The Faerie Queene (33 page)

That did her selfe in sundry parts diuide,

And with her powre her owne selfe ouerthrew,

Whilest
Romanes
dayly did the weake subdew:

Which seeing stout
Bunduca,
vp arose,

And taking armes, the
Britons
to her drew;

With whom she marched streight against her foes,

And them vnwares besides the
Seueme
did enclose.

55
There she with them a cruell battell tride,

Not with so good successe, as she deseru'd;

By reason that the Captaines on her side,

Corrupted by
Paulinus,
from her sweru'd:

Yet such, as were through former flight preseru'd,

Gathering againe, her Host she did renew,

And with fresh courage on the victour seru'd:

But being all defeated, saue a few,

Rather then fly, or be captiu'd her selfe she slew.

56
O famous moniment of womens prayse,

Matchable either to
Semiramis,

Whom antique history so high doth raise,

Or to
Hysiphil'
or to
Thomiris:

Her Host two hundred thousand numbred is;

Who whiles good fortune fauoured her might,

Triumphed oft against her enimis;

And yet though ouercome in haplesse fight,

She triumphed on death, in enemies despight

57
Her reliques
Fulgent
hauing gathered,

Fought with
Seuerus,
and him ouerthrew;

Yet in the chace was slaine of them, that fled:

So made them victours, whom he did subdew.

Then gan
Carausius
tirannize anew,

And gainst the
Romanes
bent their proper powre,

But him
Allectus
treacherously slew,

And tooke on him the robe of Emperoure:

Nath'lesse the same enioyed but short happy howre:

58
For
Asclepiodate
him ouercame,

And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne,

Without or robe, or rag, to hide his shame.

Then afterwards he in his stead did rayne;

But shortly was by
Coyll
in battell slaine:

Who after long debate, since
Lucies
time,

Was of the
Britons
first crownd Soueraine:

Then gan this Realme renewe her passed prime:

He of his name
Coylchester
built of stone and lime.

59
Which when the
Romanes
heard, they hither sent

Constantius,
a man of mickle might,

With whom king
Coyll
made an agreement,

And to him gaue for wife his daughter bright,

Faire
Helena,
the fairest liuing wight;

Who in all godly thewes, and goodly prayse

Did far excell, but was most famous bight

For skill in Musicke of all in her dayes,

Aswell in curious instruments, as cunning layes.

60
Of whom he did great
Constantine
beget,

Who afterward was Emperour of Rome;

To which whiles absent he his mind did set,

Octauius
here lept into his roome,

And it vsurped by vnrighteous doome:

But he his title justifide by might,

Slaying
Traherne,
and hauing ouercome

The
Romane
legion in dreadfull fight:

So settled he his kingdome, and confirmd his right.

61
But wanting issew male, his daughter deare,

He gaue in wedlocke to
Maximian,

And him with her made of his kingdome heyre,

Who soone by meanes thereof the Empire wan,

Till murdred by the friends of
Gratian;

Then gan the Hunnes and Picts inuade this land,

During the raigne of
Maximinian;

Who dying left none heire them to withstand,

But that they ouerran all parts with easie hand.

62
The weary
Britons,
whose war-hable youth

Was by
Maximian
lately led away,

With wretched miseries, and woefull ruth,

Were to those Pagans made an open pray,

And dayly spectacle of sad decay:

Whom
Romane
warres, which now foure hundred yeares,

And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;

Till by consent of Commons and of Peares,

They crownd the second
Constantine
with ioyous teares,

63
Who hauing oft in battell vanquished

Those spoilefull Picts, and swarming Easterlings,

Long time in peace his Realme established,

Yet oft annoyd with sundry bordragings

Of neighbour Scots, and forrein Scatterlings,

With which the world did in those dayes abound:

Which to outbarre, with painerull pyonings

From sea to sea he heapt a mightie mound,

Which from
Akluid
to
Panwelt
did that border bound.

64
Three sonnes he dying left, all vnder age;

By meanes whereof, their vncle
Vortigere

Vsurpt the crowne, during their pupillage;

Which th'Infants tutors gathering to feare,

Them closely into
Armorick
did beare:

For dread of whom, and for those Picts annoyes,

He sent to
Germanie,
straunge aid to reare,

From whence eftsoones arriued here three hoyea

Of
Saxons,
whom he for his safetie imployes.

65
Two brethren were their Capitayns, which hight

Hengist
and
Horsus,
well approu'd in warre,

And both of them men of renowmed might;

Who making vantage of their ciuill iarre,

And of those forreiners, which came from farre,

Grew great, and got large portions of land,

That in the Realme ere long they stronger arre,

Then they which sought at first their helping hand,

And
Vortiger
enforst the kingdome to aband.

66
But by the helpe of
Vortimere
his sonne,

He is againe vnto his rule restord,

And
Hengist
seeming sad, for that was donne,

Receiued is to grace and new accord,

Through his faire daughters face, & flattring word;

Soone after which, three hundred Lordes he slew

Of British bloud, all sitting at his bord;

Whose dolefull moniments who list to rew,

Th'eternall markes of treason may at
Stonheng
vew.

67
By this the sonnes of
Constantine,
which fled,

Ambrose
and
Vther
did ripe yeares attaine,

And here arriuing, strongly challenged

The crowne, which
Vortiger
did long detaine:

Who flying from his guilt, by them was slaine,

And
Hengist
eke soone brought to shamefull death.

Thenceforth
Aurelius
peaceably did rayne,

Till that through poyson stopped was his breath;

So now entombed lyes at Stoneheng by the heath.

68
After him
Vther,
which
Pendragon
hight,

Succeding There abruptly it did end,

Without full point, or other Cesure right,

As if the rest some wicked hand did rend,

Or th'Authour selfe could not at least attend

To finish it: that so vntimely breach

The Prince him selfe halfe seemeth to offend,

Yet secret pleasure did offence empeach,

And wonder of antiquitie long stopt his speach.

69
At last quite rauisht with delight, to heare

The royall Ofspring of his natiue land,

Cryde out, Dcare countrey, 6 how dearely deare

Ought thy remembraunce, and perpetuall band

Be to thy foster Childe, that from thy hand

Did commun breath and nouriture receaue?

How brutish is it not to vnderstand,

How much to her we owe, that all vs gaue,

That gaue vnto vs all, what euer good we haue.

70
But
Guyon
all this while his booke did read,

Ne yet has ended: for it was a great

And ample volume, that doth far excead

My leasure, so long leaues here to repeat:

It told, how first
Prometheus
did create

A man, of many partes from beasts deriued

And then stole fire from heauen, to animate

His worke, for which he was by
loue
depriued

Of life him selfe, and hart-strings of an Ægle riued.

71
That man so made, he called
Elfe,
to weet

Quick, the first authour of all Elfin kind:

Who wandring through the world with wearie feet,

Did in the gardins of
Adonis
find

A goodly creature, whom he deemd in mind

To be no earthly wight, but either Spright,

Or Angell, th'authour of all woman kind;

Therefore a
Fay
he her according hight,

Of whom all
Faeryes
spring, and fetch their lignage right.

72
Of these a mightie people shortly grew,

And puissaunt kings, which all the world warrayd,

And to them selues all Nations did subdew:

The first and eldest, which that scepter swayd,

Was
Elfin;
him all
India
obayd,

And all that now
America
men call:

Next him was noble
Elfinan,
who layd

Cleopolis
foundation first of all:

But
Elfiline
enclose! it with a golden wall.

73
His sonne was
Elfinell,
who ouercame

The wicked
Gobbelines
in bloudy field:

But
Elfant
was of most renowmed fame,

Who all of Christall did
Panthea
build:

Then
Elfar,
who two brethren gyants kild,

The one of which had two heads, th'other three:

Then
Elfinor,
who was in Magick skild;

He built by art vpon the glassy See

A bridge of bras, whose sound heauens thunder seem'd to bee.

74
He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,

And all their Ofspring, in their dew descents,

Euen seuen hundred Princes, which maintaynd

With mightie deedes their sundry gouerntnents;

That were too long their infinite contents

Here to record, ne much materiall:

Yet should they be most famous moniments,

And braue ensample, both of martiall,

And ciuill rule to kings and states imperiall.

75
After all these
Elficleos
did rayne,

The wise
Elficleos
in great Maiestie,

Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,

And with rich spoiles and famous victorie,

Did high aduaunce the crowne of
Faery:

He left two sonnes, of which faire
Elferon

The eldest brother did vntimely dy;

Whose emptie place the mightie
Oberon

Doubly supph'de, in spousall, and dominion.

76
Great was his power and glorie ouer all,

‘Which him before, that sacred seate did fill,

That yet remaines his wide memoriall:

He dying left the fairest
Tanaquill,

Him to succeede therein, by his last will:

Fairer and nobler liueth none this howre,

Ne like in grace, ne like in learned skill;

Therefore they
Glorian
call that glorious flowre,

Long mayst thou
Glorian
liue, in glory and great powre.

77
Beguild thus with delight of nouelties,

And naturall desire of countreys state,

So long they red in those antiquities,

That how the time was fled, they quite forgate,

Till gentle
Alma
seeing it so late,

Perforce their studies broke, and them besought

To thinke, how supper did them long awaite.

So halfe vnwilling from their bookes them brought,

And fairely feasted, as so noble knights she ought.

The enimies of Temperaunce
   besiege her dwelling place:
Prince Arthur them repelles, and fowle
   Maleger doth deface.

1
What warre so cruell, or what siege so sore,

As that, which strong affections do apply

Against the fort of reason euermore

To bring the soule into captiuitie:

Their force is fiercer through infirmitie

Of the fraile flesh, relenting to their rage,

And exercise most bitter tyranny

Vpon the parts, brought into their bondage:

No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage.

2
But in a body, which doth freely yeeld

His partes to reasons rule obedient,

And letteth her that ought the scepter weeld,

All happy peace and goodly gouernment

Is setled there in sure establishment;

There
Alma
like a virgin Queene most bright,

Doth florish in all beautde excellent:

And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight,

Attempred goodly well for health and for delight.

3
Early before the Morne with cremosin ray,

The windowes of bright heauen opened had,

Through which into the world the dawning day

Might looke, that maketh euery creature glad,

Vprose Sir
Guyon,
in bright armour clad,

And to his purposd iourney him prepar'd:

With him die Palmer eke in habit sad,

Him selfe addrest to that aduenture hard:

So to the riuers side they both together far'd.

4
Where them awaited ready at the ford

The
Ferriman,
as
Alma
had benight,

With his well rigged boate: They go abord,

And he eftsoones gan launch his barke forthright.

Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight,

And fast the land behind them fled away.

But let them pas, whiles wind and weather right

Do serue their turnes: here I a while must stay,

To see a cruell fight doen by the Prince this day.

5
For all so soone, as
Guyon
thence was gon

Vpon his voyage with his trustie guide,

That wicked band of villeins fresh begon

That castle to assaile on euery side,

And lay strong siege about it far and wide.

So huge and infinite their numbers were,

That all the land they vnder them did hide;

So fowle and vgly, that exceeding feare

Their visages imprest, when they approched neare.

6
Them in twelue troupes their Captain did dispart

And round about in fittest steades did place,

Where each might best offend his proper part,

And his contrary obiect most deface,

As euery one seem'd meetest in that cace.

Seuen of the same against the Castle gate,

In strong entrenchments he did closely place,

Which with incessaunt force and endlesse hate,

They battred day and night, and entraunce did awate.

7
The other fiue, fiue sundry wayes he set,

Against the fiue great Bulwarkes of that pile,

And vnto each a Bulwarke did arret,

T'assayle with open force or hidden guile,

In hope thereof to win victorious spoile.

They all that charge did feruently apply,

With greedie malice and importune toyle,

And planted there their huge artillery,

With which they dayly made most dreadfull battery.

8
The first troupe was a monstrous rablement

Of fowle misshapen wights, of which some were

Headed like Owles, with beckes vncomely bent,

Others like Dogs, others like Gryphons dreare,

And some had wings, and some had clawes to teare,

And euery one of them had Lynces eyes,

And euery one did bow and arrowes beare:

All those were lawlesse lustes, corrupt enuies,

And couetous aspectes, all cruell enimies.

9
Those same against the bulwarke of the
Sight

Did lay strong siege, and battailous assault,

Ne once did yield it respit day nor night,

But soone as
Titan
gan his head exault,

And soone againe as he his light withhault,

Their wicked engins they against it bent:

That is each thing, by which the eyes may fault,

But two then all more huge and violent,

Beautie, and money, they that Bulwarke sorely rent.

10
The second Bulwarke was the
Hearing
sence,

Gainst which the second troupe dessignment makes;

Deformed creatures, in straunge difference,

Some hauing heads like Harts, some like to Snakes,

Some like wild Bores late rouzd out of the brakes;

Slaunderous reproches, and fowle infamies,

Leasings, backbytings, and vaine-glorious crakes,

Bad counsels, prayses, and false flatteries.

All those against that fort did bend their batteries.

11
Likewise that same third Fort, that is the
Smell

Of that third troupe was cruelly assayd:

Whose hideous shapes were like to feends of hell,

Some like to hounds, some like to Apes, dismayd,

Some like to Puttockes, all in plumes arayd:

All shap't according their conditions,

For by those vgly formes weren pourtrayd,

Foolish delights and fond abusions,

Which do that sence besiege with light illusions.

12
And that fourth band, which cruell battry bent,

Against the fourth Bulwarke, that is the
Tost,

Was as the rest, a grysie rablement,

Some mouth'd like greedy Oystriges, some fast

Like loathly Toades, some fashioned in the wast

Like swine; for so deformd is luxury,

Surfeat, misdiet, and vnthriftie wast,

Vaine feasts, and idle superfluity:

All those this sences Fort assayle incessantly.

13
But the fift troupe most horrible of hew,

And fierce of force, was dreadfull to report:

For some like Snailes, some did like spyders shew,

And some like vgly Vrchins thicke and short:

Cruelly they assayled that fift Fort,

Armed with darts of sensuall delight,

With stings of carnall lust, and strong effort

Of feeling pleasures, with which day and night

Against that same fift bulwarke they continued fight

14
Thus these twelue troupes with dreadfull puissance

Against that Castle restlesse siege did lay,

And euermore their hideous Ordinance

Vpon the Bulwarkes cruelly did play,

That now it gan to threaten neare decay:

And euermore their wicked Capitaine

Prouoked them the breaches to assay,

Somtimes with threats, somtimes with hope of gaine,

Which by the ransack of that peece they should attaine.

15
On th'other side, th'assieged Castles ward

Their stedfast stonds did mightily maintaine,

And many bold repulse, and many hard

Atchieuement wrought with perill and with paine,

That goodly frame from mine to sustaine:

And those two brethren Giants did defend

The walles so stoutly with their sturdie maine,

That neuer entrance any durst pretend,

But they to direfull death their groning ghosts did send.

16
The noble virgin, Ladie of the place,

Was much dismayed with that dreadfull sight:

For neuer was she in so euill cace,

Till that the Prince seeing her wofull plight,

Gan her recomfort from, so sad affright,

Offring his seruice, and his dearest life

For her defence, against that Carle to fight,

Which was their chiefe and th'author of that strife:

She him remerded as the Patrone of her life.

17
Eftsoones himselfe in glitterand armes he dight,

And his well proued weapons to him hent;

So taking courteous conge he behight,

Those gates to be vnbar'd, and forth he went.

Faire mote he thee, the prowest and most gent,

That euer brandished bright Steele on hye:

Whom soone as that vnruly rablement,

With his gay Squire issuing did espy,

They reard a most outrageous dreadfull yelling cry.

18
And therewith all attonce at him let fly

Their fluttring arrowes, thicke as flakes of snow,

And round about him flocke impetuously,

Like a great water flood, that tombling low

From the high mountaines, threats to ouerflow

With suddein fury all the fertile plaine,

And the sad husbandmans long hope doth throw

A downe the streame, and all his vowes make vaine,

Nor bounds nor banks his headlong mine may sustaine.

19
Vpon his shield their heaped hayle he bore,

And with his sword disperst the raskall flockes,

Which fled a sunder, and him fell before,

As withered leaues drop from their dried stockes,

When the wroth Western wind does reaue their locks;

And vnder neath him his courageous steed,

The fierce
Spumador
trode them downe like docks,

The fierce
Spumador
borne of heauenly seed:

Such as
Laomedon of Phoebus
race did breed

20
Which suddeine horrour and confused cry,

When as their Captaine heard, in haste he yode,

The cause to weet, and fault to remedy;

Vpon a Tygre swift and fierce he rode,

That as the winde ran vnderneath his lode,

Whiles his long legs nigh raught vnto the ground;

Full large he was of limbe, and shoulders brode,

But of such subtile substance and vnsound,

That like a ghost he seem'd, whose graue-dothes were vnbound.

21
And in his hand a bended bow was seene,

And many arrowes vnder his right side,

All deadly daungerous, all cruell keene,

Headed with flint, and feathers bloudie dide,

Such as the
Indians
in their quiuers hide;

Those could he well direct and streight as line,

And bid them strike the marke, which he had eyde,

Ne was their salue, ne was their medicine,

That mote recure their wounds: so inly they did tine.

22
As pale and wan as ashes was his looke,

His bodie leane and meagre as a rake,

And skin all withered like a dryed rooke,

Thereto as cold and drery as a Snake,

That seem'd to tremble euermore, and quake:

All in a canuas thin he was bedight,

And girded with a belt of twisted brake,

Vpon his head he wore an Helmet light,

Made of a dead mans skull, that seem'd a ghastly sight.

23
Maleger
was his name, and after him,

There follow'd fast at hand two wicked Hags,

With hoarie lockes all loose, and visage grim;

Their feet vnshod, their bodies wrapt in rags,

And both as swift on foot, as chased Stags;

And yet the one her other legge had lame,

Which with a staffe, all full of litle snags

She did support, and
Impotence
her name:

But th'other was
Impatience,
arm'd with raging flame.

24
Soone as the Carle from farre the Prince espyde,

Glistring in armes and warlike ornament,

His Beast he felly prickt on either syde,

And his mischieuous bow full readie bent,

With which at him a cruell shaft he sent:

But he was warie, and it warded well

Vpon his shield, that it no further went,

But to the ground the idle quarrell fell:

Then he another and another did expell

25
Which to preuent, the Prince his mortall speare

Soone to him raught, and fierce at him did ride,

To be auenged of that shot whyleare:

But he was not so hardie to abide

That bitter stownd, but turning quicke aside

His light-foot beast, fled fast away for feare:

Whom to pursue, the Infant after hide,

So fast as his good Courser could him beare,

But labour lost it was, to weene approch him neare.

26
For as the winged wind his Tigre fled,

That vew of eye could scarse him ouertake,

Ne scarse his feet on ground were seene to tred;

Through hils and dales he speedie way did make,

Ne hedge ne ditch his readie passage brake,

And in his flight the villein turn'd his face,

(As wonts the
Tartar
by the
Caspian
lake,

When as the
Russian
him in fight does chace)

Vnto his Tygres taile, and shot at him apace.

27
Apace he shot, and yet he fled apace,

Still as the greedy knight nigh to him drew,

And oftentimes he would relent his pace,

That him his foe more fiercely should pursew:

Who when his vncouth manner he did vew,

He gan auize to follow him no more,

But keepe his standing, and his shaftes eschew,

Vntill he quite had spent his perlous store,

And then assayle him fresh, ere he could shift for more.

28
But that lame Hag, still as abroad he strew

His wicked arrowes, gathered them againe,

And to him brought, fresh battell to renew:

Which he espying, cast her to restraine

From yielding succour to that cursed Swaine,

And her attaching, thought her hands to tye;

But soone as him dismounted on the plaine,

That other Hag did farre away espy

Binding her sister, she to him ran hastily.

29
And catching hold of him, as downe he lent,