets of the world vnmade,

Why suffredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall

With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade?

Lo where the stout Sansioy doth sleepe in deadly shade.

And him before, I saw with bitter eyes

The bold Sansfoy shrinck vnderneath his speare;

And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes,

Nor wayld of friends, nor layd on groning beare,

That whylome was to me too dearely deare.

O what of Gods then boots it to be borne,

If old Aveugles sonnes so euill heare?

Or who shall not great Nightes children scorne,

When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne?

Vp then, vp dreary Dame, of darknes Queene,

Go gather vp the reliques of thy race,

Or else goe them auenge, and let be seene,

That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place,

_#E3r

And can the children of fayre light deface.

Her feeling speaches some compassion mou'd

In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face:

Yet pitty in her hart was neuer prou'd

Till then: for euermore she hated, neuer lou'd.

And said, Deare daughter rightly may I rew

The fall of famous children borne of mee,

And good successes, which their foes ensew:

But who can turne the streame of destinee,

Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee,

Which fast is tyde to Ioues eternall seat.

The sonnes of Day he fauoureth, I see,

And by my ruines thinkes to make them great:

To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat.

Yet shall they not escape so freely all;

For some shall pay the price of others guilt:

And he the man that made Sansfoy to fall,

Shall with his owne blood price, that he hath spilt.

But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt?

I that do seeme not I, Duessa ame,

Quoth she, how euer now in garments gilt,

And gorgeous gold arayd I to thee came;

Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame.

Then bowing downe her aged backe, she kist

The wicked witch, saying, In that fayre face

The false resemblaunce of Deceipt, I wist

Did closely lurke; yet so true-seeming grace

It carried, that I scarse in darksome place

Could it discerne, though I the mother bee

Of falshood, and roote of Duess s race.

O welcome child, whom I haue longd to see,

And now haue seene vnwares. Lo now I goe with thee.

_#E3v

Then to her yron wagon she betakes,

And with her beares the fowle welfauourd witch:

Through mirkesome aire her ready way she makes.

Her twyfold Teme, of which two blacke as pitch,

And two were browne, yet each to each vnlich,

Did softly swim away, ne euer stamp,

Vnlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch;

Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champ,

And trampling the fine element, would fiercely ramp.

So well they sped, that they be come at length

Vnto the place, whereas the Paynim lay,

Deuoid of outward sence, and natiue strength,

Couerd with charmed cloud from vew of day,

And sight of men, since his late luckelesse fray.

His cruell wounds with cruddy bloud congeald,

They binden vp so wisely, as they may,

And handle softly, till they can be heald:

So lay him in her charett, close in night conceald.

And all the while she stood vpon the ground,

The wakefull dogs did neuer cease to bay,

As giuing warning of th'vnwonted sound,

With which her yron wheeles did them affray,

And her darke griesly looke them much dismay;

The messenger of death, the ghastly owle

With drery shriekes did also her bewray;

And hungry wolues continually did howle,

At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.

Thence turning backe in silence softe they stole,

And brought the heauy corse with easy pace

To yawning gulfe of deepe Auernus hole.

By that same hole an entraunce darke and bace

_#E4r

With smoake and sulphur hiding all the place,

Descends to hell: there creature neuer past,

That backe retourned without heauenly grace;

But dreadfull Furies, which their chaines haue brast,

And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

By that same way the direfull dames doe driue

Their mournefull charett, fild with rusty blood,

And downe to Plutoes house are come biliue:

Which passing through, on euery side them stood

The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood,

Chattring their iron teeth, and staring wide

With stony eies; and all the hellish brood

Of feends infernall flockt on euery side,

To gaze on erthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.

They pas the bitter waues of Acheron,

Where many soules sit wailing woefully,

And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,

Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry,

And with sharp shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry,

Cursing high Ioue, the which them thither sent.

The house of endlesse paine is built thereby,

In which ten thousand sorts of punishment

The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.

Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus

His three deformed heads did lay along,

Curled with thousand adders venemous,

And lilled forth his bloody flaming tong:

At them he gan to reare his bristles strong,

And felly gnarre, vntill Dayes enemy

Did him appease; then downe his taile he hong

And suffered them to passen quietly:

For she in hell and heauen had power equally.

_#E4v

There was Ixion turned on a wheele,

For daring tempt the Queene of heauen to sin;

And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele

Against an hill, ne might from labour lin;

There thristy Tantalus hong by the chin;

And Tityus fed a vultur on his maw;

Typhoeus ioynts were stretched on a gin,

Theseus condemned to endlesse slouth by law

And fifty sisters water in leke vessels draw.

They all beholding worldly wights in place,

Leaue off their worke, vnmindfull of their smart,

To gaze on them; who forth by them doe pace,

Till they be come vnto the furthest part:

Where was a Caue ywrought by wondrous art,

Deepe, darke, vneasy, dolefull, comfortlesse,

In which sad Aesculapius far apart

Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse,

For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse.

Hippolytus a iolly huntsman was,

That wont in charett chace the foming bore;

He all his Peeres in beauty did surpas,

But Ladies loue as losse of time forbore:

His wanton stepdame loued him the more,

But when she saw her offred sweets refusd

Her loue she turnd to hate, and him before

His father fierce of treason false accusd,

And with her gealous termes his open eares abusd.

Who all in rage his Sea-god syre besought,

Some cursed vengeaunce on his sonne to cast:

From surging gulf two Monsters streight were brought,

With dread whereof his chacing steedes aghast,

_#E5r

Both charett swifte and huntsman ouercast.

His goodly corps on ragged cliffs yrent,

Was quite dismembred, and his members chast

Scattered on euery mountaine, as he went,

That of Hippolytus was lefte no moniment.

His cruell stepdame seeing what was donne,

Her wicked daies with wretched knife did end,

In death auowing th'innocence of her sonne.

Which hearing his rash Syre, began to rend

His heare, and hasty tong, that did offend:

Tho gathering vp the relicks of his smart

By Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend,

Them brought to Aesculape, that by his art

Did heale them all againe, and ioyned euery part.

Such wondrous science in mans witt to rain

When Ioue auizd, that could the dead reuiue,

And fates expired could renew again,

Of endlesse life he might him not depriue,

But vnto hell did thrust him downe aliue,

With flashing thunderbolt ywounded sore:

Where long remaining, he did alwaies striue

Him selfe with salues to health for to restore,

And slake the heauenly fire, that raged euermore.

There auncient Night arriuing, did alight

From her nigh weary wayne, and in her armes

To AEsculapius brought the wounded knight:

Whome hauing softly disaraid of armes,

Tho gan to him discouer all his harmes,

Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise,

If either salues, or oyles, or herbes, or charmes

A fordonne wight from dore of death mote raise,

He would at her request prolong her nephews daies.

_#E5v

Ah Dame (quoth he) thou temptest me in vaine,

To dare the thing, which daily yet I rew,

And the old cause of my continued paine

With like attempt to like end to renew.

Is not enough, that thrust from heauen dew

Here endlesse penaunce for one fault I pay,

But that redoubled crime with vengeaunce new

Thou biddest me to eeke? Can Night defray

The wrath of thundring Ioue, that rules both night and day?

Not so (quoth she) but sith that heauens king

From hope of heauen hath thee excluded quight,

Why fearest thou, that canst not hope for thing,

And fearest not, that more thee hurten might,

Now in the powre of euerlasting Night?

Goe to then, O thou far renowmed sonne

Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might

In medicine, that els hath to thee wonne

Great pains, and greater praise, both neuer to be donne.

Her words preuaild: And then the learned leach

His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay,

And all things els, the which his art did teach:

Which hauing seene, from thence arose away

The mother of dredd darkenesse, and let stay

Aueugles sonne there in the leaches cure,

And backe retourning tooke her wonted way,

To ronne her timely race, whilst Phoebus pure

In westerne waues his weary wagon did recure.

The false Duessa leauing noyous Night,

Returnd to stately pallace of Dame Pryde;

Where when she came, she found the Faery knight

Departed thence, albee his woundes wyde

_#E6r

Not throughly heald, vnready were to ryde.

Good cause he had to hasten thence away;

For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spyde,

Where in a dungeon deepe huge nombers lay

Of caytiue wretched thralls, that wayled night and day.

A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie;

Of whom he learned had in secret wise

The hidden cause of their captiuitie,

How mortgaging their liues to Couetise,

Through wastfull Pride, and wanton Riotise,

They were by law of that proud Tyrannesse

Prouokt with Wrath, and Enuyes false surmise,

Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse,

Where they should liue in wo, and dye in wretchednesse.

There was that great proud king of Babylon,

That would compell all nations to adore,

And him as onely God to call vpon,

Till through celestiall doome thrown out of dore,

Into an Oxe he was transformd of yore:

There also was king Cr sus, that enhaunst

His hart too high through his great richesse store;

And proud Antiochus, the which aduaunst

His cursed hand gainst God, and on his altares daunst.

And them long time before, great Nimrod was,

That first the world with sword and fire warrayd;

And after him old Ninus far did pas

In princely pomp, of all the world obayd;

There also was that mightie Monarch layd

Low vnder all, yet aboue all in pride,

That name of natiue syre did fowle vpbrayd,

And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide,

Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he dide.

_#E6v

All these together in one heape were throwne,

Like carkases of beastes in butchers stall.

And in another corner wide were strowne

The Antique ruins of the Romanes fall:

Great Romulus the Grandsyre of them all,

Proud Tarquin, and too lordly Lentulus,

Stout Scipio, and stubborne Hanniball,

Ambitious Sylla, and sterne Marius,

High C sar, great Pompey, and fiers Antonius.

Amongst these mightie men were wemen mixt,

Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke:

The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfixt

With sonnes own blade, her fowle reproches spoke;

Fayre Sthenob a, that her selfe did choke

With wilfull chord, for wanting of her will;

High minded Cleopatra, that with stroke

Of Aspes sting her selfe did stoutly kill:

And thousands moe the like, that did that dongeon fill.

Besides the endlesse routes of wretched thralles,

Which thether were assembled day by day,

From all the world after their wofull falles,

Through wicked pride, and wasted welthes decay.

But most of all, which in that Dongeon lay

Fell from high Princes courtes, or Ladies bowres,

Where they in ydle pomp, or wanton play,

Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres,

And lastly thrown themselues into these heauy stowres.

Whose case whenas the carefull Dwarfe had tould,

And made ensample of their mournfull sight

Vnto his maister, he no lenger would

There dwell in perill of like painefull plight,

_#E7r

But earely rose, and ere that dawning light

Discouered had the world to heauen wyde,

He by a priuy Posterne tooke his flight,

That of no enuious eyes he mote be spyde:

For doubtlesse death ensewed, if any him descryde.

Scarse could he footing find in that fowle way,

For many corses, like a great Lay-stall

Of murdred men which therein strowed lay,

Without remorse, or decent funerall:

Which al through that great Princesse pride did fall

And came to shamefull end. And them besyde

Forth ryding vnderneath the castell wall,

A Donghill of dead carcases he spyde,

The dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of Pryde.

Can. VI.

From lawlesse lust by wondrous grace

fayre Vna is releast:

Whom saluage nation does adore,

and learnes her wise beheast.

AS when a ship, that flyes fayre vnder sayle,

An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwares,

That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile,

The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares

At perill past, and yet in doubt ne dares

To ioy at his foolhappie ouersight:

So doubly is distrest twixt ioy and cares

The dreadlesse corage of this Elfin knight,

Hauing escapt so sad ensamples in his sight.

_#E7v

Yet sad he was, that his too hastie speed

The fayre Duess' had forst him leaue behind;

And yet more sad, that Vna his deare dreed

Her truth had staynd with treason so vnkind;

Yet cryme in her could neuer creature find,

But for his loue, and for her own selfe sake,

She wandred had from one to other Ynd,

Him for to seeke, ne euer would forsake,

Till her vnwares the fiers Sansloy did ouertake.

Who after Archimagoes fowle defeat,

Led her away into a forest wilde,

And turning wrathfull fyre to lustfull heat,

With beastly sin thought her to haue defilde,

And made the vassall of his pleasures vilde.

Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes,

Her to persuade, that stubborne fort to yilde:

For greater conquest of hard loue he gaynes,

That workes it to his will, then he that it constraines.

With fawning wordes he courted her a while,

And looking louely, and oft sighing sore,

Her constant hart did tempt with diuerse guile:

But wordes, and lookes, and sighes she did abhore,

As rock of Diamond stedfast euermore.

Yet for to feed his fyrie lustfull eye,

He snatcht the vele, that hong her face before;

Then gan her beautie shyne, as brightest skye,

And burnt his beastly hart t'efforce her chastitye.

So when he saw his flatt'ring artes to fayle,

And subtile engines bett from batteree,

With greedy force he gan the fort assayle,

Whereof he weend possessed soone to bee,

_#E8r

And win rich spoile of ransackt chastitee.

Ah heauens, that doe this hideous act behold,

And heauenly virgin thus outraged see,

How can ye vengeance iust so long withhold,

And hurle not flashing flames vpon that Paynim bold?

The pitteous mayden carefull comfortlesse,

Does throw out thrilling shriekes, and shrieking cryes,

The last vaine helpe of wemens great distresse,

And with loud plaintes importuneth the skyes,

That molten starres doe drop like weeping eyes;

And Ph bus flying so most shamefull sight,

His blushing face in foggy cloud implyes,

And hydes for shame. What witt of mortall wight

Can now deuise to quitt a thrall from such a plight?

Eternall prouidence exceeding thought,

Where none appeares can make her selfe a way:

A wondrous way it for this Lady wrought,

From Lyons clawes to pluck the gryped pray.

Her shrill outcryes and shrieks so loud did bray,

That all the woodes and forestes did resownd;

A troupe of Faunes and Satyres far a way

Within the wood were dauncing in a rownd,

Whiles old Syluanus slept in shady arber sownd.

Who when they heard that pitteous strained voice,

In haste forsooke their rurall meriment,

And ran towardes the far rebownded noyce,

To weet, what wight so loudly did lament.

Vnto the place they come incontinent:

Whom when the raging Sarazin espyde,

A rude, mishapen, monstrous rablement,

Whose like he neuer saw, he durst not byde,

But got his ready steed, and fast away gan ryde.

_#E8v

The wyld woodgods arriued in the place,

There find the virgin doolfull desolate,

With ruffled rayments, and fayre blubbred face,

As her outrageous foe had left her late,

And trembling yet through feare of former hate;

All stand amazed at so vncouth sight,

And gin to pittie her vnhappie state,

All stand astonied at her beautie bright,

In their rude eyes vnworthy of so wofull plight.

She more amazd, in double dread doth dwell;

And euery tender part for feare does shake:

As when a greedy Wolfe through honger fell

A seely Lamb far from the flock does take,

Of whom he meanes his bloody feast to make,

A Lyon spyes fast running towards him,

The innocent pray in hast he does forsake,

Which quitt from death yet quakes in euery lim

With chaunge of feare, to see the Lyon looke so grim.

Such fearefull fitt assaid her trembling hart,

Ne word to speake, ne ioynt to moue she had:

The saluage nation feele her secret smart,

And read her sorrow in her count'nance sad;

Their frowning forheades with rough hornes yclad,

And rustick horror all a syde doe lay,

And gently grenning, shew a semblance glad

To comfort her, and feare to put away,

Their backward bent knees teach her humbly to obay.

The doubtfull Damzell dare not yet committ,

Her single person to their barbarous truth,

But still twixt feare and hope amazd does sitt,

Late learnd what harme to hasty trust ensu'th:

_#F1r

They in compassion of her tender youth,

And wonder of her beautie souerayne,

Are wonne with pitty and vnwonted ruth,

And all prostrate vpon the lowly playne,

Doe kisse her feete, and fawne on her with count'nance fayne.

Their harts she ghesseth by their humble guise,

And yieldes her to extremitie of time;

So from the ground she fearelesse doth arise,

And walketh forth without suspect of crime:

They all as glad, as birdes of ioyous Pryme,

Thence lead her forth, about her dauncing round,

Shouting, and singing all a shepheards ryme,

And with greene braunches strowing all the ground,

Do worship her, as Queene, with oliue girlond cround.

And all the way their merry pipes they sound,

That all the woods with doubled Eccho ring,

And with their horned feet doe weare the ground,

Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant Spring.

So towards old Syluanus they her bring;

Who with the noyse awaked, commeth out,

To weet the cause, his weake steps gouerning,

And aged limbs on Cypresse stadle stout,

And with an yuie twyne his waste is girt about.

Far off he wonders, what them makes so glad,

Or Bacchus merry fruit they did inuent,

Or Cybeles franticke rites haue made them mad;

They drawing nigh, vnto their God present

That flowre of fayth and beautie excellent:

The God himselfe vewing that mirrhour rare,

Stood long amazd, and burnt in his intent;

His owne fayre Dryope now he thinkes not faire,

And Pholoe fowle, when her to this he doth compaire.

_#F1v

The woodborne people fall before her flat,

And worship her as Goddesse of the wood;

And old Syluanus selfe bethinkes not, what

To thinke of wight so fayre, but gazing stood,

In doubt to deeme her borne of earthly brood;

Sometimes Dame Venus selfe he seemes to see,

But Venus neuer had so sober mood;

Sometimes Diana he her takes to be,

But misseth bow, and shaftes, and buskins to her knee.

By vew of her he ginneth to reuiue

His ancient loue, and dearest Cyparisse,

And calles to mind his pourtraiture aliue,

How fayre he was, and yet not fayre to this,

And how he slew with glauncing dart amisse

A gentle Hynd, the which the louely boy

Did loue as life, aboue all worldly blisse;

For griefe whereof the lad n'ould after ioy,

But pynd away in anguish and selfewild annoy.

The wooddy Nymphes, faire Hamadryades

Her to behold do thether runne apace,

And all the troupe of light-foot Naiades,

Flocke all about to see her louely face:

But when they vewed haue her heauenly grace,

They enuy her in their malitious mind,

And fly away for feare of fowle disgrace:

But all the Satyres scorne their woody kind,

And henceforth nothing faire, but her on earth they find.

Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky mayd,

Did her content to please their feeble eyes,

And long time with that saluage people stayd,

To gather breath in many miseryes.

_#F2r

During which time her gentle wit she plyes,

To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine,

And made her th'Image of Idolatryes;

But when their bootlesse zeale she did restrayne

From her own worship, they her Asse would worship fayn.

It fortuned a noble warlike knight

By iust occasion to that forrest came,

To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right,

From whence he tooke his weldeserued name:

He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame,

And fild far landes with glorie of his might,

Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame,

And euer lou'd to fight for Ladies right,

But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight.

A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld,

By straunge aduenture as it did betyde,

And there begotten of a Lady myld,

Fayre Thyamis the daughter of Labryde,

That was in sacred bandes 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 waste 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 finde,

And kindling coles of lust in brutish eye,

The loyall linkes of wedlocke did vnbinde,

And made her person thrall vnto his beastly kind.

_#F2v

So long in secret cabin there he held

Her captiue to his sensuall desyre,

Till that with timely fruit her belly sweld,

And bore a boy vnto that saluage syre:

Then home he suffred her for to retyre,

For ransome leauing him the late-borne childe;

Whom till to ryper yeares he gan aspyre,

He noursled vp in life and manners wilde,

Emongst wild beastes 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 euerie beast for feare of him did fly and quake.

Thereby so fearelesse, and so fell he grew,

That his owne syre and maister of his guise

Did often tremble at his horrid vew,

And oft for dread of hurt would him aduise,

The angry beastes 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 beastes in yron yokes he would compell;

The spotted Panther, and the tusked Bore,

The Pardale swift, and the Tigre cruell;

_#F3r

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 a tyrans law.

His louing mother came vpon a day

Vnto the woodes, 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 delightes of bloody game

He trayned was, till ryper yeares he raught,

And there abode, whylst any beast of name

Walkt in that forrest, whom he had not taught,

To feare his force: and then his courage haught

Desyrd of forreine foemen to be knowne,

And far abroad for straunge aduentures sought:

In which his might was neuer ouerthrowne,

But through al Faery lond his famous worth was blown.

_#F3v

Yet euermore it was his maner faire,

After long labours and aduentures spent,

Vnto those natiue woods for to repaire,

To see his syre and ofspring auncient.

And now he thether 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 heuenly rare,

Whose like in womens witt 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 cruelty

On gentle Dame, so hurtlesse, and so trew:

Thenceforth he kept her goodly company,

And learnd her discipline of faith and verity.

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 witt in secret counsels spent,

How to escape. At last in priuy 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 doe their seruice to Syluanus old,

The gentle virgin left behinde alone

He led away with corage stout and bold.

_#F4r

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, and come now to the plaine.

The better part now of the lingring day,

They traueild had, whenas they far espide

A weary wight forwandring by the way,

And towards him they gan in hast to ride,

To weete of newes, that did abroad betide,

Or tidings 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 weeds forworne,

And soild with dust of the long dried way;

His sandales were with toilsome 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 weary limbs vpon: and eke behind,

His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind.

The knight approching nigh, of him inquerd

Tidings 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.

Ay me, Deare dame (quoth he) well may I rew

To tell the sad sight, which mine eies haue red:

These eies did see that knight both liuing, and eke ded.

_#F4v

That cruell word her tender hart so thrild,

That suddein cold did ronne through euery vaine,

And stony horrour all her sences fild

With dying fitt, 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 chief.

Then gan the Pilgrim thus, I chaunst this day,

This fatall day, that shall I euer rew,

To see two knights in trauell on my way

(A sory sight) arraung'd in batteill new,

Both breathing vengeaunce, both of wrathfull hew:

My feareful flesh did tremble at their strife,

To see their blades so greedily imbrew,

That dronke with blood, yet thristed after life:

What more? the Redcrosse knight was slain with Paynim knife.

Ah dearest Lord (quoth she) how might that bee,

And he the stoutest knight, that euer wonne?

Ah dearest dame (quoth hee) how might I see

The thing, that might not be, and yet was donne?

Where is (said Satyrane) that Paynims sonne,

That him of life, and vs of ioy hath refte?

Not far away (quoth he) he hence doth wonne

Foreby a fountaine, where I late him lefte

Washing his bloody wounds, that through the steele were cleft.

Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast,

Whiles Vna with huge heauinesse opprest,

Could not for sorrow follow him so fast;

And soone he came, as he the place had ghest,

_#F5r

Whereas that Pagan proud him selfe did rest,

In secret shadow by a fountaine side:

Euen he it was, that earst would haue supprest

Faire Vna: whom when Satyrane espide,

With foule reprochfull words he boldly him defide.

And said, Arise thou cursed Miscreaunt,

That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train

Faire knighthood fowly shamed, and doest vaunt

That good knight of the Redcrosse to haue slain:

Arise, and with like treason now maintain

Thy guilty wrong, or els thee guilty yield.

The Sarazin this hearing, rose amain,

And catching vp in hast his three square shield,

And shining helmet, soone him buckled to the field.

And drawing nigh him said, Ah misborn Elfe,

In euill houre thy foes thee hither sent,

Anothers wrongs to wreak vpon thy selfe:

Yet ill thou blamest me, for hauing blent

My name with guile and traiterous intent;

That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I neuer slew,

But had he beene, where earst his armes were lent,

Th'enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew:

But thou his errour shalt, I hope now prouen trew.

Therewith they gan, both furious and fell,

To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile

Each other, bent his enimy to quell,

That with their force they perst both plate and maile,

And made wide furrowes in their fleshes fraile,

That it would pitty any liuing eie.

Large floods of blood adowne their sides did raile;

But floods of blood could not them satisfie:

Both hongred after death: both chose to win, or die.

_#F5v

So long they fight, and fell reuenge pursue,

That fainting each, them selues to breathen lett,

And ofte refreshed, battell oft renue:

As when two Bores with rancling malice mett,

Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely frett,

Til breathlesse both them selues aside retire,

Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whett,

And trample th'earth, the whiles they may respire;

Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.

So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once,

They gan to fight retourne, increasing more

Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce,

With heaped strokes more hugely, then before,

That with their drery wounds and bloody gore

They both deformed, scarsely could bee known.

By this sad Vna fraught with anguish sore,

Led with their noise, which through the aire was thrown,

Arriu'd, wher they in erth their fruitles blood had sown.

Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin

Espide, he gan reuiue the memory

Of his leud lusts, and late attempted sin,

And lefte the doubtfull battell hastily,

To catch her, newly offred to his eie:

But Satyrane with strokes him turning, staid,

And sternely bad him other businesse plie,

Then hunt the steps of pure vnspotted Maid:

Wherewith he al enrag'd, these bitter speaches said.

O foolish faeries sonne, what fury mad

Hath thee incenst, to hast thy dolefull fate?

Were it not better, I that Lady had,

Then that thou hadst repented it too late?

_#F6r

Most sencelesse man he, that himselfe doth hate,

To loue another. Lo then for thine ayd

Here take thy louers token on thy pate.

So they to fight; the whiles the royall Mayd

Fledd farre away, of that proud Paynim sore afrayd.

But that false Pilgrim, which that leasing told,

Being in deed old Archimage, did stay

In secret shadow, all this to behold,

And much reioyced in their bloody fray:

But when he saw the Damsell passe away

He left his stond, and her pursewd apace,

In hope to bring her to her last decay.

But for to tell her lamentable cace,

And eke this battels end, will need another place.

Cant. VII.

The Redcrosse knight is captiue made

By Gyaunt proud opprest,

Prince Arthure meets with Vna great-

ly with those newes distrest.

WHat man so wise, what earthly witt so ware,

As to discry the crafty cunning traine,

By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire,

And cast her coulours died deepe in graine,

To seeme like truth, whose shape she well can faine,

And fitting gestures to her purpose frame,

The guiltlesse man with guile to entertaine?

Great maistresse of her art was that false Dame,

The false Duessa, cloked with Fidessaes name.

_#F6v

Who when returning from the drery Night,

She fownd not in that perilous hous of Pryde,

Where she had left, the noble Redcross knight,

Her hoped pray; she would no lenger byde,

But forth she went, to seeke him far and wide.

Ere long she fownd, whereas he wearie sate,

To rest him selfe, foreby a fountaine syde,

Disarmed all of yron-coted Plate,

And by his side his steed the grassy forage ate.

Hee feedes vpon the cooling shade, and bayes

His sweatie forehead in the breathing wynd,

Which through the trembling leaues full gently playes

Wherein the chearefull birds of sundry kynd

Doe chaunt sweet musick, to delight his mynd:

The witch approching gan him fayrely greet,

And with reproch of carelesnes vnkynd,

Vpbrayd, for leauing her in place vnmeet,

With fowle words tempring faire, soure gall with hony sweet.

Vnkindnesse past, they gan of solace treat,

And bathe in pleasaunce of the ioyous shade,

Which shielded them against the boyling heat,

And with greene boughes decking a gloomy glade,

About the fountaine like a girlond made;

Whose bubbling waue did euer freshly well,

Ne euer would through feruent sommer fade:

The sacred Nymph, which therein wont to dwell,

Was out of Dianes fauor, as it then befell.

The cause was this: one day when Ph be fayre

With all her band was following the chace,

This Nymph, quite tyr'd with heat of scorching ayre

Satt downe to rest in middest of the race:

_#F7r

The goddesse wroth gan fowly her disgrace,

And badd the waters, which from her did flow,

Be such as she her selfe was then in place.

Thenceforth her waters wexed dull and slow,

And all that drinke thereof, do faint and feeble grow.

Hereof this gentle knight vnweeting was,

And lying downe vpon the sandie graile,

Dronke of the streame, as cleare as christall glas;

Eftsoones his manly forces gan to fayle,

And mightie strong was turnd to feeble frayle:

His chaunged powres at first them selues not felt,

Till crudled cold his corage gan assayle,

And chearefull blood in fayntnes chill did melt,

Which like a feuer fit through all his body swelt.

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 terror 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 gett his shield, his monstrous enimy

With sturdie steps came stalking in his sight,

An hideous Geaunt horrible and hye,

That with his tallnesse 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.

_#F7v

The greatest Earth his vncouth mother was,

And blustring AEolus his boasted syre,

Who with his breath, which through the world doth pas,

Her hollow womb did secretly inspyre,

And fild her hidden caues with stormie yre,

That she conceiu'd; and trebling the dew time,

In which the wombes of wemen doe expyre,

Brought forth this monstrous masse of earthly slyme,

Puft vp with emptie wynd, and fild with sinfull cryme.

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 spyde, he gan aduaunce

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, disgraste, and inwardly dismayde,

And eke so faint in euery ioynt and vayne,

Through that fraile fountain, 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 heuenly grace, that him did blesse,

He had beene pouldred all, as thin as flowre:

_#F8r

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 winde it did him ouerthrow,

And all his sences stoond, 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 bollet rownd, ordaind to kill,

Conceiueth fyre, 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 smok,

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 doe 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 newfound 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 deep him threw without remorse.

_#F8v

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 hartes with awfull terror tye,

A monstrous beast ybredd in filthy fen

He chose, which he had kept long time in darksom 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 heades out budding euer new,

Did breed him endlesse labor to subdew:

But this same Monster much more vgly was;

For seuen great heads out of his body grew,

An yron brest, and back of scaly bras,

And all embrewd in blood, his eyes did shine as glas.

His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length,

That to the hous of heuenly gods it raught,

And with extorted powre, and borrow'd strength,

The euerburning lamps from thence it braught,

And prowdly threw to ground, as things of naught;

And vnderneath his filthy feet did tread,

The sacred thinges, and holy heastes foretaught.

Vpon this dreadfull Beast with seuenfold head

He sett 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,

_#G1r

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 Lady, wofull Vna met,

Fast flying from that Paynims greedy pray,

Whilest Satyrane him from pursuit did let:

Who when her eyes she on the Dwarf had set,

And saw the signes, that deadly tydinges 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 rubb her temples, and to chaufe her chin,

And euerie 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 threds vnfould,

The which my life and loue together tyde?

Now let the stony dart of sencelesse cold

Perce to my hart, and pas through euerie side,

And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hyde.

_#G1v

O lightsome day, the lampe of highest Ioue,

First made by him, mens wandring wayes to guyde,

When darknesse 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 sorow 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 enimy,

With foltring tong, and trembling euerie vaine,

Tell on (quoth she) the wofull Tragedy,

The which these reliques sad present vnto mine eye.

Tempestuous fortune hath spent all her spight,

And thrilling sorrow throwne his vtmost dart;

Thy sad tong cannot tell more heauy plight,

Then that I feele, and harbour in mine hart:

Who hath endur'd the whole, can beare ech 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 subtile traines of Archimago old;

The wanton loues of false Fidessa fayre,

Bought with the blood of vanquisht Paynim bold:

_#G2r

The wretched payre transformd to treen mould;

The house of Pryde, and perilles round about;

The combat, which he with Sansioy did hould;

The lucklesse conflict with the Gyaunt 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 Lady 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

Aliue or dead: and forward forth doth pas,

All as the Dwarfe the way to her assynd:

And euermore in constant carefull mind

She fedd her wound with fresh renewed bale;

Long tost with stormes, and bet with bitter wind,

High ouer hills, and lowe 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 Squyre, arayed meet:

His glitterand armour shined far away,

Like glauncing light of Ph bus 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 shind, like twinkling stars, with stones most pretious rare.

_#G2v

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 perle, and buckled with a golden tong.

His haughtie Helmet, horrid all with gold,

Both glorious brightnesse, and great terrour bredd,

For all the crest a Dragon did enfold

With greedie pawes, and ouer all did spredd

His golden winges: his dreadfull hideous hedd

Close couched on the beuer, seemd to throw

From flaming mouth bright sparckles fiery redd,

That suddeine horrour to faint hartes did show;

And scaly tayle was stretcht adowne his back full low.

Vpon the top of all his loftie crest,

A bounch of heares discolourd diuersly,

With sprincled pearle, and gold full richly drest,

Did shake, and seemd to daunce for iollity,

Like to an Almond tree ymounted hye

On top of greene Selinis all alone,

With blossoms braue bedecked daintily;

Whose tender locks do tremble euery one

At euerie 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 earthly mettals soone consumed beene:

_#G3r

But all of Diamond perfect pure and cleene

It framed was, one massy 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 Ph bus golden face it did attaint,

As when a cloud his beames doth ouer-lay

And siluer Cynthia wexed pale and faynt,

As when her face is staynd with magicke arts constraint.

No magicke arts hereof had any might,

Nor bloody 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 Faery Queene it brought

To Faerie lond, where yet it may be seene, if sought.

_#G3v

A gentle youth, his dearely loued Squire

His speare of heben wood behind him bare,

Whose harmeful head, thrise 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 bitt,

Who vnder him did amble as the aire,

And chauft, that any on his backe should sitt;

The yron rowels into frothy fome he bitt.

Whenas this knight nigh to the Lady drew,

With louely court he gan her entertaine;

But when he heard her aunswers 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 humor fitting purpose faine,

To tempt the cause it selfe for to bewray;

Wherewith enmoud, these bleeding words she gan to say.

What worlds delight, or ioy of liuing speach

Can hart, so plungd in sea of sorrowes deep,

And heaped with so huge misfortunes, reach?

The carefull cold beginneth for to creep,

And in my heart his yron arrow steep,

Soone as I thinke vpon my bitter bale:

Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keep,

Then rip vp griefe, where it may not auaile,

My last left comfort is, my woes to weepe and waile.

Ah Lady deare, quoth then the gentle knight,

Well may I ween, your grief is wondrous great;

For wondrous great griefe groneth in my spright,

Whiles thus I heare you of your sorrowes treat.

_#G4r

But woefull Lady, let me you intrete,

For to vnfold the anguish of your hart:

Mishaps are maistred by aduice discrete,

And counsell mitigates the greatest smart;

Found neuer help, 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 aid.

But griefe (quoth she) does greater grow displaid,

If then it find not helpe, and breeds despaire.

Despaire breeds not (quoth he) where faith is staid.

No faith so fast (quoth she) but flesh does paire.

Flesh may empaire (quoth he) but reason can repaire.

His goodly reason, and well guided speach

So deepe did settle in her gracious thought,

That her perswaded to disclose the breach,

Which loue and fortune in her heart had wrought,

And said; Faire Sir, I hope good hap hath brought

You to inquere the secrets of my griefe,

Or that your wisedome will direct my thought,

Or that your prowesse can me yield reliefe:

Then heare the story sad, which I shall tell you briefe.

The forlorne Maiden, whom your eies haue seene

The laughing stocke of fortunes mockeries,

Am th'onely daughter of a King and Queene,

Whose parents deare whiles equal destinies,

Did ronne about, and their felicities

The fauourable heauens did not enuy,

Did spred their rule through all the territories,

Which Phison and Euphrates floweth by,

And Gehons golden waues doe wash continually.

_#G4v

Till that their cruell cursed enemy,

An huge great Dragon horrible in sight,

Bred in the loathly lakes of Tartary,

With murdrous rauine, and deuouring might

Their kingdome spoild, and countrey wasted quight:

Themselues, for feare into his iawes to fall,

He forst to castle strong to take their flight,

Where fast embard in mighty brasen wall,

He has them now fowr years besiegd to make them thrall.

Full many knights aduenturous and stout

Haue enterprizd that Monster to subdew;

From euery coast that heauen walks about,

Haue thither come the noble Martial crew,

That famous harde atchieuements still pursew,

Yet neuer any could that girlond win,

But all still shronke, and still he greater grew:

All they for want of faith, or guilt of sin,

The pitteous pray of his fiers cruelty haue bin.

At last yled with far reported praise,

Which flying fame throughout the world had spred,

Of doughty knights, whom Fary land did raise,

That noble order hight of maidenhed,

Forthwith to court of Gloriane I sped,

Of Gloriane great Queene of glory bright,

Whose kingdomes seat Cleopolis is red,

There to obtaine some such redoubted knight,

That Parents deare from tyrants powre deliuer might.

Yt was my chaunce (my chaunce was faire and good)

There for to find a fresh vnproued knight,

Whose manly hands imbrewd in guilty blood

Had neuer beene, ne euer by his might

_#G5r

Had throwne to ground the vnregarded right:

Yet of his prowesse proofe he since hath made

(I witnes am) in many a cruell fight;

The groning ghosts of many one dismaide

Haue felt the bitter dint of his auenging blade.

And ye the forlorne reliques of his powre,

His biting sword, and his deuouring speare,

Which haue endured many a dreadfull stowre,

Can speake his prowesse, that did earst you beare,

And well could rule: now he hath left you heare,

To be the record of his ruefull losse,

And of my dolefull disauenturous deare:

O heauie record of the good Redcrosse,

Where haue yee left your lord, that could so well you tosse?

Well hoped I, and faire beginnings had,

That he my captiue languor should redeeme,

Till all vnweeting, an Enchaunter bad

His sence abusd, and made him to misdeeme

My loyalty, not such as it did seeme

That rather death desire, then such despight.

Be iudge ye heauens, that all things right esteeme,

How I him lou'd, and loue with all my might,

So thought I eke of him, and think I thought aright.

Thenceforth me desolate he quite forsooke,

To wander, where wilde fortune would me lead,

And other bywaies he himselfe betooke,

Where neuer foote of liuing wight did tread,

That brought not backe the balefull body dead;

In which him chaunced false Duessa meete,

Mine onely foe, mine onely deadly dread,

Who with her witchcraft and misseeming sweete,

Inueigled him to follow her desires vnmeete.

_#G5v

At last by subtile sleights she him betraid

Vnto his foe, a Gyaunt huge and tall,

Who him disarmed, dissolute, dismaid,

Vnwares surprised, and with mighty mall

The monster mercilesse him made to fall,

Whose fall did neuer foe before behold;

And now in darkesome dungeon, wretched thrall,

Remedilesse, for aie he doth him hold;

This is my cause of griefe, more great, then may be told.

Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint:

But he her comforted, and faire bespake,

Certes, Madame, ye haue great cause of plaint,

That stoutest heart, I weene, could cause to quake.

But be of cheare, and comfort to you take:

For till I haue acquitt your captiue knight,

Assure your selfe, I will you not forsake.

His chearefull words reviu'd her chearelesse spright,

So forth they went, the Dwarfe them guiding euer right.

Cant. VIII.

Faire virgin to redeeme her deare

Brings Arthure to the fight:

Who slayes the Gyaunt, wounds the beast,

And strips Duessa quight.

AY me, how many perils doe enfold

The righteous man, to make him daily fall?

Were not that heauenly grace doth him vphold,

And stedfast truth acquite him out of all:

_#G6r

Her loue is firme, her care continuall,

So oft as he thorough his own foolish pride,

Or weaknes is to sinfull bands made thrall:

Els should this Redcrosse knight in bands haue dyde,

For whose deliuerance she this Prince doth thether guyd.

They sadly traueild thus, vntill they came

Nigh to a castle builded strong and hye:

Then cryde the Dwarfe, lo yonder is the same,

In which my Lord my liege doth lucklesse ly,

Thrall to that Gyaunts hatefull tyranny:

Therefore, deare Sir, your mightie powres assay.

The noble knight alighted by and by

From loftie steed, and badd the Ladie stay,

To see what end of fight should him befall that day.

So with his Squire, th'admirer of his might,

He marched forth towardes that castle wall;

Whose gates he fownd fast shutt, ne liuing wight

To warde the same, nor answere commers call.

Then tooke that Squire an horne of bugle small,

Which hong adowne his side in twisted gold,

And tasselles gay. Wyde wonders ouer all

Of that same hornes great vertues weren told,

Which had approued bene in vses manifold.

Was neuer wight, that heard that shrilling sownd,

But trembling feare did feel in euery vaine;

Three miles it might be easy heard arownd,

And Ecchoes three aunswerd it selfe againe:

No false enchauntment, nor deceiptfull traine

Might once abide the terror of that blast,

But presently was void and wholly vaine:

No gate so strong, no locke so firme and fast,

But with that percing noise flew open quite, or brast.

_#G6v

The same before the Geaunts gate he blew,

That all the castle quaked from the grownd,

And euery dore of freewill open flew:

The Gyaunt selfe dismaied with that sownd,

Where he with his Duessa dalliaunce fownd,

In hast came rushing forth from inner bowre,

With staring countenance sterne, as one astownd,

And staggering steps, to weet, what suddein stowre,

Had wrought that horror strange, and dar'd his dreaded powre.

And after him the proud Duessa came,

High mounted on her many headed beast,

And euery head with fyrie tongue did flame,

And euery head was crowned on his creast,

And bloody mouthed with late cruell feast.

That when the knight beheld, his mightie shild

Vpon his manly arme he soone addrest,

And at him fiersly flew, with corage fild,

And eger greedinesse through euery member thrild.

Therewith the Gyant buckled him to fight,

Inflamd with scornefull wrath and high disdaine,

And lifting vp his dreadfull club on hight,

All armd with ragged snubbes and knottie graine,

Him thought at first encounter to haue slaine.

But wise and wary was that noble Pere,

And lightly leaping from so monstrous maine,

Did fayre auoide the violence him nere;

It booted nought, to thinke, such thunderbolts to beare.

Ne shame he thought to shonne so hideous might:

The ydle stroke, enforcing furious way,

Missing the marke of his misaymed sight

Did fall to ground, and with his heauy sway

_#G7r

So deepely dinted in the driuen clay,

That three yardes deepe a furrow vp did throw:

The sad earth wounded with so sore assay,

Did grone full grieuous vnderneath the blow,

And trembling with strange feare, did like an erthquake show.

As when almightie Ioue in wrathfull mood,

To wreake the guilt of mortall sins is bent,

Hurles forth his thundring dart with deadly food,

Enrold in flames, and smouldring dreriment,

Through riuen cloudes and molten firmament;

The fiers threeforked engin making way,

Both loftie towres and highest trees hath rent,

And all that might his angry passage stay,

And shooting in the earth, castes vp a mount of clay.

His boystrous club, so buried in the grownd,

He could not rearen vp againe so light,

But that the knight him at aduantage fownd,

And whiles he stroue his combred clubbe to quight,

Out of the earth, with blade all burning bright

He smott off his left arme, which like a block

Did fall to ground, depriu'd of natiue might;

Large streames of blood out of the truncked stock

Forth gushed, like fresh water streame from riuen rocke.

Dismayed with so desperate deadly wound,

And eke impatient of vnwonted payne,

He lowdly brayd with beastly yelling sownd,

That all the fieldes rebellowed againe,

As great a noyse, as when in Cymbrian plaine

An heard of Bulles, whom kindly rage doth sting,

Doe for the milky mothers want complaine,

And fill the fieldes with troublous bellowing,

The neighbor woods arownd with hollow murmur ring.

_#G7v

That when his deare Duessa heard, and saw

The euill stownd, that daungerd her estate,

Vnto his aide she hastily did draw

Her dreadfull beast, who swolne with blood of late

Came ramping forth with proud presumpteous gate,

And threatned all his heades like flaming brandes.

But him the Squire made quickly to retrate,

Encountring fiers with single sword in hand,

And twixt him and his Lord did like a bulwarke stand.

The proud Duessa full of wrathfull spight,

And fiers disdaine, to be affronted so,

Enforst her purple beast with all her might

That stop out of the way to ouerthroe,

Scorning the let of so vnequall foe:

But nathemore would that corageous swayne

To her yeeld passage, gainst his Lord to goe,

But with outrageous strokes did him restraine,

And with his body bard the way atwixt them twaine.

Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup,

Which still she bore, replete with magick artes;

Death and despeyre did many thereof sup,

And secret poyson through their inner partes,

Th'eternall bale of heauie wounded harts;

Which after charmes and some enchauntments said,

She lightly sprinkled on his weaker partes;

Therewith his sturdie corage soone was quayd,

And all his sences were with suddein dread dismayd.

So downe he fell before the cruell beast,

Who on his neck his bloody clawes did seize,

That life nigh crusht out of his panting brest:

No powre he had to stirre, nor will to rize.

_#G8r

That when the carefull knight gan well auise,

He lightly left the foe, with whom he fought,

And to the beast gan turne his enterprise;

For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought,

To see his loued Squyre into such thraldom brought.

And high aduauncing his blood-thirstie blade,

Stroke one of those deformed heades so sore,

That of his puissaunce proud ensample made;

His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore,

And that misformed shape misshaped more:

A sea of blood gusht from the gaping wownd,

That her gay garments staynd with filthy gore,

And ouerflowed all the field arownd;

That ouer shoes in blood he waded on the grownd.

Thereat he rored for exceeding paine,

That to haue heard, great horror would haue bred,

And scourging th'emptie ayre with his long trayne,

Through great impatience of his grieued hed

His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted

Would haue cast downe, and trodd in durty myre,

Had not the Gyaunt soone her succoured;

Who all enrag'd with smart and frantick yre,

Came hurtling in full fiers, and forst the knight retyre.

The force, which wont in two to be disperst,

In one alone left hand he now vnites,

Which is through rage more strong then both were erst;

With which his hideous club aloft he dites,

And at his foe with furious rigor smites,

That strongest Oake might seeme to ouerthrow:

The stroke vpon his shield so heauie lites,

That to the ground it doubleth him full low:

What mortall wight could euer beare so monstrous blow?

_#G8v

And in his fall his shield, that couered was,

Did loose his vele by chaunce, and open flew:

The light whereof, that heuens light did pas,

Such blazing brightnesse through the ayer threw,

That eye mote not the same endure to vew.

Which when the Gyaunt spyde with staring eye,

He downe let fall his arme, and soft withdrew

His weapon huge, that heaued was on hye,

For to haue slain the man, that on the ground did lye.

And eke the fruitfull-headed beast, amazd

At flashing beames of that sunshiny shield,

Became stark blind, and all his sences dazd

That downe he tumbled on the durtie field,

And seemd himselfe as conquered to yield.

Whom when his maistresse proud perceiu'd to fall,

Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld,

Vnto the Gyaunt lowdly she gan call,

O helpe Orgoglio, helpe, or els we perish all.

At her so pitteous cry was much amoou'd,

Her champion stout, and for to ayde his frend,

Againe his wonted angry weapon proou'd:

But all in vaine: for he has redd his end

In that bright shield, and all their forces spend

Them selues in vaine: for since that glauncing sight,

He hath no poure to hurt, nor to defend;

As where th'Almighties lightning brond does light,

It dimmes the dazed eyen, and daunts the sences quight.

Whom when the Prince, to batteill new addrest,

And threatning high his dreadfull stroke did see,

His sparkling blade about his head he blest,

And smote off quite his right leg by the knee,

_#H1r

That downe he tombled; as an aged tree,

High growing on the top of rocky clift,

Whose hartstrings with keene steele nigh hewen be,

The mightie trunck halfe rent, with ragged rift

Doth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with fearefull drift.

Or as a Castle reared high and round,

By subtile engins and malitious slight

Is vndermined from the lowest ground,

And her foundation forst, and feebled quight,

At last downe falles, and with her heaped hight

Her hastie ruine does more heauie make,

And yields it selfe vnto the victours might;

Such was this Gyaunts fall, that seemd to shake

The stedfast globe of earth, as it for feare did quake.

The knight then lightly leaping to the pray,

With mortall steele him smot againe so sore,

That headlesse his vnweldy bodie lay,

All wallowd in his owne fowle bloody gore,

Which flowed from his wounds in wondrous store.

But soone as breath out of his brest did pas,

That huge great body, which the Gyaunt bore,

Was vanisht quite, and of that monstrous mas

Was nothing left, but like an emptie blader was.

Whose grieuous fall, when false Duessa spyde,

Her golden cup she cast vnto the ground,

And crowned mitre rudely threw asyde;

Such percing griefe her stubborne hart did wound,

That she could not endure that dolefull stound,

But leauing all behind her, fled away:

The light-foot Squyre her quickly turnd around,

And by hard meanes enforcing her to stay,

So brought vnto his Lord, as his deserued pray.

_#H1v

The roiall Virgin, which beheld from farre,

In pensiue plight, and sad perplexitie,

The whole atchieuement of this doubtfull warre,

Came running fast to greet his victorie,

With sober gladnesse, and myld modestie,

And with sweet ioyous cheare him thus bespake;

Fayre braunch of noblesse, flowre of chevalrie,

That with your worth the world amazed make,

How shall I quite the paynes, ye suffer for my sake?

And you fresh budd of vertue springing fast,

Whom these sad eyes saw nigh vnto deaths dore,

What hath poore Virgin for such perill past,

Wherewith you to reward? Accept therefore

My simple selfe, and seruice euermore:

And he that high does sit, and all things see

With equall eye, their merites to restore,

Behold what ye this day haue done for mee,

And what I cannot quite, requite with vsuree.

But sith the heauens, and your faire handeling

Haue made you master of the field this day,

Your fortune maister eke with gouerning,

And well begonne end all so well, I pray,

Ne let that wicked woman scape away;

For she it is, that did my Lord bethrall,

My dearest Lord, and deepe in dongeon lay,

Where he his better dayes hath wasted all.

O heare, how piteous he to you for ayd does call.

Forthwith he gaue in charge vnto his Squyre,

That scarlot whore to keepen carefully;

Whyles he himselfe with greedie great desyre

Into the Castle entred forcibly,

_#H2r

Where liuing creature none he did espye;

Then gan he lowdly through the house to call:

But no man car'd to answere to his crye.

There raignd a solemne silence ouer all,

Nor voice was heard, nor wight was seene in bowre or hall.

At last with creeping crooked pace forth came

An old old man, with beard as white as snow,

That on a staffe his feeble steps did frame,

And guyde his wearie gate both too and fro;

For his eye sight him fayled 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 mooud 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 Gyaunt dead;

His name Ignaro did his nature right aread.

His reuerend heares and holy grauitee

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,

He could not tell: ne euer other answere made.

_#H2v

Then asked he, which way he in might pas:

He could not tell, againe he answered.

Thereat the courteous knight displeased was,

And said, Old syre, it seemes thou hast not red

How ill it sits 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 blood 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 ymagery,

On which trew Christians blood was often spilt,

And holy Martyres often doen to dye,

_#H3r

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 euerie 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 therewithin, whom he enlargen might.

Therewith an hollow, dreary, murmuring voyce

These pitteous plaintes and dolours did resound;

O who is that, which bringes me happy choyce

Of death, that here lye dying euery stound,

Yet liue perforce in balefull darkenesse bound?

For now three Moones haue changed 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,

That breathed euer forth a filthie banefull smell.

_#H3v

But nether darkenesse fowle, nor filthy bands,

Nor noyous smell his purpose could withhold,

(Entire affection hateth nicer hands)

But that with constant zele, and corage bold,

After long paines and labors 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 eies 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 bowrs

Were wont to riue steele plates, and helmets hew,

Were clene consum'd, and all his vitall powres

Decayd, and al his flesh shronk vp like withered flowres.

Whome 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 frownd, 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 haue lackt too long a day;

And fie on Fortune mine auowed foe,

Whose wrathful wreakes them selues doe now alay.

_#H4r

And for these wronges shall treble penaunce pay

Of treble good: good growes of euils priefe.

The chearelesse man, whom sorow did dismay,

Had no delight to treaten of his griefe;

His long endured famine needed more reliefe.

Faire Lady, then said that victorious knight,

The things, that grieuous were to doe, or beare,

Them to renew, I wote, breeds no delight;

Best musicke breeds delight in loathing eare:

But th'only good, that growes of passed feare,

Is to be wise, and ware of like agein.

This daies ensample hath this lesson deare

Deepe written in my heart with yron pen,

That blisse may not abide in state of mortall men.

Henceforth Sir knight, take to you wonted strength,

And maister these mishaps with patient might;

Loe wher your foe lies 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 die.

To doe her die (quoth Vna) were despight,

And shame t'auenge so weake an enimy;

But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly.

So as she bad, that witch they disaraid,

And robd of roiall robes, and purple pall,

And ornaments that richly were displaid;

Ne spared they to strip her naked all.

Then when they had despoyld her tire and call,

Such as she was, their eies might her behold,

That her misshaped parts did them appall,

A loathly, wrinckled hag, ill fauoured, old,

Whose secret filth good manners biddeth not be told.

_#H4v

Her crafty head was altogether bald,

And as in hate of honorable eld,

Was ouergrowne with scurfe and filthy scald;

Her teeth out of her rotten gummes were feld,

And her sowre breath abhominably smeld;

Her dried dugs, lyke bladders lacking wind,

Hong downe, and filthy matter from them weld;

Her wrizled skin as rough, as maple rind,

So scabby was, that would haue loathd all womankind.

Her neather parts, the shame of all her kind,

My chaster Muse for shame doth blush to write;

But at her rompe she growing had behind

A foxes taile, with dong all fowly dight;

And eke her feete most monstrous were in sight;

For one of them was like an Eagles claw,

With griping talaunts armd to greedy fight,

The other like a beares vneuen paw:

More vgly shape yet neuer liuing creature saw.

Which when the knights beheld, amazd they were,

And wondred at so fowle deformed wight.

Such then (said Vna) as she seemeth here,

Such is the face of falshood, such the sight

Of fowle Duessa, when her borrowed light

Is laid away, and counterfesaunce knowne.

Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight,

And all her filthy feature open showne,

They let her goe at will, and wander waies vnknowne.

Shee flying fast from heauens hated face,

And from the world that her discouered wide,

Fled to the wastfull wildernesse apace,

From liuing eies her open shame to hide,

_#H5r

And lurkt in rocks and caues long vnespide.

But that faire crew of knights, and Vna faire

Did in that castle afterwards abide,

To rest them selues, and weary powres repaire,

Where store they fownd of al, that dainty was and rare.

Cant. IX.

His loues and lignage Arthure tells:

the knights knitt friendly bands:

Sir Trevisan flies from Despeyre,

Whom Redcros knight withstands.

O Goodly golden chayne, wherewith yfere

The vertues linked are in louely wize:

And noble mindes of yore allyed were,

In braue poursuitt of cheualrous emprize,

That none did others safety despize,

Nor aid enuy to him, in need that stands,

But friendly each did others praise deuize,

How to aduaunce with fauourable hands,

As this good Prince redeemd the Redcrosse knight from bands.

Who when their powres empayrd through labor long,

With dew repast they had recured well,

And that weake captiue wight now wexed strong,

Them list no lenger there at leasure dwell,

But forward fare, as their aduentures fell,

But ere they parted, Vna faire besought

That straunger knight his name and nation tell;

Least so great good, as he for her had wrought,

Should die vnknown, and buried be in thankles thought.

_#H5v

Faire virgin (said the Prince) yee me require

A thing without the compas of my witt:

For both the lignage and the certein Sire,

From which I sprong, from mee are hidden yitt.

For all so soone as life did me admitt

Into this world, and shewed heuens light,

From mothers pap I taken was vnfitt:

And streight deliuered to a Fary knight,

To be vpbrought in gentle thewes and martiall might.

Vnto old Timon he me brought byliue,

Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath beene

In warlike feates th'expertest man aliue,

And is the wisest now on earth I weene;

His dwelling is low in a valley greene,

Vnder the foot of Rauran mossy hore,

From whence the riuer Dee as siluer cleene

His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore:

There all my daies he traind mee vp in vertuous lore.

Thether the great magicien Merlin came,

As was his vse, ofttimes to visitt mee:

For he had charge my discipline to frame,

And Tutors nouriture to ouersee.

Him oft and oft I askt in priuity,

Of what loines and what lignage I did spring.

Whose aunswere bad me still assured bee,

That I was sonne and heire vnto a king,

As time in her iust term the truth to light should bring.

Well worthy impe, said then the Lady gent,

And Pupill fitt for such a Tutors hand.

But what aduenture, or what high intent

Hath brought you hether into Fary land,

_#H6r

Aread Prince Arthure, crowne of Martiall band?

Full hard it is (quoth he) to read aright

The course of heauenly cause, or vnderstand

The secret meaning of th'eternall might,

That rules mens waies, and rules the thoughts of liuing wight.

For whether he through fatal deepe foresight

Me hither sent, for cause to me vnghest,

Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and night

Whilome doth rancle in my riuen brest,

With forced fury following his behest,

Me hether brought by wayes yet neuer found,

You to haue helpt I hold my selfe yet blest.

Ah courteous knight (quoth she) what secret wound

Could euer find, to grieue the gentlest hart on ground?

Deare Dame (quoth he) you sleeping sparkes awake,

Which troubled once, into huge flames will grow,

Ne euer will their feruent fury slake,

Till liuing moysture into smoke do flow,

And wasted life doe lye in ashes low.

Yet sithens silence lesseneth not my fire,

But told it flames, and hidden it does glow,

I will reuele, what ye so much desire:

Ah Loue, lay down thy bow, the whiles I may respyre.

It was in freshest flowre of youthly yeares,

When corage first does creepe in manly chest,

Then first that cole of kindly heat appeares

To kindle loue in euery liuing brest;

But me had warnd old Timons wise behest,

Those creeping flames by reason to subdew,

Before their rage grew to so great vnrest,

As miserable louers vse to rew,

Which still wex old in woe, whiles wo stil wexeth new.

_#H6v

That ydle name of loue, and louers life,

As losse of time, and vertues enimy

I euer scornd, and ioyd to stirre vp strife,

In middest of their mournfull Tragedy,

Ay wont to laugh, when them I heard to cry,

And blow the fire, which them to ashes brent:

Their God himselfe, grieud at my libertie,

Shott many a dart at me with fiers intent,

But I them warded all with wary gouernment.

But all in vaine: no fort can be so strong,

Ne fleshly brest can armed be so sownd,

But will at last be wonne with battrie long,

Or vnawares at disauantage fownd:

Nothing is sure, that growes on earthly grownd:

And who most trustes in arme of fleshly might,

And boastes, in beauties chaine not to be bownd,

Doth soonest fall in disauentrous fight,

And yeeldes his caytiue neck to victours most despight.

Ensample make of him your haplesse ioy,

And of my selfe now mated, as ye see;

Whose prouder vaunt that proud auenging boy

Did soone pluck downe, and curbd my libertee.

For on a day prickt forth with iollitee

Of looser life, and heat of hardiment,

Raunging the forest wide on courser free,

The fields, the floods, the heauens with one consent

Did seeme to laugh on me, and fauour mine intent.

For wearied with my sportes, I did alight

From loftie steed, and downe to sleepe me layd;

The verdant gras my couch did goodly dight,

And pillow was my helmett fayre displayd:

_#H7r

Whiles euery sence the humour sweet embayd,

And slombring soft my hart did steale away

Me seemed, by my side a royall Mayd

Her daintie limbes full softly down did lay:

So fayre a creature yet saw neuer sunny day.

Most goodly glee and louely blandishment

She to me made, and badd me loue her deare;

For dearely sure her loue was to me bent,

As 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 wordes did euer heare,

As she to me deliuered all that night;

And at her parting said, She Queene of Faries 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 diuyne;

From that day forth I cast in carefull mynd,

To seeke her out with labor, and long tyne,

And neuer vowd to rest, till her I fynd,

Nyne monethes I seek in vain yet ni'll that vow vnbynd.

Thus as he spake, his visage wexed pale,

And chaunge of hew great passion did bewray;

Yett 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 Faries, that hast fownd

Mongst many, one that with his prowesse may

Defend thine honour, and thy foes confownd:

True Loues are often sown, but seldom grow on grownd.

_#H7v

Thine, O then, said the gentle Redcrosse knight,

Next to that Ladies loue, shalbe the place,

O fayrest virgin, full of heauenly light,

Whose wondrous faith, exceeding earthly race,

Was firmest fixt in myne extremest case.

And you, my Lord, the Patrone of my life,

Of that great Queene may well gaine worthie grace:

For onely worthie you through prowes priefe

Yf liuing man mote worthie 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:

Als Vna earnd her traueill to renew.

Then those two knights, fast frendship for to bynd,

And loue establish each to other trew,

Gaue goodly gifts, the signes of gratefull mynd,

And eke as 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 wownd could heale incontinent:

Which to requite, the Redcrosse knight him gaue

A booke, wherein his Saueours testament

Was writt with golden letters rich and braue;

A worke of wondrous grace, and hable 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,

_#H8r

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 aghast.

Still as he fledd, his eye was backward cast,

As if his feare still followed him behynd;

Als flew his steed, as he his bandes had brast,

And with his winged heeles did tread the wynd,

As he had beene a fole of Pegasus his kynd.

Nigh as he drew, they might perceiue his head

To bee vnarmd, and curld vncombed heares

Vpstaring stiffe, dismaid with vncouth dread;

Nor drop of blood in all his face appeares

Nor life in limbe: and to increase his feares,

In fowle reproch of knighthoodes fayre 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 findes 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.

_#H8v

He answerd nought at all, but adding new

Feare to his first amazment, staring wyde

With stony eyes, and hartlesse hollow hew,

Astonisht stood, as one that had aspyde

Infernall furies, with their chaines vntyde.

Him yett againe, and yett againe bespake

The gentle knight, who nought to him replyde,

But trembling euery ioynt did inly quake,

And foltring tongue at last these words seemd forth to shake.

For Gods deare loue, Sir knight, doe me not stay;

For loe he comes, he comes fast after mee.

Eft looking back would faine haue runne away;

But he him forst to stay, and tellen free

The secrete cause of his perplexitie,

Yet nathemore by his bold hartie speach,

Could his blood frosen hart emboldened bee,

But through his boldnes rather feare did reach,

Yett 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 fayre knight to keepen companee,

Sir Terwin hight, that well himselfe aduaunst

In all affayres, and was both bold and free,

_#I1r

But not so happy as mote happy bee:

He lou'd, as was his lot, a Lady 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 retourning 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 calls himselfe Despayre:

Who first vs greets, and after fayre areedes

Of tydinges straunge, 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 dew reliefe,

That earst vs held in loue of lingring life;

Then hopelesse hartlesse, gan the cunning thiefe

Perswade vs dye, to stint all further strife:

To me he lent this rope, to him a rusty knife.

With which sad instrument of hasty death,

That wofull louer, loathing lenger light,

A wyde way made to let forth liuing breath.

But I more fearefull, or more lucky wight,

Dismayd with that deformed dismall sight,

Fledd fast away, halfe dead with dying feare;

Ne yet assur'd of life by you, Sir knight,

Whose like infirmity like chaunce may beare:

But God you neuer let his charmed speaches heare.

_#I1v

How may a man (said he) with idle speach

Be wonne, to spoyle the Castle of his health?

I wote (quoth he) whom tryall late did teach,

That like would not for all this worldes wealth:

His subtile tong, like dropping honny, mealt'th

Into the heart, and searcheth euery vaine,

That ere one be aware, by secret stealth

His powre is reft, and weaknes doth remaine.

O neuer Sir desire to try his guilefull traine.

Certes (sayd he) hence shall I neuer rest,

Till I that treachours art haue heard and tryde;

And you Sir knight, whose name mote I request,

Of grace do me vnto his cabin guyde.

I that hight Treuisan (quoth he) will ryde

Against my liking backe, to doe you grace:

But nor for gold nor glee will I abyde

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,

Far vnderneath a craggy clift ypight,

Darke, dolefull, dreary, like a greedy graue,

That still for carrion carcases doth craue:

On top whereof ay dwelt the ghastly Owle,

Shrieking his balefull note, which euer draue

Far from that haunt all other chearefull fowle;

And all about it wandring ghostes did wayle and howle.

And all about old stockes and stubs of trees,

Whereon nor fruite, nor leafe was euer seene,

Did hang vpon the ragged rocky knees;

On which had many wretches hanged beene,

_#I2r

Whose carcases were scattred on the greene,

And throwne about the cliffs. Arriued there,

That bare-head knight for dread and dolefull teene,

Would faine haue fled, ne durst approchen neare,

But th'other forst him staye, 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 sullein mind;

His griesie lockes, long growen, and vnbound,

Disordred hong about his shoulders round,

And hid his face; through which his hollow eyne

Lookt deadly dull, and stared as astound;

His raw-bone cheekes through penurie and pine,

Were shronke into his iawes, as he did neuer dyne.

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 dreary corse, whose life away did pas,

All wallowd in his own yet luke-warme blood,

That from his wound yet welled fresh alas;

In which a rusty knife fast fixed stood,

And made an open passage for the gushing flood.

Which piteous spectacle, approuing trew

The wofull tale, that Trevisan had told,

When as the gentle Redcrosse knight did vew,

With firie zeale he burnt in courage bold,

Him to auenge, before his blood were cold,

And to the villein sayd, Thou damned wight,

The authour of this fact, we here behold,

What iustice can but iudge against thee right,

With thine owne blood to price his blood, here shed in sight.

_#I2v

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 dye, who merites not to liue?

None els to death this man despayring driue,

But his owne guiltie mind deseruing death.

Is then vniust to each his dew to giue?

Or let him dye, that loatheth liuing breath?

Or let him die at ease, that liueth here vneath?

Who trauailes 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 bancke, yet wilt thy selfe not pas the flood?

He there does now enioy eternall rest

And happy ease, which thou doest want and craue,

And further from it daily wanderest:

What if some little payne the passage haue,

That makes frayle flesh to feare the bitter waue?

Is not short payne well borne, that bringes 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 sayd, The terme of life is limited,

Ne may a man prolong, nor shorten it;

The souldier may not moue from watchfull sted,

_#I3r

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 certein date.

Who then can striue with strong necessitie,

That holds the world in his still chaunging state,

Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie?

When 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 blood-shed, and auengement,

Now praysd, hereafter deare thou shalt repent:

For life must life, and blood must blood 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 doe no further goe, no further stray,

But here ly 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,

Payne, hunger, cold, that makes the hart to quake;

And euer fickle fortune rageth rife,

All which, and thousands mo do make a loathsome life.

_#I3v

Thou wretched man, of death hast greatest need,

If in true ballaunce thou wilt weigh thy state:

For neuer knight, that dared warlike deed,

More luckless dissauentures did amate:

Witnes the dungeon deepe, wherein of late

Thy life shutt 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 heareafter thou maist happen fall.

Why then doest thou, O 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 iniquitee,

Against the day of wrath, to burden thee?

Is not enough, that to this Lady mild

Thou falsed hast thy faith with periuree,

And sold thy selfe to serue Duessa vild,

With whom in al abuse thou hast thy selfe defild?

Is not he iust, that all this doth behold

From highest heuen, and beares an equall eie?

Shall he thy sins vp in his knowledge fold,

And guilty be of thine impietie?

Is not his lawe, 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 glas be all out ronne?

Death is the end of woes: die soone, O faries sonne.

The knight was much enmoued with his speach,

That as a swords poynt through his hart did perse,

And in his conscience made a secrete breach,

Well knowing trew all, that he did reherse,

_#I4r

And to his fresh remembraunce did reuerse,

The vgly vew of his deformed crimes,

That all his manly powres it did disperse,

As he were charmed with inchaunted rimes,

That oftentimes he quakt, and fainted oftentimes.

In which amazement, when the Miscreaunt

Perceiued him to wauer weake and fraile,

Whiles trembling horror did his conscience daunt,

And hellish anguish did his soule assaile,

To driue him to despaire, and quite to quaile,

Hee shewd him painted in a table plaine,

The damned ghosts, that doe in torments waile,

And thousand feends that doe them endlesse paine

With fire and brimstone, which for euer shall remaine.

The sight whereof so throughly him dismaid,

That nought but death before his eies he saw,

And euer burning wrath before him laid,

By righteous sentence of th'Almighties law:

Then gan the villein him to ouercraw,

And brought vnto him swords, ropes, poison, fire,

And all that might him to perdition draw;

And bad him choose, what death he would desire:

For death was dew to him, that had prouokt Gods ire.

But whenas none of them he saw him take,

He to him raught a dagger sharpe and keene,

And gaue it him in hand: his hand did quake,

And tremble like a leafe of Aspin greene,

And troubled blood through his pale face was seene

To come, and goe with tidings from the heart,

As it a ronning messenger had beene.

At last resolu'd to worke his finall smart,

He lifted vp his hand, that backe againe did start.

_#I4v

Which whenas Vna saw, through euery vaine

The crudled cold ran to her well of life,

As in a swowne: but soone reliu'd againe,

Out of his hand she snatcht the cursed knife,

And threw it to the ground, enraged rife,

And to him said, Fie fie, faint hearted knight,

What meanest thou by this reprochfull strife?

Is this the battaile, which thou vauntst to fight

With that fire-mouthed Dragon, horrible and bright?

Come, come away, fraile, feeble, fleshly wight,

Ne let vaine words bewitch thy manly hart,

Ne diuelish thoughts dismay thy constant spright.

In heauenly mercies hast thou not a part?

Why shouldst thou then despeire, that chosen art?

Where iustice growes, there grows eke greter grace,

The which doth quench the brond of hellish smart,

And that accurst hand-writing doth deface.

Arise, Sir knight arise, and leaue this cursed place.

So vp he rose, and thence amounted streight.

Which when the carle beheld, and saw his guest

Would safe depart, for all his subtile sleight,

He chose an halter from among the rest,

And with it hong him selfe, vnbid vnblest.

But death he could not worke himselfe thereby;

For thousand times he so him selfe had drest,

Yet nathelesse it could not doe him die,

Till he should die his last, that is eternally.

_#I5r

Cant. X.

Her faithfull knight faire Vna brings

To house of Holinesse,

Where he is taught repentaunce, and

The way to heuenly blesse.

WHat man is he, that boasts of fleshly might,

And vaine assuraunce of mortality,

Which all so soone, as it doth come to fight,

Against spirituall foes, yields by and by,

Or from the fielde most cowardly doth fly?

Ne let the man ascribe it to his skill,

That thorough grace hath gained victory.

If any strength we haue, it is to ill,

But all the good is Gods, both power and eke will.

By that, which lately hapned, Vna saw,

That this her knight was feeble, and too faint;

And all his sinewes woxen weake and raw,

Through long enprisonment, and hard constraint,

Which he endured in his late restraint,

That yet he was vnfitt for bloody fight:

Therefore to cherish him with diets daint,

She cast to bring him, where he chearen might,

Till he recouered had his late decayed plight.

There was an auncient house not far away,

Renowmd throughout the world for sacred lore,

And pure vnspotted life: so well they say

It gouernd was, and guided euermore,

_#I5v

Through wisedome of a matrone graue and hore;

Whose onely ioy was to relieue the needes

Of wretched soules, and helpe the helpeless pore:

All night she spent in bidding of her bedes,

And all the day in doing good and godly deedes.

Dame C lia men did her call, as thought

From heauen to come, or thether to arise,

The mother of three daughters, well vpbrought

In goodly thewes, and godly exercise:

The eldest two most sober, chast, and wise,

Fidelia and Speranza virgins were,

Though spousd, yet wanting wedlocks solemnize;

But faire Charissa to a louely fere

Was lincked, and by him had many pledges dere.

Arriued there, the dore they find fast lockt;

For it was warely watched night and day,

For feare of many foes: but when they knockt,

The Porter opened vnto them streight way:

He was an aged syre, all hory gray,

With lookes full lowly cast, and gate full slow,

Wont on a staffe his feeble steps to stay,

Hight Humilta. They passe in stouping low;

For streight and narrow was the way, which he did shew.

Each goodly thing is hardest to begin,

But entred in a spatious court they see,

Both plaine, and pleasaunt to be walked in,

Where them does meete a francklin faire and free,

And entertaines with comely courteous glee,

His name was Zele, that him right well became,

For in his speaches and behaueour hee

Did labour liuely to expresse the same,

And gladly did them guide, till to the Hall they came.

_#I6r

There fayrely them receiues a gentle Squyre,

Of myld demeanure, and rare courtesee,

Right cleanly clad in comely sad attyre;

In word and deede that shewd great modestee,

And knew his good to all of each degree,

Hight Reuerence. He them with speaches meet

Does faire entreat; no courting nicetee,

But simple trew, and eke vnfained sweet,

As might become a Squyre so great persons to greet.

And afterwardes them to his Dame he leades,

That aged Dame, the Lady of the place:

Who all this while was busy at her beades:

Which doen, she vp arose with seemely grace,

And toward them full matronely did pace.

Where when that fairest Vna she beheld,

Whom well she knew to spring from heuenly race,

Her heart with ioy vnwonted inly sweld,

As feeling wondrous comfort in her weaker eld.

And her embracing said, O happy earth,

Whereon thy innocent feet doe euer tread,

Most vertuous virgin borne of heuenly berth,

That to redeeme thy woefull parents head,

From tyrans rage, and euer-dying dread,

Hast wandred through the world now long a day;

Yett ceassest not thy weary soles to lead,

What grace hath thee now hether brought this way?

Or doen thy feeble feet vnweeting hether stray?

Straunge thing it is an errant knight to see

Here in this place, or any other wight,

That hether turnes his steps. So few there bee,

That chose the narrow path, or seeke the right:

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All keepe the broad high way, and take delight

With many rather for to goe astray,

And be partakers of their euill plight,

Then with a few to walke the rightest way;

O foolish men, why hast ye to your owne decay?

Thy selfe to see, and tyred limbes to rest,

O matrone sage (quoth she) I hether came,

And this good knight his way with me addrest,

Ledd with thy prayses and broad-blazed fame,

That vp to heuen is blowne. The auncient Dame,

Him goodly greeted in her modest guyse,

And enterteynd them both, as best became,

With all the court'sies, that she could deuyse,

Ne wanted ought, to shew her bounteous or wise.

Thus as they gan of sondrie thinges deuise,

Loe two most goodly virgins came in place,

Ylinked arme in arme in louely wise,

With countenance demure, and modest grace,

They numbred euen steps and equall pace:

Of which the eldest, that Fidelia hight,

Like sunny beames threw from her Christall face,

That could haue dazd the rash beholders sight,

And round about her head did shine like heuens light.

She was araied all in lilly white,

And in her right hand bore a cup of gold,

With wine and water fild vp to the hight,

In which a Serpent did himselfe enfold,

That horrour made to all, that did behold;

But she no whitt did chaunge her constant mood:

And in her other hand she fast did hold

A booke that was both signd and seald with blood,

Wherin darke things were writt, hard to be vnderstood.

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Her younger Sister, that Speranza hight,

Was clad in blew, that her beseemed well;

Not all so chearefull seemed she of sight,

As was her sister; whether dread did dwell,

Or anguish in her hart, is hard to tell:

Vpon her arme a siluer anchor lay,

Whereon she leaned euer, as befell:

And euer vp to heuen, as she did pray,

Her stedfast eyes were bent, ne swarued other way.

They seeing Vna, towardes her gan wend,

Who them encounters with like courtesee;

Many kind speeches they betweene them spend,

And greatly ioy each other for to see:

Then to the knight with shamefast modestie

They turne them selues, at Vnaes meeke request,

And him salute with well beseeming glee;

Who faire them quites, as him beseemed best,

And goodly gan discourse of many a noble gest.

Then Vna thus; But she your sister deare,

The deare Charissa where is she become?

Or wants she health, or busie is elswhere?

Ah no, said they, but forth she may not come:

For she of late is lightned of her wombe,

And hath encreast the world with one sonne more,

That her to see should be but troublesome.

Indeed (quoth she) that should her trouble sore,

But thankt be God, and her encrease so euermore.

Then saide the aged C lia, Deare dame,

And you good Sir, I wote that of youre toyle,

And labors long, through which ye hether came,

Ye both forwearied be: therefore a whyle

_#I7v

I read you rest, and to your bowres recoyle.

Then called she a Groome, that forth him ledd

Into a goodly lodge, and gan despoile

Of puissant armes, and laid in easie bedd;

His name was meeke Obedience rightfully aredd.

Now when their wearie limbes with kindly rest,

And bodies were refresht with dew repast,

Fayre Vna gan Fidelia fayre request,

To haue her knight into her schoolehous plaste,

That of her heauenly learning he might taste,

And heare the wisedom of her wordes diuine.

She graunted, and that knight so much agraste,

That she him taught celestiall discipline,

And opened his dull eyes, that light mote in them shine.

And that her sacred Booke, with blood ywritt,

That none could reade, except she did them teach,

She vnto him disclosed euery whitt,

And heauenly documents thereout did preach,

That weaker witt of man could neuer reach,

Of God, of grace, of iustice, of free will,

That wonder was to heare her goodly speach:

For she was hable, with her wordes to kill,

And rayse againe to life the hart, that she did thrill.

And when she list poure out her larger spright,

She would commaund the hasty Sunne to stay,

Or backward turne his course from heuens hight,

Sometimes great hostes of men she could dismay,

Dry-shod to passe, she parts the flouds in tway;

And eke huge mountaines from their natiue seat

She would commaund, themselues to beare away,

And throw in raging sea with roaring threat.

Almightie God her gaue such powre, and puissaunce great.

_#I8r

The faithfull knight now grew in litle space,

By hearing her, and by her sisters lore,

To such perfection of all heuenly grace;

That wretched world he gan for to abhore,

And mortall life gan loath, as thing forlore,

Greeud with remembrance of his wicked wayes,

And prickt with anguish of his sinnes so sore,

That he desirde, to end his wretched dayes:

So much the dart of sinfull guilt the soule dismayes.

But wise Speranza gaue him comfort sweet,

And taught him how to take assured hold

Vpon her siluer anchor, as was meet;

Els had his sinnes so great, and manifold

Made him forget all, that Fidelia told.

In this distressed doubtfull agony,

When him his dearest Vna did behold,

Disdeining life, desiring leaue to dye,

She found her selfe assayld with great perplexity.

And came to C lia to declare her smart,

Who well acquainted with that commune plight,

Which sinfull horror workes in wounded hart,

Her wisely comforted all, that she might,

With goodly counsell and aduisement right;

And streightway sent with carefull diligence,

To fetch a Leach, the which had great insight

In that disease of grieued conscience,

And well could cure the same; His name was Patience.

Who comming to that sowle-diseased knight,

Could hardly him intreat, to tell his grief:

Which knowne, and all that noyd his heauie spright,

Well searcht, eftsoones he gan apply relief

_#I8v

Of salues and med'cines, which had passing prief,

And there to added wordes of wondrous might:

By which to ease he him recured brief,

And much aswag'd the passion of his plight,

That he his paine endur'd, as seeming now more light.

But yet the cause and root of all his ill,

Inward corruption, and infected sin,

Not purg'd nor heald, behind remained still,

And festring sore did ranckle yett within,

Close creeping twixt the marow and the skin.

Which to extirpe, he laid him priuily

Downe in a darksome lowly place far in,

Whereas he meant his corrosiues to apply,

And with streight diet tame his stubborne malady.

In ashes and sackcloth he did array

His daintie corse, proud humors to abate,

And dieted with fasting euery day,

The swelling of his woundes to mitigate,

And made him pray both earely and eke late:

And euer as superfluous flesh did rott

Amendment readie still at hand did wayt,

To pluck it out with pincers fyrie whott,

That soone in him was lefte no one corrupted iott.

And bitter Penaunce with an yron whip,

Was wont him once to disple euery day:

And sharpe Remorse his hart did prick and nip,

That drops of blood thence like a well did play;

And sad Repentance vsed to embay,

His blamefull body in salt water sore,

The filthy blottes of sin to wash away.

So in short space they did to health restore

The man that would not liue, but erst lay at deathes dore.

_#K1r

In which his torment often was so great,

That like a Lyon he would cry and rore,

And rend his flesh, and his owne synewes eat.

His owne deare Vna hearing euermore

His ruefull shriekes and gronings, often tore

Her guiltlesse garments, and her golden heare,

For pitty of his payne and anguish sore;

Yet all with patience wisely she did beare;

For well she wist, his cryme could els be neuer cleare.

Whom thus recouer'd by wise Patience,

And trew Repentaunce they to Vna brought;

Who ioyous of his cured conscience,

Him dearely kist, and fayrely eke besought

Himselfe to chearish, and consuming thought

To put away out of his carefull brest.

By this Charissa, late in child-bed brought,

Was woxen strong, and left her fruitfull nest;

To her fayre Vna brought this vnacquainted guest.

She was a woman in her freshest age,

Of wondrous beauty, and of bounty rare,

With goodly grace and comely personage,

That was on earth not easie to compare;

Full of great loue, but Cupids wanton snare

As hell she hated, chaste in worke and will;

Her necke and brests were euer open bare,

That ay thereof her babes might sucke their fill;

The rest was all in yellow robes arayed still.

A multitude of babes about her hong,

Playing their sportes, that ioyd her to behold,

Whom still she fed, whiles they were weak and young,

But thrust them forth still, as they wexed old:

_#K1v

And on her head she wore a tyre of gold,

Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous fayre,

Whose passing price vneath was to be told;

And by her syde there sate a gentle payre

Of turtle doues, she sitting in an yuory chayre.

The knight and Vna entring, fayre her greet,

And bid her ioy of that her happy brood;

Who them requites with court'sies seeming meet,

And entertaynes with friendly chearefull mood.

Then Vna her besought, to be so good,

As in her vertuous rules to schoole her knight,

Now after all his torment well withstood,

In that sad house of Penaunce, where his spright

Had past the paines of hell, and long enduring night.

She was right ioyious of her iust request,

And taking by the hand that Faeries sonne,

Gan him instruct in euerie good behest,

Of loue, and righteousnes, and well to donne,

And wrath, and hatred warely to shonne,

That drew on men Gods hatred, and his wrath,

And many soules in dolours had fordonne:

In which when him she well instructed hath,

From thence to heauen she teacheth him the ready path.

Wherein his weaker wandring steps to guyde,

An auncient matrone she to her does call,

Whose sober lookes her wisedome well descryde:

Her name was Mercy, well knowne ouer all,

To be both gratious, and eke liberall:

To whom the carefull charge of him she gaue,

To leade aright, that he should neuer fall

In all his waies through this wide worldes waue,

That Mercy in the end his righteous soule might saue.

_#K2r

The godly Matrone by the hand him beares

Forth from her presence, by a narrow way,

Scattred with bushy thornes, and ragged breares,

Which still before him she remou'd away,

That nothing might his ready passage stay:

And euer when his feet encombred were,

Or gan to shrinke, or from the right to stray,

She held him fast, and firmely did vpbeare,

As carefull Nourse her child from falling oft does reare.

Eftsoones vnto an holy Hospitall,

That was foreby the way, she did him bring,

In which seuen Bead-men that had vowed all

Their life to seruice of high heauens king

Did spend their daies in doing godly thing:

Their gates to all were open euermore,

That by the wearie way were traueiling,

And one sate wayting euer them before,

To call in commers-by, that needy were and pore.

The first of them that eldest was, and best,

Of all the house had charge and gouernement,

As Guardian and Steward of the rest:

His office was to giue entertainement

And lodging, vnto all that came, and went:

Not vnto such, as could him feast againe,

And double quite, for that he on them spent,

But such, as want of harbour did constraine:

Those for Gods sake his dewty was to entertaine.

The second was as Almner of the place,

His office was, the hungry for to feed,

And thristy giue to drinke, a worke of grace:

He feard not once him selfe to be in need,

_#K2v

Ne car'd to hoord for those, whom he did breede:

The grace of God he layd vp still in store,

Which as a stocke he left vnto his seede;

He had enough, what need him care for more?

And had he lesse, yet some he would giue to the pore.

The third had of their wardrobe custody,

In which were not rich tyres, nor garments gay,

The plumes of pride, and winges of vanity,

But clothes meet to keepe keene cold away,

And naked nature seemely to aray;

With which bare wretched wights he dayly clad,

The images of God in earthly clay;

And if that no spare clothes to giue he had,

His owne cote he would cut, and it distribute glad.

The fourth appointed by his office was,

Poore prisoners to relieue with gratious ayd,

And captiues to redeeme with price of bras,

From Turkes and Sarazins, which them had stayd;

And though they faulty were, yet well he wayd,

That God to vs forgiueth euery howre

Much more then that, why they in bands were layd,

And he that harrowd hell with heauie stowre,

The faulty soules from thence brought to his heauenly bowre.

The fift had charge sick persons to attend,

And comfort those, in point of death which lay;

For them most needeth comfort in the end,

When sin, and hell, and death doe most dismay

The feeble soule departing hence away.

All is but lost, that liuing we bestow,

If not well ended at our dying day.

O man haue mind of that last bitter throw;

For as the tree does fall, so lyes it euer low.

_#K3r

The sixt had charge of them now being dead,

In seemely sort their corses to engraue,

And deck with dainty flowres their brydall bed,

That to their heauenly spouse both sweet and braue

They might appeare, when he their soules shall saue.

The wondrous workmanship of Gods owne mould,

Whose face he made, all beastes to feare, and gaue

All in his hand, euen dead we honour should.

Ah dearest God me graunt, I dead be not defould.

The seuenth now after death and buriall done,

Had charge the tender Orphans of the dead

And wydowes ayd, least they should be vndone:

In face of iudgement he their right would plead,

Ne ought the powre of mighty men did dread

In their defence, nor would for gold or fee

Be wonne their rightfull causes downe to tread:

And when they stood in most necessitee,

He did supply their want, and gaue them euer free.

There when the Elfin knight arriued was,

The first and chiefest of the seuen, whose care

Was guests to welcome, towardes him did pas:

Where seeing Mercie, that his steps vpbare,

And alwaies led, to her with reuerence rare

He humbly louted in meeke lowlinesse,

And seemely welcome for her did prepare:

For of their order she was Patronesse,

Albe Charissa were their chiefest founderesse.

There she awhile him stayes, him selfe to rest,

That to the rest more hable he might bee:

During which time, in euery good behest

And godly worke of Almes and charitee

_#K3v

Shee him instructed with great industree;

Shortly therein so perfect he became,

That from the first vnto the last degree,

His mortall life he learned had to frame

In holy righteousnesse, without rebuke or blame.

Thence forward by that painfull way they pas,

Forth to an hill, that was both steepe and hy;

On top whereof a sacred chappell was,

And eke a litle Hermitage thereby.

Wherein an aged holy man did lie,

That day and night said his deuotion,

Ne other worldly busines did apply;

His name was heuenly Contemplation;

Of God and goodnes was his meditation.

Great grace that old man to him giuen had;

For God he often saw from heauens hight,

All were his earthly eien both blunt and bad,

And through great age had lost their kindly sight,

Yet wondrous quick and persaunt was his spright,

As Eagles eie, that can behold the Sunne:

That hill they scale with all their powre and might,

That his fraile thighes nigh weary, and fordonne

Gan faile, but by her helpe the top at last he wonne.

There they doe finde that godly aged Sire,

With snowy lockes adowne his shoulders shed,

As hoary frost with spangles doth attire

The mossy braunches of an Oke halfe ded.

Each bone might through his body well be red,

And euery sinew seene through his long fast:

For nought he car'd his carcas long vnfed;

His mind was full of spirituall repast,

And pyn'd his flesh, to keepe his body low and chast.

_#K4r

Who when these two approching he aspide,

At their first presence grew agrieued sore,

That forst him lay his heuenly thoughts aside;

And had he not that Dame respected more,

Whom highly he did reuerence and adore,

He would not once haue moued for the knight.

They him saluted standing far afore;

Who well them greeting, humbly did requight,

And asked, to what end they clomb that tedious hight.

What end (quoth she) should cause vs take such paine,

But that same end, which euery liuing wight

Should make his marke, high heauen to attaine?

Is not from hence the way, that leadeth right

To that most glorious house, that glistreth bright

With burning starres, and euerliuing fire,

Whereof the keies are to thy hand behight

By wise Fidelia? shee doth thee require,

To shew it to this knight, according his desire.

Thrise happy man, said then the father graue,

Whose staggering steps thy steady hand doth lead,

And shewes the way, his sinfull soule to saue.

Who better can the way to heauen aread,

Then thou thy selfe, that was both borne and bred

In heuenly throne, where thousand Angels shine?

Thou doest the praiers of the righteous sead

Present before the maiesty diuine,

And his auenging wrath to clemency incline.

Yet since thou bidst, thy pleasure shalbe donne.

Then come thou man of earth, and see the way,

That neuer yet was seene of Faries sonne,

That neuer leads the traueiler astray,

_#K4v

But after labors long, and sad delay,

Brings them to ioyous rest and endlesse blis.

But first thou must a season fast and pray,

Till from her bands the spright assoiled is,

And haue her strength recur'd from fraile infirmitis.

That done, he leads him to the highest Mount;

Such one, as that same mighty man of God,

That blood-red billowes like a walled front

On either side disparted with his rod,

Till that his army dry-foot through them yod,

Dwelt forty daies vpon; where writt in stone

With bloody letters by the hand of God,

The bitter doome of death and balefull mone

He did receiue, whiles flashing fire about him shone.

Or like that sacred hill, whose head full hie,

Adornd with fruitfull Oliues all arownd,

Is, as it were for endlesse memory

Of that deare Lord, who oft thereon was fownd,

For euer with a flowring girlond crownd:

Or like that pleasaunt Mount, that is for ay

Through famous Poets verse each where renownd,

On which the thrise three learned Ladies play

Their heuenly notes, and make full many a louely lay.

From thence, far off he vnto him did shew

A litle path, that was both steepe and long,

Which to a goodly Citty led his vew;

Whose wals and towres were builded high and strong

Of perle and precious stone, that earthly tong

Cannot describe, nor wit of man can tell;

Too high a ditty for my simple song:

The Citty of the greate king hight it well,

Wherein eternall peace and happinesse doth dwell.

_#K5r

As he thereon stood gazing, he might see

The blessed Angels to and fro descend

From highest heuen, in gladsome companee,

And with great ioy into that Citty wend,

As commonly as frend does with his frend.

Whereat he wondred much, and gan enquere,

What stately building durst so high extend

Her lofty towres vnto the starry sphere,

And what vnknowen nation there empeopled were.

Faire knight (quoth he) Hierusalem that is,

The new Hierusalem, that God has built

For those to dwell in, that are chosen his,

His chosen people purg'd from sinful guilt,

With pretious blood, which cruelly was spilt

On cursed tree, of that vnspotted lam,

That for the sinnes of al the world was kilt:

Now are they Saints all in that Citty sam,

More dear vnto their God, then younglings to their dam.

Till now, said then the knight, I weened well,

That great Cleopolis, where I haue beene,

In which that fairest Fary Queene doth dwell,

The fairest Citty was, that might be seene;

And that bright towre all built of christall clene,

Panthea, seemd the brightest thing, that was:

But now by proofe all otherwise I weene;

For this great Citty that does far surpas,

And this bright Angels towre quite dims that towre of glas.

Most trew, then said the holy aged man;

Yet is Cleopolis for earthly frame,

The fairest peece, that eie beholden can:

And well beseemes all knights of noble name,

_#K5v

That couett in th'immortall booke of fame

To be eternized, that same to haunt,

And doen their seruice to that soueraigne Dame,

That glory does to them for guerdon graunt:

For she is heuenly borne, and heauen may iustly vaunt.

And thou faire ymp, sprong out from English race,

How euer now accompted Elfins sonne,

Well worthy doest thy seruice for her grace,

To aide a virgin desolate foredonne.

But when thou famous victory hast wonne,

And high emongst all knights hast hong thy shield,

Thenceforth the suitt of earthly conquest shonne,

And wash thy hands from guilt of bloody field:

For blood can nought but sin, and wars but sorrows yield.

Then seek this path, that I to thee presage,

Which after all to heauen shall thee send;

Then peaceably thy painefull pilgrimage

To yonder same Hierusalem doe bend,

Where is for thee ordaind a blessed end:

For thou emongst those Saints, whom thou doest see,

Shalt be a Saint and thine owne nations frend

And Patrone: thou Saint George shalt called bee,

Saint George of mery England, the signe of victoree.

Vnworthy wretch (quoth he) of so great grace,

How dare I thinke such glory to attaine?

These that haue it attaynd, were in like cace

As wretched men, and liued in like paine.

But deeds of armes must I at last be faine,

And Ladies loue to leaue so dearely bought?

What need of armes, where peace doth ay remaine,

(Said he) and bitter battailes all are fought?

As for loose loues they=are vaine, and vanish into nought.

_#K6r

O let me not (quoth he) then turne againe

Backe to the world, whose ioyes so fruitlesse are,

But let me heare for aie in peace remaine,

Or streight way on that last long voiage fare,

That nothing may my present hope empare.

That may not be (said he) ne maist thou yitt

Forgoe that royal maides bequeathed care,

Who did her cause into thy hand committ,

Till from her cursed foe thou haue her freely quitt.

Then shall I soone, (quoth he) so God me grace,

Abett that virgins cause disconsolate,

And shortly back returne vnto this place,

To walke this way in Pilgrims poore estate.

But now aread, old father, why of late

Didst thou behight me borne of English blood,

Whom all a Faeries sonne doen nominate?

That word shall I (said he) auouchen good,

Sith to thee is vnknowne the cradle of thy brood.

For well I wote, thou springst from ancient race

Of Saxon kinges, that haue with mightie hand

And many bloody battailes fought in place

High reard their royall throne in Britans land

And vanquisht them, vnable to withstand:

From thence a Faery thee vnweeting reft,

There as thou slepst in tender swadling band,

And her base Elfin brood there for thee left.

Such men do Chaungelings call, so chaungd by Faeries theft.

Thence she thee brought into this Faery lond,

And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde,

Where thee a Ploughman all vnweeting fond,

As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde,

_#K6v

And brought thee vp in ploughmans state to byde,

Whereof Georgos he thee gaue to name;

Till prickt with courage, and thy forces pryde,

To Fary court thou cam'st to seeke for fame,

And proue thy puissaunt armes, as seemes thee best became.

O holy Sire (quoth he) how shall I quight

The many fauours I with thee haue fownd,

That hast my name and nation redd aright,

And taught the way that does to heauen bownd?

This saide, adowne he looked to the grownd,

To haue returnd, but dazed were his eyne,

Through passing brightnes, which did quite confound

His feeble sence, and too exceeding shyne.

So darke are earthly thinges compard to things diuine.

At last whenas himselfe he gan to fynd,

To Vna back he cast him to retyre;

Who him awaited still with pensiue mynd.

Great thankes and goodly meed to that good syre,

He thens departing gaue for his paynes hyre.

So came to Vna, who him ioyd to see,

And after litle rest, gan him desyre,

Of her aduenture myndfull for to bee.

So leaue they take of C lia, and her daughters three.

_#K7r

Cant. XI.

The knight with that old Dragon fights

two dayes incessantly:

The third him ouerthrowes, and gayns

most glorious victory.

HIgh time now gan it wex for Vna fayre,

To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare,

And their forwasted kingdom to repayre:

Whereto whenas they now approched neare,

With hartie wordes her knight she gan to cheare,

And in her modest maner thus bespake;

Deare knight, as deare, as euer knight was deare,

That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake,

High heuen behold the tedious toyle, ye for me take.

Now are we come vnto my natiue soyle,

And to the place, where all our perilles dwell;

Here hauntes that feend, and does his dayly spoyle,

Therefore henceforth bee at your keeping well,

And euer ready for your foeman fell.

The sparke of noble corage now awake,

And striue your excellent selfe to excell;

That shall ye euermore renowmed make,

Aboue all knights on earth, that batteill vndertake.

And pointing forth, lo yonder is (said she)

The brasen towre in which my parents deare

For dread of that huge feend emprisond be

Whom I from far, see on the walles appeare

Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare:

And on the top of all I do espye

The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare,

That　 my parents might I happily

Vnto you bring, to ease you of your misery.

With that they heard a roaring hideous sownd,

That all the ayre with terror filled wyde,

And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground.

Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espyde,

_#K7v

Where stretcht he lay vpon the sunny side,

Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill.

But all so soone, as he from far descryde

Those glistring armes, that heuen with light did fill,

He rousd himselfe full blyth, and hastned them vntill.

Then badd the knight his Lady yede aloof,

And to an hill her selfe withdraw asyde,

From whence she might behold that battailles proof

And eke be safe from daunger far descryde:

She him obayd, and turnd a litle wyde.

Now O thou sacred Muse, most learned Dame,

Fayre ympe of Ph bus, and his aged bryde,

The Nourse of time, and euerlasting fame,

That warlike handes ennoblest with immortall name;

O gently come into my feeble brest,

Come gently, but not with that mightie rage,

Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doest infest,

And hartes of great Heroes doest enrage,

That nought their kindled corage may aswage,

Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to sownd;

The God of warre with his fiers equipage

Thou doest awake, sleepe neuer he so sownd,

And scared nations doest with horror sterne astownd.

Fayre Goddesse lay that furious fitt asyde,

Till I of warres and bloody Mars doe sing,

And Bryton fieldes with Sarazin blood bedyde,

Twixt that great faery Queene and Paynim king,

That with their horror heuen and earth did ring,

A worke of labour long, and endlesse prayse:

But now a while lett downe that haughtie string,

And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse,

That I this man of God his godly armes may blaze.

_#K8r

By this the dreadfull Beast drew nigh to hand,

Halfe flying, and halfe footing in his haste,

That with his largenesse measured much land,

And made wide shadow vnder his huge waste;

As mountaine doth the valley ouercaste.

Approching nigh, he reared high afore

His body monstrous, horrible, and vaste,

Which to increase his wondrous greatnes more,

Was swoln with wrath, and poyson, and with bloody gore.

And ouer, all with brasen scales was armd,

Like plated cote of steele, so couched neare,

That nought mote perce, ne might his corse bee harmd

With dint of swerd, nor push of pointed speare,

Which as an Eagle, seeing pray appeare,

His aery plumes doth rouze, full rudely dight,

So shaked he, that horror was to heare,

For as the clashing of an Armor bright,

Such noyse his rouzed scales did send vnto the knight.

His flaggy winges when forth he did display,

Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd

Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:

And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd,

Were like mayne-yardes, with flying canuas lynd,

With which whenas him list the ayre to beat,

And there by force vnwonted passage fynd,

The clowdes before him fledd for terror great,

And all the heuens stood still amazed with his threat.

His huge long tayle wownd vp in hundred foldes,

Does ouerspred his long bras-scaly back,

Whose wreathed boughtes when euer he vnfoldes,

And thick entangled knots adown does slack,

_#K8v

Bespotted as with shieldes of red and blacke,

It sweepeth all the land behind him farre,

And of three furlongs does but litle lacke;

And at the point two stinges in fixed arre,

Both deadly sharp, that sharpest steele exceeden farr.

But stinges and sharpest steele did far exceed

The sharpnesse of his cruel rending clawes;

Dead was it sure, as sure as death in deed,

What euer thing does touch his rauenous pawes,

Or what within his reach he euer drawes.

But his most hideous head my tongue to tell,

Does tremble: for his deepe deuouring iawes

Wyde gaped, like the griesly mouth of hell,

Through which into his darke abysse all rauin fell.

And that more wondrous was, in either iaw

Three ranckes of yron teeth enraunged were,

In which yett trickling blood and gobbets raw

Of late deuoured bodies did appeare,

That sight thereof bredd cold congealed feare:

Which to increase, and all atonce to kill,

A cloud of smoothering smoke and sulphure seare

Out of his stinking gorge forth steemed still,

That all the ayre about with smoke and stench did fill.

His blazing eyes, like two bright shining shieldes,

Did burne with wrath, and sparkled liuing fyre;

As two broad Beacons, sett in open fieldes,

Send forth their flames far off to euery shyre,

And warning giue, that enimies conspyre,

With fire and sword the region to inuade;

So flam'd his eyne with rage and rancorous yre:

But far within, as in a hollow glade,

Those glaring lampes were sett, that made a dreadfull shade.

_#L1r

So dreadfully he towardes him did pas,

Forelifting vp a loft his speckled brest,

And often bounding on the brused gras,

As for great ioyaunce of his newcome guest.

Eftsoones he gan aduaunce his haughty crest,

As chauffed Bore his bristles doth vpreare,

And shoke his scales to battaile ready drest;

That made the Redcrosse knight nigh quake for feare,

As bidding bold defyaunce to his foeman neare.

The knight gan fayrely couch his steady speare,

And fiersely ran at him with rigorous might:

The pointed steele arriuing rudely theare,

His harder hyde would nether perce, nor bight,

But glauncing by foorth passed forward right;

Yet sore amoued with so puissaunt push,

The wrathfull beast about him turned light,

And him so rudely passing by, did brush

With his long tayle, that horse and man to ground did rush.

Both horse and man vp lightly rose againe,

And fresh encounter towardes him addrest:

But th'ydle stroke yet backe recoyld in vaine,

And found no place his deadly point to rest.

Exceeding rage enflam'd the furious beast,

To be auenged of so great despight;

For neuer felt his imperceable brest

So wondrous force, from hand of liuing wight;

Yet had he prou'd the powre of many a puissant knight.

Then with his wauing wings displayed wyde,

Himselfe vp high he lifted from the ground,

And with strong flight did forcibly diuyde

The yielding ayre, which nigh too feeble found

_#L1v

Her flitting parts, and element vnsound,

To beare so great a weight: he cutting way

With his broad sayles, about him soared round:

At last low stouping with vnweldy sway,

Snatcht vp both horse and man, to beare them quite away.

Long he them bore aboue the subiect plaine,

So far as Ewghen bow a shaft may send,

Till struggling strong did him at last constraine,

To let them downe before his flightes end:

As hagard hauke presuming to contend

With hardy fowle, aboue his hable might,

His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend,

To trusse the pray too heauy for his flight;

Which comming down to ground, does free it selfe by fight.

He so disseized of his gryping grosse,

The knight his thrillant speare againe assayd

In his bras-plated body to embosse,

And three mens strength vnto the stroake he layd;

Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,

And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glyde

Close vnder his left wing, then broad displayd.

The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,

That with the vncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde.

He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,

When wintry storme his wrathful wreck does threat,

The rolling billowes beat the ragged shore,

As they the earth would shoulder from her seat,

And greedy gulfe does gape, as he would eat

His neighbour element in his reuenge:

Then gin the blustring brethren boldly threat,

To moue the world from off his stedfast henge,

And boystrous battaile make, each other to auenge.

_#L2r

The steely head stuck fast still in his flesh,

Till with his cruell clawes he snatcht the wood,

And quite a sunder broke. Forth flowed fresh

A gushing riuer of blacke gory blood,

That drowned all the land, whereon he stood;

The streame thereof would driue a water-mill.

Trebly augmented was his furious mood

With bitter sence of his deepe rooted ill,

That flames of fire he threw forth from his large nosethril.

His hideous tayle then hurled he about,

And therewith all enwrapt the nimble thyes

Of his froth-fomy steed, whose courage stout

Striuing to loose the knott, that fast him tyes,

Himselfe in streighter bandes too rash implyes,

That to the ground he is perforce constraynd

To throw his ryder: who can quickly ryse

From off the earth, with durty blood distaynd,

For that reprochfull fall right fowly he disdaynd.

And fercely tooke his trenchand blade in hand,

With which he stroke so furious and so fell,

That nothing seemd the puissaunce could withstand:

Vpon his crest the hardned yron fell,

But his more hardned crest was armd so well,

That deeper dint therein it would not make;

Yet so extremely did the buffe him quell,

That from thenceforth he shund the like to take,

But when he saw them come, he did them still forsake.

The knight was wroth to see his stroke beguyld,

And smot againe with more outrageous might;

But backe againe the sparcling steele recoyld,

And left not any marke, where it did light;

_#L2v

As if in Adamant rocke it had beene pight.

The beast impatient of his smarting wound,

And of so fierce and forcible despight,

Thought with his winges to stye aboue the ground;

But his late wounded wing vnseruiceable found.

Then full of griefe and anguish vehement,

He lowdly brayd, that like was neuer heard,

And from his wide deuouring ouen sent

A flake of fire, that flashing in his beard,

Him all amazd, and almost made afeard:

The scorching flame sore swinged all his face,

And through his armour all his body seard,

That he could not endure so cruell cace,

But thought his armes to leaue, and helmet to vnlace.

Not that great Champion of the antique world,

Whom famous Poetes verse so much doth vaunt,

And hath for twelue huge labours high extold,

So many furies and sharpe fits did haunt,

When him the poysoned garment did enchaunt

With Centaures blood, and bloody verses charmd,

As did this knight twelue thousand dolours daunt,

Whom fyrie steele now burnt, that erst him armd,

That erst him goodly armd, now most of all him harmd.

Faynt, wearie, sore, emboyled, grieued, brent

With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, smart, and inward fire

That neuer man such mischiefes did torment;

Death better were, death did he oft desire,

But death will neuer come, when needes require.

Whom so dismayd when that his foe beheld,

He cast to suffer him no more respire,

But gan his sturdy sterne about to weld,

And him so strongly stroke, that to the ground him feld.

_#L3r

It fortuned (as fayre it then befell,)

Behynd his backe vnweeting, where he stood,

Of auncient time there was a springing well,

From which fast trickled forth a siluer flood,

Full of great vertues, and for med'cine good.

Whylome, before that cursed Dragon got

That happy land, and all with innocent blood

Defyld those sacred waues, it rightly hot

The well of life, ne yet his vertues had forgot.

For vnto life the dead it could restore,

And guilt of sinfull crimes cleane wash away,

Those that with sicknesse were infected sore,

It could recure, and aged long decay

Renew, as one were borne that very day.

Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell,

And th'English Bath, and eke the german Spau,

Ne can Cephise, nor Hebrus match this well:

Into the same the knight back ouerthrowen, fell.

Now gan the golden Ph bus for to steepe

His fierie face in billowes of the west,

And his faint steedes watred in Ocean deepe,

Whiles from their iournall labours they did rest,

When that infernall Monster, hauing kest

His wearie foe into that liuing well,

Can high aduaunce his broad discoloured brest,

Aboue his wonted pitch, with countenance fell,

And clapt his yron wings, as victor he did dwell.

Which when his pensiue Lady saw from farre,

Great woe and sorrow did her soule assay,

As weening that the sad end of the warre,

And gan to highest God entirely pray,

_#L3v

That feared chaunce from her to turne away;

With folded hands and knees full lowly bent

All night shee watcht, ne once adowne would lay

Her dainty limbs in her sad dreriment,

But praying still did wake, and waking did lament.

The morrow next gan earely to appeare,

That Titan rose to runne his daily race;

But earely ere the morrow next gan reare

Out of the sea faire Titans deawy face,

Vp rose the gentle virgin from her place,

And looked all about, if she might spy

Her loued knight to moue his manly pace:

For she had great doubt of his safety,

Since late she saw him fall before his enimy.

At last she saw, where he vpstarted braue

Out of the well, wherein he drenched lay;

As Eagle fresh out of the Ocean waue,

Where he hath lefte his plumes all hory gray,

And deckt himselfe with fethers youthly gay,

Like Eyas hauke vp mounts vnto the skies,

His newly budded pineons to assay,

And merueiles at him selfe, stil as he flies:

So new this new-borne knight to battell new did rise.

Whom when the damned feend so fresh did spy,

No wonder, if he wondred at the sight,

And doubted, whether his late enimy

It were, or other new supplied knight.

He, now to proue his late renewed might,

High brandishing his bright deaw-burning blade,

Vpon his crested scalp so sore did smite,

That to the scull a yawning wound it made:

The deadly dint his dulled sences all dismaid.

_#L4r

I wote not, whether the reuenging steele

Were hardned with that holy water dew,

Wherein he fell, or sharper edge did feele,

Or his baptized hands now greater grew;

Or other secret vertue did ensew;

Els neuer could the force of fleshly arme,

Ne molten mettall in his blood embrew:

For till that stownd could neuer wight him harme,

By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.

The cruell wound enraged him so sore,

That loud he yelded for exceeding paine;

As hundred ramping Lions seemd to rore,

Whom rauenous hunger did thereto constraine:

Then gan he tosse aloft his stretched traine,

And therewith scourge the buxome aire so sore,

That to his force to yielden it was faine;

Ne ought his sturdy strokes might stand afore,

That high trees ouerthrew, and rocks in peeces tore.

The same aduauncing high aboue his head,

With sharpe intended sting so rude him smott,

That to the earth him droue, as stricken dead,

Ne liuing wight would haue him life behott:

The mortall sting his angry needle shott

Quite through his shield, and in his shoulder seasd,

Where fast it stucke, ne would thereout be gott:

The griefe thereof him wondrous sore diseasd,

Ne might his rancling paine with patience be appeasd.

But yet more mindfull of his honour deare,

Then of the grieuous smart, which him did wring,

From loathed soile he can him lightly reare,

And stroue to loose the far infixed sting:

_#L4v

Which when in vaine he tryde with struggeling,

Inflam'd with wrath, his raging blade he hefte,

And strooke so strongly, that the knotty string

Of his huge taile he quite a sonder clefte,

Fiue ioints thereof he hewd, and but the stump him lefte.

Hart cannot thinke, what outrage, and what cries,

With fowle enfouldred smoake and flashing fire,

The hell-bred beast threw forth vnto the skies,

That all was couered with darknesse dire:

Then fraught with rancour, and engorged yre,

He cast at once him to auenge for all,

And gathering vp himselfe out of the mire,

With his vneuen wings did fiercely fall,

Vpon his sunne-bright shield, and grypt it fast withall.

Much was the man encombred with his hold,

In feare to lose his weapon in his paw,

Ne wist yett, how his talaunts to vnfold;

Nor harder was from Cerberus greedy iaw

To plucke a bone, then from his cruell claw

To reaue by strength, the griped gage away:

Thrise he assayd it from his foote to draw,

And thrise in vaine to draw it did assay,

It booted nought to thinke, to robbe him of his pray.

Tho when he saw no power might preuaile,

His trusty sword he cald to his last aid,

Wherewith he fiersly did his foe assaile,

And double blowes about him stoutly laid,

That glauncing fire out of the yron plaid;

As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly,

When heauy hammers on the wedg are swaid;

Therewith at last he forst him to vnty

One of his grasping feete, him to defend thereby.

_#L5r

The other foote, fast fixed on his shield,

Whenas no strength, nor stroks mote him constraine

To loose, ne yet the warlike pledg to yield,

He smott thereat with all his might and maine,

That nought so wondrous puissaunce might sustaine;

Vpon the ioint the lucky steele did light,

And made such way, that hewd it quite in twaine;

The paw yett missed not his minisht might,

But hong still on the shield, as it at first was pight.

For griefe thereof, and diuelish despight,

From his infernall fournace forth he threw

Huge flames, that dimmed all the heuens light,

Enrold in duskish smoke and brimstone blew;

As burning Aetna from his boyling stew

Doth belch out flames, and rockes in peeces broke,

And ragged ribs of mountaines molten new,

Enwrapt in coleblacke clowds and filthy smoke,

That al the land with stench, and heuen with horror choke.

The heate whereof, and harmefull pestilence

So sore him noyd, that forst him to retire

A litle backeward for his best defence,

To saue his body from the scorching fire,

Which he from hellish entrailes did expire.

It chaunst (eternall God that chaunce did guide)

As he recoiled backeward, in the mire

His nigh foreweried 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 rosy redd,

As they in pure vermilion had beene dide,

Whereof great vertues ouer all were redd:

_#L5v

For happy life to all, which thereon fedd,

And life eke euerlasting did befall:

Great God it planted in that blessed stedd

With his Almighty 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 fownd,

Saue in that soile, where all good things did grow,

And freely sprong out of the fruitfull grownd,

As incorrupted Nature did them sow,

Till that dredd Dragon all did ouerthrow.

Another like faire tree eke grew thereby,

Whereof who so did eat, eftsoones did know

Both good and ill: O mournfull 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 dainty deare, which on the ground still fell,

And ouerflowed all the fertile plaine,

As it had deawed bene with timely raine:

Life and long health that gracious ointment gaue,

And deadly wounds could heale, and reare againe

The sencelesse 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 al that life preserued, did detest:

Yet he it oft aduentur'd to inuade.

By this the drouping day-light gan to fade,

And yield his rowme 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.

_#L6r

When gentle Vna saw the second fall

Of her deare knight, who weary of long fight,

And faint through losse of blood, moou'd not at all,

But lay as in a dreame of deepe delight,

Besmeard with pretious Balme, whose vertuous might

Did heale his woundes, 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 fayre Aurora from the deawy bed

Of aged Tithone gan her selfe to reare,

With rosy cheekes, for shame as blushing red;

Her golden locks for hast were loosely shed

About her eares, when Vna her did marke

Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred,

From heuen high to chace the chearelesse darke;

With mery note her lowd salutes the mounting larke.

Then freshly vp arose the doughty knight,

All healed of his hurts and woundes wide,

And did himselfe to battaile ready 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 dismaid, and gan his fate to feare;

Nathlesse with wonted rage he him aduaunced neare.

And in his first encounter, gaping wyde,

He thought attonce him to haue swallowd quight,

And rusht vpon him with outragious pryde;

Who him rencountring fierce, as hauke in flight,

_#L6v

Perforce rebutted backe. The weapon bright

Taking aduantage of his open iaw,

Ran through his mouth with so importune might,

That deepe emperst his darksom hollow maw,

And back retyrd, his life blood 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 rocky clift,

Whose false foundacion 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 him selfe euen trembled at his fall,

So huge and horrible a masse it seemd;

And his deare Lady, that beheld it all,

Durst not approch for dread, which she misdeemd,

But yet at last, whenas 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 atchieude so great a conquest by his might.

_#L7r

Cant. XII.

Fayre Vna to the Redcrosse knight

betrouthed is with ioy:

Though false Duessa it to barre

Her false sleightes 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 fayrly to be kend,

And seemeth safe from storms, that may offend;

There this fayre virgin wearie of her way

Must landed bee, now at her iourneyes end:

There eke my feeble barke a while may stay,

Till mery wynd and weather call her thence away.

Scarsely had Ph bus in the glooming East

Yett harnessed his fyrie-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 Lady lowd gan call,

To tell, how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall.

Vprose with hasty ioy, and feeble speed

That aged Syre, the Lord of all that land,

And looked forth, to weet, if trew indeed

Those tydinges were, as he did vnderstand,

_#L7v

Which whenas trew by tryall he out fond,

He badd to open wyde his brasen gate,

Which long time had beene 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 sownd on hye,

That sent to heuen the ecchoed report

Of their new ioy, and happie victory

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 grownd,

And sad habiliments right well beseene;

A noble crew about them waited rownd

Of sage and sober Peres, all grauely gownd;

Whom far 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 victory 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 lawrell 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 doe grow,

When morning deaw vpon their leaues doth light:

And in their handes sweet Timbrels all vpheld on hight.

_#L8r

And them before, the fry of children yong

Their wanton sportes and childish mirth did play,

And to the Maydens sownding tymbrels song

In well attuned notes, a ioyous lay,

And made delightfull musick all the way,

Vntill they came, where that faire virgin stood;

As fayre Diana in fresh sommers day,

Beholdes her Nymphes, enraung'd in shady wood,

Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood.

So she beheld those maydens meriment

With chearefull vew; who when to her they came,

Themselues to ground with gracious humblesse bent

And her ador'd by honorable name,

Lifting to heuen her euerlasting fame:

Then on her head they sett a girlond greene,

And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game;

Who in her self-resemblance well beseene,

Did seeme such, as she was, a goodly maiden Queene.

And after all the raskall many ran,

Heaped together in rude rablement,

To see the face of that victorious man:

Whom all admired, as from heauen sent,

And gazd vpon with gaping wonderment.

But when they came, where that dead Dragon lay,

Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent,

The sight with ydle feare did them dismay,

Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay.

Some feard, and fledd; some feard and well it faynd;

One that would wiser seeme, then all the rest,

Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd

Some lingring life within his hollow brest,

_#L8v

Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest

Of many Dragonettes, his fruitfull seede;

Another saide, that in his eyes did rest

Yet sparckling fyre, and badd thereof take heed;

Another said, he saw him moue his eyes indeed.

One mother, whenas her foolehardy chyld

Did come too neare, and with his talants play

Halfe dead through feare, her litle babe reuyld,

And to her gossibs gan in counsell say;

How can I tell, but that his talants may

Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand.

So diuersly them selues in vaine they fray;

Whiles some more bold, to measure him nigh stand,

To proue how many acres he did spred of land.

Thus flocked all the folke him rownd about,

The whiles that hoarie king, with all his traine,

Being arriued, where that champion stout

After his foes defeasaunce did remaine,

Him goodly greetes, and fayre does entertayne,

With princely gifts of yuory and gold,

And thousand thankes him yeeldes for all his paine.

Then when his daughter deare he does behold,

Her dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold.

And after to his Pallace he them bringes,

With shaumes, and trompets, and with Clarions sweet;

And all the way the ioyous people singes,

And with their garments strowes the paued street:

Whence mounting vp, they fynd purueyaunce meet

Of all, that royall Princes court became,

And all the floore was vnderneath their feet

Bespredd with costly scarlott of great name,

On which they lowly sitt, and fitting purpose frame.

_#M1r

What needes me tell their feast and goodly guize,

In which was nothing riotous nor vaine?

What needes of dainty dishes to deuize,

Of comely seruices, or courtly trayne?

My narrow leaues cannot in them contayne

The large discourse of roiall Princes state.

Yet was their manner then but bare and playne:

For th'antique world excesse and pryde did hate;

Such proud luxurious pompe is swollen vp but late.

Then when with meates and drinkes of euery kinde

Their feruent appetites they quenched had,

That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde,

Of straunge aduentures, and of perils sad,

Which in his trauell him befallen had,

For to demaund of his renowmed guest:

Who then with vtt'rance graue, and count'nance sad,

From poynt to poynt, as is before exprest,

Discourst his voyage long, according his request.

Great pleasure mixt with pittifull regard,

That godly King and Queene did passionate,

Whyles they his pittifull aduentures heard,

That oft they did lament his lucklesse state,

And often blame the too importune fate,

That heapd on him so many wrathfull wreakes:

For neuer gentle knight, as he of late,

So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes;

And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks.

Then sayd that royall Pere in sober wise;

Deare Sonne, great beene the euils, which ye bore

From first to last in your late enterprise,

That I note, whether praise, or pitty more:

_#M1v

For neuer liuing man, I weene, so sore

In sea of deadly daungers was distrest;

But since now safe ye seised haue the shore,

And well arriued are, (high God be blest)

Let vs deuize of ease and euerlasting rest.

Ah dearest Lord, said then that doughty knight,

Of ease or rest I may not yet deuize;

For by the faith, which I to armes haue plight,

I bownden am streight after this emprize,

As that your daughter can ye well aduize,

Backe to retourne to that great Faery Queene,

And her to serue sixe yeares in warlike wize,

Gainst that proud Paynim king, that works her teene:

Therefore I ought craue pardon, till I there haue beene.

Vnhappy falls that hard necessity,

(Quoth he) the troubler of my happy peace,

And vowed foe of my felicity;

Ne I against the same can iustly preace:

But since that band ye cannot now release,

Nor doen vndoe; (for vowes may not be vayne)

Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease,

Ye then shall hether backe retourne agayne,

The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twayn.

Which for my part I couet to performe,

In sort as through the world I did proclame,

That who so kild that monster most deforme,

And him in hardy battayle ouercame,

Should haue mine onely daughter to his Dame,

And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee:

Therefore since now to thee perteynes the same,

By dew desert of noble cheualree,

Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo I yield to thee.

_#M2r

Then forth he called that his daughter fayre,

The fairest Vn' his onely daughter deare,

His onely daughter, and his only hayre;

Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare,

As bright as doth the morning starre appeare

Out of the East, with flaming lockes bedight,

To tell that dawning day is drawing neare,

And to the world does bring long wished light;

So faire and fresh that Lady shewd her selfe in sight.

So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May;

For she had layd her mournefull stole aside,

And widow-like sad wimple throwne away,

Wherewith her heauenly beautie she did hide,

Whiles on her wearie iourney she did ride;

And on her now a garment she did weare,

All lilly white, withoutten spot, or pride,

That seemd like silke and siluer wouen neare,

But neither silke nor siluer therein did appeare.

The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame,

And glorious light of her sunshyny face

To tell, were as to striue against the streame.

My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace,

Her heauenly lineaments for to enchace.

Ne wonder; for her own deare loued knight,

All were she daily with himselfe in place,

Did wonder much at her celestiall sight:

Oft had he seene her faire, but neuer so faire dight.

So fairely dight, when she in presence came,

She to her Syre made humble reuerence,

And bowed low, that her right well became,

And added grace vnto her excellence:

_#M2v

Who with great wisedome, and graue eloquence

Thus gan to say. But eare he thus had sayd,

With flying speede, and seeming great pretence,

Came running in, much like a man dismayd,

A Messenger with letters, which his message sayd.

All in the open hall amazed stood,

At suddeinnesse of that vnwary sight,

And wondred at his breathlesse hasty mood.

But he for nought would stay his passage right,

Till fast before the king he did alight;

Where falling flat, great humblesse he did make,

And kist the ground, whereon his foot was pight;

Then to his handes that writt he did betake,

Which he disclosing, read thus, as the paper spake.

To thee, most mighty king of Eden fayre,

Her greeting sends in these sad lines addrest,

The wofull daughter, and forsaken heyre

Of that great Emperour of all the West;

And bids thee be aduized for the best,

Ere thou thy daughter linck in holy band

Of wedlocke to that new vnknowen guest:

For he already plighted his right hand

Vnto another loue, and to another land.

To me sad mayd, or rather widow sad,

He was affyaunced long time before,

And sacred pledges he both gaue, and had,

False erraunt knight, infamous, and forswore:

Witnesse the burning Altars, which he swore,

And guilty heauens of his bold periury,

Which though he hath polluted oft of yore,

Yet I to them for iudgement iust doe fly,

And them coniure t'auenge this shamefull iniury.

_#M3r

Therefore since mine he is, or free or bond,

Or false or trew, or liuing or else dead,

Withhold, O souerayne Prince, your hasty hond

From knitting league with him, I you aread;

Ne weene my right with strength adowne to tread,

Through weakenesse of my widowhed, or woe:

For truth is strong, her rightfull cause to plead,

And shall finde friends, if need requireth soe.

So bids thee well to fare, Thy neither friend, nor foe,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fidessa.

When he these bitter byting wordes had red,

The tydings straunge did him abashed make,

That still he sate long time astonished

As in great muse, ne word to creature spake.

At last his solemne silence thus he brake,

With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his guest;

Redoubted knight, that for myne only sake

Thy life and honor late aduenturest,

Let nought be hid from me, that ought to be exprest.

What meane these bloody vowes, and idle threats,

Throwne out from womanish impatient mynd?

What heuens? what altars? what enraged heates

Here heaped vp with termes of loue vnkynd,

My conscience cleare with guilty bands would bynd?

High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame.

But if your selfe, Sir knight, ye faulty fynd,

Or wrapped be in loues of former Dame,

With cryme doe not it couer, but disclose the same.

To whom the Redcrosse knight this answere sent,

My Lord, my king, be nought hereat dismayd,

Till well ye wote by graue intendiment,

What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbrayd

_#M3v

With breach of loue, and loialty betrayd.

It was in my mishaps, as hitherward

I lately traueild, that vnwares I strayd

Out of my way, through perils straunge and hard;

That day should faile me, ere I had them all declard.

There did I find, or rather I was fownd

Of this false woman, that Fidessa hight,

Fidessa hight the falsest Dame on grownd,

Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,

That easy was t'inueigle weaker sight:

Who by her wicked arts, and wiely skill,

Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,

Vnwares me wrought vnto her wicked will,

And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill.

Then stepped forth the goodly royall Mayd,

And on the ground her selfe prostrating low,

With sober countenaunce thus to him sayd;

O pardon me, my soueraine Lord, to sheow

The secret treasons, which of late I know

To haue bene wrought by that false sorceresse.

Shee onely she it is, that earst did throw

This gentle knight into so great distresse,

That death him did awaite in daily wretchednesse.

And now it seemes, that she suborned hath

This crafty messenger with letters vaine,

To worke new woe and improuided scath,

By breaking of the band betwixt vs twaine;

Wherein she vsed hath the practicke paine

Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse,

Whome if ye please for to discouer plaine,

Ye shall him Archimago find, I ghesse,

The falsest man aliue; who tries shall find no lesse.

_#M4r

The king was greatly moued at her speach,

And all with suddein indignation fraight,

Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach.

Eftsoones the Gard, which on his state did wait,

Attacht that faytor false, and bound him strait:

Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,

As chained beare, whom cruell dogs doe bait,

With ydle force did faine them to withstand,

And often semblaunce made to scape out of their hand.

But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe,

And bound him hand and foote with yron chains.

And with continual watch did warely keepe;

Who then would thinke, that by his subtile trains

He could escape fowle death or deadly pains?

Thus when that Princes wrath was pacifide,

He gan renew the late forbidden bains,

And to the knight his daughter deare he tyde,

With sacred rites and vowes for euer to abyde.

His owne two hands the holy knotts did knitt,

That none but death for euer can diuide;

His owne two hands, for such a turne most fitt,

The housling fire did kindle and prouide,

And holy water thereon sprinckled wide;

At which the bushy Teade a groome did light,

And sacred lamp in secret chamber hide,

Where it should not be quenched day nor night,

For feare of euill fates, but burnen euer bright.

Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine,

And made great feast to solemnize that day;

They all perfumde with frankincense diuine,

And precious odours fetcht from far away,

_#M4v

That all the house did sweat with great aray:

And all the while sweete Musicke did apply

Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play,

To driue away the dull Melancholy;

The whiles one sung a song of loue and iollity.

During the which there was an heauenly noise

Heard sownd through all the Pallace pleasantly,

Like as it had bene many an Angels voice,

Singing before th'eternall maiesty,

In their trinall triplicities on hye;

Yett wist no creature, whence that heuenly sweet

Proceeded, yet eachone felt secretly

Himselfe thereby refte of his sences meet,

And rauished with rare impression in his sprite.

Great ioy was made that day of young and old,

And solemne feast proclaymd throughout the land,

That their exceeding merth may not be told:

Suffice it heare by signes to vnderstand

The vsuall ioyes at knitting of loues band.

Thrise happy man the knight himselfe did hold,

Possessed of his Ladies hart and hand,

And euer, when his eie did her behold,

His heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.

Her ioyous presence and sweet company

In full content he there did long enioy,

Ne wicked enuy, ne vile gealosy

His deare delights were hable to annoy:

Yet swimming in that sea of blisfull ioy,

He nought forgott, how he whilome had sworne,

In case he could that monstrous beast destroy,

Vnto his Faery Queene backe to retourne:

The which he shortly did, and Vna left to mourne.

_#M5r

Now strike your sailes yee iolly Mariners,

For we be come vnto a quiet rode,

Where we must land some of our passengers,

And light this weary vessell of her lode.

Here she a while may make her safe abode,

Till she repaired haue her tackles spent,

And wants supplide. And then againe abroad

On the long voiage whereto she is bent:

Well may she speede and fairely finish her intent.