Their goodly entertainement and great glee:
She caused them be led in courteous wize
Into a bowre, disarmed for to be,
And cheared well with wine and spiceree:
The Redcrosse Knight was soone disarmed there, 420
But the brave mayd would not disarmed bee,
But onely vented up her umbriere.
And so did let her goodly visage to appere.
XLIII
As when fayre Cynthia, in darkesome night,
Is in a noyous cloud enveloped, 425
Where she may finde the substance thin and light
Breakes forth her silver beames, and her bright hed
Discovers to the world discomfited;
Of the poore traveiler, that went astray,
With thousand blessings she is heried; 430
Such was the beautie and the shining ray,
With which fayre Britomart gave light unto the day.
XLIV
And eke those six, which lately with her fought,
Now were disarmd, and did them selves present
Unto her vew, and company unsought; 435
For they all seemed courteous and gent,
And all sixe brethren, borne of one parent,
Which had them traynd in all civilitee,
And goodly taught to tilt and turnament;
Now were they liegmen to this ladie free, 440
And her knights service ought, to hold of her in fee.
XLV
The first of them by name Gardante hight,
A jolly person, and of comely vew;
The second was Parlante, a bold knight,
And next to him Jocante did ensew; 445
Basciante did him selfe most courteous shew;
But fierce Bacchante seemd too fell and keene;
And yett in armes Noctante greater grew:
All were faire knights, and goodly well beseene,
But to faire Britomart they all but shadowes beene. 450
XLVI
For shee was full of amiable grace,
And manly terror mixed therewithall,
That as the one stird up affections bace,
So th’ other did mens rash desires apall,
And hold them backe, that would in error fall; 455
As hee that hath espide a vermeill rose,
To which sharpe thornes and breres the way forstall,
Dare not for dread his hardy hand expose,
But wishing it far off, his ydle wish doth lose.
XLVII
Whom when the lady saw so faire a wight, 460
All ignorant of her contrary sex,
(For shee her weend a fresh and lusty knight)
Shee greatly gan enamoured to wex,
And with vaine thoughts her falsed fancy vex:
Her fickle hart conceived hasty fyre, 465
Like sparkes of fire which fall in sclender flex,
That shortly brent into extreme desyre,
And ransackt all her veines with passion entyre.
XLVIII
Eftsoones shee grew to great impatience,
And into termes of open outrage brust, 470
That plaine discovered her incontinence,
Ne reckt shee who her meaning did mistrust;
For she was given all to fleshly lust,
And poured forth in sensuall delight,
That all regard of shame she had discust, 475
And meet respect of honor putt to flight:
So shamelesse beauty soone becomes a loathly sight.
XLIX
Faire ladies, that to love captived arre,
And chaste desires doe nourish in your mind,
Let not her fault your sweete affections marre, 480
Ne blott the bounty of all womankind,
‘Mongst thousands good one wanton dame to find:
Emongst the roses grow some wicked weeds:
For this was not to love, but lust, inclind;
For love does alwaies bring forth bounteous deeds, 485
And in each gentle hart desire of honor breeds.
L
Nought so of love this looser dame did skill,
But as a cole to kindle fleshly flame,
Giving the bridle to her wanton will,
And treading under foote her honest name: 490
Such love is hate, and such desire is shame.
Still did she rove at her with crafty glaunce
Of her false eies, that at her hart did ayme,
And told her meaning in her countenaunce;
But Britomart dissembled it with ignoraunce. 495
LI
Supper was shortly dight, and downe they satt;
Where they were served with all sumptuous fare,
Whiles fruitfull Ceres and Lyæus fatt
Pourd out their plenty, without spight or spare:
Nought wanted there that dainty was and rare; 500
And aye the cups their bancks did overflow,
And aye, betweene the cups, she did prepare
Way to her love, and secret darts did throw;
But Britomart would not such guilfull message know.
LII
So when they slaked had the fervent heat 505
Of appetite with meates of every sort,
The lady did faire Britomart entreat,
Her to disarme, and with delightfull sport
To loose her warlike limbs and strong effort:
But when shee mote not thereunto be wonne, 510
(For shee her sexe under that straunge purport
Did use to hide, and plaine apparaunce shonne,)
In playner wise to tell her grievaunce she begonne.
LIII
And all attonce discovered her desire
With sighes, and sobs, and plaints, and piteous griefe, 515
The outward sparkes of her inburning fire;
Which spent in vaine, at last she told her briefe,
That, but if she did lend her short reliefe,
And doe her comfort, she mote algates dye.
But the chaste damzell, that had never priefe 520
Of such malengine and fine forgerye,
Did easely beleeve her strong extremitye.
LIV
Full easy was for her to have beliefe,
Who by self-feeling of her feeble sexe,
And by long triall of the inward griefe, 525
Wherewith imperious love her hart did vexe,
Could judge what paines doe loving harts perplexe.
Who meanes no guile, be guiled soonest shall,
And to faire semblaunce doth light faith annexe:
The bird, that knowes not the false fowlers call, 530
Into his hidden nett full easely doth fall.
LV
Forthy she would not in discourteise wise
Scorne the faire offer of good will profest;
For great rebuke it is, love to despise,
Or rudely sdeigne a gentle harts request; 535
But with faire countenaunce, as beseemed best,
Her entertaynd; nath’lesse shee inly deemd
Her love too light, to wooe a wandring guest:
Which she misconstruing, thereby esteemd
That from like inward fire that outward smoke had steemd. 540
LVI
Therewith a while she her flit fancy fedd,
Till she mote winne fit time for her desire,
But yet her wound still inward freshly bledd,
And through her bones the false instilled fire
Did spred it selfe, and venime close inspire. 545
Tho were the tables taken all away,
And every knight, and every gentle squire
Gan choose his dame with basciomani gay,
With whom he ment to make his sport and courtly play.
LVII
Some fell to daunce, some fel to hazardry, 550
Some to make love, some to make meryment,
And all the while faire Malecasta bent
Her crafty engins to her close intent.
By this th’ eternall lampes, wherewith high Jove 555
Doth light the lower world, were halfe yspent,
And the moist daughters of huge Atlas strove
Into the ocean deepe to drive their weary drove.
LVIII
High time it seemed then for everie wight
Them to betake unto their kindly rest: 560
Eftesoones long waxen torches weren light,
Unto their bowres to guyden every guest:
Tho, when the Britonesse saw all the rest
Avoided quite, she gan her selfe despoile,
And safe committ to her soft fethered nest, 565
Wher through long watch, and late daies weary toile,
She soundly slept, and carefull thoughts did quite assoile.
LIX
Now whenas all the world in silence deepe
Yshrowded was, and every mortall wight
Was drowned in the depth of deadly sleepe, 570
Faire Malecasta, whose engrieved spright
Could find no rest in such perplexed plight,
Lightly arose out of her wearie bed,
And, under the blacke vele of guilty night,
Her with a scarlott mantle covered, 575
That was with gold and ermines faire enveloped.
LX
Then panting softe, and trembling every joynt,
Her fearfull feete towards the bowre she mov’d,
Where she for secret purpose did appoynt
To lodge the warlike maide, unwisely loov’d; 580
And to her bed approching, first she proov’d
Whether she slept or wakte; with her softe hand
She softely felt if any member moov’d,
And lent her wary eare to understand
If any puffe of breath or signe of sence shee fond. 585
LXI
Which whenas none she fond, with easy shifte,
For feare least her unwares she should abrayd,
Th’ embroderd quilt she lightly up did lifte,
And by her side her selfe she softly layd,
Of every finest fingers touch affrayd; 590
Ne any noise she made, ne word she spake,
But inly sigh’d. At last the royall mayd
Out of her quiet slomber did awake,
And chaungd her weary side, the better ease to take.
LXII
Where feeling one close couched by her side, 595
She lightly lept out of her filed bedd,
And to her weapon ran, in minde to gride
The loathed leachour. But the dame, halfe dedd
Through suddein feare and ghastly drerihedd,
Did shrieke alowd, that through the hous it rong, 600
And the whole family, therewith adredd,
Rashly out of their rouzed couches sprong,
And to the troubled chamber all in armes did throng.
LXIII
And those sixe knights, that ladies champions,
And eke the Redcrosse Knight ran to the stownd, 605
Halfe armd and halfe unarmd, with them attons:
Where when confusedly they came, they fownd
Their lady lying on the sencelesse grownd;
On thother side, they saw the warlike mayd
Al in her snow-white smocke, with locks unbownd, 610
Threatning the point of her avenging blaed;
That with so troublous terror they were all dismayd.
LXIV
About their ladye first they flockt arownd;
Whom having laid in comfortable couch,
Shortly they reard out of her frosen swownd; 615
And afterwardes they gan with fowle reproch
To stirre up strife, and troublous contecke broch:
But, by ensample of the last dayes losse,
None of them rashly durst to her approch,
Ne in so glorious spoile themselves embosse: 620
Her succourd eke the champion of the bloody crosse.
LXV
But one of those sixe knights, Gardante hight,
Drew out a deadly bow and arrow keene,
Which forth he sent with felonous despight,
And fell intent, against the virgin sheene: 625
The mortall steele stayd not till it was seene
To gore her side; yet was the wound not deepe,
But lightly rased her soft silken skin,
That drops of purple blood thereout did weepe,
Which did her lilly smock with staines of vermeil steep. 630
LXVI
Wherewith enrag’d, she fiercely at them flew,
And with her flaming sword about her layd,
That none of them foule mischiefe could eschew,
But with her dreadful strokes were all dismayd:
Here, there, and every where about her swayd 635
Her wrathfull steele, that none mote it abyde;
And eke the Redcrosse Knight gave her good ayd,
Ay joyning foot to foot, and syde to syde,
That in short space their foes they have quite terrifyde.
LXVII
Tho whenas all were put to shamefull flight, 640
The noble Britomartis her arayd,
And her bright armes about her body dight:
For nothing would she lenger there be stayd,
Where so loose life, and so ungentle trade,
Was usd of knights and ladies seeming gent: 645
So, earely, ere the grosse earthes gryesy shade
Was all disperst out of the firmament,
They tooke their steeds, and forth upon their journey went.
Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents
Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’
Canto II
The Redcrosse Knight to Britomart
Describeth Artegall:
The wondrous myrrhour, by which she
In love with him did fall.
I
HERE have I cause in men just blame to find,
That in their proper praise too partiall bee,
And not indifferent to woman kind,
To whom no share in armes and chevalree
They doe impart, ne maken memoree 5
Of their brave gestes and prowesse martiall:
Scarse doe they spare to one, or two, or three,
Rowme in their writtes; yet the same writing small
Does all their deedes deface, and dims their glories all.
II
But by record of antique times I finde, 10
That wemen wont in warres to beare most sway,
And to all great exploites them selves inclind:
Of which they still the girlond bore away,
Till envious men, fearing their rules decay,
Gan coyne streight lawes to curb their liberty: 15
Yet sith they warlike armes have laide away,
They have exceld in artes and pollicy,
That now we foolish men that prayse gin eke t’ envy.
III
Of warlike puissaunce in ages spent,
Be thou, faire Britomart, whose prayse I wryte; 20
But of all wisedom bee thou precedent,
O soveraine Queene, whose prayse I would endyte,
Endite I would as dewtie doth excyte;
But ah! my rymes to rude and rugged arre,
When in so high an object they doe lyte, 25
And, striving fit to make, I feare doe marre:
Thy selfe thy prayses tell, and make them knowen farre.
IV
She, traveiling with Guyon, by the way
Of sondry thinges faire purpose gan to find,
T’ abridg their journey long and lingring day: 30
Mongst which it fell into that Fairies mind
To aske this Briton maid, what uncouth wind
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Brought her into those partes, and what inquest
Made her dissemble her disguised kind:
Faire lady she him seemd, like lady drest, 35
But fairest knight alive, when armed was her brest.
V
Thereat she sighing softly, had no powre
To speake a while, ne ready answere make,
But with hart-thrilling throbs and bitter stowre,
As if she had a fever fitt, did quake, 40
And every daintie limbe with horrour shake,
And ever and anone the rosy red
Flasht through her face, as it had beene a flake
Of lightning through bright heven fulmined:
At last, the passion past, she thus him answered: 45
VI
‘Faire sir, I let you weete, that from the howre
I taken was from nourses tender pap,
I have beene trained up in warlike stowre,
To tossen speare and shield, and to affrap
The warlike ryder to his most mishap: 50
Sithence I loathed have my life to lead,
As ladies wont, in pleasures wanton lap,
To finger the fine needle and nyce thread;
Me lever were with point of foemans speare be dead.
VII
‘All my delight on deedes of armes is sett, 55
To hunt out perilles and adventures hard,
By sea, by land, where so they may be mett,
Onely for honour and for high regard,
Without respect of richesse or reward.
For such intent into these partes I came, 60
Withouten compasse or withouten card,
Far fro my native soyle, that is by name
The Greater Brytayne, here to seeke for praise and fame.
VIII
‘Fame blazed hath, that here in Faery Lond
Doe many famous knightes and ladies wonne, 65
And many straunge adventures to bee fond,
Of which great worth and worship may be wonne;
Which I to prove, this voyage have begonne.
But mote I weet of you, right courteous knight,
Tydings of one, that hath unto me donne 70
Late foule dishonour and reprochfull spight,
The which I seeke to wreake, and Arthegall he hight.’
IX
The word gone out she backe againe would call,
As her repenting so to have missayd,
But that he it uptaking ere the fall, 75
Her shortly answered: ‘Faire martiall mayd,
Certes ye misavised beene, t’ upbrayd
A gentle knight with so unknightly blame:
For weet ye well, of all that ever playd
At tilt or tourney, or like warlike game, 80
The noble Arthegall hath ever borne the name.
X
‘Forthy great wonder were it, if such shame
Should ever enter in his bounteous thought,
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