The Faerie Queene (78 page)

Burnisht with bloudie rust, whiles on the greene

The Briton Prince him readie did awayte,

In glistering armes right goodly well beseene,

That shone as bright, as doth the heauen sheene;

And by his stirrup
Talus
did attend,

Playing his pages part, as he had beene

Before directed by his Lord; to th'end

He should his flale to flnall execution bend.

30
Thus goe they both together to their geare,

With like fierce minds, but meanings different:

For the proud Souldan with presumpteous cheare,

And countenance sublime and insolent,

Sought onely slaughter and auengement:

But the braue Prince for honour and for right,

Gainst tortious powre and lawlesse regiment,

In the behalfe of wronged weake did fight:

More in his causes truth he trusted then in might

31
Like to the
Thraclan
Tyrant, who they say

Vnto his horses gaue his guests for meat,

Till he himselfe was made their greedie pray,

And torne in peeces by
Alcides
great.

So thought the Souldan in his follies threat,

Either the Prince in peeces to haue torne

With his sharpe wheeles, in his first rages heat,

Or vnder his fierce horses feet haue borne

And trampled downe in dust his thoughts disdained scorne.

32
But the bold child that perill well espying,

If he too rashly to his charet drew,

Gaue way vnto his horses speedie flying,

And their resistlesse rigour did eschew.

Yet as he passed by, the Pagan threw

A shiuering dart with so impetuous force,

That had he not it shun'd with heedfull vew,

It had himselfe transfixed, or his horse,

Or made them both one masse withouten more remorse.

33
Oft drew the Prince vnto his charret nigh,

In hope some stroke to fasten on him neare;

But he was mounted in his seat so high,

And his wingfooted coursers him did beare

So fast away, that ere his readie speare

He could aduance, he farre was gone and past.

Yet still he him did follow euerywhere,

And followed was of him likewise full fast;

So long as in his steedes the flaming breath did last.

34
Againe the Pagan threw another dart,

Of which he had with him abundant store,

On euery side of his embatteld cart,

And of all other weapons lesse or more,

Which warlike vses had deuiz'd of yore.

The wicked shaft guyded through th'ayrie wyde,

By some bad spirit, that it to mischiefe bore,

Stayd not, till through his curat it did glyde,

And made a griesly wound in his enriuen side.

35
Much was he grieued with that haplesse throe,

That opened had the welspring of his blood;

But much the more that to his hatefull foe

He mote not come, to wreake his wrathfull mood.

That made him raue, like to a Lyon wood,

Which being wounded of the huntsmans hand

Can not come neare him in the couert wood,

Where he with boughes hath built his shady stand,

And fenst himselfe about with many a flaming brand.

36
Still when he sought t'approch vnto him ny,

His charret wheeles about him whirled round,

And made him backe againe as fast to fly;

And eke his steedes like to an hungry hound,

That hunting after game hath carrion found,

So cruelly did him pursew and chace,

That his good steed, all were he much renound

For noble courage, and for bardie race,

Durst not endure their sight, but fled from place to place.

37
Thus long they trast, and trauerst to and fro,

Seeking by euery way to make some breach,

Yet could the Prince not nigh vnto him goe,

That one sure stroke he might vnto him reach,

Whereby his strengthes assay he might him teach.

At last from his victorious shield he drew

The vaile, which did his powrefull light empeach;

And comming full before his horses vew,

As they vpon him prest, it plaine to them did shew.

38
like lightening flash, that hath the gazer burned,

So did the sight thereof their sense dismay,

That backe againe vpon themselues they turned,

And with their ryder ranne perforce away:

Ne could the Souldan them from flying stay,

With raynes, or wonted rule, as well he knew.

Nought feared they, what he could do, or say,

But th'onely feare, that was before their vew;

From which like mazed deare, dismayfully they flew.

39
Fast did they fly, as them their feete could beare,

High ouer hilles, and lowly ouer dales,

As they were follow'd of their former feare.

In vaine the Pagan bannes, and sweares, and rayles,

And backe with both his hands vnto him hayles

The resty raynes, regarded now no more:

He to them calles and speakes, yet nought auayles;

They heare him not, they haue forgot his lore,

But go, which way they list, their guide they haue forlore.

40
As when the fine-mouthed steeds, which drew

The Sunnes bright wayne to
Phaetons
decay,

Soone as they did the monstrous Scorpion vew,

With vgly craples crawling in their way,

The dreadfull sight did them so sore affray,

That their well knowne courses they forwent,

And leading th'euer-burning lampe astray,

This lower world nigh all to ashes brent,

And left their scorched path yet in the firmament.

41
Such was the furie of these head-strong steeds,

Soone as the infants sunlike shield they saw,

That all obedience both to words and deeds

They quite forgot, and scornd all former law;

Through woods, and rocks, and mountaines they did draw

The yron charet, and the wheeles did teare,

And tost the Paynim, without feare or awe;

From side to side they tost hirn here and there,

Crying to them in vaine, that nould his crying heare.

42
Yet still the Prince pursew'd him close behind,

Oft making offer him to smite, but found

No easie meanes according to his mind.

At last they haue all ouerthrowne to ground

Quite topside turuey, and the pagan hound

Amongst the yron hookes and graples keene,

Torne all to rags, and rent with many a wound,

That no whole peece of him was to be seene,

But scattred all about, and strow'd vpon the greene.

43
Like as the cursed sonne of
Theseus,

That following his chace in dewy morne,

To fly his stepdam.es loues outrageous,

Of his owne steedes was all to peeces torne,

And his faire limbs left in the woods forlorne;

That for his sake
Diana
did lament,

And all the wooddy Nymphes did wayle and mourne.

So was this Souldan rapt and all to rent,

That of his shape appear'd no litle moniment.

44
Onely his shield and armour, which there lay,

Though nothing whole, but all to brusd and broken,

He vp did take, and with him brought away,

That mote remaine for an eternall token

To all, mongst whom this stone should be spoken,

How worthily, by heauens high decree,

Iustice that day of wrong her selfe had wroken,

That all men which that spectacle did see,

By like ensample mote for euer warned bee.

45
So on a tree, before the Tyrants dore,

He caused them be hung in all mens sight,

To be a moniment for euermore.

Which when his Ladie from the castles bight

Beheld, it much appald her troubled spright:

Yet not, as women wont in dolefull fit,

She was dismayd, or faynted through affright,

But gathered vnto her her troubled wit,

And gan efrsoones deuize to be aueng'd for it.

46
Streight downe she ranne, like an enraged cow,

That is berobbed of her youngling dere,

With knife in hand, and fatally did vow,

To wreake her on that mayden messengere,

Whom she had causd be kept as prisonere,

By
Artegall,
misween'd for her owne Knight,

That brought her backe. And comming present there,

She at her ran with all her force and might,

All flaming with reuenge and furious despight

47
Like raging
Ino,
when with knife in hand

She threw her husbands murdred infant out,

Or fell
Medea,
when on
Colchkke
strand

Her brothers bones she scattered all about;

Or as that madding mother, mongst the rout

Of
Bacchus
Priests her owne deare flesh did teare.

Yet neither
Ino,
nor
Medea
stout,

Nor all the
Mœnades
so furious were,

As this bold woman, when she saw that Damzell there.

48
But
Artegall
being thereof aware,

Did stay her cruell hand, ere she her raught,

And as she did her selfe to strike prepare,

Out of her fist the wicked weapon caught:

With that like one enfelon'd or distraught,

She forth did rome, whether her rage her bore,

With franticke passion, and with furie fraught;

And breaking forth out at a posterne dore,

Vnto the wyld wood ranne, her dolours to deplore.

49
As a mad bytch, when as the franticke fit

Her burning tongue with rage inflamed hath,

Doth runne at randon, and with furious bit

Snatching at euery thing, doth wreake her wrath

On man and beast, that commeth in her path.

There they doe say, that she transformed was

Into a Tygre, and that Tygres scath

In crueltde and outrage she did pas,

To proue her surname true, that she imposed has.

50
Then
Artegall
himselfe discouering plaine,

Did issue forth gainst all that warlike rout

Of knights and armed men, which did maintaine

That Ladies part, and to the Souldan lout:

All which he did assault with courage stout,

All were they nigh an hundred knights of name,

And like wyld Goates them chaced all about,

Flying from place to place with cowheard shame,

So that with finall force them all he ouercame.

51
Then caused he the gates be opened wyde,

And there the Prince, as victour of that day,

With tryumph entertayn'd and glorifyde,

Presenting him with all the rich array,

And roiall pompe, which there long hidden lay,

Purchast through lawlesse powre and tortious wrong

Of that proud Souldan, whom he earst did slay.

So both for rest there hauing stayd not long,

Marcht with that mayd, fit matter for another song.

Arthur and Artegall catch Guyle
   whom Talus doth dismay,
They to Mercillaes pallace come,
   and see her rich array.

1
What Tygre, or what other saluage wight

Is so exceeding furious and fell,

As wrong, when it hath arm'd it selfe with might?

Not fit mongst men, that doe with reason mell,

But mongst wyld beasts and saluage woods to dwell;

Where still the stronger doth the weake deuoure,

And they that most in boldnesse doe excell,

Are dreadded most, and feared for their powre:

Fit for
Adicia,
there to build her wicked bowre.

2
There let her wonne farre from resort of men,

Where righteous
Artegall
her late exyled;

There let her euer keepe her damned den,

Where none may be with her lewd parts defyled,

Nor none but beasts may be of her despoyled:

And turne we to the noble Prince, where late

We did him leaue, after that he had foyled

The cruell Souldan, and with dreadfull fate

Had vtterly subuerted his vnrighteous state.

3
Where hauing with Sir
Artegall
a space

Well solast in that Souldans late delight,

They both resoluing now to leaue the place,

Both it and all the wealth therein behight

Vnto that Damzell in her Ladies right,

And so would haue departed on their way.

But she them woo'd by all the meanes she might,

And earnestly besought, to wend that day

With her, to see her Ladie thence not farre away.

4
By whose entreatie both, they ouercommen,

Agree to goe with her, and by the way,

(As often falles) of sundry things did commen.

Mongst which that Damzell did to them bewray

A straunge aduenture, which not farre thence lay;

To weet a wicked villaine, bold and stout,

Which wonned in a rocke not farre away,

That robbed all the countrie there about,

And brought the pillage home, whence none could get it out.

5
Thereto both his owne wylie wit, (she sayd)

And eke the fastnesse of his dwelling place,

Both vnassaylable, gaue him great ayde:

For he so crafty was to forge and face,

So light of hand, and nymble of his pace,

So smooth of tongue, and subtile in his tale,

That could deceiue one looking in his face;

Therefore by name
Malengin
they him call,

Well knowen by his feates, and famous ouer all.

6
Through these his slights he many doth confound,

And eke the rocke, in which he wonts to dwell,

Is wondrous strong, and hewen farre vnder ground

A dreadfull depth, how deepe no man can tell;

But some doe say, it goeth downe to hell.

And all within, it full of wyndings is,

And hidden wayes, that scarse an hound by smell

Can follow out those false footsteps of his,

Ne none can backe returne, that once are gone amis.

7
Which when those knights had heard, their harts gan earne,

To vnderstand that villeins dwelling place,

And greatly it desir'd of her to learne,

And by which way they towards it should trace.

Were not (sayd she) that it should let your pace

Towards my Ladies presence by you ment,

I would you guyde directly to the place.

Then let not that (said they) stay your intent;

For neither will one foot, till we that carle haue hent.

8
So forth they past, till they approched ny

Vnto the rocke, where was the villains won,

Which when the Damzell neare at hand did spy,

She warn'd the knights thereof: who thereupon

Gan to aduize, what best were to be done.

So both agreed, to send that mayd afore,

Where she might sit nigh to the den alone,

Wayling, and raysing pittifull vprore,

As if she did some great calamitie deplore.

9
With noyse whereof when as the caytiue carle

Should issue forth, in hope to find some spoyle,

They in awayt would closely him ensnarle,

Ere to his den he backward could recoyle,

And so would hope him easily to foyle.

The Damzell straight went, as she was directed,

Vnto the rocke, and there vpon the soyle

Hauing her selfe in wretched wize abiected,

Gan weepe and wayle, as if great griefe had her affected.

10
The cry whereof entring the hollow caue,

Eftsoones brought forth the villaine, as they ment,

With hope of her some wishfull boot to haue.

Full dreadfull wight he was, as euer went

Vpon the earth, with hollow eyes deepe pent,

And long curld locks, that downe his shoulders shagged,

And on his backe an vncouth vestiment

Made of straunge stuffe, but all to worne and ragged,

And vndemeath his breech was all to tome and iagged.

11
And in his hand an huge long staffe he held,

Whose top was arm'd with many an yron hooke,

Fit to catch hold of all that he could weld,

Or in the compasse of his douches tooke;

And euer round about he cast his looke.

Als at his backe a great wyde net he bore,

With which he seldome fished at the brooke,

But vsd to fish for fooles on the dry shore,

Of which he in faire weather wont to take great store.

12
Him when the damzell saw fast by her side,

So vgly creature, she was nigh dismayd,

And now for helpe aloud in earnest cride.

But when the villaine saw her so affrayd,

He gan with guilefull words her to perswade,

To banish feare, and with
Sardonian
smyle

Laughing on her, his false intent to shade,

Gan forth to lay his bayte her to beguyle,

That from her self vnwares he might her steale the whyle.

13
Like as the fouler on his guilefull pype

Charmes to the birds full many a pleasant lay,

That they the whiles may take lesse heedie keepe,

How he his nets doth for their ruine lay:

So did the villaine to her prate and play,

And many pleasant trickes before her show,

To turne her eyes from his intent away:

For he in slights and iugling feates did flow,

And of legierdemayne the mysteries did know.

14
To which whitest she lent her intentiue mind,

He suddenly his net vpon her threw,

That ouersprad her like a puffe of wind;

And snatching her soone vp, ere well she knew,

Ran with her fast away vnto his mew,

Crying for helpe aloud. But when as ny

He came vnto his caue, and there did vew

The armed knights stopping his passage by,

He threw his burden downe, and fast away did fly.

15
But
Artegall
him after did pursew,

The whiles the Prince there kept the entrance still:

Vp to the rocke he ran, and thereon flew

Like a wyld Gote, leaping from hill to hill,

And daundng on the craggy cliffes at will;

That deadly daunger seem'd in all mens sight,

To tempt such steps, where footing was so ill:

Ne ought auayled for the armed knight,

To thinke to follow him, that was so swift and light.

16
‘Which when he saw, his yron man he sent,

To follow him; for he was swift in chace.

He him pursewd, where euer that he went,

Both ouer rockes, and hilles, and euery place.

Where so he fled, he followd him apace:

So that he shortly forst him to forsake

The hight, and downe descend vnto the base.

There he him courst a fresh, and soone did make

To leaue his proper forme, and other shape to take.

17
Into a Foxe himselfe he first did tourne;

But he him hunted nice a Foxe full fast:

Then to a bush himselfe he did transforme,

But he the bush did beat, till that at last

Into a bird it chaung'd, and from him past,

Flying from tree to tree, from wand to wand:

But he then stones at it so long did cast,

That like a stone it fell vpon the land,

But he then tooke it vp, and held fast in his hand.

18
So he it brought with him vnto the knights,

And to his Lord Sir
Artegall
it lent,

Warning him hold it fast, for feare of slights.

Who whilest in hand it gryping hard he hent,

Into a Hedgehogge all vnwares it went,

And prickt him so, that he away it threw.

Then gan it runne away incontinent,

Being returned to his former hew:

But
Talus
soone him ouertooke, and backward drew.

19
But when as he would to a snake againe

Haue turn'd himselfe, he with his yron flayle

Gan driue at him, with so huge might and maine,

That all his bones, as small as sandy grayle

He broke, and did his bowels disentrayle;

Crying in vaine for helpe, when helpe was past.

So did deceipt the selfe deceiuer fayle,

There they him left a carrion outcast;

For beasts and foules to feede vpon for their repast.

20
Thence forth they passed with that gentle Mayd,

To see her Ladie, as they did agree.

To which when she approched, thus she sayd;

Loe now, right noble knights, arriu'd ye bee

Nigh to the place, which ye desir'd to see:

There shall ye see my souerayne Lady Queene

Most sacred wight, most debonayre and free,

That euer yet vpon this earth was seene,

Or that with Diademe hath euer crowned beene.

21
The gentle knights reioyced much to heare

The prayses of that Prince so manifold,

And passing litle further, commen were,

Where they a stately pallace did behold,

Of pompous show, much more then she had told;

With many towres, and tarras mounted hye,

And all their tops bright glistering with gold,

That seemed to outshine the dimmed skye,

And with their brightnesse daz'd the straunge beholders eye.

22
There they alighting, by that Damzell were

Directed in, and shewed all the sight:

Whose porch, that most magnificke did appeare,

Stood open wyde to all men day and night;

Yet warded well by one of mickle might,

That sate thereby, with gyantlike resemblance,

To keepe out guyle, and malice, and despight,

That vnder shew oftim.es of fayned semblance,

Are wont in Princes courts to worke great scath and hindrance.

23
His name was
Awe;
by whom they passing in

Went vp the hall, that was a large wyde roome,

All full of people making troublous din,

And wondrous noyse, as if that there were some,

Which vnto them was dealing righteous doome.

By whom they passing, through the thickest preasse,

The marshall of the hall to them did come;

His name hight
Order,
who commaunding peace,

Them guyded through the throng, that did their clamors ceasse.

24
They ceast their clamors vpon them to gaze;

Whom seeing all in armour bright as day,

Straunge there to see, it did them much amaze,

And with vnwonted terror halfe affray.

For neuer saw they there the like array.

Ne euer was the name of warre there spoken,

But ioyous peace and quietnesse alway,

Dealing iust iudgements, that mote not be broken

For any brybes, or threates of any to be wroken.

25
There as they entred at the Scriene, they saw

Some one, whose tongue was for his trespasse vyle

Nayld to a post, adiudged so by law:

For mat therewith he falsely did reuyle,

And foule blaspheme that Queene for forged guyle,

Both with bold speaches, which he blazed had,

And with lewd poems, which he did compyle;

For the bold title of a Poet bad

He on himselfe had ta'en, and rayling rymes had sprad.

26
Thus there he stood, whylest high ouer his head,

There written was the purport of his sin,

In cyphers strange, that few could rightly read,

BON FONS : but
bon
that once had written bin,

Was raced out, and
Mal
was now put in.

So now
Malfont
was plainely to be red;

Eyther for th'euill, which he did therein,

Or that he likened, was to a welhed

Of euill words, and wicked sclaunders by him shed.

27
They passing by, were guyded by degree

Vnto the presence of that gratious Queene:

Who sate on high, that she might all men see,

And might of all men royally be seene,

Vpon a throne of gold full bright and sheene,

Adorned all with gemmes of endlesse price,

As either might for wealth haue gotten bene,

Or could be fram'd by workmans rare deuice;

And all embost with Lyons and with Flourdelice.

28
All ouer her a cloth of state was spred,

Not of rich tissew, nor of cloth of gold,

Nor of ought else, that may be richest red,

But like a cloud, as likest may be told,

That her brode spreading wings did wyde vnfold;

Whose skirts were bordred with bright sunny beams,

Glistring like gold, amongst the plights enrold,

And here and there shooting forth siluer streames,

Mongst which crept litle Angels through the glittering gleames.