Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  Him hasty to arise. As one affright 330

  With hellish feends, or Furies mad uprore,

  He then uprose, inflamd with fell despight,

  And called for his armes; for he would algates fight.

  XXXVIII

  They bene ybrought; he quickly does him dight,

  And, lightly mounted, passeth on his way; 335

  Ne ladies loves, ne sweete entreaties might

  Appease his heat, or hastie passage stay;

  For he has vowd to beene avengd that day

  (That day it selfe him seemed all too long)

  On him that did Pyrochles deare dismay: 340

  So proudly pricketh on his courser strong,

  And Attin ay him pricks with spurs of shame and wrong.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto VI

  Guyon is of Immodest Merth

  Led into loose desyre;

  Fights with Cymochles, whiles his bro-

  ther burnes in furious fyre.

  I

  A HARDER lesson to learne continence

  In joyous pleasure then in grievous paine:

  For sweetnesse doth allure the weaker sence

  So strongly, that uneathes it can refraine

  From that which feeble nature covets faine; 5

  But griefe and wrath, that be her enemies,

  And foes of life, she better can restraine;

  Yet Vertue vauntes in both her victories,

  And Guyon in them all shewes goodly maysteries.

  II

  Whom bold Cymochles traveiling to finde, 10

  With cruell purpose bent to wreake on him

  The wrath which Atin kindled in his mind,

  Came to a river, by whose utmost brim

  Wayting to passe, he saw whereas did swim

  Along the shore, as swift as glaunce of eye, 15

  A litle gondelay, bedecked trim

  With boughes and arbours woven cunningly,

  That like a litle forrest seemed outwardly.

  III

  And therein sate a lady fresh and fayre,

  Making sweete solace to herselfe alone; 20

  Sometimes she song, as lowd as larke in ayre,

  Sometimes she laught, that nigh her breth was gone,

  Yet was there not with her else any one,

  That might to her move cause of meriment:

  Matter of merth enough, though there were none, 25

  She could devise, and thousand waies invent,

  To feede her foolish humour and vaine jolliment.

  IV

  Which when far of Cymochles heard and saw,

  He lowdly cald to such as were abord,

  The little barke unto the shore to draw, 30

  And him to ferry over that deepe ford.

  The merry mariner unto his word

  Soone hearkned, and her painted bote streightway

  Turnd to the shore, where that same warlike lord

  She in receiv’d; but Atin by no way 35

  She would admit, albe the knight her much did pray.

  V

  Eftsoones her shallow ship away did slide,

  More swift then swallow sheres the liquid skye,

  Withouten oare or pilot it to guide,

  Or winged canvas with the wind to fly: 40

  Onely she turnd a pin, and by and by

  It cut away upon the yielding wave;

  Ne cared she her course for to apply:

  For it was taught the way which she would have,

  And both from rocks and flats it selfe could wisely save. 45

  VI

  And all the way, the wanton damsell found

  New merth, her passenger to entertaine:

  For she in pleasaunt purpose did abound,

  And greatly joyed merry tales to faine,

  Of which a store-house did with her remaine: 50

  Yet seemed, nothing well they her became;

  For all her wordes she drownd with laughter vaine,

  And wanted grace in utt’ring of the same,

  That turned all her pleasaunce to a scoffing game.

  VII

  And other whiles vaine toyes she would devize, 55

  As her fantasticke wit did most delight:

  Sometimes her head she fondly would aguize

  With gaudy girlonds, or fresh flowrets dight

  About her necke, or rings of rushes plight;

  Sometimes, to do him laugh, she would assay 60

  To laugh at shaking of the leaves light,

  Or to behold the water worke and play

  About her little frigot, therein making way.

  VIII

  Her light behaviour and loose dalliaunce

  Gave wondrous great contentment to the knight, 65

  That of his way he had no sovenaunce,

  Nor care of vow’d revenge and cruell fight,

  But to weake wench did yield his martiall might:

  So easie was, to quench his flamed minde

  With one sweete drop of sensuall delight; 70

  So easie is, t’ appease the stormy winde

  Of malice in the calme of pleasaunt womankind.

  IX

  Diverse discourses in their way they spent,

  Mongst which Cymochles of her questioned,

  Both what she was, and what that usage ment, 75

  Which in her cott she daily practized.

  ‘Vaine man!’ saide she, ‘that wouldest be reckoned

  A straunger in thy home, and ignoraunt

  Of Phædria (for so my name is red)

  Of Phædria, thine owne fellow servaunt; 80

  For thou to serve Acrasia thy selfe doest vaunt.

  X

  ‘In this wide inland sea, that hight by name

  The Idle Lake, my wandring ship I row,

  That knowes her port, and thether sayles by ayme;

  Ne care, ne feare I, how the wind do blow, 85

  Or whether swift I wend, or whether slow:

  Both slow and swift a like do serve my tourne:

  Ne swelling Neptune, ne lowd thundring Jove

  Can chaunge my cheare, or make me ever mourne:

  My little boat can safely passe this perilous bourne.’ 90

  XI

  Whiles thus she talked, and whiles thus she toyd,

  They were far past the passage which he spake,

  And come unto an island, waste and voyd,

  That floted in the midst of that great lake.

  There her small gondelay her port did make, 95

  And that gay payre issewing on the shore

  Disburdned her. Their way they forward take

  Into the land, that lay them faire before,

  Whose pleasaunce she him shewd, and plentifull great store.

  XII

  It was a chosen plott of fertile land, 100

  Emongst wide waves sett, like a litle nest,

  As if it had by Natures cunning hand

  Bene choycely picked out from all the rest,

  And laid forth for ensample of the best:

  No dainty flowre or herbe, that growes on grownd, 105

  No arborett with painted blossomes drest,

  And smelling sweete, but there it might be fownd

  To bud out faire, and her sweete smels throwe al arownd.

  XIII

  No tree, whose braunches did not bravely spring;

  No braunch, whereon a fine bird did not sitt; 110

  No bird, but did her shrill notes sweetely sing;

  No song, but did containe a lovely ditt:

  Trees, braunches, birds, and songs were framed fitt

  For to allure fraile mind to carelesse ease.

  Carelesse the man soone woxe, and his weake witt 115

  Was overcome of thing that did him please;

  So pleased, did his wrathfull purpose faire appease.

  XIV

  Thus when shee ha
d his eyes and sences fed

  With false delights, and fild with pleasures vayn,

  Into a shady dale she soft him led, 120

  And laid him downe upon a grassy playn;

  And her sweete selfe without dread or disdayn

  She sett beside, laying his head disarmd

  In her loose lap, it softly to sustayn,

  Where soone he slumbred, fearing not be harmd, 125

  The whiles with a love lay she thus him sweetly charmd:

  XV

  ‘Behold, O man, that toilesome paines doest take,

  The flowrs, the fields, and all that pleasaunt growes,

  How they them selves doe thine ensample make,

  Whiles nothing envious Nature them forth throwes 130

  Out of her fruitfull lap; how no man knowes,

  They spring, they bud, they blossome fresh and faire,

  And decke the world with their rich pompous showes;

  Yet no man for them taketh paines or care,

  Yet no man to them can his carefull paines compare. 135

  XVI

  ‘The lilly, lady of the flowring field,

  The flowre deluce, her lovely paramoure,

  Bid thee to them thy fruitlesse labors yield,

  And soone leave off this toylsome weary stoure:

  Loe, loe, how brave she decks her bounteous boure, 140

  With silkin curtens and gold coverletts,

  Therein to shrowd her sumptuous belamoure!

  Yet nether spinnes nor cards, ne cares nor fretts,

  But to her mother Nature all her care she letts.

  XVII

  ‘Why then doest thou, O man, that of them all 145

  Art lord, and eke of Nature soveraine,

  Wilfully make thy selfe a wretched thrall,

  And waste thy joyous howres in needelesse paine,

  Seeking for daunger and adventures vaine?

  What bootes it al to have, and nothing use? 150

  Who shall him rew, that swimming in the maine

  Will die for thrist, and water doth refuse?

  Refuse such fruitlesse toile, and present pleasures chuse.’

  XVIII

  By this she had him lulled fast a sleepe,

  That of no worldly thing he care did take; 155

  Then she with liquors strong his eies did steepe,

  That nothing should him hastily awake:

  So she him lefte, and did her selfe betake

  Unto her boat again, with which she clefte

  The slouthfull wave of that great griesy lake; 160

  Soone shee that island far behind her lefte,

  And now is come to that same place, where first she wefte.

  XIX

  By this time was the worthy Guyon brought

  Unto the other side of that wide strond,

  Where she was rowing, and for passage sought: 165

  Him needed not long call; shee soone to hond

  Her ferry brought, where him she byding fond

  With his sad guide: him selfe she tooke a boord,

  But the blacke palmer suffred still to stond,

  Ne would for price or prayers once affoord, 170

  To ferry that old man over the perlous foord.

  XX

  Guyon was loath to leave his guide behind,

  Yet, being entred, might not backe retyre;

  For the flitt barke, obaying to her mind,

  Forth launched quickly, as she did desire, 175

  Ne gave him leave to bid that aged sire

  Adieu, but nimbly ran her wonted course

  Through the dull billowes thicke as troubled mire,

  Whom nether wind out of their seat could forse,

  Nor timely tides did drive out of their sluggish sourse. 180

  XXI

  And by the way, as was her wonted guize,

  Her mery fitt shee freshly gan to reare,

  And did of joy and jollity devize,

  Her selfe to cherish, and her guest to cheare.

  The knight was courteous, and did not forbeare 185

  Her honest merth and pleasaunce to partake;

  But when he saw her toy, and gibe, and geare,

  And passe the bonds of modest merimake,

  Her dalliaunce he despisd, and follies did forsake.

  XXII

  Yet she still followed her former style, 190

  And said, and did, all that mote him delight,

  Till they arrived in that pleasaunt ile,

  Where sleeping late she lefte her other knight.

  But whenas Guyon of that land had sight,

  He wist him selfe amisse, and angry said: 195

  ‘Ah! dame, perdy ye have not doen me right,

  Thus to mislead mee, whiles I you obaid:

  Me litle needed from my right way to have straid.’

  XXIII

  ‘Faire sir,’ quoth she, ‘be not displeasd at all:

  Who fares on sea may not commaund his way, 200

  Ne wind and weather at his pleasure call:

  The sea is wide, and easy for to stray;

  The wind unstable, and doth never stay.

  But here a while ye may in safety rest,

  Till season serve new passage to assay: 205

  Better safe port, then be in seas distrest.’

  Therewith she laught, and did her earnest end in jest.

  XXIV

  But he, halfe discontent, mote nathelesse

  Himselfe appease, and issewd forth on shore:

  The joyes whereof, and happy fruitfulnesse, 210

  Such as he saw, she gan him lay before,

  And all, though pleasaunt, yet she made much more:

  The fields did laugh, the flowres did freshly spring,

  The trees did bud, and early blossomes bore,

  And all the quire of birds did sweetly sing, 215

  And told that gardins pleasures in their caroling.

  XXV

  And she, more sweete then any bird on bough,

  Would oftentimes emongst them beare a part,

  And strive to passe (as she could well enough)

  Their native musicke by her skilful art: 220

  So did she all, that might his constant hart

  Withdraw from thought of warlike enterprize,

  And drowne in dissolute delights apart,

  Where noise of armes, or vew of martiall guize,

  Might not revive desire of knightly exercize. 225

  XXVI

  But he was wise, and wary of her will,

  And ever held his hand upon his hart:

  Yet would not seeme so rude, and thewed ill,

  As to despise so curteous seeming part,

  That gentle lady did to him impart: 230

  But fairly tempring fond desire subdewd,

  And ever her desired to depart.

  She list not heare, but her disports poursewd,

  And ever bad him stay, till time the tide renewd.

  XXVII

  And now by this, Cymochles howre was spent, 235

  That he awoke out of his ydle dreme,

  And shaking off his drowsy dreriment,

  Gan him avize, howe ill did him beseme,

  In slouthfull sleepe his molten hart to steme,

  And quench the brond of his conceived yre. 240

  Tho up he started, stird with shame extreme,

  Ne staied for his damsell to inquire,

  But marched to the strond, there passage to require.

  XXVIII

  And in the way he with Sir Guyon mett,

  Accompanyde with Phædria the faire: 245

  Eftsoones he gan to rage, and inly frett,

  Crying: ‘Let be that lady debonaire,

  Thou recreaunt knight, and soone thy selfe prepaire

  To batteile, if thou meane her love to gayn:

  Loe! loe already, how the fowles in aire 250

  Doe flocke, awaiting shortly to obtayn

  Thy carcas for their pray, the
guerdon of thy payn.’

  XXIX

  And therewithall he fiersly at him flew,

  And with importune outrage him assayld;

  Who, soone prepard to field, his sword forth drew, 255

  And him with equall valew countervayld:

  Their mightie strokes their haberjeons dismayld,

  And naked made each others manly spalles;

  The mortall steele despiteously entayld

  Deepe in their flesh, quite through the yron walles, 260

  That a large purple stream adown their giambeux falles.

  XXX

  Cymocles, that had never mett before

  So puissant foe, with envious despight

  His prowd presumed force increased more,

  Disdeigning to bee held so long in fight: 265

  Sir Guyon, grudging not so much his might,

  As those unknightly raylinges which he spoke,

  With wrathfull fire his corage kindled bright,

  Thereof devising shortly to be wroke,

  And, doubling all his powres, redoubled every stroke. 270

  XXXI

  Both of them high attonce their hands enhaunst,

  And both attonce their huge blowes down did sway:

  Cymochles sword on Guyons shield ygalunst,

  And thereof nigh one quarter sheard away;

  But Guyons angry blade so fiers did play 275

  On th’ others helmett, which as Titan shone,

  That quite it clove his plumed crest in tway,

  And bared all his head unto the bone;

  Wherewith astonisht, still he stood, as sencelesse stone.

  XXXII

  Still as he stood, fayre Phædria, that beheld 280

  That deadly daunger, soone atweene them ran;

  And at their feet her selfe most humbly feld,

  Crying with pitteous voyce, and count’nance wan,

  ‘Ah, well away! most noble lords, how can

  Your cruell eyes endure so pitteous sight, 285

  To shed your lives on ground? Wo worth the man,

  That first did teach the cursed steele to bight

  In his owne flesh, and make way to the living spright!

  XXXIII

  ‘If ever love of lady did empierce

  Your yron brestes, or pittie could find place, 290

  Withhold your bloody handes from battaill fierce,

  And sith for me ye fight, to me this grace

  Both yield, to stay your deadly stryfe a space.’

  They stayd a while; and forth she gan proceed:

  ‘Most wretched woman, and of wicked race, 295

  That am the authour of this hainous deed,

  And cause of death betweene two doughtie knights do breed!

  XXXIV

  ‘But if for me ye fight, or me will serve,

  Not this rude kynd of battaill, nor these armes

  Are meet, the which doe men in bale to sterve, 300

  And doolefull sorrow heape with deadly harmes: