Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

I rather chose to die in lives despight,

  Then lead that shamefull life, unworthy of a knight.’

  XXXIII

  ‘How hight that Amazon,’ sayd Artegall,

  ‘And where and how far hence does she abide?’ 290

  ‘Her name,’ quoth he, ‘they Radigund doe call,

  A Princesse of great powre and greater pride,

  And queene of Amazons, in armes well tride

  And sundry battels, which she hath atchieved

  With great successe, that her hath glorifide, 295

  And made her famous, more then is believed;

  Ne would I it have ween’d, had I not late it prieved.’

  XXXIV

  ‘Now sure,’ said he, ‘and by the faith that I

  To Maydenhead and noble knighthood owe,

  I will not rest, till I her might doe trie, 300

  And venge the shame that she to knights doth show.

  Therefore, Sir Terpin, from you lightly throw

  This squalid weede, the patterne of dispaire,

  And wend with me, that ye may see and know,

  How fortune will your ruin’d name repaire, 305

  And knights of Maidenhead, whose praise she would empaire.’

  XXXV

  With that, like one that hopelesse was repryv’d

  From deathes dore, at which he lately lay,

  Those yron fetters wherewith he was gyv’d,

  The badges of reproch, he threw away, 310

  And nimbly did him dight to guide the way

  Unto the dwelling of that Amazone,

  Which was from thence not past a mile or tway:

  A goodly citty and a mighty one,

  The which of her owne name she called Radegone. 315

  XXXVI

  Where they arriving, by the watchman were

  Described streight, who all the citty warned,

  How that three warlike persons did appeare,

  Of which the one him seem’d a knight all armed,

  And th’ other two well likely to have harmed. 320

  Eftsoones the people all to harnesse ran,

  And like a sort of bees in clusters swarmed:

  Ere long their queene her selfe, halfe like a man,

  Came forth into the rout, and them t’ array began.

  XXXVII

  And now the knights, being arrived neare, 325

  Did beat uppon the gates to enter in,

  And at the porter, skorning them so few,

  Threw many threats, if they the towne did win,

  To teare his flesh in peeces for his sin.

  Which when as Radigund there comming heard, 330

  Her heart for rage did grate, and teeth did grin:

  She bad that streight the gates should be unbard,

  And to them way to make, with weapons well prepard.

  XXXVIII

  Soone as the gates were open to them set,

  They pressed forward, entraunce to have made. 335

  But in the middle way they were ymet

  With a sharpe showre of arrowes, which them staid,

  And better bad advise, ere they assaid

  Unknowen perill of bold womens pride.

  Then all that rout uppon them rudely laid, 340

  And heaped strokes so fast on every side,

  And arrowes haild so thicke, that they could not abide.

  XXXIX

  But Radigund her selfe, when she espide

  Sir Terpin, from her direfull doome acquit,

  So cruell doale amongst her maides divide, 345

  T’ avenge that shame they did on him commit,

  All sodainely enflam’d with furious fit,

  Like a fell lionesse at him she flew,

  And on his head-peece him so fiercely smit,

  That to the ground him quite she overthrew, 350

  Dismayd so with the stroke that he no colours knew.

  XL

  Soone as she saw him on the ground to grovell,

  She lightly to him leapt, and in his necke

  Her proud foote setting, at his head did levell,

  Weening at once her wrath on him to wreake, 355

  And his contempt, that did her judg’ment breake.

  As when a beare hath seiz’d her cruell clawes

  Uppon the carkasse of some beast too weake,

  Proudly stands over, and a while doth pause,

  To heare the piteous beast pleading her plaintiffe cause. 360

  XLI

  Whom when as Artegall in that distresse

  By chaunce beheld, he left the bloudy slaughter

  In which he swam, and ranne to his redresse.

  There her assayling fiercely fresh, he raught her

  Such an huge stroke, that it of sence distraught her: 365

  And had she not it warded warily,

  It had depriv’d her mother of a daughter.

  Nathlesse for all the powre she did apply,

  It made her stagger oft, and stare with ghastly eye.

  XLII

  Like to an eagle in his kingly pride, 370

  Soring through his wide empire of the aire,

  To weather his brode sailes, by chaunce hath spide

  A goshauke, which hath seized for her share

  Uppon some fowle, that should her feast prepare;

  With dreadfull force he flies at her bylive, 375

  That with his souce, which none enduren dare,

  Her from the quarrey he away doth drive,

  And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth rive.

  XLIII

  But soone as she her sence recover’d had,

  She fiercely towards him her selfe gan dight, 380

  Through vengeful wrath and sdeignfull pride half mad:

  For never had she suffred such despight.

  But ere she could joyne hand with him to fight,

  Her warlike maides about her flockt so fast,

  That they disparted them, maugre their might, 385

  And with their troupes did far a sunder cast:

  But mongst the rest the fight did untill evening last.

  XLIV

  And every while that mighty yron man,

  With his strange weapon, never wont in warre,

  Them sorely vext, and courst, and overran, 390

  And broke their bowes, and did their shooting marre,

  That none of all the many once did darre

  Him to assault, nor once approach him nie,

  But like a sort of sheepe dispersed farre

  For dread of their devouring enemie, 395

  Through all the fields and vallies did before him flie.

  XLV

  But when as daies faire shinie-beame, yclowded

  With fearefull shadowes of deformed night,

  Warn’d man and beast in quiet rest be shrowded,

  Bold Radigund, with sound of trumpe on hight, 400

  Causd all her people to surcease from fight,

  And gathering them unto her citties gate,

  Made them all enter in before her sight,

  And all the wounded, and the weake in state,

  To be convayed in, ere she would once retrate. 405

  XLVI

  When thus the field was voided all away,

  And all things quieted, the Elfin knight,

  Weary of toile and travell of that day,

  Causd his pavilion to be richly pight

  Before the city gate, in open sight; 410

  Where he him selfe did rest in safety,

  Together with Sir Terpin, all that night:

  But Talus usde in times of jeopardy

  To keepe a nightly watch, for dread of treachery.

  XLVII

  But Radigund full of heart-gnawing griefe, 415

  For the rebuke which she sustain’d that day,

  Could take no rest, ne would receive reliefe,

  But tossed in her troublous minde, what way

  She mote revenge that blot which on he
r lay.

  There she resolv’d her selfe in single fight 420

  To try her fortune, and his force assay,

  Rather then see her people spoiled quight,

  As she had seene that day, a disaventerous sight.

  XLVIII

  She called forth to her a trusty mayd,

  Whom she thought fittest for that businesse, 425

  (Her name was Clarin,) and thus to her sayd:

  ‘Goe, damzell, quickly, doe thy selfe addresse,

  To doe the message which I shall expresse

  Goe thou unto that stranger Faery knight,

  Who yeester day drove us to such distresse; 430

  Tell, that to morrow I with him wil fight,

  And try in equall field, whether hath greater might.

  XLIX

  ‘But these conditions doe to him propound:

  That if I vanquishe him, he shall obay

  My law, and ever to my lore be bound; 435

  And so will I, if me he vanquish may,

  What ever he shall like to doe or say.

  Goe streight, and take with thee, to witnesse it,

  Sixe of thy fellowes of the best array,

  And beare with you both wine and juncates fit, 440

  And bid him eate; henceforth he oft shall hungry sit.’

  L

  The damzell streight obayd, and putting all

  In readinesse, forth to the towne-gate went,

  Where sounding loud a trumpet from the wall,

  Unto those warlike knights she warning sent. 445

  Then Talus, forth issuing from the tent,

  Unto the wall his way did fearelesse take,

  To weeten what that trumpets sounding ment:

  Where that same damzell lowdly him bespake,

  And shew’d that with his lord she would emparlaunce make. 450

  LI

  So he them streight conducted to his lord,

  Who, as he could, them goodly well did greete,

  Till they had told their message word by word:

  Which he accepting well, as he could weete,

  Them fairely entertaynd with curt’sies meete, 455

  And gave them gifts and things of deare delight.

  So backe againe they homeward turnd their feete.

  But Artegall him selfe to rest did dight,

  That he mote fresher be against the next daies fight.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto V

  Artegall fights with Radigund,

  And is subdewd by guile:

  He is by her emprisoned,

  But wrought by Clarins wile.

  I

  SO soone as day forth dawning from the East,

  Nights humid curtaine from the heavens withdrew,

  And earely calling forth both man and beast,

  Comaunded them their daily workes renew,

  These noble warriors, mindefull to pursew 5

  The last daies purpose of their vowed fight,

  Them selves thereto preparde in order dew;

  The knight, as best was seeming for a knight,

  And th’ Amazon, as best it likt her selfe to dight:

  II

  All in a camis light of purple silke 10

  Woven uppon with silver, subtly wrought,

  And quilted uppon sattin white as milke,

  Trayled with ribbands diversly distraught,

  Like as the workeman had their courses taught;

  Which was short tucked for light motion 15

  Up to her ham, but, when she list, it raught

  Downe to her lowest heele, and thereuppon

  She wore for her defence a mayled habergeon.

  III

  And on her legs she painted buskins wore,

  Basted with bends of gold on every side, 20

  And mailes betweene, and laced close afore:

  Uppon her thigh her cemitare was tide,

  With an embrodered belt of mickell pride;

  And on her shoulder hung her shield, bedeckt

  Uppon the bosse with stones, that shined wide 25

  As the faire moone in her most full aspect,

  That to the moone it mote be like in each respect.

  IV

  So forth she came out of the citty gate,

  With stately port and proud magnificence,

  Guarded with many damzels, that did waite 30

  Uppon her person for her sure defence,

  Playing on shaumes and trumpets, that from hence

  Their sound did reach unto the heavens hight.

  So forth into the field she marched thence,

  Where was a rich pavilion ready pight, 35

  Her to receive, till time they should begin the fight.

  V

  Then forth came Artegall out of his tent,

  All arm’d to point, and first the lists did enter:

  Soone after eke came she, with fell intent,

  And countenaunce fierce, as having fully bent her, 40

  That battels utmost triall to adventer.

  The lists were closed fast, to barre the rout

  From rudely pressing to the middle center;

  Which in great heapes them circled all about,

  Wayting how fortune would resolve that daungerous dout. 45

  VI

  The trumpets sounded, and the field began;

  With bitter strokes it both began and ended.

  She at the first encounter on him ran

  With furious rage, as if she had intended

  Out of his breast the very heart have rended: 50

  But he, that had like tempests often tride,

  From that first flaw him selfe right well defended.

  The more she rag’d, the more he did abide;

  She hewd, she foynd, she lasht, she laid on every side.

  VII

  Yet still her blowes he bore, and her forbore, 55

  Weening at last to win advantage new;

  Yet still her crueltie increased more,

  And though powre faild, her courage did accrew;

  Which fayling, he gan fiercely her pursew.

  Like as a smith that to his cunning feat 60

  The stubborne mettall seeketh to subdew,

  Soone as he feeles it mollifide with heat,

  With his great yron sledge doth strongly on it beat.

  VIII

  So did Sir Artegall upon her lay,

  As if she had an yron andvile beene, 65

  That flakes of fire, bright as the sunny ray,

  Out of her steely armes were flashing seene,

  That all on fire ye would her surely weene.

  But with her shield so well her selfe she warded

  From the dread daunger of his weapon keene, 70

  That all that while her life she safely garded:

  But he that helpe from her against her will discarded.

  IX

  For with his trenchant blade at the next blow

  Halfe of her shield he shared quite away,

  That halfe her side it selfe did naked show, 75

  And thenceforth unto daunger opened way.

  Much was she moved with the mightie sway

  Of that sad stroke, that halfe enrag’d she grew,

  And like a greedie beare unto her pray,

  With her sharpe cemitare at him she flew, 80

  That glauncing downe his thigh, the purple bloud forth drew.

  X

  Thereat she gan to triumph with great boast,

  And to upbrayd that chaunce which him misfell,

  As if the prize she gotten had almost,

  With spightfull speaches, fitting with her well; 85

  That his great hart gan inwardly to swell

  With indignation at her vaunting vaine,

  And at her strooke with puissance fearefull fell;

  Yet with her shield she warded it againe,

  That shattered
all to peeces round about the plaine. 90

  XI

  Having her thus disarmed of her shield,

  Upon her helmet he againe her strooke,

  That downe she fell upon the grassie field,

  In sencelesse swoune, as if her life forsooke,

  And pangs of death her spirit overtooke. 95

  Whom when he saw before his foote prostrated,

  He to her lept with deadly dreadfull looke,

  And her sunshynie helmet soone unlaced,

  Thinking at once both head and helmet to have raced.

  XII

  But when as he discovered had her face, 100

  He saw, his senses straunge astonishment,

  A miracle of Natures goodly grace

  In her faire visage voide of ornament,

  But bath’d in bloud and sweat together ment;

  Which, in the rudenesse of that evill plight, 105

  Bewrayd the signes of feature excellent:

  Like as the moone, in foggie winters night,

  Doth seeme to be her selfe, though darkned be her light.

  XIII

  At sight thereof his cruell minded hart

  Empierced was with pittifull regard, 110

  That his sharpe sword he threw from him apart,

  Cursing his hand that had that visage mard:

  No hand so cruell, nor no hart so hard,

  But ruth of beautie will it mollifie.

  By this upstarting from her swoune, she star’d 115

  A while about her with confused eye;

  Like one that from his dreame is waked suddenlye.

  XIV

  Soone as the knight she there by her did spy,

  Standing with emptie hands all weaponlesse,

  With fresh assault upon him she did fly, 120

  And gan renew her former cruelnesse:

  And though he still retyr’d, yet nathelesse

  With huge redoubled strokes she on him layd;

  And more increast her outrage mercilesse,

  The more that he with meeke intreatie prayd, 125

  Her wrathful hand from greedy vengeance to have stayd.

  XV

  Like as a puttocke having spyde in sight

  A gentle faulcon sitting on an hill,

  Whose other wing, now made unmeete for flight,

  Was lately broken by some fortune ill; 130

  The foolish kyte, led with licentious will,

  Doth beat upon the gentle bird in vaine,

  With many idle stoups her troubling still:

  Even so did Radigund with bootlesse paine

  Annoy this noble knight, and sorely him constraine. 135

  XVI

  Nought could he do, but shun the dred despight

  Of her fierce wrath, and backward still retyre,

  And with his single shield, well as he might,

  Beare off the burden of her raging yre;

  And evermore he gently did desyre 140

  To stay her stroks, and he himselfe would yield: