Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  That he might know and ease her sorrow sad:

  Who, him avizing better, to him sayd:

  ‘Faire sir, be not displeasd if disobayd:

  For ill it were to hearken to her cry;

  For she is inly nothing ill apayd, 250

  But onely womanish fine forgery,

  Your stubborne hart t’ affect with fraile infirmity.

  XXIX

  ‘To which when she your courage hath inclind

  Through foolish pitty, then her guilefull bayt

  She will embosome deeper in your mind, 255

  And for your ruine at the last awayt.’

  The knight was ruled, and the boteman strayt

  Held on his course with stayed stedfastnesse,

  Ne ever shroncke, ne ever sought to bayt

  His tyred armes for toylesome wearinesse, 260

  But with his oares did sweepe the watry wildernesse.

  XXX

  And now they nigh approched to the sted,

  Where as those mermayds dwelt: it was a still

  And calmy bay, on th’ one side sheltered

  With the brode shadow of an hoarie hill, 265

  On th’ other side an high rocke toured still,

  That twixt them both a pleasaunt port they made,

  And did like an halfe theatre fulfill:

  There those five sisters had continuall trade,

  And usd to bath themselves in that deceiptfull shade. 270

  XXXI

  They were faire ladies, till they fondly striv’d

  With th’ Heliconian maides for maystery;

  Of whom they over-comen, were depriv’d

  Of their proud beautie, and th’ one moyity

  Transformd to fish, for their bold surquedry; 275

  But th’ upper halfe their hew retayned still,

  And their sweet skill in wonted melody;

  Which ever after they abusd to ill,

  T’ allure weake traveillers, whom gotten they did kill.

  XXXII

  So now to Guyon, as he passed by, 280

  Their pleasaunt tunes they sweetly thus applyde:

  ‘O thou fayre sonne of gentle Faery,

  That art in mightie armes most magnifyde

  Above all knights that ever batteill tryde,

  O turne thy rudder hetherward a while: 285

  Here may thy storme-bett vessell safely ryde;

  This is the port of rest from troublous toyle,

  The worldes sweet in from paine and wearisome turmoyle.’

  XXXIII

  With that the rolling sea, resounding soft,

  In his big base them fitly answered, 290

  And on the rocke the waves breaking aloft,

  A solemne meane unto them measured,

  The whiles sweet Zephyrus lowd whisteled

  His treble, a straunge kinde of harmony;

  Which Guyons senses softly tickeled, 295

  That he the boteman bad row easily,

  And let him heare some part of their rare melody.

  XXXIV

  But him the palmer from that vanity

  With temperate advice discounselled,

  That they it past, and shortly gan descry 300

  The land, to which their course they leveled;

  When suddeinly a grosse fog over spred

  With his dull vapour all that desert has,

  And heavens chearefull face enveloped,

  That all things one, and one as nothing was, 305

  And this great universe seemd one confused mas.

  XXXV

  Thereat they greatly were dismayd, ne wist

  How to direct theyr way in darkenes wide,

  But feard to wander in that wastefull mist,

  For tombling into mischiefe unespide: 310

  Worse is the daunger hidden then descride.

  Suddeinly an innumerable flight

  Of harmefull fowles, about them fluttering, cride,

  And with their wicked wings them ofte did smight,

  And sore annoyed, groping in that griesly night. 315

  XXXVI

  Even all the nation of unfortunate

  And fatall birds about them flocked were,

  Such as by nature men abhorre and hate;

  The ill-faste owle, deaths dreadfull messengere,

  The hoars night-raven, trump of dolefull drere, 320

  The lether-winged batt, dayes enimy,

  The ruefull strich, still waiting on the bere,

  The whistler shrill, that who so heares doth dy,

  The hellish harpyes, prophets of sad destiny.

  XXXVII

  All those, and all that els does horror breed, 325

  About them flew, and fild their sayles with feare:

  Yet stayd they not, but forward did proceed,

  Whiles th’ one did row, and th’ other stifly steare;

  Till that at last the weather gan to cleare,

  And the faire land it selfe did playnly sheow. 330

  Said then the palmer: ‘Lo where does appeare

  The sacred soile where all our perills grow;

  Therefore, sir knight, your ready arms about you throw.’

  XXXVIII

  He hearkned, and his armes about him tooke,

  The whiles the nimble bote so well her sped, 335

  That with her crooked keele the land she strooke.

  Then forth the noble Guyon sallied,

  And his sage palmer, that him governed;

  But th’ other by his bote behind did stay.

  They marched fayrly forth, of nought ydred, 340

  Both firmely armd for every hard assay,

  With constancy and care, gainst daunger and dismay.

  XXXIX

  Ere long they heard an hideous bellowing

  Of many beasts, that roard outrageously,

  As if that hungers poynt or Venus sting 345

  Had them enraged with fell surquedry;

  Yet nought they feard, but past on hardily,

  Untill they came in vew of those wilde beasts:

  Who all attonce, gaping full greedily,

  And rearing fercely their upstarting crests, 350

  Ran towards, to devoure those unexpected guests.

  XL

  But soone as they approcht with deadly threat,

  The palmer over them his staffe upheld,

  His mighty staffe, that could all charmes defeat:

  Eftesoones their stubborne corages were queld, 355

  And high advaunced crests downe meekely feld;

  Instead of fraying, they them selves did feare,

  And trembled, as them passing they beheld:

  Such wondrous powre did in that staffe appeare,

  All monsters to subdew to him that did it beare. 360

  XLI

  Of that same wood it fram’d was cunningly,

  Of which Caduceus whilome was made,

  Caduceus, the rod of Mercury,

  With which he wonts the Stygian realmes invade,

  Through ghastly horror and eternall shade; 365

  Th’ infernall feends with it he can asswage,

  And Orcus tame, whome nothing can persuade,

  And rule the Furyes, when they most doe rage:

  Such vertue in his staffe had eke this palmer sage.

  XLII

  Thence passing forth, they shortly doe arryve 370

  Whereas the Bowre of Blisse was situate;

  A place pickt out by choyce of best alyve,

  That Natures worke by art can imitate:

  In which what ever in this worldly state

  Is sweete, and pleasing unto living sense, 375

  Or that may dayntest fantasy aggrate,

  Was poured forth with plentifull dispence,

  And made there to abound with lavish affluence.

  XLIII

  Goodly it was enclosed rownd about,

  As well their entred guestes to keep within, 380

  As those unruly b
easts to hold without;

  Yet was the fence thereof but weake and thin;

  Nought feard theyr force, that fortilage to win,

  But wisedomes powre, and temperaunces might,

  By which the mightiest things efforced bin: 385

  And eke the gate was wrought of substaunce light,

  Rather for pleasure then for battery or fight.

  XLIV

  Yt framed was of precious yvory,

  That seemd a worke of admirable witt;

  And therein all the famous history 390

  Of Jason and Medæa was ywritt;

  Her mighty charmes, her furious loving fitt,

  His goodly conquest of the golden fleece,

  His falsed fayth, and love too lightly flitt,

  The wondred Argo, which in venturous peece 395

  First through the Euxine seas bore all the flowr of Greece.

  XLV

  Ye might have seene the frothy billowes fry

  Under the ship, as thorough them she went,

  That seemd the waves were into yvory,

  Or yvory into the waves were sent; 400

  And otherwhere the snowy substaunce sprent

  With vermell, like the boyes blood therein shed,

  A piteous spectacle did represent;

  And otherwhiles with gold besprinkeled,

  Yt seemd thenchaunted flame, which did Creusa wed. 405

  XLVI

  All this and more might in that goodly gate

  Be red; that ever open stood to all

  Which thether came: but in the porch there sate

  A comely personage of stature tall,

  And semblaunce pleasing, more then naturall, 410

  That traveilers to him seemd to entize;

  His looser garment to the ground did fall,

  And flew about his heeles in wanton wize,

  Not fitt for speedy pace or manly exercize.

  XLVII

  They in that place him Genius did call: 415

  Not that celestiall powre, to whom the care

  Of life, and generation of all

  That lives, perteines in charge particulare,

  Who wondrous things concerning our welfare,

  And straunge phantomes, doth lett us ofte forsee, 420

  And ofte of secret ill bids us beware:

  That is our selfe, whom though we doe not see,

  Yet each doth in him selfe it well perceive to bee.

  XLVIII

  Therefore a god him sage antiquity

  Did wisely make, and good Agdistes call: 425

  But this same was to that quite contrary,

  The foe of life, that good envyes to all,

  That secretly doth us procure to fall,

  Through guilefull semblants, which he makes us see.

  He of this gardin had the governall, 430

  And Pleasures porter was devizd to bee,

  Holding a staffe in hand for more formalitee.

  XLIX

  With diverse flowres he daintily was deckt,

  And strowed rownd about, and by his side

  A mighty mazer bowle of wine was sett, 435

  As if it had to him bene sacrifide;

  Wherewith all new-come guests he gratyfide:

  So did he eke Sir Guyon passing by:

  But he his ydle curtesie defide,

  And overthrew his bowle disdainfully, 440

  And broke his staffe, with which he charmed semblants sly.

  L

  Thus being entred, they behold arownd

  A large and spacious plaine, on every side

  Strowed with pleasauns, whose fayre grassy grownd

  Mantled with greene, and goodly beautifide 445

  With all the ornaments of Floraes pride,

  Wherewith her mother Art, as halfe in scorne

  Of niggard Nature, like a pompous bride

  Did decke her, and too lavishly adorne,

  When forth from virgin bowre she comes in th’ early morne. 450

  LI

  Thereto the heavens alwayes joviall,

  Lookte on them lovely, still in stedfast state,

  Ne suffred storme nor frost on them to fall,

  Their tender buds or leaves to violate,

  Nor scorching heat, nor cold intemperate, 455

  T’ afflict the creatures which therein did dwell,

  But the milde ayre with season moderate

  Gently attempred, and disposd so well,

  That still it breathed forth sweet spirit and holesom smell.

  LII

  More sweet and holesome then the pleasaunt hill 460

  Of Rhodope, on which the nimphe that bore

  A gyaunt babe her selfe for griefe did kill;

  Or the Thessalian Tempe, where of yore

  Fayre Daphne Phæbus hart with love did gore;

  Or Ida, where the gods lov’d to repayre, 465

  When ever they their heavenly bowres forlore;

  Or sweet Parnasse, the haunt of Muses fayre;

  Or Eden selfe, if ought with Eden mote compayre.

  LIII

  Much wondred Guyon at the fayre aspect

  Of that sweet place, yet suffred no delight 470

  To sincke into his sence, nor mind affect,

  But passed forth, and lookt still forward right,

  Brydling his will, and maystering his might:

  Till that he came unto another gate,

  No gate, but like one, being goodly dight 475

  With bowes and braunches, which did broad dilate

  Their clasping armes, in wanton wreathings intricate:

  LIV

  So fashioned a porch with rare device,

  Archt over head with an embracing vine,

  Whose bounches, hanging downe, seemd to entice 480

  All passers by to taste their lushious wine,

  And did them selves into their hands incline,

  As freely offering to be gathered:

  Some deepe empurpled as the hyacine,

  Some as the rubine laughing sweetely red, 485

  Some like faire emeraudes, not yet well ripened.

  LV

  And them amongst, some were of burnisht gold,

  So made by art, to beautify the rest,

  Which did themselves emongst the leaves enfold,

  As lurking from the vew of covetous guest, 490

  That the weake boughes, with so rich load opprest,

  Did bow adowne, as overburdened.

  Under that porch a comely dame did rest,

  Clad in fayre weedes, but fowle disordered,

  And garments loose, that seemd unmeet for womanhed. 495

  LVI

  In her left hand a cup of gold she held,

  And with her right the riper fruit did reach,

  Whose sappy liquor, that with fulnesse sweld,

  Into her cup she scruzd, with daintie breach

  Of her fine fingers, without fowle empeach, 500

  That so faire winepresse made the wine more sweet:

  Thereof she usd to give to drinke to each,

  Whom passing by she happened to meet:

  It was her guise, all straungers goodly so to great.

  LVII

  So she to Guyon offred it to tast, 505

  Who, taking it out of her tender hond,

  The cup to ground did violently cast,

  That all in peeces it was broken fond,

  And with the liquor stained all the lond:

  Whereat Excesse exceedingly was wroth, 510

  Yet no’te the same amend, ne yet with stond,

  But suffered him to passe, all were she loth;

  Who, nought regarding her displeasure, forward goth.

  LVIII

  There the most daintie paradise on ground

  It selfe doth offer to his sober eye, 515

  In which all pleasures plenteously abownd,

  And none does others happinesse envye:

  The painted flowres, the trees up
shooting hye,

  The dales for shade, the hilles for breathing space,

  The trembling groves, the christall running by; 520

  And that which all faire workes doth most aggrace,

  The art, which all that wrought, appeared in no place.

  LIX

  One would have thought, (so cunningly the rude

  And scorned partes were mingled with the fine,)

  That Nature had for wantonesse ensude 525

  Art, and that Art at Nature did repine;

  So striving each th’ other to undermine,

  Each did the others worke more beautify;

  So diff’ring both in willes agreed in fine:

  So all agreed through sweete diversity, 530

  This gardin to adorne with all variety.

  LX

  And in the midst of all a fountaine stood,

  Of richest substance that on earth might bee,

  So pure and shiny that the silver flood

  Through every channell running one might see: 535

  Most goodly it with curious ymageree

  Was overwrought, and shapes of naked boyes,

  Of which some seemd with lively jollitee

  To fly about playing their wanton toyes,

  Whylest others did them selves embay in liquid joyes. 540

  LXI

  And over all, of purest gold was spred

  A trayle of yvie in his native hew:

  For the rich metall was so coloured,

  That wight, who did not well avis’d it vew,

  Would surely deeme it to bee yvie trew: 545

  Low his lascivious armes adown did creepe,

  That themselves dipping in the silver dew,

  Their fleecy flowres they tenderly did steepe,

  Which drops of christall seemd for wantones to weep.

  LXII

  Infinit streames continually did well 550

  Out of this fountaine, sweet and faire to see,

  The which into an ample laver fell,

  And shortly grew to so great quantitie,

  That like a litle lake it seemd to bee;

  Whose depth exceeded not three cubits hight, 555

  That through the waves one might the bottom see,

  All pav’d beneath with jaspar shining bright,

  That seemd the fountaine in that sea did sayle upright.

  LXIII

  And all the margent round about was sett

  With shady laurell trees, thence to defend 560

  The sunny beames, which on the billowes bett,

  And those which therein bathed mote offend.

  As Guyon hapned by the same to wend,

  Two naked damzelles he therein espyde,

  Which, therein bathing, seemed to contend 565

  And wrestle wantonly, ne car’d to hyde

  Their dainty partes from vew of any which them eyd.

  LXIV

  Sometimes the one would lift the other quight

  Above the waters, and then downe againe