The Faerie Queene (59 page)

Triumphing in great ioy and iolity;

Gainst whom none able was to stand on ground;

That much he gan his glorie to enuy,

And cast t'auenge his friends indignity.

A mightie speare eftsoones at him he bent;

Who seeing him come on so furiously,

Met him mid-way with equall hardiment,

That forcibly to ground they both together went.

29
They vp againe them selues can lightly reare,

And to their tryed swords them selues betake;

With which they wrought such wondrous maruels there,

That all the rest it did amazed make,

Ne any dar'd their perill to partake;

Now cuffing close, now chacing to and fro,

Now hurtling round aduantage for to take:

As two wild Boares together grapling go,

Chaufing and foming choler each against his fo.

30
So as they courst, and turneyd here and theare,

It chaunst Sir
Satyrane
his steed at last,

Whether through foundring or through sodein feare

To stumble, that his rider nigh he cast;

Which vauntage
Cambell
did pursue so fast,

That ere him selfe he had recouered well,

So sore he sowst him on the compast creast,

That forced him to leaue his loftie sell,

And rudely tumbling downe vnder his horse feete fell.

31
Lightly
Cambello
leapt downe from his steed,

For to haue rent his shield and armes away,

That whylome wont to be the victors meed;

When all vnwares he felt an hideous sway

Of many swords, that lode on him did lay.

An hundred knights had him enclosed round,

To rescue
Satyrane
out of his pray;

All which at once huge strokes on him did pound,

In hope to take him prisoner, where he stood on ground.

32
He with their multitude was nought dismayd,

But with stout courage turnd vpon them all,

And with his brondiron round about him layd;

Of which he dealt large almes, as did befall:

like as a Lion that by chaunce doth fall

Into the hunters toile, doth rage and rore,

In royall heart disdaining to be thrall.

But all in vaine: for what might one do more?

They haue him taken captiue, though it grieue him sore.

33
Whereof when newes to
Triamond
was brought,

There as he lay, his wound he soone forgot,

And starting vp, streight for his armour sought:

In vaine he sought; for there he found it not;

Cambello
it away before had got:

Cambelloes
armes therefore he on him threw,

And lightly issewd forth to take his lot.

There he in troupe found all that warlike crew,

Leading his friend away, full sorie to his vew.

34
Into the thickest of that knightly preasse

He thrust, and smote downe all that was betweene,

Caried with feruent zeale, ne did he ceasse,

Till that he came, where he had
Cambell
seene,

Like captiue thral two other Knights atweene,

There he amongst them cruell hauocke makes.

That they which lead him, soone enforced beene

To let him loose, to saue their proper stakes,

Who being freed, from one a weapon fiercely takes.

35
With that he driues at them with dreadfull might,

Both in remembrance of his friends late harme,

And in reuengement of his owne despight,

So both together giue a new allarme,

As if but now the battell wexed warme.

As when two greedy Wolues doe breake by force

Into an heard, farre from the husband farme,

They spoile and rauine without all remorse,

So did these two through all the field their foes enforce.

36
Fiercely they followd on their bolde emprize,

Till trumpets sound did warne them all to rest;

Then all with one consent did yeeld the prize

To
Triamond
and
Cambell
as the best.

But
Triamond
to
Cambell
it relest.

And
Cambell
it to
Triamond
transferd;

Each labouring t'aduance the others gest,

And make his praise before his owne preferd:

So that the doome was to another day differd.

37
The last day came, when all those knightes againe

Assembled were their deedes of armes to shew.

Full many deedes that day were shewed plaine:

But
Satyrane
boue all the other crew,

His wondrous worth declared in all mens view.

For from the first he to the last endured,

And though somewhile Fortune from him withdrew,

Yet euermore his honour he recured,

And with vnwearied powre his party still assured.

38
Ne was there Knight that euer thought of armes,

But that his vtmost prowesse there made knowen,

That by their many wounds, and carelesse harmes,

By shiuered speares, and swords all vnder strowen,

By scattered shields was easie to be showen.

There might ye see loose steeds at randon ronne,

Whose luckelesse riders late were ouerthrowen;

And squiers make hast to helpe their Lords fordonne,

But still the Knights of Maidenhead, the better wonne.

39
Till that there entred on the other side,

A straunger knight, from whence no man could reed,

In quyent disguise, full hard to be descride.

For all his armour was like saluage weed,

With woody mosse bedight, and all his steed

With oaken leaues attrapt, that seemed fit

For saluage wight, and thereto well agreed

His word, which on his ragged shield was writ,

Saluagesse sans finesse,
shewing secret wit.

40
He at his first incomming, charg'd his spere

At him, that first appeared in his sight:

That was to weet, the stout Sir
Sangliere,

Who well was knowen to be a valiant Knight,

Approued oft in many a perlous fight.

Him at the first encounter downe he smote,

And ouerbore beyond his crouper quight,

And after him another Knight, that hote

Sir
Brianor,
so sore, that none him life behote.

41
Then ere his hand he reard, he ouerthrew

Seuen Knights one after other as they came:

And when his speare was brust, his sword he drew,

The instrument of wrath, and with the same

Far'd like a lyon in his bloodie game,

Hewing, and slashing shields, and helmets bright,

And beating downe, what euer nigh him came,

That euery one gan shun his dreadfull sight,

No lesse then death it selfe, in daungerous affright.

42
Much wondred all men, what, or whence he came,

That did amongst the troupes so tyrannize;

And each of other gan inquire his name.

But when they could not learne it by no wize,

Most answerable to his wyld disguize

It seemed, him to terme the saluage knight.

But certes his right name was otherwize,

Though knowne to few, that
Arthegall
he bight,

The doughtiest knight that liv'd that day, and most of might.

43
Thus was Sir
Satyrane
with all his band

By his sole manhood and atchieuement stout

Dismayd, that none of them in field durst stand,

But beaten were, and chased all about.

So he continued all that day throughout,

Till euening, that the Sunne gan downward bend.

Then rushed forth out of the thickest rout

A stranger knight, that did his glorie shend:

So nought may be esteemed happie till the end.

44
He at his entrance charg'd his powrefull speare

At
Artegall,
in middest of his pryde,

And therewith smote him on his Vmbriere

So sore, that tombling backe, he downe did slyde

Ouer his horses taile aboue a stryde;

Whence litle lust he had to rise againe.

Which
Cambell
seeing, much the same enuyde,

And ran at him with all his might and maine;

But shortly was likewise seene lying on the plaine.

45
Whereat full inly wroth was
Triamond,

And cast t'auenge the shame doen to his freend:

But by his friend himselfe eke soone he fond,

In no lesse neede of helpe, then him he weend.

All which when
Blandamour
from end to end

Beheld, he woxe therewith displeased sore,

And thought in mind it shortly to amend:

His speare he feutred, and at him it bore;

But with no better fortune, then the rest afore.

46
Fully many others at him likewise ran:

But all of them likewise dismounted were,

Ne certes wonder; for no powre of man

Could bide the force of that enchaunted speare,

The which this famous
Britomart
did beare;

With which she wondrous deeds of arms atchieued,

And ouerthrew, what euer came her neare,

That all those stranger knights full sore agrieued,

And that late weaker band of chalengers relieued.

47
Like as in sommers day when raging heat

Doth burne the earth, and boyled riuers drie,

That all brute beasts forst to refiraine fro meat,

Doe hunt for shade, where shrowded they may lie,

And missing it, faine from themselues to flie;

All trauellers tormented are with paine:

A watry cloud doth ouercast the skie,

And poureth forth a sudden shoure of raine,

That all the wretched world recomforteth againe.

48
So did the warlike
Britomart
restore

The prize, to knights of Maydenhead that day,

Which else was like to haue bene lost, and bore

The prayse of prowesse from them all away.

Then shrilling trompets loudly gan to bray,

And bad them leaue their labours and long toyle,

To ioyous feast and other gentle play,

Where beauties prize shold win that pretious spoyle:

Where I with sound of trompe will also rest a whyle.

The Ladies for the girdle striue
   of famous Florimell:
Scudamour comming to Cares house,
   doth sleepe from him expell.

1
It hath bene through all ages euer seene,

That with the praise of armes and cheualrie,

The prize of beau tie still hath ioyned beene;

And that for reasons speciall priuitie:

For either doth on other much relie.

For he me seemes most fit the faire to serue,

That can her best defend from villenie;

And she most fit his seruice doth deserue,

That fairest is and from her faith will neuer swerue.

2
So fitly now here commeth next in place,

After the proofe of prowesse ended well,

The controuerse of beauties soueraine grace;

In which to her that doth the most excell,

Shall fall the girdle of faire
Florimell
:

That many wish to win for glorie vaine,

And not for vertuous vse, which some doe tell

That glorious belt did in it selfe containe,

Which Ladies ought to loue, and seeke for to obtaine.

3
That girdle gaue the vertue of chast loue,

And wiuehood true, to all that did it beare;

But whosoeuer contrarie doth proue,

Might not the same about her middle weare,

But it would loose, or else a sunder teare.

Whilome it was (as Faeries wont report)

Dame
Venus
girdle, by her steemed deare,

What time she vsd to liue in wiuely sort;

But layd aside, when so she vsd her looser sport.

4
Her husband
Vulcan
whylome for her sake,

When first he loued her with heart entire,

This pretious ornament they say did make,

And wrought in
Lemno
with vnquenched fire:

And afterwards did for her loues first hire,

Giue it to her, for euer to remaine,

Therewith to bind lasciuious desire,

And loose affections streightly to restraine;

Which vertue it for euer after did retaine.

5
The same one day, when she her selfe disposd

To visite her beloued Paramoure,

The God of warre, she from her middle loosd,

And left behind her in her secret bowre,

On
Acidalian
mount, where many an howre

She with the pleasant
Graces
wont to play.

There
Florimell
in her first ages flowre

Was fostered by those
Graces,
(as they say)

And brought with her from thence that goodly belt away.

6
That goodly belt was
Cestus
bight by name,

And as her life by her esteemed deare.

No wonder then, if that to winne the same

So many Ladies sought, as shall appeare;

For pearelesse she was thought, that did it beare.

And now by this their feast all being ended,

The iudges which thereto selected were,

Into the Martian field adowne descended,

To deeme this doutfull case, for which they all contended.

7
But first was question made, which of those Knights

That lately turneyd, had the wager wonne:

There was it iudged by those worthie wights,

That
Satyrane
the first day best had donne:

For he last ended, hauing first begonne.

The second was to
Triamond
behight,

For that he sau'd the victour from fordonne:

For
Cambell
victour was in all mens sight,

Till by mishap he in his foemens hand did light.

8
The third dayes prize vnto that straunger Knight,

Whom all men term'd Knight of the Hebene speare,

To
Britomart
was giuen by good right;

For that with puissant stroke she downe did beare

The
Saluage
Knight, that victour was whileare,

And all the rest, which had the best afore,

And to the last vnconquer'd did appeare;

For last is deemed best. To her therefore

The fayrest Ladie was adiudgd for Paramore.

9
But thereat greatly grudged
Arthegall,

And much repynd, that both of victors meede,

And eke of honour she did him forestall.

Yet mote he not withstand, what was decreede;

But inly thought of that despightfull deede

Fit time t'awaite auenged for to bee.

This being ended thus, and all agreed,

Then next ensew'd the Paragon to see

Of beauties praise, and yeeld the fayrest her due fee.

10
Then first
Cambello
brought vnto their view

His faire
Cambina,
couered with a veale;

Which being once withdrawne, most perfect hew

And passing beautie did eftsoones reueale,

That able was weake harts away to steale.

Next did Sir
Triamond
vnto their sight

The face of his deare
Canacee
vnheale;

Whose beauties beame eftsoones did shine so bright,

That daz'd the eyes of all, as with exceeding light.

11
And after her did
Paridell
produce

His false
Duessa,
that she might be seene,

Who with her forged beautie did seduce

The hearts of some, that fairest her did weene;

As diuerse wits affected diuers beene.

Then did Sir
Ferramont
vnto them shew

His
Lucida,
that was full faire and sheene,

And after these an hundred Ladies moe

Appear'd in place, the which each other did outgoe.

12
All which who so dare thinke for to enchace,

Him needeth sure a golden pen I weene,

To tell the feature of each goodly face.

For since the day that they created beene,

So many heauenly faces were not seene

Assembled in one place: ne he that thought

For
Chian
folke to pourtraict beauties Queene,

By view of all the fairest to him brought,

So many faire did see, as here he might haue sought.

13
At last the most redoubted
Britonesse,

Her louely
Amoret
did open shew;

Whose face discouered, plainely did expresse

The heauenly pourtraict of bright Angels hew.

Well weened all, which her that time did vew,

That she should surely beare the bell away,

Till
Blandamour,
who thought he had the trew

And very
Florimell,
did her display:

The sight of whom once seene did all the rest dismay.

14
For all afore that seemed fayre and bright,

Now base and contemptible did appeare,

Compar'd to her, that shone as Phebes light,

Amongst the lesser starres in euening cleare.

All that her saw with wonder rauisht weare,

And weend no mortall creature she should bee,

But some celestiall shape, that flesh did beare:

Yet all were glad there
Florimell
to see;

Yet thought that
Florimell
was not so faire as shee.

15
As guilefull Goldsmith that by secret skill,

With golden foyle doth finely ouer spred

Some baser metall, which commend he will

Vnto the vulgar for good gold insted,

He much more goodly glosse thereon doth shed,

To hide his falshood, then if it were trew:

So hard, this Idole was to be ared,

That
Florimell
her selfe in all mens vew

She seem'd to passe: so forged things do fairest shew.

16
Then was that golden belt by doome of all

Graunted to her, as to the fayrest Dame.

Which being brought, about her middle small

They thought to gird, as best it her became;

But by no meanes they could it thereto frame.

For euer as they fastned it, it loos'd

And fell away, as feeling secret blame.

Full oft about her wast she it enclos'd;

And it as oft was from about her wast disclos'd.

17
That all men wondred at the vncouth sight,

And each one thought, as to their fancies came.

But she her selfe did thinke it doen for spight,

And touched was with secret wrath and shame

Therewith, as thing deuiz'd her to defame.

Then many other Ladies likewise tride,

About their tender loynes to knit the same;

But it would not on none of them abide,

But when they thought it fast, eftsoones it was vntide.

18
Which when that scornefull
Squire of Dames
did vew,

He lowdly gan to laugh, and thus to iest;

Alas for pittie that so faire a crew,

As like can not be seene from East to West,

Cannot find one this girdle to inuest.

Fie on the man, that did it first inuent,

To shame vs all with this,
Vngirt vnblest.

Let neuer Ladie to his loue assent,

That hath this day so many so vnmanly shent.

19
Thereat all Knights gan laugh, and Ladies lowre:

Till that at last the gentle
Amoret

Likewise assayd, to proue that girdles powre;

And hauing it about her middle set,

Did find it fit, withouten breach or let.

Whereat the rest gan greatly to enuie:

But
Florimell
exceedingly did fret,

And snatching from her hand halfe angrily

The belt againe, about her bodie gan it tie.

20
Yet nathemore would it her bodie fit;

Yet nathelesse to her, as her dew right,

It yeelded was by them, that iudged it:

And she her selfe adiudged to the Knight,

That bore the Hebene speare, as wonne in fight.

But
Britomart
would not thereto assent,

Ne her owne
Amoret
forgoe so light

For that strange Dame, whose beauties wonderment

She lesse esteem'd, then th'others vertuous gouernment.

21
Whom when the rest did see her to refuse,

They were full glad, in hope themselues to get her:

Yet at her choice they all did greatly muse.

But after that the Iudges did arret her

Vnto the second best, that lou'd her better;

That was the
Saluage
Knight: but he was gone

In great displeasure, that he could not get her,

Then was she iudged
Triamond
his one;

But
Triamond
lou'd
Canacee,
and other none.

22
Tho vnto
Satyran
she was adiudged,

Who was right glad to gaine so goodly meed:

But
Blandamour
thereat full greatly grudged,

And litle prays'd his labours euill speed,

That for to winne the saddle, lost die steed.

Ne lesse thereat did
Paridell
complaine,

And thought t'appeale from that, which was decreed,

To single combat with Sir
Satyrane.

Thereto him
Ate
stird, new discord to maintaine.

23
And eke with these, full many other Knights

She through her wicked working did incense,

Her to demaund, and chalenge as their rights,

Deserued for their perils recompense.

Amongst the rest with boastfull vaine pretense

Stept
Braggadochio
forth, and as his thrall

Her claym'd, by him in battell wonne long sens:

Whereto her selfe he did to witnesse call;

Who being askt, accordingly confessed all.

24
Thereat exceeding wroth was
Satyran;

And wroth with
Satyran
was
Blandatnour',

And wroth with
Blandatnour
was
Eriuan;

And at them both Sir
Paridell
did loure.

So all together stird vp strifull stoore,

And readie were new battell to darraine.

Each one profest to be her paramoure,

And vow'd with speare and shield it to maintaine;

Ne Iudges powre, ne reasons rule mote them restraine.

25
Which troublous stirre when
Satyrane
auiz'd:

He gan to cast how to appease the same,

And to accord them all, this meanes deuiz'd:

First in the midst to set that fayrest Dame,

To whom each one his chalenge should disclame!

And he himselfe his right would eke releasse:

Then looke to whom she voluntarie came,

He should without disturbance her possesse:

Sweete is the loue that comes alone with willingnesse.

26
They all agreed, and then that snowy Mayd

Was in the middest plast among them all;

All on her gazing wisht, and vowd, and prayd,

And to the Queene of beautie close did call,

That she vnto their portion might befall.

Then when she long had lookt vpon each one,

As though she wished to haue pleasd them all,

At last to
Braggadochio
selfe alone

She came of her accord, in spight of all his fone.

27
Which when they all beheld they chaft and rag'd,

And woxe nigh mad for very harts despight,

That from reuenge their willes they scarse asswag'd:

Some thought from him her to haue reft by might;

Some proffer made with him for her to fight.

But he nought car'd for all that they could say:

For he their words as wind esteemed light.

Yet not fit place he thought it there to stay,

But secretly from thence that night her bore away.

28
They which remaynd, so soone as they perceiu'd,