The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

  40 Behold, Sir, how your pitifull complaint

  Hath found another partner of your payne:

  For nothing may impresse so deare constraint,

  As countries cause, and commune foes disdayne.

  But if it should not grieue you, backe agayne

  To turne your course, I would to heare desyre,

  What to Aeneas fell; sith that men sayne

  He was not in the Cities wofull fyre

  Consum’d, but did him selfe to safetie retyre.

  41 Anchyses sonne begot of Venus faire,

  (Said he,) out of the flames for safegard fled,

  And with a remnant did to sea repaire,

  Where he through fatall errour long was led

  Full many yeares, and weetlesse wandered

  From shore to shore, emongst the Lybicke sands,

  Ere rest he found. Much there he suffered,

  And many perils past in forreine lands,

  To saue his people sad from victours vengefull hands.

  42 At last in Latium he did arriue,

  Where he with cruell warre was entertaind

  Of th’inland folke, which sought him backe to driue,

  Till he with old Latinus was constraind,

  To contract wedlock: (so the fates ordaind.)

  Wedlock contract in bloud, and eke in blood

  Accomplished, that many deare complaind:

  The riuall slaine, the victour through the flood

  Escaped hardly, hardly praisd his wedlock good.

  43 Yet after all, he victour did suruiue,

  And with Latinus did the kingdome part.

  But after, when both nations gan to striue,

  Into their names the title to conuart,

  His sonne lülus did from thence depart,

  With all the warlike youth of Troians bloud,

  And in long Alba plast his throne apart,

  Where faire it florished, and long time stoud,

  Till Romulus renewing it, to Rome remoud.

  44 There there (said Britomart) a fresh appeard

  The glory of the later world to spring,

  And Troy againe out of her dust was reard,

  To sit in second seat of soueraigne king,

  Of all the world vnder her gouerning.

  But a third kingdome yet is to arise,

  Out of the Troians scattered of-spring,

  That in all glory and great enterprise,

  Both first and second Troy shall dare to equalise.

  45 It Troynouant is hight, that with the waues

  Of wealthy Thamis washed is along,

  Vpon whose stubborne neck, whereat he raues

  With roring rage, and sore him selfe does throng,

  That all men feare to tempt his billowes strong,

  She fastned hath her foot, which standes so hy,

  That it a wonder of the world is song

  In forreine landes, and all which passen by,

  Beholding it from far, do thinke it threates the skye.

  46 The Troian Brute did first that Citie found,

  And Hygate made the meare thereof by West,

  And Ouert gate by North: that is the bound

  Toward the land; two riuers bound the rest.

  So huge a scope at first him seemed best,

  To be the compasse of his kingdomes seat:

  So huge a mind could not in lesser rest,

  Ne in small meares containe his glory great,

  That Albion had conquered first by warlike feat.

  47 Ah fairest Lady knight, (said Paridell)

  Pardon I pray my heedlesse ouersight,

  Who had forgot, that whilome I heard tell

  From aged Mnemon; for my wits bene light.

  Indeed he said (if I remember right,)

  That of the antique Troian stocke, there grew

  Another plant, that raught to wondrous hight,

  And far abroad his mighty branches threw,

  Into the vtmost Angle of the world he knew.

  48 For that same Brute, whom much he did aduaunce

  In all his speach, was Syluius his sonne,

  Whom hauing slaine, through luckles arrowes glaunce

  He fled for feare of that he had misdonne,

  Or else for shame, so fowle reproch to shonne,

  And with him led to sea an youthly trayne,

  Where wearie wandring they long time did wonne,

  And many fortunes prou’d in th’Ocean mayne,

  And great aduentures found, that now were long to sayne.

  49 At last by fatall course they driuen were

  Into an Island spatious and brode,

  The furthest North, that did to them appeare:

  Which after rest they seeking far abrode,

  Found it the fittest soyle for their abode,

  Fruitfull of all things fit for liuing foode,

  But wholy wast, and void of peoples trode,

  Saue an huge nation of the Geaunts broode,

  That fed on liuing flesh, & druncke mens vitall blood.

  50 Whom he through wearie wars and labours long,

  Subdewd with losse of many Britons bold:

  In which the great Goemagot of strong

  Corineus, and Coulin af Debon old

  Were ouerthrowne, and layd on th’earth full cold,

  Which quaked vnder their so hideous masse,

  A famous history to be enrold

  In euerlasting moniments of brasse,

  That all the antique Worthies merits far did passe.

  51 His worke great Troynouant, his worke is eke

  Faire Lincolne, both renowmed far away,

  That who from East to West will endlong seeke,

  Cannot two fairer Cities find this day,

  Except Cleopolis: so heard I say

  Old Mnemon. Therefore Sir, I greet you well

  Your countrey kin, and you entirely pray

  Of pardon for the strife, which late befell

  Betwixt vs both vnknowne. So ended Paridell.

  52 But all the while, that he these speeches spent,

  Vpon his lips hong faire Dame Hellenore,

  With vigilant regard, and dew attent,

  Fashioning worlds of fancies euermore

  In her fraile wit, that now her quite forlore:

  The whiles vnwares away her wondring eye,

  And greedy eares her weake hart from her bore:

  Which he perceiuing, euer priuily

  In speaking, many false belgardes at her let fly.

  53 So long these knights discoursed diuersly,

  Of straunge affaires, and noble hardiment,

  Which they had past with mickle ieopardy,

  That now the humid night was farforth spent,

  And heauenly lampes were halfendeale ybrent:

  Which th’old man seeing well, who too long thought

  Euery discourse and euery argument,

  Which by the houres he measured, besought

  Them go to rest. So all vnto their bowres were brought

  CANTO X

  Paridell rapeth Hellenore:

  Malbecco her pursewes:

  Findes emongst Satyres, whence with him

  To turne she doth refuse.

  1 The morow next, so soone as Phœbus Lamp

  Bewrayed had the world with early light,

  And fresh Aurora had the shady damp

  Out of the goodly heauen amoued quight,

  Faire Britomart and that same Faerie knight

  Vprose, forth on their iourney for to wend:

  But Paridell complaynd, that his late fight

  With Britomart, so sore did him offend,

  That ryde he could not, till his hurts he did amend.

  2 So forth they far’d, but he behind them stayd,

  Maulgre his host, who grudged grieuously,

  To house a guest, that would be needes obayd,

  And of his owne him left not liberty:

  Might wanting measure moueth
surquedry.

  Two things he feared, but the third was death;

  That fierce youngmans vnruly maistery;

  His money, which he lou’d as liuing breath;

  And his faire wife, whom honest long he kept vneath.

  3 But patience perforce he must abie,

  What fortune and his fate on him will lay,

  Fond is the feare, that findes no remedie;

  Yet warily he watcheth euery way,

  By which he feareth euill happen may:

  So th’euill thinkes by watching to preuent;

  Ne doth he suffer her, nor night, nor day,

  Out of his sight her selfe once to absent.

  So doth he punish her and eke himselfe torment

  4 But Paridell kept better watch, then hee,

  A fit occasion for his turne to find:

  False loue, why do men say, thou canst not see,

  And in their foolish fancie feigne thee blind,

  That with thy charmes the sharpest sight doest bind,

  And to thy will abuse? Thou walkest free,

  And seest euery secret of the mind;

  Thou seest all, yet none at all sees thee;

  All that is by the working of thy Deitee.

  5 So perfect in that art was Paridell,

  That he Malbeccoes halfen eye did wyle,

  His halfen eye he wiled wondrous well,

  And Hellenors both eyes did eke beguyle,

  Both eyes and hart attonce, during the whyle

  That he there soiourned his wounds to heale;

  That Cupid selfe it seeing, close did smyle,

  To weet how he her loue away did steale,

  And bad, that none their ioyous treason should reueale.

  6 The learned louer lost no time nor tyde,

  That least auantage mote to him afford,

  Yet bore so faire a saile, that none espyde

  His secret drift, till he her layd abord.

  When so in open place, and commune bord,

  He fortun’d her to meet, with commune speach

  He courted her, yet bayted euery word,

  That his vngentle hoste n’ote him appeach

  Of vile vngentlenesse, or hospitages breach.

  7 But when apart (if euer her apart)

  He found, then his false engins fast he plyde,

  And all the sleights vnbosomd in his hart;

  He sigh’d, he sobd, he swownd, he perdy dyde,

  And cast bimselfe on ground her fast besyde:

  Tho when againe he him bethought to liue,

  He wept, and wayld, and false laments belyde,

  Saying, but if she Mercie would him giue

  That he mote algates dye, yet did his death forgiue.

  8 And otherwhiles with amorous delights,

  And pleasing toyes he would her entertaine,

  Now singing sweetly, to surprise her sprights,

  Now making layes of loue and louers paine,

  Bransles, Ballads, virelayes, and verses vaine;

  Oft purposes, oft riddles he deuysd,

  And thousands like, which flowed in his braine,

  With which he fed her fancie, and entysd

  To take to his new loue, and leaue her old despysd.

  9 And euery where he might, and euery while

  He did her seruice dewtifull, and sewed

  At hand with humble pride, and pleasing guile,

  So closely yet, that none but she it vewed,

  Who well perceiued all, and all indewed.

  Thus finely did he his false nets dispred,

  With which he many weake harts had subdewed

  Of yore, and many had ylike misled:

  What wonder then, if she were likewise carried?

  10 No fort so fensible, no wals so strong,

  But that continuall battery will riue,

  Or daily siege through dispuruayance long,

  And lacke of reskewes will to parley driue;

  And Peace, that vnto parley eare will giue,

  Will shortly yeeld it selfe, and will be made

  The vassall of the victors will byliue:

  That stratageme had oftentimes assayd

  This crafty Paramoure, and now it plaine displayd.

  11 For through his traines he her intrapped hath,

  That she her loue and hart hath wholy sold

  To him, without regard of gaine, or scath,

  Or care of credite, or of husband old,

  Whom she hath vow’d to dub a faire Cucquold.

  Nought wants but time and place, which shortly shee

  Deuized hath, and to her louer told.

  It pleased well. So well they both agree;

  So readie rype to ill, ill wemens counsels bee.

  12 Darke was the Euening, fit for louers stealth,

  When chaunst Malbecco busie be elsewhere,

  She to his closet went, where all his wealth

  Lay hid: thereof she countlesse summes did reare,

  The which she meant away with her to beare;

  The rest she fyr’d for sport, or for despight;

  As Hellene, when she saw aloft appeare

  The Troiane flames, and reach to heauens hight

  Did clap her hands, and ioyed at that dolefull sight.

  13 This second Hellene, faire Dame Hellenore,

  The whiles her husband ranne with sory haste,

  To quench the flames which she had tyn’d before,

  Laught at his foolish labour spent in waste;

  And ranne into her louers armes right fast;

  Where streight embraced, she to him did cry,

  And call aloud for helpe, ere helpe were past;

  For loe that Guest would beare her forcibly,

  And meant to rauish her, that rather had to dy.

  14 The wretched man hearing her call for ayd,

  And readie seeing him with her to fly,

  In his disquiet mind was much dismayd:

  But when againe he backward cast bis eye,

  And saw the wicked fire so furiously

  Consume his hart, and scorch his Idoles face,

  He was therewith distressed diuersly,

  Ne wist he how to turne, nor to what place;

  Was neuer wretched man in such a wofull cace.

  15 Ay when to him she cryde, to her he turnd,

  And left the fire; loue money ouercame:

  But when he marked, how his money burnd,

  He left his wife; money did loue disclame:

  Both was he loth to loose his loued Dame,

  And loth to leaue his liefest pelfe behind,

  Yet sith he n’ote saue both, he sau’d that same,

  Which was the dearest to his donghill mind,

  The God of his desire, the ioy of misers blind.

  16 Thus whilest all things in troublous vprore were,

  And all men busie to suppresse the flame,

  The louing couple need no reskew feare,

  But leasure had, and libertie to frame

  Their purpost flight, free from all mens reclame;

  And Night, the patronesse of loue-stealth faire,

  Gaue them safe conduct, till to end they came:

  So bene they gone yfeare, a wanton paire

  Of louers loosely knit, where list them to repaire.

  17 Soone as the cruell flames yslaked were,

  Malbecco seeing, how his losse did lye,

  Out of the flames, which he had quencht whylere

  Into huge waues of griefe and gealosye

  Full deepe emplonged was, and drowned nye,

  Twixt inward doole and felonous despight;

  He rau’d, he wept, he stampt, he lowd did cry,

  And all the passions, that in man may light,

  Did him attonce oppresse, and vex his caytiue spright.

  18 Long thus he chawd the cud of inward griefe,

  And did consume his gall with anguish sore,

  Still when he mused on his late mischiefe,

&nb
sp; Then still the smart thereof increased more,

  And seem’d more grieuous, then it was before:

  At last when sorrow he saw booted nought,

  Ne griefe might not his loue to him restore,

  He gan deuise, how her he reskew mought,

  Ten thousand wayes he cast in his confused thought.

  19 At last resoluing, like a pilgrim pore,

  To search her forth, where so she might be fond,

  And bearing with him treasure in close store,

  The rest he leaues in ground: So takes in hond

  To seeke her endlong, both by sea and lond

  Long he her sought, he sought her farre and nere,

  And euery where that he mote vnderstond,

  Of knights and ladies any meetings were,

  And of eachone he met, he tydings did inquere.

  20 But all in vaine, his woman was too wise,

  Euer to come into his clouch againe,

  And he too simple euer to surprise

  The iolly Paridell, for all his paine.

  One day, as he forpassed by the plaine

  With weary pace, he farre away espide

  A couple, seeming well to be his twaine,

  Which houed close vnder a forrest side,

  As if they lay in wait, or else themselues did hide.

  21 Well weened he, that those the same mote bee,

  And as he better did their shape auize,

  Him seemed more their manner did agree;

  For th’one was armed all in warlike wize,

  Whom, to be Paridell he did deuize;

  And th’other all yclad in garments light,

  Discolour’d like to womanish disguise,

  He did resemble to his Ladie bright;

  And euer his faint hart much earned at the sight

  22 And euer faine he towards them would goe,

  But yet durst not for dread approchen nie,

  But stood aloofe, vnweeting what to doe;

  Till that prickt forth with loues extremitie,

  That is the father of foule gealosy,

  He closely nearer crept, the truth to weet:

  But, as he nigher drew, he easily

  Might scerne, that it was not his sweetest sweet,

  Ne yet her Belamour, the partner of his sheet

  23 But it was scornefull Braggadocchio,

  That with his seruant Trompart houerd there,

  Sith late he fled from his too earnest foe:

  Whom such when as Malbecco spyed clere,

  He turned backe, and would haue fled arere;

  Till Trompart ronning hastily, him did stay,

  And bad before his soueraine Lord appere:

  That was him loth, yet durst he not gainesay,

  And comming him before, low louted on the lay.

  24 The Boaster at him sternely bent his browe,

  As if he could haue kild him with his looke,