The Faerie Queene (18 page)

At last his solemne silence thus he brake,

With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his guest;

Redoubted knight, that for mine onely sake

Thy life and honour late aduenturest,

Let nought be hid from me, that ought to be expresl.

30
What meane these bloudy vowes, and idle threats,

Throwne out from womanish impatient mind?

What heauens? what altars? what enraged heates

Here heaped vp with termes of loue vnkind,

My conscience deare with guilty bands would bind?

High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame.

But if your selfe, Sir knight, ye faultie find,

Or wrapped be in loues of former Dame,

With crime do not it couer, but disclose the same.

31
To whom the
Redcrosse
knight this answere sent,

My Lord, my King, be nought hereat dismayd,

Till well ye wote by graue intendiment,

What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbrayd

With breach of loue, and loyalty betrayd.

It was in my mishaps, as hitherward

I lately traueild, that vnwares I strayd

Out of my way, through perils straunge and hard;

That day should faile me, ere I had them all declard.

32
There did I find, or rather I was found

Of this false woman, that
Fidessa
tight,

Fidessa
night the falsest Dame on ground,

Most false
Duessa,
royall richly dight,

That easie was t'inuegle weaker sight:

Who by her wicked arts, and wylie skill,

Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,

Vnwares me wrought vnto her wicked will,

And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill.

33
Then stepped forth the goodly royall Mayd,

And on the ground her selfe prostrating low,

With sober countenaunce thus to him sayd;

O pardon me, my soueraigne Lord, to show

The secret treasons, which of late I know

To haue bene wroght by that false sorceresse.

She onely she it is, that earst did throw

This gentle knight into so great distresse,

That death him did awaite in dayly wretchednesse,

34
And now it seemes, that she suborned hath

This craftie messenger with letters vaine,

To worke new woe and improuided scath,

By breaking of the band betwixt vs twaine;

Wherein she vsed hath the practicke paine

Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse,

Whom if ye please for to discouer plaine,

Ye shall him
Archimago
find, I ghesse,

The falsest man aliue; who tries shall find no lesse.

35
The king was greatly moued at her speach,

And all with suddein indignation fraight,

Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach.

Eftsoones the Gard, which on his state did wait,

Attacht that faitor false, and bound him strait:

Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,

As chained Beare, whom cruell dogs do bait,

With idle force did faine them to withstand,

And often semblaunce made to scape out of their hand.

36
But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe,

And bound him hand and foote with yron chains.

And with continuall watch did warely keepe;

Who then would thinke, that by his subtile trains

He could escape fowle death or deadly paines?

Thus when that Princes wrath was pacifide,

He gan renew the late forbidden banes,

And to the knight his daughter deare he tyde,

With sacred rites and vowes for euer to abyde.

37
His owne two hands the holy knots did knit,

That none but death for euer can deuide;

His owne two hands, for such a turne most fit,

The housling fire did kindle and prouide,

And holy water thereon sprinckled wide;

At which the bushy Teade a groome did light,

And sacred lampe in secret chamber hide,

Where it should not be quenched day nor night,

For feare of euill fates, but burnen euer bright.

38
Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine,

And made great feast to solemnize that day;

They all perfiim.de with frankencense diuine,

And precious odours fetcht from far away,

That all the house did sweat with great aray:

And all the while sweete Musicke did apply

Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play,

To driue away the dull Melancholy;

The whiles one sung a song of loue and iollity.

39
During the which there was an heauenly noise

Heard sound through all the Pallace pleasantly,

Like as it had bene many an Angels voice,

Singing before th'eternall maiesty,

In their trinall triplicities on hye;

Yet wist no creature, whence that heauenly sweet

Proceeded, yet eachone felt secretly

Himselfe thereby reft of his sences meet,

And rauished with rare impression in his sprite.

40
Great ioy was made that day of young and old,

And solemne feast prodaimd throughout the land,

That their exceeding merth may not be told:

Suffice it heare by signes to vnderstand

The vsuall ioyes at knitting of loues band.

Thrise happy man the knight himselfe did hold,

Possessed of his Ladies hart and hand,

And euer, when his eye did her behold,

His heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.

41
Her ioyous presence and sweet company

In full content he there did long enioy,

Ne wicked enuie, ne vile gealosy

His deare delights were able to annoy:

Yet swimming in that sea of blisfull ioy,

He nought forgot, how he whilome had sworne,

In case he could that monstrous beast destroy,

Vnto his Farie Queene backe to returne:

The which he shortly did, and
Vna
left to mourne.

42
Now strike your sailes ye iolly Mariners,

For we be come vnto a quiet rode,

Where we must land some of our passengers,

And light this wearie vessel of her lode.

Here she a while may make her safe abode,

Till she repaired haue her tackles spent,

And wants supplide. And then againe abroad

On the long voyage whereto she is bent:

Well may she speede and fairely finish her intent.

CONTAYNING
THE LEGEND OP SIR GVYON.
OR
OF TEMPERAUNCE.

1
Right well I wote most mighty Soueraine,

That all this famous antique history,

Of some th'aboundance of an idle braine

Will iudged be, and painted forgery,

Rather then matter of iust memory,

Sith none, that breatheth liuing aire, does know,

Where is that happy land of Faery,

Which I so much do vaunt, yet no where show,

But vouch antiquities, which nobody can know.

2
But let that man with better sence aduize,

That of the world least part to vs is red:

And dayly how through hardy enterprize,

Many great Regions are discouered,

Which to late age were neuer mentioned.

Who euer heard of th'Indian
Peru?

Or who in venturous vessell measured

The
Amazons
huge riuer now found trew?

Or fruitfullest
Virginia
who did euer vew?

3
Yet all these were, when no man did them know;

Yet haue from wisest ages hidden beene:

And later times things more vnknowne shall show.

Why then should witlesse man so much misweene

That nothing is, but that which he hath seene?

What if within the Moones faire shining spheare?

What if in euery other starre vnseene

Of other worldes he happily should heare?

He wonder would much more: yet such to some appeare.

4
Of Faerie lond yet if he more inquire,

By certaine signes here set in sundry place

He may it find; ne let him then admire,

But yield his sence to be too blunt and bace,

That no'te without an hound fine footing trace.

And thou, O fairest Princesse vnder sky,

In this faire mirrhour maist behold thy face,

And thine owne realmes in lond of Faery,

And in this antique Image thy great auncestry.

5
The which O pardon me thus to enfold

In couert vele, and wrap in shadowes light,

That feeble eyes your glory may behold,

Which else could not endure those beames bright,

But would be dazled with exceeding light

O pardon, and vouchsafe with patient eare

The braue aduentures of this Faery knight

The good Sir
Guyon
gratiously to heare,

In whom great rule of Temp'raunce goodly doth appeare.

Guyon by Archimage abusd,
   The Redcrosse knight awaytes,
Findes Mordant and Amauia slaine
   With pleasures poisoned baytes.

1
That cunning Architect of cancred guile,

Whom Princes late displeasure left in bands,

For falsed letters and suborned wile,

Soone as the
Redcrosse
knight he vnderstands,

To beene departed out of
Eden
lands,

To serue againe his soueraine Elfin Queene,

His artes he moues, and out of caytiues hands

Himselfe he frees by secret meanes vnseene;

His shackles emptie left, him selfe escaped cleene.

2
And forth he fares full of malicious mind,

To worken mischiefe and auenging woe,

Where euer he that godly knight may find,

His onely hart sore, and his onely foe,

Sith
Vna
now he algates must forgoe,

Whom his victorious hands did earst restore

To natiue crowne and kingdome late ygoe:

Where she enioyes sure peace for euermore,

As weather-beaten ship arriu'd on happie shore.

3
Him therefore now the obiect of his spight

And deadly food he makes: him to offend

By forged treason, or by open fight

He seekes, of all his drift the aymed end:

Thereto his subtile engins he does bend

His practick wit, and his faire filed tong,

With thousand other sleights: for well he kend,

His credit now in doubtfull ballaunce hong;

For hardly could be hurt, who was already stong.

4
Still as he went, he craftie stales did lay,

With cunning traines him to entrap vnwares,

And priuie spials plast in all his way,

To weete what course he takes, and how he fares;

To ketch him at a vantage in his snares.

But now so wise and warie was the knight

By triall of his former harmes and cares,

That he descride, and shonned still his slight:

The fish that once was caught, new bait will hardly bite.

5
Nath'lesse th'Enchaunter would not spare his paine,

In hope to win occasion to his will;

Which when he long awaited had in vaine,

He chaungd his minde from one to other ill:

For to all good he enimy was still.

Vpon the way him fortuned to meet,

Faire marching vndemeath a shady hill,

A goodly knight, all armd in harnesse meete,

That from his head no place appeared to his feete.

6
His carriage was full comely and vpright,

His countenaunce demure and temperate,

But yet so sterne and terrible in sight,

That cheard his friends, and did his foes amate:

He was an Elfin borne of noble state,

And mickle worship in his natiue land;

Well could he tourney and in lists debate,

And knighthood tooke of good Sir
Huons
hand,

When with king
Oberon
he came to Faerie land.

7
Him als accompanyd vpon the way

A comely Palmer, clad in blacke attire,

Of ripest yeares, and haires all hoarie gray,

That with a staffe his feeble steps did stire,

Least his long way his aged limbes should tire:

And if by lookes one may the mind aread,

He seemd to be a sage and sober sire,

And euer with slow pace the knight did lead,

Who taught his trampling steed with equall steps to tread.

8
Such whenas
Archimago
them did view,

He weened well to worke some vncouth wile,

Eftsoones vntwisting his deceiptfull clew,

He gan to weaue a web of wicked guile,

And with a faire countenance and flattring stile,

To them approching, thus the knight bespake:

Faire sonne
of Mars,
that seeke with warlike spoile,

And great atchieu'ments great your selfe to make,

Vouchsafe to stay your steed for humble misers sake.

9
He stayd his steed for humble misers sake,

And bad tell on the tenor of his plaint;

Who feigning then in euery limbe to quake,

Through inward feare, and seeming pale and faint

With piteous mone his percing speach gan paint;

Deare Lady how shall I declare thy cace,

Whom late I left in langourous constraint?

Would God thy selfe now present were in place,

To tell this ruefull tale; thy sight could win thee grace.

10
Or rather would, O would it so had chaunst,

That you, most noble Sir, had present beene,

When that lewd ribauld with vile lust aduaunst

Layd first his filthy hands on virgin cleene,

To spoile her daintie corse so faire and sheene,

As on the earth, great mother of vs all,

With liuing eye more faire was neuer seene,

Of chastitie and honour virginall:

Witnesse ye heauens, whom she in vaine to helpe did call.

11
How may it be, (said then the knight halfe wroth,)

That knight should knighthood euer so haue shent?

None but that saw (quoth he) would weene for troth,

How shamefully that Maid he did torment

Her looser golden lockes he rudely rent,

And drew her on the ground, and his sharpe sword,

Against her snowy brest he fiercely bent,

And threatned death with many a bloudie word;

Toung hates to tell the rest, that eye to see abhord.

12
Therewith amoued from his sober mood,

And liues he yet (said he) that wrought this act,

And doen the heauens afford him vitall food?

He liues, (quoth he) and boasteth of the fact,

Ne yet hath any knight his courage crackt.

Where may that treachour then (said he) be found,

Or by what meanes may I his footing tract?

That shall I shew (said he) as sure, as hound

The stricken Deare doth chalenge by the bleeding wound.

13
He staid not lenger talke, but with fierce ire

And zealous hast away is quickly gone

To seeke that knight, where him that craftie Squire

Supposd to be. They do arriue anone,

Where sate a gentle Lady all alone,

With garments rent, and haire discheueled,

Wringing her hands, and making piteous mone;

Her swollen eyes were much disfigured,

And her faire face with teares was fowly blubbered.

14
The knight approching nigh, thus to her said,

Faire Ladie, through foule sorrow ill bedight,

Great pittie is to see you thus dismaid,

And marre the blossome of your beautie bright:

For thy appease your griefe and heauie plight,

And tell the cause of your concerned paine.

For if he liue, that hath you doen despight;

He shall you doe due recompence againe,

Or else his wrong with greater puissance maintaine.

15
Which when she heard, as in despightfull wise,

She wilfully her sorrow did augment,

And offred hope of comfort did despise:

Her golden lockes most cruelly she rent,

And scratcht her face with ghastly dreriment,

Ne would she speake, ne see, ne yet be seene,

But hid her visage, and her head downe bent,

Either for grieuous shame, or for great teene,

As if her hart with sorrow had transfixed beene.

16
Till her that Squire bespake, Madame my liefe,

For Gods deare loue be not so wilfull bent,

But doe vouchsafe now to receiue reliefe,

The which good fortune doth to you present

For what bootes it to weepe and to wayment,

When ill is chaunst, but doth the ill increase,

And the weake mind with double woe torment?

When she her Squire heard speake, she gan appease

Her voluntarie paine, and feele some secret ease.

17
Eftsoone she said, Ah gentle trustie Squire,

What comfort can I wofull wretch conceaue,

Or why should euer I henceforth desire,

To see faire heauens face, and life not leaue,

Sith that false Traytour did my honour reaue?

False traytour certes (said the Faerie knight)

I read the man, that euer would deceaue

A gentle Ladie, or her wrong through might:

Death were too little paine for such a foule despight

18
But now, faire Ladie, comfort to you make,

And read, who hath ye wrought this shamefull plight

That short reuenge the man may ouertake,

Where so he be, and soone vpon him light

Certes (said she) I wote not how he bight,

But vnder him a gray steede did he wield,

Whose sides with dapled circles weren dight;

Vpright he rode, and in his siluer shield

He bore a bloudie Crosse, that quartred all the field.

19
Now by my head (said
Guyon)
much I muse,

How that same knight should do so foule amis,

Or euer gentle Damzell so abuse:

For may I boldly say, he surely is

A right good knight, and true of word ywis:

I present was, and can it witnesse well,

When armes he swore, and streight did enterpris

Th'aduenture of the
Errant damozell,

In which he hath great glorie wonne, as I heare tell.

20
Nathlesse he shortly shall againe be tryde,

And fairely quite him of th'imputed blame,

Else be ye sure he dearely shall abyde,

Or make you good amendment for the same:

All wrongs haue mends, but no amends of shame.

Now therefore Ladie, rise out of your paine,

And see the saluing of your blotted name.

Full loth she seemd thereto, but yet did faine;

For she was inly glad her purpose so to gaine.

21
Her purpose was not such, as she did faine,

Ne yet her person such, as it was seene,

But vnder simple shew and semblant plaine

Lurckt false
Duessa
secretly vnseene,

As a chast Virgin, that had wronged beene:

So had false
Archimago
her disguisd,

To cloke her guile with sorrow and sad teene;

And eke himselfe had craftily deuisd

To be her Squire, and do her seruice well aguisd.

22
Her late forlorne and naked he had found,

Where she did wander in waste wildernesse,

Lurking in rockes and caues farre vnder ground,

And with greene mosse cou'ring her nakednesse,

To hide her shame and loathly filthinesse;

Sith her Prince
Arthur
of proud ornaments

And borrow'd beautie spoyld. Her nathelesse

Th'enchaunter finding fit for his intents,

Did thus reuest, and deckt with due habiliments.

23
For all he did, was to deceiue good knights,

And draw them from pursuit of praise and fame,

To slug in slouth and sensuall delights,

And end their daies with irrenowmed shame.

And now exceeding griefe him ouercame,

To see the
Redcrosse
thus aduaunced hye;

Therefore this craftie engine he did frame,

Against his praise to stirre vp enmitye