The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

  He was full wo, and gan his former griefe renew.

  39 For th’one of them he perfectly descride,

  To be Sir Scudamour, by that he bore

  The God of loue, with wings displayed wide,

  Whom mortally he hated euermore,

  Both for his worth, that all men did adore,

  And eke because his loue he wonne by right:

  Which when he thought, it grieued him full sore,

  That through the bruses of his former fight,

  He now vnable was to wreake his old despight

  40 For thy he thus to Paridel bespake,

  Faire Sir, of friendship let me now you pray,

  That as I late aduentured for your sake,

  The hurts whereof me now from battell stay,

  Ye will me now with like good turne repay,

  And iustifie my cause on yonder knight.

  Ah Sir (said Paridel) do not dismay

  Your selfe for this, my selfe will for you fight,

  As ye haue done for me: the left hand rubs the right

  41 With that he put his spurres vnto his steed,

  With speare in rest, and toward him did fare,

  like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.

  But Scudamour was shortly well aware

  Of his approch, and gan him selfe prepare

  Him to receiue with entertainment meete.

  So furiously they met, that either bare

  The other downe vnder their horses feete,

  That what of them became, themselues did scarsly weete.

  42 As when two billowes in the Irish sowndes,

  Forcibly driuen with contrarie tydes

  Do meete together, each abacke rebowndes

  With roaring rage; and dashing on all sides,

  That filleth all the sea with fome, diuydes

  The doubtfull current into diuers wayes:

  So fell those two in spight of both their prydes,

  But Scudamour himselfe did soone vprayse,

  And mounting light his foe for lying long vpbrayes.

  43 Who rolled on an heape lay still in swound,

  All carelesse of his taunt and bitter rayle,

  Till that the rest him seeing lie on ground,

  Ran hastily, to weete what did him ayle.

  Where finding that the breath gan him to fayle,

  With busie care they stroue him to awake,

  And doft his helmet, and vndid his mayle:

  So much they did, that at the last they brake

  His slomber, yet so mazed, that he nothing spake.

  44 Which when as Blandamour beheld, he sayd,

  False faitour Scudamour, that hast by slight

  And foule aduantage this good Knight dismayd,

  A Knight much better then thy selfe behight,

  Well falles it thee that I am not in plight

  This day, to wreake the dammage by thee donne:

  Such is thy wont, that still when any Knight

  Is weakned, then thou doest him ouerronne:

  So hast thou to thy selfe false honour often wonne.

  45 He little answer’d, but in manly heart

  His mightie indignation did forbeare,

  Which was not yet so secret, but some part

  Thereof did in his frouning face appeare:

  Like as a gloomie cloud, the which doth beare

  An hideous storme, is by the Northerne blast

  Quite ouerblowne, yet doth not passe so cleare,

  But that it all the skie doth ouercast

  With darknes dred, and threatens all the world to wast

  46 Ah gentle knight, then false Duessa sayd,

  Why do ye striue for Ladies loue so sore,

  Whose chiefe desire is loue and friendly aid

  Mongst gentle Knights to nourish euermore?

  Ne be ye wroth Sir Scudamour therefore,

  That she your loue list loue another knight,

  Ne do your selfe dislike a whit the more;

  For Loue is free, and led with selfe delight,

  Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might

  47 So false Duessa, but vile Ate thus;

  Both foolish knights, I can but laugh at both,

  That striue and storme with stirre outrageous,

  For her that each of you alike doth loth,

  And loues another, with whom now she goth

  In louely wise, and sleepes, and sports, and playes;

  Whilest both you here with many a cursed oth,

  Sweare she is yours, and stirre vp bloudie frayes,

  To win a willow bough, whilest other weares the bayes.

  48 Vile hag (sayd Scudamour) why dost thou lye?

  And falsly seekst a vertuous wight to shame?

  Fond knight (sayd she) the thing that with this eye

  I saw, why should I doubt to tell the same?

  Then tell (quoth Blandamour) and feare no blame,

  Tell what thou saw’st, maulgre who so it heares.

  I saw (quoth she) a stranger knight, whose name

  I wote not well, but in his shield he beares

  (That well I wote) the heads of many broken speares.

  49 I saw him haue your Amoret at will,

  I saw him kisse, I saw him her embrace,

  I saw him sleepe with her all night his fill,

  All manie nights, and manie by in place,

  That present were to testifie the case.

  Which when as Scudamour did heare, his heart

  Was thrild with inward griefe, as when in chace

  The Parthian strikes a stag with shiuering dart,

  The beast astonisht stands in middest of his smart.

  50 So stood Sir Scudamour, when this he heard,

  Ne word he had to speake for great dismay,

  But lookt on Glauce grim, who woxe afeard

  Of outrage for the words, which she heard say,

  Albee vntrue she wist them by assay.

  But Blandamour, whenas he did espie

  His chaunge of cheere, that anguish did bewray,

  He woxe full blithe, as he had got thereby,

  And gan thereat to triumph without victorie.

  51 Lo recreant (sayd he) the fruitlesse end

  Of thy vaine boast, and spoile of loue misgotten,

  Whereby the name of knight-hood thou dost shend,

  And all true louers with dishonor blotten,

  All things not rooted well, will soone be rotten.

  Fy fy false knight (then false Duessa cryde)

  Vnworthy life that loue with guile hast gotten,

  Be thou, where euer thou do go or ryde,

  Loathed of ladies all, and of all knights defyde.

  52 But Scudamour for passing great despight

  Staid not to answer, scarcely did refraine,

  But that in all those knights and ladies sight,

  He for reuenge had guiltlesse Glauce slaine:

  But being past, he thus began amaine;

  False traitour squire, false squire, of falsest knight,

  Why doth mine hand from thine auenge abstaine,

  Whose Lord hath done my loue this foule despight?

  Why do I not it wreake, on thee now in my might?

  53 Discourteous, disloyall Britomart,

  Vntrue to God, and vnto man vniust,

  What vengeance due can equall thy desart,

  That hast with shamefull spot of sinfull lust

  Defil’d the pledge committed to thy trust?

  Let vgly shame and endlesse infamy

  Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust.

  Yet thou false Squire his fault shalt deare aby,

  And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply.

  54 The aged Dame him seeing so enraged,

  Was dead with feare, nathlesse as neede required,

  His flaming furie sought to haue assuaged

  With sober words, that sufferance desired,

  Till time the tryall of her truth expyred
:

  And euermore sought Britomart to cleare.

  But he the more with furious rage was fyred,

  And thrise his hand to kill her did vpreare,

  And thrise he drew it backe: so did at last forbeare.

  CANTO II

  Blandamour winnes false Florimell,

  Paridell for her striues,

  They are accorded: Agape

  doth lengthen her sonnes liues.

  1 Firebrand of hell first tynd in Phlegeton,

  By thousand furies, and from thence out throwen

  Into this world, to worke confusion,

  And set it all on fire by force vnknowen,

  Is wicked discord, whose small sparkes once blowen

  None but a God or godlike man can slake;

  Such as was Orpheus, that when strife was growen

  Amongst those famous ympes of Greece, did take

  His filuer Harpe in hand, and shortly friends them make.

  2 Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was,

  That when the wicked feend his Lord tormented,

  With heauenly notes, that did all other pas,

  The outrage of his furious fit relented.

  Such Musicke is wise words with time concerned,

  To moderate stiffe minds, disposd to striue:

  Such as that prudent Romane well inuented,

  What time his people into partes did riue,

  Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did driue.

  3 Such vs’d wise Glauce to that wrathfull knight,

  To calme the tempest of his troubled thought:

  Yet Blandamour with termes of foule despight,

  And Paridell her scornd, and set at nought,

  As old and crooked and not good for ought.

  Both they vnwise, and warelesse of the euill,

  That by themselues vnto themselues is wrought,

  Through that false witch, and that foule aged dreuill,

  The one a feend, the other an incarnate deuill.

  4 With whom as they thus rode accompanide,

  They were encountred of a lustie Knight,

  That had a goodly Ladie by his side,

  To whom he made great dalliance and delight

  It was to weete the bold Sir Ferraugh bight,

  He that from Braggadocchio whilome reft

  The snowy Florimell, whose beautie bright

  Made him seeme happie for so glorious theft;

  Yet was it in due triall but a wandring weft.

  5 Which when as Blandamour, whose fancie light

  Was alwaies flitting as the wauering wind,

  After each beautie, that appeard in sight,

  Beheld, eftsoones it prickt his wanton mind

  With sting of lust, that reasons eye did blind,

  That to Sir Paridell these words he sent;

  Sir knight why ride ye dumpish thus behind,

  Since so good fortune doth to you present

  So fayre a spoyle, to make you ioyous meriment?

  6 But Paridell that had too late a tryall

  Of the bad issue of his counsell vaine,

  List not to hearke, but made this faire denyall;

  Last turne was mine, well proued to my paine,

  This now be yours, God send you better gaine.

  Whose scoffed words he taking halfe in scorne,

  Fiercely forth prickt his steed as in disdaine,

  Against that Knight, ere he him well could torne

  By meanes whereof he hath him lightly ouerborne.

  7 Who with the sudden stroke astonisht sore,

  Vpon the ground a while in slomber lay;

  The whiles his loue away the other bore,

  And shewing her, did Paridell vpbray;

  Lo sluggish Knight the victors happie pray:

  So fortune friends the bold: whom Paridell

  Seeing so faire indeede, as he did say,

  His hart with secret enuie gan to swell,

  And inly grudge at him, that he had sped so well.

  8 Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed,

  Hauing so peerelesse paragon ygot:

  For sure the fayrest Florimell him seemed,

  To him was fallen for his happie lot,

  Whose like aliue on earth he weened not:

  Therefore he her did court, did serue, did wooe,

  With humblest suit that he imagine mot,

  And all things did deuise, and all things dooe,

  That might her loue prepare, and liking win theretoo.

  9 She in regard thereof him recompenst

  With golden words, and goodly countenance,

  And such fond fauours sparingly dispenst:

  Sometimes him blessing with a light eye-glance,

  And coy lookes tempring with loose dalliance;

  Sometimes estranging him in sterner wise,

  That hauing cast him in a foolish trance,

  He seemed brought to bed in Paradise,

  And prou’d himselfe most foole, in what he seem’d most wise.

  10 So great a mistresse of her art she was,

  And perfectly practiz’d in womans craft,

  That though therein himselfe he thought to pas,

  And by his false allurements wylie draft,

  Had thousand women of their loue beraft,

  Yet now he was surpriz’d: for that false spright,

  Which that same witch had in this forme engraft,

  Was so expert in euery subtile slight,

  That it could ouerreach the wisest earthly wight.

  11 Yet he to her did dayly seruice more,

  And dayly more deceiued was thereby;

  Yet Paridell him enuied therefore,

  As seeming plast in sole felicity:

  So blind is lust, false colours to descry.

  But Ate soone discouering his desire,

  And finding now fit opportunity

  To stirre vp strife, twixt loue and spight and ire,

  Did priuily put coles vnto his secret fire.

  12 By sundry meanes thereto she prickt him forth,

  Now with remembrance of those spightfull speaches,

  Now with opinion of his owne more worth,

  Now with recounting of like former breaches

  Made in their friendship, as that Hag him teaches:

  And euer when his passion is allayd,

  She it reuiues and new occasion reaches:

  That on a time as they together way’d,

  He made him open chalenge, and thus boldly sayd.

  13 Too boastfull Blcmdamour, too long I beare

  The open wrongs, thou doest me day by day,

  Well know’st thou, when we friendship first did sweare,

  The couenant was, that euery spoyle or pray

  Should equally be shard betwixt vs tway:

  Where is my part then of this Ladie bright,

  Whom to thy selfe thou takest quite away?

  Render therefore therein to me my right,

  Or answere for thy wrong, as shall fall out in fight.

  14 Exceeding wroth thereat was Blandamour,

  And gan this bitter answere to him make;

  Too foolish Paridell, that fayrest floure

  Wouldst gather faine, and yet no paines wouldst take:

  But not so easie will I her forsake;

  This hand her wonne, this hand shall her defend.

  With that they gan their shiuering speares to shake,

  And deadly points at eithers breast to bend,

  Forgetfull each to haue bene euer others frend.

  15 Their firie Steedes with so vntamed forse

  Did beare them both to fell auenges end,

  That both their speares with pitilesse remorse,

  Through shield and mayle, and haberieon did wend,

  And in their flesh a griesly passage rend,

  That with the furie of their owne affret,

  Each other horse and man to ground did send;

  Where lying still a whil
e, both did forget

  The perilous present stownd, in which their liues were set.

  16 As when two warlike Brigandines at sea,

  With murdrous weapons arm’d to cruell fight,

  Doe meete together on the watry lea,

  They stemme ech other with so fell despight,

  That with the shocke of their owne heedlesse might,

  Their wooden ribs are shaken nigh a sonder;

  They which from shore behold the dreadfull sight

  Of flashing fire, and heare the ordenance thonder,

  Do greatly stand amaz’d at such vnwonted wonder.

  17 At length they both vpstarted in amaze;

  As men awaked rashly out of dreme,

  And round about themselues a while did gaze,

  Till seeing her, that Florimell did seme,

  In doubt to whom she victorie should deeme,

  Therewith their dulled sprights they edgd anew,

  And drawing both their swords with rage extreme,

  Like two mad mastiffes each on other flew,

  And shields did share, & mailes did rash, and helmes did hew.

  18 So furiously each other did assayle,

  As if their soules they would attonce haue rent

  Out of their brests, that streames of bloud did rayle

  Adowne, as if their springs of life were spent;

  That all the ground with purple bloud was sprent,

  And all their armours staynd with bloudie gore,

  Yet scarcely once to breath would they relent,

  So mortall was their malice and so sore,

  Become of fayned friendship which they vow’d afore.

  19 And that which is for Ladies most befitting,

  To stint all strife, and foster friendly peace,

  Was from those Dames so farre and so vnfitting,

  As that instead of praying them surcease,

  They did much more their cruelty encrease;

  Bidding them fight for honour of their loue,

  And rather die then Ladies cause release.

  With which vaine termes so much they did them moue,

  That both resolu’d the last extremities to proue.

  20 There they I weene would fight vntill this day,

  Had not a Squire, euen he the Squire of Dames,

  By great aduenture trauelled that way;

  Who seeing both bent to so bloudy games,

  And both of old well knowing by their names,

  Drew nigh, to weete the cause of their debate:

  And first laide on those Ladies thousand blames,

  That did not seeke t’appease their deadly hate,

  But gazed on their hannes, not pittying their estate.

  21 And then those Knights he humbly did beseech,

  To stay their hands, till he a while had spoken:

  Who lookt a little vp at that his speech,