Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  And thundred strokes thereon so hideouslie,

  That all the peece he shaked from the flore,

  And filled all the house with feare and great uprore.

  XXII

  With noise whereof the lady forth appeared 190

  Uppon the castle wall; and when she saw

  The daungerous state in which she stood, she feared

  The sad effect of her neare overthrow;

  And gan entreat that iron man below

  To cease his outrage, and him faire besought, 195

  Sith neither force of stones which they did throw,

  Nor powr of charms, which she against him wrought,

  Might otherwise prevaile, or make him cease for ought.

  XXIII

  But when as yet she saw him to proceede,

  Unmov’d with praiers or with piteous thought, 200

  She ment him to corrupt with goodly meede;

  And causde great sackes with endlesse riches fraught,

  Unto the battilment to be upbrought,

  And powred forth over the castle wall,

  That she might win some time, though dearly bought, 205

  Whilest he to gathering of the gold did fall.

  But he was nothing mov’d nor tempted therewithall;

  XXIV

  But still continu’d his assault the more,

  And layd on load with his huge yron flaile,

  That at the length he has yrent the dore, 210

  And made way for his maister to assaile.

  Who being entred, nought did then availe

  For wight, against his powre them selves to reare:

  Each one did flie; their hearts began to faile;

  And hid them selves in corners here and there; 215

  And eke their dame halfe dead did hide her self for feare.

  XXV

  Long they her sought, yet no where could they finde her,

  That sure they ween’d she was escapt away:

  But Talus, that could like a limehound winde her,

  And all things secrete wisely could bewray, 220

  At length found out whereas she hidden lay

  Under an heape of gold. Thence he her drew

  By the faire lockes, and fowly did array,

  Withouten pitty of her goodly hew,

  That Artegall him selfe her seemelesse plight did rew. 225

  XXVI

  Yet for no pitty would he change the course

  Of justice, which in Talus hand did lye;

  Who rudely hayld her forth without remorse,

  Still holding up her suppliant hands on hye,

  And kneeling at his feete submissively. 230

  But he her suppliant hands, those hands of gold,

  And eke her feete, those feete of silver trye,

  Which sought unrighteousnesse, and justice sold,

  Chopt off, and nayld on high, that all might them behold.

  XXVII

  Her selfe then tooke he by the sclender wast, 235

  In vaine loud crying, and into the flood

  Over the castle wall adowne her cast,

  And there her drowned in the durty mud:

  But the streame washt away her guilty blood.

  Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke, 240

  The spoile of peoples evill gotten good,

  The which her sire had scrap’t by hooke and crooke,

  And burning all to ashes, powr’d it downe the brooke.

  XXVIII

  And lastly all that castle quite he raced,

  Even from the sole of his foundation, 245

  And all the hewen stones thereof defaced,

  That there mote be no hope of reparation,

  Nor memory thereof to any nation.

  All which when Talus throughly had perfourmed,

  Sir Artegall undid the evill fashion, 250

  And wicked customes of that bridge refourmed:

  Which done, unto his former journey he retourned.

  XXIX

  In which they measur’d mickle weary way,

  Till that at length nigh to the sea they drew;

  By which as they did travell on a day, 255

  They saw before them, far as they could vew,

  Full many people gathered in a crew;

  Whose great assembly they did much admire;

  For never there the like resort they knew.

  So towardes them they coasted, to enquire 260

  What thing so many nations met did there desire.

  XXX

  There they beheld a mighty gyant stand

  Upon a rocke, and holding forth on hie

  An huge great paire of ballance in his hand,

  With which he boasted in his surquedrie, 265

  That all the world he would weigh equallie,

  If ought he had the same to counterpoys.

  For want whereof he weighed vanity,

  And fild his ballaunce full of idle toys:

  Yet was admired much of fooles, women, and boys. 270

  XXXI

  He sayd that he would all the earth uptake,

  And all the sea, devided each from either:

  So would he of the fire one ballaunce make,

  And one of th’ ayre, without or wind or wether:

  Then would he ballaunce heaven and hell together, 275

  And all that did within them all containe;

  Of all whose weight he would not misse a fether:

  And looke what surplus did of each remaine,

  He would to his owne part restore the same againe.

  XXXII

  Forwhy, he sayd, they all unequall were, 280

  And had encroched uppon others share,

  Like as the sea (which plaine he shewed there)

  Had worne the earth, so did the fire the aire,

  So all the rest did others parts empaire,

  And so were realmes and nations run awry. 285

  All which he undertooke for to repaire,

  In sort as they were formed aunciently;

  And all things would reduce unto equality.

  XXXIII

  Therefore the vulgar did about him flocke,

  And cluster thicke unto his leasings vaine, 290

  Like foolish flies about an hony crocke,

  In hope by him great benefite to gaine,

  And uncontrolled freedome to obtaine.

  All which when Artegall did see and heare,

  How he mis-led the simple peoples traine, 295

  In sdeignfull wize he drew unto him neare,

  And thus unto him spake, without regard or feare:

  XXXIV

  ‘Thou that presum’st to weigh the world anew,

  And all things to an equall to restore,

  In stead of right me seemes great wrong dost shew, 300

  And far above thy forces pitch to sore.

  For ere thou limit what is lesse or more

  In every thing, thou oughtest first to know,

  What was the poyse of every part of yore:

  And looke then, how much it doth overflow, 305

  Or faile thereof, so much is more then just to trow.

  XXXV

  ‘For at the first they all created were

  In goodly measure by their Makers might,

  And weighed out in ballaunces so nere,

  That not a dram was missing of their right: 310

  The earth was in the middle centre pight,

  In which it doth immoveable abide,

  Hemd in with waters like a wall in sight;

  And they with aire, that not a drop can slide:

  Al which the heavens containe, and in their courses guide. 315

  XXXVI

  ‘Such heavenly justice doth among them raine,

  That every one doe know their certaine bound,

  In which they doe these many yeares remaine,

  And mongst them al no change hath yet beene found.

  But if thou now shouldst weigh them new in pound,
320

  We are not sure they would so long remaine:

  All change is perillous, and all chaunce unsound.

  Therefore leave off to weigh them all againe,

  Till we may be assur’d they shall their course retaine.’

  XXXVII

  ‘Thou foolishe Elfe,’ said then the gyant wroth, 325

  ‘Seest not, how badly all things present bee,

  And each estate quite out of order goth?

  The sea it selfe doest thou not plainely see

  Encroch uppon the land there under thee;

  And th’ earth it selfe how daily its increast 330

  By all that dying to it turned be?

  Were it not good that wrong were then surceast,

  And from the most, that some were given to the least?

  XXXVIII

  ‘Therefore I will throw downe these mountaines hie,

  And make them levell with the lowly plaine: 335

  These towring rocks, which reach unto the skie,

  I will thrust downe into the deepest maine,

  And as they were, them equalize againe.

  Tyrants, that make men subject to their law,

  I will suppresse, that they no more may raine; 340

  And lordings curbe, that commons over-aw;

  And all the wealth of rich men to the poore will draw.’

  XXXIX

  ‘Of things unseene how canst thou deeme aright,’

  Then answered the righteous Artegall,

  ‘Sith thou misdeem’st so much of things in sight? 345

  What though the sea with waves continuall

  Doe eate the earth? it is no more at all,

  Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought:

  For whatsoever from one place doth fall

  Is with the tide unto an other brought: 350

  For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.

  XL

  ‘Likewise the earth is not augmented more

  By all that dying into it doe fade:

  For of the earth they formed were of yore;

  How ever gay their blossome or their blade 355

  Doe flourish now, they into dust shall vade.

  What wrong then is it, if that when they die,

  They turne to that whereof they first were made?

  All in the powre of their great Maker lie:

  All creatures must obey the voice of the Most Hie. 360

  XLI

  ‘They live, they die, like as He doth ordaine,

  Ne ever any asketh reason why.

  The hils doe not the lowly dales disdaine;

  The dales doe not the lofty hils envy.

  He maketh kings to sit in soverainty; 365

  He maketh subjects to their power obay;

  He pulleth downe, He setteth up on by;

  He gives to this, from that He takes away:

  For all we have is His: what He list doe, He may.

  XLII

  ‘What ever thing is done, by Him is donne, 370

  Ne any may His mighty will withstand;

  Ne any may His soveraine power shonne,

  Ne loose that He hath bound with stedfast band.

  In vaine therefore doest thou now take in hand,

  To call to count, or weigh His workes anew, 375

  Whose counsels depth thou canst not understand;

  Sith of things subject to thy daily vew

  Thou doest not know the causes, nor their courses dew.

  XLIII

  ‘For take thy ballaunce, if thou be so wise,

  And weigh the winde that under heaven doth blow; 380

  Or weigh the light that in the East doth rise;

  Or weigh the thought that from mans mind doth flow.

  But if the weight of these thou canst not show,

  Weigh but one word which from thy lips doth fall:

  For how canst thou those greater secrets know, 385

  That doest not know the least thing of them all?

  Ill can he rule the great, that cannot reach the small.’

  XLIV

  Therewith the gyant much abashed sayd,

  That he of little things made reckoning light,

  Yet the least word that ever could be layd 390

  Within his ballaunce he could way aright.

  ‘Which is,’ sayd he, ‘more heavy then in weight,

  The right or wrong, the false or else the trew?’

  He answered that he would try it streight:

  So he the words into his ballaunce threw; 395

  But streight the winged words out of his ballaunce flew.

  XLV

  Wroth wext he then, and sayd that words were light,

  Ne would within his ballaunce well abide:

  But he could justly weigh the wrong or right.

  ‘Well then,’ sayd Artegall, ‘let it be tride. 400

  First in one ballance set the true aside.’

  He did so first; and then the false he layd

  In th’ other scale; but still it downe did slide,

  And by no meane could in the weight be stayd:

  For by no meanes the false will with the truth be wayd. 405

  XLVI

  ‘Now take the right likewise,’ sayd Artegale,

  ‘And counterpeise the same with so much wrong.’

  So first the right he put into one scale;

  And then the gyant strove with puissance strong

  To fill the other scale with so much wrong. 410

  But all the wrongs that he therein could lay

  Might not it peise; yet did he labour long,

  And swat, and chauf’d, and proved every way:

  Yet all the wrongs could not a litle right downe way.

  XLVII

  Which when he saw, he greatly grew in rage, 415

  And almost would his balances have broken:

  But Artegall him fairely gan asswage,

  And said: ‘Be not upon thy balance wroken;

  For they doe nought but right or wrong betoken;

  But in the mind the doome of right must bee: 420

  And so likewise of words, the which be spoken,

  The eare must be the ballance, to decree

  And judge, whether with truth or falshood they agree.

  XLVIII

  ‘But set the truth and set the right aside,

  For they with wrong or falshood will not fare; 425

  And put two wrongs together to be tride,

  Or else two falses, of each equall share,

  And then together doe them both compare:

  For truth is one, and right is ever one.’

  So did he, and then plaine it did appeare, 430

  Whether of them the greater were attone.

  But right sate in the middest of the beame alone.

  XLIX

  But he the right from thence did thrust away,

  For it was not the right which he did seeke;

  But rather strove extremities to way, 435

  Th’ one to diminish, th’ other for to eeke:

  For of the meane he greatly did misleeke.

  Whom when so lewdly minded Talus found,

  Approching nigh unto him, cheeke by cheeke,

  He shouldered him from off the higher ground, 440

  And down the rock him throwing, in the sea him dround.

  L

  Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest drives

  Upon a rocke with horrible dismay,

  Her shattered ribs in thousand peeces rives,

  And spoyling all her geares and goodly ray, 445

  Does make her selfe misfortunes piteous pray:

  So downe the cliffe the wretched gyant tumbled;

  His battred ballances in peeces lay,

  His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled:

  So was the high aspyring with huge ruine humbled. 450

  LI

  That when the people, which had there about

  Long wayted, saw his sudden de
solation,

  They gan to gather in tumultuous rout,

  And mutining, to stirre up civill faction,

  For certaine losse of so great expectation. 455

  For well they hoped to have got great good,

  And wondrous riches by his innovation.

  Therefore resolving to revenge his blood,

  They rose in armes, and all in battell order stood.

  LII

  Which lawlesse multitude him comming too, 460

  In warlike wise, when Artegall did vew,

  He much was troubled, ne wist what to doo.

  For loth he was his noble hands t’ embrew

  In the base blood of such a rascall crew;

  And otherwise, if that he should retire, 465

  He fear’d least they with shame would him pursew.

  Therefore he Talus to them sent, t’ inquire

  The cause of their array, and truce for to desire.

  LIII

  But soone as they him nigh approching spide,

  They gan with all their weapons him assay, 470

  And rudely stroke at him on every side:

  Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay.

  But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,

  He like a swarme of flyes them overthrew;

  Ne any of them durst come in his way, 475

  But here and there before his presence flew,

  And hid themselves in holes and bushes from his vew.

  LIV

  As when a faulcon hath with nimble flight

  Flowne at a flush of ducks, foreby the brooke,

  The trembling foule, dismayd with dreadfull sight 480

  Of death, the which them almost overtooke,

  Doe hide themselves from her astonying looke

  Amongst the flags and covert round about.

  When Talus saw they all the field for-sooke,

  And none appear’d of all that raskall rout, 485

  To Artegall he turn’d, and went with him throughout.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto III

  The spousals of faire Florimell,

  Where turney many knights:

  There Braggadochio is uncas’d

  In all the ladies sights.

  I

  AFTER long stormes and tempests overblowne,

  The sunne at length his joyous face doth cleare:

  So when as Fortune all her spight hath showne,

  Some blisfull houres at last must needes appeare;

  Else should afflicted wights oftimes despeire. 5

  So comes it now to Florimell by tourne,

  After long sorrowes suffered whyleare,

  In which captiv’d she many moneths did mourne,

  To tast of joy, and to wont pleasures to retourne.

  II

  Who being freed from Proteus cruell band 10

  By Marinell, was unto him affide,