The Faerie Queene (21 page)

Her hellish brond hath kindled with despight,

And stird you vp to worke your wilfull smarts?

Is this the ioy of armes? be these the parts

Of glorious knighthood, after bloud to thrust,

And not regard dew right and iust desarts?

Vaine is the vaunt, and victory vniust,

That more to mighty hands, then rightfull cause doth trust.

30
And were there rightfull cause of difference,

Yet were not better, faire it to accord,

Then with bloud guiltnesse to heape offence,

And mortall vengeaunce ioyne to crime abhord?

O fly from wrath, fly, O my liefest Lord:

Sad be the sights, and bitter fruits of warre,

And thousand furies wait on wrathfull sword;

Ne ought the prayse of prowesse more doth marre,

Then fowle reuenging rage, and base contentious iarre.

31
But louely concord, and most sacred peace

Doth nourish vertue, and fast friendship breeds;

Weake she makes strong, & strong thing does increace,

Till it the pitch of highest prayse exceeds:

Braue be her warres, and honorable deeds,

By which she triumphes ouer ire and pride,

And winnes an Oliue girlond for her meeds:

Be therefore, O my deare Lords, pacifide,

And this misseeming discord meekely lay aside.

32
Her gracious wordes their rancour did appall,

And suncke so deepe into their boyling brests,

That downe they let their cruell weapons fall,

And lowly did abase their loftie crests

To her faire presence, and discrete behests.

Then she began a treatie to procure,

And stablish termes betwixt both their requests,

That as a law for euer should endure;

Which to obserue in word of knights they did assure.

33
Which to confirme, and fast to bind their league,

After their wearie sweat and bloudy toile,

She them besought, during their quiet treague,

Into her lodging to repaire a while,

To rest themselues, and grace to reconcile.

They soone consent: so forth with her they fare,

Where they are well receiu'd, and made to spoile

Themselues of soiled armes, and to prepare

Their minds to pleasure, & their mouthes to dainty fare.

34
And those two froward sisters, their faire loues

Came with them eke, all were they wondrous loth,

And fained cheare, as for the time behoues,

But could not colour yet so well the troth,

But that their natures bad appeared in both:

For both did at their second sister grutch,

And inly grieue, as doth an hidden moth

The inner garment fret, not th'vtter touch;

One thought their cheare too litle, th'other thought too mutch.

35
Elissa
(so the eldest hight) did deeme

Such entertainment base, ne ought would eat,

Ne ought would speake, but euermore did seeme

As discontent for want of merth or meat;

No solace could her Paramour intreat

Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance,

But with bent lowring browes, as she would threat,

She scould, and frownd with froward countenaunce,

Vnworthy of faire Ladies comely gouernaunce.

36
But young
Perissa
was of other mind,

Full of disport, still laughing, loosely light,

And quite contrary to her sisters kind;

No measure in her mood, no rule of right,

But poured out in pleasure and delight;

In wine and meats she flowd aboue the bancke,

And in excesse exceeded her owne might;

In sumptuous tire she ioyd her selfe to prancke,

But of her loue too lauish (litle haue she thancke.)

37
Fast by her side did sit the bold
Sans-loy,

Fit mate for such a mincing mineon,

Who in her loosenesse tooke exceeding ioy;

Might not be found a franker franion,

Of her lewd parts to make companion;

But
Huddibras,
more like a Malecontent,

Did see and grieue at his bold fashion;

Hardly could he endure his hardiment,

Yet still he sat, and inly did him selfe torment

38
Betwixt them both the faire
Medina
sate

With sober grace, and goodly carriage:

With equall measure she did moderate

The strong extremities of their outrage;

That forward paire she euer would asswage,

When they would striue dew reason to exceed;

But that same froward twaine would accourage,

And of her plenty adde vnto dieir need:

So kept she them in order, and her selfe in heed.

39
Thus fairely she attempered her feast,

And pleasd them all with meete satietie,

At last when lust of meat and drinke was ceast,

She
Guyon
deare besought of curtesie,

To tell from whence he came through ieopardie,

And whither now on new aduenture bound.

Who with bold grace, and comely grauitie,

Drawing to him the eyes of all around,

From lofty siege began these words aloud to sound.

40
This thy demaund, ô Lady, doth reuiue

Fresh memory in me of that great Queene,

Great and most glorious virgin Queene aliue,

That with her soueraigne powre, and scepter shene

All Faery lond does peaceable sustene.

In widest Ocean she her throne does reare,

That ouer all the earth it may be seene;

As morning Sunne her beames dispredden cleare,

And in her face faire peace, and mercy doth appeare.

41
In her the richesse of all heauenly grace,

In chiefe degree are heaped vp on hye:

And all that else this worlds enclosure bace,

Hath great or glorious in mortall eye,

Adornes the person of her Maiestie;

That men beholding so great excellence,

And rare perfection in mortalitie,

Do her adore with sacred reuerence,

As th'Idole of her makers great magnificence.

42
To her I homage and my seruice owe,

In number of the noblest knights on ground,

Mongst whom on me she deigned to bestowe

Order of
Maydenhead,
the most renownd,

That may this day in all the world be found,

An yearely solemne feast she wontes to make

The day that first doth lead the yeare around;

To which all knights of worth and courage bold

Resort, to heare of straunge aduentures to be told.

43
There this old Palmer shewed himselfe that day,

And to that mighty Princesse did complaine

Of grieuous mischiefes, which a wicked Fay

Had wrought, and many whelmd in deadly paine,

Whereof he crau'd redresse. My Soueraine,

Whose glory is in gracious deeds, and ioyes

Throughout the world her mercy to maintaine,

Eftsoones deuisd redresse for such annoyes;

Me all vnfit for so great purpose she employes.

44
Now hath faire
Phoebe
with her siluer face

Thrise seene the shadowes of the neather world,

Sith last I left that honorable place,

In which her royall presence is introld;

Ne euer shall I rest in house nor hold,

Till I that false
Acrasia
haue wonne;

Of whose fowle deedes, too hideous to be told

I witnesse am, and this their wretched sonne,

Whose wofull parents she hath wickedly fordonne.

45
Tell on, faire Sir, said she, that dolefull tale,

From which sad ruth does seeme you to restraine,

That we may pitty such vnhappy bale,

And learne from pleasures poyson to abstaine:

Ill by ensample good doth often gayne.

Then forward he his purpose gan pursew,

And told the storie of the mortall payne,

Which
Mordant
and
Amauia
did rew;

As with lamenting eyes him selfe did lately vew.

46
Night was far spent, and now in
Ocean
deepe

Orion,
flying fast from hissing snake,

His flaming head did hasten for to steepe,

When of his pitteous tale he end did make;

Whilest with delight of that he wisely spake,

Those guestes beguiled, did beguile their eyes

Of kindly sleepe, that did them ouertake.

At last when they had markt the chaunged skyes,

They wist their houre was spent; then each to rest him hyes.

Vaine Braggadocchio getting Guy cms
   horse is made the storne
Of knighthood trew, and is of fayre
   Belphcebe fowle forlome.

1
Soone as the morrow faire with purple beames

Disperst the shadowes of the mistie night,

And
Titan
playing on the eastern streames,

Gan cleare the deawy ayre with springing light,

Sir
Guy on
mindfull of his vow yplight,

Vprose from drowsie couch, and him addrest

Vnto the iourney which he had behight:

His puissaunt armes about his noble brest,

And many-folded shield he bound about his wrest.

2
Then taking
Congé
of that virgin pure,

The bloudy-handed babe vnto her truth

Did earnestly commit, and her coniure,

In vertuous lore to traine his tender youth,

And all that gentle noriture ensu'th:

And that so soone as ryper yeares he raught,

He might for memorie of that dayes ruth,

Be called
Ruddymane,
and thereby taught,

T'auenge his Parents death on them, that had it wrought.

3
So forth he far'd, as now befell, on foot,

Sith his good steed is lately from him gone;

Patience perforce; helpelesse what may it boot

To fret for anger, or for griefe to mone?

His Palmer now shall foot no more alone:

So fortune wrought, as vnder greene woods syde

He lately heard that dying Lady grone,

He left his steed without, and speare besyde,

And rushed in on foot to ayd her, ere she dyde.

4
The whiles a losell wandring by the way,

One that to bountie neuer cast his mind,

Ne thought of honour euer did assay

His baser brest, but in his kestrell kind

A pleasing vaine of glory vaine did find,

To which his flowing toung, and troublous spright

Gaue him great ayd, and made him more inclind:

He that braue steed there finding ready dight,

Purloynd both steed and speare, and ran away full light

5
Now gan his hart all swell in iollitie,

And of him selfe great hope and helpe conceiu'd,

That puffed vp with smoke of vanitie,

And with selfe-loued personage deceiu'd,

He gan to hope, of men to be receiu'd

For such, as he him thought, or faine would bee:

But for in court gay portaunce he perceiu'd,

And gallant shew to be in grestest gree,

Eftsoones to court he cast t'auaunce his first degree.

6
And by the way he chaunced to espy

One sitting idle on a sunny bancke,

To whom auaunting in great brauery,

As Peacocke, that his painted plumes doth prancke,

He smote his courser in the trembling flancke,

And to him threatned his hart-thrilling speare:

The seely man seeing him ryde so rancke,

And ayme at him, fell flat to ground for feare,

And crying Mercy lowd, his pitious hands gan reare.

7
Thereat the Scarcrow wexed wondrous prowd,

Through fortune of his first aduenture faire,

And with big thundring voyce reuyld him lowd;

Vile Caytiue, vassall of dread and despaire,

Vnworthie of the commune breathed aire,

Why liuest thou, dead dog, a lenger day,

And doest not vnto death thy selfe prepaire.

Dye, or thyselfe my captiue yield for ay;

Great fauour I thee graunt, for aunswere thus to stay.

8
Hold, ô deare Lord, hold your dead-doing hand,

Then loud he cryde, I am your humble thrall.

Ah wretch (quoth he) thy destinies withstand

My wrathfull will, and do for mercy call.

I giue thee life: therefore prostrated fall,

And kisse my stirrup; that thy homage bee.

The Miser threw him selfe, as an Offall,

Streight at his foot in base humilitee,

And cleeped him his liege, to hold of him in fee.

9
So happy peace they made and faire accord:

Eftsoones this liege-man gan to wexe more bold,

And when he felt the folly of his Lord,

In. his owne kind he gan him selfe vnfold:

For he was wylie witted, and growne old

In cunning sleights and practick knauery.

From that day forth he cast for to vphold

His idle humour with fine flattery,

And blow the bellowes to his swelling vanity.

10
Trompart
fit man for
Braggadochio,

To serue at court in view of vaunting eye;

Vaine-glorious man, when fluttring wind does blow

In his light wings, is lifted vp to skye:

The scorne of knighthood and trew cheuabrye,

To thinke without desert of gentle deed,

And noble worth to be aduaunced hye:

Such prayse is shame; but honour vertues meed

Doth beare the fairest flowre in honorable seed.

11
So forth they pas, a well consorted paire,

Till that at length with
Archimage
they meet:

Who seeing one that shone in armour faire,

On goodly courser thundring with his feet,

Eftsoones supposed him a person meet,

Of his reuenge to make the instrument:

For since the
Redcrosse
knight he earst did weet,

To beene with
Guyon
knit in one consent,

The ill, which earst to him, he now to
Guyon meat.

12
And comming close to
Trompart
gan inquere

Of him, what mighty warriour that mote bee,

That rode in golden sell with single spere,

But wanted sword to wreake his enmitee.

He is a great aduenturer, (said he)

That hath his sword through hard assay forgone,

And now hath vowd, till he auenged bee,

Of that despight, neuer to wearen none;

That speare is him enough to doen a thousand grone.

13
Th'enchaunter greatly ioyed in the vaunt,

And weened well ere long his will to win,

And both his foen with equall foyle to daunt.

Tho to him louring lowly, did begin

To plaine of wrongs, which had committed bin

By
Guyon,
and by that false
Redcrosse
knight,

Which two through treason and deceiptfull gin,

Had slaine Sir
Mordant,
and his Lady bright:

That mote him honour win, to wreake so foule despight

14
Therewith all suddeinly he seemd enraged,

And threatned death with dreadfull countenaunce,

As if their liues had in his hand beene gaged;

And with stiffe force shaking his mortall launce,

To let him weet his doughtie valiaunce,

Thus said; Old man, great sure shalbe thy meed,

If where those knights for feare of dew vengeaunce

Do lurke, thou certainly to me areed,

That I may wreake on them their hainous hatefull deed.

15
Certes, my Lord, (said he) that shall I soone,

And giue you eke good helpe to their decay,

But mote I wisely you aduise to doon;

Giue no ods to your foes, but do puruay

Your selfe of sword before that bloudy day:

For they be two the prowest knights on ground,

And oft approu'd in many hard assay,

And eke of surest steele, that may be found,

Do arme your selfe against that day, them to confound.

16
Dotard (said he) let be thy deepe aduise;

Seemes that through many yeares thy wits thee faile,

And that weake eld hath left thee nothing wise,

Else neuer should thy iudgement be so fraile,

To measure manhood by the sword or maile.

Is not enough foure quarters of a man,

Withouten sword or shield, an host to quaile?

Thou little wotest, what this right hand can:

Speake they, which haue beheld the battailes, which it wan.

17
The man was much abashed at his boast;

Yet well he wist, that who so would contend

With either of those knights on euen coast,

Should need of all his armes, him to defend;

Yet feared least his boldnesse should offend,

When
Braggadocchio
said, Once I did sweare,

When with one sword seuen knights I brought to end,

Thenceforth in battell neuer sword to beare,

But it were that, which noblest knight on earth doth weare.

18
Perdie Sir knight, said then th'enchaunter bliue,

That shall I shortly purchase to your hond:

For now the best and noblest knight aliue

Prince
Arthur
is, that wonnes in Faerie lond;

He hath a sword, that flames like burning brond.

The same by my aduise I vndertake

Shall by to morrow by thy side be fond.

At which bold word that boaster gan to quake,

And wondred in his mind, what mote that monster make.

19
He stayd not for more bidding, but away

Was suddein vanished out of his sight:

The Northerne wind his wings did broad display

At his commaund, and reared him vp light

From off the earth to take his aerie flight.

They lookt about, but no where could espie

Tract of his foot: then dead through great affright

They both nigh were, and each bad other flie:

Both fled attonce, ne euer backe returned eié.

20
Till that they come vnto a forrest greene,

In which they shrowd themselues from causelesse feare;

Yet feare them followes still, where so they beene,

Each trembling leafe, and whistling wind they heare,

As ghastly bug their haire on end does reare:

Yet both doe striue their fearfulnesse to faine.

At last they heard a horne, that shrilled cleare

Throughout the wood, that ecchoed againe,

And made the forrest ring, as it would riue in twaine.

21
Eft through the thicke they heard one rudely rush;

With noyse whereof he from his loftie steed

Downe fell to ground, and crept into a bush,

To hide his coward head from dying dreed.

But
Trompart
stoutly stayd to taken heed,

Of what might hap. Eftsoone there stepped forth

A goodly Ladie clad in hunters weed,

That seemd to be a woman of great worth,

And by her stately portance, borne of heauenly birth.

22
Her face so faire as flesh it seemed not,

But heauenly pourtraict of bright Angels hew,

Cleare as the skie, withouten blame or blot,

Through goodly mixture of complexions dew;

And in her cheekes the vermeill red did shew

Like roses in a bed of lillies shed,

The which ambrosiall odours from them threw,

And gazers sense with double pleasure fed,

Hable to heale the sicke, and to reuiue the ded.

23
In her faire eyes two liuing lamps did flame,

Kindled aboue at th'heauenly makers light,

And darted fyrie beames out of the same,

So passing persant, and so wondrous bright,

That quite bereau'd the rash beholders sight:

In them the blinded god his lustfull fire

To kindle oft assayd, but had no might;

For with dredd Maiestie, and awfull ire,

She broke his wanton darts, and quenched base desire.

24
Her iuorie forhead, full of bountie braue,

Like a broad table did it selfe dispred,

For Loue his loftie triumphes to engraue,

And write the battels of his great godhed:

All good and honour might therein be red:

For there their dwelling was. And when she spake,

Sweet words, like dropping honny she did shed,

And twixt the perles and rubins softly brake

A siluer sound, that heauenly musicke seem'd to make.

25
Vpon her eyelids many Graces sate,

Vnder the shadow of her euen browes,

Working belgards, and amorous retrate,

And euery one her with a grace endowes:

And euery one with meekenesse to her bowes.

So glorious mirrhour of celestiall grace,

And soueraine moniment of mortall vowes,

How shall fraile pen descriue her heauenly face,

For feare through want of skill her beautie to disgrace?

26
So faire, and thousand thousand times more faire

She seemd, when she presented was to sight,

And was yclad, for heat of scorching aire,

All in a silken Camus lylly whight,

Purfled vpon with many a folded plight,

Which, all aboue besprinckled was throughout,

With golden aygulets, that glistred bright,

Like twinckling starres, and all the skirt about

Was hemd with golden fringe

27
Below her ham her weed did somewhat traine,

And her straight legs most brauely were embayld

In gilden buskins of costly Cordwaine,

All bard with golden bendes, which were entayld

With, curious antickes, and full faire aumayld:

Before they fastned were vnder her knee

In a rich Iewell, and therein entrayld

The ends of all their knots, that none might see,

How they within their fbuldings close enwrapped bee.

28
Like two faire marble pillours they were seene,

Which doe the temple of the Gods support,

Whom all the people decke with girlands greene,

And honour in their festiuall resort;

Those same with stately grace, and princely port

She taught to tread, when she her selfe would grace,

But with the wooddie Nymphes when she did play,

Or when the flying Libbard she did chace,