Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

  And serving her in her malitious use,

  To hurt good knights, was as it were her baude,

  To sell her borrowed beautie to abuse.

  For though, like withered tree that wanteth juyce, 320

  She old and crooked were, yet now of late

  As fresh and fragrant as the floure deluce

  She was become, by chaunge of her estate,

  And made full goodly joyance to her new found mate.

  XXXII

  Her mate, he was a jollie youthfull knight, 325

  That bore great sway in armes and chivalrie,

  And was indeed a man of mickle might:

  His name was Blandamour, that did descrie

  His fickle mind full of inconstancie.

  And now himselfe he fitted had right well 330

  With two companions of like qualitie,

  Faithlesse Duessa, and false Paridell,

  That whether were more false, full hard it is to tell.

  XXXIII

  Now when this gallant with his goodly crew

  From farre espide the famous Britomart, 335

  Like knight adventurous in outward vew,

  With his faire paragon, his conquests part,

  Approching nigh, eftsoones his wanton hart

  Was tickled with delight, and jesting sayd:

  ‘Lo! there, Sir Paridel, for your desart, 340

  Good lucke presents you with yond lovely mayd,

  For pitie that ye want a fellow for your ayd.’

  XXXIV

  By that the lovely paire drew nigh to hond:

  Whom when as Paridel more plaine beheld,

  Albee in heart he like affection fond, 345

  Yet mindfull how he late by one was feld,

  That did those armes and that same scutchion weld,

  He had small lust to buy his love so deare,

  But answered: ‘Sir, him wise I never held,

  That, having once escaped perill neare, 350

  Would afterwards afresh the sleeping evill reare.

  XXXV

  ‘This knight too late his manhood and his might

  I did assay, that me right dearely cost,

  Ne list I for revenge provoke new fight,

  Ne for light ladies love, that soone is lost.’ 355

  The hot-spurre youth so scorning to be crost,

  ‘Take then to you this dame of mine,’ quoth hee,

  ‘And I, without your perill or your cost,

  Will chalenge yond same other for my fee.’

  So forth he fiercely prickt, that one him scarce could see. 360

  XXXVI

  The warlike Britonesse her soone addrest,

  And with such uncouth welcome did receave

  Her fayned paramour, her forced guest,

  That, being forst his saddle soone to leave,

  Him selfe he did of his new love deceave, 365

  And made him selfe thensample of his follie.

  Which done, she passed forth, not taking leave,

  And left him now as sad as whilome jollie,

  Well warned to beware with whom he dar’d to dallie.

  XXXVII

  Which when his other companie beheld, 370

  They to his succour ran with readie ayd:

  And finding him unable once to weld,

  They reared him on horsebacke, and upstayd,

  Till on his way they had him forth convayd:

  And all the way, with wondrous griefe of mynd 375

  And shame, he shewd him selfe to be dismayd,

  More for the love which he had left behynd,

  Then that which he had to Sir Paridel resynd.

  XXXVIII

  Nathlesse he forth did march well as he might,

  And made good semblance to his companie, 380

  Dissembling his disease and evill plight;

  Till that ere long they chaunced to espie

  Two other knights, that towards them did ply

  With speedie course, as bent to charge them new.

  Whom when as Blandamour approching nie 385

  Perceiv’d to be such as they seemd in vew,

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

  XXXIX

  For th’ one of them he perfectly descride

  To be Sir Scudamour, by that he bore

  The God of Love with wings displayed wide, 390

  Whom mortally he hated evermore,

  Both for his worth, that all men did adore,

  And eke because his love he wonne by right:

  Which when he thought, it grieved him full sore,

  That, through the bruses of his former fight, 395

  He now unable was to wreake his old despight.

  XL

  Forthy he thus to Paridel bespake:

  ‘Faire sir, of friendship let me now you pray,

  That as I late adventured for your sake,

  The hurts whereof me now from battell stay, 400

  Ye will me now with like good turne repay,

  And justifie my cause on yonder knight.’

  ‘Ah! sir,’ said Paridel, ‘do not dismay

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

  As ye have done for me: the left hand rubs the right.’ 405

  XLI

  With that he put his spurres unto his steed,

  With speare in rest, and toward him did fare,

  Like shaft out of a bow preventing speed.

  But Scudamour was shortly well aware

  Of his approch, and gan him selfe prepare 410

  Him to receive with entertainment meete.

  So furiously they met, that either bare

  The other downe under their horses feete,

  That what of them became themselves did scarsly weete.

  XLII

  As when two billowes in the Irish sowndes, 415

  Forcibly driven with contrarie tydes,

  Do meete together, each abacke rebowndes

  With roaring rage; and dashing on all sides,

  That filleth all the sea with fome, divydes

  The doubtfull current into divers wayes: 420

  So fell those two in spight of both their prydes;

  But Scudamour himselfe did soone uprayse,

  And mounting light, his foe for lying long upbrayes.

  XLIII

  Who, rolled on an heape, lay still in swound,

  All carelesse of his taunt and bitter rayle; 425

  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 strove him to awake,

  And doft his helmet, and undid his mayle: 430

  So much they did, that at the last they brake

  His slomber, yet so mazed that he nothing spake.

  XLIV

  Which when as Blandamour beheld, he sayd:

  ‘False faitour Scudamour, that hast by slight

  And foule advantage this good knight dismayd, 435

  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 overronne: 440

  So hast thou to thy selfe false honour often wonne.’

  XLV

  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: 445

  Like as a gloomie cloud, the which doth beare

  An hideous storme, is by the northerne blast

  Quite overblowne, yet doth not passe so cleare,

  But that it all the skie doth overcast

  With darknes dred, and threatens all the world to wast. 450

  XLVI

  ‘Ah! gentle knigh
t,’ then false Duessa sayd,

  ‘Why do ye strive for ladies love so sore,

  Whose chiefe desire is love and friendly aid

  Mongst gentle knights to nourish evermore?

  Ne be ye wroth, Sir Scudamour, therefore, 455

  That she your love list love another knight,

  Ne do your selfe dislike a whit the more;

  For love is free, and led with selfe delight,

  Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might.’

  XLVII

  So false Duessa, but vile Ate thus: 460

  ‘Both foolish knights, I can but laugh at both,

  That strive and storme, with stirre outrageous,

  For her that each of you alike doth loth,

  And loves another, with whom now she goth

  In lovely wise, and sleepes, and sports, and playes; 465

  Whilest both you here with many a cursed oth

  Sweare she is yours, and stirre up bloudie frayes,

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

  XLVIII

  ‘Vile hag,’ sayd Scudamour, ‘why dost thou lye?

  And falsly seekst a vertuous wight to shame?’ 470

  ‘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 475

  I wote not well, but in his shield he beares

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

  XLIX

  ‘I saw him have your Amoret at will,

  I saw him kisse, I saw him her embrace,

  I saw him sleepe with her all night his fill, 480

  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 shivering dart, 485

  The beast astonisht stands in middest of his smart.

  L

  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, 490

  Albee untrue 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. 495

  LI

  ‘Lo! recreant,’ sayd he, ‘the fruitlesse end

  Of thy vaine boast, and spoile of love misgotten,

  Whereby the name of knight-hood thou dost shend,

  And all true lovers with dishonor blotten:

  All things not rooted well will soone be rotten.’ 500

  ‘Fy, fy! false knight,’ then false Duessa cryde,

  ‘Unworthy life, that love with guile hast gotten;

  Be thou, where ever thou do go or ryde,

  Loathed of ladies all, and of all knights defyde.’

  LII

  But Scudamour, for passing great despight, 505

  Staid not to answer, scarcely did refraine,

  But that in all those knights and ladies sight

  He for revenge had guiltlesse Glauce slaine:

  But being past, he thus began amaine:

  ‘False traitour squire, false squire of falsest knight, 510

  Why doth mine hand from thine avenge abstaine,

  Whose lord hath done my love this foule despight?

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

  LIII

  ‘Discourteous, disloyall Britomart,

  Untrue to God, and unto man unjust, 515

  What vengeance due can equall thy desart,

  That hast with shamefull spot of sinfull lust

  Defil’d the pledge committed to thy trust?

  Let ugly shame and endlesse infamy

  Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust. 520

  Yet thou, false squire, his fault shalt deare aby,

  And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply.’

  LIV

  The aged dame, him seeing so enraged,

  Was dead with feare; nathlesse, as neede required,

  His flaming furie sought to have assuaged 525

  With sober words, that sufferance desired

  Till time the tryall of her truth expyred:

  And evermore sought Britomart to clare.

  But he the more with furious rage was fyred,

  And thrise his hand to kill her did upreare, 530

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

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto II

  Blandamour winnes false Florimell;

  Paridell for her strives;

  They are accorded: Agape

  Doth lengthen her sonnes lives.

  I

  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 unknowen,

  Is wicked discord, whose small sparkes once blowen 5

  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 silver harpe in hand, and shortly friends them make;

  II

  Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was, 10

  That when the wicked feend his lord tormented,

  With heavenly notes, that did all other pas,

  The outrage of his furious fit relented.

  Such musicke is wise words with time concented,

  To moderate stiffe mindes, disposed to strive: 15

  Such as that prudent Romane well invented,

  What time his people into partes did rive,

  Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did drive.

  III

  Such us’d wise Glauce to that wrathfull knight,

  To calme the tempest of his troubled thought: 20

  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 unwise, and warelesse of the evill

  That by themselves unto themselves is wrought, 25

  Through that false witch, and that foule aged drevill,

  The one a feend, the other an incarnate devill.

  IV

  With whom as they thus rode accompanide,

  They were encountred of a lustie knight,

  That had a goodly ladie by his side, 30

  To whom he made great dalliance and delight.

  It was to weete the bold Sir Ferraugh hight,

  He that from Braggadocchio whilome reft

  The snowy Florimell, whose beautie bright

  Made him seeme happie for so glorious theft; 35

  Yet was it in due traill but a wandring weft.

  V

  Which when as Blandamour, whose fancie light

  Was alwaies flitting, as the wavering wind,

  After each beautie that appeard in sight,

  Beheld, eftsoones it prickt his wanton mind 40

  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 joyous meriment?’ 45

  VI

  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 to hearke, but made this faire denyall:

  This now be yours; God send you better gaine.’ 50

  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 overborne.

  VII

  Who, with the sudden stroke astonisht sore 55

  Upon the ground a while in slomber lay;

  The whiles his love away the other bore,

  And shewing her, did Paridell upbray:

  ‘Lo! sluggish knight, the victors happie pray!

  So Fortune friends the bold:’ whom Paridell 60

  Seeing so faire indeede, as he did say,

  His hart with secret envie gan to swell,

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

  VIII

  Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed,

  Having so peerelesse paragon ygot: 65

  For sure the fayrest Florimell him seemed

  To him was fallen for his happie lot,

  Whose like alive on earth he weened not:

  Therefore he her did court, did serve, did wooe,

  With humblest suit that he imagine mot, 70

  And all things did devise, and all things dooe,

  That might her love prepare, and liking win theretoo.

  IX

  She, in regard thereof, him recompenst

  With golden words and goodly countenance,

  And such fond favours sparingly dispenst: 75

  Sometimes him blessing with a light eyeglance,

  And coy lookes tempring with loose dalliance;

  Sometimes estranging him in sterner wise;

  That, having cast him in a foolish trance,

  He seemed brought to bed in Paradise, 80

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

  X

  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 85

  Had thousand women of their love beraft,

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

  Which that same witch had in this forme engraft,

  Was so expert in every subtile slight,

  That it could overreach the wisest earthly wight. 90

  XI

  Yet he to her did dayly service more,

  And dayly more deceived was thereby;

  Yet Paridell him envied therefore,

  As seeming plast in sole felicity:

  So blind is lust, false colours to descry. 95

  But Ate soone discovering his desire,

  And finding now fit opportunity

  To stirre up strife twixt love and spight and ire,