The Faerie Queene (24 page)

When euer his fiers hands he free mote find:

And now he has pourd out his idle mind

In daintie delices, and lauish ioyes,

Hauing his warlike weapons cast behind,

And flowes in pleasures, and vaine pleasing toyes,

Mingled emongst loose Ladies and lasciuious boyes.

29
And ouer him, art striuing to compaire

With nature, did an Arber greene dispred,

Framed of wanton Yuie, flouring faire,

Through which the fragrant Eglantine did spred

His pricking armes, entrayld with roses red,

Which daintie odours round about them threw,

And all within with flowres was garnished,

That when myld
Zephyrus
emongst them blew,

Did breath out bounteous smels, & painted colors shew.

30
And fast beside, there trickled softly downe

A gentle streame, whose murmuring waue did play

Emongst the pumy stones, and made a sowne,

To lull him soft a sleepe, that by it lay;

The wearie Traueiler, wandring that way,

Therein did often quench his thristy heat,

And then by it his wearie limbes display,

Whiles creeping slomber made him to forget

His former paine, and wypt away his toylsom sweat.

31
And on the other side a pleasaunt groue

Was shot vp high, full of the stately tree,

That dedicated is
t'Olympicke loue,

And to his sonne
Alcides,
whenas hee

Gaynd in
Nemea
goodly victoree;

Therein the mery birds of euery sort

Chaunted alowd their chearefull harmonie:

And made emongst them selues a sweet consort,

That quickned the dull spright with musicall comfort.

32
There he him found all carelesly displayd,

In secret shadow from the sunny ray,

On a sweet bed of lillies softly layd,

Amidst a flocke of Damzels fresh and gay,

That round about him dissolute did play

Their wanton follies, and light meriment;

Euery of which did loosely disaray

Her vpperparts of meet habiliments,

And shewd them naked, deckt with many ornaments.

33
And euery of them stroue, with most delights,

Him to aggrate, and greatest pleasures shew;

Some framd faire lookes, glancing like euening lights

Others sweet words, dropping like honny dew;

Some bathed kisses, and did soft embrew

The sugred licour through his melting lips:

One boastes her beautie, and does yeeld to vew

Her daintie limbes aboue her tender hips;

Another her out boastes, and all for tryall strips.

34
He, like an Adder, lurking in the weeds,

His wandring thought in deepe desire does steepe,

And his fraile eye with spoyle of beautie feedes;

Sometimes he falsely faines himselfe to sleepe,

Whiles through their lids his wanton eies do peepe

To steale a snatch of amorous conceipt,

Whereby close fire into his heart does creepe:

So, he them deceiues, deceiu'd in his deceipt,

Made drunke with drugs of deare voluptuous receipt.

35
Atin
arriuing there, when him he spide,

Thus in still waues of deepe delight to wade,

Fiercely approching, to him lowdly cride,

Cymochles;
oh no, but
Cymochles
shade,

In which that manly person late did fade,

What is become of great
Acrates
sonne?

Or where hath he hong vp his mortall blade,

That hath so many haughtie conquests wonne?

Is all his force forlorne, and all his glory donne?

36
Then pricking him with his sharpe-pointed dart,

He said; vp, vp, thou womanish weake knight,

That here in Ladies lap entombed art,

Vnmindfull of thy praise and prowest might,

And weetlesse eke of lately wrought despight,

Whiles sad
Pyrochles
lies on senselesse ground,

And groneth out his vtmost grudging spright,

Through many a stroke, & many a streaming wound,

Calling thy helpe in vaine, that here in ioyes art dround.

37
Suddeinly out of his delightfull dreame

The man awoke, and would haue questiond more;

But he would not endure that wofull theame

For to dilate at large, but vrged sore

With percing words, and pittifull implore,

Him hastie to arise. As one affright

With hellish feends, or
Furies
mad vprore,

He then vprose, inflam'd with fell despight,

And called for his armes; for he would algates fight.

38
They bene ybrought; he quickly does him dight,

And lightly mounted, passeth on his way,

Ne Ladies loues, ne sweete entreaties might

Appease his heat, or hastie passage stay;

For he has vowd, to beene aueng'd that day,

(That day it selfe him seemed all too long:)

On him, that did
Pyrochles
deare dismay:

So proudly pricketh on his courser strong,

And
Atin
aie him pricks with spurs of shame & wrong.

Guyon is of immodest Merth,
   led into loose desire,
Fights with Cymochles, whiles his brother
   burnes injurious fire.

1
A harder lesson, to learne Continence

In ioyous pleasure, then in grieuous paine:

For sweetnesse doth allure the weaker sence

So strongly, that vneathes it can refraine

From that, which feeble nature couets faine;

But griefe and wrath, that be her enemies,

And foes of life, she better can restraine;

Yet vertue vauntes in both their victories,

And
Guyon
in them all shewes goodly maisteries.

2
Whom bold
Cymochles
trauelling to find,

With cruell purpose bent to wreake on him

The wrath, which
Atin
kindled in his mind,

Came to a riuer, by whose vtmost brim

Wayting to passe, he saw whereas did swim

A long the shore, as swift as glaunce of eye,

A litle Gondelay, bedecked trim

With boughes and arbours wouen cunningly,

That like a litle forrest seemed outwardly.

3
And therein sate a Ladie fresh and faire,

Making sweet solace to her selfe alone;

Sometimes she sung, as loud as larke in aire,

Sometimes she laught, that nigh her breth was gone,

Yet was there not with her else any one,

That might to her moue cause of meriment:

Matter of merth enough, though there were none

She could deuise, and thousand waies inuent,

To feede her foolish humour, and vaine iolliment.

4
Which when farre off
Cymochles
heard, and saw,

He loudly cald to such, as were a bord,

The little barke vnto the shore to draw,

And him to ferrie ouer that deepe ford:

The merry marriner vnto his word

Soone hearkned, and her painted bote streightway

Turnd to the shore, where that same warlike Lord

She in receiu'd; but
Atin
by no way

She would admit, albe the knight her much did pray.

5
Eftsoones her shallow ship away did slide,

More swift, then swallow sheres the liquid skie,

Withouten oare or Pilot it to guide,

Or winged canuas with the wind to flie,

Only she turn'd a pin, and by and by

It cut away vpon the yielding waue,

Ne cared she her course for to apply:

For it was taught the way, which she would haue,

And both from rocks and flats it selfe could wisely saue.

6
And all the way, the wanton Damzell found

New merth, her passenger to entertaine:

For she in pleasant purpose did abound,

And greatly ioyed merry tales to faine,

Of which a store-house did with her remaine,

Yet seemed, nothing well they her became;

For all her words she drownd with laughter vaine,

And wanted grace in vtt'ring of the same,

That turned all her pleasance to a scoffing game.

7
And other whiles vaine toyes she would deuize,

As her fautasticke wit did most delight,

Sometimes her head she fondly would aguize

With gaudie girlonds, or fresh flowrets dight

About her necke, or rings of rushes plight;

Sometimes to doe him laugh, she would assay

To laugh at shaking of the leaues light,

Or to behold the water worke, and play

About her litle frigot, therein making way.

8
Her light behauiour, and loose dalliaunce

Gaue wondrous great contentment to the knight,

That of his way he had no souenaunce,

Nor care of vow'd reuenge, and cruell fight,

But to weake wench did yeeld his martiall might.

So easie was to quench his flamed mind

With one sweet drop of sensuall delight,

So easie is, t'appease the stormie wind

Of malice in the calme of pleasant womankind.

9
Diuerse discourses in their way they spent,

Mongst which
Cymochles
of her questioned,

Both what she was, and what that vsage ment,

Which in her cot she daily practised.

Vaine man (said she) that wouldest be reckoned

A straunger in thy home, and ignoraunt

Of Phœdria
(for so my name is red)

Of Phœdria,
thine owne fellow seruaunt;

For thou to serue
Acrasia
thy selfe doest vaunt.

10
In this wide Inland sea, that hight by name

The
Idle lake,
my wandring ship I row,

That knowes her port, and thither sailes by ayme,

Ne care, ne feare I, how the wind do blow,

Or whether swift I wend, or whether slow:

Both slow and swift a like do serue my tourne,

Ne swelling
Neptune,
ne loud thundring
Ioue

Can chaunge my cheare, or make me euer mourne;

My litle boat can safely passe this perilous bourne.

11
Whiles thus she talked, and whiles thus she toyd,

They were farre past the passage, which he spake,

And come vnto an Island, waste and voyd,

That rioted in the midst of that great lake,

There her small Gondelay her port did make,

And that gay paire issuing on the shore

Disburdned her. Their way they forward take

Into the land, that lay them faire before,

Whose pleasaunce she him shew'd, and plentifull great store.

12
It was a chosen plot of fertile land,

Emongst wide waues set, like a like nest,

As if it had by Natures cunning hand,

Bene choisely picked out from all the rest,

And laid forth for ensample of the best:

No daintie flowre or herbe, that growes on ground,

No arboret with painted blossomes drest,

And smelling sweet, but there it might be found

To bud out faire, and her sweet smels throw all around.

13
No tree, whose braunches did not brauely spring;

No braunch, whereon a fine bird did not sit:

No bird, but did her shrill notes sweedy sing;

No song but did containe a louely dit:

Trees, braunches, birds, and songs were framed fit,

For to allure fraile mind to carelesse ease.

Carelesse the man soone woxe, and his weake wit

Was ouercome of thing, that did him please;

So pleased, did his wrathfull purpose faire appease.

14
Thus when she had his eyes and senses fed

With false delights, and fild with pleasures vaine,

Into a shadie dale she soft him led,

And laid him downe vpon a grassie plaine;

And her sweet selfe without dread, or disdaine,

She set beside, laying his head disarm'd

In her loose lap, it sofdy to sustaine,

Where soone he slumbred, fearing not be harm'd,

The whiles with a loud lay she thus him sweedy charm'd.

15
Behold, ô man, that toilesome paines doest take

The flowres, the fields, and all that pleasant growes,

How they themselues doe thine ensample make,

Whiles nothing enuious nature them forth throwes

Out of her fruitfull lap; how, no man knowes,

They spring, they bud, they blossome fresh and faire,

And deck the world with their rich pompous showes;

Yet no man for them taketh paines or care,

Yet no man to them can bis carefull paines compare.

16
The lilly, Ladie of the flowring field,

The Flowre-deluce, her louely Paramoure,

Bid thee to them thy fruitlesse labours yield,

And soone leaue off this toylesome wearie stoure;

Loe loe how braue she decks her bounteous boure,

With silken curtens and gold couerlets,

Therein to shrowd her sumptuous Belamoure,

Yet neither spinnes nor cardes, ne cares nor freto,

But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.

17
Why then dost thou, ô man, that of them all

Art Lord, and eke of nature Soueraine,

Wilfully make thy selfe a wretched thrall,

And wast thy ioyous houres in needlesse paine,

Seeking for daunger and aduentures vaine?

What bootes it all to haue, and nothing vse?

Who shall him rew, that swimming in the maine,

Will die for thirst, and water doth refuse?

Refuse such fruitlesse toile, and present pleasures chuse.

18
By this she had him lulled fast a sleepe,

That of no worldly thing he care did take;

Then she with liquors strong his eyes did steepe,

That nothing should him hastily awake:

So she him left, and did her selfe betake

Vnto her boat againe, with which she cleft

The slouthfull waue of that great griesly lake;

Soone she that Island farre behind her left,

And now is come to that same place, where first she weft.

19
By this time was the worthy
Guyon
brought

Vnto the other side of that wide strond,

Where she was rowing, and for passage sought:

Him needed not long call, she soone to hond

Her ferry brought, where him she byding fond,

With his sad guide; himselfe she tooke a boord,

But the
Blacke Palmer
suffred still to stond,

Ne would for price, or prayers once affoord,

To ferry that old man ouer the perlous foord.

20
Guyon
was loath to leaue his guide behind,

Yet being entred, might not backe retyre;

For the flit barke, obaying to her mind,

Forth launched quickly, as she did desire,

Ne gaue him leaue to bid that aged sire

Adieu, but nimbly ran her wonted course

Through the dull billowes thicke as troubled mire,

Whom neither wind out of their seat could forse,

Nor timely tides did driue out of their sluggish sourse.

21
And by the way, as was her wonted guize,

Her merry fit she freshly gan to reare,

And did of ioy and iollitie deuize,

Her selfe to cherish, and her guest to cheare:

The knight was courteous, and did not forbeare

Her honest merth and pleasaunce to partake;

But when he saw her toy, and gibe, and geare,

And passe the bonds of modest merimake,

Her dalliance he despisd, and follies did forsake.

22
Yet she still followed her former stile,

And said, and did all that mote him delight,

Till they arriued in that pleasant Ile,

Where sleeping late she left her other knight.

But when as
Guyon
of that land had sight,

He wist himselfe amisse, and angry said;

Ah Dame, perdie ye haue not doen me right,

Thus to mislead me, whiles I you obaid:

Me litle needed from my right way to haue straid.

23
Faire Sir (quoth she) be not displeasd at all;

Who fares on sea, may not commaund his way,

Ne wind and weather at his pleasure call:

The sea is wide, and easie for to stray;

The wind vnstable, and doth neuer stay.

But here a while ye may in safety rest,

Till season serue new passage to assay;

Better safe port, then be in seas distrest.

Therewith she laught, and did her earnest end in iest.

24
But he halfe discontent, mote nathelesse

Himselfe appease, and issewd forth on shore:

The ioyes whereof, and happie fruitfulnesse,

Such as he saw she gan him lay before,

And all though pleasant, yet she made much more:

The fields did laugh, the flowres did freshly spring,

The trees did bud, and earely blossomes bore,

And all the quire of birds did sweetly sing,

And told that gardins pleasures in their caroling.

25
And she more sweet, then any bird on bough,

Would oftentimes emongst them beare a part,

And striue to passe (as she could well enough)

Their natiue musicke by her skilfull art:

So did she all, that might his constant hart

Withdraw from thought of warlike enterprize,

And drowne in dissolute delights apart,

Where noyse of armes, or vew of martiall guize

Might not reuiue desire of knightly exercize.

26
But he was wise, and warie of her will,

And euer held his hand vpon his hart:

Yet would not seeme so rude, and thewed ill,

As to despise so courteous seeming part,

That gentle Ladie did to him impart,

But fairely tempring fond desire subdewd,

And euer her desired to depart.

She list not heare, but her disports poursewd,

And euer bad him stay, till tune the tide renewd.

27
And now by this,
Cymochles
howre was spent,

That he awoke out of his idle dreme,

And shaking off his drowzie dreriment,

Gan him auize, how ill did him beseeme,

In slouthfull sleepe his molten hart to steme,

And quench the brond of his concerned ire.

Tho vp he started, stird with shame extreme,

Ne staied for his Damzell to inquire,

But marched to the strond, their passage to require.

28
And in the way he with Sir
Guyon
met,

Accompanyde with
Phœdria th
e faire,

Eftsoones he gan to rage, and inly fret,

Crying, Let be that Ladie debonaire,

Thou recreant knight, and soone thy selfe prepaire

To battell, if thou meane her loue to gaine:

Loe, loe alreadie, how the fowles in aire

Doe flocke, awaiting shortly to obtaine

Thy carcasse for their pray, the guerdon of thy paine.