The Faerie Queene (12 page)

Long tost with stormes, and bet with bitter wind,

High ouer hils, and low adowne the dale,

She wandred many a wood, and measurd many a vale.

29
At last she chaunced by good hap to meet

A goodly knight, faire marching by the way

Together with his Squire, arayed meet:

His glitterand armour shined farre away,

Like glauncing light of
Phoebus
brightest ray;

From top to toe no place appeared bare,

That deadly dint of steele endanger may:

Athwart his brest a bauldrick braue he ware,

That shynd, like twinkling stars, with stons most pretious rare.

30
And in the midst thereof one pretious stone

Of wondrous worth, and eke of wondrous mights,

Shapt like a Ladies head, exceeding shone,

Like
Hesperus
emongst the lesser lights,

And stroue for to amaze the weaker sights;

Thereby his mortall blade full comely hong

In yuory sheath, ycaru'd with curious slights;

Whose hilts were burnisht gold, and handle strong

Of mother pearle, and buckled with a golden tong.

31
His haughtie helmet, horrid all with gold,

Both glorious brightnesse, and great terrour bred;

For all the crest a Dragon did enfold

With greedie pawes, and ouer all did spred

His golden wings: his dreadfull hideous hed

Close couched on the beuer, seem'd to throw

From flaming mouth bright sparkles fierie red,

That suddeine horror to faint harts did show;

And scaly tayle was stretcht adowne his backe full low.

32
Vpon the top of all his loftie crest,

A bunch of haires discolourd diuersly,

With sprincled pearle, and gold full richly drest,

Did shake, and seem'd to daunce for iollity,

Like to an Almond tree ymounted hye

On top of greene
Selinis
all alone,

With blossomes braue bedecked daintily;

Whose tender locks do tremble euery one

At euery little breath, that vnder heauen is blowne.

33
His warlike shield all closely couer'd was,

Ne might of mortall eye be euer seene;

Not made of steele, nor of enduring bras,

Such earthly mettals soone consumed bene:

But all of Diamond perfect pure and cleene

It framed was, one massie entire mould,

Hewen out of Adamant rocke with engines keene,

That point of speare it neuer percen could,

Ne dint of direfull sword diuide the substance would.

34
The same to wight he neuer wont disclose,

But when as monsters huge he would dismay,

Or daunt vnequall armies of his foes,

Or when the flying heauens he would affray;

For so exceeding shone his glistring ray,

That
Phoebus
golden face it did attaint,

As when a cloud his beames doth ouer-lay;

And siluer
Cynthia
wexed pale and faint,

As when her face is staynd with magicke arts constraint.

35
No magicke arts hereof had any might,

Nor bloudie wordes of bold Enchaunters call,

But all that was not such, as seemd in sight,

Before that shield did fade, and suddeine fall:

And when him list the raskall routes appall,

Men into stones therewith he could transmew,

And stones to dust, and dust to nought at all;

And when him list the prouder lookes subdew,

He would them gazing blind, or turne to other hew.

36
Ne let it seeme, that credence this exceedes,

For he that made the same, was knowne right well

To haue done much more admirable deedes.

It
Merlin
was, which whylome did excell

All liuing wightes in might of magicke spell:

Both shield, and sword, and armour all he wrought

For this young Prince, when first to armes he fell;

But when he dyde, the Faerie Queene it brought

To Faerie lond, where yet it may be seene, if sought

37
A gentle youth, his dearely loued Squire

His speare of heben wood behind him bare,

Whose harmefull head, thrice heated in the fire,

Had riuen many a brest with pikehead square;

A goodly person, and could menage faire,

His stubborne steed with curbed canon bit,

Who vnder him did trample as the aire,

And chauft, that any on his backe should sit;

The yron rowels into frothy fome he bit.

38
When as this knight nigh to the Ladie drew,

With louely court he gan her entertaine;

But when he heard her answeres loth, he knew

Some secret sorrow did her heart distraine:

Which to allay, and calme her storming paine,

Faire feeling words he wisely gan display,

And for her humour fitting purpose faine,

To tempt the cause it selfe for to bewray;

Wherewith emmou'd, these bleeding words she gan to say.

39
What worlds delight, or ioy of liuing speach

Can heart, so plung'd in sea of sorrowes deepe,

And heaped with so huge misfortunes, reach?

The carefull cold beginneth for to creepe,

And in my heart his yron arrow steepe,

Soone as I thinke vpon my bitter bale:

Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keepe,

Then rip vp griefe, where it may not auaile,

My last left comfort is, my woes to weepe and waile.

40
Ah Ladie deare, quoth then the gentle knight,

Well may I weene, your griefe is wondrous great;

For wondrous great griefe groneth in my spright,

Whiles thus I heare you of your sorrowes treat.

But wofull Ladie let me you intrete,

For to vnfold the anguish of your hart:

Mishaps are maistred by aduice discrete,

And counsell mittigates the greatest smart;

Found neuer helpe, who neuer would his hurts impart.

41
O but (quoth she) great griefe will not be tould,

And can more easily be thought, then said.

Right so; (quoth he) but he, that neuer would,

Could neuer: will to might giues greatest aid.

But griefe (quoth she) does greater grow displaid,

If then it find not helpe, and breedes despaire.

Despaire breedes not (quoth he) where faith is staid.

No faith so fast (quoth she) but flesh does paire.

Flesh may empaire (quoth he) but reason can repaire.

42
His goodly reason, and well guided speach

So deepe did settle in her gratious thought,

That her perswaded to disclose the breach,

Which loue and fortune in her heart had wrought,

And said; faire Sir, I hope good hap hath brought

You to inquire the secrets of my griefe,

Or that your wisedome will direct my thought,

Or that your prowesse can me yield reliefe:

Then heare the storie sad, which I shall tell you briefe.

43
The forlorne Maiden, whom your eyes haue seene

The laughing stocke of fortunes mockeries,

Am th'only daughter of a King and Queene,

Whose parents deare, whilest equall destinies

Did runne about, and their felicities

The fauourable heauens did not enuy,

Did spread their rule through all the territories,

Which
Phison
and
Euphrates
floweth by,

And
Gehons
golden waues doe wash continually.

44
Till that their cruell cursed enemy,

An huge great Dragon horrible in sight,

Bred in the loathly lakes of
Tartery,

With murdrous rauine, and deuouring might

Their kingdome spoild, and countrey wasted quight:

Themselues, for feare into his iawes to fall,

He forst to castle strong to take their flight,

Where fast embard in mightie brasen wall,

He has them now foure yeres besiegd to make them thrall.

45
Full many knights aduenturous and stout

Haue enterprizd that Monster to subdew;

From euery coast that heauen walks about,

Haue thither come the noble Martiall crew,

That famous hard atchieuements still pursew,

Yet neuer any could that girlond win,

But all still shronke, and still he greater grew:

All they for want of faith, or guilt of sin,

The pitteous pray of his fierce craeltie haue bin.

46
At last yledd with firre reported praise,

Which flying fame throughout the world had spred,

Of doughtie knights, whom Faery land did raise,

That noble order height of Maidenhed,

Forthwith to court of
Gloriane
I sped,

Of Gloriane
great Queene of glory bright,

Whose kingdomes seat
Cleopolis
is red.

There to obtaine some such redoubted knight,

That Parents deare from tyrants powre deliuer might.

47
It was my chance (my chance was faire and good)

There for to find a fresh vnproued knight,

Whose manly hands imbrew'd in guiltie blood

Had neuer bene, ne euer by his might

Had throwne to ground the vnregarded right:

Yet of his prowesse proofe he since hath made

(I witnesse am) in many a cruell fight;

The groning ghosts of many one dismaide

Haue felt the bitter dint of his auenging blade.

48
And ye the forlorne reliques of his powre,

His byting sword, and his deuouring speare,

Which haue endured many a dreadfull stowre,

Can speake his prowesse, that did earst you beare,

And well could rule: now he hath left you heare,

To be the record of his ruefull losse,

And of my dolefull disauenturous deare:

O heauie record of the good
Redcrosse,

Where haue you left your Lord, that could so well you tosse?

49
Well hoped I, and faire beginnings had,

That he my captiue langour should redeeme,

Till all vnweeting, an Enchaunter bad

His sence abusd, and made him to misdeeme

My loyalty, not such as it did seeme;

That rather death desire, then such despight.

Be iudge ye heauens, that all things right esteeme,

How I him lou'd, and loue with all my might,

So thought I eke of him, and thinke I thought aright.

50
Thenceforth me desolate he quite forsooke,

To wander, where wilde fortune would me lead,

And other bywaies he himselfe betooke,

Where neuer foot of liuing wight did tread,

That brought not backe the balefull body dead;

In which him chaunced false
Duessa
meete,

Mine onely foe, mine onely deadly dread,

Who with her witchcraft and misseeming sweete,

Inueigled him to follow her desires vnmeete.

51
At last by subtill sleights she him betraid

Vnto his foe, a Gyant huge and tall,

Who him disarmed, dissolute, dismaid,

Vnwares surprised, and with mightie mall

The monster mercilesse him made to fall,

Whose fall did neuer foe before behold;

And now in darkesome dungeon, wretched thrall,

Remedilesse, for aie he doth him hold;

This is my cause of griefe, more great, then may be told.

52
Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint:

But he her comforted and faire bespake,

Certes, Madame, ye haue great cause of plaint,

That stoutest heart, I weene, could cause to quake.

But be of cheare, and comfort to you take:

For till I haue acquit your captiue knight,

Assure your selfe, I will you not forsake.

His chearefull words reuiu'd her chearelesse spright

So forth they went, the Dwarfe them guiding euer right.

Faire virgin to redeeme her deare
   brings Arthur to the fight:
Who slayes the Gyant, wounds the beast,
   and strips Duessa quight.

1
Ay me, how many perils doe enfold

The righteous man, to make him daily fall?

Were not, that heauenly grace doth him vphold,

And stedfast truth acquite him out of all.

Her loue is firme, her care continuall,

So oft as he through his owne foolish pride,

Or weaknesse is to sinfull bands made thrall:

Else should this
Redcrosse
knight in bands haue dyde,

For whose deliuerance she this Prince doth thither guide.

2
They sadly traueild thus, vntill they came

Nigh to a castle builded strong and hie:

Then cryde the Dwarfe, lo yonder is the same,

In which my Lord my liege doth lucklesse lie,

Thrall to that Gyants hatefuU tyrannie:

Therefore, deare Sir, your mightie powres assay.

The noble knight alighted by and by

From loftie steede, and bad the Ladie stay,

To see what end of fight should him befall that day.

3
So with the Squire, th'admirer of his might,

He marched forth towards that castle wall;

Whose gates he found fast shut, ne liuing wight

To ward the same, nor answere commers call.

Then tooke that Squire an home of bugle small,

Which hong adowne his side in twisted gold,

And tassels gay. Wyde wonders ouer all

Of that same homes great vertues weren told,

Which had approued bene in vses manifold.

4
Was neuer wight, that heard that shrilling sound,

But trembling feare did feele in euery vaine;

Three miles it might be easie heard around,

And Ecchoes three answerd it selfe againe:

No false enchauntment, nor deceiptfull traine

Might once abide the terror of that blast,

But presently was voide and wholly vaine:

No gate so strong, no locke so firme and fast,

But with that perdng noise flew open quite, or brast

5
The same before the Geants gate he blew,

That all the castle quaked from the ground,

And euery dore of freewill open flew.

The Gyant selfe dismaied with that sownd,

Where he with his
Duessa
dalliance fownd,

In hast came rushing forth from inner bowre,

With staring countenance sterne, as one astownd,

And staggering steps, to weet, what suddein stowre,

Had wrought that horror strange, and dar'd his dreaded powre.

6
And after him the proud
Duessa
came,

High mounted on her manyheaded beast,

And euery head with fyrie tongue did flame,

And euery head was crowned on his creast,

And bloudie mouthed with late cruell feast.

That when the knight beheld, his mightie shild

Vpon his manly arme he soone addrest,

And at him fiercely flew, with courage fild,

And eger greedinesse through euery member thrild.

7
Therewith the Gyant buckled him to fight,

Inflam'd with scornefull wrath and high disdaine,

And lifting vp his dreadfull club on tight,

All arm'd with ragged snubbes and knottie graine,

Him thought at first encounter to haue slaine.

But wise and warie was that noble Pere,

And lightly leaping from so monstrous maine,

Did faire auoide the violence him nere;

It booted nought, to thinke, such thunderbolts to beare.

8
Ne shame he thought to shunne so hideous might:

The idle stroke, enforcing furious way,

Missing the marke of his misaymed sight

Did fall to ground, and with his heauie sway

So deepely dinted in the driuen clay,

That three yardes deepe a furrow vp did throw:

The sad earth wounded with so sore assay,

Did grone full grieuous vnderneath the blow,

And trembling with strange feare, did like an earthquake show.

9
As when almightie
Ioue
in wrathfull mood,

To wreake the guilt of mortall sins is bent,

Hurles forth his thundring dart with deadly food,

Enrold in flames, and smouldring dreriment,

Through riuen cloudes and molten firmament;

The fierce threeforked engin making way,

Both loftie towres and highest trees hath rent,

And all that might his angrie passage stay,

And shooting in the earth, casts vp a mount of clay.

10
His boystrous club, so buried in the ground,

He could not rearen vp againe so light,

But that the knight him at auantage found,

And whiles he stroue his combred clubbe to quight

Out of the earth, with blade all burning bright

He smote off his left arme, which like a blocke

Did fall to ground, depriu'd of natiue might;

Large streames of bloud out of the truncked stocke

Forth gushed, like fresh water streame from riuen rocke.

11
Dismaied with so desperate deadly wound,

And eke impatient of vnwonted paine,

He loudly brayd with beastly yelling sound,

That all the fields rebellowed againe;

As great a noyse, as when in Cymbrian plaine

An heard of Bulles, whom kindly rage doth sting,

Do for the milkie mothers want complaine,

And fill the fields with troublous bellowing,

The neighbour woods around with hollow murmur ring.

12
That when his deare
Duessa
heard, and saw

The euill stownd, that daungerd her estate,

Vnto his aide she hastily did draw

Her dreadfull beast, who swolne with bloud of late

Came ramping forth with proud presumpteous gate

And threatned all his heads like flaming brands.

But him the Squire made quickly to retrate,

Encountring fierce with single sword in hand,

And twixt him and his Lord did like a bulwarke stand.

13
The proud
Duessa
full of wrathfull spight,

And fierce disdaine, to be affronted so,

Enforst her purple beast with all her might

That stop out of the way to ouerthroe,

Scorning the let of so vnequall foe:

But nathemore would that courageous swayne

To her yeeld passage, gainst his Lord to goe,

But with outrageous strokes did him restraine,

And with his bodie bard the way atwixt them twaine.

14
Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup,

Which still she bore, replete with magick artes;

Death and despeyre did many thereof sup,

And secret poyson through their inner parts,

Th'eternall bale of heauie wounded harts;

Which after charmes and some enchauntments said,

She lightly sprinkled on his weaker parts;

Therewith his sturdie courage soone was quayd,

And all his senses were with suddeine dread dismayd.

15
So downe he fell before the cruell beast,

Who on his necke his bloudie clawes did seize,

That life nigh crusht out of his panting brest:

No powre he had to stirre, nor will to rize.

That when the carefull knight gan well auise,

He lightly left the foe, with whom he fought,

And to the beast gan turne his enterprise;

For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought,

To see his loued Squire into such thraldome brought.

16
And high aduauncing his bloud-thirstie blade,

Stroke one of those deformed heads so sore,

That of his puissance proud ensample made;

His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore,

And that misformed shape mis-shaped more:

A sea of bloud gusht from the gaping wound,

That her gay garments staynd with filthy gore,

And ouerflowed all the field around;

That ouer shoes in bloud he waded on the ground.

17
Thereat he roared for exceeding paine,

That to haue heard, great horror would haue bred,

And scourging th'emptie ayre with his long traine,

Through great impatience of his grieued hed

His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted

Would haue cast downe, and trod in durtie myre,

Had not the Gyant soone her succoured;

Who all enrag'd with smart and franticke yre,

Came hurtling in full fierce, and forst the knight retyre.

18
The force, which wont in two to be disperst,

In one alone left hand he now vnites,

Which is through rage more strong then both were erst;

With which his hideous club aloft he dites,

And at his foe with furious rigour smites,

That strongest Oake might seeme to ouerthrow:

The stroke vpon his shield so heauie lites,

That to the ground it doubleth him full low

What mortall wight could euer beare so monstrous blow?

19
And in his fall his shield, that couered was,

Did loose his vele by chaunce, and open flew:

The light whereof, that heauens light did pas,

Such blazing brightnesse through the aier threw,

That eye mote not the same endure to vew.

Which when the Gyaunt spyde with staring eye,

He downe let fall his arme, and soft withdrew

His weapon huge, that heaued was on hye

For to haue slaine the man, that on the ground did lye.

20
And eke the fruitfull-headed beast, amaz'd

At flashing beanies of that sunshiny shield,

Became starke blind, and all his senses daz'd,

That downe he tumbled on the durtie field,

And seem'd himselfe as conquered to yield.

Whom when his maistresse proud perceiu'd to fall,

Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld,

Vnto the Gyant loudly she gan call,

O helpe
Orgoglio,
helpe, or else we perish all.

21
At her so pitteous cry was much amoou'd,

Her champion stout, and for to ayde his frend,

Againe his wonted angry weapon proou'd:

But all in vaine: for he has read his end

In that bright shield, and all their forces spend

Themselues in vaine: for since that glauncing sight,

He hath no powre to hurt, nor to defend;

As where th'Almighties lightning brond does light

It dimmes the dazed eyen, and daunts the senses quight.

22
Whom when the Prince, to battell new addrest,

And threatning high his dreadfull stroke did see,

His sparkling blade about his head he blest,

And smote off quite his right leg by the knee,

That downe he tombled; as an aged tree,

High growing on the top of rocky clift,

Whose hartstrings with keene steele nigh hewen be,

The mightie trunck halfe rent, with ragged rift

Doth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with fearefull drift.

23
Or as a Castle reared high and round,

By subtile engins and malitious slight

Is vndermined from the lowest ground,

And her foundation forst, and feebled quight,

At last downe falles, and with her heaped hight

Her hastie ruine does more heauie make,

And yields it selfe vnto the victours might;

Such was this Gyaunts fall, that seemd to shake

The stedfast globe of earth, as it for feare did quake.

24
The knight then lightly leaping to the pray,

With mortall steele him smot againe so sore,

That headlesse his vnweldy bodie lay,

All wallowd in his owne fowle bloudy gore,

Which flowed from his wounds in wondrous store,

But soone as breath out of his breast did pas,

That huge great body, which the Gyaunt bore,

Was vanisht quite, and of that monstrous mas

Was nothing left, but like an emptie bladder was.

25
Whose grieuous fall, when false
Duessa
spide,

Her golden cup she cast vnto the ground,

And crowned mitre rudely threw aside;

Such percing griefe her stubborne hart did wound,

That she could not endure that dolefull stound,

But leauing all behind her, fled away:

The light-foot Squire her quickly turnd around,

And by hard meanes enforcing her to stay,

So brought vnto his Lord, as his deserued pray.

26
The royall Virgin, which beheld from farre,

In pensiue plight, and sad perplexitie,

The whole atchieuement of this doubtfull warre,

Came running fast to greet his victorie,

With sober gladnesse, and myld modestie,

And with sweet ioyous cheare him thus bespake;

Faire braunch of noblesse, flowre of cheualrie,

That with your worth the world amazed make,

How shall I quite the paines, ye suffer for my sake?

27
And you fresh bud of vertue springing fast,

Whom these sad eyes saw nigh vnto deaths dore,

What hath poore Virgin for such perill past,

Wherewith you to reward? Accept therefore

My simple selfe, and sendee euermore;

And he that high does sit, and all things see

With equall eyes, their merites to restore,

Behold what ye this day haue done for mee,

And what I cannot quite, requite with vsuree.

28
But sith the heauens, and your faire handeling

Haue made you maister of the field this day,

Your fortune maister eke with gouerning,

And well begun end all so well, I pray,

Ne let that wicked woman scape away;

For she it is, that did my Lord bethrall,

My dearest Lord, and deepe in dongeon lay,

Where he his better dayes hath wasted all.