The Faerie Queene (83 page)

Most foule and filthie were, their garments yet

Being all rag'd and tatter'd, their disgraces

Did much the more augment, and made most vgly cases.

29
The one of them, that elder did appeare,

With her dull eyes did seeme to looke askew,

That her mis-shape much helpt; and her foule heare

Hung loose and loathsomely: Thereto her hew

Was wan and leane, that all her teeth arew,

And all her bones might through her cheekes be red;

Her lips were like raw lether, pale and blew,

And as she spake, therewith she slauered;

Yet spake she seldom, but thought more, the lesse she sed.

30
Her hands were foule and durtie, neuer washt

In all her life, with long nayles ouer raught,

Like puttocks clawes: with th'one of which she scracht

Her cursed head, although it itched naught;

The other held a snake with venime fraught,

On which she fed, and gnawed hungrily,

As if that long she had not eaten ought;

That round about her iawes one might descry

The bloudie gore and poyson dropping lothsomely.

31
Her name was
Enuie,
knowen well thereby;

Whose nature is to grieue, and grudge at all,

That euer she sees doen prays-worthily,

Whose sight to her is greatest crosse, may fall,

And vexeth so, that makes her eat her gall.

For when she wanteth other thing to eat,

She feedes on her owne maw vnnaturall,

And of her owne foule entrayles makes her meat;

Meat fit for such a monsters monsterous dyeat.

32
And if she hapt of any good to heare,

That had to any happily betid,

Then would she inly fret, and grieue, and teare

Her flesh for felnesse, which she inward hid:

But if she heard of ill, that any did,

Or harme, that any had, then would she make

Great cheare, like one vnto a banquet bid;

And in anothers losse great pleasure take,

As she had got thereby, and gayned a great stake.

33
The other nothing better was, then shee;

Agreeing in bad will and cancred kynd,

But in bad maner they did disagree:

For what so
Enuie
good or bad did fynd,

She did conceale, and murder her owne mynd;

But this, what euer euill she conceiued,

Did spred abroad, and dirow in th'open wynd.

Yet this in all her words might be perceiued,

That all she sought, was mens good name to haue bereaued.

34
For what soeuer good by any sayd,

Or doen she heard, she would streightwayes inuent,

How to depraue, or slaunderously vpbrayd,

Or to misconstrue of a mans intent,

And turne to ill the thing, that well was ment.

Therefore she vsed often to resort,

To common haunts, and companies frequent,

To hearke what any one did good report,

To blot the same with blame, or wrest in wicked sort

35
And if that any ill she heard of any,

She would it eeke, and make much worse by telling,

And take great ioy to publish it to many,

That euery matter worse was for her melling.

Her name was hight
Detraction,
and her dwelling

Was neare to
Enuie,
euen her neighbour next;

A wicked hag, and
Enuy
selfe excelling

In mischiefe: for her selfe she onely vext;

But this same both her selfe, and others eke perplext.

36
Her face was vgly, and her mouth distort,

Foming with poyson round about her gils,

In which her cursed tongue full sharpe and short

Appear'd like Aspis sting, that closely kils,

Or cruelly does wound, whom so she wils:

A distaffe in her other hand she had,

Vpon the which she litle spinnes, but spils,

And faynes to weaue false tales and leasings bad,

To throw amongst the good, which others had disprad.

37
These two now had themselues combynd in one,

And linckt together gainst Sir
Artegall,

For whom they wayted as his mortall fone,

How they might make him into mischiefe fell,

For freeing from their snares
Irena
thrall,

Besides vnto themselues they gotten had

A monster, which the
Blatant beast
men call,

A dreadfull feend of gods and men ydrad,

Whom they by slights allur'd, and to their purpose lad.

38
Such were these Hags, and so vnhandsome drest:

Who when they nigh approching, had espyde

Sir
Artegall
return'd from his late quest,

They both arose, and at him loudly cryde,

As it had bene two shepheards curres, had scryde

A rauenous Wolfe amongst the scattered flockes.

And
Enuie
first, as she that first him eyde,

Towardes him runs, and with rude flaring lockes

About her eares, does beat her brest, & forhead knockes.

39
Then from her mouth the gobbet she does take,

The which whyleare she was so greedily

Deuouring, euen that halfe-gnawen snake,

And at him throwes it most despightfully.

The cursed Serpent, though she hungrily

Earst chawd thereon, yet was not all so dead,

But that some life remayned secretly,

And as he past afore withouten dread,

Bit him behind, that long the marke was to be read.

40
Then th'other comming neare, gan him reuile,

And fouly rayle, with all she could inuent;

Saying, that he had with vnmanly guile,

And foule abusion both his honour blent,

And that bright sword, the sword of Iustice lent

Had stayned with reprochfull crueltie,

In guiltlesse blood of many an innocent:

As for
Grandtorto,
him with treacherie

And traynes hauing surpriz'd, he fouly did to die.

41
Thereto the Blatant beast by them set on

At him began aloud to barke and bay,

With bitter rage and fell contention,

That all the woods and rockes nigh to that way,

Began to quake and tremble with dismay;

And all the aire rebellowed againe.

So dreadfully his hundred tongues did bray,

And euermore those hags them selues did paine,

To sharpen him, and their owne cursed tongs did straine.

42
And still among most bitter wordes they spake,

Most shamefull, most vnrighteous, most vntrew,

That they the mildest man aliue would make

Forget his patience, and yeeld vengeaunce dew

To her, that so false sclaunders at him threw.

And more to make them pierce & wound more deepe,

She with the sting, which in her vile tongue grew,

Did sharpen them, and in fresh poyson steepe:

Yet he past on, and seem'd of them to take no keepe.

43
But
Talus
hearing her so lewdly raile,

And speake so ill of him, that well deserued,

Would her haue chastdz'd with his yron flaile,

If her Sir
Artegall
had not preserued,

And him forbidden, who his heast obserued.

So much the more at him still did she scold,

And stones did cast, yet he for nought would swerue

From his right course, but still the way did hold

To Faery Court, where what him fell shall else be told.

CONTAYNING
THB LBGBND OF S. CALIDORE
OR
OF COVRTBSIE.

1
The waies, through which my weary steps I guyde,

In this delightfull land of Faery,

Are so exceeding spacious and wyde,

And sprinckled with such sweet variety,

Of all that pleasant is to eare or eye,

That I nigh rauisht with rare thoughts delight,

My tedious trauell doe forget thereby;

And when I gin to feele decay of might,

It strength to me supplies, & chears my dulled spright

2
Such secret comfort, and such heauenly pleasures,

Ye sacred imps, that on
Pamasso
dwell,

And there the keeping haue of learnings threasures,

Which doe all worldly riches farre excell.

Into the mindes of mortall men doe well,

And goodly fury into them infuse;

Guyde ye my footing, and conduct me well

In these strange waies, where neuer foote did vse,

Ne none can find, but who was taught them by the Muse.

3
Reuele to me the sacred noursery

Of vertue, which with you doth there remaine,

Where it in siluer bowre does hidden ly

From view of men, and wicked worlds disdaine.

Since it at first was by the Gods with paine

Planted in earth, being deriu'd at furst

From heauenly seede: of bounty soueraine,

And by them long with carefull labour nurst,

Till it to ripenesse grew, and forth to honour burst

4
Amongst them all growes not a fayrer flowre,

Then is the bloosme of comely courtesie,

Which though it on a lowly stalke doe bowre,

Yet brancheth forth in braue nobilitie,

And spreds it selfe through all ciuilitie:

Of which though present age doe plenteous seeme,

Yet being matcht with plaine Antiquitie,

Ye will them all but fayned showes esteeme,

Which carry colours faire, that feeble eies misdeeme.

5
But in the triall of true curtesie,

Its now so farre from that, which then it was,

That it indeed is nought but forgerie,

Fashion'd to please the eies of them, that pas,

Which see not perfect things but in a glas:

Yet is that glasse so gay, that it can blynd

The wisest sight, to thinke gold that is bras.

But vertues seat is deepe within the mynd,

And not in outward shows, but inward thoughts defynd.

6
But where shall I in all Antiquity

So faire a patterne finde, where may be seene

The goodly praise of Princely curtesie,

As in your selfe, O soueraine Lady Queene,

In whose pure minde, as in a mirrour sheene,

It showes, and with her brightnesse doth inflame

The eyes of all, which thereon fixed beene;

But meriteth indeede an higher name:

Yet so from low to high vplifted is your name.

7
Then pardon me, most dreaded Soueraine,

That from your selfe I doe this vertue bring,

And to your selfe doe it returne againe:

So from the Ocean all riuers spring,

And tribute backe repay as to their King.

Right so from you all goodly vertues well

Into the rest, which round about you ring,

Faire Lords and Ladies, which about you dwell,

And doe adorne your Court, where courtesies excell.

Calidore saues from Maleffort,
   A Damzell vsed vylde:
Doth vanquish Crudor, and doth make
   Briana wexe more mylde.

1
Of Court it seemes, men Courtesie doe call,

For that it there most vseth to abound;

And well beseemeth that in Princes hall

That vertue should be plentifully found,

Which of all goodly manners is the ground,

And roote of ciuill conuersation.

Right so in Faery court it did redound,

Where curteous Knights and Ladies most did won

Of all on earth, and made a matchlesse paragon.

2
But mongst them all was none more courteous Knight,

Then
Calidore,
beloued ouer all,

In whom it seemes, that gentlenesse of spright

And manners mylde were planted naturall;

To which he adding comely guize withall,

And gracious speach, did steale mens hearts away.

Nathlesse thereto he was full stout and tall,

And well approu'd in batteilous affray,

That him did much renowme, and far his feme display.

3
Ne was there Knight, ne was there Lady found

In Faery court, but him did deare embrace,

For bis faire vsage and conditions sound,

The which in all mens liking gayned place,

And with the greatest purchast greatest grace:

Which he could wisely vse, and well apply,

To please the best, and th'euill to embase.

For he loathd leasing, and base flattery,

And loued simple truth and stedfast honesty.

4
And now he was in trauell on his way,

Vppon an hard aduenture sore bestad,

Whenas by chaunce he met vppon a day

With
Artegall,
returning yet halfe sad

From his late conquest, which he gotten had.

Who whenas each of other had a sight,

They knew themselues, and both their persons rad:

When
Calidore
thus first; Haile noblest Knight

Of all this day on ground, that breathen liuing spright.

5
Now tell, if please you, of the good successe,

Which ye haue had in your late enterprize.

To whom Sir
Artegall
gan to expresse

His whole exploite, and valorous emprize,

In order as it did to him arize.

Now happy man (sayd then Sir
Calidore)

Which haue so goodly, as ye can deuize,

Atchieu'd so hard a quest, as few before;

That shall you most renowmed make for euermore.

6
But where ye ended haue, now I begin

To tread an endlesse trace, withouten guyde,

Or good direction, how to enter in,

Or how to issue forth in waies vntryde,

In perils strange, in labours long and wide,

In which although good Fortune me befall,

Yet shall it not by none be testifyde.

What is that quest (quoth then Sir
Artegall
}

That you into such perils presently doth call?

7
The Blattant Beast (quoth he) I doe pursew,

And through the world incessantly doe chase,

Till I him ouertake, or else subdew:

Yet know I not or how, or in what place

To find him out, yet still I forward trace.

What is that Blattant Beast? (then he replide)

It is a Monster bred of hellishe race,

(Then answerd he) which often hath annoyd

Good Knights and Ladies true, and many else destroyd.

8
Of
Cerberus
whilome he was begot,

And fell
Chimœra
in her darkesome den,

Through fowle commixture of his filthy blot;

Where he was fostred long in
Stygian
fen,

Till he to perfect ripenesse grew, and then

Into this wicked world he forth was sent,

To be the plague and scourge of wretched men:

Whom with vile tongue and venemous intent

He sore doth wound, and bite, and cruelly torment

9
Then since the saluage Island I did leaue

Sayd
Artegall,
I such a Beast did see,

The which did seeme a thousand tongues to haue,

That all in spight and malice did agree,

With which he bayd and loudly barkt at mee,

As if that he attonce would me deuoure.

But I that knew my selfe from perill free,

Did nought regard his malice nor his powre,

But he the more his wicked poyson forth did poure.

10
That surely is that Beast (saide
Calidore)

Which I pursue, of whom I am right glad

To heare these tidings, which of none afore

Through all my weary trauell I haue had:

Yet now some hope your words vnto me add.

Now God you speed (quoth then Sir
Artegall)

And keepe your body from the daunger drad:

For ye haue much adoe to deale withall;

So both tooke goodly leaue, and parted seuerall.

11
Sir
Calidore
thence trauelled not long,

When as by chaunce a comely Squire he found,

That thorough some more mighty enemies wrong,

Both hand and foote vnto a tree was bound:

Who seeing him from farre, with piteous sound

Of his shrill cries him called to his aide.

To whom approching, in that painefull stound

When he him saw, for no demaunds he staide,

But first him losde, and afterwards thus to him saide.

12
Vnhappy Squire, what hard mishap thee brought

Into this bay of perill and disgrace?

What cruell hand thy wretched thraldome wrought,

And thee captyued in this shamefull place?

To whom he answerd thus; My haplesse case

Is not occasiond through my misdesert,

But through misfortune, which did me abase

Vnto this shame, and my young hope subuert,

Ere that I in her guilefull traines was well expert.

13
Not farre from hence, vppon yond rocky hill,

Hard by a streight there stands a castle strong,

Which doth obserue a custome lewd and ill,

And it hath long mayntaind with mighty wrong:

For may no Knight nor Lady passe along

That way, (and yet they needs must passe that way,)

By reason of the streight, and rocks among,

But they that Ladies lockes doe shaue away,

And that knights berd for toll, which they for passage pay.

14
A shamefull vse as euer I did heare,

Sayd
Calidore,
and to be ouerthrowne.

But by what meanes did they at first it reare,

And for what cause, tell if thou haue it knowne.

Sayd then that Squire: The Lady which doth owne

This Castle, is by name
Briana
bight.

Then which a prouder Lady liueth none:

She long time hath deare lou'd a doughty Knight,

And sought to win his loue by all the meanes she might

15
His name is
Crudor,
who through high disdaine

And proud despight of his selfe pleasing mynd,

Refused hath to yeeld her loue againe,

Vntill a Mantle she for him doe fynd,

With beards of Knights and locks of Ladies lynd.

Which to prouide, she hath this Castle dight,

And therein hath a Seneschall assynd,

Cald
Maleffort,
a man of mickle might,

Who executes her wicked will, with worse despight

16
He this same day, as I that way did come

With a faire Damzell, my beloued deare,

In execution of her lawlesse doome,

Did set vppon vs flying both for feare:

For little bootes against him hand to reare.

Me first he tooke, vnhable to withstond;

And whiles he her pursued euery where,

Till his returne vnto this tree he bond:

Ne wote I surely, whether her he yet haue fond.

17
Thus whiles they spake, they heard a ruefull shrieke

Of one loud crying, which they streight way ghest,

That it was she, the which for helpe did seeke.

Tho looking vp vnto the cry to lest,

They saw that Carle from farre, with hand vnblest

Hayling that mayden by the yellow heare,

That all her garments from her snowy brest,

And from her head her lockes he nigh did teare,

Ne would he spare for pitty, nor refraine for feare.

18
Which haynous sight when
Calidore
beheld,

Eftsoones he loosd that Squire, and so him left,

With hearts dismay and inward dolour queld,

For to pursue that villaine, which had reft

That piteous spoile by so iniurious theft.

Whom ouertaking, loude to him he cryde;

Leaue faytor quickely that misgotten weft

To him, that hath it better iustifyde,

And turne thee soone to him, of whom thou art defyde.

19
Who hearkning to that voice, him selfe vpreard,

And seeing him so fiercely towardes make,

Against him stoutly ran, as nought afeard,

But rather more enrag'd for those words sake;

And with sterne count'naunce thus vnto him spake.

Art thou the caytiue, that defyest me,

And for this Mayd, whose party thou doest take,

Wilt giue thy beard, though it but little bee?

Yet shall it not her lockes for raunsome fro me free.

20
With that he fiercely at him flew, and layd

On hideous strokes with most importune might,

That oft he made him stagger as vnstayd,

And oft recuile to shunne his sharpe despight.

But
Calidore,
that was well skild in fight,

Him long forbore, and still his spirite spar'd,

Lying in waite, how him he damadge might.

But when he felt him shrinke, and come to ward,

He greater grew, and gan to driue at him more hard.

21
Like as a water streame, whose swelling sourse

Shall driue a Mill, within strong bancks is pent,

And long restrayned of his ready course;

So soone as passage is vnto him lent,

Breakes forth, and makes his way more violent.

Such was the fury of Sir
Calidore,

When once he felt his foeman to relent;

He fiercely him pursu'd, and pressed sore,