Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  And all that els was wont to worke delight

  Through the divine infusion of their skill,

  And all that els seemd faire and fresh in sight,

  So made by nature for to serve their will, 40

  Was turned now to dismall heavinesse,

  Was turned now to dreadfull uglinesse.

  Ay me! what thing on earth, that all thing breeds,

  Might be the cause of so impatient plight?

  What furie, or what feend with felon deeds 45

  Hath stirred up so mischievous despight?

  Can griefe then enter into heavenly harts,

  And pierce immortall breasts with mortall smarts?

  Vouchsafe ye then, whom onely it concernes,

  To me those secret causes to display; 50

  For none but you, or who of you it learnes,

  Can rightfully aread so dolefull lay.

  Begin, thou eldest sister of the crew,

  And let the rest in order thee ensew.

  CLIO.

  Heare, thou great Father of the Gods on hie, 55

  That most art dreaded for thy thunder darts:

  And thou our syre, that raignst in Castalie

  And Mount Parnasse, the god of goodly arts:

  Heare and behold the miserable state

  Of us thy daughters, dolefull desolate. 60

  Behold the fowle reproach and open shame,

  The which is day by day unto us wrought

  By such as hate the honour of our name,

  The foes of learning and each gentle thought;

  They, not contented us themselves to scorne, 65

  Doo seeke to make us of the world forlorne.

  Ne onely they that dwell in lowly dust,

  The sonnes of darknes and of ignoraunce;

  But they whom thou, great Jove, by doome unjust

  Didst to the type of honour earst advaunce; 70

  They now, puft up with sdeignfull insolence,

  Despise the brood of blessed Sapience.

  The sectaries of my celestiall skill,

  That wont to be the worlds chiefe ornament,

  And learned impes that wont to shoote up still, 75

  And grow to hight of kingdomes government,

  They underkeep, and with their spredding armes

  Doo beat their buds, that perish through their harmes.

  It most behoves the honorable race

  Of mightie peeres true wisedome to sustaine, 80

  And with their noble countenaunce to grace

  The learned forheads, without gifts or gaine:

  Or rather learnd themselves behoves to bee;

  That is the girlond of nobilitie.

  But ah! all otherwise they doo esteeme 85

  Of th’ heavenly gift of wisdomes influence,

  And to be learned it a base thing deeme;

  Base minded they that want intelligence:

  For God himselfe for wisedome most is praised,

  And men to God thereby are nighest raised. 90

  But they doo onely strive themselves to raise

  Through pompous pride, and foolish vanitie;

  In th’ eyes of people they put all their praise,

  And onely boast of armes and auncestrie:

  But vertuous deeds, which did those armes first give 95

  To their grandsyres, they care not to atchive.

  So I, that doo all noble feates professe

  To register, and sound in trump of gold,

  Through their bad dooings, or base slothfulnesse,

  Finde nothing worthie to be writ, or told: 100

  For better farre it were to hide their names,

  Than telling them to blazon out their blames.

  So shall succeeding ages have no light

  Of things forepast, nor moniments of time,

  And all that in this world is worthie hight 105

  Shall die in darknesse, and lie hid in slime:

  Therefore I mourne with deep harts sorrowing,

  Because I nothing noble have to sing.

  With that she raynd such store of streaming teares,

  That could have made a stonie heart to weep, 110

  And all her sisters rent their golden heares,

  And their faire faces with salt humour steep.

  So ended shee: and then the next anew

  Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew.

  MELPOMENE.

  O who shall powre into my swollen eyes 115

  A sea of teares that never may be dryde,

  A brasen voice that may with shrilling cryes

  Pierce the dull heavens and fill the ayer wide,

  And yron sides that sighing may endure,

  To waile the wretchednes of world impure? 120

  Ah, wretched world! the den of wickednesse,

  Deformd with filth and fowle iniquitie;

  Ah, wretched world! the house of heavinesse,

  Fild with the wreaks of mortall miserie;

  Ah, wretched world, and all that is therein! 125

  The vassals of Gods wrath, and slaves of sin.

  Most miserable creature under sky

  Man without understanding doth appeare;

  For all this worlds affliction he thereby,

  And Fortunes freakes, is wisely taught to beare: 130

  Of wretched life the onely joy shee is,

  And th’ only comfort in calamities.

  She armes the brest with constant patience

  Against the bitter throwes of dolours darts,

  She solaceth with rules of sapience 135

  The gentle minds, in midst of worldlie smarts:

  When he is sad, shee seeks to make him merie,

  And doth refresh his sprights when they be werie.

  But he that is of reasons skill bereft,

  And wants the staffe of wisedome him to stay, 140

  Is like a ship in midst of tempest left

  Withouten helme or pilot her to sway:

  Full sad and dreadfull is that ships event:

  So is the man that wants intendiment.

  Whie then doo foolish men so much despize 145

  The precious store of this celestiall riches?

  Why doo they banish us, that patronize

  The name of learning? Most unhappie wretches!

  The which lie drowned in deep wretchednes,

  Yet doo not see their owne unhappines. 150

  My part it is and my professed skill

  The stage with tragick buskin to adorne,

  And fill the scene with plaint and outcries shrill

  Of wretched persons, to misfortune borne:

  But none more tragick matter I can finde 155

  Than this, of men depriv’d of sense and minde.

  For all mans life me seemes a tragedy,

  Full of sad sights and sore catastrophees;

  First comming to the world with weeping eye,

  Where all his dayes, like dolorous trophees, 160

  Are heapt with spoyles of fortune and of feare,

  And he at last laid forth on balefull beare.

  So all with rufull spectacles is fild,

  Fit for Megera or Persephone;

  But I, that in true tragedies am skild, 165

  The flowre of wit, finde nought to busie me:

  Therefore I mourne, and pitifully mone,

  Because that mourning matter I have none.

  Then gan she wofully to waile, and wring

  Her wretched hands in lamentable wise; 170

  And all her sisters, thereto answering,

  Threw forth lowd shrieks and drerie dolefull cries.

  So rested she: and then the next in rew

  Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew.

  THALIA.

  Where be the sweete delights of learnings treasure, 175

  That wont with comick sock to beautefie

  The painted theaters, and fill with pleasure

  The listners eyes, and eares with melodie;


  In which I late was wont to raine as queene,

  And maske in mirth with graces well beseene? 180

  O, all is gone! and all that goodly glee,

  Which wont to be the glorie of gay wits,

  Is layd abed, and no where now to see;

  And in her roome unseemly Sorrow sits,

  With hollow browes and greisly countenaunce, 185

  Marring my joyous gentle dalliaunce.

  And him beside sits ugly Barbarisme,

  And brutish Ignorance, ycrept of late

  Out of dredd darknes of the deep abysme,

  Where being bredd, he light and heaven does hate: 190

  They in the mindes of men now tyrannize,

  And the faire scene with rudenes foule disguize.

  All places they with follie have possest,

  And with vaine toyes the vulgare entertaine;

  But me have banished, with all the rest 195

  That whilome wont to wait upon my traine,

  Fine Counterfesaunce and unhurtfull Sport,

  Delight and Laughter deckt in seemly sort.

  All these, and all that els the comick stage

  With seasoned wit and goodly pleasance graced, 200

  By which mans life in his likest image

  Was limned forth, are wholly now defaced;

  And those sweete wits which wont the like to frame

  Are now despizd, and made a laughing game.

  And he, the man whom Nature selfe had made 205

  To mock her selfe, and truth to imitate,

  With kindly counter under mimick shade,

  Our pleasant Willy, ah! is dead of late:

  With whom all joy and jolly meriment

  Is also deaded, and in dolour drent. 210

  In stead thereof scoffing Scurrilitie,

  And scornfull Follie with Contempt is crept,

  Rolling in rymes of shameles ribaudrie

  Without regard, or due decorum kept;

  Each idle wit at will presumes to make, 215

  And doth the learneds taske upon him take.

  But that same gentle spirit, from whose pen

  Large streames of honnie and sweete nectar flowe,

  Scorning the boldnes of such base-borne men,

  Which dare their follies forth so rashlie throwe, 220

  Doth rather choose to sit in idle cell,

  Than so himselfe to mockerie to sell.

  So am I made the servant of the manie,

  And laughing stocke of all that list to scorne,

  Not honored nor cared for of anie; 225

  But loath’d of losels as a thing forlorne:

  Therefore I mourne and sorrow with the rest,

  Untill my cause of sorrow be redrest.

  Therewith she lowdly did lament and shrike,

  Pouring forth streames of teares abundantly; 230

  And all her sisters, with compassion like,

  The breaches of her singulfs did supply.

  So rested shee: and then the next in rew

  Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew.

  EUTERPE.

  Like as the dearling of the summers pryde, 235

  Faire Philomele, when winters stormie wrath

  The goodly fields, that earst so gay were dyde

  In colours divers, quite despoyled hath,

  All comfortlesse doth hide her chearlesse head

  During the time of that her widowhead: 240

  So we, that earst were wont in sweet accord

  All places with our pleasant notes to fill,

  Whilest favourable times did us afford

  Free libertie to chaunt our charmes at will,

  All comfortlesse upon the bared bow, 245

  Like wofull culvers, doo sit wayling now.

  For far more bitter storme than winters stowre

  The beautie of the world hath lately wasted,

  And those fresh buds, which wont so faire to flowre,

  Hath marred quite, and all their blossoms blasted: 250

  And those yong plants, which wont with fruit t’ abound,

  Now without fruite or leaves are to be found.

  A stonie coldnesse hath benumbd the sence

  And livelie spirits of each living wight,

  And dimd with darknesse their intelligence, 255

  Darknesse more than Cymerians daylie night:

  And monstrous Error, flying in the ayre,

  Hath mard the face of all that semed fayre.

  Image of hellish horrour, Ignorance,

  Borne in the bosome of the black abysse, 260

  And fed with Furies milke, for sustenaunce

  Of his weake infancie, begot amisse

  By yawning Sloth on his owne mother Night;

  So hee his sonnes both syre and brother hight:

  He, armd with blindnesse and with boldnes stout, 265

  (For blind is bold) hath our fayre light defaced;

  And gathering unto him a ragged rout

  Of faunes and satyres, hath our dwellings raced,

  And our chast bowers, in which all vertue rained,

  With brutishnesse and beastlie filth hath stained. 270

  The sacred springs of horsefoot Helicon,

  So oft bedeawed with our learned layes,

  And speaking streames of pure Castalion,

  The famous witnesse of our wonted praise,

  They trampled have with their fowle footings trade, 275

  And like to troubled puddles have them made.

  Our pleasant groves, which planted were with paines,

  That with our musick wont so oft to ring,

  And arbors sweet, in which the shepheards swaines

  Were wont so oft their pastoralls to sing, 280

  They have cut downe, and all their pleasaunce mard,

  That now no pastorall is to bee hard.

  In stead of them, fowle goblins and shriekowles

  With fearfull howling do all places fill;

  And feeble Eccho now laments and howles, 285

  The dreadfull accents of their outcries shrill.

  So all is turned into wildernesse,

  Whilest Ignorance the Muses doth oppresse.

  And I, whose joy was earst with spirit full

  To teach the warbling pipe to sound aloft, 290

  My spirits now dismayd with sorrow dull,

  Doo mone my miserie in silence soft.

  Therefore I mourne and waile incessantly,

  Till please the heavens affoord me remedy.

  Therewith shee wayled with exceeding woe, 295

  And pitious lamentation did make,

  And all her sisters, seeing her doo soe,

  With equall plaints her sorrowe did partake.

  So rested shee: and then the next in rew

  Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew. 300

  TERPSICHORE.

  Who so hath in the lap of soft delight

  Beene long time luld, and fed with pleasures sweet,

  Feareles through his own fault or Fortunes spight,

  To tumble into sorrow and regreet,

  Yf chaunce him fall into calamitie, 305

  Findes greater burthen of his miserie.

  So wee, that earst in joyance did abound,

  And in the bosome of all blis did sit,

  Like virgin queenes with laurell garlands cround,

  For vertues meed and ornament of wit, 310

  Sith Ignorance our kingdome did confound,

  Bee now become most wretched wightes on ground.

  And in our royall thrones, which lately stood

  In th’ hearts of men to rule them carefully,

  He now hath placed his accursed brood, 315

  By him begotten of fowle Infamy;

  Blind Error, scornefull Follie, and base Spight,

  Who hold by wrong that wee should have by right.

  They to the vulgar sort now pipe and sing,

  And make them merrie with their fooleries; 320


  They cherelie chaunt and rymes at randon fling,

  The fruitfull spawne of their ranke fantasies;

  They feede the eares of fooles with flattery,

  And good men blame, and losels magnify.

  All places they doo with their toyes possesse, 325

  And raigne in liking of the multitude;

  The schooles they fill with fond newfanglenesse,

  And sway in court with pride and rashnes rude;

  Mongst simple shepheards they do boast their skill,

  And say their musicke matcheth Phœbus quill. 330

  The noble hearts to pleasures they allure,

  And tell their Prince that learning is but vaine;

  Faire ladies loves they spot with thoughts impure,

  And gentle mindes with lewd delights distaine;

  Clerks they to loathly idlenes entice, 335

  And fill their bookes with discipline of vice.

  So every where they rule and tyrannize,

  For their usurped kingdomes maintenaunce,

  The whiles we silly maides, whom they dispize

  And with reprochfull scorne discountenaunce, 340

  From our owne native heritage exilde,

  Walk through the world of every one revilde.

  Nor anie one doth care to call us in,

  Or once vouchsafeth us to entertaine,

  Unlesse some one perhaps of gentle kin, 345

  For pitties sake, compassion our paine,

  And yeeld us some reliefe in this distresse;

  Yet to be so reliev’d is wretchednesse.

  So wander we all carefull comfortlesse,

  Yet none doth care to comfort us at all; 350

  So seeke we helpe our sorrow to redresse,

  Yet none vouchsafes to answere to our call:

  Therefore we mourne and pittilesse complaine,

  Because none living pittieth our paine.

  With that she wept and wofullie waymented, 355

  That naught on earth her griefe might pacifie;

  And all the rest her dolefull din augmented

  With shrikes and groanes and grievous agonie.

  So ended shee: and then the next in rew

  Began her piteous plaint, as doth ensew. 360

  ERATO.

  Ye gentle spirits breathing from above,

  Where ye in Venus silver bowre were bred,

  Thoughts halfe devine, full of the fire of love,

  With beawtie kindled and with pleasure fed,

  Which ye now in securitie possesse, 365

  Forgetfull of your former heavinesse:

  Now change the tenor of your joyous layes,

  With which ye use your loves to deifie,

  And blazon foorth an earthlie beauties praise

  Above the compasse of the arched skie: 370

  Now change your praises into piteous cries,

  And eulogies turne into elegies.

  Such as ye wont, whenas those bitter stounds