The Faerie Queene (57 page)

The furious flames of malice to asswage.

Tho each to other did his faith engage,

Like faithfull friends thenceforth to ioyne in one

With all their force, and battell strong to wage

Gainst all those knights, as their professed fone,

That chaleng'd ought in
Florimell,
saue they alone.

29
So well accorded forth they rode together

In friendly sort, that lasted but a while;

And of all old dislikes they made faire weather,

Yet all was forg'd and spred with golden foyle,

That vnder it hidde hate and hollow guyle.

Ne certes can that friendship long endure,

How euer gay and goodly be the style,

That doth ill cause or euill end enure:

For vertue is the band, that bindeth harts most sure.

30
Thus as they marched all in close disguise,

Of fayned loue, they chaunst to ouertake

Two knights, that lincked rode in louely wise,

As if they secret counsels did partake;

And each not farre behinde him had his make,

To weete, two Ladies of most goodly hew,

That twixt themselues did gentle purpose make,

Vnmindfull both of that discordfull crew,

The which with speedie pace did after them pursew.

31
Who as they now approched nigh at hand,

Deeming them doughtie as they did appeare,

They sent that Squire afore, to vnderstand,

What mote they be: who viewing them more neare

Returned readie newes, that those same weare

Two of the prowest Knights in Faery lond;

And those two Ladies their two louers deare,

Couragious
Cambell,
and stout
Triamond,

With
Canacee
and
Combine
linckt in louely bond.

32
Whylome as antique stories tellen vs,

Those two were foes the fellonest on ground,

And battell made the dreddest daungerous,

That euer shrilling trumpet did resound;

Though now their acts be no where to be found,

As that renowmed Poet them compyled,

With warlike numbers and Heroicke sound,

Dan
Chaucer,
well of English vndefyled,

On Fames eternall beadroll worthie to be fyled.

33
But wicked Time that all good thoughts doth waste,

And workes of noblest wits to nought out weare,

That famous moniment hath quite defaste,

And robd the world of threasure endlesse deare,

The which mote haue enriched all vs heare.

O cursed Eld the cankerworme of writs,

How may these rimes, so rude as doth appeare,

Hope to endure, sith workes of heauenly wits

Are quite deuourd, and brought to nought by little bits?

34
Then pardon, O most sacred happie spirit,

That I thy labours lost may thus reuiue,

And steale from thee the meede of thy due merit,

That none durst euer whilest thou wast aliue,

And being dead in vaine yet many striue:

Ne dare I like, but through infusion sweete

Of thine owne spirit, which doth in me surviue,

I follow here the footing of thy feete,

That with thy meaning so I may the rather meete.

35
Cambelloes
sister was fayre
Canacee,

That was the learnedst Ladie in her dayes,

Well seene in euerie science that mote bee,

And euery secret worke of natures wayes,

In wittie riddles, and in wise soothsayes,

In power of herbes, and tunes of beasts and burds;

And, that augmented all her other prayse,

She modest was in all her deedes and words,

And wondrous chast of life, yet lou'd of Knights & Lords.

36
Full many Lords, and many Knights her loued,

Yet she to none of them her liking lent,

Ne euer was with fond affection moued,

But rul'd her thoughts with goodly gouernement,

For dread of blame and honours blemishment;

And eke vnto her lookes a law she made,

That none of them once out of order went,

But like to warie Centonels well stayd,

Still watcht on euery side, of secret foes affrayd.

37
So much the more as she refusd to loue,

So much the more she loued was and sought,

That oftentimes vnquiet strife did moue

Amongst her louers, and great quarrels wrought,

That oft for her in bloudie armes they fought.

Which whenas
Cambell,
that was stout and wise,

Perceiu'd would breede great mischiefe, he bethought

How to preuent the perill that mote rise,

And turne both him and her to honour in this wise.

38
One day, when all that troupe of warlike wooers

Assembled were, to weet whose she should bee,

All mightie men and dreadfull derring dooers,

(The harder it to make them well agree)

Amongst them all this end he did decree;

That of them all, which loue to her did make,

They by consent should chose the stoutest three,

That with himselfe should combat for her sake,

And of them all the victour should his sister take.

39
Bold was the chalenge, as himselfe was bold,

And courage full of haughtie hardiment,

Approued oft in perils manifold,

Which he atchieu'd to his great ornament:

But yet his sisters skill vnto him lent

Most confidence and hope of happie speed,

Concerned by a ring, which she him sent,

That mongst the manie vertues, which we reed,

Had power to staunch al wounds, that mortally did bleed.

40
Well was that rings great vertue knowen to all,

That dread thereof, and his redoubted might

Did all that youthly rout so much appall,

That none of them durst vndertake the fight;

More wise they weend to make of loue delight,

Then life to hazard for faire Ladies looke,

And yet vncertaine by such outward sight,

Though for her sake they all that perill tooke,

Whether she would them loue, or in her liking brooke.

41
Amongst those knights there were three brethren bold,

Three bolder brethren neuer were yborne,

Borne of one mother in one happie mold,

Borne at one burden in one happie morne,

Thrise happie mother, and thrise happie morne,

That bore three such, three such not to be fond;

Her name was
Agape
whose children werne

All three as one, the first bight
Priamond,

The second
Dyamond,
the youngest
Triamond.

42
Stout
Priamond,
but not so strong to strike,

Strong
Diamond,
but not so stout a knight,

But
Triamond
was stout and strong alike:

On horsebacke vsed
Triamond
to fight,

And
Priamond
on foote had more delight,

But horse and foote knew
Diamond
to wield:

With curtaxe vsed
Diamond
to smite,

And
Triamond
to handle speare and shield,

But speare and curtaxe both vsd
Priamond
in field.

43
These three did loue each other dearely well,

And with so firme affection were allyde,

As if but one soule in them all did dwell,

Which did her powre into three parts diuyde;

like three faire branches budding farre and wide,

That from one roote deriu'd their vitall sap:

And like that roote that doth her life diuide,

Their mother was, and had full blessed hap,

These three so noble babes to bring forth at one clap.

44
Their mother was a Fay, and had the skill

Of secret things, and all the powres of nature,

Which she by art could vse vnto her will,

And to her seruice bind each liuing creature:

Through secret vnderstanding of their feature.

Thereto she was right faire, when so her face

She list discouer, and of goodly stature;

But she as Fayes are wont, in priuie place

Did spend her dayes, and lov'd in forests wyld to space.

45
There on a day a noble youthly knight

Seeking aduentures in the saluage wood,

Did by great fortune get of her the sight;

As she sate carelesse by a cristall flood,

Combing her golden lockes, as seemd her good:

And vnawares vpon her laying hold,

That stroue in vaine him long to haue withstood,

Oppressed her, and there (as it is told)

Got these three louely babes, that prov'd three champions bold.

46
Which she with her long fostred in that wood,

Till that to ripenesse of mans state they grew:

Then shewing forth signes of their fathers blood,

They loued armes, and knighthood did ensew,

Seeking aduentures, where they anie knew.

Which when their mother saw, she gan to dout

Their safetie, least by searching daungers new,

And rash prouoking perils all about,

Their days mote be abridged through their corage stout

47
Therefore desirous th'end of all their dayes

To know, and them t'enlarge with long extent,

By wondrous skill, and many hidden wayes,

To the three fatall sisters house she went.

Farre vnder ground from tract of liuing went,

Downe in the bottome of the deepe
Abysse,

Where
Demogorgon
in dull darknesse pent,

Farre from the view of Gods and heauens bh's,

The hideous
Chaos
keepes, their dreadfull dwelling is.

48
There she them found, all sitting round about

The direfull distaffe standing in the mid,

And with vnwearied fingers drawing out

The lines of life, from liuing knowledge hid.

Sad
Clotho
held the rocke, the whiles the thrid

By griesly
Lachesis
was spun with paine,

That cruell
Atropos
eftsoones vndid,

With cursed knife cutting the twist in twaine:

Most wretched men, whose dayes depend on thrids so vaine.

49
She them saluting, there by them sate still,

Beholding how the thrids of life they span:

And when at last she had beheld her fill,

Trembling in heart, and looking pale and wan,

Her cause of comming she to tell began.

To whom fierce
Atropos,
Bold Fay, that durst

Come see the secret of the life of man,

Well worthie thou to be of
Ioue
accurst,

And eke thy childrens thrids to be asunder burst

50
Whereat she sore affrayd, yet her besought

To graunt her boone, and rigour to abate,

That she might see her childrens thrids forth brought,

And know the measure of their vtmost date,

To them ordained by eternall fate.

Which
Clotho
graunting, shewed her the same:

That when she saw, it did her much amate,

To see their thrids so thin, as spiders frame,

And eke so short, that seemd their ends out shortly came.

51
She then began them humbly to intreate,

To draw them longer out, and better twine,

That so their liues might be prolonged late.

But
Lachesis
thereat gan to repine,

And sayd, fond dame that deem'st of things diuine

As of humane, diat they may altred bee,

And chaung'd at pleasure for those impes of thine.

Not so; for what the Fates do once decree,

Not all the gods can chaunge, nor
Ioue
him self can free.

52
Then since (quoth she) the terme of each mans life

For nought may lessened nor enlarged bee,

Graunt this, that when ye shred with fatall knife

His line, which is the eldest of the three,

Which is of them the shortest, as I see,

Eftsoones his life may passe into the next;

And when the next shall likewise ended bee,

That both their Hues may likewise be annext

Vnto the third, that his may so be trebly wext.

53
They graunted it; and then that carefull Fay

Departed thence with full contented mynd;

And comming home, in warlike fresh aray

Them found all three according to their kynd:

But vnto them what destinie was assynd,

Or how their liues were eekt, she did not tell;

But euermore, when she fit time could fynd,

She warned them to tend their safeties well,

And loue each other deare, what euer them befell.

54
So did they surely during all their dayes,

And neuer discord did amongst them fall;

Which much augmented all their other praise.

And now t'increase affection naturall,

In loue of
Canacee
they ioyned all:

Vpon which ground this same great battell grew,

Great matter growing of beginning small;

The which for length I will not here pursew,

But rather will reserue it for a Canto new.

The battell twixt three brethren with
   Cambell for Canacee
Cambina with true friendships bond
   doth their long strife agree.

1
O why doe wretched men so much desire,

To draw their dayes vnto the vtmost date,

And doe not rather wish them soone expire,

Knowing the miserie of their estate,

And thousand perills which them still awate,

Tossing them like a boate amid the mayne,

That euery houre they knocke at deathes gate?

And he that happie seemes and least in payne,

Yet is as nigh his end, as he that most doth playne.

2
Therefore this Fay I hold but fond and vaine,

The which in seeking for her children three

Long life, thereby did more prolong their paine.

Yet whilest they liued none did euer see

More happie creatures, then they seem'd to bee,

Nor more ennobled for their courtesie,

That made them dearely lou'd of each degree;

Ne more renowmed for their cheualrie,

That made them dreaded much of all men farre and nie.

3
These three that hardie chalenge tooke in hand,

For
Canacee
with
Cambell
for to fight:

The day was set, that all might vnderstand,

And pledges pawnd the same to keepe a right,

That day, the dreddest day that liuing wight

Did euer see vpon this world to shine,

So soone as heauens window shewed light,

These warlike Champions all in armour shine,

Assembled were in field, the chalenge to define.

4
The field with listes was all about enclos'd,

To barre the prease of people farre away;

And at th'one side sixe iudges were dispos'd,

To view and deeme the deedes of armes that day;

And on the other side in fresh aray,

Fayre
Canacee
vpon a stately stage

Was set, to see the fortune of that fray,

And to be seene, as his most worthie wage,

That could her purchase with his liues aduentur'd gage.

5
Then entred
Cambell
first into the list,

With stately steps, and fearelesse countenance,

As if the conquest his he surely wist.

Soone after did the brethren three aduance,

In braue aray and goodly amenance,

With scutchins gilt and banners broad displayd:

And marching thrise in warlike ordinance,

Thrise lowted lowly to the noble Mayd,

The whiles shril trompets & loud clarions sweedy playd.

6
Which doen the doughty chalenger came forth,

All arm'd to point his chalenge to abet:

Gainst whom Sir
Priamond
with equall worth:

And equall armes himselfe did forward set

A trompet blew; they both together met,

With dreadfull force, and furious intent,

Carelesse of perill in their fiers affret,

As if that life to losse they had forelent,

And cared not to spare, that should be shortly spent

7
Right practicke was Sir
Priamond
in fight,

And throughly skild in vse of shield and speare;

Ne lesse approued was
Cambelloes
might,

Ne lesse his skill in weapons did appeare,

That hard it was to weene which harder were.

Full many mightie strokes on either side

Were sent, that seemed death in them to beare,

But they were both so watchfull and well eyde,

That they auoyded were, and vainely by did slyde.

8
Yet one of many was so strongly bent

By
Priamond,
that with vnluckie glaunce

Through
Cambels
shoulder it vnwarely went,

That forced him his shield to disaduaunce,

Much was he grieued with that gracelesse chaunce,

Yet from the wound no drop of bloud there fell,

But wondrous paine, that did the more enhaunce

His haughtie courage to aduengement fell:

Smart daunts not mighty harts, but makes them more to swell.

9
With that his poynant speare he fierce auentred,

With doubled force close vnderneath his shield,

That through the mayles into his thigh it entred,

And there arresting, readie way did yield,

For bloud to gush forth on the grassie field;

That he for paine himselfe not right vpreare,

But too and fro in great amazement reel'd,

Like an old Oke whose pith and sap is seare,

At puffe of euery storme doth stagger here and theare.

10
Whom so dismayd when
Campbell
had espide,

Againe he droue at him with double might,

That nought mote stay the Steele, till in his side

The mortall point most cruelly empight:

Where fast infixed, whilest he sought by slight

It forth to wrest, the staffe a sunder brake,

And left the head behind: with which despight

He all enrag'd, his shiuering speare did shake,

And charging him afresh thus felly him bespake.

11
Lo faitour there thy meede vnto thee take,

The meede of thy mischalenge and abet:

Not for thine owne, but for thy sisters sake,

Haue I thus long thy life vnto thee let:

But to forbeare doth not forgiue the det.

The wicked weapon heard his wrathfull vow,

And passing forth with furious affret,

Pierst through his beuer quite into his brow,

That with the force it backward forced him to bow.

12
Therewith a sunder in the midst it brast,

And in his hand nought but the troncheon left,

The other halfe behind yet sticking fast,

Out of his headpeece
Cambell
fiercely reft,

And with such furie backe at him it heft,

That making way vnto his dearest life,

His weasand pipe it through his gorget cleft:

Thence streames of purple bloud issuing rife,

Let forth his wearie ghost and made an end of strife.

13
His wearie ghost assoyld from fleshly band,

Did not as others wont, directly fly

Vnto her rest in Plutoes griesly land,

Ne into ayre did vanish presently,

Ne chaunged was into a starre in sky:

But through traduction was eftsoones deriued,

Like as his mother prayd the Destinie,

Into his other brethren, that suruiued,

In whom he liu'd a new, of former life depriued.

14
Whom when on ground his brother next beheld,

Though sad and sorie for so heauy sight,

Yet leaue vnto his sorrow did not yeeld,

But rather stird to vengeance and despight,

Through secret feeling of his generous spright,

Rusht fiercely forth, the battell to renew,

As in reuersion of his brothers right;

And chalenging the Virgin as bis dew.

His foe was soone addrest: the trompets freshly blew.

15
With that they both together fiercely met,

As if that each ment other to deuoure;

And with their axes both so sorely bet,

That neither plate nor mayle, whereas their powre

They felt, could once sustaine the hideous stowre,

But riued were like rotten wood a sunder,

Whilest through dieir rifts the ruddie bloud did showre

And fire did flash, like lightning after thunder,

That fild the lookers on attonce with ruth and wonder.

16
As when two Tygers prickt with hungers rage,

Haue by good fortune found some beasts fresh spoyle,

On which they weene their famine to asswage,

And gaine a feastfull guerdon, of their toyle,

Both falling out doe stirre vp strifefull broyle,

And cruell battell twixt themselues doe make,

Whiles neither lets the other touch the soyle,

But either sdeignes with other to partake:

So cruelly these Knights stroue for that Ladies sake.

17
Full many strokes, that mortally were ment,

The whiles were enterchaunged twixt them two;

Yet they were all with so good wariment

Or warded, or auoyded and let goe,

That still the life stood fearelesse of her foe:

Till
Diamond
disdeigning long delay

Of doubtfull fortune wauering to and fro,

Resolu'd to end it one or other way;

And heau'd his murdrous axe at him with mighty sway.

18
The dreadfull stroke in case it had arriued,

Where it was ment, (so deadly it was ment)

The soule had sure out of his bodie riued,

And stinted all the strife incontinent.

But
Cambels
fate that fortune did preuent:

For seeing it at hand, he swaru'd asyde,

And so gaue way vnto his fell intent:

Who missing of the marke which he had eyde,

Was with the force nigh feld whilst his right foot did slyde.

19
As when a Vulture greedie of his pray,

Through hunger long, that hart to him doth lend,

Strikes at an Heron with all his bodies sway,

That from his force seemes nought may it defend;

The warie fowle that spies him toward bend

His dreadfull souse, auoydes it shunning light,

And maketh him his wing in vaine to spend;

That with the weight of his owne weeldlesse might,

He falleth nigh to ground, and scarse recouereth flight.

20
Which faire aduenture when
Cambello
spide,

Full lightly, ere himselfe he could recower,

From daungers dread to ward his naked side,

He can let driue at him with all his power,

And with his axe him smote in euill hower,

That from his shoulders quite his head he reft:

The headlesse tronke, as heedlesse of that stower,

Stood still a while, and his fast footing kept,

Till feeling life to fayle, it fell, and deadly slept

21
They which that piteous spectacle beheld,

Were much amaz'd the headlesse tronke to see

Stand vp so long, and weapon vaine to weld,

Vnweeting of the Fates diuine decree,

For lifes succession in those brethren three.

For notwithstanding that one soule was reft,

Yet, had the bodie not dismembred bee,

It would haue liued, and reuiued eft;

But finding no fit seat, the lifelesse corse it left.

22
It left; but that same soule, which therein dwelt,

Streight entring into
Triamond,
him fild

With double life, and griefe, which when he felt,

As one whose inner parts had bene ythrild

With point of Steele, that close his hartbloud spild,

He lightly lept out of his place of rest,

And rushing forth into the emptie field,

Against
Cambello
fiercely him addrest;

Who him affronting soone to fight was readie prest.

23
Well mote ye wonder how that noble Knight,

After he had so often wounded beene,

Could stand on foot, now to renew the fight.

But had ye then him forth aduauncing seene,

Some newborne wight ye would him surely weene:

So fresh he seemed and so fierce in sight;

Like as a Snake, whom wearie winters teene,

Hath worne to nought, now feeling sommers might,

Casts off his ragged skin and freshly doth him dight.

24
All was through vertue of the ring he wore,

The which not onely did not from him let

One drop of bloud to fall, but did restore

His weakned powers, and dulled spirits whet,

Through working of the stone therein yset.

Eke how could one of equall might with most,

Against so many no lesse mightie met,

Once thinke to match three such on equall cost,

Three such as able were to match a puissant host.

25
Yet nought thereof was
Triamond
adredde,

Ne desperate of glorious victorie,

But sharpely him assayld, and sore bestedde,

With heapes of strokes, which he at him let die,

As thicke as hayle forth poured from the skie:

He stroke, he soust, he foynd, he hewd, he lasht,

And did his yron brond so fast applie,

That from the same the fierie sparkles flasht,

As fast as water-sprinkles gainst a rocke are dasht

26
Much was
Cambello
daunted with his blowes,

So thicke they fell, and forcibly were sent,

That he was forst from daunger of the throwes

Backe to retire, and somewhat to relent,

Till th'heat of his fierce furie he had spent:

Which when for want of breath gan to abate,

He then afresh with new encouragement

Did him assayle, and mightily amate,

As fast as forward erst, now backward to retrate.

27
Like as the tide that comes from th'Ocean mayne,

Flowes vp the Shenan with contrarie forse,

And ouerruling him in his owne rayne,

Driues backe the current of his kindly course,

And makes it seeme to haue some other fourse:

But when the floud is spent, then backe againe

His borrowed waters forst to redisbourse,

He sends the sea his owne with double gaine,

And tribute eke withall, as to his Soueraine.

28
Thus did the battell varie to and fro,

With diuerse fortune doubtfull to be deemed:

Now this the better had, now had his fo;

Then he halfe vanquisht, then the other seemed,

Yet victors both them selues alwayes esteemed.

And all the while the disentrayled blood

Adowne their sides like litle riuers stremed,