The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  But no where could he find that wofull thrall:

  At last he came vnto an yron doore,

  That fast was lockt, but key found not at all

  Emongst that bounch, to open it withall;

  But in the same a little grate was pight,

  Through which he sent his voyce, and lowd did call

  With all his powre, to weet, if liuing wight

  Were housed therewithin, whom he enlargen might.

  Therewith an hollow, dreary, murmuring voyce

  These piteous plaints and dolours did resound;

  O who is that, which brings me happy choyce

  Of death, that here lye dying euery stound,

  Yet liue perforce in balefull darkenesse bound?

  For now three Moones haue chãged thrice their hew,

  And haue beene thrice hid vnderneath the ground,

  Since I the heauens chearefull face did vew,

  O welcome thou, that doest of death bring tydings trew.

  Which when that Champion heard, with percing point

  Of pitty deare his hart was thrilled sore,

  And trembling horrour ran through euery ioynt,

  For ruth of gentle knight so fowle forlore:

  Which shaking off, he rent that yron dore,

  With furious force, and indignation fell;

  Where entred in, his foot could find no flore,

  But all a deepe descent, as darke as hell,

  That breathed euer forth a filthie banefull smell.

  But neither darkenesse fowle, nor filthy bands,

  Nor noyous smell his purpose could withhold,

  (Entire affection hateth nicer hands)

  But that with constant zeale, and courage bold,

  After long paines and labours manifold,

  He found the meanes that Prisoner vp to reare;

  Whose feeble thighes, vnhable to vphold

  His pined corse, him scarse to light could beare,

  A ruefull spectacle of death and ghastly drere.

  His sad dull eyes deepe sunck in hollow pits,

  Could not endure th'vnwonted sunne to view;

  His bare thin cheekes for want of better bits,

  And empty sides deceiued of their dew,

  Could make a stony hart his hap to rew;

  His rawbone armes, whose mighty brawned bowrs

  Were wont to riue steele plates, and helmets hew,

  Were cleane consum'd, and all his vitall powres

  Decayd, and all his flesh shronk vp like withered flowres.

  Whom when his Lady saw, to him she ran

  With hasty ioy: to see him made her glad,

  And sad to view his visage pale and wan,

  Who earst in flowres of freshest youth was clad.

  Tho when her well of teares she wasted had,

  She said, Ah dearest Lord, what euill starre

  On you hath fround, and pourd his influence bad,

  That of your selfe ye thus berobbed arre,

  And this misseeming hew your manly looks doth marre?

  But welcome now my Lord, in wele or woe,

  Whose presence I haue lackt too long a day;

  And fie on Fortune mine auowed foe,

  Whose wrathfull wreakes them selues do now alay.

  And for these wrongs shall treble penaunce pay

  Of treble good: good growes of euils priefe.

  The chearelesse man, whom sorrow did dismay,

  Had no delight to treaten of his griefe;

  His long endured famine needed more reliefe.

  Faire Lady, then said that victorious knight,

  The things, that grieuous were to do, or beare,

  Them to renew, I wote, breeds no delight:

  Best musicke breeds delight in loathing eare:

  But th'onely good, that growes of passed feare,

  Is to be wise, and ware of like agein.

  This dayes ensample hath this lesson deare

  Deepe written in my heart with yron pen,

  That blisse may not abide in state of mortall men.

  Henceforth sir knight, take to you wonted strength,

  And maister these mishaps with patient might;

  Loe where your foe lyes stretcht in monstrous length,

  And loe that wicked woman in your sight,

  The roote of all your care, and wretched plight,

  Now in your powre, to let her liue, or dye.

  To do her dye (quoth Vna) were despight,

  And shame t'auenge so weake an enimy;

  But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly.

  So as she bad, that witch they disaraid,

  And robd of royall robes, and purple pall,

  And ornaments that richly were displaid;

  Ne spared they to strip her naked all.

  Then when they had despoild her tire and call,

  Such as she was, their eyes might her behold,

  That her misshaped parts did them appall,

  A loathly, wrinckled hag, ill fauoured, old,

  Whose secret filth good manners biddeth not be told.

  Her craftie head was altogether bald,

  And as in hate of honorable eld,

  Was ouergrowne with scurfe and filthy scald;

  Her teeth out of her rotten gummes were feld,

  And her sowre breath abhominably smeld;

  Her dried dugs, like bladders lacking wind,

  Hong downe, and filthy matter from them weld;

  Her wrizled skin as rough, as maple rind,

  So scabby was, that would haue loathd all womankind.

  Her neather parts, the shame of all her kind,

  My chaster Muse for shame doth blush to write;

  But at her rompe she growing had behind

  A foxes taile, with dong all fowly dight;

  And eke her feete most monstrous were in sight;

  For one of them was like an Eagles claw,

  With griping talaunts armd to greedy fight,

  The other like a Beares vneuen paw:

  More vgly shape yet neuer liuing creature saw.

  Which when the knights beheld, amazd they were,

  And wondred at so fowle deformed wight.

  Such then (said Vna) as she seemeth here,

  Such is the face of falshood, such the sight

  Of fowle Duessa, when her borrowed light

  Is laid away, and counterfesaunce knowne.

  Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight,

  And all her filthy feature open showne,

  They let her goe at will, and wander wayes vnknowne.

  She flying fast from heauens hated face,

  And from the world that her discouered wide,

  Fled to the wastfull wildernesse apace,

  From liuing eyes her open shame to hide,

  And lurkt in rocks and caues long vnespide.

  But that faire crew of knights, and Vna faire

  Did in that castle afterwards abide,

  To rest them selues, and weary powres repaire,

  Where store they found of all, that dainty was and rare.

  Cant. IX.

  His loues and lignage Arthur tells

  The knights knit friendly bands:

  Sir Treuisan flies from Despayre,

  Whom Redcrosse knight withstands.

  O Goodly golden chaine, wherewith yfere

  The vertues linked are in louely wize:

  And noble minds of yore allyed were,

  In braue poursuit of cheualrous emprize,

  That none did others safety despize,

  Nor aid enuy to him, in need that stands,

  But friendly each did others prayse deuize

  How to aduaunce with fauourable hands,

  As this good Prince redeemd the Redcrosse knight from bands.

  Who when their powres, empaird through labour long,

  With dew repast they had recured well,

  And that weake captiue wight now wexed strong,

  Them list
no lenger there at leasure dwell,

  But forward fare, as their aduentures fell,

  But ere they parted, Vna faire besought

  That straunger knight his name and nation tell;

  Least so great good, as he for her had wrought,

  Should die vnknown, & buried be in thanklesse thought.

  Faire virgin (said the Prince) ye me require

  A thing without the compas of my wit:

  For both the lignage and the certain Sire,

  From which I sprong, from me are hidden yit.

  For all so soone as life did me admit

  Into this world, and shewed heauens light,

  From mothers pap I taken was vnfit:

  And streight deliuered to a Faery knight,

  To be vpbrought in gentle thewes and martiall might.

  Vnto old Timon he me brought byliue,

  Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath beene

  In warlike feates th'expertest man aliue,

  And is the wisest now on earth I weene;

  His dwelling is low in a valley greene,

  Vnder the foot of Rauran mossy hore,

  From whence the riuer Dee as siluer cleene

  His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore:

  There all my dayes he traind me vp in vertuous lore.

  Thither the great Magicien Merlin came,

  As was his vse, ofttimes to visit me:

  For he had charge my discipline to frame,

  And Tutours nouriture to ouersee.

  Him oft and oft I askt in priuitie,

  Of what loines and what lignage I did spring:

  Whose aunswere bad me still assured bee,

  That I was sonne and heire vnto a king,

  As time in her iust terme the truth to light should bring.

  Well worthy impe, said then the Lady gent,

  And Pupill fit for such a Tutours hand.

  But what aduenture, or what high intent

  Hath brought you hither into Faery land,

  Aread Prince Arthur, crowne of Martiall band?

  Full hard it is (quoth he) to read aright

  The course of heauenly cause, or vnderstand

  The secret meaning of th'eternall might,

  That rules mens wayes, and rules the thoughts of liuing wight.

  For whither he through fatall deepe foresight

  Me hither sent, for cause to me vnghest,

  Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and night

  Whilome doth rancle in my riuen brest,

  With forced fury following his behest,

  Me hither brought by wayes yet neuer found,

  You to haue helpt I hold my selfe yet blest.

  Ah curteous knight (quoth she) what secret wound

  Could euer find, to grieue the gentlest hart on ground?

  Deare Dame (quoth he) you sleeping sparkes awake,

  Which troubled once, into huge flames will grow,

  Ne euer will their feruent fury slake,

  Till liuing moysture into smoke do flow,

  And wasted life do lye in ashes low.

  Yet sithens silence lesseneth not my fire,

  But told it flames, and hidden it does glow,

  I will reuele, what ye so much desire:

  Ah Loue, lay downe thy bow, the whiles I may respire.

  It was in freshest flowre of youthly yeares,

  When courage first does creepe in manly chest,

  Then first the coale of kindly heat appeares

  To kindle loue in euery liuing brest;

  But me had warnd old Timons wise behest,

  Those creeping flames by reason to subdew,

  Before their rage grew to so great vnrest,

  As miserable louers vse to rew,

  Which still wex old in woe, whiles woe still wexeth new.

  That idle name of loue, and louers life,

  As losse of time, and vertues enimy

  I euer scornd, and ioyd to stirre vp strife,

  In middest of their mournfull Tragedy,

  Ay wont to laugh, when them I heard to cry,

  And blow the fire, which them to ashes brent:

  Their God himselfe, grieu'd at my libertie,

  Shot many a dart at me with fiers intent,

  But I them warded all with wary gouernment.

  But all in vaine: no fort can be so strong,

  Ne fleshly brest can armed be so sound,

  But will at last be wonne with battrie long,

  Or vnawares at disauantage found;

  Nothing is sure, that growes on earthly ground:

  And who most trustes in arme of fleshly might,

  And boasts, in beauties chaine not to be bound,

  Doth soonest fall in disauentrous fight,

  And yeeldes his caytiue neck to victours most despight.

  Ensample make of him your haplesse ioy,

  And of my selfe now mated, as ye see;

  Whose prouder vaunt that proud auenging boy

  Did soone pluck downe, and curbd my libertie.

  For on a day prickt forth with iollitie

  Of looser life, and heat of hardiment,

  Raunging the forest wide on courser free,

  The fields, the floods, the heauens with one consent

  Did seeme to laugh on me, and fauour mine intent.

  For-wearied with my sports, I did alight

  From loftie steed, and downe to sleepe me layd;

  The verdant gras my couch did goodly dight,

  And pillow was my helmet faire displayd:

  Whiles euery sence the humour sweet embayd,

  And slombring soft my hart did steale away,

  Me seemed, by my side a royall Mayd

  Her daintie limbes full softly down did lay:

  So faire a creature yet saw neuer sunny day.

  Most goodly glee and louely blandishment

  She to me made, and bad me loue her deare,

  For dearely sure her loue was to me bent,

  As when iust time expired should appeare.

  But whether dreames delude, or true it were,

  Was neuer hart so rauisht with delight,

  Ne liuing man like words did euer heare,

  As she to me deliuered all that night;

  And at her parting said, She Queene of Faeries hight.

  When I awoke, and found her place deuoyd,

  And nought but pressed gras, where she had lyen,

  I sorrowed all so much, as earst I ioyd,

  And washed all her place with watry eyen.

  From that day forth I lou'd that face diuine;

  From that day forth I cast in carefull mind,

  To seeke her out with labour, and long tyne,

  And neuer vow to rest, till her I find,

  Nine monethes I seeke in vaine yet ni'll that vow vnbind.

  Thus as he spake, his visage wexed pale,

  And chaunge of hew great passion did bewray;

  Yet still he stroue to cloke his inward bale,

  And hide the smoke, that did his fire display,

  Till gentle Vna thus to him gan say;

  O happy Queene of Faeries, that hast found

  Mongst many, one that with his prowesse may

  Defend thine honour, and thy foes confound:

  True Loues are oft&etilde; sown, but seldom grow on ground.

  Thine, O then, said the gentle Redcrosse knight,

  Next to that Ladies loue, shalbe the place,

  O fairest virgin, full of heauenly light,

  Whose wondrous faith, exceeding earthly race,

  Was firmest fixt in mine extremest case,

  And you, my Lord, the Patrone of my life,

  Of that great Queene may well gaine worthy grace:

  For onely worthy you through prowes priefe

  Yf liuing man mote worthy be, to be her liefe.

  So diuersly discoursing of their loues,

  The golden Sunne his glistring head gan shew,

  And sad remembraunc
e now the Prince amoues,

  With fresh desire his voyage to pursew:

  Als Vna earnd her traueill to renew.

  Then those two knights, fast friendship for to bynd,

  And loue establish each to other trew,

  Gaue goodly gifts, the signes of gratefull mynd,

  And eke as pledges firme, right hands together ioynd.

  Prince Arthur gaue a boxe of Diamond sure,

  Embowd with gold and gorgeous ornament,

  Wherein were closd few drops of liquor pure,

  Of wondrous worth, and vertue excellent,

  That any wound could heale incontinent:

  Which to requite, the Redcrosse knight him gaue

  A booke, wherein his Saueours testament

  Was writ with golden letters rich and braue;

  A worke of wondrous grace, and able soules to saue.

  Thus beene they parted, Arthur on his way

  To seeke his loue, and th'other for to fight

  With Vnaes foe, that all her realme did pray.

  But she now weighing the decayed plight,

  And shrunken synewes of her chosen knight,

  Would not a while her forward course pursew,

  Ne bring him forth in face of dreadfull fight,

  Till he recouered had his former hew:

  For him to be yet weake and wearie well she knew.

  So as they traueild, lo they gan espy

  An armed knight towards them gallop fast,

  That seemed from some feared foe to fly,

  Or other griesly thing, that him agast.

  Still as he fled, his eye was backward cast,

  As if his feare still followed him behind;

  Als flew his steed, as he his bands had brast,

  And with his winged heeles did tread the wind,

  As he had beene a fole of Pegasus his kind.

  Nigh as he drew, they might perceiue his head

  To be vnarmd, and curld vncombed heares

  Vpstaring stiffe, dismayd with vncouth dread;

  Nor drop of bloud in all his face appeares

  Nor life in limbe: and to increase his feares,

  In fowle reproch of knighthoods faire degree,

  About his neck an hempen rope he weares,

  That with his glistring armes does ill agree;

  But he of rope or armes has now no memoree.