The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

  Forwasted all, till Genuissa gent

  Perswaded him to ceasse, and her Lord to relent

  53 He dyde; and him succeeded Marius,

  Who ioyd his dayes in great tranquillity,

  Then Coyll, and after him good Lucius,

  That first receiued Christianitie,

  The sacred pledge of Christes Euangely:

  Yet true it is, that long before that day

  Hither came Ioseph of Arimathy,

  Who brought with him the holy grayle, (they say)

  And preacht the truth, but since it greatly did decay.

  54 This good king shortly without issew dide,

  Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew,

  That did her selfe in sundry parts diuide,

  And with her powre her owne selfe ouerthrew,

  Whilest Romanes dayly did the weake subdew:

  Which seeing stout Bunduca, vp arose,

  And taking armes, the Britons to her drew;

  With whom she marched streight against her foes,

  And them vnwares besides the Seueme did enclose.

  55 There she with them a cruell battell tride,

  Not with so good successe, as she deseru’d;

  By reason that the Captaines on her side,

  Corrupted by Paulinus, from her sweru’d:

  Yet such, as were through former flight preseru’d,

  Gathering againe, her Host she did renew,

  And with fresh courage on the victour seru’d:

  But being all defeated, saue a few,

  Rather then fly, or be captiu’d her selfe she slew.

  56 O famous moniment of womens prayse,

  Matchable either to Semiramis,

  Whom antique history so high doth raise,

  Or to Hysiphil’ or to Thomiris:

  Her Host two hundred thousand numbred is;

  Who whiles good fortune fauoured her might,

  Triumphed oft against her enimis;

  And yet though ouercome in haplesse fight,

  She triumphed on death, in enemies despight

  57 Her reliques Fulgent hauing gathered,

  Fought with Seuerus, and him ouerthrew;

  Yet in the chace was slaine of them, that fled:

  So made them victours, whom he did subdew.

  Then gan Carausius tirannize anew,

  And gainst the Romanes bent their proper powre,

  But him Allectus treacherously slew,

  And tooke on him the robe of Emperoure:

  Nath’lesse the same enioyed but short happy howre:

  58 For Asclepiodate him ouercame,

  And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne,

  Without or robe, or rag, to hide his shame.

  Then afterwards he in his stead did rayne;

  But shortly was by Coyll in battell slaine:

  Who after long debate, since Lucies time,

  Was of the Britons first crownd Soueraine:

  Then gan this Realme renewe her passed prime:

  He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime.

  59 Which when the Romanes heard, they hither sent

  Constantius, a man of mickle might,

  With whom king Coyll made an agreement,

  And to him gaue for wife his daughter bright,

  Faire Helena, the fairest liuing wight;

  Who in all godly thewes, and goodly prayse

  Did far excell, but was most famous bight

  For skill in Musicke of all in her dayes,

  Aswell in curious instruments, as cunning layes.

  60 Of whom he did great Constantine beget,

  Who afterward was Emperour of Rome;

  To which whiles absent he his mind did set,

  Octauius here lept into his roome,

  And it vsurped by vnrighteous doome:

  But he his title justifide by might,

  Slaying Traherne, and hauing ouercome

  The Romane legion in dreadfull fight:

  So settled he his kingdome, and confirmd his right.

  61 But wanting issew male, his daughter deare,

  He gaue in wedlocke to Maximian,

  And him with her made of his kingdome heyre,

  Who soone by meanes thereof the Empire wan,

  Till murdred by the friends of Gratian;

  Then gan the Hunnes and Picts inuade this land,

  During the raigne of Maximinian;

  Who dying left none heire them to withstand,

  But that they ouerran all parts with easie hand.

  62 The weary Britons, whose war-hable youth

  Was by Maximian lately led away,

  With wretched miseries, and woefull ruth,

  Were to those Pagans made an open pray,

  And dayly spectacle of sad decay:

  Whom Romane warres, which now foure hundred yeares,

  And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;

  Till by consent of Commons and of Peares,

  They crownd the second Constantine with ioyous teares,

  63 Who hauing oft in battell vanquished

  Those spoilefull Picts, and swarming Easterlings,

  Long time in peace his Realme established,

  Yet oft annoyd with sundry bordragings

  Of neighbour Scots, and forrein Scatterlings,

  With which the world did in those dayes abound:

  Which to outbarre, with painerull pyonings

  From sea to sea he heapt a mightie mound,

  Which from Akluid to Panwelt did that border bound.

  64 Three sonnes he dying left, all vnder age;

  By meanes whereof, their vncle Vortigere

  Vsurpt the crowne, during their pupillage;

  Which th’Infants tutors gathering to feare,

  Them closely into Armorick did beare:

  For dread of whom, and for those Picts annoyes,

  He sent to Germanie, straunge aid to reare,

  From whence eftsoones arriued here three hoyea

  Of Saxons, whom he for his safetie imployes.

  65 Two brethren were their Capitayns, which hight

  Hengist and Horsus, well approu’d in warre,

  And both of them men of renowmed might;

  Who making vantage of their ciuill iarre,

  And of those forreiners, which came from farre,

  Grew great, and got large portions of land,

  That in the Realme ere long they stronger arre,

  Then they which sought at first their helping hand,

  And Vortiger enforst the kingdome to aband.

  66 But by the helpe of Vortimere his sonne,

  He is againe vnto his rule restord,

  And Hengist seeming sad, for that was donne,

  Receiued is to grace and new accord,

  Through his faire daughters face, & flattring word;

  Soone after which, three hundred Lordes he slew

  Of British bloud, all sitting at his bord;

  Whose dolefull moniments who list to rew,

  Th’eternall markes of treason may at Stonheng vew.

  67 By this the sonnes of Constantine, which fled,

  Ambrose and Vther did ripe yeares attaine,

  And here arriuing, strongly challenged

  The crowne, which Vortiger did long detaine:

  Who flying from his guilt, by them was slaine,

  And Hengist eke soone brought to shamefull death.

  Thenceforth Aurelius peaceably did rayne,

  Till that through poyson stopped was his breath;

  So now entombed lyes at Stoneheng by the heath.

  68 After him Vther, which Pendragon hight,

  Succeding There abruptly it did end,

  Without full point, or other Cesure right,

  As if the rest some wicked hand did rend,

  Or th’Authour selfe could not at least attend

  To finish it: that so vntimely breach

  The Prince him selfe halfe seemeth to offend,

  Yet se
cret pleasure did offence empeach,

  And wonder of antiquitie long stopt his speach.

  69 At last quite rauisht with delight, to heare

  The royall Ofspring of his natiue land,

  Cryde out, Dcare countrey, 6 how dearely deare

  Ought thy remembraunce, and perpetuall band

  Be to thy foster Childe, that from thy hand

  Did commun breath and nouriture receaue?

  How brutish is it not to vnderstand,

  How much to her we owe, that all vs gaue,

  That gaue vnto vs all, what euer good we haue.

  70 But Guyon all this while his booke did read,

  Ne yet has ended: for it was a great

  And ample volume, that doth far excead

  My leasure, so long leaues here to repeat:

  It told, how first Prometheus did create

  A man, of many partes from beasts deriued

  And then stole fire from heauen, to animate

  His worke, for which he was by loue depriued

  Of life him selfe, and hart-strings of an Ægle riued.

  71 That man so made, he called Elfe, to weet

  Quick, the first authour of all Elfin kind:

  Who wandring through the world with wearie feet,

  Did in the gardins of Adonis find

  A goodly creature, whom he deemd in mind

  To be no earthly wight, but either Spright,

  Or Angell, th’authour of all woman kind;

  Therefore a Fay he her according hight,

  Of whom all Faeryes spring, and fetch their lignage right.

  72 Of these a mightie people shortly grew,

  And puissaunt kings, which all the world warrayd,

  And to them selues all Nations did subdew:

  The first and eldest, which that scepter swayd,

  Was Elfin; him all India obayd,

  And all that now America men call:

  Next him was noble Elfinan, who layd

  Cleopolis foundation first of all:

  But Elfiline enclose! it with a golden wall.

  73 His sonne was Elfinell, who ouercame

  The wicked Gobbelines in bloudy field:

  But Elfant was of most renowmed fame,

  Who all of Christall did Panthea build:

  Then Elfar, who two brethren gyants kild,

  The one of which had two heads, th’other three:

  Then Elfinor, who was in Magick skild;

  He built by art vpon the glassy See

  A bridge of bras, whose sound heauens thunder seem’d to bee.

  74 He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,

  And all their Ofspring, in their dew descents,

  Euen seuen hundred Princes, which maintaynd

  With mightie deedes their sundry gouerntnents;

  That were too long their infinite contents

  Here to record, ne much materiall:

  Yet should they be most famous moniments,

  And braue ensample, both of martiall,

  And ciuill rule to kings and states imperiall.

  75 After all these Elficleos did rayne,

  The wise Elficleos in great Maiestie,

  Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,

  And with rich spoiles and famous victorie,

  Did high aduaunce the crowne of Faery:

  He left two sonnes, of which faire Elferon

  The eldest brother did vntimely dy;

  Whose emptie place the mightie Oberon

  Doubly supph’de, in spousall, and dominion.

  76 Great was his power and glorie ouer all,

  ‘Which him before, that sacred seate did fill,

  That yet remaines his wide memoriall:

  He dying left the fairest Tanaquill,

  Him to succeede therein, by his last will:

  Fairer and nobler liueth none this howre,

  Ne like in grace, ne like in learned skill;

  Therefore they Glorian call that glorious flowre,

  Long mayst thou Glorian liue, in glory and great powre.

  77 Beguild thus with delight of nouelties,

  And naturall desire of countreys state,

  So long they red in those antiquities,

  That how the time was fled, they quite forgate,

  Till gentle Alma seeing it so late,

  Perforce their studies broke, and them besought

  To thinke, how supper did them long awaite.

  So halfe vnwilling from their bookes them brought,

  And fairely feasted, as so noble knights she ought.

  CANTO XI

  The enimies of Temperaunce

  besiege her dwelling place:

  Prince Arthur them repelles, and fowle

  Maleger doth deface.

  1 What warre so cruell, or what siege so sore,

  As that, which strong affections do apply

  Against the fort of reason euermore

  To bring the soule into captiuitie:

  Their force is fiercer through infirmitie

  Of the fraile flesh, relenting to their rage,

  And exercise most bitter tyranny

  Vpon the parts, brought into their bondage:

  No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage.

  2 But in a body, which doth freely yeeld

  His partes to reasons rule obedient,

  And letteth her that ought the scepter weeld,

  All happy peace and goodly gouernment

  Is setled there in sure establishment;

  There Alma like a virgin Queene most bright,

  Doth florish in all beautde excellent:

  And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight,

  Attempred goodly well for health and for delight.

  3 Early before the Morne with cremosin ray,

  The windowes of bright heauen opened had,

  Through which into the world the dawning day

  Might looke, that maketh euery creature glad,

  Vprose Sir Guyon, in bright armour clad,

  And to his purposd iourney him prepar’d:

  With him die Palmer eke in habit sad,

  Him selfe addrest to that aduenture hard:

  So to the riuers side they both together far’d.

  4 Where them awaited ready at the ford

  The Ferriman, as Alma had benight,

  With his well rigged boate: They go abord,

  And he eftsoones gan launch his barke forthright.

  Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight,

  And fast the land behind them fled away.

  But let them pas, whiles wind and weather right

  Do serue their turnes: here I a while must stay,

  To see a cruell fight doen by the Prince this day.

  5 For all so soone, as Guyon thence was gon

  Vpon his voyage with his trustie guide,

  That wicked band of villeins fresh begon

  That castle to assaile on euery side,

  And lay strong siege about it far and wide.

  So huge and infinite their numbers were,

  That all the land they vnder them did hide;

  So fowle and vgly, that exceeding feare

  Their visages imprest, when they approched neare.

  6 Them in twelue troupes their Captain did dispart

  And round about in fittest steades did place,

  Where each might best offend his proper part,

  And his contrary obiect most deface,

  As euery one seem’d meetest in that cace.

  Seuen of the same against the Castle gate,

  In strong entrenchments he did closely place,

  Which with incessaunt force and endlesse hate,

  They battred day and night, and entraunce did awate.

  7 The other fiue, fiue sundry wayes he set,

  Against the fiue great Bulwarkes of that pile,

  And vnto each a Bulwarke did arret,

  T’assayle with open force or hidden guile,

  In ho
pe thereof to win victorious spoile.

  They all that charge did feruently apply,

  With greedie malice and importune toyle,

  And planted there their huge artillery,

  With which they dayly made most dreadfull battery.

  8 The first troupe was a monstrous rablement

  Of fowle misshapen wights, of which some were

  Headed like Owles, with beckes vncomely bent,

  Others like Dogs, others like Gryphons dreare,

  And some had wings, and some had clawes to teare,

  And euery one of them had Lynces eyes,

  And euery one did bow and arrowes beare:

  All those were lawlesse lustes, corrupt enuies,

  And couetous aspectes, all cruell enimies.

  9 Those same against the bulwarke of the Sight

  Did lay strong siege, and battailous assault,

  Ne once did yield it respit day nor night,

  But soone as Titan gan his head exault,

  And soone againe as he his light withhault,

  Their wicked engins they against it bent:

  That is each thing, by which the eyes may fault,

  But two then all more huge and violent,

  Beautie, and money, they that Bulwarke sorely rent.

  10 The second Bulwarke was the Hearing sence,

  Gainst which the second troupe dessignment makes;

  Deformed creatures, in straunge difference,

  Some hauing heads like Harts, some like to Snakes,

  Some like wild Bores late rouzd out of the brakes;

  Slaunderous reproches, and fowle infamies,

  Leasings, backbytings, and vaine-glorious crakes,

  Bad counsels, prayses, and false flatteries.

  All those against that fort did bend their batteries.

  11 Likewise that same third Fort, that is the Smell

  Of that third troupe was cruelly assayd:

  Whose hideous shapes were like to feends of hell,

  Some like to hounds, some like to Apes, dismayd,

  Some like to Puttockes, all in plumes arayd:

  All shap’t according their conditions,

  For by those vgly formes weren pourtrayd,

  Foolish delights and fond abusions,

  Which do that sence besiege with light illusions.

  12 And that fourth band, which cruell battry bent,

  Against the fourth Bulwarke, that is the Tost,

  Was as the rest, a grysie rablement,

  Some mouth’d like greedy Oystriges, some fast

  Like loathly Toades, some fashioned in the wast

  Like swine; for so deformd is luxury,

  Surfeat, misdiet, and vnthriftie wast,

  Vaine feasts, and idle superfluity:

  All those this sences Fort assayle incessantly.

  13 But the fift troupe most horrible of hew,

  And fierce of force, was dreadfull to report: