The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  But more she meruaild that no footings trace,

  Nor wight appear'd, but wastefull emptinesse,

  And solemne silence ouer all that place:

  Straunge thing it seem'd, that none was to possesse

  So rich purueyance, ne them keepe with carefulnesse.

  And as she lookt about, she did behold,

  How ouer that same dore was likewise writ,

  Be bold, be bold, and euery where Be bold,

  That much she muz'd, yet could not construe it

  By any ridling skill, or commune wit.

  At last she spyde at that roomes vpper end,

  Another yron dore, on which was writ,

  Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend

  Her earnest mind, yet wist not what it might intend.

  Thus she there waited vntill euentyde,

  Yet liuing creature none she saw appeare:

  And now sad shadowes gan the world to hyde,

  From mortall vew, and wrap in darkenesse dreare;

  Yet nould she d'off her weary armes, for feare

  Of secret daunger, ne let sleepe oppresse

  Her heauy eyes with natures burdein deare,

  But drew her selfe aside in sickernesse,

  And her welpointed weapons did about her dresse.

  Cant. XII.

  The maske of Cupid, and th'enchaunted

  Chamber are displayd,

  Whence Britomart redeemes faire

  Amoret, through charmes decayd.

  T Ho when as chearelesse Night ycouered had

  Faire heauen with an vniuersall cloud,

  That euery wight dismayd with darknesse sad,

  In silence and in sleepe themselues did shroud,

  She heard a shrilling Trompet sound aloud,

  Signe of nigh battell, or got victory;

  Nought therewith daunted was her courage proud,

  But rather stird to cruell enmity,

  Expecting euer, when some foe she might descry.

  With that, an hideous storme of winde arose,

  With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt,

  And an earth-quake, as if it streight would lose

  The worlds foundations from his centre fixt;

  A direfull stench of smoke and sulphure mixt

  Ensewd, whose noyance fild the fearefull sted,

  From the fourth houre of night vntill the sixt;

  Yet the bold Britonesse was nought ydred,

  Though much emmou'd, but stedfast still perseuered.

  All suddenly a stormy whirlwind blew

  Throughout the house, that clapped euery dore,

  With which that yron wicket open flew,

  As it with mightie leuers had bene tore:

  And forth issewd, as on the ready flore

  Of some Theatre, a graue personage,

  That in his hand a branch of laurell bore,

  With comely haueour and count'nance sage,

  Yclad in costly garments, fit for tragicke Stage.

  Proceeding to the midst, he still did stand,

  As if in mind he somewhat had to say,

  And to the vulgar beckning with his hand,

  In signe of silence, as to heare a play,

  By liuely actions he gan bewray

  Some argument of matter passioned;

  Which doen, he backe retyred soft away,

  And passing by, his name discouered,

  Ease, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

  The noble Mayd, still standing all this vewd,

  And merueild at his strange intendiment;

  With that a ioyous fellowship issewd

  Of Minstrals, making goodly meriment,

  With wanton Bardes, and Rymers impudent,

  All which together sung full chearefully

  A lay of loues delight, with sweet consent:

  After whom marcht a iolly company,

  In manner of a maske, enranged orderly.

  The whiles a most delitious harmony,

  In full straunge notes was sweetly heard to sound,

  That the rare sweetnesse of the melody

  The feeble senses wholly did confound,

  And the fraile soule in deepe delight nigh dround:

  And when it ceast, shrill trompets loud did bray,

  That their report did farre away rebound,

  And when they ceast, it gan againe to play,

  The whiles the maskers marched forth in trim aray.

  The first was Fancy, like a louely boy,

  Of rare aspect, and beautie without peare;

  Matchable either to that ympe of Troy,

  Whom Ioue did loue, and chose his cup to beare,

  Or that same daintie lad, which was so deare

  To great Alcides, that when as he dyde,

  He wailed womanlike with many a teare,

  And euery wood, and euery valley wyde

  He fild with Hylas name; the Nymphes eke Hylas cryde.

  His garment neither was of silke nor say,

  But painted plumes, in goodly order dight,

  Like as the sunburnt Indians do aray

  Their tawney bodies, in their proudest plight:

  As those same plumes, so seemd he vaine and light,

  That by his gate might easily appeare;

  For still he far'd as dauncing in delight,

  And in his hand a windy fan did beare,

  That in the idle aire he mou'd still here and there.

  And him beside marcht amorous Desyre,

  Who seemd of riper yeares, then th'other Swaine,

  Yet was that other swayne this elders syre,

  And gaue him being, commune to them twaine:

  His garment was disguised very vaine,

  And his embrodered Bonet sat awry;

  Twixt both his hands few sparkes he close did straine,

  Which still he blew, and kindled busily,

  That soone they life conceiu'd, & forth in flames did fly.

  Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad

  In a discolour'd cote, of straunge disguyse,

  That at his backe a brode Capuccio had,

  And sleeues dependant Albanese-wyse:

  He lookt askew with his mistrustfull eyes,

  And nicely trode, as thornes lay in his way,

  Or that the flore to shrinke he did auyse,

  And on a broken reed he still did stay

  His feeble steps, which shrunke, when hard theron he lay.

  With him went Daunger, cloth'd in ragged weed,

  Made of Beares skin, that him more dreadfull made,

  Yet his owne face was dreadfull, ne did need

  Straunge horrour, to deforme his griesly shade;

  A net in th'one hand, and a rustie blade

  In th'other was, this Mischiefe, that Mishap;

  With th'one his foes he threatned to inuade,

  With th'other he his friends ment to enwrap:

  For whom he could not kill, he practizd to entrap.

  Next him was Feare, all arm'd from top to toe,

  Yet thought himselfe not safe enough thereby,

  But feard each shadow mouing to and fro,

  And his owne armes when glittering he did spy,

  Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,

  As ashes pale of hew, and wingyheeld;

  And euermore on daunger fixt his eye,

  Gainst whom he alwaies bent a brasen shield,

  Which his right hand vnarmed fearefully did wield.

  With him went Hope in rancke, a handsome Mayd,

  Of chearefull looke and louely to behold;

  In silken samite she was light arayd,

  And her faire lockes were wouen vp in gold;

  She alway smyld, and in her hand did hold

  An holy water Sprinckle, dipt in deowe,

  With which she sprinckled fauours manifold,

  On whom she list, and did great liking sheowe,

  Great liking vnto many, but true loue to feowe.<
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  And after them Dissemblance, and Suspect

  Marcht in one rancke, yet an vnequall paire:

  For she was gentle, and of milde aspect,

  Courteous to all, and seeming debonaire,

  Goodly adorned, and exceeding faire:

  Yet was that all but painted, and purloynd,

  And her bright browes were deckt with borrowed haire:

  Her deedes were forged, and her words false coynd,

  And alwaies in her hand two clewes of silke she twynd.

  But he was foule, ill fauoured, and grim,

  Vnder his eyebrowes looking still askaunce;

  And euer as Dissemblance laught on him,

  He lowrd on her with daungerous eyeglaunce;

  Shewing his nature in his countenance;

  His rolling eyes did neuer rest in place,

  But walkt each where, for feare of hid mischaunce,

  Holding a lattice still before his face,

  Through which he still did peepe, as forward he did pace.

  Next him went Griefe, and Fury matcht yfere;

  Griefe all in sable sorrowfully clad,

  Downe hanging his dull head, with heauy chere,

  Yet inly being more, then seeming sad:

  A paire of Pincers in his hand he had,

  With which he pinched people to the hart,

  That from thenceforth a wretched life they lad,

  In wilfull languor and consuming smart,

  Dying each day with inward wounds of dolours dart.

  But Fury was full ill appareiled

  In rags, that naked nigh she did appeare,

  With ghastly lookes and dreadfull drerihed;

  For from her backe her garments she did teare,

  And from her head oft rent her snarled heare:

  In her right hand a firebrand she did tosse

  About her head, still roming here and there;

  As a dismayed Deare in chace embost,

  Forgetfull of his safety, hath his right way lost.

  After them went Displeasure and Pleasance,

  He looking lompish and full sullein sad,

  And hanging downe his heauy countenance;

  She chearefull fresh and full of ioyance glad,

  As if no sorrow she ne felt ne drad;

  That euill matched paire they seemd to bee:

  An angry Waspe th'one in a viall had

  Th'other in hers an hony-lady Bee;

  Thus marched these sixe couples forth in faire degree.

  After all these there marcht a most faire Dame,

  Led of two grysie villeins, th'one Despight,

  The other cleped Cruelty by name:

  She dolefull Lady, like a dreary Spright,

  Cald by strong charmes out of eternall night,

  Had deathes owne image figurd in her face,

  Full of sad signes, fearefull to liuing sight;

  Yet in that horror shewd a seemely grace,

  And with her feeble feet did moue a comely pace.

  Her brest all naked, as net iuory,

  Without adorne of gold or siluer bright,

  Wherewith the Craftesman wonts it beautify,

  Of her dew honour was despoyled quight,

  And a wide wound therein (O ruefull sight)

  Entrenched deepe with knife accursed keene,

  Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting spright,

  (The worke of cruell hand) was to be seene,

  That dyde in sanguine red her skin all snowy cleene.

  At that wide orifice her trembling hart

  Was drawne forth, and in siluer basin layd,

  Quite through transfixed with a deadly dart,

  And in her bloud yet steeming fresh embayd:

  And those two villeins, which her steps vpstayd,

  When her weake feete could scarcely her sustaine,

  And fading vitall powers gan to fade,

  Her forward still with torture did constraine,

  And euermore encreased her consuming paine.

  Next after her the winged God himselfe

  Came riding on a Lion rauenous,

  Taught to obay the menage of that Elfe,

  That man and beast with powre imperious

  Subdeweth to his kingdome tyrannous:

  His blindfold eyes he bad a while vnbind,

  That his proud spoyle of that same dolorous

  Faire Dame he might behold in perfect kind;

  Which seene, he much reioyced in his cruell mind.

  Of which full proud, himselfe vp rearing hye,

  He looked round about with sterne disdaine;

  And did suruay his goodly company:

  And marshalling the euill ordered traine,

  With that the darts which his right hand did straine,

  Full dreadfully he shooke that all did quake,

  And clapt on hie his coulourd winges twaine,

  That all his many it affraide did make:

  Tho blinding him againe, his way he forth did take.

  Behinde him was Reproch, Repentance, Shame;

  Reproch the first, Shame next, Repent behind:

  Repentance feeble, sorrowfull, and lame:

  Reproch despightfull, carelesse, and vnkind;

  Shame most ill fauourd, bestiall, and blind:

  Shame lowrd, Repentance sigh'd, Reproch did scould;

  Reproch sharpe stings, Repentance whips entwind,

  Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand did hold:

  All three to each vnlike, yet all made in one mould.

  And after them a rude confused rout

  Of persons flockt, whose names is hard to read:

  Emongst them was sterne Strife, and Anger stout,

  Vnquiet Care, and fond Vnthriftihead,

  Lewd Losse of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead,

  Inconstant Chaunge, and false Disloyaltie,

  Consuming Riotise, and guilty Dread

  Of heauenly vengeance, faint Infirmitie,

  Vile Pouertie, and lastly Death with infamie.

  There were full many moe like maladies,

  Whose names and natures I note readen well;

  So many moe, as there be phantasies

  In wauering wemens wit, that none can tell,

  Or paines in loue, or punishments in hell;

  All which disguized marcht in masking wise,

  About the chamber with that Damozell,

  And then returned, hauing marched thrise,

  Into the inner roome, from whence they first did rise.

  So soone as they were in, the dore streight way

  Fast locked, driuen with that stormy blast,

  Which first it opened; and bore all away.

  Then the braue Maid, which all this while was plast,

  In secret shade, and saw both first and last,

  Issewed forth, and went vnto the dore,

  To enter in, but found it locked fast:

  It vaine she thought with rigorous vprore

  For to efforce, when charmes had closed it afore.

  Where force might not auaile, their sleights and art

  She cast to vse, both fit for hard emprize;

  For thy, from that same roome not to depart

  Till morrow next, she did her selfe auize,

  When that same Maske againe should forth arize.

  The morrow next appeard with ioyous cheare,

  Calling men to their daily exercize,

  Then she, as morrow fresh, her selfe did reare

  Out of her secret stand, that day for to out weare.

  All that day she outwore in wandering,

  And gazing on that Chambers ornament,

  Till that againe the second euening

  Her couered with her sable vestiment,

  Wherewith the worlds faire beautie she hath blent:

  Then when the second watch was almost past,

  That brasen dore flew open, and in went

  Bold Britomart, as she had late forecast,

 
Neither of idle shewes, nor of false charmes aghast.

  So soone as she was entred, round about

  She cast her eies, to see what was become

  Of all those persons, which she saw without:

  But lo, they streight were vanisht all and some,

  Ne liuing wight she saw in all that roome,

  Saue that same woefull Ladie, both whose hands

  Were bounden fast, that did her ill become,

  And her small wast girt round with yron bands,

  Vnto a brasen pillour, by the which she stands.

  And her before the vile Enchaunter sate,

  Figuring straunge characters of his art,

  With liuing bloud he those characters wrate,

  Dreadfully dropping from her dying hart,

  Seeming transfixed with a cruell dart,

  And all perforce to make her him to loue.

  Ah who can loue the worker of her smart?

  A thousand charmes he formerly did proue;

  Yet thousand charmes could not her stedfast heart remoue.

  Soone as that virgin knight he saw in place,

  His wicked bookes in hast he ouerthrew,

  Not caring his long labours to deface,

  And fiercely ronning to that Lady trew,

  A murdrous knife out of his pocket drew,

  The which he thought, for villeinous despight,

  In her tormented bodie to embrew:

  But the stout Damzell to him leaping light,

  His cursed hand withheld, and maistered his might.

  From her, to whom his fury first he ment,

  The wicked weapon rashly he did wrest,

  And turning to her selfe his fell intent,

  Vnwares it strooke into her snowie chest,

  That little drops empurpled her faire brest.

  Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew,

  Albe the wound were nothing deepe imprest,

  And fiercely forth her mortall blade she drew,

  To giue him the reward for such vile outrage dew.

  So mightily she smote him, that to ground

  He fell halfe dead; next stroke him should haue slaine,

  Had not the Lady, which by him stood bound,

  Dernely vnto her called to abstaine,

  From doing him to dy. For else her paine

  Should be remedilesse, sith none but hee,