The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  Out of her fleshly ferme fled to the place of paine.

  That seeing now the onely last of three,

  Who with that wicked shaft him wounded had,

  Trembling with horrour, as that did foresee

  The fearefull end of his auengement sad,

  Through which he follow should his brethren bad,

  His bootelesse bow in feeble hand vpcaught,

  And therewith shot an arrow at the lad;

  Which faintly fluttring, scarce his helmet raught,

  And glauncing fell to ground, but him annoyed naught.

  With that he would haue fled into the wood;

  But Timias him lightly ouerhent,

  Right as he entring was into the flood,

  And strooke at him with force so violent,

  That headlesse him into the foord he sent:

  The carkas with the streame was carried downe,

  But th'head fell backeward on the continent.

  So mischief fel vpon the meaners crowne;

  They three be dead with shame, the Squire liues with renowne.

  He liues, but takes small ioy of his renowne;

  For of that cruell wound he bled so sore,

  That from his steed he fell in deadly swowne;

  Yet still the bloud forth gusht in so great store,

  That he lay wallowd all in his owne gore.

  Now God thee keepe, thou gentlest Squire aliue,

  Else shall thy louing Lord thee see no more,

  But both of comfort him thou shalt depriue,

  And eke thy selfe of honour, which thou didst atchiue.

  Prouidence heauenly passeth liuing thought,

  And doth for wretched mens reliefe make way;

  For loe great grace or fortune thither brought

  Comfort to him, that comfortlesse now lay.

  In those same woods, ye well remember may,

  How that a noble hunteresse did wonne,

  She, that base Braggadochio did affray,

  And made him fast out of the forrest runne;

  Belphoebe was her name, as faire as Phoebus sunne.

  She on a day, as she pursewd the chace

  Of some wild beast, which with her arrowes keene

  She wounded had, the same along did trace

  By tract of bloud, which she had freshly seene,

  To haue besprinckled all the grassy greene;

  By the great persue, which she there perceau'd,

  Well hoped she the beast engor'd had beene,

  And made more hast, the life to haue bereau'd:

  But ah, her expectation greatly was deceau'd.

  Shortly she came, whereas that woefull Squire

  With bloud deformed, lay in deadly swownd:

  In whose faire eyes, like lamps of quenched fire,

  The Christall humour stood congealed rownd;

  His locks, like faded leaues fallen to grownd,

  Knotted with bloud, in bounches rudely ran,

  And his sweete lips, on which before that stownd

  The bud of youth to blossome faire began,

  Spoild of their rosie red, were woxen pale and wan.

  Saw neuer liuing eye more heauy sight,

  That could haue made a rocke of stone to rew,

  Or riue in twaine: which when that Lady bright

  Besides all hope with melting eyes did vew,

  All suddeinly abasht she chaunged hew,

  And with sterne horrour backward gan to start:

  But when she better him beheld, she grew

  Full of soft passion and vnwonted smart:

  The point of pitty perced through her tender hart.

  Meekely she bowed downe, to weete if life

  Yet in his frosen members did remaine,

  And feeling by his pulses beating rife,

  That the weake soule her seat did yet retaine,

  She cast to comfort him with busie paine:

  His double folded necke she reard vpright,

  And rubd his temples, and each trembling vaine;

  His mayled haberieon she did vndight,

  And from his head his heauy burganet did light.

  Into the woods thenceforth in hast she went,

  To seeke for hearbes, that mote him remedy;

  For she of hearbes had great intendiment,

  Taught of the Nymphe, which from her infancy

  Her nourced had in trew Nobility:

  There, whether it diuine Tobacco were,

  Or Panachæa, or Polygony,

  She found, and brought it to her patient deare

  Who al this while lay bleeding out his hart-bloud neare.

  The soueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine

  She pownded small, and did in peeces bruze,

  And then atweene her lilly handes twaine,

  Into his wound the iuyce thereof did scruze,

  And round about, as she could well it vze,

  The flesh therewith she suppled and did steepe,

  T'abate all spasme, and soke the swelling bruze,

  And after hauing searcht the intuse deepe,

  She with her scarfe did bind the wound frõ cold to keepe.

  By this he had sweete life recur'd againe,

  And groning inly deepe, at last his eyes,

  His watry eyes, drizling like deawy raine,

  He vp gan lift toward the azure skies,

  From whence descend all hopelesse remedies:

  Therewith he sigh'd, and turning him aside,

  The goodly Mayd full of diuinities,

  And gifts of heauenly grace he by him spide,

  Her bow and gilden quiuer lying him beside.

  Mercy deare Lord (said he) what grace is this,

  That thou hast shewed to me sinfull wight,

  To send thine Angell from her bowre of blis,

  To comfort me in my distressed plight?

  Angell, or Goddesse do I call thee right?

  What seruice may I do vnto thee meete,

  That hast from darkenesse me returnd to light,

  And with thy heauenly salues and med'cines sweete,

  Hast drest my sinfull wounds? I kisse thy blessed feete.

  Thereat she blushing said, Ah gentle Squire,

  Nor Goddesse I, nor Angell, but the Mayd,

  And daughter of a woody Nymphe, desire

  No seruice, bu tthy safety and ayd;

  Which if thou gaine, I shalbe well apayd.

  We mortall wights, whose liues and fortunes bee

  To commun accidents still open layd,

  Are bound with commun bond of frailtee,

  To succour wretched wights, whom we captiued see.

  By this her Damzels, which the former chace

  Had vndertaken after her, arriu'd,

  As did Belphoebe, in the bloudy place,

  And thereby deemd the beast had bene depriu'd

  Of life, whom late their Ladies arrow ryu'd:

  For thy, the bloudy tract they follow fast,

  And euery one to runne the swiftest stryu'd;

  But two of them the rest far ouerpast,

  And where their Lady was, arriued at the last.

  Where when they saw that goodly boy, with blood

  Defowled, and their Lady dresse his wownd,

  They wondred much, and shortly vnderstood,

  How him in deadly case their Lady fownd,

  And reskewed out of the heauy stownd.

  Eftsoones his warlike courser, which was strayd

  Farre in the woods, whiles that he lay in swownd,

  She made those Damzels search, which being stayd,

  They did him set thereon, and forthwith them conuayd.

  Into that forest farre they thence him led,

  Where was their dwelling, in a pleasant glade,

  With mountaines round about enuironed,

  And mighty woods, which did the valley shade,

  And like a stately Theatre it made,

  Spreading it selfe into a spatious plaine
.

  And in the midst a little riuer plaide

  Emongst the pumy stones, which seemd to plaine

  With gentle murmure, that his course they did restraine.

  Beside the same a dainty place there lay,

  Planted with mirtle trees and laurels greene,

  In which the birds song many a louely lay

  Of gods high prayse, and of their loues sweet teene,

  As it an earthly Paradize had beene:

  In whose enclosed shadow there was pight

  A faire Pauilion, scarcely to be seene,

  The which was all within most richly dight,

  That greatest Princes liuing it mote well delight.

  Thither they brought that wounded Squire, and layd

  In easie couch his feeble limbes to rest,

  He rested him a while, and then the Mayd

  His ready wound with better salues new drest;

  Dayly she dressed him, and did the best

  His grieuous hurt to garish, that she might,

  That shortly she his dolour hath redrest,

  And his foule sore reduced to faire plight:

  It she reduced, but himselfe destroyed quight.

  O foolish Physick, and vnfruitfull paine,

  That heales vp one and makes another wound:

  She his hurt thigh to him recur'd againe,

  But hurt his hart, the which before was sound,

  Through an vnwary dart, which did rebound

  From her faire eyes and gracious countenaunce.

  What bootes it him from death to be vnbound,

  To be captiued in endlesse duraunce

  Of sorrow and despaire without aleggeaunce?

  Still as his wound did gather, and grow hole,

  So still his hart woxe sore, and health decayd:

  Madnesse to saue a part, and lose the whole.

  Still whenas he beheld the heauenly Mayd,

  Whiles dayly plaisters to his wound she layd,

  So still his Malady the more increast,

  The whiles her matchlesse beautie him dismayd.

  Ah God, what other could he do at least,

  But loue so faire a Lady, that his life releast?

  Long while he stroue in his courageous brest,

  With reason dew the passion to subdew,

  And loue for to dislodge out of his nest:

  Still when her excellencies he did vew,

  Her soueraigne bounty, and celestiall hew,

  The same to loue he strongly was constraind:

  But when his meane estate he did reuew,

  He from such hardy boldnesse was restraind,

  And of his lucklesse lot and cruell loue thus plaind.

  Vnthankfull wretch (said he) is this the meed,

  With which her soueraigne mercy thou doest quight?

  Thy life she saued by her gracious deed,

  But thou doest weene with villeinous despight,

  To blot her honour, and her heauenly light.

  Dye rather, dye, then so disloyally

  Deeme of her high desert, or seeme so light:

  Faire death it is to shonne more shame, to dy:

  Dye rather, dy, then euer loue disloyally.

  But if to loue disloyalty it bee,

  Shall I then hate her, that from deathes dore

  Me brought? ah farre be such reproch fro mee.

  What can I lesse do, then her loue therefore,

  Sith I her dew reward cannot restore:

  Dye rather, dye, and dying do her serue,

  Dying her serue, and liuing her adore;

  Thy life she gaue, thy life she doth deserue:

  Dye rather, dye, then euer from her seruice swerue.

  But foolish boy, what bootes thy seruice bace

  To her, to whom the heauens do serue and sew?

  Thou a meane Squire, of meeke and lowly place,

  She heauenly borne, and of celestiall hew.

  How then? of all loue taketh equall vew:

  And doth not highest God vouchsafe to take

  The loue and seruice of the basest crew?

  If she will not, dye meekly for her sake;

  Dye rather, dye, then euer so faire loue forsake.

  Thus warreid he long time against his will,

  Till that through weaknesse he was forst at last,

  To yield himselfe vnto the mighty ill:

  Which as a victour proud, gan ransack fast

  His inward parts, and all his entrayles wast,

  That neither bloud in face, nor life in hart

  It left, but both did quite drye vp, and blast;

  As percing leuin, which the inner part

  Of euery thing consumes, and calcineth by art.

  Which seeing faire Belphoebe, gan to feare,

  Least that his wound were inly well not healed,

  Or that the wicked steele empoysned were:

  Litle she weend, that loue he close concealed;

  Yet still he wasted, as the snow congealed,

  When the bright sunne his beams thereon doth beat;

  Yet neuer he his hart to her reuealed,

  But rather chose to dye for sorrow great,

  Then with dishonorable termes her to entreat.

  She gracious Lady, yet no paines did spare,

  To do him ease, or do him remedy:

  Many Restoratiues of vertues rare,

  And costly Cordialles she did apply,

  To mitigate his stubborne mallady:

  But that sweet Cordiall, which can restore

  A loue-sick hart, she did to him enuy;

  To him, and to all th'vnworthy world forlore

  She did enuy that soueraigne salue, in secret store.

  That dainty Rose, the daughter of her Morne,

  More deare then life she tendered, whose flowre

  The girlond of her honour did adorne:

  Ne suffred she the Middayes scorching powre,

  Ne the sharp Northerne wind thereon to showre,

  But lapped vp her silken leaues most chaire,

  When so the froward skye began to lowre:

  But soone as calmed was the Christall aire,

  She did it faire dispred, and let to florish faire.

  Eternall God in his almighty powre,

  To make ensample of his heauenly grace,

  In Paradize whilome did plant this flowre,

  Whence he it fetcht out of her natiue place,

  And did in stocke of earthly flesh enrace,

  That mortall men her glory should admire

  In gentle Ladies brest, and bounteous race

  Of woman kind it fairest flowre doth spire,

  And beareth fruit of honour and all chast desire.

  Faire ympes of beautie, whose bright shining beames

  Adorne the world with like to heauenly light,

  And to your willes both royalties and Realmes

  Subdew, through conquest of your wondrous might,

  With this faire flowre your goodly girlonds dight,

  Of chastity and vertue virginall,

  That shall embellish more your beautie bright,

  And crowne your heades with heauenly coronall,

  Such as the Angels weare before Gods tribunall.

  To youre faire selues a faire ensample frame,

  Of this faire virgin, this Belphoebe faire,

  To whom in perfect loue, and spotlesse fame,

  Of chastitie, none liuing may compaire:

  Ne poysnous Enuy iustly can empaire

  The prayse of her fresh flowring Maidenhead;

  For thy, she standeth on the highest staire

  Of th'honorable stage of womanhead,

  That Ladies all may follow her ensample dead.

  In so great prayse of stedfast chastity,

  Nathlesse she was so curteous and kind,

  Tempred with grace, and goodly modesty,

  That seemed those two vertues stroue to find

  The higher place in her Heroick mind:
<
br />   So striuing each did other more augment,

  And both encreast the prayse of woman kind,

  And both encreast her beautie excellent;

  So all did make in her a perfect complement.

  Cant. VI.

  The birth of faire Belphoebe and

  Of Amoret is told.

  The Gardins of Adonis fraught

  With pleasures manifold.

  VV Ell may I weene, faire Ladies, all this while

  Ye wonder, how this noble Damozell

  So great perfections did in her compile,

  Sith that in saluage forests she did dwell,

  So farre from court and royall Citadell,

  The great schoolmistresse of all curtesy:

  Seemeth that such wild woods should far expell

  All ciuill vsage and gentility,

  And gentle sprite deforme with rude rusticity.

  But to this faire Belphoebe in her berth

  The heauens so fauourable were and free,

  Looking with myld aspect vpon the earth,

  In th'Horoscope of her natiuitee,

  That all the gifts of grace and chastitee

  On her they poured forth of plenteous horne;

  Ioue laught on Venus from his soueraigne see,

  And Phoebus with faire beames did her adorne,

  And all the Graces rockt her cradle being borne.

  Her berth was of the wombe of Morning dew,

  And her conception of the ioyous Prime,

  And all her whole creation did her shew

  Pure and vnspotted from all loathly crime,

  That is ingenerate in fleshly slime.

  So was this virgin borne, so was she bred,

  So was she trayned vp from time to time,

  In all chast vertue, and true bounti-hed

  Till to her dew perfection she was ripened.

  Her mother was the faire Chrysogonee,

  The daughter of Amphisa, who by race

  A Faerie was, yborne of high degree,

  She bore Belphoebe, she bore in like cace

  Faire Amoretta in the second place:

  These two were twinnes, & twixt them two did share

  The heritage of all celestiall grace.

  That all the rest it seem'd they robbed bare

  Of bountie, and of beautie, and all vertues rare.