Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might,

  That her commaundment he could not withstand, 295

  But bit his lip for felonous despight,

  And gnasht his yron tuskes at that displeasing sight.

  XXXIV

  ‘Concord she cleeped was in common reed,

  Mother of blessed Peace and Friendship trew;

  They both her twins, both borne of heavenly seed, 300

  And she her selfe likewise divinely grew;

  The which right well her workes divine did shew:

  For strength and wealth and happinesse she lends,

  And strife and warre and anger does subdew;

  Of litle much, of foes she maketh frends, 305

  And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends.

  XXXV

  ‘By her the heaven is in his course contained,

  And all the world in state unmoved stands,

  As their Almightie Maker first ordained,

  And bound them with inviolable bands; 310

  Else would the waters overflow the lands,

  And fire devoure the ayre, and hell them quight,

  But that she holds them with her blessed hands.

  She is the nourse of pleasure and delight,

  And unto Venus grace the gate doth open right. 315

  XXXVI

  ‘By her I entring halfe dismayed was,

  But she in gentle wise me entertayned,

  And twixt her selfe and Love did let me pas;

  But Hatred would my entrance have restrayned,

  And with his club me threatned to have brayned, 320

  Had not the ladie with her powrefull speach

  Him from his wicked will uneath refrayned;

  And th’ other eke his malice did empeach,

  Till I was throughly past the perill of his reach.

  XXXVII

  ‘Into the inmost temple thus I came, 325

  Which fuming all with frankensence I found,

  And odours rising from the altars flame.

  Upon an hundred marble pillors round

  The roofe up high was reared from the ground,

  All deckt with crownes, and chaynes, and girlands gay, 330

  And thousand pretious gifts worth many a pound,

  The which sad lovers for their vowes did pay;

  And all the ground was strow’d with flowres, as fresh as May.

  XXXVIII

  ‘An hundred altars round about were set,

  All flaming with their sacrifices fire, 335

  That with the steme thereof the temple swet,

  Which rould in clouds to heaven did aspire,

  And in them bore true lovers vowes entire:

  And eke an hundred brasen caudrons bright,

  To bath in joy and amorous desire, 340

  Every of which was to a damzell hight;

  For all the priests were damzels, in soft linnen dight.

  XXXIX

  ‘Right in the midst the goddesse selfe did stand

  Upon an altar of some costly masse,

  Whose substance was uneath to understand: 345

  For neither pretious stone, nor durefull brasse,

  Nor shining gold, nor mouldring clay it was;

  But much more rare and pretious to esteeme,

  Pure in aspect, and like to christall glasse,

  Yet glasse was not, if one did rightly deeme, 350

  But being faire and brickle, likest glasse did seeme.

  XL

  ‘But it in shape and beautie did excell

  All other idoles which the heathen adore,

  Farre passing that which by surpassing skill

  Phidias did make in Paphos isle of yore, 355

  With which that wretched Greeke, that life forlore,

  Did fall in love: yet this much fairer shined,

  But covered with a slender veile afore;

  And both her feete and legs together twyned

  Were with a snake, whose head and tail were fast combyned. 360

  XLI

  ‘The cause why she was covered with a vele

  Was hard to know, for that her priests the same

  From peoples knowledge labour’d to concele.

  But sooth it was not sure for womanish shame,

  Nor any blemish, which the worke mote blame; 365

  But for, they say, she hath both kinds in one,

  Both male and female, both under one name:

  She syre and mother is her selfe alone,

  Begets and eke conceives, ne needeth other none.

  XLII

  ‘And all about her necke and shoulders flew 370

  A flocke of litle loves, and sports, and joyes,

  With nimble wings of gold and purple hew,

  Whose shapes seem’d not like to terrestriall boyes,

  But like to angels playing heavenly toyes;

  The whilest their eldest brother was away, 375

  Cupid, their eldest brother: he enjoyes

  The wide kingdome of Love with lordly sway,

  And to his law compels all creatures to obay.

  XLIII

  ‘And all about her altar, scattered lay

  Great sorts of lovers piteously complayning, 380

  Some of their losse, some of their loves delay,

  Some of their pride, some paragons disdayning,

  Some fearing fraud, some fraudulently fayning,

  As every one had cause of good or ill.

  Amongst the rest some one, through loves constrayning, 385

  Tormented sore, could not containe it still,

  But thus brake forth, that all the temple it did fill:

  XLIV

  ‘“Great Venus, queene of beautie and of grace,

  The joy of gods and men, that under skie

  Doest fayrest shine, and most adorne thy place, 390

  That with thy smyling looke doest pacifie

  The raging seas, and makst the stormes to flie;

  Thee, goddesse, thee the winds, the clouds doe feare,

  And when thou spredst thy mantle forth on hie,

  The waters play, and pleasant lands appeare, 395

  And heavens laugh, and al the world shews joyous cheare.

  XLV

  ‘“Then doth the dædale earth throw forth to thee

  Out of her fruitfull lap aboundant flowres;

  And then all living wights, soone as they see

  The Spring breake forth out of his lusty bowres, 400

  They all doe learne to play the paramours:

  First doe the merry birds, thy prety pages,

  Privily pricked with thy lustfull powres,

  Chirpe loud to thee out of their leavy cages,

  And thee their mother call to coole their kindly rages. 405

  XLVI

  ‘“Then doe the salvage beasts begin to play

  Their pleasant friskes, and loath their wonted food;

  The lyons rore, the tygres loudly bray,

  The raging buls rebellow through the wood,

  And breaking forth, dare tempt the deepest flood, 410

  To come where thou doest draw them with desire:

  So all things else, that nourish vitall blood,

  Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire,

  In generation seeke to quench their inward fire.

  XLVII

  ‘“So all the world by thee at first was made, 415

  And dayly yet thou doest the same repayre:

  Ne ought on earth that merry is and glad,

  Ne ought on earth that lovely is and fayre,

  But thou the same for pleasure didst prepayre.

  Thou art the root of all that joyous is, 420

  Great god of men and women, queene of th’ ayre,

  Mother of laughter, and welspring of blisse;

  O graunt that of my love at last I may not misse.”

  XLVIII

  ‘So did he say: but I with murmure soft,

  That none
might heare the sorrow of my hart, 425

  Yet inly groning deepe and sighing oft,

  Besought her to graunt ease unto my smart,

  And to my wound her gratious help impart.

  Whilest thus I spake, behold! with happy eye

  I spyde where at the idoles feet apart 430

  A bevie of fayre damzels close did lye,

  Wayting when as the antheme should be sung on hye.

  XLIX

  ‘The first of them did seeme of ryper yeares

  And graver countenance then all the rest;

  Yet all the rest were eke her equall peares, 435

  Yet unto her obayed all the best.

  Her name was Womanhood, that she exprest

  By her sad semblant and demeanure wyse:

  For stedfast still her eyes did fixed rest,

  Ne rov’d at randon, after gazers guyse, 440

  Whose luring baytes oftimes doe heedlesse harts entyse.

  L

  ‘And next to her sate goodly Shamefastnesse,

  Ne ever durst her eyes from ground upreare,

  Ne ever once did looke up from her desse,

  As if some blame of evill she did feare, 445

  That in her cheekes made roses oft appeare:

  And her against sweet Cherefulnesse was placed,

  Whose eyes, like twinkling stars in evening cleare,

  Were deckt with smyles, that all sad humors chaced,

  And darted forth delights, the which her goodly graced. 450

  LI

  ‘And next to her sate sober Modestie,

  Holding her hand upon her gentle hart;

  And her against sate comely Curtesie,

  That unto every person knew her part;

  And her before was seated overthwart 455

  Soft Silence, and submisse Obedience,

  Both linckt together never to dispart,

  Both gifts of God not gotten but from thence,

  Both girlonds of his saints against their foes offence.

  LII

  ‘Thus sate they all a round in seemely rate. 460

  And in the midst of them a goodly mayd,

  Even in the lap of Womanhood, there sate,

  The which was all in lilly white arayd,

  With silver streames amongst the linnen stray’d;

  Like to the Morne, when first her shyning face 465

  Hath to the gloomy world it selfe bewray’d:

  That same was fayrest Amoret in place,

  Shyning with beauties light and heavenly vertues grace.

  LIII

  ‘Whom soone as I beheld, my hart gan throb,

  And wade in doubt, what best were to be donne: 470

  For sacrilege me seem’d the church to rob,

  And folly seem’d to leave the thing undonne,

  Which with so strong attempt I had begonne.

  Tho, shaking off all doubt and shamefast feare,

  Which ladies love I heard had never wonne 475

  Mongst men of worth, I to her stepped neare,

  And by the lilly hand her labour’d up to reare.

  LIV

  ‘Thereat that formost matrone me did blame,

  And sharpe rebuke, for being over bold;

  Saying it was to knight unseemely shame, 480

  Upon a recluse virgin to lay hold,

  That unto Venus services was sold.

  To whom I thus: “Nay, but it fitteth best

  For Cupids man with Venus mayd to hold;

  For ill your goddesse services are drest 485

  By virgins, and her sacrifices let to rest.”

  LV

  ‘With that my shield I forth to her did show,

  Which all that while I closely had conceld;

  On which when Cupid with his killing bow

  And cruell shafts emblazond she beheld, 490

  At sight thereof she was with terror queld,

  And said no more: but I, which all that while

  The pledge of faith, her hand, engaged held,

  Like warie hynd within the weedie soyle,

  For no intreatie would forgoe so glorious spoyle. 495

  LVI

  ‘And evermore upon the goddesse face

  Mine eye was fixt, for feare of her offence:

  Whom when I saw with amiable grace

  To laugh at me, and favour my pretence,

  I was emboldned with more confidence, 500

  And nought for nicenesse nor for envy sparing,

  In presence of them all forth led her thence,

  All looking on, and like astonisht staring,

  Yet to lay hand on her not one of all them daring.

  LVII

  ‘She often prayd, and often me besought, 505

  Sometime with tender teares to let her goe,

  Sometime with witching smyles: but yet, for nought

  That ever she to me could say or doe,

  Could she her wished freedome fro me wooe;

  But forth I led her through the temple gate, 510

  By which I hardly past with much adoe:

  But that same ladie, which me friended late

  In entrance, did me also friend in my retrate.

  LVIII

  ‘No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread,

  When as he saw me, maugre all his powre, 515

  That glorious spoyle of beautie with me lead,

  Then Cerberus, when Orpheus did recoure

  His leman from the Stygian princes boure.

  But evermore my shield did me defend

  Against the storme of every dreadfull stoure: 520

  Thus safely with my love I thence did wend.’

  So ended he his tale, where I this canto end.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto XI

  Marinells former wound is heald;

  He comes to Proteus hall,

  Where Thames doth the Medway wedd,

  And feasts the sea-gods all.

  I

  BUT ah for pittie that I have thus long

  Left a fayre ladie languishing in payne!

  Now well away! that I have doen such wrong,

  To let faire Florimell in bands remayne,

  In bands of love, and in sad thraldomes chayne! 5

  From which unlesse some heavenly powre her free

  By miracle, not yet appearing playne,

  She lenger yet is like captiv’d to bee:

  That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

  II

  Here neede you to remember, how erewhile 10

  Unlovely Proteus, missing to his mind

  That virgins love to win by wit or wile,

  Her threw into a dongeon deepe and blind,

  And there in chaynes her cruelly did bind,

  In hope thereby her to his bent to draw: 15

  For when as neither gifts nor graces kind

  Her constant mind could move at all, he saw,

  He thought her to compell by crueltie and awe.

  III

  Deepe in the bottome of an huge great rocke

  The dongeon was, in which her bound he left, 20

  That neither yron barres, nor brasen locke,

  Did neede to gard from force or secret theft

  Of all her lovers, which would her have reft.

  For wall’d it was with waves, which rag’d and ror’d

  As they the cliffe in peeces would have cleft; 25

  Besides, ten thousand monsters foule abhor’d

  Did waite about it, gaping griesly, all begor’d.

  IV

  And in the midst thereof did horror dwell,

  And darkenesse dredd, that never viewed day,

  Like to the balefull house of lowest hell, 30

  In which old Styx her aged bones alway,

  Old Styx the grandame of the gods, doth lay.

  There did this lucklesse mayd seven months abide,

  Ne
ever evening saw, ne mornings ray,

  Ne ever from the day the night descride, 35

  But thought it all one night, that did no houres divide.

  V

  And all this was for love of Marinell,

  Who her despysd (ah! who would her despyse?)

  And wemens love did from his hart expell,

  And all those joyes that weake mankind entyse. 40

  Nathlesse his pride full dearely he did pryse;

  For of a womans hand it was ywroke,

  That of the wound he yet in languor lyes,

  Ne can be cured of that cruell stroke

  Which Britomart him gave, when he did her provoke. 45

  VI

  Yet farre and neare the nymph, his mother, sought,

  And many salves did to his sore applie,

  And many herbes did use. But when as nought

  She saw could ease his rankling maladie,

  At last to Tryphon she for helpe did hie, 50

  (This Tryphon is the seagods surgeon hight)

  Whom she besought to find some remedie:

  And for his paines a whistle him behight,

  That of a fishes shell was wrought with rare delight.

  VII

  So well that leach did hearke to her request, 55

  And did so well employ his carefull paine,

  That in short space his hurts he had redrest,

  And him restor’d to healthfull state againe:

  In which he long time after did remaine

  There with the nymph his mother, like her thrall; 60

  Who sore against his will did him retaine,

  For feare of perill, which to him mote fall,

  Through his too ventrous prowesse proved over all.

  VIII

  It fortun’d then, a solemne feast was there

  To all the sea-gods and their fruitfull seede, 65

  In honour of the spousalls which then were

  Betwixt the Medway and the Thames agreed.

  Long had the Thames (as we in records reed)

  Before that day her wooed to his bed;

  But the proud nymph would for no worldly meed, 70

  Nor no entreatie to his love be led;

  Till now at last relenting, she to him was wed.

  IX

  So both agreed that this their bridale feast

  Should for the gods in Proteus house be made;

  To which they all repayr’d, both most and least, 75

  Aswell which in the mightie ocean trade,

  As that in rivers swim, or brookes doe wade.

  All which not if an hundred tongues to tell,

  And hundred mouthes, and voice of brasse I had,

  And endlesse memorie, that mote excell, 80

  In order as they came, could I recount them well.

  X

  Helpe therefore, O thou sacred imp of Jove,

  The noursling of Dame Memorie his deare,

  To whom those rolles, layd up in heaven above,