Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  And his last fate him from thee take away, 250

  Too rathe cut off by practise criminall

  Of secrete foes, that him shall make in mischiefe fall.

  XXIX

  ‘With thee yet shall he leave, for memory

  Of his late puissaunce, his ymage dead,

  That living him in all activity 255

  To thee shall represent. He from the head

  Of his coosen Constantius, without dread,

  Shall take the crowne, that was his fathers right,

  And therewith crowne himselfe in th’ others stead:

  Then shall he issew forth with dreadfull might, 260

  Against his Saxon foes in bloody field to fight.

  XXX

  ‘Like as a lyon, that in drowsie cave

  Hath long time slept, himselfe so shall he shake,

  And comming forth, shall spred his banner brave

  Over the troubled South, that it shall make 265

  The warlike Mertians for feare to quake:

  Thrise shall he fight with them, and twise shall win,

  But the third time shall fayre accordaunce make:

  And if he then with victorie can lin,

  He shall his dayes with peace bring to his earthly in. 270

  XXXI

  ‘His sonne, hight Vortipore, shall him succeede

  In kingdome, but not in felicity;

  Yet shall he long time warre with happy speed,

  And with great honour many batteills try:

  But at the last to th’ importunity 275

  Of froward fortune shall be forst to yield.

  But his sonne Malgo shall full mightily

  Avenge his fathers losse, with speare and shield,

  And his proud foes discomfit in victorious field.

  XXXII

  ‘Behold the man! and tell me, Britomart, 280

  If ay more goodly creature thou didst see:

  How like a gyaunt in each manly part

  Beares he himselfe with portly majestee,

  That one of th’ old heroes seemes to bee!

  He the six islands, comprovinciall 285

  In auncient times unto Great Britainee,

  Shall to the same reduce, and to him call

  Their sondry kings to doe their homage severall.

  XXXIII

  ‘All which his sonne Careticus awhile

  Shall well defend, and Saxons powre suppresse, 290

  Untill a straunger king, from unknowne soyle

  Arriving, him with multitude oppresse;

  Great Gormond, having with huge mightinesse

  Ireland subdewd, and therein fixt his throne,

  Like a swift otter, fell through emptinesse, 295

  Shall overswim the sea with many one

  Of his Norveyses, to assist the Britons fone.

  XXXIV

  ‘He in his furie all shall overronne,

  And holy church with faithlesse handes deface,

  That thy sad people, utterly fordonne, 300

  Shall to the utmost mountaines fly apace:

  Was never so great waste in any place,

  Nor so fowle outrage doen by living men:

  For all thy citties they shall sacke and race,

  And the greene grasse that groweth they shall bren, 305

  That even the wilde beast shall dy in starved den.

  XXXV

  ‘Whiles thus thy Britons doe in languour pine,

  Proud Etheldred shall from the North arise,

  Serving th’ ambitious will of Augustine,

  And passing Dee with hardy enterprise, 310

  Shall backe repulse the valiaunt Brockwell twise,

  And Bangor with massacred martyrs fill;

  But the third time shall rew his foolhardise:

  For Cadwan, pittying his peoples ill,

  Shall stoutly him defeat, and thousand Saxons kill. 315

  XXXVI

  ‘But after him, Cadwallin mightily

  On his sonne Edwin all those wrongs shall wreake;

  Ne shall availe the wicked sorcery

  Of false Pellite, his purposes to breake,

  But him shall slay, and on a gallowes bleak 320

  Shall give th’ enchaunter his unhappy hire:

  Then shall the Britons, late dismayd and weake,

  From their long vassallage gin to respire,

  And on their Paynim foes avenge their ranckled ire.

  XXXVII

  ‘Ne shall he yet his wrath so mitigate, 325

  Till both the sonnes of Edwin he have slayne,

  Offricke and Osricke, twinnes unfortunate,

  Both slaine in battaile upon Layburne playne,

  Together with the king of Louthiane,

  Hight Adin, and the king of Orkeny, 330

  Both joynt partakers of their fatall payne:

  But Penda, fearefull of like desteny,

  Shall yield him selfe his liegeman, and sweare fealty.

  XXXVIII

  ‘Him shall he make his fatall instrument,

  T’ afflict the other Saxons unsubdewd; 335

  He marching forth with fury insolent

  Against the good King Oswald, who, indewd

  With heavenly powre, and by angels reskewd,

  Al holding crosses in their hands on hye,

  Shall him defeate withouten blood imbrewd: 340

  Of which that field for endlesse memory

  Shall Hevenfield be cald to all posterity.

  XXXIX

  ‘Whereat Cadwallin wroth, shall forth issew,

  And an huge hoste into Northumber lead,

  With which he godly Oswald shall subdew, 345

  And crowne with martiredome his sacred head.

  Whose brother Oswin, daunted with like dread,

  With price of silver shall his kingdome buy,

  And Penda, seeking him adowne to tread,

  Shall tread adowne, and doe him fowly dye, 350

  But shall with guifts his lord Cadwallin pacify.

  XL

  ‘Then shall Cadwallin die, and then the raine

  Of Britons eke with him attonce shall dye;

  Ne shall the good Cadwallader, with paine

  Or powre, be hable it to remedy, 355

  When the full time, prefixt by destiny,

  Shalbe expird of Britons regiment:

  For Heven it selfe shall their successe envy,

  And them with plagues and murrins pestilent

  Consume, till all their warlike puissaunce be spent. 360

  XLI

  ‘Yet after all these sorrowes, and huge hills

  Of dying people, during eight yeares space,

  Cadwallader, not yielding to his ills,

  From Armoricke, where long in wretched cace

  He liv’d, retourning to his native place, 365

  Shalbe by vision staide from his intent:

  For th’ Heavens have decreed to displace

  The Britons for their sinnes dew punishment,

  And to the Saxons over-give their government.

  XLII

  ‘Then woe, and woe, and everlasting woe, 370

  Be to the Briton babe, that shalbe borne

  To live in thraldome of his fathers foe!

  Late king, now captive, late lord, now forlorne,

  The worlds reproch, the cruell victors scorne,

  Banisht from princely bowre to wasteful wood! 375

  O! who shal helpe me to lament and mourne

  The royall seed, the antique Trojan blood,

  Whose empire lenger here then ever any stood?’

  XLIII

  The damzell was full deepe empassioned,

  Both for his griefe, and for her peoples sake, 380

  Whose future woes so plaine he fashioned,

  And sighing sore, at length him thus bespake:

  ‘Ah! but will Hevens fury never slake,

  Nor vengeaunce huge relent it selfe at last?

  Will not long misery late me
rcy make, 385

  But shall their name for ever be defaste,

  And quite from of the earth their memory be raste?’

  XLIV

  ‘Nay, but the terme,’ sayd he, ‘is limited,

  That in this thraldome Britons shall abide,

  And the just revolution measured, 390

  That they as straungers shalbe notifide:

  For twise fowre hundreth yeares shalbe supplide,

  Ere they to former rule restor’d shalbee,

  And their importune fates all satisfide:

  Yet during this their most obscuritee, 395

  Their beames shall ofte breake forth, that men them faire may see.

  XLV

  ‘For Rhodoricke, whose surname shalbe Great,

  Shall of him selfe a brave ensample shew,

  That Saxon kings his frendship shall intreat;

  And Howell Dha shall goodly well indew 400

  The salvage minds with skill of just and trew;

  Then Griffyth Conan also shall up reare

  His dreaded head, and the old sparkes renew

  Of native corage, that his foes shall feare

  Least back againe the kingdom he from them should beare. 405

  XLVI

  ‘Ne shall the Saxons selves all peaceably

  Enjoy the crowne, which they from Britons wonne

  First ill, and after ruled wickedly:

  For ere two hundred yeares be full outronne,

  There shall a Raven, far from rising sunne, 410

  With his wide wings upon them fiercely fly,

  And bid his faithlesse chickens overonne

  The fruitfull plaines, and with fell cruelty,

  In their avenge, tread downe the victors surquedry.

  XLVII

  ‘Yet shall a third both these and thine subdew: 415

  There shall a Lion from the sea-bord wood

  Of Neustria come roring, with a crew

  Of hungry whelpes, his battailous bold brood,

  Whose clawes were newly dipt in cruddy blood,

  That from the Daniske tyrants head shall rend 420

  Th’ usurped crowne, as if that he were wood,

  And the spoile of the countrey conquered

  Emongst his young ones shall divide with bountyhed.

  XLVIII

  ‘Tho, when the terme is full accomplishid,

  There shall a sparke of fire, which hath long-while 425

  Bene in his ashes raked up and hid,

  Bee freshly kindled in the fruitfull ile

  Of Mona, where it lurked in exile;

  Which shall breake forth into bright burning flame,

  And reach into the house that beares the stile 430

  Of roiall majesty and soveraine name:

  So shall the Briton blood their crowne agayn reclame.

  XLIX

  ‘Thenceforth eternall union shall be made

  Betweene the nations different afore,

  And sacred Peace shall lovingly persuade 435

  The warlike minds to learne her goodly lore,

  And civile armes to exercise no more:

  Then shall a royall Virgin raine, which shall

  Stretch her white rod over the Belgicke shore,

  And the great Castle smite so sore with all, 440

  That it shall make him shake, and shortly learn to fall.

  L

  ‘But yet the end is not. — —’ There Merlin stayd,

  As overcomen of the spirites powre,

  Or other ghastly spectacle dismayd,

  That secretly he saw, yet note discoure: 445

  Which suddein fitt and halfe extatick stoure

  When the two fearefull wemen saw, they grew

  Greatly confused in behaveoure:

  At last the fury past, to former hew

  Hee turnd againe, and chearfull looks as earst did shew. 450

  LI

  Then, when them selves they well instructed had

  Of all that needed them to be inquird,

  They both, conceiving hope of comfort glad,

  With lighter hearts unto their home retird;

  Where they in secret counsell close conspird, 455

  How to effect so hard an enterprize,

  And to possesse the purpose they desird:

  Now this, now that twixt them they did devize,

  And diverse plots did frame, to maske in strange disguise.

  LII

  At last the nourse in her foolhardy wit 460

  Conceivd a bold devise, and thus bespake:

  ‘Daughter, I deeme that counsel aye most fit,

  That of the time doth dew advauntage take:

  Ye see that good King Uther now doth make

  Strong warre upon the Paynim brethren, hight 465

  Octa and Oza, whome hee lately brake

  Beside Cayr Verolame in victorious fight,

  That now all Britany doth burne in armes bright.

  LIII

  ‘That therefore nought our passage may empeach,

  Let us in feigned armes our selves disguize, 470

  And our weake hands (whom need new strength shall teach)

  The dreadful speare and shield to exercize:

  Ne certes, daughter, that same warlike wize,

  I weene, would you misseeme; for ye beene tall

  And large of limbe t’ atchieve an hard emprize, 475

  Ne ought ye want, but skil, which practize small

  Wil bring, and shortly make you a mayd martiall.

  LIV

  ‘And sooth, it ought your corage much inflame,

  To heare so often, in that royall hous,

  From whence to none inferior ye came, 480

  Bards tell of many wemen valorous,

  Which have full many feats adventurous

  Performd, in paragone of proudest men:

  The bold Bunduca, whose victorious

  Exployts made Rome to quake, stout Guendolen, 485

  Renowmed Martia, and redoubted Emmilen;

  LV

  ‘And that which more then all the rest may sway,

  Late dayes ensample, which these eyes beheld:

  In the last field before Menevia,

  Which Uther with those forrein pagans held, 490

  I saw a Saxon virgin, the which feld

  Great Ulfin thrise upon the bloody playne,

  And had not Carados her hand withheld

  From rash revenge, she had him surely slayne,

  Yet Carados himselfe from her escapt with payne.’ 495

  LVI

  ‘Ah! read,’ quoth Britomart, ‘how is she hight?’

  ‘Fayre Angela,’ quoth she, ‘men do her call,

  No whit lesse fayre then terrible in fight:

  She hath the leading of a martiall

  And mightie people, dreaded more then all 500

  The other Saxons, which doe, for her sake

  And love, themselves of her name Angles call.

  Therefore, faire infant, her ensample make

  Unto thy selfe, and equall corage to thee take.’

  LVII

  Her harty wordes so deepe into the mynd 505

  Of the yong damzell sunke, that great desire

  Of warlike armes in her forthwith they tynd,

  And generous stout courage did inspyre,

  That she resolv’d, unweeting to her syre,

  Advent’rous knighthood on her selfe to don, 510

  And counseld with her nourse, her maides attyre

  To turne into a massy habergeon,

  And bad her all things put in readinesse anon.

  LVIII

  Th’ old woman nought that needed did omit;

  But all thinges did conveniently purvay. 515

  It fortuned (so time their turne did fitt)

  A band of Britons, ryding on forray

  Few dayes before, had gotten a great pray

  Of Saxon goods, emongst the which was seene

  A goodly armour, and full r
ich aray, 520

  Which long’d to Angela, the Saxon queene,

  All fretted round with gold, and goodly wel beseene.

  LIX

  The same, with all the other ornaments,

  King Ryence caused to be hanged hy

  In his chiefe church, for endlesse moniments 525

  Of his successe and gladfull victory:

  Of which her selfe avising readily,

  In th’ evening late old Glauce thether led

  Faire Britomart, and that same armory

  Downe taking, her therein appareled, 530

  Well as she might, and with brave bauldrick garnished.

  LX

  Beside those armes there stood a mightie speare,

  Which Bladud made by magick art of yore,

  And usd the same in batteill aye to beare;

  Sith which it had beene here preserv’d in store, 535

  For his great vertues proved long afore:

  For never wight so fast in sell could sit,

  But him perforce unto the ground it bore:

  Both speare she tooke and shield, which hong by it;

  Both speare and shield of great powre, for her purpose fit. 540

  LXI

  Thus when she had the virgin all arayd,

  Another harnesse, which did hang thereby,

  About her selfe she dight, that the yong mayd

  She might in equall armes accompany,

  And as her squyre attend her carefully: 545

  Tho to their ready steedes they clombe full light,

  And through back waies, that none might them espy,

  Covered with secret cloud of silent night,

  Themselves they forth convaid, and passed forward right.

  LXII

  Ne rested they, till that to Faery Lond 550

  They came, as Merlin them directed late:

  Where meeting with this Redcrosse Knight, she fond

  Of diverse thinges discourses to dilate,

  But most of Arthegall and his estate.

  At last their wayes so fell, that they mote part: 555

  Then each to other well affectionate,

  Frendship professed with unfained hart:

  The Redcrosse Knight diverst, but forth rode Britomart.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto IV

  Bold Marinell of Britomart

  Is throwne on the Rich Strond:

  Faire Florimell of Arthure is

  Long followed, but not fond.

  I

  WHERE is the antique glory now become,

  That whylome wont in wemen to appeare?

  Where be the brave atchievements doen by some?

  Where be the batteilles, where the shield and speare,

  And all the conquests which them high did reare, 5

  That matter made for famous poets verse,

  And boastfull men so oft abasht to heare?

  Beene they all dead, and laide in dolefull herse?