Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  And watcht, that none should enter nor issew;

  Vaine was the watch, and bootlesse all the ward,

  Whenas the god to golden hew him selfe transfard.

  XXXII

  Then was he turnd into a snowy swan, 280

  To win faire Leda to his lovely trade:

  O wondrous skill and sweet wit of the man,

  That her in daffadillies sleeping made,

  From scorching heat her daintie limbes to shade:

  Whiles the proud bird, ruffing his fethers wyde 285

  And brushing his faire brest, did her invade!

  Shee slept, yet twixt her eielids closely spyde

  How towards her he rusht, and smiled at his pryde.

  XXXIII

  Then shewd it how the Thebane Semelee,

  Deceivd of gealous Juno, did require 290

  To see him in his soverayne majestee,

  Armd with his thunderbolts and lightning fire,

  Whens dearely she with death bought her desire.

  But faire Alcmena better match did make,

  Joying his love in likenes more entire: 295

  Three nights in one they say that for her sake

  He then did put, her pleasures lenger to partake.

  XXXIV

  Twise was he seene in soaring eagles shape,

  And with wide winges to beat the buxome ayre:

  Once, when he with Asterie did scape, 300

  Againe, when as the Trojane boy so fayre

  He snatcht from Ida hill, and with him bare:

  Wondrous delight it was, there to behould

  How the rude shepheards after him did stare,

  Trembling through feare least down he fallen should, 305

  And often to him calling to take surer hould.

  XXXV

  In Satyres shape Antiopa he snatcht:

  And like a fire, when he Aegin’ assayd:

  A shepeheard, when Mnemosyne he catcht:

  And like a serpent to the Thracian mayd. 310

  Whyles thus on earth great Jove these pageaunts playd,

  The Winged Boy did thrust into his throne,

  And scoffing, thus unto his mother sayd:

  ‘Lo! now the hevens obey to me alone,

  And take me for their Jove, whiles Jove to earth is gone.’ 315

  XXXVI

  And thou, faire Phœbus, in thy colours bright

  Wast there enwoven, and the sad distresse

  In which that boy thee plonged, for despight

  That thou bewray’dst his mothers wantonnesse,

  When she with Mars was meynt in joyfulnesse: 320

  Forthy he thrild thee with a leaden dart,

  To love faire Daphne, which thee loved lesse:

  Lesse she thee lov’d then was thy just desart,

  Yet was thy love her death, and her death was thy smart.

  XXXVII

  So lovedst thou the lusty Hyacinct, 325

  So lovedst thou the faire Coronis deare:

  Yet both are of thy haplesse hand extinct,

  Yet both in flowres doe live, and love thee beare,

  The one a paunce, the other a sweet breare:

  For griefe whereof, ye mote have lively seene 330

  The god himselfe rending his golden heare,

  And breaking quite his garlond ever greene,

  With other signes of sorrow and impatient teene.

  XXXVIII

  Both for those two, and for his owne deare sonne,

  The sonne of Climene, he did repent, 335

  Who, bold to guide the charet of the sunne,

  Himselfe in thousand peeces fondly rent,

  And all the world with flashing fire brent:

  So like, that all the walles did seeme to flame.

  Yet cruell Cupid, not herewith content, 340

  Forst him eftsoones to follow other game,

  And love a shephards daughter for his dearest dame.

  XXXIX

  He loved Isse for his dearest dame,

  And for her sake her cattell fedd a while,

  And for her sake a cowheard vile became, 345

  The servant of Admetus, cowheard vile,

  Whiles that from heaven he suffered exile.

  Long were to tell each other lovely fitt,

  Now like a lyon, hunting after spoile,

  Now like a stag, now like a faulcon flit: 350

  All which in that faire arras was most lively writ.

  XL

  Next unto him was Neptune pictured,

  In his divine resemblance wondrous lyke:

  His face was rugged, and his hoarie hed

  Dropped with brackish deaw; his threeforkt pyke 355

  He stearnly shooke, and therewith fierce did stryke

  The raging billowes, that on every syde

  They trembling stood, and made a long broad dyke,

  That his swift charet might have passage wyde,

  Which foure great hippodames did draw in temewise tyde. 360

  XLI

  His seahorsed did seeme to snort amayne,

  And from their nosethrilles blow the brynie streame,

  That made the sparckling waves to smoke agayne,

  And flame with gold, but the white fomy creame

  Did shine with silver, and shoot forth his beame. 365

  The god himselfe did pensive seeme and sad,

  And hond adowne his head, as he did dreame:

  For privy love his brest empierced had,

  Ne ought but deare Bisaltis ay could make him glad.

  XLII

  He loved eke Iphimedia deare, 370

  And Aeolus faire daughter, Arne hight,

  For whom he turnd him selfe into a steare,

  And fedd on fodder, to beguile her sight.

  Also to win Deucalions daughter bright,

  He turnd him selfe into a dolphin fayre; 375

  And like a winged horse he tooke his flight,

  To snaky-locke Medusa to repayre,

  On whom he got faire Pegasus, that flitteth in the arye.

  XLIII

  Next Saturne was, (but who would ever weene

  That sullein Saturne ever weend to love? 380

  Yet love is sullein, and Saturnlike seene,

  As he did for Erigone it prove,)

  That to a centaure did him selfe transmove.

  So proov’d it eke that gratious good of wine,

  When, for to compasse Philliras hard love, 385

  He turnd himselfe into a fruitfull vine,

  And into her faire bosome made his grapes decline.

  XLIV

  Long were to tell the amorous assayes,

  And gentle pangues, with which he maked meeke

  The mightie Mars, to learne his wanton playes: 390

  How oft for Venus, and how often eek

  For many other nymphes he sore did shreek,

  With womanish teares, and with unwarlike smarts,

  Privily moystening his horrid cheeke.

  There was he painted full of burning dartes, 395

  And many wide woundes launched through his inner partes.

  XLV

  Ne did he spare (so cruell was the elfe)

  His owne deare mother, (ah! why should he so?)

  Ne did he spare sometime to pricke himselfe,

  That he might taste the sweet consuming woe, 400

  Which he had wrought to many others moe.

  But to declare the mournfull tragedyes,

  And spoiles, wherewith he all the ground did strow,

  More eath to number with how many eyes

  High heven beholdes sad lovers nightly theeveryes. 405

  XLVI

  Kings, queenes, lords, ladies, knights, and damsels gent

  Were heap’d together with the vulgar sort,

  And mingled with the raskall rablement,

  Without respect of person or of port,

  To shew Dan Cupids powre and great effort: 410

  And round about, a
border was entrayld

  Of broken bowes and arrowes shivered short,

  And a long bloody river through them rayld,

  So lively and so like that living sence it fayld.

  XLVII

  And at the upper end of that faire rowme, 415

  There was an altar built of pretious stone,

  Of passing valew and of great renowme,

  On which there stood an image all alone

  Of massy gold, which with his owne light shone;

  And winges it had with sondry colours dight, 420

  More sondry colours then the pround pavone

  Beares in his boasted fan, or Iris bright,

  When her discolourd bow she spreds through hevens hight.

  XLVIII

  Blyndfold he was, and in his cruell fist

  A mortall bow and arrowes Keene did hold, 425

  With which he shot at randon, when him list,

  Some headed with sad lead, some with pure gold;

  (Ah! man, beware how thou those dartes behold.)

  A wounded dragon under him did ly,

  Whose hideous tayle his lefte foot did enfold, 430

  And with a shaft was shot through either eye,

  That no man forth might draw, ne no man remedye.

  XLIX

  And underneath his feet was written thus,

  Unto the victor of the gods this bee:

  And all the people in that ample hous 435

  Did to that image bowe their humble knee,

  And oft committed fowle idolatree.

  That wondrous sight faire Britomart amazd,

  Ne seeing could her wonder satisfie,

  But ever more and more upon it gazd, 440

  The whiles the passing brightnes her fraile sences dazd.

  L

  Tho as she backward cast her busie eye,

  To search each secrete of that goodly sted,

  Over the dore thus written she did spye,

  Bee bold: she oft and oft it over-red, 445

  Yet could not find what sence it figured:

  But what so were therein or writ or ment,

  She was no whit thereby discouraged

  From prosecuting of her first intent,

  But forward with bold steps into the next roome went. 450

  LI

  Much fayrer then the former was that roome,

  And richlier by many partes arayd;

  For not with arras made in painefull loome,

  But with pure gold, it all was overlayd,

  Wrought with wilde antickes, which their follies playd 455

  In the rich metall, as they living were:

  A thousand monstrous formes therein were made,

  Such as false Love doth oft upon him weare,

  For Love in thousand monstrous formes doth oft appeare.

  LII

  And all about, the glistring walles were hong 460

  With warlike spoiles and with victorious prayes

  Of mightie conquerours and captaines strong,

  Which were whilome captived in their dayes

  To cruell Love, and wrought their owne decayes:

  Their swerds and speres were broke, and hauberques rent, 465

  And their proud girlonds of tryumphant bayes

  Troden in dust with fury insolent,

  To shew the victors might and mercilesse intent.

  LIII

  The warlike mayd, beholding earnestly

  The goodly ordinaunce of this rich place, 470

  Did greatly wonder, ne could satisfy

  Her greedy eyes with gazing a long space;

  But more she mervaild that no footings trace

  Nor wight appear’d, but wastefull emptinesse

  And solemne silence over all that place: 475

  Straunge thing it seem’d, that none was to possesse

  So rich purveyaunce, ne them keepe with carefulnesse.

  LIV

  And as she lookt about, she did behold

  How over that same dore was like wise writ,

  Be bolde, be bolde, and every where Be bold, 480

  That much she muz’d, yet could not construe it

  By any ridling skill or commune wit.

  At last she spyde at that rowmes upper end

  Another yron dore, on which was writ,

  Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend 485

  Her earnest minde, yet wist not what it might intend.

  LV

  Thus she there wayted untill eventyde,

  Yet living creature none she saw appeare:

  And now sad shadowes gan the world to hyde

  From mortall vew, and wrap in darkenes dreare; 490

  Yet nould she d’off her weary armes, for feare

  Of secret daunger, ne let sleepe oppresse

  Her heavy eyes with natures burdein deare,

  But drew her selfe aside in sickernesse,

  And her welpointed wepons did about her dresse. 495

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto XII

  The maske of Cupid, and th’ enchanted

  chamber are displayd,

  Whence Britomart redeemes faire

  Amoret through charmes decayd.

  I

  THO, when as chearelesse night ycovered had

  Fayre heaven with an universall clowd,

  That every wight, dismayd with darkeness sad,

  In silence and in sleepe themselves did shrowd,

  She heard a shrilling trompet sound alowd, 5

  Signe of nigh battaill, or got victory:

  Nought therewith daunted was her courage prowd,

  But rather stird to cruell enmity,

  Expecting ever when some foe she might descry.

  II

  With that, an hideous storme of winde arose, 10

  With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt,

  And an earthquake, as if it streight would lose

  The worlds foundations from his centre fixt:

  A direfull stench of smoke and sulphure mixt

  Ensewd, whose noyunce fild the fearefull sted, 15

  From the fourth howre of night untill the sixt;

  Yet the bold Britonesse was nought ydred,

  Though much emmov’d, but stedfast still persevered.

  III

  All suddeinly a stormy whirlwind blew

  Throughout the house, that clapped every dore, 20

  With which that yron wicket open flew,

  As it with mighty levers had bene tore;

  And forth yssewd, as on the readie flore

  Of some theatre, a grave personage,

  That in his hand a braunch of laurell bore, 25

  With comely haveour and count’nance sage,

  Yclad in costly garments, fit for tragicke stage.

  IV

  Proceeding to the midst, he stil did stand,

  As if in minde he somewhat had to say,

  And to the vulgare beckning with his hand, 30

  In signe of silence, as to heare a play,

  By lively actions he gan bewray

  Some argument of matter passioned;

  Which doen, he backe retyred soft away,

  And passing by, his name discovered, 35

  Ease, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

  V

  The noble mayd, still standing, all this vewd,

  And merveild at his straunge intendiment:

  With that a joyous fellowship issewd

  Of minstrales, making goodly meriment, 40

  With wanton bardes, and rymers impudent,

  All which together song full chearefully

  A lay of loves delight, with sweet concent:

  After whom marcht a jolly company,

  In manner of a maske, enranged orderly. 45

  VI

  The whiles a most delitious harmony

  In full straunge notes was sweetly heard to sound,

&nb
sp; That the rare sweetnesse of the melody

  The feeble sences wholy did confound,

  And the frayle soule in deepe delight nigh drownd: 50

  And when it ceast, shrill trompets lowd did bray,

  That their report did far away rebound,

  And when they ceast, if gan againe to play,

  The whiles the maskers marched forth in trim aray.

  VII

  The first was Fansy, like a lovely boy, 55

  Of rare aspect and beautie without peare,

  Matchable ether to that ympe of Troy,

  Whom Jove did love and chose his cup to beare,

  Or that same daintie lad, which was so deare

  To great Alcides, that, when as he dyde, 60

  He wailed womanlike with many a teare,

  And every wood and every valley wyde

  He fild with Hylas name; the nymphes eke Hylas cryde.

  VIII

  His garment nether was of silke nor say,

  But paynted plumes, in goodly order dight, 65

  Like as the sunburnt Indians do aray

  Their tawney bodies, in their proudest plight:

  As those same plumes, so seemd he vaine and light,

  That by his gate might easily appeare;

  For still he far’d as dauncing in delight, 70

  And in his hand a windy fan did beare,

  That in the ydle ayre he mov’d still here and theare.

  IX

  And him beside marcht amorous Desyre,

  Who seemd of ryper yeares then th’ other swayne,

  Yet was that other swayne this elders syre, 75

  And gave him being, commune to them twayne:

  His garment was disguysed very vayne,

  And his embrodered bonet sat awry;

  Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did strayne,

  Which still he blew, and kindled busily, 80

  That soone they life conceiv’d, and forth in flames did fly.

  X

  Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad

  In a discolour’d cote of straunge disguyse,

  That at his backe a brode capuccio had,

  And sleeves dependaunt Albanese-wyse: 85

  He lookt askew with his mistrustfull eyes,

  And nycely trode, as thornes lay in his way,

  Or that the flore to shrinke he did avyse,

  And on a broken reed he still did stay

  His feeble steps, which shrunck when hard thereon he lay. 90

  XI

  With him went Daunger, cloth’d in ragged weed,

  Made of beares skin, that him more dreadfull made,

  Yet his owne face was dreadfull, ne did need

  Straunge horrour to deforme his griesly shade:

  A net in th’ one hand, and a rusty blade 95

  In th’ other was, this Mischiefe, that Mishap;

  With th’ one his foes he threatned to invade,

  With th’ other he his friends ment to enwrap: