Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  XVII

  By vew of her he ginneth to revive 145

  His ancient love, and dearest Cyparisse;

  And calles to mind his pourtraiture alive,

  How fayre he was, and yet not fayre to this;

  And how he slew with glauncing dart amisse

  A gentle hynd, the which the lovely boy 150

  Did love as life, above all worldly blisse;

  For griefe whereof the lad n’ould after joy,

  But pynd away in anguish and selfewild annoy.

  XVIII

  The wooddy nymphes, faire Hamadryades,

  Her to behold do thether runne apace, 155

  And all the troupe of light-foot Naiades

  Flocke all about to see her lovely face:

  But when they vewed have her heavenly grace,

  They envy her in their malitious mind,

  And fly away for feare of fowle disgrace: 160

  But all the Satyres scorne their woody kind,

  And henceforth nothing faire, but her, on earth they find.

  XIX

  Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky mayd

  Did her content to please their feeble eyes,

  And long time with that salvage people stayd, 165

  To gather breath in many miseryes.

  During which time her gentle wit she plyes,

  To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine,

  And made her th’ image of idolatryes;

  But when their bootlesse zeale she did restrayne 170

  From her own worship, they her asse would worship fayn.

  XX

  It fortuned, a noble warlike knight

  By just occasion to that forrest came,

  To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right,

  From whence he tooke his weldeserved name: 175

  He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame,

  And fild far landes with glorie of his might;

  Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame,

  And ever lov’d to fight for ladies right,

  But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight. 180

  XXI

  A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld,

  By straunge adventure as it did betyde,

  And there begotten of a lady myld,

  Fayre Thyamis the daughter of Labryde,

  That was in sacred bandes of wedlocke tyde 185

  To Therion, a loose unruly swayne,

  Who had more joy to raunge the forrest wyde,

  And chase the salvage beast with busie payne,

  Then serve his ladies love, and waste in pleasures vayne.

  XXII

  The forlorne mayd did with loves longing burne, 190

  And could not lacke her lovers company,

  But to the wood she goes, to serve her turne,

  And seeke her spouse, that from her still does fly,

  And followes other game and venery.

  A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to finde, 195

  And kindling coles of lust in brutish eye,

  The loyall linkes of wedlocke did unbinde,

  And made her person thrall unto his beastly kind.

  XXIII

  So long in secret cabin there he held

  Her captive to his sensuall desyre, 200

  Till that with timely fruit her belly sweld,

  And bore a boy unto that salvage syre:

  Then home he suffred her for to retyre,

  For ransome leaving him the late-borne childe;

  Whom, till to ryper yeares he gan aspyre, 205

  He nousled up in life and manners wilde,

  Emongst wild beastes and woods, from lawes of men exilde.

  XXIV

  For all he taught the tender ymp was but

  To banish cowardize and bastard feare:

  His trembling hand he would him force to put 210

  Upon the lyon and the rugged beare,

  And from the she beares teats her whelps to teare;

  And eke wyld roring buls he would him make

  To tame, and ryde their backes not made to beare;

  And the robuckes in flight to overtake: 215

  That everie beast for feare of him did fly and quake.

  XXV

  Thereby so fearelesse and so fell he grew,

  That his owne syre and maister of his guise

  Did often tremble at his horrid vew,

  And oft, for dread of hurt, would him advise 220

  The angry beastes not rashly to despise,

  Nor too much to provoke: for he would learne

  The lyon stoup to him in lowly wise,

  (A lesson hard) and make the libbard sterne

  Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did earne. 225

  XXVI

  And for to make his powre approved more,

  Wyld beastes in yron yokes he would compell;

  The spotted panther, and the tusked bore,

  The pardale swift, and the tigre cruell,

  The antelope, and wolfe both fiers and fell; 230

  And them constraine in equall teme to draw.

  Such joy he had their stubborne harts to quell,

  And sturdie courage tame with dreadfullaw,

  That his beheast they feared, as a tyrans law.

  XXVII

  His loving mother came upon a day 235

  Unto the woodes, to see her little sonne;

  And chaunst unwares to meet him in the way,

  After his sportes and cruell pastime donne,

  When after him a lyonesse did runne,

  That roaring all with rage, did lowd requere 240

  Her children deare, whom he away had wonne:

  The lyon whelpes she saw how he did beare,

  And lull in rugged armes, withouten childish feare.

  XXVIII

  The fearefull dame all quaked at the sight,

  And turning backe gan fast to fly away, 245

  Untill, with love revokt from vaine affright,

  She hardly yet perswaded was to stay,

  And then to him these womanish words gan say:

  ‘Ah! Satyrane, my dearling and my joy,

  For love of me leave off this dreadfull play; 250

  To dally thus with death is no fit toy:

  Go find some other play-fellowes, mine own sweet boy.’

  XXIX

  In these and like delightes of bloody game

  He trayned was, till ryper yeares he raught;

  And there abode, whylst any beast of name 255

  Walkt in that forrest, whom he had not taught

  To feare his force: and then his courage haught

  Desyrd of forreine foemen to be knowne,

  And far abroad for straunge adventures sought:

  In which his might was never overthrowne, 260

  But through al Faery Lond his famous worth was blown.

  XXX

  Yet evermore it was his maner faire,

  After long labours and adventures spent,

  Unto those native woods for to repaire,

  To see his syre and ofspring auncient. 265

  And now he thether came for like intent;

  Where he unwares the fairest Una found,

  Straunge lady, in so straunge habiliment,

  Teaching the Satyres, which her sat around,

  Trew sacred lore, which from her sweet lips did redound. 270

  XXXI

  He wondred at her wisedome hevenly rare,

  Whose like in womens witt he never knew;

  And when her curteous deeds he did compare,

  Gan her admire, and her sad sorrowes rew,

  Blaming of Fortune, which such troubles threw, 275

  And joyd to make proofe of her cruelty

  On gentle dame, so hurtlesse and so trew:

  Thenceforth he kept her goodly company,

  And learnd her discipline of faith and verity.

  XXXII

  But she, all vowd unto the Redcrosse Kn
ight, 280

  His wandring perill closely did lament,

  Ne in this new acquaintaunce could delight,

  But her deare heart with anguish did torment,

  And all her witt in secret counsels spent,

  How to escape. At last in privy wise 285

  To Satyrane she shewed her intent;

  Who, glad to gain such favour, gan devise,

  How with that pensive maid he best might thence arise.

  XXXIII

  So on a day, when Satyres all were gone

  To doe their service to Sylvanus old, 290

  The gentle virgin, left behinde alone,

  He led away with corage stout and bold.

  Too late it was to Satyres to be told,

  Or ever hope recover her againe:

  In vaine he seekes that, having, cannot hold. 295

  So fast he carried her with carefull paine,

  That they the wods are past, and come now to the plaine.

  XXXIV

  The better part now of the lingring day

  They traveild had, whenas they far espide

  A weary wight forwandring by the way, 300

  And towards him they gan in hast to ride,

  To weete of newes that did abroad betide,

  Or tidings of her Knight of the Redcrosse.

  But he, them spying, gan to turne aside

  For feare, as seemd, or for some feigned losse: 305

  More greedy they of newes fast towards him do crosse.

  XXXV

  A silly man, in simple weeds forworne,

  And soild with dust of the long dried way;

  His sandales were with toilsome travell torne,

  And face all tand with scorching sunny ray, 310

  As he had traveild many a sommers day

  Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde;

  And in his hand a Jacobs staffe, to stay

  His weary limbs upon; and eke behind

  His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind. 315

  XXXVI

  The knight, approching nigh, of him inquerd

  Tidings of warre, and of adventures new;

  But warres, nor new adventures, none he herd.

  Then Una gan to aske, if ought he knew

  Or heard abroad of that her champion trew, 320

  That in his armour bare a croslet red.

  ‘Ay me! deare dame,’ quoth he, ‘well may I rew

  To tell the sad sight which mine eies have red:

  These eies did see that knight both living and eke ded.’

  XXXVII

  That cruell word her tender hart so thrild, 325

  That suddein cold did ronne through every vaine,

  And stony horrour all her sences fild

  With dying fitt, that downe she fell for paine.

  The knight her lightly reared up againe,

  And comforted with curteous kind reliefe: 330

  Then, wonne from death, she bad him tellen plaine

  The further processe of her hidden griefe;

  The lesser pangs can beare, who hath endur’d the chief.

  XXXVIII

  Then gan the pilgrim thus: ‘I chaunst this day,

  This fatall day, that shall I ever rew, 335

  To see two knights in travell on my way

  (A sory sight) arraung’d in batteill new,

  Both breathing vengeaunce, both of wrathfull hew:

  My feareful flesh did tremble at their strife,

  To see their blades so greedily imbrew, 340

  That, dronke with blood, yet thristed after life:

  What more? the Redcrosse Knight was slain with Paynim knife.’

  XXXIX

  ‘Ah, dearest Lord!’ quoth she, ‘how might that bee,

  And he the stoutest knight, that ever wonne?’

  ‘Ah, dearest dame,’ quoth hee, ‘how might I see 345

  The thing, that might not be, and yet was donne?’

  ‘Where is,’ said Satyrane, ‘that Paynims sonne,

  That him of life, and us of joy, hath refte?’

  ‘Nor far away,’ quoth he, ‘he hence doth wonne,

  Foreby a fountaine, where I late him lefte 350

  Washing his bloody wounds, that through the steele were cleft.’

  XL

  Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast,

  Whiles Una, with huge heavinesse opprest,

  Could not for sorrow follow him so fast;

  And soone he came, as he the place had ghest, 355

  Whereas that Pagan proud him selfe did rest

  In secret shadow by a fountaine side:

  Even he it was, that earst would have supprest

  Faire Una: whom when Satyrane espide,

  With foule reprochfull words he boldly him defide; 360

  XLI

  And said: ‘Arise, thou cursed miscreaunt,

  That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train

  Faire knighthood fowly shamed, and doest vaunt

  That good Knight of the Redcrosse to have slain:

  Arise, and with like treason now maintain 365

  Thy guilty wrong, or els thee quilty yield.’

  The Sarazin, this hearing, rose amain,

  And catching up in hast his three square shield

  And shining helmet, soone him buckled to the field;

  XLII

  And, drawing nigh him, said: ‘Ah, misborn Elfe! 370

  In evill houre thy foes thee hither sent,

  Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thy selfe:

  Yet ill thou blamest me, for having blent

  My name with guile and traiterous intent:

  That Redcrosse Knight, perdie, I never slew; 375

  But had he beene where earst his armes were lent,

  Th’ enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew:

  But thou his errour shalt, I hope, now proven trew.’

  XLIII

  Therewith they gan, both furious and fell,

  To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile 380

  Each other, bent his enimy to quell;

  That with their force they perst both plate and maile,

  And made wide furrowes in their fleshes fraile,

  That it would pitty any living eie.

  Large floods of blood adowne their sides did raile; 385

  But floods of blood could not them satisfie:

  Both hongred after death: both chose to win, or die.

  XLIV

  So long they fight, and fell revenge pursue,

  That, fainting each, them selves to breathen lett,

  And, ofte refreshed, battell oft renue: 390

  As when two bores, with rancling malice mett,

  Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely frett,

  Til breathlesse both them selves aside retire,

  Where, foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whett,

  And trample th’ earth, the whiles they may respire; 395

  Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.

  XLV

  So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once,

  They gan to fight retourne, increasing more

  Their puissant force and cruell rage attonce,

  With heaped strokes more hugely then before, 400

  That with their drery wounds and bloody gore

  They both deformed, scarsely could bee known.

  By this, sad Una fraught with anguish sore,

  Led with their noise, which through the aire was thrown,

  Arriv’d, wher they in erth their fruitles blood had sown. 405

  XLVI

  Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin

  Espide, he gan revive the memory

  Of his leud lusts, and late attempted sin,

  And lefte the doubtfull battell hastily,

  To catch her, newly offred to his eie: 410

  But Satyrane, with strokes him turning, staid,

  And sternely bad him other businesse plie
<
br />   Then hunt the steps of pure unspotted maid:

  Wherewith he al enrag’d, these bitter speaches said:

  XLVII

  ‘O foolish Faeries sonne! what fury mad 415

  Hath thee incenst to hast thy dolefull fate?

  Were it not better I that lady had

  Then that thou hadst repented it too late?

  Most sencelesse man he, that himselfe doth hate,

  To love another. Lo then, for thine ayd, 420

  Here take thy lovers token on thy pate.’

  So they two fight; the whiles the royall mayd

  Fledd farre away, of that proud Paynim sore afrayd.

  XLVIII

  But that false pilgrim, which that leasing told,

  Being in deed old Archimage, did stay 425

  In secret shadow, all this to behold,

  And much rejoyced in their bloody fray:

  But when he saw the damsell passe away,

  He left his stond, and her pursewd apace,

  In hope to bring her to her last decay. 430

  But for to tell her lamentable cace,

  And eke this battels end, will need another place.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto VII

  The Redcrosse Knight is captive made,

  By gyaunt proud opprest:

  Prince Arthure meets with Una great-

  ly with those newes distrest.

  I

  WHAT man so wise, what earthly witt so ware,

  As to discry the crafty cunning traine,

  By which Deceipt doth maske in visour faire,

  And cast her coulours died deepe in graine,

  To seeme like Truth, whose shape she well can faine, 5

  And fitting gestures to her purpose frame,

  The guiltlesse man with guile to entertaine?

  Great maistresse of her art was that false dame,

  The false Duessa, cloked with Fidessaes name.

  II

  Who when, returning from the drery Night, 10

  She fownd not in that perilous Hous of Pryde,

  Where she had left, the noble Redcross Knight,

  Her hoped pray, she would no lenger byde,

  But forth she went to seeke him far and wide.

  Ere long she fownd, whereas he wearie sate 15

  To rest him selfe, foreby a fountaine syde,

  Disarmed all of yron-coted plate,

  And by his side his steed the grassy forage ate.

  III

  Hee feedes upon the cooling shade, and bayes

  His sweatie forehead in the breathing wynd, 20

  Which through the trembling leaves full gently playes,

  Wherein the chearefull birds of sundry kynd

  Doe chaunt sweet musick, to delight his mynd.

  The witch approching gan him fayrely greet,

  And with reproch of carelesnes unkynd 25