Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  That the disdainfull sowle he thence dispatcht,

  And th’ ydle breath all utterly exprest:

  Tho, when he felt him dead, adowne he kest

  The lumpish corse unto the sencelesse grownd; 375

  Adowne he kest it with so puissant wrest,

  That backe againe it did alofte rebownd,

  And gave against his mother Earth a gronefull sownd.

  XLIII

  As when Joves harnesse-bearing bird from hye

  Stoupes at a flying heron with proud disdayne, 380

  The stone-dead quarrey falls so forciblye,

  That yt rebownds against the lowly playne,

  A second fall redoubling backe agayne.

  Then thought the Prince all peril sure was past,

  And that he victor onely did remayne; 385

  No sooner thought, then that the carle as fast

  Gan heap huge strokes on him, as ere he down was cast.

  XLIV

  Nigh his wits end then woxe th’ amazed knight,

  And thought his labor lost and travell vayne,

  Against this lifelesse shadow so to fight: 390

  Yet life he saw, and felt his mighty mayne,

  That, whiles he marveild still, did still him payne:

  Forthy he gan some other wayes advize,

  How to take life from that dead-living swayne,

  Whom still he marked freshly to arize 395

  From th’ earth, and from her womb new spirits to reprize.

  XLV

  He then remembred well, that had bene sayd,

  How th’ Earth his mother was, and first him bore;

  Shee eke, so often as his life decayd,

  Did life with usury to him restore, 400

  And reysd him up much stronger then before,

  So soone as he unto her wombe did fall;

  Therefore to grownd he would him cast no more,

  Ne him committ to grave terrestriall,

  But beare him farre from hope of succour usuall. 405

  XLVI

  Tho up he caught him twixt his puissant hands,

  And having scruzd out of his carrion corse

  The lothfull life, now loosd from sinfull hands,

  Upon his shoulders carried him perforse

  Above three furlongs, taking his full course, 410

  Untill he came unto a standing lake:

  Him thereinto he threw without remorse,

  Ne stird, till hope of life did him forsake:

  So end of that carles dayes, and his owne paynes did make.

  XLVII

  Which when those wicked hags from far did spye, 415

  Like two mad dogs they ran about the lands;

  And th’ one of them with dreadfull yelling crye,

  Throwing away her broken chaines and bands,

  And having quencht her burning fier brands,

  Hedlong her selfe did cast into that lake; 420

  But Impotence with her owne wilfull hands

  One of Malegers cursed darts did take,

  So ryv’d her trembling hart, and wicked end did make.

  XLVIII

  Thus now alone he conquerour remaines:

  Tho, cumming to his squyre, that kept his steed, 425

  Thought to have mounted, but his feeble vaines

  Him faild thereto, and served not his need,

  Through losse of blood, which from his wounds did bleed,

  That he began to faint, and life decay:

  But his good squyre, him helping up with speed, 430

  With stedfast hand upon his horse did stay,

  And led him to the castle by the beaten way.

  XLIX

  Where many groomes and squyres ready were

  To take him from his steed full tenderly,

  And eke the fayrest Alma mett him there 435

  With balme and wine and costly spicery,

  To comfort him in his infirmity:

  Eftesoones shee causd him up to be convayd,

  And of his armes despoyled easily,

  In sumptuous bed shee made him to be layd, 440

  And al the while his wounds were dressing, by him stayd.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto XII

  Guyon by palmers governaunce

  Passing through perilles great,

  Doth overthrow the Bowre of Blis,

  And Acrasy defeat.

  I

  NOW ginnes this goodly frame of Temperaunce

  Fayrely to rise, and her adorned had

  To pricke of highest prayse forth to advaunce,

  Formerly grounded and fast setteled

  On firme foundation of true bountyhed: 5

  And that brave knight, that for this vertue fightes,

  Now comes to point of that same perilous sted,

  Where Pleasure dwelles in sensuall delights,

  Mongst thousand dangers, and ten thousand magick mights.

  II

  Two dayes now in that sea he sayled has, 10

  Ne ever land beheld, ne living witht,

  Ne ought save perill, still as he did pas:

  Tho, when appeared the third morrow bright,

  Upon the waves to spred her trembling light,

  An hideous roring far away they heard, 15

  That all their sences filled with affright,

  And streight they saw the raging surges reard

  Up to the skyes, that them of drowning made affeard.

  III

  Said then the boteman, ‘Palmer, stere aright,

  And keepe an even course; for yonder way 20

  We needes must pas (God doe us well acquight!)

  That is the Gulfe of Greedinesse, they say,

  That deepe engorgeth all this worldes pray;

  Which having swallowd up excessively,

  He soone in vomit up againe doth lay, 25

  And belcheth forth his superfluity,

  That all the seas for feare doe seeme away to fly.

  IV

  ‘On thother syde an hideous rock is pight

  Of mightie magnes stone, whose craggie clift

  Depending from on high, dreadfull to sight, 30

  Over the waves his rugged armes doth lift,

  And threatneth downe to throw his ragged rift

  On whoso cometh nigh; yet nigh it drawes

  All passengers, that none from it can shift:

  For whiles they fly that gulfes devouring jawes, 35

  They on this rock are rent, and sunck in helples wawes.’

  V

  Forward they passe, and strongly he them rowes,

  Untill they nigh unto that gulfe arryve,

  Where streame more violent and greedy growes:

  Then he with all his puisaunce doth stryve 40

  To strike his oares, and mightily doth dryve

  The hollow vessell through the threatfull wave,

  Which, gaping wide, to swallow them alyve

  In th’ huge abysse of his engulfing grave,

  Doth rore at them in vaine, and with great terrour rave. 45

  VI

  They, passing by, that grisely mouth did see,

  Sucking the seas into his entralles deepe,

  That seemd more horrible then hell to bee,

  Or that darke dreadfull hole of Tartare steepe,

  Through which the damned ghosts doen often creep 50

  Backe to the world, bad livers to torment:

  But nought that falles into this direfull deepe,

  Ne that approcheth nigh the wyde descent,

  May backe retourne, but is condemned to be drent.

  VII

  On thother side they saw that perilous rocke, 55

  Threatning it selfe on them to ruinate,

  On whose sharp cliftes the ribs of vessels broke,

  And shivered ships, which had beene wrecked late,

  Yet stuck, with carcases exanimate

&n
bsp; Of such, as having all their substance spent 60

  In wanton joyes and lustes intemperate,

  Did afterwardes make shipwrack violent,

  Both of their life, and fame for ever fowly blent.

  VIII

  Forthy this hight the Rock of vile Reproch,

  A daungerous and detestable place, 65

  To which nor fish nor fowle did once approch,

  But yelling meawes, with seagulles hoars and bace,

  And cormoyraunts, with birds of ravenous race,

  Which still sat wayting on that wastfull clift

  For spoile of wretches, whose unhappy cace, 70

  After lost credit and consumed thrift,

  At last them driven hath to this despairefull drift.

  IX

  The palmer, seeing them in safetie past,

  Thus saide: ‘Behold th’ ensamples in our sightes

  Of lustfull luxurie and thriftlesse wast: 75

  What now is left of miserable wightes,

  Which spent their looser daies in leud delightes,

  But shame and sad reproch, here to be red

  By these rent reliques, speaking their ill plightes?

  Let all that live, hereby be counselled 80

  To shunne Rock of Reproch, and it as death to dread.’

  X

  So forth they rowed, and that ferryman

  With his stiffe oares did brush the sea so strong,

  That the hoare waters from his frigot ran,

  And the light bubles daunced all along, 85

  Whiles the salt brine out of the billowes sprong.

  At last far off they many islandes spy,

  On every side floting the floodes emong:

  Then said the knight: ‘Lo! I the land descry;

  Therefore, old syre, thy course doe thereunto apply.’ 90

  XI

  ‘That may not bee,’ said then the ferryman,

  ‘Least wee unweeting hap to be fordonne:

  For those same islands, seeming now and than,

  Are not firme land, nor any certein wonne,

  But stragling plots, which to and fro doe ronne 95

  In the wide waters: therefore are they hight

  The Wandring Islands. Therefore doe them shonne;

  For they have ofte drawne many a wandring wight

  Into most deadly daunger and distressed plight.

  XII

  ‘Yet well they seeme to him, that farre doth vew, 100

  Both faire and fruitfull, and the grownd dispred

  With grassy greene of delectable hew,

  And the tall trees with leaves appareled,

  Are deckt with blossoms dyde in white and red,

  That mote the passengers thereto allure; 105

  But whosoever once hath fastened

  His foot thereon, may never it recure,

  But wandreth ever more uncertein and unsure.

  XIII

  ‘As th’ isle of Delos whylome, men report,

  Amid th’ Aegæan sea long time did stray, 110

  Ne made for shipping any certeine port,

  Till that Latona traveiling that way,

  Flying from Junoes wrath and hard assay,

  Of her fayre twins was there delivered,

  Which afterwards did rule the might and day; 115

  Thenceforth it firmely was established,

  And for Apolloes honor highly herried.’

  XIV

  They to him hearken, as beseemeth meete,

  And passe on forward: so their way does ly,

  That one of those same islands, which doe fleet 120

  In the wide sea, they needes must passen by,

  Which seemd so sweet and pleasaunt to the eye,

  That it would tempt a man to touchen there:

  Upon the banck they sitting did espy

  A daintie damsell, dressing of her heare, 125

  By whom a little skippet floting did appeare.

  XV

  She, them espying, loud to them can call,

  Bidding them nigher draw unto the shore;

  For she had cause to busie them withall;

  And therewith lowdly laught: but nathemore 130

  Would they once turne, but kept on as afore:

  Which when she saw, she left her lockes undight,

  And running to her boat withouten ore,

  From the departing land it launched light,

  And after them did drive with all her power and might. 135

  XVI

  Whom overtaking, she in merry sort

  Them gan to bord, and purpose diversly,

  Now faining dalliaunce and wanton sport,

  Now throwing forth lewd wordes immodestly;

  Till that the palmer gan full bitterly 140

  Her to rebuke, for being loose and light:

  Which not abiding, but more scornfully

  Scoffing at him that did her justly wite,

  She turnd her bote about, and from them rowed quite.

  XVII

  That was the wanton Phœdria, which late 145

  Did ferry him over the Idle Lake:

  Whom nought regarding, they kept on their gate,

  And all her vaine allurements did forsake;

  When them the wary boteman thus bespake:

  ‘Here now behoveth us well to avyse, 150

  And of our safety good heede to take;

  For here before a perlous passage lyes,

  Where many mermayds haunt, making false melodies.

  XVIII

  ‘But by the way there is a great quick sand,

  And a whirlepoole of hidden jeopardy: 155

  Therefore, sir palmer, keepe an even hand;

  For twixt them both the narrow way doth ly.’

  Scarse had he saide, when hard at hand they spy

  That quicksand nigh with water covered;

  But by the checked wave they did descry 160

  It plaine, and by the sea discoloured:

  It called was the Quickesand of Unthriftyhed.

  XIX

  They, passing by, a goodly ship did see,

  Laden from far with precious merchandize,

  And bravely furnished as ship might bee, 165

  Which through great disaventure, or mesprize,

  Her selfe had ronne into that hazardize;

  Whose mariners and merchants, with much toyle,

  Labour’d in vaine to have recur’d their prize,

  And the rich wares to save from pitteous spoyle; 170

  But neither toyle nor traveill might her backe recoyle.

  XX

  On th’ other side they see that perilous poole,

  That called was the Whirlepoole of Decay,

  In which full many had with haplesse doole

  Beene suncke, of whom no memorie did stay: 175

  Whose circled waters rapt with whirling sway,

  Like to a restlesse wheele, still ronning round,

  Did covet, as they passed by that way,

  To draw their bote within the utmost bound

  Of his wide labyrinth, and then to have them dround. 180

  XXI

  But th’ heedfull boteman strongly forth did stretch

  His brawnie armes, and all his bodie straine,

  That th’ utmost sandy breach they shortly fetch,

  Whiles the dredd daunger does behind remaine.

  Suddeine they see from midst of all the maine 185

  The surging waters like a mountaine rise,

  And the great sea, puft up with proud disdaine,

  To swell above the measure of his guise,

  As threatning to devoure all that his powre despise.

  XXII

  The waves come rolling, and the billowes rore 190

  Outragiously, as they enraged were,

  Or wrathfull Neptune did them drive before

  His whirling charet, for exceeding feare;

  For not one puffe of winde there did appeare;

  That all
the three thereat woxe much afrayd, 195

  Unweeting what such horrour straunge did reare.

  Eftsoones they saw an hideous hoast arrayd

  Of huge sea monsters, such as living sence dismayd.

  XXIII

  Most ugly shapes and horrible aspects,

  Such as Dame Nature selfe mote feare to see, 200

  Or shame that ever should so fowle defects

  From her most cunning hand escaped bee;

  All dreadfull pourtraicts of deformitee:

  Spring-headed hydres, and sea-shouldring whales,

  Great whirlpooles, which all fishes make to flee, 205

  Bright scolopendraes, arm’d with silver scales,

  Mighty monoceros with immeasured tayles,

  XXIV

  The dreadfull fish, that hath deserv’d the name

  Of Death, and like him lookes in dreadfull hew,

  The griesly wasserman, that makes his game 210

  The flying ships with swiftnes to pursew,

  The horrible sea-satyre, that doth shew

  His fearefull face in time of greatest storme,

  Huge ziffius, whom mariners eschew

  No lesse then rockes, (as travellers informe,) 215

  And greedy rosmarines with visages deforme.

  XXV

  All these, and thousand thousands many more,

  And more deformed monsters thousand fold,

  With dreadfull noise and hollow rombling rore,

  Came rushing, in the fomy waves enrold, 220

  Which seem’d to fly for feare them to behold:

  Ne wonder, if these did the knight appall;

  For all, that here on earth we dreadfull hold,

  Be but as bugs to fearen babes withall,

  Compared to the creatures in the seas entrall. 225

  XXVI

  ‘Feare nought,’ then saide the palmer well aviz’d;

  ‘For these same monsters are not these in deed,

  But are into these fearefull shapes disguiz’d

  By that same wicked witch, to worke us dreed,

  And draw from on this journey to proceed.’ 230

  Tho, lifting up his vertuous staffe on hye,

  He smote the sea, which calmed was with speed,

  And all that dreadfull armie fast gan flye

  Into great Tethys bosome, where they hidden lye.

  XXVII

  Quit from that danger, forth their course they kept, 235

  And as they went they heard a ruefull cry

  Of one that wayld and pittifully wept,

  That through the sea the resounding plaints did fly:

  At last they in an island did espy

  A seemely maiden, sitting by the shore, 240

  That with great sorrow and sad agony

  Seemed some great misfortune to deplore,

  And lowd to them for succour called evermore.

  XXVIII

  Which Guyon hearing, streight his palmer bad

  To stere the bote towards that dolefull mayd, 245