The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

  That euery breath of heauen shaked it:

  And all the hinder parts, that few could spie,

  Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

  6 Arriued there they passed in forth right;

  For still to all the gates stood open wide,

  Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight

  Cald Maluenù, who entrance none denide:

  Thence to the hall, which was on euery side

  With rich array and costly arras dight:

  Infinite sorts of people did abide

  There waiting long, to win the wished sight

  Of her, that was the Lady of that Pallace bright

  7 By them they passe, all gazing on them round,

  And to the Presence mount; whose glorious vew

  Their frayle amazed senses did confound:

  In liuing Princes court none euer knew

  Such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew;

  Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride

  Like euer saw. And there a noble crew

  Of Lordes and Ladies stood on euery side,

  Which with their presence faire, the place much beautifide.

  8 High aboue all a cloth of State was spred,

  And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,

  On which there sate most braue embellished

  With royall robes and gorgeous array,

  A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,

  In glistring gold, and peerelesse pretious stone:

  Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay

  To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,

  As enuying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.

  9 Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fairest childe,

  That did presume his fathers firie wayne,

  And flaming mouthes of steedes vnwonted wilde

  Through highest heauen with weaker hand to rayne;

  Proud of such glory and aduancement vaine,

  While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,

  He leaues the welkin way most beaten plaine,

  And rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen,

  With fire not made to burne, but fairely for to shyne.

  10 So proud she shyned in her Princely state,

  Looking to heauen; for earth she did disdayne,

  And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:

  Lo vnderneath her scornefull feete, was layne

  A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne,

  And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,

  Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,

  And in her selfe-lou’d semblance tooke delight;

  For she was wondrous faire, as any liuing wight.

  11 Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,

  And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell;

  Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas

  That parentage, with pride so did she swell,

  And thundring Ioue, that high in heauen doth dwell,

  And wield the world, she claymed for her syre,

  Or if that any else did Ioue excell:

  For to the highest she did still aspyre,

  Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

  12 And proud Lucifera men did her call,

  That made her selfe a Queene, and crownd to be,

  Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all,

  Ne heritage of natiue soceraintie,

  But did vsurpe with wrong and tyrannie

  Vpon the scepter, which she now did hold:

  Ne ruld her Realmes with lawes, but pollicie,

  And strong aduizement of six wisards old,

  That with their counsels bad her kingdome did vphold.

  13 Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came,

  And false Duessa seeming Lady faire,

  A gentle Husher, Vanitie by name

  Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire:

  So goodly brought them to the lowest staire

  Of her high throne, where they on humble knee

  Making obeyssance, did the cause declare,

  Why they were come, her royall state to see,

  To proue the wide report of her great Maiestee.

  14 With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low,

  She thanked them in her disdainefull wise,

  Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show

  Of Princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise.

  Her Lordes and Ladies all this while deuise

  Themselues to setten forth to straungers sight:

  Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise,

  Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight

  Their gay attire: each others greater pride does spight

  15 Goodly they all that knight do entertaine,

  Right glad with him to haue increast their crew:

  But to Duess’ each one himselfe did paine

  All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;

  For in that court whylome her well they knew:

  Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd

  Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,

  And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,

  That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

  16 Suddein vpriseth from her stately place

  The royall Dame, and for her coche doth call:

  All hurtlen forth, and she with Princely pace,

  As faire Aurora in her purple pall,

  Out of the East the dawning day doth call:

  So forth she comes: her brightnesse brode doth blaze;

  The heapes of people thronging in the hall,

  Do ride each other, vpon her to gaze:

  Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.

  17 So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme,

  Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay,

  That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime,

  And stroue to match, in royall rich array,

  Great Iunoes golden chaire, the which they say

  The Gods stand gazing on, when she does ride

  To Ioues high house through heauens bras-paued way

  Drawne of faire Pecocks, that excell in pride,

  And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide.

  18 But this was drawne of six vnequall beasts,

  On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde,

  Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,

  With like conditions to their kinds applyde:

  Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,

  Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin;

  Vpon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde,

  Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin,

  Like to an holy Monck, the seruice to begin.

  19 And in his hand his Portesse still he bare,

  That much was worne, but therein little red,

  For of deuotion he had little care,

  Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his days ded;

  Scarse could he once vphold his heauie hed,

  To looken, whether it were night or day:

  May seeme the wayne was very euill led,

  When such an one had guiding of the way,

  That knew not, whether right he went, or else astray.

  20 From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne,

  And greatly shunned manly exercise,

  From euery worke he chalenged essoyne,

  For contemplation sake: yet otherwise,

  His life he led in lawlesse riotise;

  By which he grew to grieuous malady;

  For in his lustlesse limbs through euill guise

  A shaking feuer raignd continually:

  Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company.

  21 And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony,

  Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne,

  His belly was vp-blowne with luxury,

  And eke with fatnesse
swollen were his eyne,

  And like a Crane his necke was long and fyne,

  With which he swallowd vp excessiue feast;

  For want whereof poore people oft did pyne;

  And all the way, most like a brutish beast,

  He spued vp his gorge, that all did him deteast.

  22 In greene vine leaues he was right fitly clad;

  For other clothes he could not weare for heat,

  And on his head an yuie girland had,

  From vnder which fast trickled downe the sweat:

  Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat,

  And in his hand did beare a bouzing can,

  Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat

  His dronken corse he scarse vpholden can,

  In shape and life more like a monster, then a man.

  23 Vnfit he was for any worldly thing,

  And eke vnhable once to stirre or go,

  Not meet to be of counsell to a king,

  Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned so,

  That from his friend he seldome knew his fo:

  Full of diseases was his carcas blew,

  And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow:

  Which by misdiet daily greater grew:

  Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.

  24 And next to him rode lustfull Lechery,

  Vpon a bearded Goat, whose rugged haire,

  And whally eyes (the signe of gelosy,)

  Was like the person selfe, whom he did beare:

  Who rough, and blacke, and filthy did appeare,

  Vnseemely man to please faire Ladies eye;

  Yet he of Ladies oft was loued deare,

  When fairer faces were bid standen by:

  O who does know the bent of womens fantasy?

  25 In a greene gowne he clothed was full faire,

  Which vnderneath did hide his filthinesse,

  And in his hand a burning hart he bare,

  Full of vaine follies, and new fanglenesse:

  For he was false, and fraught with ficklenesse,

  And learned had to loue with secret lookes,

  And well could daunce, and sing with ruefulnesse,

  And fortunes tell, and read in louing bookes,

  And thousand other wayes, to bait his fleshly hookes.

  26 Inconstant man, that loued all he saw,

  And lusted after all, that he did loue,

  Ne would his looser life be tide to law,

  But ioyd weake wemens hearts to tempt and proue

  If from their loyall loues he might them moue;

  Which lewdnesse fild him with reprochfull paine

  Of that fowle euill, which all men reproue,

  That rots the marrow, and consumes the braine:

  Such one was Lecherie, the third of all this traine.

  27 And greedy Auarice by him did ride,

  Vpon a Camell loaden all with gold;

  Two iron coffers hong on either side,

  With precious mettall full, as they might hold,

  And in his lap an heape of coine he told;

  For of his wicked pelfe his God he made,

  And vnto hell him selfe for money sold;

  Accursed vsurie was all his trade,

  And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.

  28 His life was nigh vnto deaths doore yplast,

  And tired-bare cote, and cobled shoes he ware,

  Ne scarse good morsell all his life did tast,

  But both from backe and belly still did spare,

  To fill his bags, and richesse to compare;

  Yet chylde ne kinsman liuing had he none

  To leaue them to; but thorough daily care

  To get, and nightly feare to lose his owne,

  He led a wretched life vnto himselfe vnknowne.

  29 Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise,

  Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store,

  Whose need had end, but no end couetise,

  Whose wealth was want, whose plenty made him pore,

  Who had enough, yet wished euer more;

  A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand

  A grieuous gout tormented him full sore,

  That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand:

  Such one was Auarice, the fourth of this faire band.

  30 And next to him malicious Enuie rode,

  Vpon a rauenous wolfe, and still did chaw

  Betweene his cankred teeth a venemous tode,

  That all the poison ran about his chaw;

  But inwardly he chawed his owne maw

  At neighbours wealth, that made him euer sad;

  For death it was, when any good he saw,

  And wept, that cause of weeping none he had,

  But when he heard of harme, he wexed wondrous glad.

  31 All in a kirtle of discolourd say

  He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes;

  And in his bosome secretly there lay

  An hatefull Snake, the which his taile vptyes

  In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.

  Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth, to see

  Those heapes of gold with griple Couetyse,

  And grudged at the great felicitie

  Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companie.

  32 He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds,

  And him no lesse, that any like did vse,

  And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,

  His alines for want of faith he doth accuse;

  So euery good to bad he doth abuse:

  And eke the verse of famous Poets witt

  He does backebite, and spightfull poison spues

  From leprous mouth on all, that euer writt:

  Such one vile Enuie was, that fifte in row did sitt,

  33 And him beside rides fierce reuenging Wrath,

  Vpon a Lion, loth for to be led;

  And in his hand a burning brond he hath,

  The which he brandisheth about his hed;

  His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red,

  And stared sterne on all, that him beheld,

  As ashes pale of hew and seeming ded;

  And on his dagger still his hand he held,

  Trembling through hasty rage, when choler in him sweld.

  34 His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood,

  Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent,

  Through vnaduized rashnesse woxen wood;

  For of his hands he had no gouernement,

  Ne car’d for bloud in his auengement:

  But when the furious fit was ouerpast,

  His cruell facts he often would repent;

  Yet wilfull man he neuer would forecast,

  How many mischieues should ensue his heedlesse hast.

  35 Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath;

  Abhorred bloudshed, and tumultuous strife,

  Vnmanly murder, and vnthrifty scath,

  Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife,

  And fretting griefe the enemy of life;

  All these, and many euils moe haunt ire,

  The swelling Splene, and Frenzy raging rife,

  The shaking Palsey, and Saint Frounces fire:

  Such one was Wrath, the last of this vngodly tire.

  36 And after all, vpon the wagon beame

  Rode Sathan, with a smarting whip in hand,

  With which he forward lasht the laesie teme,

  So oft as Slowth still in the mire did stand.

  Huge routs of people did about them band,

  Showting for ioy, and still before their way

  A foggy mist had couered all the land;

  And vnderneath their feet, all scattered lay

  Dead sculs & bones of men, whose life had gone astray.

  37 So forth they marchen in this goodly sort,

  To take the solace of the open aire,

  And in fresh flowring fields themselues to sport;

&nb
sp; Emongst the rest rode that false Lady faire,

  The fowle Duessa, next vnto the chaire

  Of proud Lucifera, as one of the traine:

  But that good knight would not so nigh repaire,

  Him selfe estraunging from their ioyaunce vaine,

  Whose fellowship seemd far vnfit for warlike swaine.

  38 So hauing solaced themselues a space

  With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed,

  They backe returned to the Princely Place;

  Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled,

  And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red

  Was writ Sans ioy, they new arriued find:

  Enflam’d with fury and fiers hardy-hed,

  He seemd in hart to harbour thoughts vnkind,

  And nourish bloudy vengeaunce in his bitter mind.

  39 Who when the shamed shield of slaine Sans foy

  He spide with that same Faery champions page,

  Bewraying him, that did of late destroy

  His eldest brother, burning all with rage

  He to him leapt, and that same enuious gage

  Of victors glory from him snatcht away:

  But th’Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage,

  Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray,

  And him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray.

  40 Therewith they gan to hurden greedily,

  Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne,

  And dash their shields, and shake their swords on hy,

  That with their sturre they troubled all the traine;

  Till that great Queene vpon eternall paine

  Of high displeasure, that ensewen might,

  Commaunded them their fury to refraine,

  And if that either to that shield had right,

  In equall lists they should the morrow next it fight.

  41 Ah dearest Dame, (quoth then the Paynim bold,)

  Pardon the errour of enraged wight,

  Whom great griefe made forget the raines to hold

  Of reasons rule, to see this recreant knight,

  No knight, but treachour full of false despight

  And shamefull treason, who through guile hath slayn

  The prowest knight, that euer field did fight,

  Euen stout Sans fay (O who can then refrayn?)

  Whose shield he beares renuerst, the more to heape disdayn.

  42 And to augment the glorie of his guile,

  His dearest loue the faire Fidessa loe

  Is there possessed of the traytour vile,

  Who reapes the haruest sowen by his foe,

  Sowen in bloudy field, and bought with woe:

  That brothers hand shall dearely well requight

  So be, ô Queene, you equall fauour showe.

  Him litle answerd th’angry Elfin knight;

  He neuer meant with words, but swords to plead his right

  43 But threw his gauntlet as a sacred pledge,