I feared love: but they that love doe live,
But they that dye doe nether love nor hate. 330
Nath’lesse to thee thy folly I forgive,
And to my selfe and to accursed fate
The guilt I doe ascribe: deare wisedom bought too late.
XXXVIII
‘O what availes it of immortall seed
To beene ybredd and never borne to dye? 335
Farre better I it deeme to die with speed,
Then waste in woe and waylfull miserye.
Who dyes the utmost dolor doth abye,
But who that lives is lefte to waile his losse:
So life is losse, and death felicity: 340
Sad life worse then glad death: and greater crosse
To see frends grave, then dead the grave self to engrosse.
XXXIX
‘But if the heavens did his dayes envie,
And my short blis maligne, yet mote they well
Thus much afford me, ere that he did die, 345
That the dim eies of my deare Marinell
I mote have closed, and him bed farewell,
Sith other offices for mother meet
They would not graunt —— —
Yett, maulgre them, farewell, my sweetest sweet! 350
Farewell, my sweetest sonne, sith we no more shall meet!’
XL
Thus when they all had sorowed their fill,
They softly gan to search his griesly wownd:
And that they might him handle more at will,
They him disarmd, and spredding on the grownd 355
Their watchet mantles frindgd with silver rownd,
They softly wipt away the gelly blood
From th’ orifice; which having well upbownd,
They pourd in soveraine balme and nectar good,
Good both for erthly med’cine and for hevenly food. 360
XLI
Tho, when the lilly handed Liagore
(This Liagore whilome had learned skill
In leaches craft, by great Appolloes lore,
Sith her whilome upon high Pindus hill
He loved, and at last her wombe did fill 365
With hevenly seed, whereof wise Pæon sprong)
Did feele his pulse, shee knew there staied still
Some litle life his feeble sprites emong;
Which to his mother told, despeyre she from her flong.
XLII
Tho up him taking in their tender hands, 370
They easely unto her charett beare:
Her teme at her commaundement quiet stands,
Whiles they the corse into her wagon reare,
And strowe with flowres the lamentable beare:
Then all the rest into their coches clim, 375
And through the brackish waves their passage shear;
Upon great Neptunes necke they softly swim,
And to her watry chamber swiftly carry him.
XLIII
Deepe in the bottome of the sea, her bowre
Is built of hollow billowes heaped hye, 380
Like to thicke clouds that threat a stormy showre,
And vauted all within, like to the skye,
In which the gods doe dwell eternally:
There they him laide in easy couch well dight,
And sent in haste for Tryphon, to apply 385
Salves to his wounds, and medicines of might:
For Tryphon of sea gods the soveraine leach is hight.
XLIV
The whiles the nymphes sitt all about him rownd,
Lamenting his mishap and heavy plight;
And ofte his mother, vewing his wide wownd, 390
Cursed the hand that did so deadly smight
Her dearest sonne, her dearest harts delight.
But none of all those curses overtooke
The warlike maide, th’ ensample of that might;
But fairely well shee thryvd, and well did brooke 395
Her noble deeds, ne her right course for ought forsooke.
XLV
Yet did false Archimage her still pursew,
To bring to passe his mischievous intent,
Now that he had her singled from the crew
Of courteous knights, the Prince and Fary gent, 400
Whom late in chace of beauty excellent
Shee lefte, pursewing that same foster strong;
Of whose fowle outrage they impatient,
And full of firy zele, him followed long,
To reskew her from shame, and to revenge her wrong. 405
XLVI
Through thick and thin, through mountains and through playns,
Those two gret champions did attonce pursew
The fearefull damzell, with incessant payns:
Who from them fled, as light-foot hare from vew
Of hunter swifte and sent of howndes trew. 410
At last they came unto a double way,
Where, doubtfull which to take, her to reskew,
Themselves they did dispart, each to assay
Whether more happy were to win so goodly pray.
XLVII
But Timias, the Princes gentle squyre, 415
That ladies love unto his lord forlent,
And with proud envy and indignant yre
After that wicked foster fiercely went.
So beene they three three sondry wayes ybent:
But fayrest fortune to the Prince befell; 420
Whose chaunce it was, that soone he did repent,
To take that way in which that damozell
Was fledd afore, affraid of him as feend of hell.
XLVIII
At last of her far of he gained vew:
Then gan he freshly pricke his fomy steed, 425
And ever as he nigher to her drew,
So evermore he did increase his speed,
And of each turning still kept wary heed:
Alowd to her he oftentimes did call,
To doe away vaine doubt and needlesse dreed: 430
Full myld to her he spake, and oft let fall
Many meeke wordes, to stay and comfort her withall.
XLIX
But nothing might relent her hasty flight;
So deepe the deadly feare of that foule swaine
Was earst impressed in her gentle spright: 435
Like as a fearefull dove, which through the raine
Of the wide ayre her way does cut amaine,
Having farre off espyde a tassell gent,
Which after her his nimble winges doth straine,
Doubleth her hast for feare to bee forhent, 440
And with her pineons cleaves the liquid firmament.
L
With no lesse hast, and eke with no lesse dreed,
That fearefull ladie fledd from him that ment
To her no evill thought nor evill deed;
Yet former feare of being fowly shent 445
Carried her forward with her first intent:
And though, oft looking backward, well she vewde
Her selfe freed from that foster insolent,
And that it was a knight which now her sewde,
Yet she no lesse the knight feard then that villein rude. 450
LI
His uncouth shield and straunge armes her dismayd,
Whose like in Faery Lond were seldom seene,
That fast she from him fledd, no lesse afrayd
Then of wilde beastes if she had chased beene:
Yet he her followd still with corage keene, 455
So long that now the golden Hesperus
Was mounted high in top of heaven sheene,
And warnd his other brethren joyeous
To light their blessed lamps in Joves eternall hous.
LII
All suddeinly dim wox the dampish ayre, 460
And griesly shadowes covered heaven bright,
That now with thousand starres was decked fayre;
Which when the Prince behel
d, a lothfull sight,
And that perforce, for want of lenger light,
He mote surceasse his suit, and lose the hope 465
Of his long labour, he gan fowly wyte
His wicked fortune, that had turnd aslope,
And cursed Night, that reft from him so goodly scope.
LIII
Tho, when her wayes he could no more descry,
But to and fro at disaventure strayd, 470
Like as a ship, whose lodestar suddeinly
Covered with cloudes her pilott hath dismayd,
His wearisome pursuit perforce he stayd,
And from his loftie steed dismounting low,
Did let him forage. Downe himselfe he layd 475
Upon the grassy ground, to sleepe a throw;
The cold earth was his couch, the hard steele his pillow.
LIV
But gentle Sleepe envyde him any rest;
In stead thereof sad sorow and disdaine
Of his hard hap did vexe his noble brest, 480
And thousand fancies bett his ydle brayne
With their light wings, the sights of semblants vaine;
Oft did he wish that lady faire mote bee
His Faery Queene, for whom he did complaine;
Or that his Faery Queene were such as shee; 485
And ever hasty Night he blamed bitterlie.
LV
‘Night, thou foule mother of annoyaunce sad,
Sister of heavie Death, and nourse of Woe,
Which wast begot in heaven, but for thy bad
And brutish shape thrust downe to hell below, 490
Where by the grim floud of Cocytus slow
Thy dwelling is, in Herebus black hous,
(Black Herebus, thy husband, is the foe
Of all the gods) where thou ungratious
Halfe of thy dayes doest lead in horrour hideous: 495
LVI
‘What had th’ Eternall Maker need of thee,
The world in his continuall course to keepe,
That doest all thinges deface, ne lettest see
The beautie of his worke? Indeed, in sleepe
The slouthfull body that doth love to steep 500
His lustlesse limbes, and drowne his baser mind,
Doth praise thee oft, and oft from Stygian deepe
Calles thee, his goddesse in his errour blind,
And great Dame Natures handmaide chearing every kind.
LVII
‘But well I wote, that to an heavy hart 505
Thou art the roote and nourse of bitter cares,
Breeder of new, renewer of old smarts:
In stead of rest thou lendest rayling teares,
In stead of sleepe thou sendest troublous feares
And dreadfull visions, in the which alive 510
The dreary image of sad death appeares:
So from the wearie spirit thou doest drive
Desired rest, and men of happinesse deprive.
LVIII
‘Under thy mantle black there hidden lye
Light-shonning thefte, and traiterous intent, 515
Abhorred bloodshed, and vile felony,
Shamefull deceipt, and daunger imminent,
Fowle horror, and eke hellish dreriment:
All these, I wote, in thy protection bee,
And light doe shonne, for feare of being shent: 520
For light ylike is loth’d of them and thee,
And all that lewdnesse love doe hate the light to see.
LIX
‘For Day discovers all dishonest wayes,
And sheweth each thing as it is in deed:
The prayses of High God he faire displayes, 525
And His large bountie rightly doth areed.
Dayes dearest children be the blessed seed
Which Darknesse shall subdue and heaven win:
Truth is his daughter; he her first did breed,
Most sacred virgin, without spot of sinne. 530
Our life is day, but death with darknesse doth begin.
LX
‘O when will Day then turne to me againe,
And bring with him his long expected light?
O Titan, hast to reare thy joyous waine:
Speed thee to spred abroad thy beames bright, 535
And chace away this too long lingring Night;
Chace her away, from whence she came, to hell:
She, she it is, that hath me done despight:
There let her with the damned spirits dwell,
And yield her rowme to Day, that can it governe well.’ 540
LXI
Thus did the Prince that wearie night outweare
In restlesse anguish and unquiet paine;
And earely, ere the Morrow did upreare
His deawy head out of the ocean maine,
He up arose, as halfe in great disdaine, 545
And clombe unto his steed. So forth he went,
With heavy looke and lumpish pace, that plaine
In him bewraid great grudge and maltalent:
His steed eke seemd t’ apply his steps to his intent.
Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents
Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’
Canto V
Prince Arthur heares of Florimell:
Three fosters Timias wound;
Belphebe findes him almost dead,
And reareth out of sownd.
I
WONDER it is to see in diverse mindes
How diversly Love doth his pageaunts play,
And shewes his powre in variable kindes:
The baser wit, whose ydle thoughts alway
Are wont to cleave unto the lowly clay, 5
It stirreth up to sensuall desire,
And in lewd slouth to wast his carelesse day:
But in brave sprite it kindles goodly fire,
That to all high desert and honour doth aspire.
II
Ne suffereth it uncomely idlenesse 10
In his free thought to build her sluggish nest;
Ne suffereth it thought of ungentlenesse
Ever to creepe into his noble brest;
But to the highest and the worthiest
Lifteth it up, that els would lowly fall: 15
It lettes not fall, it lettes it not to rest:
It lettes not scarse this Prince to breath at all,
But to his first poursuit him forward still doth call.
III
Who long time wandred through the forest wyde,
To finde some issue thence, till that at last 20
He met a dwarfe, that seemed terrifyde
With some late perill, which he hardly past,
Or other accident which him aghast;
Of whom he asked, whence he lately came,
And whether now he traveiled so fast: 25
For sore he swat, and ronning through that same
Thicke forest, was bescracht, and both his feet nigh lame.
IV
Panting for breath, and almost out of hart,
The dwarfe him answerd: ‘Sir, ill mote I stay
To tell the same. I lately did depart 30
From Faery court, where I have many a day
Served a gentle lady of great sway
And high accompt through out all Elfin Land,
Who lately left the same, and tooke this way:
Her now I seeke, and if ye understand 35
Which way she fared hath, good sir, tell out of hand.’
V
‘What mister wight,’ saide he, ‘and how arayd?’
‘Royally clad,’ quoth he, ‘in cloth of gold,
As meetest may beseeme a noble mayd;
Her faire lockes in rich circlet be enrold, 40
A fayrer wight did never sunne behold;
And on a palfrey rydes more white then snow,
Yet she her selfe is whiter manifold:
The surest signe, whereby ye may her know,
&nb
sp; Is, that she is the fairest wight alive, I trow.’ 45
VI
‘Now certes, swaine,’ saide he, ‘such one, I weene,
Fast flying through this forest from her fo,
A foule ill favoured foster, I have seene;
Her selfe, well as I might, I reskewd tho,
But could not stay, so fast she did foregoe, 50
Carried away with wings of speedy feare.’
‘Ah, dearest God!’ quoth he, ‘that is great woe,
And wondrous ruth to all that shall it heare.
But can ye read, sir, how I may her finde, or where?’
VII
‘Perdy, me lever were to weeten that,’ 55
Saide he, ‘then ransome of the richest knight,
Or all the good that ever yet I gat:
But froward Fortune, and too forward Night,
Such happinesse did, maulgre, to me spight,
And fro me reft both life and light attone. 60
But, dwarfe, aread what is that lady bright,
That through this forrest wandreth thus alone;
For of her errour straunge I have great ruth and mone.’
VIII
‘That ladie is,’ quoth he, ‘where so she bee,
The bountiest virgin and most debonaire 65
That ever living eye, I weene, did see;
Lives none this day that may with her compare
In stedfast chastitie and vertue rare,
The goodly ornaments of beautie bright;
And is ycleped Florimell the Fayre, 70
Faire Florimell, belov’d of many a knight,
Yet she loves none but one, that Marinell is hight.
IX
‘A sea-nymphes sonne, that Marinell is hight,
Of my deare dame is loved dearely well;
In other none, but him, she sets delight, 75
All her delight is set on Marinell;
But he sets nought at all by Florimell:
For ladies love his mother long ygoe
Did him, they say, forwarne through sacred spell.
But fame now flies, that of a forreine foe 80
He is yslaine, which is the ground of all our woe.
X
‘Five daies there be since he (they say) was slaine,
And fowre, since Florimell the court forwent,
And vowed never to returne againe,
Till him alive or dead she did invent. 85
Therefore, faire sir, for love of knighthood gent
And honour of trew ladies, if ye may
By your good counsell, or bold hardiment,
Or succour her, or me direct the way,
Do one or other good, I you most humbly pray. 90
XI
‘So may ye gaine to you full great renowme
Of all good ladies through the world so wide,
And haply in her hart finde highest rowme,
Of whom ye seeke to be most magnifide:
Complete Works of Edmund Spenser Page 59
